The City of Knox is trying to get more COVID-19 relief for its small businesses, but first, it needs residents to weigh in. The city is applying for $200,000 through the state’s COVID-19 Response Program.
As part of the application, Mayor Dennis Estok is asking residents to take a four-question survey, to gauge their support, as well as COVID-19’s impact on the city’s businesses. “It’s real easy, no personal information whatsoever,” Estok said during Tuesday’s city council meeting. “You can click on it and submit it, and it goes right to [the Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission].”
Click here to take the online survey. Paper copies are available at Knox City Hall. Surveys need to be completed by March 1.
Last year, the city awarded $245,000 to 27 local businesses through a previous round of the COVID-19 Response grant. Starke County is also circulating a separate survey to go along with its own grant application.
During Tuesday’s city council meeting, Mayor Estok also asked for residents’ help, when it comes to snow removal. “What we’re doing is we’re asking the residents to try to please clean their sidewalks,” Estok said. “We’ve got school kids walking the sidewalks. We’ve got mailmen walking the sidewalks. I’ve had complaints from some residents that ‘I’m doing mine. The neighbors won’t do theirs,’ so every year, we kind of try to put it out there, that, please, try to do your sidewalks.”
He said it would also be a big help if residents would shovel around any fire hydrants in front of their homes.
