Township Board Meeting

STATE OF ILLINOIS CUNNINGHAM TOWNSHIP Diane Wolfe Marlin, Chair Charles A. Smyth, Township Clerk CUNNINGHAM TOWNSHIP BOARD Monday, April 1, 2019 The Cunningham Township Board met in Regular session Monday, April 1, 2019 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at the Urbana City Building, 400 S. Vine Street, Urbana, Illinois. ELECTED OFFICIALS PHYSICALLY PRESENT: Chair: Diane Wolfe Marlin Trustees: Bill Brown; Shirese Hursey; Eric Jakobsson; Jared Miller; Dennis Roberts; Dean Hazen Town Clerk: Charles A. Smyth Supervisor: Danielle Chynoweth Assessor: Absent ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE: None ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT: Trustee Maryalice Wu; Assessor Wayne Williams OTHERS PRESENT: Fred Grosser; Deputy Assessor William Harris, and Members of the Media 1. ROLL CALL Chair Marlin called the meeting of the Cunningham Township Board to order at 7:13pm, following a meeting of the City Council. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING Trustee Hursey made a motion to approve minutes from March 4, 2019, regular meeting. Trustee Miller seconded motion. With no corrections, the motion carried by unanimous voice vote. 3. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA There were none. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There was none. 5. COMMITTEE TO VERIFY BILLS The Town Bills for April 1, 2019 were presented in omnibus fashion by Supervisor Chynoweth: 1. Town Fund = $70,155.02 2. General Assistance Fund = $85,019.05 Trustee Miller made a motion to approve the Town Fund for $70,155.02 and the General Assistance Fund for $ 85,019.05. Trustee Hazen seconded. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote. 6. REPORTS OF OFFICERS Township Supervisor Danielle Chynoweth provided the board a written monthly report. She gave a summary of her written statement, noting that numbers were similar to the previous month with GA averaging around 110 participants, not the 125 she was expecting, and at 112 for the month. She is expecting a number of cases to close in the coming month, noted that a number are receiving sufficient income, and slew of SSI payments were approved. She noted homeless assistance to 13 households, up from 6 the previous month. Several of these were from subsidized housing but new Housing Authority code will have deposit assistance so that should help matters. She announced that the Annual Town Meeting will be next Tuesday April 9, 2019 at 6pm in the Council Chambers. She plans to present the financial state of the township looking at the last 20-30 years of historical data on poverty and need as well as Township caseload, levy, and expenditures for assistance. Ms. Chynoweth invited all to attend and expects the meeting to last about 45 minutes.  Deputy Assessor William Harris reported that the Assessor’s office is half way through digitizing property record cards expecting to be done by December. They are also checking some of the values they are seeing. They are aiming to have much of this data online next summer. He noted that about 30% of those contacted about senior exemptions still outstanding. Trustee Hursey added that many of those eligible may respond after tax filing. Supervisor Chynoweth provided a summary quarterly report noting that expenditures should be at or under 75% ideally. She pointed out some of the bottom line expenditure percentages with a total at 69%, under the 70-75% expected. She pointed to her notes where those expenses over expected are noted on the spreadsheet. She noted that she has many part time employees to accommodate school and childcare schedules as well as four volunteers and six interns. This has led to space reallocation, new furniture, and additional phones for their new phone system. She noted other onetime expenses and new equipment or software. She also noted bus pass distribution, more expenses than expected for housing assistance but balanced out by less than expected personal allowances and from not paying Courage Connection as that program changed. She noted similar levels of expenses with City of Champaign Township suggesting an affordable housing crisis in the two communities. Questions and discussion followed. Trustee Jakobsson noted thinking of being on economic par with Champaign. Ms. Chynoweth pointed out that City of Champaign Township has half the levy with twice the people that they only serve 20-35 GA clients who are disabled, and that a safety net like Cunningham Township’s does not exist there. They are constrained by tax caps after being court ordered to provide GA assistance. Trustee Brown added information about earned income tax credits noting that if clients had some income, they might be able to get refunds or file amended returns. Trustee Roberts also asked about tax preparation assistance. Ms. Chynoweth indicated that her office is researching this and will be providing information. 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was none. 8. NEW BUSINESS There was none. 9. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Cunningham Township Board, Chair Marlin declared the meeting adjourned at 7:36pm. Charles A. Smyth Town Clerk This meeting was video recorded with website link (viewable on demand): https://www.urbanaillinois.us/node/7560 This meeting was broadcast on cable television (UPTV) and streamed live: http://urbanaillinois.us/uptv Minutes Approved: May 6, 2019