City of Champaign Updates

The City presented Garden Hills with its updated infrastructure plan for the neighborhood, including an accelerated plan for dealing with the flooding issues there. WCIA had coverage of the meeting and plans here. Excerpt:

The City’s Public Works Department went to the garden hills neighborhood meeting. They presented an infrastructure plan neighbors have heard before. Crews would fix drainage problems, add street lights, sidewalks and more.

“The focal point of the project is a detention basin on the south side of the railroad tracks in Garden Hills to alleviate the flooding issues in the neighborhood in the community,” Chris Sokolowski, Assistant Engineer with the City of Champaign’s Transportation Department, said.

The neighborhood has dealt with flooding for years. Any strong rain will flood streets, but a big topic at the meeting was the urge for street lights and sidewalks. People say its a safety necessity.

Full article with video segment here. The City Council also got updates on Bristol Place plans moving forward according to the News-Gazette. More details on that from the Study Session report here.

The City of Champaign also moved forward with Automatic License Plate Reader technology as a tool to help with recent increases in gun violence and prosecuting related cases. From Tom's Mailbag last month:

"During their study session meeting on Oct. 5, the city council gave preliminary approval to install Automated License Plate Readers and other technology in areas experiencing an increase in criminal activity. If formally approved by the council in November, this equipment could help police identity vehicles driven by people engaged in criminal activity and fleeing the area."

Full Mailbag article available here. More on the ALPR issue in both Champaign and Urbana from the News-Gazette here. Previous Cheat Sheet post on Champaign's ALPR discussions here.

There was a generally positive financial forecast presented to the City Council in a recent study session. That report is available here.

There was also a study session report on implementing an improved crisis response policy for non-violent mental health calls. That report is available here.

More recent news from the City of Champaign:

• Private security and costs at Champaign public schools from Illinois Newsroom.

• Illinois Newsroom on Centennial High School building back community in the wake of gun violence at the school and in the community, as well as with the pandemic interruptions.

• A Champaign City Council member spoke on a recent suspected road rage shooting in Champaign with the News-Gazette and also with WCIA.

• Thursday Night Live has returned to downtown with coverage from the Daily Illini.

• The City is partnering with the LIFT program and launching a trauma informed care initiative today at the Novak Academy according to Smile Politely.

• The Parade of Lights is looking for volunteers and support. Links and more information available at Smile Politely here.

City of Urbana Updates

This post follows up on last week's Cheat Sheet post on the Urbana City Council introducing a resolution committing the City to ending structural racism and achieving equity, an overview of the City meetings, and some other Urbana news updates. At this week's regular City Council meeting (agenda, video) they approved that resolution with some minor changes. The From the News-Gazette earlier this week:

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

Hursey, whose father, Paul Hursey Sr., became the first Black elected official in Urbana in 1964, said she worked with city staff to craft the resolution and research the history.

“The City hereby rejects the institutionalized legacy of racism and white supremacy that is our history and afflicts our community today,” the resolution states.

Full article here. A draft version of the resolution is available here prior to some of the edits made in the amended version as passed. The edits were generally clarifying of the language as opposed to any significant change in the meaning of the resolution itself. The changes were discussed and approved towards the end of the City Council meeting. Alderman Bill Brown read the amended changes for the public record prior to the Council vote (video of that reading here).

Prior to the regular City Council meeting there was a Cunningham Township meeting (agenda, video) Public comments mirrored those in the later Council meeting in demanding more support for action towards ending structural racism and other goals of the resolution. Local candidates in municipal races raised some concerns with current Township office holders in public comments as well. The Supervisor and Assessor gave updates and defended their work. The Township Board also approved a couple resolutions, including one dealing with the Township's collaboration with the Urbana School District for providing emergency housing services.

Beyond the resolution on structural racism there were a few appointments approved as well as a presentation on the Comprehensive Plan and a website for public outreach and input via the Imagine Urbana project (jump to video). Illinois Newsroom had additional coverage of the Imagine Urbana project here.

There was also a short presentation on the same at the Champaign County Community Coalition this month (available at the 1:13 h:m mark of the video here). The only appointment that appeared to have any contention was the FOIA officer, Ross McNeil. Some activists in the public have had concerns and complaints about the City's FOIA process and have demanded more transparency. There was a description of the FOIA process for the city. Alderman Miller was the only no vote on the appointment, which was approved.

Public comments again got a bit heated as recriminations appeared to be coming from online messages and comments from local activists and candidates and City officials on a listserve and other online activities or collaboration. A representative from the Edgar County Watchdogs criticized depictions of them in that correspondence while local activists appeared to distance themselves from accusations of collaboration with that group.

Other Urbana Updates:

Raised in the City Council meeting, although without wanting to call it an "outbreak" per se, it was noted that Public Works was experiencing delays due to positive tests and quarantined staff. From WCIA earlier this week:

You may need to give yourself some extra time while driving this week. Public works departments are working to clean up snow on the roads, but one city is facing some challenges.

The Urbana Public Works Department had to send about half their staff home because of a Covid-19 outbreak.

“We can continue to get the work done, just not quite as fast as we typically could,” Urbana Public Works Department’s Vince Gustafson said.

Full article here.

FirstFollowers Reentry program will be going to the Urbana City Council next week looking for additional support similar to their collaboration with the City of Champaign. From WCIA:

FirstFollowers’ re-entry program helps formerly incarcerated people smoothly transition back into their communities...

Right now, there is only funding for the program in Champaign. Next week, the group will ask Urbana City Council for the same support, so they can help individuals in both areas.

Full blurb and video segment here. More at the FirstFollowers website here.

The Urbana Farm to School project was also in the news. From WICS:

There's a new Farm to School project in the Urbana School District and officials want the community to weigh in.

The project aims to bring agriculture education opportunities and fresh, locally grown foods to Urbana schools.

Those coordinating the project want to help tailor it to the needs of students and staff in the district.

More information at the full article here. Smile Politely also had some additional links and coverage in a blurb here, including highlighting opportunities for public input:

Those wishing to provide input can do so via survey, or by emailing cufarmtoschool@gmail.com. Parents and students who would like to be a part of the steering committee can reach out via email as well. 

For bird watchers and budding scientists, the Urbana Park District is hoping some Urbana residents will help them in their bird counting this weekend. From Smile Politely:

February 12-15 is the national Great Backyard Bird Count, and Urbana Park District is encouraging you to check out the birds right outside your window, and add your observations to the conversations. From the website: "Simply watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 12-15, 2021, and tell us what you see!"

Full blurb here. More from the Great Backyard Bird Count website here. Urbana Park District's information page here. Excerpt:

You can be a citizen scientist from the comfort of your own home! By counting birds you see from your windows or in your yard, you will help scientists collect important real-time information... 

Share photos of your sightings with the Anita Purves Nature Center and Urbana Park District on social media!