City Council Regular Meeting
Regular MeetingUrbana, IL · April 19, 2021
Minutes
COMMITTEE OF THE
WHOLE MEETING
MINUTES
DATE: Monday, April 19, 2021
TIME: 6:00 P.M.
PLACE: *Held virtually due to Governor’s and Mayoral Emergency Orders
The City Council Committee of the Whole of the City of Urbana, Illinois, met in regular session Monday,
April 19, 2021, at 6:00pm via Zoom.
ELECTED OFFICIALS PHYSICALLY PRESENT: Diane Wolfe Marlin, Mayor; Phyllis D. Clark,
City Clerk
ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE: City Council Members (CM) Bill
Brown, Bill Colbrook, Shirese Hursey, Jared Miller, Dennis Roberts, Erik Sacks, Maryalice Wu
ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Elizabeth Borman, Michelle Brooks, Shaennon Clark, Sheila Dodd, Elizabeth
Hannan, Jason Liggett, Kay Meharry, Carol Mitten, Lorrie Pearson
OTHERS PRESENT VIA ZOOM: Council Member Training: Jaya Kolisetty, James Quisenberry, Grace
Wilken; Public Input via Zoom: Tracy Chong, James Corbin, Sarah Nixon, Rev. Dr. Evelyn Underwood
Chair: Erik Sacks, Ward 2
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
With a quorum virtually present, Chair Erik Sacks called the meeting of the Committee of the Whole
to order at 6:27pm, following a special meeting of the Cunningham Township Board of Trustees.
2. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting
CM Wu moved to approve the minutes from the April 5, 2021 meeting. Motion seconded by CM
Miller and carried by roll call vote as follows:
Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Miller, Roberts, Sacks, Wu
Nay: None
3. Additions to the Agenda
Mayor Marlin requested the addition of a proclamation to the agenda, before the council member
training session. Motion to add the proclamation was made by CM Hursey, seconded by CM Miller
and carried by roll call vote as follows:
Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Miller, Roberts, Sacks, Wu
Nay: None
4. Presentations and Public Input
a. Mayoral Proclamation
Mayor Marlin proclaimed the week of April 18th through April 24th, 2021 as Administrative
Professionals Week in the City of Urbana, Illinois.
b. Council Member Training Session – Human Resources/Finance Department
Finance/Human Resources Director Elizabeth Hannan introduced the session by explaining the
presentation would include functions of Finance, Human Resources, Labor and Employee
Relations, and Administration.
After the introduction, Deputy Finance Director Shaennon Clark, Labor and Employee Relations
Director Michelle Brooks, and Human Resources Manager Elizabeth Borman gave descriptions of
the functions of each division.
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After the training, staff responded to questions from attendees.
c. Public Input
Comments via Zoom included: where is the City concerning the Fraternal Order of Police contract;
there is an increase in youth violence; would like to see youth activity and education programs to
create protective community environment; thank you to Jared Miller for speaking up for residents;
thank you to all departing council members.
There was no public input via email.
5. Staff Report
Mayor Marlin reported finalists were interviewed last week for the Human Rights and Equity Officer
position and hopes an announcement will be made soon about the candidate who is chosen for the
position.
The Mayor also announced the City has a completely new telephone system and asked the public to
have patience as bugs with the system are worked out.
Mayor Marlin said there are continued meetings on the Use of Force Policy and hopes to be finalizing
it in the next few weeks and bring it to council to report.
The Mayor added that there has been discussion about the importance of youth programs, and
meetings are being held to address the topic.
6. Resolution No. 2021-04-019R: A Resolution Approving the City of Urbana and
Champaign/Urbana/Champaign County Home Consortium (FY 2021-2022 Annual Action Plan)
Grants Management Division Manager Sheila Dodd presented this resolution and said the 2024 five
year Consolidated Plan was approved by council in June 2020. This has to be submitted to the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for review so the City of Urbana can
continue to receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME investment
partnership (HOME) funding.
This year’s allocation is $819,687 in HOME funding. Urbana is the lead entity for the grant, which is
shared proportionately with the City of Champaign, Champaign County and the City of Urbana, and is
split based on population size.
Discussion ensued as Manager Dodd responded to questions and concerns from council members.
CM Wu moved to send Resolution No. 2021-04-019R to council with recommendation for approval.
Motion seconded by CM Roberts and carried by roll call vote as follows:
Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Miller, Roberts, Sacks, Wu
Nay: None
15. Council Input and Communications
CM Roberts asked that James Corbin get in touch with him with his contact information to discuss
youth programs. He announced his participation in the Illinois Sister Cities annual meeting in Palatine,
Illinois on Friday, April 23. He said the music video being done in conjunction with Thionville, France
is almost finished.
CM Brown announced that this week is yard waste pickup week. He said Rosecrance has begun to
hold community co-responder meetings and wondered if information could be posted on the City
website to be available for other providers who might want to participate in it.
CM Wu said the police union contract will be discussed in the future and the new council will be the
ones to approve it.
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Mayor Marlin responded to CM Miller’s question about Covid updates. She said Urbana is still in
Phase 4 because new cases do not warrant going into the “Bridge Phase”. There will be no July 4th
parade, but there will be fireworks on the University of Illinois campus. A vaccination clinic is being
held for Urbana High School students age 16 and older.
CM Hursey commented that Covid vaccinations should be made more accessible to those who do not
have computers and those who might not able to go to locations to get the vaccinations during work
hours.
Mayor Marlin commended the Savannah Green and Historic East Urbana Neighborhood Association
for sponsoring neighborhood cleanups over the weekend.
16. Adjournment
With no further business to come before the Committee, Chair Sacks adjourned this virtual meeting at
7:49pm.
Kay Meharry
Assistant City Clerk
This meeting was recorded and is viewable on-demand.
Minutes Approved: May 3, 2021
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Agenda
CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE
OF THE WHOLE MEETING
DATE: Monday, April 19, 2021
TIME: 6:00 P.M.
PLACE: *To be held virtually via Zoom, 400 South Vine Street, Urbana, IL 61801
A G E N DA
Chair: Erik Sacks, Ward 2
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
2. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting
a. April 5, 2021
3. Additions to the Agenda
4. *Public Input and Presentations
a. Council Member Training Session – Human Resources/Finance Department
b. Public Input
5. Staff Report
6. Resolution No. 2021-04-019R: A Resolution Approving the City of Urbana and
Champaign/Urbana/Champaign County Home Consortium (FY 2021-2022 Annual Action Plan) –
CD
7. Council Input and Communications
8. Adjournment
*Due to the Governor Pritzker and Mayoral Emergency Covid-19 Orders, the Urbana City Council Chambers
will be not be open to the public during this meeting. Council Members will meet remotely using Zoom
Webinar. You may watch the meeting on streaming services, or on Urbana Public Television, or attend via
Zoom.
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Apr 19, 2021 06:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Cunningham Township Board / Committee of the Whole
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81683634025
Or One tap mobile :
US: +13126266799,,81683634025# or +19292056099,,81683634025#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 669 900 6833 or
+1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799
Webinar ID: 816 8363 4025
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbVX2Em62h
Persons with disabilities needing special services or accommodations for this meeting should contact the City Clerk
at 217-384-2366
PUBLIC INPUT
The City of Urbana welcomes Public Input during open meetings of the City Council, the City Council’s
Committee of the Whole, City Boards and Commissions, and other City-sponsored meetings. Our goal is to
foster respect for the meeting process, and respect for all people participating as members of the public body,
city staff, and the general public. The City is required to conduct all business during public meetings. The
presiding officer is responsible for conducting those meetings in an orderly and efficient manner.
Public Input will be taken in the following ways:
Zoom Webinar Participant
Click on the link listed in the agenda to join the Webinar. You must provide your name and email address in
order to join the Webinar. If you wish to speak during Public Input, “raise your hand” and wait to be called on
by the meeting host. You must state your first and last name for the meeting record. Participants will be
muted except when they are called on to speak; video will remain off for all members of the public when
speaking.
Telephone Participant
Call the phone number listed on the Agenda. Enter the Webinar ID followed by the # key. All callers are muted
by default. If you wish to speak, “raise your hand” by pressing *9 once. When you are called on by the host or
presiding officer, you will be un-muted. You must state your first name and last name for the meeting record.
Email Input
Public comments must be received prior to the closing of the meeting record (at the time of adjournment
unless otherwise noted) at the following: citycouncil@urbanaillinois.us. The subject line of the email must
include the words “PUBLIC INPUT” and the meeting date. Your email will be sent to all City Council members,
the Mayor, City Administrator, and City Clerk. Emailed public comments labeled as such will be incorporated
into the public meeting record, with personal identifying information redacted. Copies of emails will be posted
after the meeting minutes have been approved.
Written Input
Any member of the public may submit their comments addressed to the members of the public body in
writing. If a person wishes their written comments to be included in the record of Public Input for the meeting,
the writing should so state. Written comments must be received prior to the closing of the meeting record (at
the time of adjournment unless otherwise noted).
Verbal Input
Protocol for Public Input is one of respect for the process of addressing the business of the City. Obscene or
profane language, or other conduct that threatens to impede the orderly progress of the business conducted at
the meeting is unacceptable.
Public comment shall be limited to no more than four (4) minutes per person. The Public Input portion of the
meeting shall total no more than one (1) hour, unless otherwise shortened or extended by majority vote of
the public body members present. The presiding officer or the city clerk or their designee, shall monitor each
speaker's use of time and shall notify the speaker when the allotted time has expired. A person may
participate and provide Public Input once during a meeting and may not cede time to another person, or split
their time if Public Input is held at two (2) or more different times during a meeting. The presiding officer may
give priority to those persons who indicate they wish to speak on an agenda item upon which a vote will be
taken.
The presiding officer or public body members shall not enter into a dialogue with citizens. Questions from the
public body members shall be for clarification purposes only. Public Input shall not be used as a time for
problem solving or reacting to comments made but, rather, for hearing citizens for informational purposes
only.
In order to maintain the efficient and orderly conduct and progress of the public meeting, the presiding officer
of the meeting shall have the authority to raise a point of order and provide a verbal warning to a speaker
who engages in the conduct or behavior proscribed under “Verbal Input”. Any member of the public body
participating in the meeting may also raise a point of order with the presiding officer and request that they
provide a verbal warning to a speaker. If the speaker refuses to cease such conduct or behavior after being
warned by the presiding officer, the presiding officer shall have the authority to mute the speaker’s
microphone and/or video presence at the meeting. The presiding officer will inform the speaker that they
may send the remainder of their remarks via e-mail to the public body for inclusion in the meeting record.
Accommodation
If an accommodation is needed to participate in a City meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at least
48 hours in advance so that special arrangements can be made using one of the following methods:
• Phone: 217.384.2366
• Email: CityClerk@urbanaillinois.us
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