City of Champaign Updates

 

Since the last Cheat Sheet update on the City of Champaign in March, there has already been a great deal of discussion on addressing local gun violence and dealing with the staffing shortages in the Champaign Police Department as warmer weather and more downtown crowds approaches. This post includes information on a few recent proposals, updates on hiring a new Champaign Police Department Chief and some other City of Champaign news items.

One of the more controversial proposals (at least on local social media) has been an announcement by the City that it is looking for private security to help patrol downtown. From WCIA:

The City of Champaign announced on Monday that it is now accepting bids from firms to provide private security in the Downtown area of the city.

The selected firm would provide security services on the busiest days and hours for visitors to Downtown bars and restaurants. The city said this move is meant to address public safety and order maintenance concerns.

That full blurb here. The News-Gazette offered some additional details in its coverage:

“The intent of the RFP (request for proposals) is to establish staffing at the times that downtown Champaign is at its most active, with plans for up to four security staff in place from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights,” said Champaign police spokesman Joe Lamberson. “There is also the potential to hire additional staff on an infrequent basis for special events expected to draw large crowds.”

The security officers would serve as “eyes and ears” downtown and would help address simple concerns in real time before they rise to the level of requiring a police officer, Lamberson said. Police will still be assigned to patrol the city’s north district and will still respond to calls downtown, he said...

Lamberson said the decision to pursue extra resources for downtown was based partly on a direct request from business owners following issues in recent months.

That full article here. In a less controversial move, the City is looking for From WCIA:

The City of Champaign is searching for an organization that will provide street outreach services for community gun violence and intervention.

It’s another method community leaders are using to hopefully achieve Victory Over Violence.

The city’s search is a part of its Reduction of Community Gun Violence Blueprint. The chosen vendor would serve as the critical link for contact with shooters and potential shooters in an effort to interrupt community gun violence in real time.

That full blurb with a link to the application process here.

There's also been some updates on the search for a new Police Chief since the retirement of Chief Cobb. There are currently three finalists being considered for the job according to Illinois Newsroom:

Angela Coonce is the Commander of the North Patrol Division of the St. Louis, Missouri police department. She has held that post since November 2019. Most of her career has been with that department. She holds advanced degrees in Security Studies and Management and Leadership. 

Another candidate is Idaho Falls, Idaho police chief Bryce Johnson. He has led that department since August 2017. Johnson also served as police chief in Juneau, Alaska. He also served as an intelligence analyst in the US Naval Reserve.

The third candidate is Chief Timothy Tyler with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Law Enforcement in Springfield. He has served in that role since November 2020. Tyler is also a Colonel in the US Army, and a Colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard.

Additional coverage on the hiring of a new Chief:

• Community members on what they'd like to ask the Chief applicants, also from the News-Gazette.
• The News-Gazette had an overview of some the issues facing both Champaign and Urbana's search for new police chiefs in the current environment.
• WCIA had coverage of a community meet and greet with Chief candidates.

In other City of Champaign news:

• Recent Cheat Sheet post on some news items that effect both Champaign and Urbana.
• Coverage on the proposed honorary street naming for Bishop King James Underwood, from the News-Gazette.
• WAND had an article about promoting local women owned businesses.
• VeoRide e-bikes are hitting local streets, from WCIA.
• Also from WCIA: Yard Waste collection dates are coming up soon.
• Also from WCIA: Household Hazardous waste collection dates are also coming up soon.
• The Champaign County History Museum located near downtown Champaign was recognized as Illinois Small Museum of the Year. From Smile Politely.

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.

City of Champaign Updates

 

WCIA had some additional coverage and updates on the City of Champaign's Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint (more on that in last month's Champaign updates Cheat Sheet post here and gun violence updates here). Excerpt:

We’ve reported about the new $6.2 million plan, called the “Community Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint.”

However, investing in early intervention and restoration of under-served communities as a way to reduce crime is not new. In fact, the plan was tailored after two out-of-state programs with a successful track record.

We took some time to learn about those to get an idea of what’s to come in Champaign and the lessons other cities learned along the way.

That full article here with video segments. Smile Politely's editorial board had an overview of the blueprint and their take on its various parts. WAND had coverage of the city's end of the year data on gun violence in 2021:

Champaign police data includes the following; 

259 shooting incidents in 2021, a 37% increase from 2020.
142 shooting incidents with property damage, a 19% increase from 2020. 
77 individuals struck by gunfire, a 35% increase from 2020. 
16 homicide victims by gunfire, a 60% increase from 2020. 

That full article here.

A Champaign firefighter was now recovering at home after injuries in a recent fire had sent him to the ICU. From a brief update according to WCIA:

A firefighter who was hurt during a house fire on Wednesday has been released from the hospital.

A spokesperson for the Champaign Fire Department says they will continue recovering at home.

The fire happened on Flora Drive, off of Springfield Avenue. Officials say the firefighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus mask became dislodged and the firefighter breathed in smoke-filled air.

Full blurb here. More on the fire and injury from the News-Gazette here.

Two Champaign Police officers were recognized by the Fraternal Order of Police for their actions and efforts surrounding the death of Officer Oberheim in the line of duty. From WCIA:

The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge recognized two Champaign-area police officers for their roles during and following the shooting that claimed the life of Officer Christopher Oberheim.

Creel was recognized for his actions on May 19, 2021 after he and Oberheim were shot while responding to a domestic abuse call. Despite being seriously wounded, Creel returned fire toward the suspect who shot him, killing the suspect. The FOP Valor Award was presented to Creel for “his heroic actions and high degree of courage under fire.”

Wright was recognized for supporting his fellow officers in the aftermath of Oberheim’s death. Upon learning of the shooting, Wright took the day off without pay and, at his own expense, delivered coffee and breakfast to every agency investigating the shooting. The FOP Fraternalism Award is presented to an FOP member whose leadership inspires others and brings positive change.

Full article here. Monticello's plans for an Oberheim park in honor of the fallen officer and Monticello resident had a recent preview on their facebook page. Coverage from WCCU here. Background on the Monticello park plans and the Oberheim foundation involvement from the News-Gazette here and WAND here.

More Champaign city news:

• Illinois Newsroom had a brief overview of the City of Champaign's LIFT program in cooperation with Unit 4.
• The deadline for Chief of Police applications was extended according to WCIA.
• Illinois Newsroom highlighted a CU Citizen Access article on the drop in underage drinking enforcement.
• The Champaign Public Library plans to expand its teen area. From WCIA.
• A brief update on repairing the suspected DUI damage to water control structure in Champaign from Tom's Mailbag last week. WCIA had coverage of the incident where the car ended up in the retention pond near Green and Locust streets here.
• The City Council appears to be in support of a new five-year agreement with Visit Champaign County and its efforts to bring tourism and other economic development to Champaign according to the News-Gazette.
• The Champaign Park District is offering scholarships for recreation programs according to Smile Politely.
• The Champaign Park District's Executive Director was profiled recently in the News-Gazette.
• A local developer and community booster, Craig Rost, passed away. WCIA had coverage here.

Urbana City Council June Updates

A big update on learning about how the Urbana City government works is that the City Council training materials are now up on the City website here. We'll be adding that to the Urbana City government information page here. 

There were Urbana City and Cunningham Township budgets passed, with links and further information below. The big fight for the City Council in June was over appointments. The mayor was adamant about wanting a smooth appointment and reappointment process. There was concern that City Council members might turn the process into an inquiry where applicants may face a barrage of public scrutiny again. From the News-Gazette a couple weeks ago:

Mayor Diane Marlin says she will not allow city council members to use a longstanding reappointment process to derail the careers of police command staff or other veteran city employees.

Last week, Marlin pulled from the agenda the normally routine reappointment of 19 city employees in six departments, including police and fire, after learning that “at least one council member intends to ask for certain people to be treated individually” instead of being voted on as a group...

Marlin was referring to the grilling that police Chief Bryant Seraphin received last year in the wake of Aleyah Lewis’ April 2020 arrest following a report of shots fired. Several officers were accused of using excessive force on the 21-year-old, who refused to comply with their commands.

More at the full article here, including the unusual nature of Urbana's appointment process that goes beyond the typical heads of departments, but other mid-level staff as well. The appointment discussion at the last City Council meeting is available here in the meeting video. With very limited and general council comments the appointments passed with just one no vote by Council member Grace Wilken. The mayor explained that there had been constructive talks with Council members about getting through this particular appointment vote smoothly and it had been expected to go through prior to the meeting.

In other Urbana City Council related news:

• A follow up article with Council member Shirese Hursey on race issues in Urbana a year after an interview as part of the News-Gazette's "Being Black in America" series in the aftermath of the George Floyd protests.
• Concerns about street conditions and highlighting the Capital Improvement Plan.
• WAND had a brief video segment on policing concerns before the City Council.
• A petition for more cameras and security in Ward 3.
• Curbanas: an adaptation for outdoor seating and Urbana businesses.

The City of Urbana's proposed Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget is available here and Capital Improvement Plan here. The approval of the budget was explained in this staff report and passed at the June 28th City Council meeting along with an amendment to the previous budget.

The Cunningham Township Town Board passed its budget and it is available here.

So far the Urbana City Council meetings have continued with remote participation with the Zoom meeting app. It appears likely they will return to in-person meetings soon, according to a News-Gazette article with updates on the Champaign City Council in-person meetings as well.

Urbana City Council meetings have had an overwhelming number of public participants and lengthy meeting times. The public input is generally over concerns about policing, transparency, mental health and criminal justice reforms. In the meeting videos with zoom, there is a clock on the screen for participants to watch their time. This graphic in the search preview can help quickly locate these sections of the meetings for navigating to or around these parts of the meeting, depending on what you're searching for.

Meeting agendas and video links:

June 7th City Council Meetings:

• Public Hearing on the Budget: agenda, video.
• Special Meeting on appointments: agenda, video.
• Committee of the Whole: agenda, video.

June 14th Cunningham Township and City Council Meetings:

• Town Board Special Meeting (closed meeting): agenda, video.
• City Council Meeting: agenda, video.

June 21st Cunningham Township and City Council Meetings:

• Town Board Announcement: hearing/meeting moved to June 28th (agenda/video).
• City Council Public Hearing: agenda, video.
• City Council Committee of the Whole: agenda, video.

June 28th Cunningham Township and City Council Meetings:

• Town Board Public Hearing: agenda, video.
• Town Board Meeting: agenda, video.
• City Council Meeting: agenda, video.

April and May Urbana City Council overviews are still in progress, but will hopefully be up in the next couple weeks.

City of Champaign Updates: Study Sessions and Human Relations Commission

This post covers a few additional January meetings of the Champaign City Council and the Human Relations Commission and its Police Review Subcommittee.

[Update: coverage of the 1/19 City Council meeting (agenda, video) available at WCIA here and the News-Gazette here. The meeting involved approvals for demolitions and drainage projects related to Garden Hills neighborhood improvements. Public comments (jump to video) included candidates for municipal seats, election concerns, and other concerns around police reforms and concerns about extremism. There was also a post-meeting Study Session (report, video) on 40North Champaign County Arts Council.]

City Council Study Session 1/26:

The City Council had a study session (agenda, video) this week that covered the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and an overview of the City Goals going into 2021 after a very unusual 2020.

The CAFR is extremely long and detailed, but the presentation at the study session hit the general themes if one is interested and in getting the gist of the City's financial situation. For a quick overview, they recommend the analysis on pages 17-34 (pages 33-50 of the PDF file). The first and last sections of this analysis section is probably the most useful for folks who want to skim it. This bit from the "Economic Factor's and Next Year's Budget" serves as a warning for what the future may hold:

These reductions balanced the FY 2020/21 with anticipated recurring revenues slightly greater then recurring expenditures. While the FY 2020/21 budgets is balanced, budgeted total expenditures are not within the City’s policy limits of budgeting recurring General Fund expenditures at 98.5% of recurring revenues. Additional budget balancing measures will be required to reduce recurring expenditures to 98.5% of recurring revenue in accordance with the City’s financial policies. These additional budget balancing measures will require cuts to City services that will impact residents and businesses. The City’s financial policies were designed to provide time during a fiscal crisis to allow for Council and City staff to approach budget reductions and the corresponding reductions to services in a thoughtful manner. This also includes time to allow for public and employee input in the process.

Due to the City’s conservative financial policies, the City has available fund balance reserves to allow for the time to evaluate the impact of further budget reductions. Because of the available fund balance the City has the budgetary buffer to phase in necessary budget reductions over the coming year. As such, City staff recommended taking a tiered approach to the FY 2020/21 budget. This tiered approach included adopting in June a budget for FY 2020/21 that is balanced but does not meet the threshold of the City’s recurring revenue policy. Then in December, the Administration will bring forward recommended savings ideas to Council for consideration. Finally, in February 2021 staff will bring forward a budget amended for the FY 2020/21 budget year based upon Council direction.

Full Study Session report that includes an explanation by staff and the full CAFR here. The City Goals presentation appeared to get most of the public participation on concerns about investing in diverse neighborhoods beyond just financial investment.

Human Rights Commission 1/4 and Citizen Review Subcommittee Meetings 1/13:

The Human Rights Commission meeting welcomed a new commissioner, Prince Robertson. He introduced himself more in the Commissioner Comments towards the end of the meeting and explained how he planned to be a sponge for information coming into the appointment. There was a presentation by the City of Champaign's Assistant HR Director, Eric Reynolds, on affirmative action and equal employment. Topics included how the city conducts outreach and training. He also explained details about retention and the metrics they use for measuring success. Chair Young discussed having him come back in 6 months for further information.

There was a discussion and brainstorming session on possible future speakers and presentations to the Commission in 2021. Ideas included guests from the Jewish and Muslim community, "Station Theater" and its push for BIPOC representation in the arts, and experts on homeless shelter challenges. There were also presentation suggestions from the school district, public health, and representatives from some local programs such as LEAP and a youth employment program.

Local activist and Urbana City Council primary candidate Christopher Hansen spoke in the public comment opportunity to push for more substantive changes generally. He also asked the Commission to look closer at an employment background issue referenced in the Human Resources presentation earlier in the meeting. One of the commissioners stated he was interested in getting more information on that during commissioner comments after.

Chair Young highlighted an ongoing vacancy on the board for the Youth Commissioner. Board vacancies and an application to be considered for appointment are available on the City website here. The Commission bylaws require a Youth Commissioner be between 15 and 17 years old:

A maximum of two (2) youth members ages fifteen (15) through seventeen (17) may be appointed in the event of a vacancy in an existing seat.  Youth members shall be designated voting members and shall participate in the exercise of all of the Commission’s powers and the performance of all of its functions as provided by ordinance or by law with one exception.  Youth members may attend hearings concerning human rights violations but may not vote.”

More information is available on the board's webpage here.

The Citizen Review Subcommittee of the HRC (agenda, video) also met this month. It also welcomed a new member, Martez Miller. The subcommittee elected a new chair, Alexandra Harmon-Threatt, and a new vice-chair, the newly appointed Martez Miller. They will fulfill those roles starting at the next CRS meeting in March. This meeting was facilitated by the current vice-chair, Demario Turner. The former Chair, Emily Rodriguez is now an elected County Board member. There is also still a vacancy on the CRS for anyone interested in applying here.

Public comments included City of Champaign Township Supervisor candidate Rita Conerly explaining her interactions with the police as inappropriate and concerning. Emily Close and Christopher Hansen reiterated many of their continuing concerns with Champaign's policing and frustration with a lack of substantive changes. Haki, a University of Illinois alum wanted the issue of police participating in the coup attempt in Washington D.C. looked into locally. He reiterated the need for reforms in policing and acknowledgement of both the objective and subjective fight against racism he has raised with both the Champaign and Urbana city councils. 

The Commissioner comments included Keebler's support for Haki's concerns about the aspects of fighting racism as well as the violation of respect involved with officers engaging in insurrection. She noted that she is not aware of any participation by members of the Champaign Police Department at this time.

Incoming chair Harmon-Threatt welcomed the new member Miller and explained her experience with the subcommittee, having been on it since its inception. She addressed public concerns about their work and pointed out that a great deal of the subcommittee's work is done behind the scenes due to privacy restrictions and closed meeting rules. She expressed disappointment in Chief Cobb's lack of response to their requests from August and thanked people for their participation on study circles for additional public input.

Miller introduced himself and responded to some of the public comments on how he was appointed and how he intends to try to improve the system. Turner took offense at the suggestion that the subcommittee was engaged in aiding police corruption. He stated that is the opposite of what the people on this subcommittee do. He explained the work and hours that go in behind the scenes that they volunteer to do. He noted that after the open session the subcommittee members have a long night of work ahead of them that the public may not be aware of. He highlighted recent reforms at the State level and had a moment of silence for the victims of the insurrection at the nation's capital.

There was some discussion about the annual report that is presented to the Human Relations Commission and how that might highlight some of the work the subcommittee does for the public.

City of Champaign Updates

There have been unending developments over the summer with the City of Champaign on issues from the pandemic response to police reform. Yesterday there was also an update on the reentry housing issue. From the News-Gazette today:

After more than a year of talks, the Champaign City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to reduce the amount of time landlords can hold certain felonies against potential tenants from five years to two...

In December, the council moved forward with changes that were approved Tuesday and will make it clear that the two-year rule refers to convictions in which someone is sentenced to prison, not probation. It also lists the types of felonies that can be considered, such as murder, robbery and arson.

Full article here with additional information on relief for liquor-license holders impacted by the coronavirus as well. I checked in with Esther Patt of the C-U Tenant Union and proponent of repealing the language altogether to see if the language passed last night was in line with the compromise the City agreed to last year (the legalese of these things can make it hard to tell sometimes). She confirmed that it was what the Council had agreed to at the time:

The language is exactly what was agreed upon at the last study session.   The three changes are:

1. The exemption from fair housing protection lasts only 2 years instead of 5  years;
2. Felony convictions for drug possession (as opposed to sale or delivery) cannot be grounds for denying housing;
3. The exemption from fair housing protection only applies to a forcible felony conviction for which the person was sentenced to state prison.   

It has been a long wait, but we have accomplished an important reform.

In other reform news, the City's Human Relations Commission supported recommendations from its Citizen Review Subcommittee that functions as the City of Champaign's police review board. From the News-Gazette yesterday:

Members of Champaign’s Human Relations Commission were supportive of proposals brought to it that aim to make complaints against the police more transparent and shift funding toward mental-health services...

The Citizen Review Subcommittee plans to vote at its September meeting on the recommendations, which will then be sent to the police chief and city manager’s office for feedback...

Champaign police have planned community engagement sessions for this summer and fall, and last month it updated its use-of-force policies to include de-escalation, the duty for officers to intervene during unlawful use-of-force and an explicit ban on chokeholds.

Full article here with a lot more additional details and information. More coverage, including video segment from WCIA here. A draft report of the CRS Recommendations are available here. For more background on reform recommendations prior to the George Floyd protest movement earlier this year is on the Cheat Sheet here (with the last pre-pandemic update here).

The Champaign Police Department gave an overview of its updates in light of the protest movement in the aftermath of the George Floyd arrest death to the City Council (written report here, Study Session presentation here). Illinois Newsroom had coverage of the use of force changes suggested at that Study Session here. 

In other recent City of Champaign government news:

• Champaign gun violence news conference including City and Police officials (video here) The News-Gazette had an overview in its coverage here. WCIA's coverage also included a list of organizations and links for people to get involved in stopping gun violence locally here. First Followers Reentry Program also announced a new initiative against gun violence this week as well (more from WCIA here).
• In a previous City Council Meeting, small business relief and Garden Hills demolitions for future improvements were improved. News-Gazette coverage on that here.

Rogue Barber Co. Protests and Incident:

Local activists have been protesting the Rogue Barber Co. barber shop after it was made public they had restricted their services to members who signed statements disavowing affiliation with Black Lives Matter, "antifa" (a nebulous term for anti-fascists) and other organizations they considered extremist. Smile politely had an overview of the disagreement and video of a customer who drove through protesters after leaving the shop. WCIA had coverage of that incident here. A Champaign Police representative said that the investigation into that incident is ongoing, but making progress at last night's City Council meeting.

Here are some clips from public videos posted on social media showing the incident from three angles From the video it appears that the customer left wearing a branded T-shirt for the store, backed up and drove through the protesters rather than go the opposite open direction away from the protests. The third clip shows that the first person he hits is one of the protesters directing traffic just prior to accelerating through the full group. As he drives through the group the protesters react in an apparent effort to stop the truck, hitting it and one person even ending up in the truck bed before it drives away.

The compilation of video at different angles may help shed some light on local discussions have often presented one or more of these videos with descriptions at odds with what witnesses and the videos show occurred. For example, many people defending the driver have reversed the order of events, such as arguing the protesters hit at the truck prior to him driving into the crowd. They have described the those guiding traffic away from the protest as blocking him in as opposed to directing traffic away from protesters. They've also made a lot of hay over the woman yelling about kidnapping as he drove away with one of the protesters still in the back of the truck during their attempts to stop it from running through the crowd.

I leave it to viewers to make up their own mind on these arguments and perspectives. The full videos are still available publicly on social media, primarily facebook for those who want the full context of the situation. You'll find bullhorn speeches, marching, and chalking messages on the ground, but no violence preceding the truck incident.

Urbana City Council Committee of the Whole 6/1-3

Catching up on Urbana's City government has been a slow process. This post covers the recent City Council's two day Committee of the Whole meeting which ran nearly seven hours total. It will summarize and highlight as opposed to a full write-up (link to jump to part 2 below). There was news coverage of the first half of the meeting by the Daily Illini here and Illinois Newsroom here. They both mentioned the racist and vulgar "Zoom bombing." Excerpt from Illinois Newsroom:

At their Monday night Committee of the Whole meeting, Urbana City Council members condemned the police custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.  Earlier Monday, several city officials had participated in a demonstration on the streets of downtown Urbana in George Floyd’s memory. But afterwards, the city council members heard criticism of some of their own officers, regarding the arrest of Aleyah Lewis made by Urbana Police in April.

Close to 100 people showered the online council meeting with Zoom calls and emails. They said that Urbana Police would not have wrestled and body-slammed the 21-year-old Lewis if she had been white. Lewis was arrested on April 10 during a gun investigation involving her companion...

Many of those who spoke or emailed demanded that charges against Lewis be dropped, and the officers who arrested her be placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation.

That full article here. More background on the Aleyah Lewis case from the News-Gazette here, and the George Floyd case from NPR here.

Reminder: there is a regular City Council meeting tonight (agenda) at 7pm. It streams live at 7pm here. It will be available later on the City Council website here.


COW Meeting Part 1. June 1 (agenda, video):

Many of the public comments also demanded that the Civilian Police Review Board be empowered as a tool for the community to be better informed and hold police accountable. There were many complaints that the Board was failing its basic functions, not issuing required reports, and was too heavily influenced or controlled by the Urbana Police Department itself. Others accused City Staff of undermining it.

Minnie Pearson, the President of the NAACP of Champaign County, spoke of the history and trauma of brutality faced by African-Americans like her throughout her lifetime. From Emmet Till to George Floyd. Linking the national issues and the local, she noted that the violence has been going on for 400 years, but now it's being caught on film. The local Alayeh Lewis was also record on video and came to the attention of the public online. Her full comments are available here in the video.

Danielle Chynoweth, long a player in Urbana government noted her own role in creating the CPRB and expressed her shame in what it had become. In her comments she lamented the compromises that watered it down in the first place and the "shambles" it was in now. She also had an overview of local accusations of police abuse over the years and tied it to the national issue of police brutality in light of the George Floyd case. Her full comments are available here in the video.

There were some complaints that many who wished to speak were forced to wait for hours while the Council and others spoke first and emails were read into the record. One speaker also expressed frustration that the Urbana Police Chief, Bryant Seraphin, made initial comments, but left before any public comments were read or shared.

Council member Jared Miller noted that as Chair he had read 30 emailed public comments, which took roughly an hour, and he still had 44 emails with public comments remaining. The Council decided that all of emailed public comments would be added to the record of the meeting and be available to the public (with redactions for email addresses and other requirements).

The meeting was continued to Wednesday, June 3rd to complete the City business on the agenda (including two presentations and several ordinances). Mayor Diane Marlin was interviewed in a segment that appeared on WCIA that day available here.


COW Meeting Part 2. June 3 (agenda, city website video, YouTube video (missing first 6 minutes):

The second part of the meeting began with an announcement about steps taken to against Zoom bombing. Settings were changed to prevent audio and video disturbances. Additional emailed public comments were added to the record.

The meeting began with an overview police review boards in general and then a nearly hour long question and answer period between the new Chair of the Urbana Civilian Police Review Board, other members of the board and City staff.

The discussion addressed the lack of required reports being filed and attempts to remedy some of the previous shortfalls. It addressed technicalities in the language of the ordinance on issue such as requiring a notary to confirm the identity of the complainant. The notary issue has become a serious impediment with coronavirus social distancing rules. Before the Urbana police staff performed this role when a complaint was submitted. There was a discussion of the language being on the form due to previous police practice and not required by the ordinance itself. There was further discussion of potential requirements under State law and questions about why other localities, such as the City of Champaign operate without a notary requirement in light of possible related State statutes.

At the end of the CPRB discussion, Council member Miller expressed his hope that the Council doesn't lose sight of the bigger police reform picture that constituents are demanding beyond simply empowering the CPRB.

There was a presentation on the Capital Improvement Plan (the first of two installments) which typically documents the financial and budget planning of the City in accordance with the Department of Housing and Urban Development funding requirements. The Mayor noted that this presentation was easier to follow for laymen compared to previous presentations. For folks wanting to get into the weeds and details of budgets and future projects, there was a lot of information here.

There were a few interesting questions that popped up on what would potentially happen with old firehouse properties that had to be replaced and a discussion about private sewer systems. The public information on private sewer systems, a map of where they exist, and other records revealed some concerns about "vulnerability" to the city. I honestly couldn't tell if they were talking about some sort of legal liability or environmental or public safety vulnerability.

If I'm understanding the issue, it appears that there are some small private sewer systems built a long time ago within the City's full sewer system where records don't necessarily exist. Other documents on the rest of the system reveal information about them, but there are some concerns about mapping out the full system.

There were overviews of each of the ordinances on the agenda. All were sent to the full City Council with a recommendation to approve. The first two ordinances related to a development at.

The last group of ordinances dealt with funding and planning that included COVID-19 relief and spending. There was a presentation on that (video here) as well as questions and answers about technical details on housing subsidies, rental assistance, and small business assistance.

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.

Local governments are being encouraged to spend the money quickly to help protect the economy, but there are still a lot of concerns to avoid waste, "duplication" of payments from other programs, and ensuring that they will be reimbursed. Federal funding like this is usually reimbursed like clockwork and wouldn't normally be a concern for local governments to spend their money knowing the program will reimburse them. But this emergency funding happened quickly and the federal guidance isn't final yet.

Local government officials may be more aware than most that not dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's is a recipe for bureaucratic nightmares. It truly is the little things that get you. So there's a bit of anxiety on funding that is normally extremely reliable. A lot of folks would probably feel better once they know for sure they're within the final guidance and requirements for certain.

If you're catching up on Urbana City government like me, this was probably a good place to start. Even if it was a nearly 7 hour crash course.

May City of Champaign Updates

The May meetings started off with a 5/5 meeting of the City of Champaign Township (video, agenda). There's a quick overview of the Township government on the Cheat Sheet here taken from the official website here. The cities of Champaign and Urbana both have coterminous Township governments with City officials serving as the Township board for the City of Champaign Township and Cunningham Township respectively.

The Township Supervisor Andrew Quarnstrom gave a shortened presentation of Township budget. The budget is up for public view on the website here and on display by the City Building doors and Township Supervisor's Office doors. There were some modest increases due to increased demand for services and expected demand increases going forward due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Township Supervisor noted that the Township annual meeting is postponed for now. They've transitioned to remote case management and canceled in-person meetings. The office has partnered with Cunningham Township (Urbana), the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (RPC) and the United Way for additional support programs. The United Way is reimbursing some Township spending as part of that partnership. From the News-Gazette last month:

The local United Way and the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois have set up their own COVID-19 Relief Fund, which has already distributed $20,000 to City of Champaign and Cunningham townships for housing assistance and $6,000 to Champaign, Urbana and Rantoul schools for home-learning supplies.

They are expecting an unprecedented need with housing and are applying for additional grants towards addressing those needs.

After the Township meeting adjourned the May 5th City Council meeting began (video, agenda). The Emergency Order was renewed. The agenda items passed, but there was a little technical hiccup on the video links jumping ahead by one, so if you're looking up a particular item, make sure to listen to the bill numbers being discussed.

After those items a few Council members took a moment to thank various staff and highlighted some of the challenges they face during the pandemic to keep the City functioning. The City Manager used her time to have Planning and Development Director Bruce Knight give an overview of City efforts to address the coronavirus pandemic impact including:

• outreach and Zoom meetings with local businesses for relief and reopening coordination in cooperation with the Champaign County EDC and Visit Champaign County.
• helping distribute face masks for local businesses
• building a local plan around the governor's 5 phase regional reopen plan
• planned business survey on the horizon to get feedback on how they're being impacted by the coronavirus to better support them
• City of Champaign is also taking the lead on developing and refining a regional reopen plan with other governments in the region.

One issue he pointed out was encouraging students to report their residence as their campus address as opposed to their permanent home address if they live out of town. I've been wondering exactly how that would work since a lot of tax dollars and revenue are directed according to that census data. If a large portion of the campus population reports their residence elsewhere, that could have long term revenue impacts to Champaign-Urbana.

The May 12th Study Session (video, agenda) dealt with the single topic of the Proposed Budget Overview. The City Manager explained that the health emergency was expanding into a economic emergency. She explained that the City will need to change and redefine its work to deal with the reality of the coronavirus situation. The includes the reality of likely historical revenue shortfalls.

The presentation explained a two-tiered approach towards dealing with the upcoming budget realities:

• Starting with a balanced budget at the Fiscal Year beginning July 1st.
• Engaging with the public and employees on budget cuts going forward

Some of the potential cuts were listed around the 4 minute mark of the video including funding reductions in the following areas:

• Infrastructure
• Vehicles and Equipment
• Economic Development
• Personnel Costs (including pay freezes for department heads, unfunding non-emergency vacant positions, and the elimination of merit based pay increases for non-union employees)

These steps were described as necessary, but not taken lightly or without regard for the impacts they will have on the community and City employees. Finance Director Kay Nees then continued the presentation. She compared the usual budget process with what they're facing with the coronavirus impact. She highlighted projections that may be a best case scenario assuming the stay at home order continues through may with a slow opening from June to August.

Decrease in revenue assumptions for Fiscal Year 2019/20 were projected at 5.1% or a decrease of $5.3 million. The decrease for FY 2020/21 is initially projected at 7.3% or a decrease of $7.8 million. Sales tax is 43% of the City's revenue and where it is very vulnerable to coronavirus related impacts.

Healthy reserves have been maintained by the City in past practices, so the City of Champaign may be in better shape to take the brunt of the impact than other local governments. Specific proposed budget reductions and their impacts included:

• $1.28 million reduction to the transfer from the General Fund to the Capital Improvement Fund therefore reducing available funding for capital projects planned in the 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan; as a result some projects may be delayed to future years, have the project scope reduced or be cancelled altogether,
• $382,694 reduction to the transfer from the General Fund to the Vehicle Replacement Fund resulting in the delay of nonessential major vehicle purchases in FY 2020/21 and extending the life cycles of 86 vehicles by one year,
• $1.14 million reduction in salary and benefit costs by holding current vacant positions open through July 1, 2021 which will have service impacts and require Departments to realign departmental priorities and goals for the coming fiscal year based on available staff. This amount includes holding 2.0 FTE Police Officers vacant/unfunded which were added with the passage of the Food & Beverage tax increase,
• $113,333 reduction of personnel costs by unfunding the Pay for Performance program for Non-Bargaining Unit (NBU) employees for one year, which would delay employee progression through pay grades, and a
• $50,000 reduction to Economic Development budget resulting in less funds available for new or underbudgeted economic development incentives.

These details and more can be found in the report available here. The Council approved guidance to the staff for the two-tiered approach. Their comments were appreciative of the work involved with staff that were freezing their own salaries as their workload increased. The overall town was somber. Council member Gladney noted that it was a sad time, but that we will be in a better place again someday.

In the remote audience participation there were concerns read from Emily Close hoping to get answers about the City's FOIA process and the status of the person in charge of handling access to documents for the public. She expressed frustration at not being able to get an answer on retirement or a successor for the position.

The 5/26 Study Session was canceled due to graduation and too many schedule conflicts for a quorum, but was instead added after the 5/19 regular City Council Meeting below.

The 5/19 regular City Council Meeting (video, agenda) had some interesting Council Comments before approving agenda items and adjourning into a Study Session. Council member Brix commented on recent shootings and community reactions online. She spoke against normalizing the violence even as the coronavirus overshadows our lives. She highlighted police and community response in additional patrols, visibility, and the City's Neighborhood Services engaging in Zoom discussions and getting community input. She implored residents to contact the police or CrimeStoppers if they "see something, say something."

The Mayor highlighted her concerns with the County government's Fiscal Year 2018 audit that is required for a lot of social services funding through the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (RPC). She stated outright that this was a crisis and warned that funding sources were writing to say that funding was in jeopardy if they did not have the needed financial audit information.

She pointed out that this could put upwards of $37 million in jeopardy for programs like Head Start, energy efficiency, social service programs, transportation planning (CUUATS), and more. She asked residents to contact their County Board members to ensure the audit gets taken care of in a timely manner before funding is lost. She also highlighted the upcoming 5/22 RPC board meeting would have the outside auditor speaking during public comments and taking questions. That RPC meeting video is available here. His presentation and the Q & A covering this topic are at the beginning of the meeting video.

The County Auditor passed along a message that the necessary work will be done in time and that funding is secure:

Thanks for reaching out. RPC and I are in close communications and my office has worked every day throughout the lockdown. My new deputy and I have placed the 2018 CAFR on the Auditor website; the external auditor’s opinion is coming very soon...

The cognizant agency for RPC is Illinois’s Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). The Accountability Officer has alerted Champaign County that we are not yet in compliance and to please do so—but also that enforcement procedure are delayed due to COVID.

There is no “stop-pay” letter that gives you 45 days. The 2018 audit will beat any such warning, let alone the stop-pay date.

The outside auditor at the RPC meeting encouraged people to pester and pressure the County government to ensure they have all the information and support they need from the Treasurer and Auditor's office to complete their work. Many of the local government leaders on the RPC board expressed ongoing concerns at the 5/22 meeting.


At the 5/19 Study Session after the regular Council meeting there was a presentation (video, written report) by the Library Director, Donna Pittman. The coronavirus had changed the presentation from what she had hoped to present. She went over many of the planned events and budget concerns that have arisen since the pandemic struck. There was also some discussion about the logistical issues with returning materials safely given the equipment involved and the staff proximity. If you ever get the opportunity to take a tour of the Champaign Public Library again, they take "sorting" seriously:

The second Study Session topic was a presentation by Bruce Knight on the Capital Improvements Plan and adjustments due to projected revenue declines. He made comparisons to the "Great Recession" where the City was forced to delay and cut projects due to budget constraints. He noted that the City had just caught up from those delays and cuts after the "Great Recession" in the last couple of years.

He noted that there is more potential bad news and the City may have to revisit the Capital Investment Plan when the impact of the coronavirus is better known versus current projections. The City Council directed staff to include both the revised Library and CIP budgets into the overall budget proposal.

March / April City of Champaign Updates

I have to admit that it was more than a little surreal to go back over the City Council meeting videos for the City of Champaign. The previous coverage on the local Cheat Sheet left off at the March 5th City Council meeting (available here). It was a pretty typical local government meeting, though it did touch upon some concerns about preparedness for the coronavirus:

The City Manager had a statement about preparedness for the coronavirus here. She explains the intergovernmental Regional Emergency Coordination Group facilitated by the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency. She explained that municipal and public safety members had met that afternoon in their policy group to discuss the coronavirus situation and preparing for the possibility of local cases soon. There will be weekly meetings on the subject led by Champaign-Urbana Public Health District addressing needs of informing the public.

Full post here. This Cheat Sheet post has overviews of the City of Champaign meetings for the rest of March and April, including some highlights of the coronavirus impact.


Rest of March:

The last normal meeting occurred on March 10th (video, agenda) and was a Study Session meeting. It had presentations on the the Bristol Place project and an overview of the Champaign Police Department. The bulk of the meeting looked at the Police Department and the need for more officers. Concerns were raised about job fairs in the spring possibly getting interrupted by the coronavirus and effects it may have on recruitment.

The next day the local newspaper, the News-Gazette, was reporting that the University was preparing for the possibility of students having to finish the semester online after Spring Break. The front page also had an article about hygiene product shortages and a picture of empty toilet paper shelves. Page A6 noted the first confirmed case outside of Cook County. By that evening the online classes article that had started in print, "While it's business as usual for now..." had been updated on the website that in person classes had been canceled.

The shock to sports fans came with the NBA cancelling the rest of its season, the NCAA canceling fans in the stadiums, and then March Madness getting canceled altogether. Beyond disappointed fans, however, this reflected an immense amount of money being lost out of safety concerns. It raised serious questions about just how much danger the nation was in and what the economic impact would be if investors were considering these lost revenues necessary.

WCIA noted on March 12th that the previous 24 hours had transformed Champaign County's economy.

Efforts to stop the spread of Coronavirus have put a halt on travel plans, creating a whirlwind of uncertainty surrounding anticipated revenue. Visit Champaign County’s President Jayne Deluce says, “If you look at events like U of I Mom’s Weekend that’s cancelled, our hotels, restaurants, caterers, and retailers won’t rebound from that one weekend.” She says Mom’s Weekend typically brings in several million dollars. “We’re going to have a huge economic downfall from just that sole event, because that is a sold out weekend for our hotels,” says Deluce.

That full article here.

On March 13th the City of Champaign held a Special Emergency Meeting (video, agenda) to pass an Emergency Order that would trigger the broad powers of the mayor under State statutes and city ordinances. The broad language of the ordinance caused a great deal of local concern that was raised and addressed during the meeting. From News-Gazette's March 14th eEdition (subscription):

City attorney Fred Stavins noted that the emergency ordinance doesn’t compel any particular actions, which would need to be approved by the city council at its next meeting.

“The ordinance contemplates a wide range of emergency situations,” he said. “Whether any of these steps will be necessary, other than the cancellation of some meetings and the necessity to deal with personnel issues, including work-at-home issues, and the ability to respond to the needs of our fire and police departments, is not completely known at this time.”

...

The expansive powers in the ordinance spread quickly online, with the gun-seizure clause leading the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association to issue a “National Alert.”

That full article here. The News-Gazette had a followup article on the City Council's attempt to address concerns about the Emergency Order in a statement later that same day. Excerpt:

Following a raft of criticism apparently generated by a response from the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association to Friday’s approval of the emergency ordinance, the city put out a statement Saturday clarifying the intent...

The statement said the municipal code has been in place for more than 50 years and was last updated in 2006 to mirror a state statute that gives similar powers to the governor when he or she issues a disaster declaration, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker did on Monday.

Several communities in Illinois and other states have similar language about emergency powers.

That full article here. The City's statement is available here. The remaining March City Council meetings on the calendar were canceled.


April Meetings:

The next City Council meeting on April 7th (video, agenda) was done remotely with the Zoom app and new protocols for public participation submitted by web comment or dropbox. Comments received before 5pm would be considered "Communications" and put into the record, while those after 5pm would be considered audience participation and read aloud by Council Member / Deputy Mayor Tom Bruno. The updated remote meeting rules have been included with meeting agendas. Here is the most recent wording from the 6/2 meeting agenda:

I. Comments will be assembled and transmitted to Council members as follows:

1. At 5:00 p.m. before the City Council meeting, staff will download a copy of all comments submitted by web form and will scan in any hard copy comments received. Staff will sort the comments by public hearing, agenda item or general public comment, and then share the comments with the City Council email group, the City Clerk, the City Manager and her designees. Such comments will be treated in the same manner as general correspondence.

1. After 5:00 p.m. and during the Council meeting, when a person submits a web comment, the comment will be emailed in real time to the City Council email group, the City Clerk, and the City Manager or her designee.

It was a brief meeting with one public comment from the local Libertarian Party chair concerned about the Emergency Order and a unanimous vote to renew the Emergency Order.


The April 14th Study Session (video, agenda) covered the topics of the Consolidated Plan for the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) related projects and funding. This included the Annual Action Plan to implement it. The second topic covered was coronavirus related funding via the federal relief package known as the CARES Act.

The Consolidated Plan report has a lot of technical details for those interested and wonky enough to be able to decipher it. There were some technical discussions about how coronavirus relief bills have impacted spending caps and increased disaster readiness. For example it's possible to reallocate funds for "urgent needs" related to a declared emergency under certain circumstances.

The CARES Act added some flexibility on HUD related funding in the first Study Session topic, but the second topic of the Study Session focused more on the details of the CARES Act itself. The City's 2020 fund allocation was just over $1 million, with nearly $600,000 to be allocated within 30 days in the first allocation.

There was a significant amount of Q & A after the CARES Act presentation. The federal government is encouraging local governments to spend the money quickly to ensure it has the intended impact. The City is expected to spend the money first and then receive reimbursements. Those reimbursements were described as definite as federal reimbursements had never been an issue in the past. There were some technical issues discussed to avoid redundant spending under "duplication" rules. There were also discussions on how to implement various aspects with contracts, RFPs, public private partnerships or intergovernmental agreements.


The April 21st Regular City Council meeting (video, agenda) was brief. After the agenda items passed, including renewing the Emergency Order, the mayor encouraged residents to wear masks and continue social distancing efforts to "flatten the curve." The April 28th Study Session was canceled due to a lack of any agenda items for it.


May Preview:

In the upcoming May updates there are a lot more issues related to the Phase 3 reopening, economic impacts, revenue declines, and delayed projects and spending. The City of Champaign was on relatively stronger fiscal footing than many local governments heading into the coronavirus pandemic, but there are still serious concerns about core services for constituents. The coronavirus has impacted and amplified a lot of the pre-existing issues that American local governments, including Champaign, were already struggling with such as affordable housing, economic and educational disparities, and access to health care.

There were also concerns raised about the ongoing delays in the County Board's financial audit for the 2018 Fiscal Year and worries about that putting funding for local social service programs in jeopardy. An overview by the outside auditor and questions from several local government officials at the beginning of the most recent Champaign County Regional Planning Commission meeting delved into the status and ongoing concerns. The City of Champaign Mayor's personal plea is available from the May 19th City Council meeting here.