City Council Town Hall Meeting
Regular MeetingUrbana, IL · October 29, 2021
Minutes
CITY COUNCIL
TOWN HALL
MINUTES
DATE: Friday, October 29, 2021
TIME: 1: 0 0 pm
PLACE: *Vineyard Church, 1500 S. Lincoln, Urbana, IL 61801
A majority of a quorum of the Urbana City council met in conjunction with the NAACP in town hall
meeting on Friday October 29th 2021 at 1:00 PM.
ELECTED OFFICIALS PHYSICALLY PRESENT: Diane Wolfe Marlin, Mayor; CM Maryalice Wu;
CM Chris Evans, CM Shirese Hursey
STAFF PRESENT: Chief Bryant Seraphin, Lemond Peppers, Deputy Chief Rich Surles, Kate Levy,
Bridget Broihahn, Cassie Heldman, Darcy Sandefur, Carla Boyd, Carol Mitten,
OTHERS PRESENT: Minnie Pearson
1. Call to Order
Lemond Peppers began the introductions for the town hall and went over housekeeping items at 1:00
PM.
Mayor Marlin gave an opening and explained the purpose of this meeting. Minnie Pearson the
president of the NAACP Champaign County made her opening remarks.
2. PRESENTATION
Chief Bryant Seraphin presented a power point on ALPR compiled from previous council
presentations. He reviewed previous concerns and questions. Provided example image captures and
where they are installed. Presented on policy considerations. Explained how it works and what
databases it checks against. Explained the storage of data practices and the information safeguards.
Deputy Chief Rich Surles presented on the factors considered for determining camera placement. Chief
Seraphin presented on other jurisdictions that are in the process of acquiring FLOCK ALPR or similar
technology.
3. QUESTIONS & AWNSERS
Facilitated by Lemond Peppers of the City of Urbana. Public can ask panel (Chief Seraphin, Deputy
Chief Surles, Mayor Marlin, Minnie Pearson) as a whole or as individuals.
Anonymous asked how ALPR relates to gun violence in practice. Asked if there is any data that ALPR
prevents gun violence. Chief Bryant Seraphin and Deputy Chief Surles responded. Maurice Hays asked about
any human investments in these same identified violence hotspots. Asked about bringing the resources
to the people as opposed to tasking the people with finding the resources. Mayor Diane Marlin and
Minnie Pearson responded. Benjamin Volprie asked about the Mayor and Chief of police going on record
with a truth commission about the history of Urbana in order to build trust. CM Shirese Hursey responded.
Katherine Robbins asked what the agency is and how the system handles stolen license plates and
mismatches. Chief Bryant Seraphin responded. Diane Orr asked how are the police without tips going to be
able to use license plate information. Asked what resources are being provided to citizens right now to
help protect against retaliation. Chief Bryant Seraphin and Deputy Chief Surles responded. Marcy Goldstein
asked how long FLOCK stores the images and how would the city verify that. Asked how there’s no
connectivity if you can access personal information from a license plate. Chief Seraphin responded.
Anonymous asked if any of it is subject to FOIA. Asked what the primary focus of having ALPR in
Urbana is if they are not designed to be a deterrent. Chief Bryant Seraphin responded.
Page 1 of 2
4. PUBLIC INPUT
Minnie Pearson president of NAACP made closing remarks. Mayor Diane Marlin made her closing
remarks.
Public Input: Linda Turnbull spoke to the trauma she has experienced due to the community
violence. Rev Dr. Evelyn Underwood spoke to the necessity for safeguards and the importance of
exploring other technologies and not moving too quickly. Anonymous shared some information from
the articles provided about FLOCK. Spoke to the threat to privacy. Anonymous asked how our
community wants to be policed now and in the future. Expressed that there are other solutions that
should be pursued. Spoke to the demographics of traffic stops in relation to population within Urbana.
Mayor Marlin responded directly to that public input. Rita Connerly thanked everyone for participating,
wanted to echo Rev Dr. Evelyn Underwood’s earlier comments and the need for caution. Expressed
concerns about the potential for inequities. Shared neighborhood opinions she gathered from online
regarding ALPR from other communities who have implemented it. Shared story of machine error.
Drake Matere expressed the issue with the criminalization of children. Expressed that the community
cannot move in haste. Shared story of how community involvement in Louisiana was able to reduce the
number of fight’s within a school. Expressed the need for community involvement to address the
violence.
5. ADJOURNMENT
Lemond Peppers declared the meeting over at 3:00 P.M.
Darcy Sandefur
Recording Secretary
Minutes approved: 11/08/2021
Page 2 of 2
Agenda
TOWN HALL MEETINGS
DATES: Thursday, October 28th, 2021 and Friday, October 29th, 2021
TIMES: 5:30 – 7:30 P.M. and 1:00 – 3:00 P.M.
PLACE: *Vineyard Church, 1500 N Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL
NOTE: Masking and social distancing required
Notice that a Majority Quorum of the Urbana City Council
may be attending:
Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) Town Hall Meetings
Join us for a Town Hall Meeting sponsored by the NAACP of Champaign County and the City of
Urbana on Thursday, October 28, 2021 from 5:30 – 7:30 P.M. and/or Friday, October 29,
2021 from 1:00 – 3:00 P.M. at the Vineyard Church in Urbana.
No official action will be taken.
There will be a presentation and Q & A session followed by an opportunity for public input.
In-person attendance will require masking and social distancing. You may access a livestream of
both meetings by visiting https://urbanaillinois.us/automated-license-plate-reader-informational-
page.
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
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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