City of Champaign Updates Into March

This post covers City Council Meetings in February and early March, updates on police training, possible local Post Office changes, surveillance expansion, downtown planning and much more.

City Council 3/5 Meeting:

Heads up: there won't be a City Council meeting this upcoming Tuesday, March 12th, according to the City Manager. This is likely due to the Mayor and other council members unable to attend. At the March 5th meeting the Mayor noted that she will be out of town and other members are likely to be attending a public input event about the Champaign U.S. Post Office review. More information on that review at the USPS website here. Excerpt relating to public input:

Public input will be considered as part of the review. A public meeting will be held to share the initial results of the study and to allow members of the local community to provide their feedback and perspectives on the Initial Findings of the MPFR. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 12, 6:00 PM at the YMCA of the University of Illinois, 1001 Wright St, Champaign, IL 61820. A summary of the MPFR will be posted on about.usps.com at least one week prior to the public input meeting. 

Members of the local community may submit comments at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/mpfr-champaign-il.

The News-Gazette had coverage of the local pushback on potential changes or reduction of service locally. WCIA had additional coverage here.

The only action item that received any significant comment or discussion at the March 5th meeting was the approval of Champaign Police Department and Fire Department training agreement with the Public Safety Training Foundation and their massive training facilities outside of Decatur, Illinois. The Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center is a part of those facilities.

Lt. Aaron Lack of the Champaign Police and the Mayor described the breadth of the facilities there, including an "indoor city" with furnished office building, bars, an Amtrak train car, and other simulation facilities. On the fire training side there were also unique facilities for issues such as grain bin rescues on site. There's no cost to the City from the center itself although travel costs and per diem expenses are a factor. The time would be part of the 10 hour training time allotted in current officer pay as opposed to any overtime costs.

For those interested in the massive funding that went into those facilities, Howard Buffett's police training philanthropy in the Decatur area and his Police Safety Training Foundation, ProPublica had a breakdown of some of the foundation financial numbers. The Mayor also highlighted that the facility allows public tours and can facilitate organizations to visit and check out the center. She visited as part of a delegation from the Illinois Municipal League recently.

City Council 2/20 Meeting:

The News-Gazette had an overview of the February 20th City Council meeting in their Meeting Minutes feature here (agenda, video). Excerpt:

Phase 1 of Champaign’s Neil Street Plaza project is a go after the city council voted to formally accept a $500,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Construction on the first phase is scheduled to start this summer and expected to conclude sometime in 2025. It will involve extending the plaza by about 200 feet and renovating One Main Plaza, at the corner of Neil and Main streets, including the installation of a performance stage equipped with power and wiring for sound and lighting equipment.

That full article here. There was a study session after the regular meeting going over the Downtown Plan Update (report, video jump to link). Smile Politely had some additional information and links related to the Downtown Plaza project here.

The approval of 72 new cameras as part of the expansion of the Automatic License Plate Reader program and contract with Flock Safety. The item passed unanimously without comments from by the council or any audience members (jump to video). Unlike previous ALPR devices, the new camera systems will allow real-time monitoring and additional surveillance capabilities. From the staff report on the council bill:

PSC Boxes and Expansion of ALPR Technology. Council approved the expansion of the ALPR program and the implementation of the PSC program on December 12, 2023 (CB 2023-209). Eighteen PSC boxes were directed to be built and placed at major intersections throughout Champaign. Each PSC box, if approved by Council, will be built by Police Department staff and will have four different cameras per box for a total of seventy-two (72) cameras to complete all 18 boxes. Two cameras are dedicated to the ALPR license plate capture, with licensing contracted from Flock, and will cover all four directions of the intersection. 

The tilt zoom camera will enable real-time monitoring of any ongoing situations in the intersection. The 360-degree camera will record all activity at an intersection and will provide the Police Department with a better investigatory tool for crashes and ongoing criminal investigations. The PSC boxes are cost-effective and efficient because they are built in-house and only require one box per intersection. The City utilized a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to purchase the 72 cameras.

Previous City staff reports on surveillance expansion noted that these cameras are in addition to other expanded surveillance by the city. This also includes a recent purchase of a new surveillance van with remote capabilities described as a "Premier Surveillance Platform" with a Command Center and Tech Center. From the November 10th staff report:

The Department employs body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, mobile camera trailers and four investigative pole cameras.

Investigative cameras are typically deployed during long-term investigations involving felony crimes and are never utilized to identify, capture, or enforce minor offenses. These cameras are placed on a public right of way in locations experiencing violent crime. Video evidence gathered from these cameras is utilized in the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes.

Additionally, in 2021, Champaign Police purchased a mobile video trailer as an additional resource for the department to proactively deploy for the safe management of large-scale community events. This trailer can also be rapidly deployed in response to unexpected incidents that may pose a significant threat to public safety.

WCIA also highlighted the City's annexation and approval of solar panels at an animal rescue facility at that same meeting (go to link of video of the consolidated bills passage). There was an opportunity for public input on the annexation of the property into the City earlier in the same meeting. There was additional coverage looking for public input to name the Moore’s Rescue Ranch's "cat lounge" here.

The News-Gazette coverage also noted that there will be a nationwide search for a new Public Works Director for the City after Khalil Zaied announced that he has to leave the position and move out of state due to private family matters.

City Council 2/6 Meeting:

WAND had coverage of the City's $2 million settlement related to the death of a tow truck driver who died while assisting City personnel at an accident scene. That article also links to additional News-Gazette coverage here.

Other City Government Updates:

• There are a couple public input opportunities on the city's Annual Action Plan that "outlines local affordable housing and community development needs and identifies strategies for addressing them." There are public input opportunities coming up March 21st and 26th meetings at the City Building as well as online input options on the City's website here.
  
  
• The Illinois Department of Commerce has designated North First Street as a cultural district. This will open up more funding opportunities for the city towards projects in that community, according to the News-Gazette.
  
  
• C-U Citizen Access had a follow up article on the lack of any new Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) or building permits after the City Council approved zoning changes to allow them. The article has an overview of the topic, links to previous articles and concerns, and more.
  
  
• The City's Human Relations Commission had a presentation from the local Pixan Konob’ interpreters collective and their efforts to assist interpreter needs by local services and agencies in Champaign County. This includes indigenous Mayan languages often used by immigrants from Guatemala and Southern Mexico, for example (agenda, video). There's an overview of the group from their presentation to a County Board finance study session back in 2021 here.
  
  
• The News-Gazette reprinted a C-U Citizen Access article on concerns among Garden Hills residents in Champaign on the overwhelming number of liquor and gambling establishments in their area. The article goes into detail and maps some of the licensing around the neighborhood.