City Council Regular Meeting

URBANA CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DATE: Monday, June 22, 2020 – Reconvened Tuesday, June 23, 2020 TIME: 7:00 P.M. PLACE: *Held virtually due to Governor and Mayoral Emergency Orders The City Council of the City of Urbana, Illinois, met in regular session June 22, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. ELECTED OFFICIALS PHYSICALLY PRESENT: Diane Wolfe Marlin, Mayor ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT VIA ZOOM: City Council Members (CM) Bill Brown, Bill Colbrook, Shirese Hursey, Eric Jakobsson; Jared Miller, Dennis Roberts, Maryalice Wu; Phyllis D. Clark, City Clerk ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT VIRTUALLY: Wendy Hundley; Kay Meharry; Carol Mitten; Lorrie Pearson; James Simon; OTHERS PRESENT VIA ZOOM: Robert Moore; Minnie Pearson; Ed Wojcicki A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL With a quorum virtually present, Mayor Marlin called the meeting of the Urbana City Council to order at 8:06pm following a City Council public hearing. B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING CM Roberts made a motion to approve minutes from the June 8, 2020 meeting. Motion seconded by CM Jakobsson. After a correction was made, the motion to approve the June 8 minutes was carried by roll call vote a follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None C. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA 1. Resolution No. 2020-06-031R: Resolution of Affirmation of Ten Shared Principles (Illinois NAACP State Conference and Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Established March 22, 2018) This item was moved to Presentations and Public Input by Mayor Marlin. CM Wu moved to move Resolution No. 2020-06-031R to Presentations and Public Input. Motion seconded by CM Roberts and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None D. PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC INPUT 1. Resolution No. 2020-06-031R: Resolution of Affirmation of Ten Shared Principles (Illinois NAACP State Conference and Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, Established March 22, 2018) This item was moved from Additions to the Agenda. Mayor Marlin introduced this resolution. She introduced Minnie Pearson, President of the Champaign County NAACP, Ed Wojcicki with the State Chief’s Association and Robert Moore, Chairman for the Illinois NAACP Criminal Justice Committee. They spoke about the Page 1 of 8  purpose of Ten Shared Principles, which is to have the police department adopt policies to work with the community instead of against it, to replace mistrust with mutual trust of police, end racial disparities, and eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. Mr. Moore listed the Ten Share Principles: 1. We value the life of every person and consider life to be the highest value. 2. All persons should be treated with dignity and respect. This is another foundational value. 3. We reject discrimination toward any person that is based on race, ethnicity, religion, color, nationality, immigrant status, sexual orientation, gender, disability, or familial status. 4. We endorse the six pillars in the report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. The first pillar is to build and rebuild trust through procedural justice, transparency, accountability, and honest recognition of past and present obstacles. 5. We endorse the four pillars of procedural justice, which are fairness, voice (i.e., an opportunity for citizens and police to believe they are heard), transparency, and impartiality. 6. We endorse the values inherent in community policing, which includes community partnerships involving law enforcement, engagement of police officers with residents outside of interaction specific to enforcement of laws, and problem-solving that is collaborative, not one-sided. 7. We believe that developing strong ongoing relationships between law enforcement and communities of color at the leadership level and street level will be the keys to diminishing and eliminating racial tension. 8. We believe that law enforcement and community leaders have a mutual responsibility to encourage all citizens to gain a better understanding and knowledge of the law to assist them in their interactions with law enforcement officers. 9. We support diversity in police departments and in the law enforcement profession. Law enforcement and communities have a mutual responsibility and should work together to make a concerted effort to recruit diverse police departments. 10. We believe de-escalation training should be required to ensure the safety of community members and officers. We endorse using de-escalation tactics to reduce the potential for confrontations that endanger law enforcement officers and community member; and the principle that human life should be taken only as a last resort. Ms. Pearson, Mr. Wojcicki and Mr. Moore answered questions and concerns from council members as discussion ensued. CM Wu moved to approve Resolution 2020-06-031R. Motion seconded by CM Roberts and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None 2. Public Input Public input via email: 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. Alana Ackerman, Allan Axelrod, Amy Williams, Arriel Phillips, Audrey Dombro, Becca Obuchowski, Bronwyn Cain, Brooke Armstrong, Brian Dunn, Chelsea Birchmier, Jake Fava, Page 2 of 8  Jessie Gonzalez, John McNally, Josue Cisneros, Lilah Leopold, Natalie DeClerck, Nicole Signa, Nicole Turnipseed, Olivia Prudhomme, and Tanya Josek. Comments were: drop charges against Aleyah Lewis and request an independent investigation; reevaluate budget, defund police, increase police officer accountability, reallocate funds from police toward community centers, housing, healthcare, education, jobs programs, childcare, mental health, and robust and sustained gun buyback program; reformed the Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB) Public input via Zoom: Austin Hoffman, Tariq Khan, Anna Marie Esposito, Christopher Hansen, Tracy Chong, Sarah Nixon, Ben Joselyn, Julia Rush, Allison Casar, Elena Sotos, Emily Klose, Meghan McDonald and Elizabeth Simpson. Comments were: Ten Shared Principles, remarks about CPRB, appreciative of NAACP involvement but noting that NAACP has not being involved locally or nationally in in the community movements that are asking for changes in police policing, retraining police doesn’t work, CPRB needs a full time Human Resource Officer (HRO), drop charges against Aleyah Lewis, students fear police officer’s presence in the school system, defund police. E. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was none. F. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES Committee Of The Whole – (Council Member Maryalice Wu) 1. CONSENT AGENDA 2. REGULAR AGENDA a. Resolution No. 2020-06-029R: A Resolution Approving the Capital Improvement Plan (2020) On behalf of the committee, CM Wu moved to approve Resolution 2020-06-029R. Motion seconded by CM Hursey and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None b. Resolution No. 2020-06-030R: A Resolution Approving a Collective Bargaining Agreement with International Association of Fire Fighters, Local #1147 (Term of July, 2020 through June 30, 2022) On behalf of the committee, CM Wu moved to approve Resolution 2020-06-030R. Motion seconded by CM Jakobsson and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None c. Ordinance No. 2020-06-034: An Ordinance Amending Urbana City Code Chapter Three, Section 3-43 (Increasing number of class C liquor licenses for Mama Tried LLC dba The Rose Bowl Tavern, 106 N Race St, Urbana, IL) On behalf of the committee, CM Wu moved to approve Ordinance 2020-06-034. A correction was made to the ordinance to show class A instead of class C. After correction, motion seconded by CM Roberts and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None G. REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES Page 3 of 8  There were none. H. REPORTS OF OFFICERS Community Development Director Lorrie Pearson announced the small business assistance program, which offers assistance to local businesses that have been affected by the pandemic. Information is available on the website along with application and requirements. Mayor Marlin read a statement addressing all residents of Urbana and to acknowledge the many calls by saying: we hear you, we are listening, we understand what you are saying, we all have acknowledged one way or another that this is a turning point in our nation’s history and the calls for shifting resources to functions that can meet people’s needs, defaulting to police to respond to needs has been much easier than addressing the systematic issues related to racial, social, and economic justices. Additionally, Mayor Marlin commits to restructuring the emergency respond and care system to a better plan that will address the needs of the people, especially those who are calling for help. Implementing a plan that will be sustainable while addressing mental health issues and reducing police contact. I. NEW BUSINESS 1. Ordinance No. 2020-06-035: Ordinance Approving the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Annual Budget Finance Director Elizabeth Hannan presented this ordinance. She started the presentation with an overview of all funds, which included the percentages for each department. She went over changes in the budget and corrections made because some errors were missed. She explained the increase in the police department budget, saying police pension funding increased in order for the city to pay down unfunded liability. It was the largest part of the change in the police budget. It was suggested to extend discussion of the budget to another meeting in order to go into more depth. CM Brown moved approval of Ordinance No. 2020-06-035. Motion seconded by CM Jakobsson. Ms. Hannan informed council members that the budget would be revisited in the late summer or early fall because of the impact of Covid-19. At 10:26pm CM Miller made a motion 30 minutes to 11:00pm. Motion seconded by CM Wu and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None Removing the K-9 unit was discussed, as well as expenses for School Resource Officers (SRO). Ms. Hannan explained the SROs are city employees and reimbursement of the expenses for them would eventually be paid by the school district. There was discussion about reducing the police department budget by 4% and putting the 4% into something that would help the community. Using taxes from cannabis sales for the community was also discussed. At 10:56pm CM Wu moved to extend the meeting for 10 minutes. Motion seconded by CM Miller and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None Page 4 of 8 At 11:02pm, CM Wu made a motion to continue the meeting for an additional 10 minutes. CM Miller seconded. Motion carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None After rearranging the agenda items to be voted on, CM Wu made a motion to extend the meeting until 11:30pm, CM Miller seconded. Motion carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None At 11:05pm, CM Brown made a motion to go into closed session to consider the purchase or lease of real property, pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5). CM Miller seconded the motion and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None The City Council, Mayor, and staff moved to a separate zoom meeting at 11:05pm. The City Council and Mayor left the closed session zoom meeting at 11:24 pm. CM Miller made a motion to return to the City Council zoom open session meeting at 11:25pm. CM Wu seconded and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None At 11:26pm, CM Miller made a motion to reconvene this meeting Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 5:30pm. CM Wu seconded. Motion carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None **Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 5:30pm reconvened meeting. There being a quorum virtually present, Mayor Marlin called the meeting of the Urbana City Council to order at 5:30pm. Finance Director Elizabeth Hannan presented the changes requested by council members. Those changed included reducing salaries and benefits in the Police Patrol budget by 4% and removing the squad car for the K-9 unit from the Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Fund (VERF). The revised exhibit reflected a reduction in the General Fund of $192,277. She said the reduction is roughly equivalent to two police officer positions. Mayor Marlin told council members that the city made a conditional offer to a female for a vacant police officer position. An additional female officer would increase diversity in the police department. A 4% reduction in the budget would mean the offer would have to be withdrawn. CM Brown moved to replace the original exhibit for Ordinance 2020-06-035 with the revised exhibit. Motion seconded by CM Miller. Discussion about the K-9 unit ensued. It was clarified that vehicle replacement was the only part of the K-9 unit to be eliminated. Discussion about the 4% reduction in the budget continued, with clarification about the number of officers. Police Chief Seraphin responded to questions from council members. Mayor Marlin suggested the money saved from reductions should be earmarked for developing a new model for emergency response. CM Jakobsson moved to make an amendment to the amendment of CM Brown, to decrease the 4% budget reduction to 2% and direct the savings toward the One Door Page 5 of 8  Policy planning and implementation, and keeping the current K-9 unit vehicle for another year. Motion seconded by CM Roberts. After further discussion, the motion to approve the amendment to the first amendment was approved by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Hursey, Jakobsson, Roberts Nay: Colbrook, Miller, Wu After further discussion, CM Colbrook moved to separate the K-9 unit from the reduction of personnel. Motion seconded by CM Wu. Mayor Marlin called for a vote on the elimination of the K-9 unit. Roll call vote was as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: Hursey Vote for the 2% reduction in personnel was carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: Colbrook Motion to approve Ordinance No. 2020-06-035 was made by CM Brown, seconded by CM Jakobsson and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu, Marlin Nay: None 2. Ordinance No. 2020-06-036: Ordinance Revising the Annual Budget Ordinance (Budget Amendment #8 – Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Estimates) Ms. Hannan explained this is done at the time the budget is adopted and it is to reconcile estimates back to the budget. She said changes are listed in the memo for the ordinance. CM Wu moved to approve Ordinance 2020-06-036. Motion seconded by CM Roberts and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None 3. Mayoral Reappointments to Boards and Commissions a. Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Annie Adams b. Civil Service Commission – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Tom Betz c. Civilian Police Review Board – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Ricardo Diaz 2. Megan McGinty d. Community Development Commission – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Robert K. Freeman e. Design Review Board – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Dustin Allred f. Firemen’s Pension Board – term ending June 30, 2022 1. Elizabeth Hannan Page 6 of 8  g. Historic Preservation Commission – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Trent Shepard h. Human Relations Commission – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Frances Rigberg i. Market at the Square Advisory Board – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Valerie Koress 2. Kent Miles 3. Maryalice Wu j. Sustainability Advisory Committee 1. Madeline Garbacz – term ending June 30, 2021 2. Andrew Stumpf, Vice Chair – term ending June 30, 2023 3. Morgan White – term ending June 30, 2023 k. Urbana Free Library Board – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Chris Scherer 4. Mayoral Appointments to Boards and Commissions a. Civilian Police Review Board – Vice Chair 1. Ricardo Diaz b. Human Relations Commission – term ending June 30, 2023 1. Florence Caplow Mayor Marlin presented the appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions. CM Roberts moved to approve the mayor appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions. Motion seconded by CM Colbrook. Since CM Wu is on the list for an appointment to the Market at the Square Advisory Board, the vote for her appointment would be done separately so she could vote on the other appointees. Roll call vote for the appointments for all boards and commissions except the Market at the Square Advisory Board was as follows; Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None Roll call vote for the appointments to the Market at the Square Advisory Board were as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts Nay: None 5. Closed Session a. To consider the purchase or lease of real property, pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5) See Item 1 under New Business, Ordinance No. 2020-06-035. 6. Discussion: UPD body camera policy regarding use, access and retention CM Brown left the meeting at 6:47pm to attend the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission meeting. With only a few minutes left in the meeting, CM Miller asked to have this item put on the agenda for an upcoming meeting. He explained that this is being done to cover issues that people have asked about that haven’t been addressed at past meetings. CM Miller made a Page 7 of 8  motion to add this item to the agenda for the meeting on July 13, 2020. Motion seconded by CM Wu and carried by roll call vote as follows: Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Jakobsson, Miller, Roberts, Wu Nay: None J. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to come before the council, Mayor Marlin adjourned the virtual meeting Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 6:54pm. Kay Meharry Assistant City Clerk This meeting was video recorded and is viewable on-demand HERE and HERE. Minutes Approved: July 27, 2020 Page 8 of 8 From: To: !City Council Subject: PUBLIC INPUT, meeting date: June 22, 2020 Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 6:32:33 PM My name is Alana Ackerman, I am a resident of Urbana. I would like to request that Mayor Marlin and the city council reevaluate and revise the proposed annual budget that is under consideration. According to some sources of information, 21% of the annual budget is planned to be allocated toward policing, while only 12% is planned to be allocated for community development. According to other sources, up to almost 33% of the general operating funds are set to be allocated toward policing, while only 5.2% of general operating funds are set to be allocated toward community development. Regardless of which set of numbers we are looking at, they are unacceptable either way. I know the city council wants to prioritize public safety; Mayor Marlin has stated this before. But public safety doesn’t come from policing and from putting almost a third of a city’s budget toward a system that we know is founded upon controlling and punishing Black communities and individuals. If you really want to make Urbana safer, if you really want to contribute to public safety, you do this by investing in people and communities. I don’t know specifically what the city council means by community development. I think it would be good for the council to specify exactly what community development means, and what exactly the money would go toward. But again, either way we look at it, policing is not the answer. A budget is a reflection of a city’s values. A budget reflects what a city wants to build up, wants to foster, and it also reflects what a city doesn’t value, and what a city doesn’t prioritize or consider important. What I see in this budget is disinvestment in communities, and I see the prioritization of the control and punishment of Black communities. I encourage the city council to reconsider and reevaluate its priorities, I ask that it listen to the people it represents, and I ask that it make the necessary changes to the proposed budget that the people of Urbana are asking for. Thank you. From: To: !City Council Subject: Public Comment Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 6:57:46 PM Good evening, On April 20th, Urbana City Council was asked to drop the charges against Aleyah Lewis. There is no state statute preventing you from publicly making such a recommendation. The non-response in this direction is indicative of systemic racism and corruption. On April 27th, a presentation by Police Chief Seraphin described Cervantes losing his temper and breaking his thumb while assaulting Aleyah Lewis as professional. You were again asked to drop the charges against Aleyah Lewis. There is no state statute preventing you from publicly making such a recommendation. The non-response in this direction is indicative of systemic racism, corruption, and an abuse-enabling lack of rigor. Again on May 4th, May 11th, May 18th, May 26th, June 1st, June 8th, and June 15th you were asked to drop the charges against Aleyah Lewis. There is no state statute preventing you from publicly making such a recommendation. You found time to take photos of the Police Chief Seraphin for the Urbana Monthly News Letter at the George Floyd Protest and reappointed Chief Seraphin. Maybe you should find time to follow Eric Jakkobson's lead and resign. Sincerely, Allan From: To: !City Council Subject: Public Input 6/22/20 Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 10:29:42 AM After reviewing the FY21 Proposed Budget, I was appalled to see how much funding was allocated to policing and how little was allocated to Community Development. The Urbana government has been hearing for months about the harm policing has caused in our community. This budget proposal feels completely out of touch with community feedback. Urbana relies too heavily on law enforcement to address problems that should be addressed by a stronger social safety net. Investing in housing, food security, education, and mental health services could mitigate many of the problems that law enforcement is currently responding to. A budget that allocates 32.7% of funds to police will further perpetuate harm, particularly against Black communities and People of Color. One major step to improving community well-being and safety would be removing School Resource Officers and reinvesting that funding in more mental health professionals. Increasing mental health professionals at younger grades has the potential to improve living conditions, connect families to resources, and interrupt the school to prison pipeline. I also ask that the City Council look beyond incremental defunding of law enforcement and imagine a community entirely without police. This is not an impossible dream- the Urbana community has the resources, creativity, and passion for human rights to pull it off. We could stop funneling individuals into an unequitable court system and instead provide opportunities for non-punitive restorative and transformative justice. Sincerely, Amy Williams, J.D. Champaign, IL From: To: !City Council Subject: Edited/updated. To be read at the city council meeting for 6/22/2020. Arriel phillips. Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 4:22:02 PM Hello, my name is Arriel Phillips, and I am an RN and home owner in Champaign, Illinois. Like others, I too am concerened with the direction of the police force. Im black. Im concerend for my brothers, my father, my nieces and nephews, my friends and myself. As a Champaign citizen and tax payer I am uncomfortable with the idea of Us not making a change and continuing with what we are doing. A few years ago, I was looking for a job and did a med pass at the county jail. I was horrified to see the proportion of black men vs white men. I left and immeditey called my dad just to calm me down. That day I visualized a 75% ratio to 25%, easy. This is not right. I dont want to defund the police. I would like to move some funding though. As a tax paying citizen, I don’t want a military force protecting it’s citizens. We need more money put in to mental heath. I worked as a psych nurse in Indiana, and it was shocking to see how many more resources there was for mental heath there opposed to here. When I look through the jail bookings and see “driving on a suspended license”, I know this typically means that its Men and women who are behind on their child support and who get arrested. With a charge against them, they still have to work. Maybe they choose to drive and get pulled over again. They are in the tangled web of the court system, paying fines, with a charge added to their record and all the while they are trying to catch up with their child support. Why is this a punishable offense that they need to be in jail for? Its not right, and we all see what’s going on. We are paying for guardians, and that’s what I want. Cops now have the nicest and smoothest undercover cars. We need to be able to see you if we need help, so how is having an undercover car or being undetectable helpful to the community? To sum everything up, Im upset with the unnecessary force and the unfairness of the system. As an RN all of my information is public. Any bad actions against my nursing license is public as well as my license number. All officers should have their information public as well. Thank you for your time, Arriel J. Phillips Sent from my iPhone From: To: !City Council Cc: Edited version to be read at Citycouncil meeting on 6/22/2020, please. Thank you. Arriel phillips Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 4:39:57 PM Hello, my name is Arriel Phillips, and I am an RN and home owner is Champaign, Illinois.   Like others, I too am concerened with the direction of the police force. Im black. Im concerend for my brothers, my father, my nieces and nephews, my friends and myself. As a Champaign citizen and tax payer I am uncomfortable with the idea of is Not making a change and continuing with what we are doing. A few years ago, I was looking for a job and did a med pass at the county jail.   I was horrified to see the proportion of black men vs white men. I left and immeditey called my dad just to calm me down.   That day I visualized a 75% to 25% difference, easy. This isn't right.    I dont want to defund the police. I would like to move some funding though. As a tax paying citizen, I don’t want a military force protecting it’s citizens. We need more money put in to mental heath. I worked as a psych nurse in Indiana, and it was shocking to see how many more resources there was for mental heath, and we’re just one state over When I look through the jail bookings and see “driving on a suspended license”, I know this typically means that its Men and women who are behind on their child support who get arrested. Now with a charge against them, they still have to work, so they drive and get pulled over again. They are tangled within the court system and paying fines. They now have something added to their record, and all the while they are trying to catch up with their child support. Why is this a punishable offense that someone needs to be in jail for? Its not right, and we all see what’s going on.   We are paying for guardians, and that’s what I want. Cops now have the nicest and smoothest undercover cars. We need to be able to see you if we need help, so how is having an undercover car or being undetectable helpful to the community? Im upset with the unnecesary force and the unfairness of the system. Thank you for your time, Arriel J. Phillips Sent from my iPhone  From: To: !City Council Subject: Public Input - 6/22/20 Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 3:59:56 PM Dear City Council Members, I am life-long resident of Urbana and I am writing this evening to ask that the city defund its police department by at least 50% in order to invest in programs to support community, disavow white supremacy, and truly work to create a safe and welcoming place to live. What could this look like? - Money saved from Police Officers in schools could be spent on social workers, support staff, teachers, supplies, and technology. - Money saved from reducing the number of officers could hire city officials who's role it would be to examine progressive templates for public safety and develop a program to make that a reality in our community. - Money saved from cutting the police budget could be spent on funding mental health services, affordable housing, childcare programs, food supports, job opportunities, and parks. - Money could be cut from weapons, militarized vehicles, the stock of tear gas and other dangerous chemical weapons. It could instead be spent on a staffing a sustained gun buy back program and community outreach to those affected by gun violence. Change in uncomfortable. The institutionalized partnerships that the city has with the police surely feel difficult to unravel and unwind. But I, and thousands of your constituents are asking that you envision something else for our city. Please take a moment and reflect on the community that embodies your most hopeful vision of Urbana. Does it involved well staffed and stocked schools? Does it strive to be a leader in progressive ideas and programs? Does it ensure it's citizens have homes, food, and jobs? Does it work to destigmatize and support the mental health needs of it's people? When you think on what actually makes you feel safe, I believe these are things that would be on anyone's list. And as our elected officials, it is your responsibility to invest money in them, not in the false idea that the police force is here to ensure our safety. Police are a reactionary, white-supremacist force for fear and brutality. Community programs, development, and support are an answer to the problems and struggles that bring the police into our lives. The budget on today's agenda is a moral document. Please vote to provide care, support, and opportunity to your neighbors. Give 50% less to a force of violence and fear in their lives. Remember, you can vote No on this budget. The city will not stop if it is forced to take more time to address these changes that it's people are asking for. I would also like to remember that police brutality and violence is happening right here in Urbana. It is your duty to stand against this and demand the State's Attorney drop all the charges against Alehya Lewis. Respectfully, Becca Obuchowski From: To: !City Council Subject: PUBLIC COMMENT Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 6:34:55 PM Dear Council Members, I would imagine that you are tired of receiving emails by now. My hope is that you really recognize what has stirred your fellow community members to press for change; I do not expect public pressure to dwindle anytime soon, because this fight is just and change must come. It is remarkable to me that your proposed budget for the police department is 150 times that of the total allocation for social services. If less than a third of a police officer's work is crime- related, why are these funds needed? Officers cannot serve as social workers, community interventionists, etc. That is not how they are trained. They are not qualified. Social services need that funding. Public education needs that funding. Please consider community input when creating budgets, and before voting on them. This seems the best way to ensure that people are heard, and cared for in Urbana. As a parent with children in Champaign Unit 4, I cannot tell you enough of the damage that is done when administrators trickle out information on a need to know basis. This big brother approach, and the complete lack of transparency that accompanies it, causes serious distrust amongst teachers, parents, and community members. It creates a toxic environment. Urbana has a chance to change it's narrative and avoid that toxicity, if only you would listen to the community who is speaking up and out, week after week. Thanks, Bronwyn Cain Lifelong Champaign/Savoy resident she/hers From: To: !City Council Subject: Defund the Police and Invest in Community Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 6:09:31 PM Dear Mayor Marlin and other city council members, I am writing again to urge you to listen to your community and to make amendments to your proposed budget and defund the police immediately. Mayor Marlin, you state in the budget proposal that “our top priority is public safety, on our streets, in our neighborhoods, and in public schools” But who are you protecting when the ones that are supposed to keep people safe are also the ones doing harm? And not only harm but harm to a specific group of people. When street patrols happen most in over-policed black neighborhoods? And SRO's inherently lead to students of color receiving stricter punishments that often result in unnecessary involvement with the criminal justice system? To me, your statement and this budget sound like "our top priority is white people". How dare you propose to allocate $11,197,190 to Urbana Police while reducing Public Education in order to cover additional expenses for the Fire Department. Mayor Marlin, your statement that this is “unfortunate” is laughable. 32.7& of operating funds go to police while leaving as little as 5.2% for community development and only $73,150 for social services? You care so little about your community. You've proven over and over that you don't deserve to sit as mayor and I demand you step down from your position. I applaud the council members who expressed a willingness to defund the police and reallocate funds for community initiatives. Thank you Bill Brown, Dennis P. Roberts, and Jared T. Miller. We are looking to you for hope. Cities around the nation are working with the people to create an alternative department. Here's a quote from an article about Albuquerque Police. “Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller (D) announced on Monday the formation of a new public safety department designed to relieve stress on the city’s police. Instead of the police or fire departments responding to 911 calls related to inebriation, homelessness, addiction and mental health, the new division will deploy unarmed personnel made up of social workers, housing and homelessness specialists, and violence prevention coordinators. The department, called Albuquerque Community Safety, may be the first of its kind, experts say. A spokesperson for the mayor told The Washington Post the new department was partially the city’s response to the “defund the police” movement.” Article We need to be open-minded enough to think about the future of policing. If you are not willing to adapt with the people, then we do not want you. Thank you, Brooke Armstrong From: To: !City Council Subject: Public Input for 6/22/20 city council meeting Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 4:01:39 PM Hello, I am sending this on behalf of a friend: Hello, my name is Arriel Phillips, and I am an RN and home owner is Champaign, Illinois. Like others, I too am concerened with the direction of the police force. Im black. Im concerend for my brothers, my father, my nieces and nephews, my friends and myself. As a Champaign citizen and tax payer I am uncomfortable with the idea of is Not making a change and continuing with what we are doing. A few years ago, I was looking for a job and did a med pass at the county jail. I was horrified to see the proportion of black men vs white men. I left and immeditey called my dad just to calm me down. That day i visualized a 75% ratio to 25%, easy. This isnt right and im sick of it. I dont want to defund the police. I would like to move some funding. As a tax paying citizen, I don’t want a military force protecting it’s citizens. We need more money put in to mental heath. I worked as a psych nurse in Indiana, and it was shocking to see how many more resources there was for mental heath there opposed to here. When I look through the jail bookings and see “driving on a suspended license”, I know this typically means that its Men and women who are behind on their child support and get arrested. Now with a charge against them, they still have to work, so they drive and get pulled over again. They are tangled within the court system and paying fines, have something added to their record and all the while they are trying to catch up with their child support. Why is this a punishable offense? Its not right, and we all see what’s going on. No more punitive actions from you guys. We are paying for guardians, and that’s what I want. Cops now have the nicest and smoothest undercover cars. We need to be able to see you if we need help, so how is having an undercover car or being undetectable helpful to the community? Im upset with the unnecesary force and the unfairness of the system. Thank you for your time, Arriel J. Phillips -- River Andres (pronouns: they/them/theirs) From: To: !City Council Subject: PUBLIC INPUT 6/22/20 Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 1:41:58 PM Dear Urbana City Council, My name is Chelsea Birchmier, and I have a couple of questions and a comment regarding the proposed FY 2020-21 Budget. First, my questions: what steps did you take to ensure the budget and the date and time of this hearing reached as many citizens as possible prior to today? Were any efforts made to provide copies of the budget to people who do not have internet access or access to digital technologies? If you did not take these steps, what will you do to ensure that citizens have the chance to see and respond to this budget before it is approved? Additionally, I’m assuming public participation does not just mean that people will provide their input but that their input will actually be incorporated into the budget decisions that will made. What is your process for using the input you hear today and that you receive by email to inform what the final budget looks like? Your answers to these questions are important because they tell me whether or not you value citizen participation. If you do not, then I believe that you are not performing your duty as an elected representative of the people. Next, my comment: You are proposing to spend over $11 million on the police, or 32.7% of the general operating fund. That is more money going to the police than to the fire department, to public works, or to community development, on which you propose to spend under $1.8 million, or 5.2% of the general operating fund. We are in the midst of a global and local uprising calling for defunding the police so that money can go back to the Black communities that have been defunded over the years. In these times, how can you possibly justify a budget where more money goes to the police than any other area in the general operating fund? We, the citizens, pay the taxes that go to the general operating fund. If we say we want money to move from the police to the community, it is your duty to listen to us as our elected representatives. If you don’t, I can assure you that the people will not allow business as usual to continue and that we will not forget if you choose to ignore our voices come election time in the spring. Best, Chelsea From: To: !City Council Subject: PUBLIC INPUT 6/22 Jake Fava Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 7:01:16 PM Good evening, City Council Members. I just wanted to include this brief note to add my voice to the already-massive number of community members that are speaking out about the proposed budget, and particularly the frankly absurd plurality of 32.7% of operating funds going to the police department. It's been in the conversation for decades at this point, but recent events across the country, including in our own community, have shed light on the myriad structural issues being perpetuated from a militarized and racist policing system. I strongly encourage the members of council to reallocate funds from the police to buckets like Community Development that will actually make progress towards helping members of our community solve problems, and to vote in favor of policies and programs that increase police officer accountability. It's time to do the right thing and take a long, critical look at law enforcement in this community, and that starts in the budget. With respect, Jake JAKE FAVA (HE,HIM,HIS) From: To: !City Council Subject: PUBLIC INPUT 6/22/20 Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 10:12:33 AM My name is Jesann Gonzalez. I am a graduate student at UIUC and I urge the Urbana City Council to defund the police and invest in its communities. To quote Mayor Marlin "our top priority is public safety, on our streets, in our neighborhoods, and in public schools". To which I must ask - who are you including in your envisioning of the "public"? Need I remind you, Urbana is predominantly white but Black people live here too. The findings of the Champaign County Racial Justice Task force indicate that Champaign County, Urbana included, have long known about the racial disparities in policing within our community. Urbana is currently budgeting for two School Resource Officers - despite the historical fact that this disproportionately affects Black students and heightens the school to prison pipeline. Furthermore, in the most recent budget proposal, School Resource Officers are a service proposed at $320,000 that is charged to the Education Fund. It is irresponsible to detract funds from education to increase policing. For far too long, the city board has feigned to prioritize communities - without deep considerations for their Black constituents. Right now, you have an enormous opportunity to demonstrate you understand that Black Lives Matter - seize it. Begin by dropping all charges against Aleyah Lewis, and increasing transparency regarding the independent investigation of her violent arrest. Swiftly follow that up by defunding the police and reallocating those funds back into education, affordable housing, public infrastructure, and healthcare. Your public awaits change. Thank you. From: To: !City Council Subject: public comment Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 7:00:23 PM Dear Mayor and City Council. You are in a position of power and it is time to decide which side of history you are going to be on. We are watching what you do, we are listening to what you say, and we will remember when we vote. When you go to sleep tonight will you rest easy knowing that you did the right thing? When you look back on your time spent in this role will you have made a positive impact on your community? Do you feel that our tax dollars are best spent arresting people and furthering the prison for profit system that overwhelmingly targets people of color? Or is there a better way? In this pivotal time in history I feel that we must address our societal ills with a different approach than militarized brutality. Police officers are not social workers, police officers are not mental health professionals and they should not be asked to fill these roles. I am asking you to use our tax dollars wisely to create a better tomorrow for everyone in our community. Therefore I am asking you to spend less money on the police and more money on community task forces that are better equipped at handling non violent and non emergency incidents in our community. Thank you for your time and consideration John From: To: !City Council Subject: PUBLIC INPUT: City Council Meeting June 22 Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 4:24:14 PM This input is from David Cisneros Urbana resident, Ward 4 --- Thank you for the opportunity to provide public input at this meeting. I have already made my thoughts on the budget clear in the Public Hearing. I would just like to urge the Councilmembers to take the time to discuss the budget at this meeting, at Wednesday's meeting, and beyond, to make sure that we have a document that reflects our values and that serves our community. The budget ordinance itself says that even if the budget is not passed before the start of the new fiscal year, there is a provision to continue City operations under the old budget. I encourage you not to wait for a later budget amendment, as we know that the time is right now, economically and politically, to address budget priorities and shortfalls in light of all of these conversations about policing and racial justice Multiple times over the last few years, when the Council has considered development agreements such as the Gather project, you have resisted the calls for speed and expediency, demanding that you have the time for deliberation and for making policies better. Rather than be pressured by deadlines, you have asserted your role as representatives of the city's residents and have advocated for a full hearing and discussion of the public's voice. I urge you to continue that trend and to stand with the residents of Urbana now as well. Thank you. From: To: !City Council Subject: PUBLIC INPUT June 22, 2020 Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 1:12:22 PM To the City of Urbana: Attn: Mayor, City Council Members, City Administrator, and City Clerk: I write to add my voices to those calling for the following: 1. That all charges against Ms. Aleyah Lewis be dropped. Period. 2. That members of council vote to amend the proposed FY21 budget and make significant changes in order to NOT repeat what we can see in Figure 2: FY20 General Operating Fund Expenditures by Department, in which the Police budget receives 32.7% of funds while "Community Development" receives 5.2%. Funding the police in excess of all other services is simply not what will help this community thrive. We need to see significant changes in the way the city plans for our collective future, rather than our collective militarization. Please use your votes to make changes now! Where are concrete plans for funding affordable and accessible housing? (The budget document lists ideas in uncertain terms.) Where are concrete plans for funding community health care and mental health services? Where are concrete plans for education and youth programming? I urge you all to enter with courage into conversations that will lead to significant changes. This experience will be different than "business as usual," but reverting to the stale and inadequate thinking which that phrase entails will only continue to amplify the incredibly unequal and dangerous systems that are the very antithesis to community health and safety. Sincerely, Lilah Leopold From: To: !City Council Subject: PUBLIC INPUT 6/22/2020 Date: Sunday, June 21, 2020 11:22:32 PM Dear Urbana City Council and Mayor, Seattle cut its police budget by 50%. Minneapolis is disbanding its police department entirely. LA is cutting their department by over 100 million dollars. Locally, under the current city council and mayor our police budget has gone up more than 20% last year alone. This is antithetical to justice, antithetical to progress and needs to be changed. So please - Listen to the local and national leaders calling to defund the police and reduce the 20/21 police budget by 50% of the current proposal to 5.6 million instead of 11.2 Million Dollars. - Hire a full time person with full salary and additional budget to pay community leaders and professionals as they develop a strategy to get rid of our police department over the next 5 years. - Commit to the demands of the new Champaign County Anti-Racist Coalition. - Withdraw from your contract with the school district to have police in the Urbana Schools. - Put money toward mental health services that our community dearly needs - Put money into a robust and sustained gun buyback program - Put money into jobs programs to help people get through this terrible recession (jobs programs are proven to reduce crime much more effectively than police just FYI) - Increase your social service spending since it is currently less than a million dollars. Which means you are currently proposing a budget that is willing to spend more than 10 times as much money controlling and punishing people than supporting them. Which is gross. Social Service spending should focus on housing, childcare, healthcare, food support and re-entry programs among others. The national leader of my Church, Reverend Susan Fredrick Grey, wrote in a recent article about her shifting understanding of police saying that the "fundamental role policing plays is upholding white supremacy." We know that this has always been true, now it is time to divest. There are a lot of really good proven ways to reduce crime and increase quality of life in Urbana. Cops just aren't it. You increased their budget by 20% last year ago and that simply hasn't solved anything. Do you have a single measurable quality of life outcome that was improved by that 2 million dollar annual increase? Imagine what that money could've done. Please change your budget to reflect the demands of the people and the core principle that people deserve to be supported instead of punished. Thank you, Nicole From: To: !City Council Subject: PUBLIC COMMENT Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 7:04:55 PM Dear City Council Members, First, thank you for your willingness and dedication to hearing out an influx of public comments; I sincerely hope that is a precursor to sustained action on the community's behalf. I write, along with my community, to urge you to divert funding for law enforcement agencies to social services actually capable of supporting human flourishing. Revisioning this social structure is a huge task, but one that is urgently needed. I ask that you freeze the 2020-21 FY budgets while existing or new committees work to design and implement a new structure with clearly delimited timeframes for benchmarks. I'd also like to reiterate the demand that all charges against Aleyah Lewis be dropped; a truly meaningful and independent investigation be launched; the officers who beat Ms. Lewis be put on leave pending this investigation; and the CPRB be reformed to have meaningful oversight and comply with its ordinance so citizens don't have to jump through hoops to report misconduct. Thank you for your time, Nicole Turnipseed From: To: !City Council Subject: PUBLIC INPUT Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 6:50:14 PM Hello, My name is Olivia Prudhomme. I grew up and still live in CU. We are begging you to defund the police and fund the community instead. It is unacceptable for 32.7% of funds to go to police and only 5.2% to community development. That is so sad. Please step back as a human being and think about what is going on in the world. You are affecting everyone’s lives physically, mentally and emotionally. This is your chance to make a change and turn Champaign into an example for the future. Thank you From: To: !City Council Subject: Urbana City Council meeting statement Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 6:55:00 PM Urbana City Council, I am writing again, to request that all charges against Aleyah Lewis be dropped, for a true, meaningful, and independent investigation be conducted, and while that investigation is underway the officers who beat Ms. Lewis be put on leave. I cannot believe that it has been over two months later this is still an issue the city council is discussing. The police need to be held accountable for their actions. Ms. Lewis was at a safe distance from the officers and these officers already had the situation they came to deal with under control. It is unbelievable that the city continues to defend these officers after they engaged and beat a citizen who's biggest threat to these officers was that this citizen was talking to them. Even if they were yelling at these officers, the officers should have the restraint to allow that citizen to practice their first amendment rights and say whatever they want especially since again, she was at a large distance, not a threat, and was likely already shaken up and scared from the situation. Over the past few months, we have seen officers be faced with angry white Americans, yelling threats and waving guns around in officers' faces, and yet these officers stood their ground and no action by the police is taken against them. I am confident that had Ms. Lewis been white, these officers would have just left the scene. Stop defending racism in Urbana. This city has been showing how its citizens are demanding change, let this change start with these charges being dropped and a meaningful, independent investigation be conducted. I'm also writing to voice that I am appalled to hear that Cheif Seraphin was re-appointed. It is beyond obvious that you Mayor Marlin went into this decision already made, that no matter what the people of the city that YOU ARE THE MAYOR OF had to say about this decision, you made your choice. Why do you continue to ignore the voice of the people? Mayor Marlin you state that your "top priority is public safety, on our streets, in our neighborhoods, and in public schools” Why do you view the police as the only option for public safety? If we look at the history of the police, the reality is that they exist because slave owners wanted to stop slaves from running away. It is safe to say its foundation was for racist reasons and the racism seen within the police has yet to cease where over the last 8 years Black folx have experienced an INCREASE in the level of how vicious police treat Black folx. So I get back to my question Mayor Marlin, Why do you view the police as the only option for public safety? Why do you put so much funding into the police when they don't even have the training to contribute to public safety? Here's an example of what I've seen public safety could be. Let's say someone witnesses someone behaving erratically and is in harm's way. Instead of calling 911, people could call a similar number which would lead them to connect with an urgent responder who could assess the situation. Now the person acting erratically could be met, by a trained psychologist) specializing in behavioral and mental health where they can ensure this individual get the care they need. Isn't that public safety? Sending someone who has over 150weeks of advanced educational training as opposed to being met with someone who has weapons and only14weeks of general, non-mental health-specific training? This would be similar to what victims of domestic abuse or suicidal individuals would experience. Why are you so hesitant to defund the police in exchange for a program that would actually address public safety which you continue to claim is one of your priorities? If this city plans to move forward, it needs to reconsider the role of the police. At a minimum, the police need to be held accountable for their actions and should be demilitarized. Their job is to protect and serve the community, not protect and serve white people, and you don't need a militarized police to enforce laws or protect and serve the community. This city needs to start actually thinking about what is best for its citizens and how they can best help their citizens. Let's start that narrative now. Tanya Josek, Ph.D. From: To: !City Council Subject: Dr. Ellis Subdivision Sewer Problem Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 6:53:34 PM Mayor and City Council, Bishop King Underwood and I, Reverend Dr. Evelyn Underwood, are continually concerned about the sewer problem. Thank you. R ev. Dr . Underwood