East Central Reporter

The Shelbyville City Council is urging all local businesses to be safe in reopening as the Shelby County Board approved measures allowing them to resume operations.

While not taking a position on the board’s decision one way or the other, City Council members vowed to do all they can to expedite the process as they urged all business owners to think safety first in putting plans in motion.

“Shelbyville is a non-home rule community and only has the power granted to them by law,” Council members said in a statement. “Neither the governor nor state legislature has granted the city the power to make decisions or determinations regarding the opening of businesses. It was not the city’s decision to order businesses closed in March nor is it the city’s decision whether to reopen.”

City leaders added they plan to do all they can to make the transition back to normalcy as smooth as possible.

“We certainly acknowledge that citizens of the city are suffering greatly from the pandemic and our businesses must find a way to re-open safely,” the statement added. “We are trying to do our part to see that this happens swiftly. To do so, we are joining with cities and counties in the central region with a unified request for a data supported plan.

The statewide, five-phase reopening plan by Gov. J.B. Pritzker remains in place. However, the Moultrie County and Fayette County state’s attorneys have refused to prosecute COVID-19 emergency order violations, which under the governor’s emergency rule have been classified as Class A misdemeanors.