Urbana Updates

If you're interested in running for Urbana Park District commissioner, Smile Politely has a quick starter blurb. Full blurb here. Excerpt below:

Petitions can be picked up at the Darius E. Phebus Administrative Office of the Park District at 303 West University in Urbana from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M., Monday through Friday. Those interested in running are encouraged to attend board meetings — you can find the schedule here — as well as set up a meeting with Tim Bartlett, the Urbana Park District Executive Director, to learn more about the responsibilities of the office. You can get a general idea here.

 The News-Gazette had an overview of the City Council meeting yesterday:

Urbana council OKs police plan for body cameras, new video equipment
The Urbana Police Department is moving forward with a plan to give every officer a body camera and replace aging digital equipment after the city council approved a budget amendment to make that possible.

On Monday, aldermen approved rearranging $31,000 in funds so police could have the $219,130 necessary to buy 57 body cameras, 13 in-vehicle video systems for new squad cars coming in October or November and new equipment for interview rooms...

Seraphin said he expects all his officers to have a body camera by the end of the year, depending on when new squad cars are delivered. He added that there will be "a little bit of a lag" as the department activates new squad cars.

In other business, the council gave preliminary approval to rezoning and annexation ordinances that will enable the Union Gardens development slated for an area north of historically black neighborhoods in Champaign and Urbana to move forward.

The biggest debate on the issue Monday focused developer Trinitas' traffic study, with some aldermen saying they thought it did not properly anticipate the traffic the project could bring to the area, especially on Carver Drive.

More at the full article here. On the recent emergency meeting on fights at Urbana schools, WAND had coverage (including video):

Fights in school prompt emergency district meeting
An emergency meeting was held Sunday to discuss the safety of students at both Urbana High School and Urbana Middle School.

Parents, friends, students and staff were all concerned about the recent fights that broke out at both schools and they came together to address the issue...

Urbana High School's principal, Urbana Middle School's principal and the superintendent of Urbana said leaders are not taking this issue lightly.

A lot of the fights have been outside of school grounds, surfacing on social media and that's when they get involved. They say they are reinforcing in both a classroom setting and outside of school the outcomes of social media and how parents can monitor their children...

Urbana High School will be having a meeting Tuesday and the principal encourages parents and students to attend. If they can't make it, she says she will be more than happy to speak to the parents directly and help solve any additional issues that she might not be aware of.

More at the full article here. Background and preview of the meeting from the News-Gazette here. [UPDATE: the Urbana High School meeting information is at the News-Gazette here. The same concerns about the restorative discipline program were raised with staff assuring parents that the change has just started and highlighted their obligation to ensure every student gets an education.]