City Council Regular Meeting

URBANA CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DATE: Monday, May 11, 2020 TIME: 7:00 P.M. PLACE: Urbana City Council Chambers (Virtual), 400 S. Vine St., Urbana, IL 61801 The City Council of the City of Urbana, Illinois, met in regular session May 11, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. ELECTED OFFICIALS PHYSICALLY PRESENT: None ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT VIA ZOOM: City Council Members (CM) Bill Brown, Bill Colbrook, Shirese Hursey, Eric Jakobsson, Jared Miller, Dennis Roberts, Maryalice Wu; Diane Wolfe Marlin, Mayor; Charles A. Smyth, City Clerk ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT VIRTUALLY: Wendy Hundley, Jason Liggett, Carol Mitten, Jason Norton, Lorrie Pearson, Andrea Ruedi, Bryant Seraphin, James Simon, Richard Surles, Lily Wilcock OTHERS PRESENT VIA ZOOM: Soraya Cipolla, Tracy Chong, Karen Crawford, Mark Enslin, Christopher Hansen, Julia Hinders, Tanya Josek, Ben Joselyn, Rohn Koester, Josh Markiewicz, Minnie Pearson, Jeffrey Putney, Dr. Jared Rodgers, Tony Trad, Carol Spindel, Benjamin Stone, Dottie Vura-Weis, Julia Rietz, and other concerned citizens. A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL There being a quorum virtually present, Mayor Marlin called the meeting of the Urbana City Council to order at 7:20pm following a Cunningham Township Board meeting. B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING CM Wu made a motion to approve minutes from the April 27, 2020. Motion seconded by CM Hursey and carried by unanimous voice vote. C. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA There were no additions. D. PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC INPUT Mayor Marlin provided a memorandum to the City Council. She gave a summary of her written statement, mentioning the following: → Internal actions included – Police department investigation, City Council briefing, results presented at City Council meeting → Next Steps: Advocate for Ms. Lewis by offering resources and services → Order an independent review of the incident from a third party → City of Urbana will work with the State and County NAACP, Champaign County Community Coalition, and members of the public to host a public workshop 1. Input Cards via email Public comment concerning the arrest of Aleyah Lewis on April 10, 2020 and city staff presentation on April 27, 2020 was provided by email from the following people: Bronwyn Cain, Kate McDowell, Julie Watkins, Paul Mueth, River Brown, Jeffrey Putney, Elizabeth Simpson, Rohn Koester, Benjamin Stone, Jane McClintock, Bishop King James Underwood, Rev. Dr. Evelyn Underwood, Tanya Josek. A summary of comments includes: charges against Ms. Lewis should be dropped, order an independent investigation, release Page 1 of 5 complete body-worn camera footage, the police chief should not be reappointed, revisit officers training protocol, reprimand officers’ actions, and address excessive use of force. Bishop King James Underwood and Rev. Dr. Evelyn Underwood asked that their concerns about the Dr. Ellis subdivision sewer problems be entered into the record. Public input was also provided via Zoom from the following people: Tracy Chong, Christopher Hansen, and Ben Joselyn. Comments included: police action sends terrifying message to the community, morally not okay to mistreat residents, City Council should write a letter to State’s Attorney and ask for charges to be dropped, police complaint process is broken, stop the racial disparities against people of color, leadership failure by accepting police brutality, pay for Ms. Lewis’s defense, remove racist officers, provide racial disparity reports regularly. 1. COVID19 Financial Impact Financial Director Elizabeth Hannan gave an update about the financial impact caused by Covid-19 and what to expect moving forward. Additionally, due to the hard work done prior to this crisis the city is in a better position to weather the crisis. The largest source of income for the city is sales tax, which has declined between 13-15% and income tax expected to decrease by 15% according to guidance from the Municipal League of Illinois. Many of the services generating income have been reduced, or not enforced. Motor Fuel Tax and Local Motor Fuel Tax are down about 30%, which goes to transportation improvements. The current shortfall deficit is more than three million dollars, which translates to a reduction of 40 positions. Actions being taken include a hiring freeze starting May 2020, seeking federal reimbursement for some costs related to the Covid-19 pandemic, taking additional time to consider proposed budget in light of new information. Staff will present a budget that will include preliminary revenue reductions June 1, return late summer to early fall with an updated forecast and consider a mid-year budget reduction, focusing on vacant positions. After the presentation, Ms. Hannan and City Administrator Carol Mitten addressed questions from council. Some of the questions were: request for weekly updates, clarification about the $3M deficit and the different funds, what does the hiring freeze look like, status of retirements and financial impact. 2. Business Outreach/Comprehensive Plan Update Senior Advisor for Integrated Strategy Development Andrea Ruedi and City Administrator Carol Mitten presented this item. Ms. Ruedi started presentation of the comprehensive plan roadmap process by addressing various milestones. At this time city staff is reaching out to businesses to assess their current situation. She said that the current Covid-19 public health emergency has affected businesses and residents. This experience will not only test the resiliency of Urbana, but will have a meaningful impact to the development of the updated comprehensive plan. Long-term high level planning is important, especially during critical events. The policy set forth in the comprehensive plan will unify the city, address unprecedented circumstances and their ongoing effects. The updated comprehensive plan will serve as a critical anchor to help the city move forward. Having a strong foundation will allow the city to overcome unexpected and traumatic events. The Comprehensive Plan Roadmap stages: allocate resources; determine framework and stakeholders; gather and analyze data; identify opportunities, issues, and challenges; articulate the vision; formulate goals and objectives; draft plan; get community feedback; adopt and set implementation schedule; implement and monitor results and impact. After the presentation, Ms. Ruedi and Ms. Mitten addressed questions from council. Ms. Page 2 of 5  Mitten added that Planner Lily Wilcox will be working on this project full time. Council members asked the following questions: identification and definition of stakeholders; business outreach process; community forums, time frames; partnerships; students’ roles; opening process after Covid-19 and testing availability. Mayor Marlin read a proclamation declaring the month of May as Historic Preservation month. E. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was none. F. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES Committee Of The Whole – (Council Member Eric Jakobsson) 1. CONSENT AGENDA 2. REGULAR AGENDA a. Resolution No. 2020-04-019R: Resolution Evidencing the Intention of the City of Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois, to Transfer Volume Cap in Connection with Private Activity Bond Issues, Single Family Mortgage Revenue Bonds; and Related Matters (Private Bond Cap Allocation – Assist Program, Series 2020) On behalf of the committee, CM Jakobsson made a motion to approve Resolution No. 2020-04-019R as forwarded from committee. CM Wu seconded. No discussion. Motion carried by roll call vote. Votes were as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None b. Resolution No. 2020-04-020R: A Resolution Approving the Transfer of Volume Cap in Connection with Private Activity Bond Issues and Related Matters (Illinois Housing Development Authority Series 2020) On behalf of the committee, CM Jakobsson made a motion to approve Resolution No. 2020-04-020R as forwarded from committee. CM Wu seconded. No discussion. Motion carried by roll call vote. Votes were as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None G. REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES CM Roberts read a note received from Sister City of Thionville, France. They send their support and solidarity during these difficult times. Best regards from Pierre, Elise and all the people of Thionville. H. REPORTS OF OFFICERS Mayor Marlin reported donations of PPE (personal protective equipment), 1,600 masks from The Chinese American Association of Central Illinois. Icon Hospitality donated masks, infrared thermometers, and gowns. UPTV Manager Jason Liggett reported that the Urbana Police presentation video and PowerPoint presentation are now available to the public on the City’s website. Mayor Marlin reported the loss of another Urbana resident due to Covid-19. Mayor Marlin announced the reopening of Market at the Square on Saturday, May 2, 2020 and acknowledged the work of Brandon Boys, Brian Heaton, and Community Development staff as they configured the lot to make sure that proper precautions and social distancing is practiced during its opening. She added that it is a food only event with a few other vendors Page 3 of 5  selling fabric masks. All related information and guidelines are available in the Market at the Square Facebook page. I. NEW BUSINESS 1. Ordinance No. 2020-04-023: An Ordinance Approving a Zoning Map Amendment (205 North High Cross Road - OSF Healthcare – Plan Case 2398-M-20) Planner Lily Wilcock presented this ordinance with the recommendation for approval. She said that members from The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis (OSF) Healthcare were available for questions about the proposals. Ms. Wilcock gave background information about the property location, accessibility, and status of property. OSF is requesting a rezoning from B-1 Neighborhood Business to B-3 General Business at 205 North Nigh Cross Road. Additionally, OSF Healthcare requests a Special Use Permit to build a medical office on the property. At the April 9, 2020 Plan Commission meeting, the commission voted unanimously to approve both requests. The proposed medical office will have specialty providers and scheduled appointments, much like the office at the main hospital. OSF anticipates a maximum staff of 20 employees, with 10 to 15 employees working at any given time. There is also a six-foot wall between the residential properties and the site. Ms. Wilcock reiterated Plan Commission’s recommendations: that the applicant develop the property in general conformance with the site plan as presented, and that they work with the City, surrounding businesses and property owners to explore the possibility of contributing financially to the construction of a multi-use path to connect the OSF and Aldi sites on the northwest side of University Avenue and High Cross Road. Community Development Director Lorrie Pearson, Planner Lily Wilcock, OSF staff, OSF Regional President Dr. Jared Rodgers, A. Tony Trad, Manager of Real Estate Services, Kristin Crawford, Strategic Ambulatory Development Manager, and Real Estate Broker Josh Markiewicz addressed questions from City Council about the project. At 10:17pm, CM Wu made a motion to extend the meeting to 10:45pm. CM Roberts seconded. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote. After the presentation and discussion, CM Roberts made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 2020-04-023 as presented. CM Jakobsson seconded. Motion carried by roll call vote. Votes were as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: Hursey At 10:45pm, CM Wu made a motion to extend the meeting to 11:15pm. CM Brown seconded. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote. 2. Ordinance No. 2020-04-025: An Ordinance Approving A Special Use Permit (205 North High Cross Road - OSF Healthcare – Plan Case 2399-SU-20) Planner Lily Wilcock presented this ordinance with the recommendation for approval. CM Brown made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 2020-04-025 as presented. CM Miller seconded. Unable to reach a unanimous consensus, CM Roberts made a substitute motion to send Ordinance No. 2020-04-025 to committee for further discussion. CM Jakobsson seconded. Motion carried by roll call vote. Votes were as follows: Aye: Jakobsson, Hursey, Roberts, Wu Nay: Brown, Colbrook, Miller Page 4 of 5  The substitute motion to send Ordinance No. 2020-04-025 to committee was approved by roll call vote. Votes were as follows: Aye: Brown, Jakobsson, Hursey, Roberts, Wu Nay: Colbrook, Miller J. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to come before the council, Mayor Marlin adjourned the virtual meeting at 10:54 p.m. Wendy M. Hundley Deputy City Clerk This meeting was video recorded and is viewable on-demand. Minutes Approved: May 26, 2020 Page 5 of 5