Civilian Police Review Board Meeting
Regular MeetingUrbana, IL · November 18, 2020
Minutes
APPROVED MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
_____________________________________________________________________________________
URBANA CIVILIAN POLICE REVIEW BOARD
DATE: Wednesday, November 18, 2020
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
PLACE: Virtually via Zoom
Urbana City Building
400 South Vine Street
Urbana, Illinois 61801
_____________________________________________________________________________________
MEMBERS PRESENT: Tony Allegretti, Scott Dossett,
MEMBERS NOT PRESENT: Ricardo Díaz, Katrina Kindle, Darrell Price
1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, AND DECLARATION OF QUORUM
a. Scott Dossett called this meeting of the Urbana Civilian Police Review Board to order at
5:30 p.m. Roll was taken. A quorum was not present.
2. APROVAL OF AGENDA
a. Toby Allegretti agreed with the agenda as set forth.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
• Regular Meeting, September 23, 2020
A quorum was not present so a vote did not take place.
4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
• Scott Dossett read a letter submitted by the Urbana-Champaign Friends
Meeting (Quakers) this letter is attached to the end of these meeting minutes.
• Tracy Chong shared her disappointment with City staff actions and expressed
her desire for the CPRB to be more involved with the use of force discussions.
• Christopher Hansen echoed Ms. Chong’s sentiments and expressed his
disappointment City staff. He urged CPRB members to question these actions.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Follow-up from January request for TASER review
Rich Surles introduced the Taser discharge video that was requested and circumstances
surrounding the incident. Board members reviewed the video and discussed.
b. “A Residents’ Petition for Reforming the City of Urbana Civilian Police Review
Board”
Carol Mitten reviewed suggested categories for organizing items listed in the petition. The
categorized list is attached to the end of these meeting minutes. Ms. Mitten also reviewed
changes that have already been made or will be in the near future. Board members discussed.
c. Legal guidance regarding interpretation of “first-hand account” language
Carol Mitten shared the legal guidance the City received that will not allow the CPRB to
accept complaints based on video. Doing so would violate the collective bargaining
agreement. Ms. Mitten answered questions from Board members.
d. Status of Complaints and Appeals
Scott Dossett stated that there are currently 64 appeals and 92 complaint submitted so far in
2020. Efforts are being made to schedule an appeals hearing soon.
e. Status of 2019 Annual Report
Internal work session planned for November 25
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Summary of CPRB Discussion from 10.26 City Council Meeting and Board
discussion
Carol Mitten reviewed the presentation given during the recent City Council Meeting.
Discussion ensued. Board Members also discussed dates for the next meeting and future
hearing dates.
7. ANNOUNCEMENTS
a. Schedule next TASER discharge review session
This will be scheduled via email.
b. Upcoming Possible Meetings
• November 30, CPRB Appeals Hearing
• December 3, Listening Session, Potential Ordinance Changes Arising from
“Residents’ Petition”
• December 17, Regular CPRB Meeting
8. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
• A second session of public comment was given.
9. ADJOURNMENT
a. The meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Tamra Jane Corbin
Recording Secretary
2
Agenda
Regular Meeting
Civilian Police Review Board
DATE: Wednesday, November 18, 2020
TIME: 5 :30 pm
PLACE: *to be held virtually via Zoom, 400 S. Vine St., Urbana, IL 61801
AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, AND DECLARATION OF QUORUM
2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
• Regular Meeting, October 28, 2020
4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
• Read Quaker letter
• Additional public input
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Follow-up from January request for TASER review
b. “A Residents’ Petition for Reforming the City of Urbana Civilian Police Review
Board”
• The Board has decided to approach the recommendations contained in the
Petition by breaking them down into three categories: 1) practices that
can/could be changed without Ordinance changes; 2) practices that
can/could be changed with Ordinance changes, but without changing the
oversight model; and 3) practices that can/could be changed by changing
the oversight model and/or the collective bargaining agreement with the
FOP (see attached)
• At this session, staff will present the response to each of the items in the first
category: practices that can/could be changed without Ordinance changes
c. Legal guidance regarding interpretation of “first-hand account” language
d. Status of Complaints and Appeals
e. Status of 2019 Annual Report
• Internal work session planned for November 25
6. NEW BUSINESS
• Schedule next TASER discharge review session
7. ANNOUNCEMENTS
a. Upcoming Meetings
o November 30, CPRB Appeals Hearing
o December 3, Listening Session, Potential Ordinance Changes Arising from
“Residents’ Petition”
o December 17, Regular CPRB Meeting
Persons with disabilities needing special services or accommodations for this meeting should contact the City
of Urbana's Americans with Disabilities Coordinator at 384-2466.
b. Two CPRB Vacancies (see attached information and application)
c. Recruitment of new Human Rights and Equity Officer (HREO)
8. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
9. 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. Board members will meet remotely
using Zoom Webinar. You may watch the meeting on streaming services, or on Urbana Public Television,
or attend via Zoom.
Persons with disabilities needing special services or accommodations for this meeting should contact the City of
Urbana's Americans with Disabilities Coordinator at 384-2466 or TTY at 384-2447.
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Nov 18, 2020 05:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Civilian Police Review Board
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83059436929
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +13126266799,,83059436929# or +19292056099,,83059436929#
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: 830 5943 6929
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kd26T2nft
PUBLIC INPUT GUIDELINES
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 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
Persons with disabilities needing special services or accommodations for this meeting should contact the City of
Urbana's Americans with Disabilities Coordinator at 384-2466 or TTY at 384-2447.
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
You may email public input between 8 am and 4 pm on the day of the meeting to
Xpenn.diaz@gmail.com. Please put “PUBLIC INPUT” and the meeting date in the subject line.
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, and respect for others. Ridicule, obscene or
profane language, lack of respect for others, and personal attacks are not acceptable behavior. Public
Input shall not be used to air personal grievances. Speakers should address all comments to the public
body as a whole and not to individual members or City staff.
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. All
public comments should be addressed to the public body as a whole. 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.
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
*In order to maintain reasonable decorum at a meeting, the presiding officer or any member of the
public body may call a speaker “out of order”. The presiding officer of the meeting shall have the
authority to provide a verbal warning to a speaker who uses abusive, harassing, threatening, or
defamatory language, or who engages in disorderly conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes
the orderly conduct of a meeting. If the speaker refuses to cease such remarks or conduct after being
warned by the presiding officer, the presiding officer shall have the authority to mute the speaker’s
Persons with disabilities needing special services or accommodations for this meeting should contact the City of
Urbana's Americans with Disabilities Coordinator at 384-2466 or TTY at 384-2447.
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 email to the public body for inclusion in the meeting
record.
*Definitions of Types of Language and Conduct That May Warrant Verbal Warning:
“Abusive” means harsh, violent, profane, or derogatory language which would demean the
dignity of an individual or which is intended to humiliate, mock, insult or belittle an individual.
https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/abusive-language
“Harassing” means to annoy or bother someone in a constant or repeated way; to make
repeated attacks on another person.
https://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/harass
“Threatening” means to say that you will harm someone or do something unpleasant or
unwanted especially in order to make someone do what you want.
https://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/threaten
“Defamatory” means a statement or communication that tends to harm a person's reputation
by subjecting the person to public contempt, disgrace, or ridicule, or by adversely affecting the
person's business. A statement that is likely to lower that person in the estimation of reasonable
people and in particular to cause that person to be regarded with feelings of hatred, contempt,
ridicule, fear, or dislike.
Black's Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019)
Citations that Authorize the Presiding Officer to Bar Offensive Language During Public
Comment:
The following citations provide the legal basis for adopting UCC Section 2-5(b)(1)(d) that allows
the presiding officer of a City Council, Committee of the Whole, or a City-sponsored board or
commission regulate “abusive, harassing, threatening, or defamatory language” during public
comment. The following Attorney General binding opinions and case law essentially classify
abusive, “harassing, threatening and defamatory language as “manner”, not “content”, of speech
that can be reasonably regulated under the First Amendment. UCC Section 2-5(c) (Ordinance
No. 2020-09-049. Attorney General binding opinion numbers 2019 PAC 59187, 2018 PAC
55462, 2016 PAC 45349; Milestone v. City of Monroe, Wisconsin, 665 F.3d 774, 783-784 (7th Cir.
2011); Vega v. Chicago Board of Education, 338 F.Supp.3d 806, 811 (N.D. Ill. 2018); Sandefur v. Vill.
of Hanover Park, 862 F.Supp.2d 840, 847 (N.D. Ill. 2012); I.A. Rana Enterprises, Inc. v. City of
Aurora, 630 F.Supp.2d 912, 920-923 (D.C. N.D. 2009).
Persons with disabilities needing special services or accommodations for this meeting should contact the City of
Urbana's Americans with Disabilities Coordinator at 384-2466 or TTY at 384-2447.
Get email alerts for Urbana
A daily email when new agendas and minutes are posted.