Human Relation Commission Meeting
Regular MeetingUrbana, IL · March 18, 2021
Minutes
MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING APPROVED
_____________________________________________________________________________________
HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION
DATE: Thursday, March 18, 2021
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
PLACE: Urbana City Council Chambers
Urbana City Building
400 South Vine Street
Urbana, Illinois 61801
*Virtually Via Zoom
_____________________________________________________________________________________
MEMBERS PRESENT: Megan McKissack, Peter Resnick, Frances Rigberg, JulieRobinson Schaeffer.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Carol Bradford, Stacie Burnett
LATE ARRIVAL: Rev. Florence Caplow
1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, AND DECLARATION OF QUORUM
Chair Frances Rigberg called this meeting of the Urbana Human Relations Commission to order at
5:30 p.m. Roll was taken. A quorum was present.
2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Chair Frances Rigberg called for a motion to approve the agenda. Peter Resnick moved to approve
the agenda. Julie Robinson Schaeffer seconded the motion. The motion was approved by a roll call
vote.
3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Christopher Hansen shared his thoughts on filling the position of the Human Rights and Equity
Officer and encouraged it being an intentional hire that will do the job effectively.
Grace Wilken also emphasized the need for the new Human Rights and Equity Officer to be
someone who will do the job effectively. Ms. Wilken also asked the Commission members to address
why they agree with the City not holding itself to the original Human Rights ordinance as she
interprets in the letter that will be addressed in the meeting today.
Tracey Chong asked how the City will be held accountable to following the Human Rights
Ordinance.
4. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Letter to Mayor re Human Rights and Equity Officer Hire
Chair Frances Rigberg introduced the letter and its purpose regarding the Commission’s
restlessness with not having an officer.
Peter Resnick shared information from the Mayor’s office that interviews will begin the week of
March 29. He recommended the letter still be sent to the Mayor to have it on the record.
Elizabeth Hannan provided an update on the current status of the hiring process for this position
and the timeline goal.
Peter Resnick made a motion send the message as drafted and shown on the website to the
Mayor for the Human Relations Commission with the Signature of the chair along with a copy
going to Carol Mitten and Elizabeth Hannan. Megan McKissack seconded the motion. The
motion was approved by a roll call vote.
5. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Commission, Frances Rigberg declared
the meeting to be adjourned at 5:58 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Tamra Jane Corbin
Recording Secretary
2
March 18, 2021
Dear Mayor Marlin,
Ending unlawful discrimination has been a priority in Urbana for decades. But for over eight months,
the Urbana Human Relations Office and Commission have gone without a half-time Officer, and we have
been without a full-time Officer since 2017. Elizabeth has done a great job handling contractor
approvals and incoming human rights complaints, but she has a full-time job without these duties. We
appreciate the capable new members you have found to join our ranks. However, to be fully effective
and make any substantial progress in eliminating discrimination, we need a full-time Officer with
specialized experience and training in human rights law and practice. Filling this position also gives
Human Rights a full place at the table of upper City management and governance.
This year has had some unusual challenges, particularly an influx of complaints against the City and
public input that included personal attacks and other forms of bullying. With a strong Commission
membership and the support of you, Carol, and the City Council, we have managed these challenges,
but we are worn thin and are frustrated in our larger mission. The most recent changes in the
Ordinance are welcome and address longstanding problems, but they have also created even more work
for us by requiring us to create a process to handle reported concerns about the City’s compliance with
the Ordinance. We have leadership in our ranks, yes, but we are nonetheless unpaid volunteers without
specialized training or full-time hours in our schedules to contribute. For example, initiatives to address
the well-documented problems of blatant discrimination in housing and almost complete lack of
diversity in local trade unions simply have not been undertaken.
We can limp along, even pretty well at times, but we are not the full Human Rights team envisioned by
the Ordinance. We have gone too long enough without an Officer, and we have all felt the lack. We
can’t help but wonder why, after the field was reportedly narrowed to a small number of good
candidates, we still have had no interviews or apparent progress in filling this position.
So, we collectively formally ask that you make filling this position a priority, that you let us know what
the current time-line is for this hire, and that you share any information you can about why the position
has not been filled. We would also like to see a copy of the job description for this position.
Along with you, we look forward to future of the renamed Human Rights and Equity Office, for which
this hire is crucial.
Yours truly,
The Urbana Human Relations Commission
Frances Rigberg, Chair
cc: Carol Mitten, Elizabeth Hannon
3
Agenda
SPECIAL MEETING
URBANA HUMAN RELATIONS
COMMISSION
DATE: Thursday, March 18, 2021
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
4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Letter to Mayor re Human Rights and Equity Officer Hire
9. ADJOURNMENT
*Due to the Governor and Mayoral Emergency Orders, the Urbana City Council Chambers will be not be
open to the public during this meeting. For those wishing to provide public input, please follow the
instructions below on how to provide public input. Anyone can watch the meeting on streaming services,
UPTV, or attend virtually via Zoom webinar. Additional instructions are attached.
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Mar 18, 2021 05:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Human Relations Commission
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85414133289
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +13126266799,,85414133289# or +19292056099,,85414133289#
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 +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248
7799 or +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 854 1413 3289
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/koPYr27jc
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.
Public Input and Viewing for Urbana City Council, Committee of the Whole, and some Boards and
Commissions
Anyone can watch the meeting on streaming services or UPTV. You can attend virtually via Zoom if you
wish to provide public input during the meeting. If you attend the meeting via Zoom, please turn off any
sound from other sources such as UPTV, as there will be a lag in the audio. The meeting will be recorded by
the City as part of the record. The recorded video will be available on the City’s website. The Zoom webinar
information is listed on the agenda.
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
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 HRO@urbanaillinois.us.
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.
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.
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 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.
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