City Council Special Meeting
Special MeetingUrbana, IL · May 2, 2022
Minutes
CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING
MINUTES
DATE: Monday, May 2, 2022
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
PLACE: 400 S. Vine Street, Urbana, IL 61801
The City Council of the City of Urbana, Illinois, met in special session Monday, May 2, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.
ELECTED OFFICIALS PHYSICALLY PRESENT: Diane Wolfe Marlin, Mayor; CM Maryalice Wu,
CM Christopher Evans, CM Shirese Hursey, CM Chaundra Bishop, CM Jaya Kolisetty, CM Grace Wilken
ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT: Phyllis Clark, City Clerk; CM James Quisenberry
STAFF PRESENT: Darcy Sandefur, Bourema Ouedraogo, Carol Mitten, Sheila Dodd, Dave Wesner, Kyle
Hensch, Demond Dade, Alyana Robinson, Kat Trotter, Kevin Garcia, Nick Hanson
OTHERS PRESENT:
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
With a quorum present, Chair Mayor Marlin called the special meeting of the Urbana City Council to
order at 6:30 p.m.
2. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
None.
3. PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC INPUT
1. Public Input
Allan Max Axelrod came to speak in support of the Council taking action to orghanize with other
municipalities to protest the IL American Water price increase, shared information about the
company’s profits and utility shut offs during the pandemic. Urged Council to do something to
protect low income residents collectively with other Councils.
4. COUNCIL INPUT AND COMMUNICATIONS
None.
5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Resolution No. 2022-05-038R: A Resolution Approving an Intergovernmental
Agreement Regarding the Illinois American Water Company Rate Increase Case –
Exec
Presented by Mayor Marlin. This is an opportunity for the City of Urbana to join in on a case
with other municipalities to protest the proposed IL American Water rate increase in front of
the Illinois Utilities Commission appeals board. This item will grant permission to work with
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legal representation who specializes in these types of law and to share cost among other
municipalities impacted to create a larger protesting unit. IL American Water has proposed
over a thirty percent increase in rate. Previous attempts by municipalities to protest rate
increases resulted in a decrease of rate raise by twelve percent. Question and discussion
ensued.
Motion to approve by CM Wu and seconded by CM Kolisetty.
Voice Vote:
AYE: Wu, Evans, Hursey, Kolisetty, Bishop, Wilken
NAY: None
b. Mayoral Staff Appointments
Presented by Mayor Marlin. Due to the upcoming retirement of current Fire Chief Chuck
Lauss, Marlin is presenting the appointment of his replacement by promoting the current
Deputy Fire Chief Demond Dade to be the new Fire Chief and the current Battalion Fire
Chief Kyle Hensch to be the new Deputy Fire Chief. Marlin read a brief biography of both
men and detailed their experience.
i. Fire Chief – Deputy Chief Demond Dade
Motion to approve by CM Bishop and seconded by CM Hursey.
Vote by roll call:
AYE: Wu, Evans, Hursey, Kolisetty, Bishop, Wilken
NAY: None
ii. Deputy Fire Chief – Battalion Fire Chief Kyle Hensch
Motion to approve by CM Kolisetty and seconded by CM Wu.
Vote by roll call:
AYE: Wu, Evans, Hursey, Kolisetty, Bishop, Wilken
NAY: None
Newly appointed Fire Chief Dade and Deputy Chief Hensch shared gratitude for this opportunity
and an eagerness to continue to serve the community.
6. ADJOURNMENT
With no further business before the Urbana City Council Chair Marlin adjourned this meeting at
6:52 p.m.
Darcy Sandefur
Recording Secretary Minutes Approved: 05-23-2022
This meeting was video recorded and is viewable on-demand HERE.
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Agenda
URBANA CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING
DATE: Monday, May 2, 2022
TIME: 6 : 3 0 p.m.
PLACE: 400 S. Vine Street
AGENDA
A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
B. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
C. PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC INPUT
1. Public Input
D. COUNCIL INPUT AND COMMUNICATIONS
E. NEW BUSINESS
1. Resolution No. 2022-05-038R: A Resolution Approving an Intergovernmental
Agreement Regarding the Illinois American Water Company Rate Increase Case –
Exec
2. Mayoral Staff Appointments
a. Fire Chief – Deputy Fire Chief Demond Dade
b. Deputy Fire Chief – Battalion Fire Chief Kyle Hensch
F. ADJOURNMENT
* Members of the public may view meetings remotely on Urbana Public Television through
Comcast Xfinity on Channels 6 and 1096, i3 Broadband on channel 6, AT&T U-Verse on channel
99 and streamed on the web (https://livestream.com/urbana).
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:
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
The Council’s complete rules regarding verbal input at public meetings may be found in the
Urbana City Code, Chapter 2, Article 1, Section 2-4. Persons wishing to speak should fill out
a Comment Card including their name and the topic to be discussed and provide the card to
the City Clerk prior to the start of the meeting.
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 five (5) minutes per person. The Public
Input portion of the meeting shall total no more than two (2) hours, 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. 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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