MTD Updates

This post covers updates on staffing, the half-fare taxicab access issue, an African-American history mural and bus donation, and other MTD coverage and news in recent months.

The MTD is still struggling with staffing shortages. From the Daily Illini a couple weeks ago:

The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District continues to face a shortage of bus operators, which has led to MTD implementing service reductions to some of its bus routes...

As a means of attracting new drivers, MTD drivers will only have to wait 90 days rather than a year for their health insurance to take effect, the premiums of which are paid in full by MTD itself. Training wages themselves have also been increased, in addition to hourly pay becoming more competitive. 

The shortage has also caused current drivers to pick up more overtime hours to make up for deficiencies. 

That full article here. More details on campus route changes here.

MTD's half-fare cab program was in the news for failing to comply with disability and accessibility needs. From the News-Gazette back in August:

A Federal Transit Administration final report on a review done once every three years stated that at the time of the review, there was only one local taxi company participating in the half-fare cab program and that its fleet didn’t include any accessible vehicles.

The MTD provides the half-fare cab service offering discounted cab rides within MTD service boundaries as a supplemental service to its DASH Pass. The MTD has DASH passes for both seniors and those with disabilities that make it difficult for them to get on and off a bus...

In all, the FTA focused on the MTD’s compliance with federal requirements in 23 areas, and found deficiencies in two of the 23.

The other deficiency had reportedly been corrected already. More information at the full article here. The latest update on the half-fare issue from the 8/31 MTD Board Meeting:

For the deficiency Demand-response service deficiency (ADA-GEN 5-1), by December 30, 2022, MTD must submit to the Regional Civil Rights Officer (RCRO) its procedures for monitoring the half-fare taxi program to ensure that equivalent service is provided to persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users, according to the criteria described in 49 CFR 37.77(c). In addition, MTD must submit at least three months of data to demonstrate the equivalency of the service.

That full report here (this issues is covered on pg 48 of the PDF file, pg 10 of the "Fiscal Year 2022 Triennial Review" document in the August agenda packet).

Smile Politely highlighted a bus mural dedicated to local African-American history on a bus donated by MTD to the Champaign Park District:

The newest addition to the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail is an MTD bus wrapped with a colorful and impactful mural created by artist Keenan Dailey. The bus was donated to the Champaign Park District by MTD, and it will be used for park district programming, and as a mobile part of the heritage trail.

The interior of the bus includes panels about Frederick Douglass, the history of Douglass Park, and other African American history in Champaign County. 

That full blurb with additional links here. News-Gazette had a bit of coverage here as well.

Recent MTD Board Coverage: 

There was coverage of the August MTD board meeting in the 9/9 "Meeting Minutes feature of the News-Gazette here. It included this quote:

Slowly but surely, MTD Managing Director Karl Gnadt told his board, “we are moving back to the pre-pandemic numbers.”

In July, ridership totaled 290,301 — up from the two years prior (260,815 in 2021, 226,004 in 2020) but well short of the 2019 figure (420,729), when the district was operating at full capacity vs. the current 80 percent, Gnadt noted.

The News-Gazette had coverage of the July MTD board meeting in their 8/5 "Meeting Minutes" feature here (subscription eEdition link). It covered a grant application for new busses, an intergovernmental agreement with Unit 4, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) related expenditures.

Last month's MTD board meeting coverage included updates on the increasing sophistication of ransomware attacks, including targeting of backups. More on that from the 7/22 "Meeting Minutes" article here. Purchasing a data backup system that can reduce that risk was proposed (agenda pg. 45) and approved (minutes pg. 3).

More recent MTD Board Meeting videos and documents available on the MTD website here.

Other MTD News:

• The Urbana school board renewed its contract with MTD at $180,239 (a $4,014 increase). From the News-Gazette's here. The article noted that Champaign schools renewed there contract in July at $556,110 (covering far more areas).
• MTD helped sponsor a Bike to Work day last month according to WCIA.

City of Champaign Updates

 

This Cheat Sheet post covers City of Champaign meetings and news from September and October thus far. Topics covered include updates on gun violence, police hiring, homeless shelter plans and more. There is an upcoming meeting on Tuesday 10/25 that will include a study session and presentation on the tax levy and financial forecast. Financial forecast report is available here from the City's website.

October Updates:

WCIA had an update on gun violence in Champaign. Excerpt:

WCIA reporters last sat down with police leadership in mid-July. Then, Chief Tim Tyler touted that police received half the number of shots fired calls as they had by the middle of 2021.

The gap has closed some since then. Still, about 15 more people had fallen victim to gun violence at this point last year than to date in 2022. That said, 2021 was a record-breaking year and not necessarily the benchmark.

If the shooting rate the city is experiencing now continues, Champaign may see as many people hurt and killed as in 2020.

More at the full article here. There were overall gun violence updates around Champaign County on a previous Cheat Sheet post here. For the very latest Chiefs Reports at the Champaign Community Coalition meeting this month jump to the 4:30 minute and mark of the latest meeting video here.

In other gun violence related updates, the City of Champaign also signed off on additional funding for its Community Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint this past week. From the News-Gazette's 10/21 "Meeting Minutes" feature:

$218,103 to the Scott-led Y, part of Champaign’s Community Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint. [Jeff Scott of the Stephens Family YMCA] told council members it will be put to good use — the expansion of after-school/weekend youth development programming for 25 to 30 kids a day in underserved communities. It will take place in Y-rented space at the Swann Special Care Center.

Full coverage of that meeting is available here from the News-Gazette's s eEdition.

In other City Council news, Tom Bruno won't seek re-election for the first time in a very long time. From the News-Gazette:

One of Champaign’s longest-serving city council members, Tom Bruno, said he’s going to step aside next year and give someone else a turn.

A council member since Aug. 5, 1997, Bruno said Thursday he doesn’t plan to seek re-election next April...

A 68-year-old attorney with law offices in Urbana, Bruno was originally appointed to the city council in 1997 to fill an at-large seat vacancy. He’s been elected and re-elected ever since.

That full article here.

In coverage earlier this month, the News-Gazette highlighted a likely upcoming honorary street sign and an "Island of Misfit Toys" holiday parade theme. More from the 10/7 "Meeting Minutes" feature here. The News-Gazette had additional coverage on the proposed honorary street sign for Toby Herges here. The Study Session report includes the application and letters of support for the signage. The "Meeting Minutes" feature on 10/21 included an overview of all of the City of Champaign honorary street signs here (News-Gazette eEdition link).

September City Council Updates:

The News-Gazette had coverage of the 9/27 Study Session here. Topics mainly covered the promotion of tourism and marketing slogan campaign details:

During a goal-setting session a year ago, the city council endorsed a project to “develop and implement a comprehensive marketing campaign to promote Champaign’s positive attributes and strengthen community pride.”

But when the two-year, $140,000 pilot program was put under the spotlight as the focus of a study session this week, several members had questions.

Most of them revolved around the general issue of: How to pull it off without trumping, or repeating, the campaigns that already exist — many of them involving some of the city’s closest partners?

More at the full article in the 9/30 "Meeting Minutes" feature here. That Study Session report with background and additional details is here. The general concept and discussion inspired criticism from the editorial staff of both Smile Politely and the News-Gazette.

    Also: "Champaign City Council member Danny Iniguez, left, tapped the ceremonial first keg at last weekend’s C-U Oktoberfest as the Developmental Services Center fundraiser returned to an in-person event for the first time in three years."

In Township business, there have been ongoing plans and negotiations over purchasing property for a homeless shelter. I have yet to see any updates where a deal has been finalized, however. From the News-Gazette's 9/23 "Meeting Minutes" feature:

Now that he has his board authorization to spend up to $1.25 million on a home for a first-of-its-kind local shelter, it’s on to the negotiating table for Township Supervisor Andy Quarnstrom... 

Township officials had originally considered launching the shelter in a leased building at 119 E. University Ave., which is being vacated this month by Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County.

But with C-U at Home in the midst of investigating other locations to move its own shelter and other services for the homeless, purchasing the East Washington space became the better option, given that it “is essentially turn key, (so) nothing would need to be done to it for Strides to move in outside of setting up our network, phones, some furniture, etc.,” Quarnstrom said.

More at that full article here. There were some additional updates on the ongoing property sale negotiations here and here (eEdition blurb) from earlier this month.More background on the option and plans from last month here.

The News-Gazette's 9/23 "Meeting Minutes" feature also included an overview of area gambling revenue here and a brief summary of the expenditures approved by the City Council at that week's meeting here. (summaries are also available on the 9/20 agenda here or the actual meeting minutes here).

The 9/9 "Meeting Minutes" feature included updates on police hiring, an additional meeting related to approving McKinley Field games (more detailed coverage on McKinley Field games here), and other expenditures approved here (more details available from the agenda and minutes). It also included some earlier gun violence data here.

More City of Champaign Updates:

• WAND had coverage of this year's immigration Welcome Week events and the City's collaboration with the YMCA's New American Welcome Center. Related News-Gazette blurb on Welcome Week here. WCCU had coverage on preparations being made locally for possible future increases in welcoming local immigration and refugees.
• WAND also had coverage of this year's Champaign Fire Department 9/11 Memorial Ceremony here.
• Some have suggested building a community center at the current site of the County Fair Shoping Center strip mall according to WCCU.
• The News-Gazette also previewed Fire Prevention Week events in Champaign and Urbana here.
• Two Champaign Police officers were promoted to Deputy Chief positions according to the News-Gazette.
• The Hedge POP! Park project in Garden Hills received recognition and an award according to WCIA.
• There was also an update on the City's progress with Costco's sales tax rebate.
• The News-Gazette had pictures and a short blurb on City Council member Danny Iniguez at an Oktoberfest fundraiser here.
• The News-Gazette highlighted a new local Park District pickleball complex.
• Farren's will continue to be the provider of "adult beverages" at Virginia Theater events. From the News-Gazette 9/2 Meeting Minutes.

City of Urbana Updates

 

There was a lot of City of Urbana news and City Council coverage this month. Below is a summary of that coverage, links to more information on new Fire Station placement, Florida Avenue path projects, Safer Streets proposals, and a whole lot more.

Starting with the most recent meeting, the News-Gazette looked at some of the nuanced drama in another extensive Urbana City Council meeting last week. From this week's "Meeting Minutes" feature.

During a marathon committee-of-the-whole meeting that lasted every bit of four hours, one organization’s funding request was pushed back, another’s sparked a philosophical debate and a third brought some tension of its own.

In the middle of all three: Grace Wilken, the inquisitive, second-year Ward 6 representative, who dominated the night’s discussion, asking to be called upon 17 times and following up with questions on another 31 occasions.

That full article here. If you want to jump to the various discussions covered in the article, here is a link to the agenda packet and the list of videos for each agenda item's discussion here. The sound was very low on the videos, so you may need a device where you can really amplify the volume. There were also some public comments related to develop around the old Lierman Community Gardens (see agenda packet staff report page 185-7 of the PDF). Many of the comments revolved around previous desires to keep the community gardens and previous discussion on insurance costs highlighted by WCIA this past summer.

This week there will be both a Cunningham Township Board meeting and a regular city council meeting with some of the final votes on topics discussed at this past Committee of the Whole meeting.

Previous Meetings:

The News-Gazette's 9/30 "Meeting Minutes" feature had an overview of some of the agenda items passed at the regular City Council meeting earlier that week. general updates including fire station issues. Video of the Fire station scoping follow-up questions and discussion is available on the City's website here. For those who want to start at the beginning of the new Fire Station discussion the first presentation began here at the 8/15 Committee of the Whole meeting (summary in item 4 of the minutes) and continued here at the 8/22 regular City Council meeting (summary in item 12 of the minutes). Older WCIA coverage on the Fire Station locations here.

The 9/23 "Meeting Minutes" feature included coverage of the presentation and mayor's remarks on Florida avenue plans: 

The topic: the recommended offstreet, shared-use concrete path on the south side of Florida between Lincoln and Race Street, which a working group determined would “improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists” and fill in a gap that would create a nearly four-mile stretch of pathways.

That full article is available here in the News-Gazette's eEdition along with some data on local gambling revenues here. Video of the full Florida avenue presentation and Mayor's remarks are here with the Mayor's remarks starting at the 1 hour and 11 minute mark.

WAND also had preview coverage on the Safer Streets proposal along Florida avenue that was approved at the meeting. Discussion of the proposal (resolution number ending in -067R) was available under the video for the resolution ending in -066R (at the very beginning).

The 9/9 "Meeting Minutes" had an overview of study session items forwarded to the regular City Council meeting for a vote. It mainly highlighted the agenda items listed for the meeting here (minutes with more detailed summaries here).

The 8/26 "Meeting Minutes" had a lot of coverage and details about the Urbana City Council meeting. Excerpt:

Five things we learned from [Executive Director at The Urbana Free Library] Celeste Choate‘s fiscal-year-in-review presentation to the city council this week:

— Two-plus months since scrapping late fees altogether — and forgiving $70,363.13 in overdue fines accrued by 6,113 adults, 82 teens and 480 youths — library staff is “over the moon” at the response, Choate said: “We’ve already heard people coming in and saying: ‘I didn’t feel like I could have a card before because I was afraid of having fines.’ We have already seen that happening, and that’s very powerful for us.”

That full article is available here and covers a variety of topics from the library to homeless shelter collaboration with the City of Champaign, appointments, and more.

Earlier last month, the News-Gazette also reported that there may be the potential for another solar array in the old landfill location:

The city of Urbana may be poised to see an expansion of solar power being generated at its former landfill site.

The city is entering a lease option with global energy company TotalEnergies Distributed Generation USA that could lead to a second solar array being developed on the last unused acres at the 127-acre former landfill at 1210 E. University Ave....

The next step would be for TotalEnergies and the city to negotiate a long-term lease for the land, he said.

The presence of a second solar array at the old landfill is expected to take some time.

That full article here.

Other Urbana Updates:

• The News-Gazette's "Meeting Minutes" feature highlighted details of Urbana's search for a new Chief of police available here. More from the City's website here.
• Applications for ARPA funds to implement approved City projects and programs are open according to the News-Gazette. City announcement and links here. WAND coverage here.
• The News-Gazette also previewed Fire Prevention Week events in Urbana and Champaign here.
• WCIA had updates on the planned City Building remodeling.
• Smile Politely highlighted Urbana's upcoming leaf collection dates here.

Unit 4 Reorganization and More

The biggest news out of Unit 4 this past month were the proposals to drastically reorganize the school district away from the current "School of Choice" system. The proposals were introduced during a presentation by a consulting firm known as Cooperative Strategies at the 9/26 school board meeting. The next school board meeting is tomorrow October 10th and is likely to have many people organizing before the meeting, attending the meeting and participating in public comments towards the end (links for meeting agenda, information, and public comment rules). 

For folks interested in seeing the 9/26 proposals presentation for themselves it starts just after the 2 hour, 1 minute mark in this school board meeting video on the Unit 4 website. The PDF presentation is available here. The school board meeting agendas and documents are available here.

The News-Gazette had initial coverage of the announcement, presentation, various players, and reactions in their 9/30 "Meeting Minutes" feature. A few excerpts:

You’ll likely be hearing and reading the acronym SES frequently in the coming weeks. “That is ‘socio-economic status,’” board member Kathy Shannon spelled out at this week’s meeting, and it’s severely out of whack between the neighborhoods of elementary schools on the high end of the spectrum (Carrie Busey and Barkstall) and the low end (Booker T. Washington, Garden Hills, Stratton). “We as a community, I think, I hope ... we know that it’s really important that we don’t have schools full of rich kids and schools full of poor kids,” Shannon said....

This is just a report, this is an initial step presented to the board,” President Amy Armstrong emphasized to those anxious parents watching Monday’s meeting — most of them on Tuesday after streaming issues prevented the meeting from being broadcast live on Unit 4’s website. “And the community steps into the next part of the process.”

...

The project website that houses the aforementioned survey is also home to a handy school-locator tool, where users can type in their address and see which cluster they’d fall into if this option is adopted.

A lot more information at the full article available on the News-Gazette website here. There were additional articles on the reaction by the community here. One organized group mentioned in that article, Unit 4 Families for Smarter Solutions, is pushing for alternative policy proposals and has already had its own public meeting towards that goal. Video of latest community meeting here (PowerPoint presentation available here). People didn't appear to be coalescing around any particular alternate proposal at this initial meeting. Many different perspectives were shared on the history of school segregation here, multilingual needs of the community, and criticisms of how focused the Cooperative Strategies proposals actually address any of the problems they're focused on.

More details on the focus groups arranged for further community input to the Cooperative Strategies firm. Links to the survey and focus group application are available on their website here.

More coverage:

• WCIA initial proposal coverage here. Latest reaction coverage here, including yesterday's community meeting and an interview with NAACP president Minnie Pearson who attended and spoke at that meeting. Additional recent Unit 4 articles here.
• Illinois Newsroom 10/4: "Families weigh desegregation benefits, familiarity as Unit 4 discusses abandoning its school choice system"
• Reaction news segments from WAND and WCCU.

For more background on Unit 4's previous attempts at dealing with racial and socioeconomic disparities, local segregation, and integration of schools there is a lot of territory to cover. The most recent and helpful overviews to get started may be the district's recent Needs Assessment (February 2020) and Strategic Plan (September 2020).

• The Needs Assessment was developed by another education consulting firm called FourPoint Education Partners and is available on the Champaign Board of Education's website here. This also relates to the board's declaration of racism as a health crisis in June 2020. 
• The Strategic Plan for the district was developed based on that assessment.

For even more background, here are some additional helpful links:

• A 2019 Cheat Sheet post on segregation in Champaign-Urbana highlighting excerpts of a Governing Magazine series looking at modern segregation in downstate Illinois, including towns like ours.
• WILL coverage of the local branches of the NAACP and ACLU 2019 letter explaining ongoing concerns about racial disparities in outcomes, opportunities, and treatment in Unit 4. The full letter is still available on the Champaign County ACLU's website here.
• A critical look at the aftermath of the Consent Decree and settlement from a former Unit 4 teacher and administrator in 2012. It was republished on a searchable local Unit 4 blog that covered Unit 4 from late 2008 through 2020.
• The News-Gazette had a very brief overview of the extent of school segregation here during the racial Nadir and desegregation attempts after World War II and then the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s.

For legal wonks here is the text of the 2009 Settlement Agreement that helped usher in the end of the Consent Decree and the 2002 Consent Decree ruling itself. There are also records available through the University on the history of the legal battle that led to the Consent Decree. 

The long history of integration and segregation in Champaign-Urbana is difficult to summarize. In some ways we were unique and different from other Northern towns... but in other ways we were tragically typical. I strongly recommend folks take advantage of our great African-American history resources and archives locally to learn more about the evolution, changes (forwards and backwards), and the backlashes that occurred both nationally and locally over the past generations here.

Other Unit 4 Updates:

• CU One-to-One mentoring training dates and coverage from WCCU.
• The News-Gazette had coverage of the Superintendent's pay raise and overview of the previous school board meeting. Other approved items including the sale of excess Chromebooks to other districts and the donation of other surplus supplies.
• The 9/16 "Meeting Minutes" feature noted some approved district hires and "a moment of silence for Central coaching icon Lee Cabutti."
• The latest updates on the tentative SY 2022-2023 budget is available from the last meeting agenda packet here. 
• Area superintendents (including for Champaign schools) had a public event on area school needs covered by WAND here.