Community Development Commission Meeting
Regular MeetingUrbana, IL · January 26, 2021
Minutes
Community Development Commission
UNAPPROVED
MINUTES
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING AND PUBLIC
HEARING
January 26, 2021, virtually via Zoom
City of Urbana, 400 S Vine St, Urbana, IL 61801
Call to Order and Roll Call: Chairperson Heinze-Silvis called the meeting to order at 6:06pm.
Commission Members Present: Anne Heinze-Silvis, Robert Freeman, Abdul Hakeem Salaam,
Patricia Jones
Commission Members Excused/Absent: Chris Diana
Others Present: Sheila Dodd, Grants Management Manager; Breaden Belcher, Community
Development Specialist; HeatherAnn Layman, Office Specialist
Staff Introductions: Two new staff members in the Community Development Services
Department introduced themselves to the Committee. Breaden Belcher, Community
Development Specialist, and HeatherAnn Layman, Office Specialist.
Approval of Minutes: The October 27, 2020 minutes were presented for approval.
Commissioner Freeman motioned to approve the minutes. Commissioner Jones seconded the
motion. The motion carried by a roll call vote as follows:
Aye: Heinze-Silvis, Freeman, Salaam, Jones
No: None
Additions to the Agenda:
Sheila Dodd discussed the logistics of receiving public input during COVID-19 and asked the
Commission for ideas on how to reach out to the public. Commissioners discussed the various
Urbana neighborhood associations, and how to include them in a Zoom meeting to discuss the
plan. Ms. Dodd will reach out to these groups.
Public Input: No public input was presented
Presentations:
Staff Report
Ms. Dodd discussed the HUD CARES reporting requirements. The CAPER cannot be
completed until all the CARES money has been spent. Process will be restarted once the
CARES funding has been spent.
2021 plan was amended at the last meeting. Small business and rental assistance programs have
been very successful. Over $3 million have been received by local businesses from government
funding programs.
Neighborhood cleanup program will restart depending on COVID-19 vaccination rate, may be
in the spring or early fall.
The department is working with Cunningham Township Supervisor’s office to update the social
service funding. The goal is to look at community needs that are not met elsewhere, and request
that local agencies apply for grants to fund those programs.
Ms. Dodd provided the Committee with an update on the business and rental assistance
programs. $252,000 has been awarded to 27 local businesses, of this amount $230,000 has been
spent. 22 of the 27 businesses are woman or minority owned. 80 housing assistance program
applications have been received. Of these 80 about 50% have been denied. Many applications
were denied because renters were not within corporate limit. Others were denied because they
did not show an impact due to COVID. But additional funding is available elsewhere. Denied
applicants will be pointed toward those programs.
Unfinished Business: No unfinished business was presented
New Business:
First Followers Welcome Home Program: Home program brought to City Council in December.
This program helps individuals recently released from prison find housing. The funding would
also provide case management and an allowance for clothing and other necessary supplies. The
grant period would be from July 2021 through December 2021. The program is already in place
in Champaign. Ms. Dodd requested that the Commission move the proposal forward to Council
with a recommendation. Commissioner Jones moves to approve. Commissioner Freeman
seconds.
Aye: Heinze-Silvis, Freeman, Salaam, Jones
No: None
The motion is approved by the Commission.
CARES 3 Amendment: Ms. Dodd provided an update on the amendments. Budget after
amendments made was $1.3 million. 20% can be used for administrative funds. A portion of
that will go to the new grants management software. $5,000 spent on CSSF. $575,000 of this
funding dedicated to COVID-19 projects.
Funding priorities for Community Social Service Funding program discussed. Setting funding
priorities for FY 2122 will focus on community needs. Commissioners agree that input should
be sought from the community.
Adjournment: Seeing no further business, Chairperson Silvis adjourns meeting 6:58 PM
Recorded by:
Breaden J Belcher
Community Development Specialist
Agenda
Community Development Commission
DATE: Tuesday, January 26, 2021
TIME: 6:00 P.M.
PLACE: City of Urbana Council Chambers
400 S Vine St, Urbana, IL 61801
AGENDA
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
2. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting
a. October 27, 2020
3. Additions To The Agenda
4. Public Input
5. Presentations
a. Introduce Staff
b. Staff Report
6. Unfinished Business
7. New Business
a. Update on Housing and Small Business Assistance Programs
b. First Followers Welcome Home Program
c. CARES 3 Amendment
d. Setting funding priorities for FY 21-22 Consolidated Social Service Fund grant
e. Annual Action Plan FY 2021/2022 Community Needs
8. Adjournment
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Persons with disabilities needing special services or accommodations for this meeting should
contact the City of Urbana's Americans with Disabilities Coordinator at 217-384-2466.
PUBLIC INPUT
Public input will be taken in the following ways:
Zoom Webinar participant
Click on the link above to join the Webinar. You must provide your name and email in order to
join the Webinar. If you wish to speak during the 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. You may speak for up to three minutes.
Telephone participant
Call the phone number shown 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, you will be un-muted. You must state your first and last name for the
meeting record. When you are finished, the host will “lower your hand” and mute you. You may
speak for up to three minutes.
Email Input
You may email public input to sedodd@urbanaillinois.us. Please put “PUBLIC INPUT” and the
meeting date in the subject line. Emailed public input 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. We cannot guarantee that all emails will be
read aloud, due to variation in the volume of mail and time available.
PUBLIC INPUT
The City of Urbana welcomes Public Input during open meetings of the City Community
Development Commission. 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
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
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.
Public comments must be received prior to the closing of the meeting record (at the time of
adjournment unless otherwise noted) at the following: grants@urbanaillinois.us. The subject line of
the email must include the words “PUBLIC INPUT” and the meeting date. 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, 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 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 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. Any member of the
public body participating in the meeting also may 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
remarks or conduct 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
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.
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.
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