ESCANABA — Curbside dining, a feature of the pandemic world, will be extended indefinitely in the city of Escanaba, giving business owners and their patrons more options as the coronavirus continues to linger.

Prior to the pandemic, the city required permits for any business that wanted to serve food outside on the city’s sidewalks. In an effort to make the business climate more hospitable for restaurants and bars facing bans and capacity limits on indoor dining, the city moved in August of 2020 to waive the permits until later in the year, when customers were less likely to want to sit outside.

However, with warm temperatures and spring only days away, the council was faced Thursday with the question of continuing to allow businesses to serve customers on the sidewalk without a permit.

“We all have been pretending we’re back to normal but we’re not. We have the head virologist of the country saying we should wear two masks indefinitely, we have some people saying we don’t need to wear any masks … but I think we should — to be cautious — extend easy outdoor dining until, until number one, forever, or number two, we’re really out of this virus thing,” said Council Member Ralph Blasier during Thursday’s regular city council meeting, which was held in-person at city hall for the first time in many months.

Whether or not to take action on the issue or to table it to the next regular council meeting was briefly a topic of discussion. Council member Tyler DuBord, who ultimately agreed to move forward with a vote on the permits Thursday, expressed his desire to hear from business owners who would be affected by the decision.

“They’re the business owners. I’m not a business owner,” said DuBord.

Council Member Peggy O’Connell repeatedly said she felt it was important to allow businesses to make plans and preparations for outdoor dining quickly. She also stated that some businesses had made substantial investments in barricades and outdoor seating when the rules were relaxed last year.

“I don’t think this is unreasonable. We didn’t have anyone complain about it last year and I think we need to give the restaurants —

they’ve had a hard enough time this year, and we need to give them ample time to prepare,” she said.

Council Member Karen Moore also pushed for the council to move forward with a decision and to continue foregoing the permit process.

“Who is going to object to this? That’s what I’m saying. I can’t see anybody objecting to this — to outdoor dining,” she said.

Unlike last year’s moratorium on outdoor dining permits, the current suspension does not have a set expiration date. The suspension will only end if and when the council takes action to reinstate the permit requirement.

The outdoor dining wasn’t the only pandemic-related discussion held Thursday. Late in the meeting, City Manager Patrick Jordan announced that early, unofficial reports indicate the city will likely be getting a $1.2 million payment as part of the $1.9 trillion stimulus recently signed into law by President Joe Biden. What rules and stipulations would be attached to the funds was unclear Thursday.

In other business the council:

— Held the third of five planned public hearings on the city’s next fiscal year budget. These hearings serve as an opportunity for the public to have input on how the city spends its money, but no members of the public spoke at Thursday’s meeting.

— Held a public hearing and adopted a resolution to amend the code of ordinances to include a notification requirement for neighbors of new developments. The notifications — which will make property owners within 300 feet of a new development aware of upcoming site plan reviews at the planning commission level — replaces a requirement for public hearings on developments where uses are permitted by right. The hearings were removed to meet recommendations by the Michigan department of Economic Development (MEDC) and its Redevelopment Ready Communities program. Public hearings are still required for developments where the use is not permitted by right, such as developments requiring zoning changes.

— Held a public hearing and adopted a resolution modifying the city’s sign ordinance. Among the changes was the ability for electronic message board signs to be located closer to residential areas, with certain caveats to protect residents from nuisances. The changes also set up rules and procedures for nonconforming signs.

— Approved a 5K run/walk event. The Color Your Faith 5K Run/Walk is scheduled for May 22.

— Approved submitting an application for Michigan DNR Trust Fund Grant.

— Approved refinancing bonds issued by the city. The refinancing will give the city a lower interest rate and save an estimated $170,000 over the next ten years.

— Approved the sale of a 2001 Ditch Witch to the Delta County Road Commission for $20,000. The equipment was no longer need by the city’s water department.

— Went into closed session to discuss two issues with the city’s attorney.