Utica to host outdoor dining April through October

Outdoor dining in Utica will be back in late April.

Thursday, the Utica Village Board unanimously adopted a resolution downtown Mill Street will be closed April 25. The last day for outdoor dining will be Oct. 30 and then Mill Street will be reopened to through-traffic on Nov. 4.

The village had closed Mill Street as an accommodation to downtown restaurants and taverns when infection controls either precluded or restricted indoor dining. It proved so popular the board extended it into future years.

Separately, Utica still plans to refill its portion of the Illinois and Michigan Canal and has $150,000 coming to pay for it — but first the village needs help tweaking its request.

The Village Board entered into an agreement with North Central Illinois Council of Government for services not to exceed $6,000. Though the grant was previously approved with help from state Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa), the forthcoming funds were tagged for dredging and not specifically for re-watering.

“It’s a lot of paperwork,” Mayor David Stewart said. “I think that’s the right way to do it, to make sure it’s done properly.”

Finally, if you once had a banner flown in downtown Utica — honoring a first-responder or veteran, for example — you can hang it up again this summer if you act now.

The Village Board approved the hanging of up to 50 banners on a first-come, first-served basis to be displayed from Memorial Day through Veterans Day.

In other matters, the board:

• Proclaimed May as Motorcycle Awareness Month
• Extended the moratorium on the issuance of licenses for hotels, motels and other lodgings until Sept. 9, giving the Utica Planning Commission more time for analysis
• Approved retaining Hopkins & Associates to perform the annual audit
• Purchased playground equipment for Magnuson Park in the Senica Manor subdivision. The cost of equipment, $12,492, will be donated to the village