City Council Regular Meeting

URBANA CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DATE: Monday, June 8, 2020 – Reconvened Wednesday, June 10, 2020 TIME: 7:00 P.M. PLACE: *Held virtually due to Governor’s Stay at Home order City of Urbana 400 S. Vine St., Urbana, IL 61801 The City Council of the City of Urbana, Illinois, met in regular session Monday, June 8, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. and Reconvened on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at 7:00pm 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 ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT VIRTUALLY: Shannon Beranek, Sheila Dodd, Elizabeth Hannan, Don Ho, Wendy Hundley, Alyssa Jaje, Jason Liggett, Carol Mitten, Lorrie Pearson, Andrea Ruedi, Bryant Seraphin, James Simon, Lily Wilcock OTHERS PRESENT VIA ZOOM: Tracy Chong, Christopher Hansen, Meghan McDonald, Tomasz Nilges, Sarah Nixon, Ameena Payne, Minnie Pearson, Emily Rodriguez, Carol Spindel, Dottie Vura-Weis 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 7:03pm B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING CM Roberts made a motion to approve minutes from the May 26, 2020. Motion seconded by CM Colbrook and carried by unanimous voice vote. Mayor Marlin offered her apologies for the many interruptions at last week’s meeting as the city moves to use zoom webinar. C. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA Mayor Marlin asked to move item six closed session from New Business to be moved after public input before the budget presentation. CM Wu made a motion to allow the change in order in the agenda and CM Hursey seconded. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote. D. PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC INPUT Minnie Pearson and Carol Spindel addressed the council via zoom on behalf of the local chapter of the ACLU and NAACP to commend UPD for their response to recent protest in Urbana as they protected the constitutional rights of protestors rather than rioting, in solidarity, some officers took a knee to honor the memory of George Floyd. Ms. Spindel offered some recommendation of behalf of both organizations. Urged UPD to adopt the use of force policy that explicitly recommends de-escalation technique before resorting to force. This policy must include concrete steps to hold officers accountable if they failed to follow the policy. Resolve going forward to release to the public all UPD body/dash cam footage in every incident that involves a shooting, Taser display, or any other use of force. The NAACP and ACLU are pleased that dates and locations have been set for the “10 Shared Principles Workshop”. After approving “10 Shared Principles” report biannually the number of officers who complete the program and any other de-escalation training. End the use of militarized hardware in Urbana neighborhoods. Page 1 of 7 Public input received via Zoom from the following residents: Sarah Nixon, Dottie Vura-Weis, Tracy Chong, Meghan McDonald, Christopher Hansen, Tomasz Nilges, Ameena Payne, Emily Rodriguez, Comments included: drop all charges against Aleyah Lewis, do not allow the reappointment of Police Chief Bryant Seraphin, remove officers from schools, CPRB should review all uses of force, call for police reform, defund police, and adopt NAACP and Illinois Association of Chiefs of police “10 shared principles”, and hire people with integrity. The Following residents submitted comments via email: Mayor Marlin read all names into the records and some of the messages. Abby Schrantz, Abi Fields, Adrian Wong, Alen Romero, Alexandra Harmon, Alicia Edwards-Jackson, Alisha Feroza, Allan Axelrod, Allison Boyaris, Allison O’Dwyer, Amina Malik, Amy Graef, Amy Hassinger, Amy Whelpley, Andrea Miller, Anna Fedders, Annie Hooper, Anshu Deewan, Austin Hoffman, Beata Krupa, Benjamin Stone, Bijal Patel, Brian Dunn, Brian Vura-Weis, Bronwyn Cain, Cara Sarver, Carol Inskeep, Charles Strehlow, Christina Bollo, Christina Parks, Christine Janak, Claire Johnson, Claudia Berdugo, Daniel Lakemacher, Danielle Chynoweth, Danielle McFarland, Debbie Sperry, Don Keefer, Dottie Vura-Weis, Drew MacGregor, Elliot Shultz, Eleena Ahmed, Elizabeth Matsushita, Elizabeth Simpson, Emilee Mathews, Emily Kerlin, Emily Klose, Emily McKown, Emma Chmielewski, Eric Long, Fiona Munro, Gabi Cooper, Gabrielle Wroblewski, Girija Bodhankar, Grace Park, Hamed Kadiani, Hanaa Ahmed Khan, Hiba Ahmed, Hugh Bowman, Husna Hussaini, Jackson Hasler, Jamie Davis, Jamie Keener, Jan Kalmar, Jane McClintock, Janet Elaine-Guthrie, Jeffrey Putney, Jessy Ruddell, Jimena Alvarez, Jiming Chen, Jon Hays, Joseu D. Cisneros, Julia Francesca Santos, Julie Lang, Juliet Larkin-Gilmore, Jun S., Kacie Gastanaga, Kai Shinbrough, Kaitlin Smrcina, Karen James, Karen Linder, Kat Carranza, Kate Wheeler, Katherine Majewski, Kathryn Oberdeck, Kay Kirkpatrick, Kelsey Greene, Kelsey Langley, Kevin Triner, Korin Langford, Kristin Thies, Lara Jobe, Laurel Nobilette, Lilah Leopold, Lily Smith, Logan Middleton, Marci Adelston-Schafer, Marissa Danielle Sbrilli, Mark Enslin, Mark Jaeger, Marya Burke, Matt Murrey, Matt Turino, Maya Gouliard, Megan Mericle, Melinda Carr, Michael Vignola, Monica Ames, Muneeb Ansari, Nicholas Stine, Orion Lovell, Owen MacDonald, Paul Kotheimer, Preston James, Ramona Montez, Ramya Gandhi, Rebecca Obuchowski, River Brown, Rohn Koester, Samiksha Gupta, Sandra Ahten, Sarah McEvoy, Sarah Roper, Sharon Irish, Sharon Monday, Sophie Meyn, Sydney St. Leger, Tanya Josek, Tatiana Ammons, Todd Rent, Tomas Delgado, Travis Splittstoesser, Trish Marasigan, Yasmee Ragab, Zack Chang, Zev Alexander. Comments included:  Reapportion funds currently allocated to the police department to instead support programs that promote the well-being of our citizens and hold each other accountable in keeping our community safe.  It is morally reprehensible to dedicate so many resources to police while citizens struggle to afford basic necessities and many more lack access to essential services. We could be better taking care of our community by educating on trauma resiliency, supporting local housing and justice accessibility efforts and establishing mutual aid services. Through appropriate fund allocation away from the police and into community services, we can build a stronger and healthier place for everyone to live.  I implore you to please listen to the needs of your constituents and take immediate action to address our concerns. We can say Black Lives Matter all we want, but as a community, we must SHOW that Black lives matter and, as a society currently burdened by capitalism, we must SPEND like Black lives matter  Place officers involved on administrative leave (at minimum), conduct a third party investigation  Look at patterns of behavior of each of the officers within our local departments and address patterns of aggression with appropriate action  Require and provide more education on racial-bias and systemic racism for our police force  Create a new policy regarding the use of force for officers based on the “8 Can’t Wait” Page 2 of 7  #8cantwait is campaign to bring immediate change to police departments  Make the CPRB a meaningful oversight and comply with its ordinance  The CPRB should review all uses of force and have the choice to elect their own leadership  Vote no or delay the reappointment of Police Chief Seraphin The following people send emails in support of Police Chief Bryant Seraphin: Cunningham Children’s Home CEO Marlin Livingston, Vice President Patricia Ege, Preston James, Todd Rent, and Drew MacGregor. Comments included: leadership skills, kind and caring, unbiased towards all youth, valuable resource and deserves a chance to help Urbana create a better environment, committed to building trust and partnership between the police department and the community. 6. Closed Session a. To consider the purchase or lease of real property, pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5) b. To consider the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees, pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1). ** A motion to go into closed meeting pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5) and 5 ILCS 120/2(2)(1) was made by CM Brown, seconded by CM Jakobsson, and carried by roll call vote. Votes were as follows: Ayes: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu, Marlin Nays: None The City Council, Mayor, and staff moved to a separate zoom meeting at 9:01pm. The City Council and Mayor left the closed session zoom meeting at 10:13 pm. CM Roberts made a motion to return to zoom open session meeting at 10:15pm. CM Wu seconded and carried by voice vote. at 10:18pm, CM Roberts made a motion to continue the meeting until 11:15pm. CM Brown seconded. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote. at 10:25pm, CM Roberts made a motion to reconvene this meeting to Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 7:00pm. CM Jakobsson seconded. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote. **Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 7pm reconvened meeting. There being a quorum virtually present, Mayor Marlin called the meeting of the Urbana City Council to order at 7:00pm with a roll call vote. 1. Budget Presentation Mayor Marlin started the presentation by recognizing the hard work of the finance department especially Finance Director Elizabeth Hannan and Senior Financial Analyst/Budget Coordinator Don Ho for being awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association. What this reflects is a budget document that meets high standards and serves as a policy, financial plan, operations guide, and a communications device document. Mayor Marlin presented the overview of the current financial foundation and planning. Noting the changes that have taken place in the past three years, some of the improvements made were eliminated $2.5M in structural budget deficit, restored public safety pension funding, rebuilt the City’s emergency reserves, repaid 9-1-1 loans, and reduced spending. Finance Director Elizabeth Hannan and Senior Financial Analyst/Budget Coordinator Don Ho, and City Administrator presented the logistics of the budget, economic and financial outlook, revenue adjustments, economic development, new spending, other needs, capital improvement plan highlights, revenues from all funds, expenditures by class, general fund Page 3 of 7  revenues by source. The pointed out the largest source of income for the City, which, is Sales Tax and Use Revenues at 30%, general fund expenditures by class, general fund balance. Ms. Hannan said that the finance department will continue to monitor the general fund balance and perhaps come back in late summer or fall to discuss the impact of COVID-19. After presentation, Ms. Hannan addressed questions from council. Some of the questions included: personnel pension, police staffing fluctuations, school resource officer cost, cannabis sales tax allocations, online sales tax, hiring freeze, fire equipment statuses and replacement plan, canine needs, pandemic input and future forecast. E. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was none. F. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES Committee Of The Whole – (Council Member Jared Miller) 1. CONSENT AGENDA 2. REGULAR AGENDA a. Ordinance No. 2020-03-014: An Ordinance Approving an Amendment to a Planned Unit Development (1208 Bradley Avenue / Plan Case No. 2396-PUD-20) - [COW 03/16/2020; 04/06/2020; 06/01/2020] On behalf of the committee, CM Miller made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 2020-03-014 as forwarded from committee. CM Roberts seconded. No discussion. Motion carried by roll call vote. Votes were as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None b. Ordinance No. 2020-06-030: An Ordinance Approving an Agreement with Union Development Holdings, LLC, and Scion Urbana Land LLC On behalf of the committee, CM Miller made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 2020-06-030 as forwarded from committee. CM Brown seconded. No discussion. Motion carried by roll call vote. Votes were as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None c. Ordinance No. 2020-06-031: An Ordinance Approving the City of Urbana and Urbana Home Consortium (Champaign/Urbana/Champaign County) Consolidated Plan for Fiscal Years 2020-2024 and Annual Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 On behalf of the committee, CM Miller made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 2020-06-031 as forwarded from committee. CM Jakobsson seconded. No discussion. Motion carried by roll call vote. Votes were as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None d. Resolution No. 2020-06-024R: A Resolution Approving the Housing Rehabilitation Program Operational Guidelines Program Years 2020-2024 On behalf of the committee, CM Miller made a motion to approve Resolution No. 2020-06-024R 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 Page 4 of 7  e. Resolution No. 2020-06-025R: A Resolution Approving a Covid-19 Program Manual (Fiscal Year 2020-2024) On behalf of the committee, CM Miller made a motion to approve Resolution No. 2020-06-025R as forwarded from committee. CM Jakobsson 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 There were none H. REPORTS OF OFFICERS City Administrator Carol Mitten announces a Zoom virtual public meeting tomorrow Thursday, June 11, 2020 from 4:00-6:00pm to talk about the Vine and Washington Resurfacing Project. I. NEW BUSINESS 1. Ordinance No. 2020-06-032: Ratification of Emergency Order 20-04 “Temporary Suspension of Certain City of Urbana Ordinances to Allow for Operation of Outdoor Dining and/or Drinking Spaces” Issued On May 29, 2020 Mayor Marlin presented this ordinance. She said it allows for flexibility in outdoor dining and drinking spaces. CM Jakobsson moved to approve Ordinance No. 2020-06-032 as presented. Motion seconded by CM Wu and carried by roll call vote as follows: Ayes: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nays: None 2. Ordinance No. 2020-06-033: Ratification of Emergency Order 20-05 Sale of Cocktails “to go” for off premises consumption, effective Friday, June 5, 2020 Mayor Marlin presented this ordinance and said this allows for the sale of cocktails to go by Class A and Class R liquor license holders. CM Roberts moved to approve Ordinance No. 2020-06-033 as presented. Motion seconded by CM Jakobsson and carried by roll call vote as follows: Ayes: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nays: None 3. Mayoral Annual Staff Appointments a. Executive Department 1. Carol Mitten City Administrator 2. Sanford Hess Information Technology Manager 3. Andrea Ruedi Senior Advisor for Integrated Strategy Development 4. James L. Simon City Attorney b. Community Development Services Department 1. Lorrie Pearson Community Development Services Director 2. Sheila Dodd Grants Manager c. Human Resources & Finance Department 1. Elizabeth Hannan Human Resources & Finance Director/CFO 2. Vacellia Clark Human Relations Officer Page 5 of 7 d. Fire Department 1. Charles Lauss Fire Chief 2. Kyle Hensch Division Chief 3. Phillip Edwards Fire Marshal e. Police Department 1. Bryant Seraphin Police Chief 2. Richard Surles Deputy Police Chief 3. Jason Norton Police Lieutenant 4. Joel Sanders Police Lieutenant 5. David Smysor Police Lieutenant 6. Matthew Bain Police Lieutenant f. Public Works 1. Vince Gustafson Deputy Public Works Director for Operations 2. Justin Swinford Interim City Engineer g. Moved to Civil Service (since last annual appointment) 1. Sustainability and Resilience Officer (PW) 2. Administrative Services Manager (HRF) 3. Financial Services Manager (HRF) 4. Principal Planner – replaces Planning Manager (CD) h. Vacancies Under Active Recruitment 1. Public Works Director 2. Division Chief – Fire (2) i. City Clerk – term ending May 3, 2021 1. Phyllis D. Clark J. FOIA Officer 1. Curt Borman, Assistant City Attorney Mayor Marlin presented staff appointments. She said several positions that used to be appointed have been changed to civil service positions. There are some vacant positions, which include the public works director and two division chiefs in the fire department. She said Phyllis Clark has been appointed as City Clerk, to fill the remainder of Charlie Smyth’s term. CM Miller made a motion to not consider the appointment list as an omnibus vote, and to move Police Chief Seraphin’s name off the list to be considered separately. Motion seconded by CM Wu and carried by voice vote. CM Jakobsson made a motion to approve the Mayoral appointments excluding Chief Seraphin. Motion seconded by CM Roberts. CM Miller commented he would like to see the position of Human Relations Officer be a full time position rather than half time. After discussion, the motion to approve the list of mayoral appointments excluding Chief Bryant Seraphin was carried by roll call vote as follows: Ayes: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nays: None Mayor Marlin asked council members to consider the appointment of Bryant Seraphin as Police Chief. CM Colbrook recused himself from voting, regarding the merits of this approval because of his perceived conflict of interest. After brief discussion, CM Roberts made a motion to appoint Bryant Seraphin as police chief. Motion seconded by CM Hursey and carried by roll call vote as follows: Ayes: Brown, Hursey, Jakobsson, Roberts, Wu Page 6 of 7  Nays: Miller Recused: Colbrook 4. Mayoral Appointments to Boards and Commissions a. Civilian Police Review Board – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Patrice Pelmore 5. Mayoral Reappointments to Boards and Commissions a. Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Bill Brown 2. Cynthia Hoyle 3. Kara Dudek b. Community Development Commission – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Abdulhakeem Salaam c. Plan Commission – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Dustin Allred 2. Chenxi Yu d. Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals – term ending June 30, 2023 1. David Seyler e. Tree Commission – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Marshall Bellville f. Zoning Board of Appeals – term ending June 30, 2025 1. Matt Cho 2. Nancy Uchtmann 3. Harvey Welch Mayor Marlin presented the appointments and reappointment to boards and commissions with the recommendation for approval. CM Roberts made a motion to approve the appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions as presented. CM Wu seconded and carried by roll call vote as follows: Ayes: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nays: None 6. Closed Session a. To consider the purchase or lease of real property, pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5) b.To consider the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees, pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1). **Council moved this item to be presented after public input. J. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to come before the council, Mayor Marlin adjourned the virtual meeting Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 8:49 p.m. Wendy M. Hundley Deputy City Clerk This meeting was video recorded and is viewable on-demand HERE and HERE Minutes Approved: June 22, 2020 Page 7 of 7