This post has updates from the last few summer months, including potential council pay raises, filling a council vacancy, and a lot of economic development updates. A separate post will be dealing with gun violence updates in C-U generally. The vacancy for District 3 was filled in June. The News-Gazette had coverage of Jamar Brown being appointed and sworn in.
New member Jamar Brown took his seat on the Champaign City Council for the majority of Tuesday’s meeting following a 7-1 vote instating him to represent District 3.
Just three months earlier, Brown resigned from the Unit 4 school board less than a year after being elected...
He’s filling the seat vacated by Danny Iniguez on May 14.
Brown has just under a year to finish out the remainder of Iniguez’s term, which ends May 6, 2025.
That full article here. The News-Gazette also had more on Brown's background the day before here. Last month's Cheat Sheet on the Champaign City Council had a brief overview and links about the resignation, application process, and other applicants. WCIA also had brief coverage of Brown's appointment here with some additional links to more background information.
Council Pay Increases:
It always appears to be a contentious issue as to whether elected representatives should get a pay raise. Like everybody else, there are concerns about retention, inflation, and budget priorities. From the News-Gazette:
Five members of a Champaign City Council Compensation Task Force voted unanimously Thursday afternoon to recommend raising council members’ annual pay from $5,000 to $7,000 and the part-time mayor’s annual salary from $35,000 to $45,000.
The mayoral raise would bump Champaign from fifth place to fourth on the area compensation charts, leapfrogging Rantoul ($36,000) and trailing only three cities and villages where the job is full-time: Danville ($100,000), Urbana ($73,217) and Tilton ($60,000).
The recommended raise for council members would match what Urbana pays its aldermen, tops among area cities and villages. Rantoul, Clinton and Sullivan each pay $6,000 annually.
That full article here. The staff report on the task force was brief in its recommendations and reasoning. It was presented at the last study session where the council gave the initial go ahead (agenda, video). A final vote by the council is still required to approve the pay raises. The News-Gazette had an earlier article with a comparison of area mayoral pay.
Downtown Plaza:
Construction has begun on the Downtown Plaza project after the schedule was moved up and approved at the beginning of July. From the News-Gazette: .
City officials have rearranged the construction schedule for Phase 1 of the Neil Street Plaza project in hopes of addressing concerns from local businesses.
The Champaign City Council will vote on two agreements related to Phase 1 of the project at their 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday: an approximately $3.26 million construction contract with A&R Mechanical Services and a $298,500 construction engineering contract with Clark Dietz.
That full article here. These changes were approved for the Plaza construction timeline at the July 2nd City Council meeting (video jump to). WAND had coverage of the City Council approval and new schedule here. WCIA highlighted the upcoming public ground breaking event this past Friday here. WCIA also had coverage of the ground breaking itself with a video segment here.
Economic Development News:
The Yards: In the latest update on long stalled development project around the Illinois Terminal called "The Yards," developers are looking for input on whether there's interest in going forward or not. from the News-Gazette:
It’s really just an opportunity for the neighborhood to speak and say, ‘Hey, we’re excited about this, let’s keep working on it’ or maybe ‘Now’s not the time’, in which case, that’s OK as well,” said Royse and Brinkmeyer CEO Collin Carlier. “We could stop working on it. But it does take a lot of time and energy, and it’s a long entitlement period, so we’re just looking for, I guess, to be nudged whether we should continue to move forward or alter our thoughts based on feedback from the neighborhood.”
That full article here.
County Fair: It's looking like everything is set for the redevelopment of the long stagnating County Fair Shopping Center and surrounding area. The plan relies on a TIF district (what is a TIF district?) as a funding strategy:
At 217 acres, the proposed Springfield and Mattis tax-increment-financing district isn’t the largest in the city, but it’s up there, said T.J. Blakeman, the city’s economic development manager.
He estimated it’s probably the second biggest after the 507-acre Garden Hills TIF district...
The boundaries of the proposed TIF district include the Country Fair Shopping Center, the Champaign Park Apartments, the Country Brook Apartments, the Round Barn Shops, the Shops at Glenn Park, the Schnucks Plaza and the former C.S. Johnson Factory.
That full article here, which goes into a great deal of detail on how the process will likely play out from here (including another public hearing, a meeting of the Joint Review Board, and a final City Council vote). This follows up from previous coverage on plans to redevelop the Country Fair Shopping Center area. Also from the News-Gazette:
The 32-acre Country Fair site, which has been on the market for more than a year, is under contract to a team of investors who are doing their due diligence before closing on the property, Senior Planner for Economic Development TJ Blakeman wrote in a report to the council...
He added that the potential buyers seem very willing to work with the city of Champaign and local developers to incorporate the city’s priorities into the project, including “walkability, high-quality design, new public streets and circulation patterns, and the reintroduction of transit to the development.”
City Manager Dorothy David has authorized a cost-share agreement to engage an architectural firm that can begin work on a conceptual plan for the project.
That full article here.
Economic Development Manual: The City Council recently had a Study Session where they had a presentation on and discussed a "New Economic Development Manual" (staff report, presentation video). The presentation and discussion included incentivizing development and possible changes to improve those incentives with increased costs. A key part of the council feedback was on exclusions (e.g. gambling establishments). The Council's technical questions and input begin at the 26 minute mark (jump to video link). The discussion ended with City Council direction to staff to move forward (with that input).
WCIA had a brief overview of the issue:
The Council is in the process of drafting a new Economic Development Manual. The current manual went into effect in 2012 and ends this year. As part of the new manual, the city council is looking at revising the Redevelopment Incentive Program and implementing three small business assistance programs.
The Redevelopment Incentive Program, established 30 years ago, assists redevelopment projects with up to $150,000 or 20% of the cost. Since then, it’s provided more than $5 million in grant funding.
Under the new Economic Development Manual, a few changes would be made to the Redevelopment Incentive Program. The cap would be increased to $200,000 with a bonus of $10,000 for projects that can be occupied immediately upon completion. Criteria and percentage of eligible costs would also change.
That full article here.
Downtown Housing: There were also some concerns about affordable housing with a redevelopment project near downtown. From the News-Gazette:
Royse and Brinkmeyer is seeking city approval for a planned unit development on 10 properties it owns in the block bounded by South State Street, South Prairie Street, West White Street and West Springfield Avenue...
Gil Terriberry, case manager at the Strides Shelter, said at the commission’s meeting last month that he appreciates the variety of density incorporated into the project.
However, he added that there is a “serious housing problem” in Champaign and surrounding counties and was curious to know if the development might include “affordable, low- and moderate-income or subsidized housing,” as a lack of affordable housing is a major contributor to homelessness.
That full article here. This issue was discussed at the Plan Commission last week (agenda, video). Towards the end of that meeting, it appeared that the Plan Commission approved an amended version of the redevelopment plan for the City Council to consider (with the Plan Commission's recommendation to approve). The tentative date for the City Council to look at this item is September 17th.
Other City of Champaign Government News:
- Kathy's Mailbag delved into cellphone reception issues in Champaign and some of the city planning and regulations that go into possibly resolving them.
- Champaign Fire Department looking ahead to replace Ladder 161, from the News-Gazette's "Meeting Minutes" feature.
- Two more signs have been added to the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail, including one in downtown Champaign to remember the JCPenney boycott and picketing here, according to the News-Gazette.
- Honorary street signs for a local community organizer and a local music producer were approved this month. There was a previous overview on the proposal from the News-Gazette here. WCIA had a short blurb on the music producer, Mark Rubel here.
- There has been a great deal of public comment about the conflict between Israel and Gaza, generally asking local governments to divest from Israel and take a stand against alleged war crimes. See the public comments section at the 7/2 regular City Council meeting and 7/9 City Council study session for examples.
- City looking at a possible local historical landmark designation on nearly 100 year old home, according to the News-Gazette.
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