City of Champaign Summer Updates

Whether or not varsity football games may be played on McKinley Field  appeared to dominate the attention on local government this past month. A lot of the controversy stems from the fact that during the referendum to "keep Central central," promises were made to the neighborhood that the improvements to Central High School wouldn't include such events. The News-Gazette had a lengthy overview of the situation here and some of the arguments being made here.

Gun Violence

There were also some important updates on gun violence and efforts to reduce the problem locally. In the 8/12/2022 News-Gazette "Meeting Minutes" feature, there were updates on new City hires in the Department of Equity and Engagement as well as an update on local gun violence statistics from the Champaign Police Department (subscription eEdition).

More updates on local gun violence can be found with the monthly Champaign County Community Coalition meeting (latest Police Chief Updates just after the 28 minute mark in the video here, with CPD updates leading them off). The News-Gazette covered the topic of unruly late night gatherings raised in the update here. The News-Gazette had an overview of the July meeting updates here, that got into the details of the recent decreases in gun violence from the high spikes in recent years.

The News-Gazette had a detailed overview of their new Equity and Engagement Department here. WCIA had some updates on the organizations working together locally to reduce gun violence here. CU-CitizenAccess also had an overview of the City's gun violence reduction blueprint here. They also had a breakdown of the impact of gun violence especially on African American youth.

The University of Illinois Police Department is taking over some of the patrol duties in the Champaign areas of campus town to help alleviate the stress on the CPD's staffing shortage. Illinois Newsroom had more details about that agreement here. Excerpt:

Faced with a shortage of officers, the city of Champaign will pay $840,000 per year to the U of I  for the patrol services. 

U of I Assistant Police Chief Tim Hetrick said the new patrols will operate from Neil Street to the city’s eastern border at Wright Street, and south from Springfield Avenue to Windsor Road. He said two officers will be on duty for each shift...

The Champaign City Council voted last April to approve an intergovernmental agreement with the university to provide the patrol services for two years (with an option for a third).

WCIA also had additional coverage of the agencies assisting Champaign with downtown police coverage. More updates on gun violence and policing will be at this link on the Champaign County Cheat Sheet soon.

Homeless Shelter

There were City of Township updates on a year-round and less restrictive homeless shelter. The News-Gazette's "Meeting Minutes" feature on Friday 8/19/2022 had details of the approved plan, location, costs, and potential timeline. The paper had additional articles on some community opposition here and earlier proposal details here. Smile Politely had an editorial in support here. WCIA had a blurb on the Council voting to approve the measure here.

More

Back in July there was an update on some of the City Council drama as the News-Gazette reported the return of councilwoman Alicia Beck to City Council meetings after an extended absence. From their 7/29 "Meeting Minutes" reporting:

Beck said her extended absence was due to having to attend to “some personal family issues” related to her dad’s death earlier this year and she appreciated those who checked in on her.

Beck didn’t respond to multiple inquiries from The News-Gazette during her time away, which included five council meetings. Nor, apparently, did she read a July 13 story in which councilman Tom Bruno called the subject “kind of an awkward interpersonal hot potato.”

That full article here, which also highlighted the planned increase in traffic code enforcement in the area. There was additional criticism and coverage the following week in the 8/5 "Meeting Minutes" feature on the same issues.

Council member Beck denied following local news coverage and claimed she was going to donate half of her annual City Council member stipend in lieu of the absences. The long absence occurred after she admonished a victim of gun violence who made public comments at a City Council meeting. Given the News-Gazette's coverage and amplification of the public outcry before the municipal elections, I leave it to the reader to decide if she was just avoiding reporters questions. A previous Cheat Sheet post got into the context, details, and coverage of that incident.

WCIA also had some coverage of the meeting here and Beck's return to meetings here. 

Other July Updates:

• Champaign Public Library board meeting and re-elected board officers. From the News-Gazette eEdition here. The meeting documents are here, with the Directors Report being a good place to start for a general overview of Library updates.
• The Champaign Park District's Martens Center opening has been delayed.
• WCIA had coverage on the approval of a new building in downtown Champaign.

Other August Updates:

• That same "Meeting Minutes" feature had coverage of the City of Champaign City Council meeting that week, including approval for funding of the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail project.
• There were updates on the City Council's approval of honorary street signs for Bishop King James Underwood and Dawson Banks Sr. (click the names for additional information from previous News-Gazette articles). A brief overview was in the eEdition "Meeting Minutes on 8/12 here.
• This week's "Meeting Minutes" feature highlighted additional funding for 40 North (local arts) and the Mayor's experience with a CPD ride-along.

 

Urbana Updates

 

The News-Gazette had a preview of one major transportation item on the agenda for tonight's Urbana City Council Committee of the Whole meeting (which appears to still be remote by Zoom):

A long-awaited reconstruction project for Florida Avenue in Urbana stands to be expanded, with much of the new higher cost potentially covered by a federal grant.

At Monday’s committee-of-the-whole meeting, the city council will be asked to sign off on a change in the city’s 2021 capital improvement plan to reflect a cost update for the Florida Avenue project — from the original $4.5 million to $12.03 million — due to an expanded scope of the project and higher construction costs.

Originally planned for the section of Florida between Vine Street and Lincoln Avenue, the new version would extend from Vine to the city line near Illinois Field.

That full article here with more details. For even more details, the resolution itself has spreadsheets for anyone wanting to figure out the various funding sources (summarized on page 2 and spreadsheets after). The agenda also continues the conversation on council goals (agenda item overview here).

A previous meeting on council goals was covered in a brief overview by WCCU here. Local activists claimed that there were Open Meeting Act violations on a local government blog here. Mayor Marlin responded to concerns on social media, arguing that the City complied with the rules, but the activists were disruptive:

"This meeting was the 5th city council goal-setting session held with city council and staff. It was held in person at Stone Creek Church in order to give space for working in small groups. It was publicly noticed and public input was held per the Open Meetings Act. Minutes were taken by the City Clerk. No formal action was taken at this session. The so-called media you reference were two private citizens who placed recording devices on tables and set up multiple cameras. They recorded throughout the meeting. The meeting was fully compliant with the Open Meetings Act." - Mayor Diane Marlin's facebook comment on 2/24/2022.

In the latest news on local gun violence, the City of Urbana is also looking at ways to use ARPA funding to interrupt the cycles of violence from WAND: 

The city is considering funding a temporary apartment or house for victims, paid for with federal COVID-19 dollars or possibly general funds.

"Looking at the ARPA funds that are coming into the community at the county level and at, of course, across each of the local municipalities as well," [Beverley Baker, chief impact officer for the United Way of Champaign County] explained.

This would ensure victims have somewhere safe to stay, while they make plans for the future. Advocates hope this will break the cycle of violence and help victims heal.

That full article here. The city's survey link here.

The retiring Chief of Police in Urbana was interviewed as part of the News-Gazette's Community Conversation on Gun Violence. That podcast segment is available here. Just after the 10 minute mark the Chief responds to a question about local shootings on the nature of the weapons evolving: e.g. from low quality and low rounds to firearms with automatic fire selector switches and far more round capacity. The latest of the Community Conversation series, Part 15, is available on the News-Gazette website here along with links to the previous parts and other related links. This includes an overview of Automatic License Plate Reader systems and policies in cities across Illinois.

There was some discussion about parking and entertainment in downtown Urbana. WCIA had summary of the issue last week:

The city of Urbana wants to turn a parking lot into a money-making opportunity – but surrounding business owners are divided.

They’re requesting proposals to use a downtown parking lot for arts and culture activities and to generate sales tax revenue. That lot is behind Rose Bowl Tavern – a music venue that began hosting outdoor events when the pandemic hit...

They said the outdoor shows drove a lot of people downtown – and that’s the city’s goal. But neighbors are concerned their customers won’t have space to park if they lose that city lot.

That full article here. Tom Kacich had a longer look at the issue and interested parties in the News-Gazette the day before that here. That article has already aroused at least one letter to the editor in support of the Rose Bowl using it as an entertainment draw to downtown. WDWS had an interview with Mayor Marlin on this issue and few others last week here.

Other Urbana Updates:

There were some news items that more broadly impacted or involved both Champaign and Urbana in a separate post here. It includes updates on the case against a local white nationalist terrorist, memorializing local COVID deaths, area staffing and other organizational news items.

• Urbana saw antisemitic pamphlets distributed, according to WCIA. More on this issue and local reactions on the recent UIUC Updates Cheat Sheet post. WCCU had more on other incidents in the region here.
• The Urbana Fire Chief is expecting to retire in early May, according to the News-Gazette. WCIA also had coverage here.
• The Urbana Police Department is also pushing for new hiring, from WCIA.
• Updates on the City's 2nd Poet Laureate and inaugural Youth Poet Laureate from Smile Politely.
• The city won an award for its budget process, according to WAND.
• Leaf collection week (April 4 - 8, 2022) information from the City website.
• Latest Park District COVID protocols from WCIA (from March 3rd, so check their news webpage for updates).
• Information on Urbana arts and cultural grants from Smile Politely.
• Carle is getting more grant funding for its local mobile clinics. From WCIA.
• Information on the upcoming UC Books to Prisoners Sale from Smile Politely.

Urbana City Government

First off, it's worth noting that longtime activist and recent Urbana City Alderman Erik Jakobsson died this month. The News-Gazette had a long article with comments by those who knew him and some of his public work here.

The big news item for Urbana City government this month involved gun violence and Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology as a tool to help police solve some of the cases. The News-Gazette had an overview of the recent town hall meetings last week, including comments for and against the technology and concerns about how it may be used or abused. The content of the presentations was very similar in both town hall meetings, but had varying public questions and input (October 28th Town Hall video available here, the 29th here).

The News-Gazette article also noted some Urbana council members present:

Council members who were present Friday included Chris Evans, Maryalice Wu and Shirese Hursey.

Only Hursey was willing to express her support for the technology.

Evans said he is still gathering research and Wu said she wanted to see the final policy.

“I’m not a ‘no,’ but I’m not a ‘yes,’” Wu said.

The full News-Gazette article is here. More on the ALPR issue in both Champaign and Urbana from the News-Gazette here. WCIA had extensive coverage on the subject here. Excerpt:

Chief Seraphin said the ALPR’s cost about $2,500 per unit nd about $250 to install. He says he hopes they can install around 20 throughout Urbana.

Urbana got this idea after watching it work for surrounding cities. Rantoul recently caught a suspect by using the ALDR’s. Decatur also has them.

Mayor Marlin also said the University of Illinois Police and Champaign County Sheriff’s Office are looking into installing them as well. Chief Seraphin and the mayor said this would be helpful to work together with the surrounding areas.

That full article here with video segment. WCIA also had coverage of the first town hall on ALPRs put together by the Urbana Police Department and the Champaign County Branch of the NAACP who was advocating for the measure. This follows previous discussions by the City of Urbana on dealing with the vast increase in gun violence locally. WCIA also had coverage of the University of Illinois Police Department and co-responder model updates in Champaign County here.

The News-Gazette also had some updates on the pilot program between the Urbana Police Department and Rosecrance, a local mental health services provider, for responding to mental health crisis calls and alternatives to jail for certain non-violent scenarios.

Plans for the crisis co-responder team call for a Rosecrance social worker and an Urbana police officer who has a master’s degree in social work to follow up on calls for service related to mental or behavioral health crises, Marlin said.

The Urbana officer to work on this team will have a new title — behavioral health detective — and since she will be redeployed from her current police job, there will be no new city money involved, the mayor said.

Urbana Police Lt. Corey Koker, who is overseeing this program for the police department, said the police-Rosecrance response team will be focused on public service and will have its own dedicated office and resources.

In follow-up response visits, the team will try to connect people in crisis to available community services that can help them, he said.

That full article is here. WCIA also had coverage on this topic here.

More government related news from Urbana:

• Urbana schools offering more pay to deal with a substitute teacher shortage from Illinois Newsroom.

• COVID testing in Urbana schools from Illinois Newsroom.

• The City won an AARP challenge grant for a public arts initiative. Link from Smile Politely.

Urbana City Council Clarifying the HRO

Tonight's Urbana City Council meeting (agenda) will likely clarify an ambiguity in the City's Human Rights Ordinance that has existed since its passage. There are also a couple resolutions supporting the FirstFollowers Reentry program's services and on prioritizing de-escalation tactics by the Urbana Police Department. Most of the discussion and details of the items on tonight's agenda were had at last week Committee of the Whole meeting (agenda, video).

WICS had a brief overview of that meeting here. WCIA had a bit of additional information in its preview of the Use of Force related resolution prior to the meeting here.

In other Urbana news, the Urbana Poet Laureate is looking for public input and has a listening session Wednesday of this week. More information and links on that from Smile Politely here. Tom's Mailbag also had a couple Urbana related questions and answers on things like public and private sewer and septic systems and historical buildings here.

2/17 Meeting Writeup:

The meeting originally set for 2/15 was rescheduled due to the winter storm last week. It began with a presentation by Scott Allen of the Citizens Utility Board and Allen Max Axelrod, a local activist trying to stop utility shutoffs, especially to vulnerable populations. During the Q & A it was explained that there is an effort to get support from local governments throughout the state to help put pressure on the governor and relevant state agencies to put a stop to the shutoffs. The Mayor highlighted a local program through the Regional Planning Commission offering rental and utility assistance to Champaign County residents who qualify.

The public comments afterward raised concerns about application process and barriers that could create for some residents, especially those in the most desperate of situations. There were also concerns raised about the language in the Human Rights Ordinance and the need for the language to apply to the city. The language of the de-escalation and transparency resolution was criticized as insufficient to prevent past tragedies.  There were comments in support for funding and collaboration with the FirstFollowers reentry program as well.

The staff report included an update on the local Emulsicoat Inc facility. Data from the company and the Illinois EPA is being collected to help the council better understand the materials and safety issues involved. There is also going to be City Council training for current and prospective City Council members coming up soon. Starting on March 1st from 6-7pm there will be public meetings where the public may watch while candidates and incumbents participate in the training prior to City Council meetings.

The Mayor and Council member Brown highlighted some ways to get information out to the community on the RPC rental assistance program, including meeting with FirstFollowers and utilizing the list of big and small landlords registered with the City.

The presentation and discussion on the FirstFollowers funding is available here in the City Council video. There is a brief overview in the resolution document here. Excerpt:

First Followers is requesting funding for the Welcome Home Program to assist persons exiting the prison system. Many leave the prison system with few resources to help successfully reenter into the community. The Welcome Home program provides a safety net to provide support and resources to individuals returning to this community during the COVID crisis. The program anticipates serving twelve people through December 31, 2021.

The funding is coming through a small portion of the COVID related Community Development Block Grant money the City has received. From a post last year on CDBG block grants and jargon:

Some of the jargon and acronyms can get mind numbing on coronavirus relief funding that the federal government included with the CARES Act. The mechanisms that already existed for federal dollars to reach local programs were used to avoid re-inventing the wheel. So, in local government meetings, you'll hear Council members rattle of terms like "CDBG-CV funds." You probably don't need to know that it's referring to additional COVID-19 related spending in addition to the usual federal Community Development Block Grants. I didn't even like typing that last sentence. It's federal relief funding due to the pandemic.

Regular CDBG pop up a lot in city budgets outside of pandemic issues. For a general idea of how that federal money normally works its way to local government budgets, check out this link on the Illinois Department of Commerce page. 

The discussion on the resolution prioritizing de-escalation and transparency in the Urbana Police Department was discussed here in the Council video. It's worth noting that this is primarily direction and guidance to the Mayor, city staff, and police leadership on their expectations in policy. It specifically states the City Council's priority for de-escalation in the upcoming Use of Force policy changes and additional transparency in the UPD more generally.

The discussion on the Human Rights Ordinance, its application to the City Government, and how that might be enforced was a bit more complicated and is available here in the video. There was a presentation by the City Administrator Carol Mitten attempting to clarify the two issues involved. In a previous presentation at the January 19th COW meeting, there was a dispute about whether the options suggested by the Human Relations Commission were properly presented by the City Administrator.

At this meeting the Council decided to more narrowly tackle the clarification of the Human Rights Ordinance language. While the City Council members all agreed that the City must abide by the requirements of the Human Rights Ordinance, they are still looking for workable enforcement mechanisms. Part of the issue is the logistics of the City, or boards serving under the City's authority, attempting to enforce the ordinance against the City if it is in violation. 

The mechanisms to ensure an independent and fair hearing could be prohibitively expensive or leave potential conflicts of interest. One idea proposed was an intergovernmental agreement with Champaign that has a similar ordinance and Human Rights Commission structure. While clarifying the HRO language, the mechanism to enforce the protections is still left to be resolved.

At the end of the meeting Alderman Roberts had some updates on the Urbana sister-city program relating to Thionville. There is work being done towards a French/English exchange where Americans could practice their French and the French could practice their English. There was also a musical collaboration project in the works.

There were also some final thanks to the city staff and public during the winter storm, helping each other out, and clearing snow. Alderwoman Wu noted that the 217 area code will soon be one of two local area codes, so people may have to update their phones to include the area code if they haven't already.

Urbana Updates: City Council and News

This post includes a preview of upcoming Urbana government meetings, a vote on a resolution committing the City of Urbana to end structural racism, an overview of the last City Council Committee of the Whole meeting, and some other Urbana related news.

Tomorrow's February 8th Urbana City Council meeting (agenda) will likely be voting to approve the Alderwoman Shirese Hursey's resolution to commit the City to end structural racism and achieve racial equity. There are also a few appointments on the agenda, including an interim public works director and a FOIA officer. 

Prior to the City Council meeting there will be the monthly Cunningham Township meeting (agenda here). An intergovernmental agreement with the school district will be voted on to fill the gap in emergency shelter for student families experiencing homelessness (text of resolution).

Other Urbana News:

• The local NAACP branch and ACLU chapter are working on language for a new Use of Force policy for the Urbana Police Department.
• Urbana is looking for applications and nominations for the next Poet Laureate: Smile Politely had an interview with the current Poet Laureate Ashanti Files. Calls for nominations are in these Smile Politely links to the notice and update. The City's Poet Laureate page is available here and the nomination / application form is available here.
• The Urbana Free Library's efforts to serve the community during the pandemic were highlighted in Smile Politely. 
• WCIA had coverage of the proposed resolution on structural racism that also highlighted an initiative by the Champaign County Historical Archives for "chronicling racial and social justice movements in Champaign County."
• The lottery for the municipal ballot order was held in Urbana this week.
• The News-Gazette had an update on Urbana's Enterprise Zone which tallied new project cost heights and expects a busy 2021.

City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting 2/1:

Most of the public comments at the COW meeting (agenda, video) revolved around support of the proposed resolution committing to end structural racism, but also to demand substantive action towards that goal. Speakers included local ACLU chapter president Carol Leff and Cunningham Township Supervisor Danielle Cynoweth as well as several City Council/Township Board election challengers. 

Mayor Marlin read a proclamation for Black History Month and gave updates on the area COVID situation. Updates included the news that cases of one of the more contagious variants have been detected locally and updates on the health district's vaccination efforts.

It was pointed out that C-UPHD is still the best contact for questions and information on vaccinations. Alderman Brown noted the continued importance of social distancing and masks as there are still many vulnerable people waiting to be vaccinated in the months ahead.

The presentation and discussion of the resolution on structural racism began around the 1:24 mark in the video (jump to link). There appeared to be broad support for the resolution. The resolution passed with only some grammatical edits suggested for the final resolution to be voted on at the next City Council meeting. The News-Gazette had coverage of the meeting and the discussion:

The four-page resolution calls out the city for a history of Jim Crow laws, White supremacy, segregation and racial oppression.

“It’s an important first step,” said Ward 3 Alderwoman Shirese Hursey, who co-sponsored the resolution.

Full article available here. 

Council communication at the end of the meeting included some concerns and questions about leniency for ticketing vehicles while the pandemic continues and continuing utility shut offs mentioned in public comments. City Administrator Carol Mitten said she would look into and follow up on the concern. 

City of Urbana Roundup

Here are some more general City of Urbana news items from the past month. If you're looking for updates on Urbana candidates, Urbana High School violence, Urbana poverty information, or Urbana Park grants, just click on the links for those earlier Cheat Sheet posts. Most of the regular City Council news was about the "Gather" development details being debated prior to Council  approval at the February 25th Special City Council Meeting. From the News-Gazette the next day:

Urbana council approves rezoning agreement for 'Gather' developmentThe city council signed off Tuesday on plans for a mixed-use development just north of the West Main Street Historic District.

Aldermen voted 4-1, with abstentions from Maryalice Wu and Jared Miller, to approve a rezoning agreement that would allow construction of the five-story section of the "Gather" development, a project that is expected to bring 200 apartments, 16 townhomes and 50 extended-stay hotel rooms, as well as 15,000 square feet of lobby, small-scale retail and outdoor public areas.

Many of the concerns raised by future neighbors of the proposed development during plan commission meetings took center stage Monday as aldermen considered the zoning change and a special-use permit, which the council approved unanimously.

Full article with more details here. Details of the developers original vision for the development in this January article. More background on the disagreements going into the vote in the News-Gazette article previewing the City Council meeting here. One of the issues that was raised in that article and an earlier blurb was whether the development would be capped at 65 feet in height. The final approval included that limit "except that the building height may reach 70 feet near the northeast corner of the building to accommodate roof access."

Other City of Urbana highlights in the last month or so involved parking lots and their respective owners. True story:


Fighting over parking spaces:

In an earlier City Council meeting there was a fight over a dangerously laid out parking lot. From the News-Gazette earlier in the month:

Urbana council's plan for Broadway Food Hall's parking lot has co-owner upset
After a contentious meeting between Urbana City Council members and a Broadway Food Hall co-owner over the illegally striped parking lot at the restaurant, city officials voted on a plan that would reconfigure the lot.

The parking lot, right now, does not conform to the city's design standards, staff argued Monday, and frequently results in illegal parking that makes accessibility difficult and pedestrian activity in the area potentially dangerous.

The city plans to narrow one of the lot's two wide driveways, remove three parking stalls and install wheel-stops in all parking spaces that abut the public sidewalk.

More details and arguments about the costs and cost sharing here.


"Arts-centered housing project"

Another development, described as an "arts-centered housing project" fell through:

Developer pulls out of proposed arts-centered housing project near Lincoln Square
A Northbrook-based developer is pulling out of an arts-centered housing project planned near Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana, officials told News-Gazette Media today.

Brinshore Development Director Richard Sciortino cited "external funding factors" as the reason.

The project, announced in December, would have used city-owned parking lots south of the mall and included an arts and cultural center operated by the city.

It also would have included nine "tiny" homes and six artist "live-work units," the city said in December.

Last month, the city council approved removing the parking lots where the project would go.

Full article here. Previous Cheat Sheet post on approving the parking lots to be used for the project here.


Lincoln Square ideas... and the owner's opinion too:

And finally, the results of the Lincoln Square survey are in. The one the city did to solicit ideas about what to do with the Lincoln Square property they don't actually own:. Tom Kacich asked him about it when the city first started soliciting ideas for it:

It's great that people have grand ideas for what to do with the Lincoln Square mall and its parking lots that lie smack in the middle of downtown Urbana...

But wait a minute. Lincoln Square may feel like a public space, but it isn't. It's not owned by the city of Urbana or the university or Carle.

It's owned by Jim Webster, a guy who took a fly on a downtown mall about 15 years ago and deserves some respect before we all decide what to do with his property...

Webster said he's grateful for all the interest in Lincoln Square, although he sounded a little miffed that no one seems to be including him in the discussion about its future.

With the results of the survey (available here) in hand, it seemed to help confirm the owner's intuition:

None of this was too surprising to mall owner Jim Webster.

"I don't think the results were too surprising or anything, yet it reinforces some intuitive thoughts we had concerning what's wanted and what's needed," he said. "So that was very helpful in that respect because a lot of it's consistent with what we'd like to do."

He said "developing the whole arts idea is always something we really thought was a natural in Urbana, and more greenery. And developing more of a streetscape along here with tables, chairs, plants, so people feel like it's an indoor-outdoor type of environment."

But don't expect him to open up the roof.

"It wouldn't be feasible," he said, citing the heating, cooling and infrastructure changes that would need to be made. "We're in a climate where you don't want to be outside the majority of the year."

And while grand ideas were suggested for the mall, Webster cautioned, "I still have to try to make it profitable."

Full article with the survey results here.