Township Board Meeting
Regular MeetingUrbana, IL · March 8, 2021
Minutes
STATE OF ILLINOIS CUNNINGHAM TOWNSHIP
Diane Wolfe Marlin, Chair Phyllis D. Clark, Township Clerk
CUNNINGHAM TOWNSHIP BOARD
Monday, March 8, 2021
The Cunningham Township Board met in Regular session Monday, March 8, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. virtually
via Zoom. Chair Marlin was physically present in the Council Chambers at the Urbana City Building, 400
S. Vine Street, Urbana, Illinois.
ELECTED OFFICIALS PHYSICALLY PRESENT:
Chair: Diane Wolfe Marlin
Trustees: Via Zoom
Town Clerk: Phyllis D. Clark
Supervisor: Absent
Assessor: Wayne Williams
ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT VIA ZOOM: (Trustees) Bill Brown, Bill Colbrook, Shirese Hursey, *Jared
Miller, *Dennis Roberts, Erik Sacks, Maryalice Wu and Wayne Williams. * Late arrivals.
ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT: Supervisor, Danielle Chynoweth
OTHERS PRESENT VIA ZOOM: Frederic Grosser, Wendy Hundley, Jason Liggett
1. ROLL CALL
Chair Marlin called the meeting of the Cunningham Township Board to order at 6:32pm.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
Trustee Roberts made a motion to approve the minutes from February 8, 2021. Seconded
by Trustee Wu and carried by roll call vote as follows:
Aye: Wu, Sacks, Hursey, Brown, Roberts, Colbrook, Miller
Nay: None
3. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
There was none.
4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
There was none.
5. COMMITTEE TO VERIFY BILLS
The following items was presented in omnibus fashion by Township Assessor, Wayne Williams.
The Assessors division was $49,063.92; the Supervisors division was $28,803.32,
a. Town Fund: $7,940.90
b. General Assistance Fund: $96,384.49
Expenditures Totaling $182,192.63
Trustee Miller made a motion to approve the Assessors Division for $49,063.92; the Supervisors
Division for $28,803.32; and the Town Fund for $7,940.90. The General Assistance Fund for
$96,384.49. Motion seconded by Trustee Hursey and carried by roll call vote as follows:
Aye: Brown, Colbrook, Hursey, Miller, Roberts, Sacks, Wu
Nay: None
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6. REPORTS OF OFFICERS
Township Assessor Wayne Williams provided the report to the board. He gave a brief summary of
the written statement, mentioning the following updates:
Currently there are 113 participants (down from 127)
47 are homeless (54 last month) which is 41.6%
71 males/42 females/ 0 transgender or gender non-conforming
44 is the average age
Note: Community Work Program remained closed in February 2021
The rental assistance program saw 18 assistance cases last month. It is a combination of standard
rental assistance and COVID RA supported with the help of CUPHD, rental assistance for homeless
general assistance participants funded by the angle donor dollars. While finds last, we will be
providing up to 3 months of rental assistance.
The Township has helped 4 households with power and water bills that were past due, this was
thankful for over $7,000.00 through donations to the Unitarian Universalist Utility Fund.
This year 92 General Assistance participants averaging 69 households have received intensive
Housing Advocacy services for housing opportunities. At present 17 households have been
successfully placed.
Two homeless participants who have been actively looking for housing for over a year has moved
into subsidized housing and are furnishing their apartments with items from Salt and Light and
Habitat Restore. This is possible thanks to Angel Donor funded Housewarming Program.
We did a mailing to over 300 participants and former participants alerting them to the COVID
Rental and Utility Assistance through the RPC for up to $8,000 and HACC’s Hamilton on the Park
waitlist opening for families and residents with disabilities. We have offered to help those who
are interested in Hamilton on the Park waitlist to make application.
There are at present 5 families who are currently supported by the SAS Program. All of the
families have exit strategies for this month. Their average hotel stay is about 40 days.
There are 2 families currently in Township Emergency Housing for Urbana families they too have
exit strategies to permanent housing. At present we are discussing with area partners on how to
grow this program beyond Urbana because of its success and so many other can benefit from it at
well.
7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
There was none.
8. NEW BUSINESS
Resolution No. T-2021-03-003R: Resolution Authorizing the Supervisor to Sign Accounting Services
Agreement with Clifton Allen Larson.
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Trustee Wu moved to approve Resolution No. T-2021-03-003R: Resolution Authorizing
the Supervisor to Sign Accounting Services Agreement with Clifton Allen Larson , motion
seconded by Trustee Miller. Motion carried by roll call vote as follows.
Voting “Aye”: Trustee Wu, Sacks, Hursey, Brown, Roberts, Colbrook and Miller.
Voting “Nay”: None.
9. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Cunningham Township Board, Chair Marlin
declared the virtual meeting adjourned at 6:50pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Phyllis D. Clark
Cunningham Township Clerk
Approved: April 12, 2021
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Agenda
CUNNINGHAM TOWNSHIP BOARD
Monday, March 8, 2021
6:30 PM
Virtual Meeting
400 South Vine Street, Urbana, IL 61801
AGENDA
1. ROLL CALL
2. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
a. February 8, 2021
3. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
5. COMMITTEE TO VERIFY BILLS
a. Town Fund
b. General Assistance Fund
6. REPORTS OF OFFICERS
7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
8. NEW BUSINESS
a. Resolution No. T-2021-03-003R: Resolution Authorizing the Supervisor to Sign
Accounting Services Agreements with Clifton Allen Larson
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. Council Members will meet remotely using
Zoom Webinar. You may watch the meeting on streaming services, or on Urbana Public Television, or
attend via Zoom.
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Mar 8, 2021 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Cunningham Township Board / Urbana City Council
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81888413997
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +13126266799,,81888413997# or +19292056099,,81888413997#
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: 818 8841 3997
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbh0AUaW6T
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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 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
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, 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.
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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 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 217-384-2366
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