Chambana Sun

Champaign County Board met Aug. 20.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

The County Board of Champaign County, Illinois met at a Regular Meeting at 6:29 PM in the Lyle Shields Meeting Room, Brookens Administrative Center, 1776 East Washington Street, Urbana, Illinois and remote participation via Zoom due to social distancing necessitated by the coronavirus, with County Executive Darlene Kloeppel presiding and Matthew Cross as Clerk of the meeting.

ROLL CALL

Roll call showed the following members present: Rector, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Tinsley, Wolken, Clemmons, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Fortado, Goss, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 17; late: Patterson – 1: Patterson joined the meeting approximately 6:45 PM; absent: Stohr, Young, Eisenmann, and Harper – 4. Thereupon, County Executive Kloeppel declared a quorum present and the Board competent to conduct business. Tinsley had Zoom connectivity issues, missing one vote at approximately 7:00 PM. The remote attendance situation all voting must be by roll call, per Illinois Public Act 101-0640, approved by Governor Pritzker June 12, 2020.

PRAYER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

County Executive Kloeppel read a prayer by Rev. Walter Russel Bowie. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was recited.

READ NOTICE OF MEETING

The Clerk read the Notice of the Meeting, said Notice having been published in the News Gazette on August 6, August 13, and August 19, 2020.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA/ADDENDA

Board Member Goss offered a motion to approve the Agenda/Addenda; Board Chair Cowart seconded. Board Member Thorsland offered an amendment to strike the adoption of Resolution No. 2020-236 to correct the language at the request of Planning and Zoning Director John Hall. Motion as amended carried unanimous roll-call vote.

Yeas: Rector, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Tinsley, Wolken, Clemmons, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Fortado, Goss, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 17

Nays: None

DATE/TIME OF NEXT MEETINGS

Standing Committees:

A. County Facilities Committee Meeting 

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 6:30 PM

 Lyle Shields Meeting Room

B. Environment & Land Use Committee Meeting 

Thursday, September 10, 2020 at 6:30 PM 

Lyle Shields Meeting Room

C. Highway & Transportation Committee Meeting 

Friday, September 11, 2020 at 9:00 AM 

1605 E Main Street, Urbana

Committee of the Whole:

A. Justice & Social Services; Policy, Personnel, & Appointments; Finance

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 6:30 PM

Lyle Shields Meeting Room

County Board:

A. FY2021 Legislative Budget Hearings

August 24 and 25, 2020 at 6:00 PM 

Lyle Shields Meeting Room

B. Regular Meeting

Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 6:30 PM

Lyle Shields Meeting Room

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

All public participation was remote via Zoom.

Benjamin Beaupre spoke about coronavirus in the nation and the county.

CONSENT AGENDA

Board Member Esry offered a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, comprising 43 resolutions; Board Chair Rosales seconded. Motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.

Yeas: Patterson, Rector, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Tinsley, Wolken, Clemmons, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Fortado, Goss, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 18

Nays: None

COMMUNICATIONS

Board Member Goss noted a Back the Blue rally at Lincoln Square Mall Saturday, August 22, 2020, at 1:30 PM.

Board Member Thorsland noted that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will be hiring a significant number of wellness support staff, and encourages those in need of work to seek this out.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Board Chair Rosales offered an omnibus motion to approve the minutes of the Special Meeting of the County Board of July 17, 2020, the Regular Meeting of the County Board of July 23, 2020, and the Special Meeting of the County Board of August 11, 2020; seconded by Board Member Esry. Motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.

Yeas: Patterson, Rector, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Tinsley, Wolken, Clemmons, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Fortado, Goss, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 18

Nays: None

STANDING COMMITTEES

FACILITIES

County Executive Kloeppel noted the Summary of Action Taken for Facilities on August 4, 2020 was received and placed on file.

ENVIRONMENT AND LAND USE

County Executive Kloeppel noted the Summary of Action Taken for Environment and Land Use on August 6, 2020 was received and placed on file.

HIGHWAY & TRANSPORTATION

County Executive Kloeppel noted the Summary of Action Taken for Highway and Transportation on August 7, 2020 was received and placed on file.

Board Chair Rosales offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2020-196 authorizing Amendment to the Intergovernmental Agreement between the County of Champaign and Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District with the addition of the County Board Chair’s signature; Board Member Cowart seconded. Motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.

Yeas: Patterson, Rector, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Tinsley, Wolken, Clemmons, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Fortado, Goss, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 18

Nays: None

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

County Executive Kloeppel noted the Summary of Action taken for the Committee of the Whole (Justice & Social Services; Finance; Policy, Personnel, & Appointments) of August 11, 2020 was received and placed on file.

POLICY, PERSONNEL, & APPOINTMENTS

Board Member Rector offered a motion to adopt Resolution 2020-231 to establish places of Election for Champaign County amid Covid-19; Board Member Thorsland seconded. Board Member Goss noted that the documentation does not list the YMCA workers. Board Member McGuire asked about the use of Vote by Mail drop boxes outside of Champaign and Urbana. County Clerk Ammons was invited to join the discussion; he noted that the drop boxes are not approved beyond the 2020 General Election and they require dedicated elections judges to retrieve the ballots from each drop box each evening which might make their use in the outlying county difficult. Clerk Ammons noted that he is considering the use of temporary staffed ballot drop-off locations on Saturdays in St. Joseph, Rantoul, Mahomet, and Tolono. Motion carried by roll-call vote.

Yeas: Patterson, Rector, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Wolken, Clemmons, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Goss, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 16

Nays: Fortado – 1

Not Present: Tinseley – 1

Board Member Rector offered a motion to adopt Resolution 2020-232 to establish places of Election for Early Voting in Champaign County; Board Member Taylor seconded. County Clerk Ammons was invited to join the discussion. Various board member discussed the merits of having the University YMCA as an early voting site; Board Member Goss noted that while he supports its use on Election Day, he does not support it as an early voting site; Board Members Patterson and Fortado noted the YMCA would better serve the large university campus area and alleviate long lines during a pandemic. Board Member Dillard-Myers asked about student use of Vote by Mail; Clerk Ammons confirmed that students do use Vote by Mail, but generally not in the same numbers as the general population. Various board member and Clerk Ammons returned to the prior discussion of the Vote by Mail drop boxes, discussing their location and security; Clerk Ammons noted the August 20, 2020, Time magazine article about Vote by Mail drop boxes featuring Champaign County. Motion carried by roll-call vote.

Yeas: Patterson, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Tinsley, Wolken, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Fortado, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 15

Nays: Rector, Clemmons, and Goss – 3

LABOR COMMITTEE

Board Member Summers offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2020-234 approving Agreement Among the Champaign County Board, the Sheriff of Champaign County and the Fraternal Order of Police Illini Lodge 17 and the Illinois F.O.P Labor Council, Champaign County Office of the Sheriff Law Enforcement and Law Enforcement Sergeants for 1/1/2020 – 12/31/2022; Board Chair Rosales seconded. Motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.

Yeas: Patterson, Rector, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Tinsley, Wolken, Clemmons, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Fortado, Goss, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 18

Nays: None

NEW BUSINESS

Board Chair Rosales offered a motion to adopt Resolution 2020-200 Authorizing an Acceptance Agreement between Champaign County and the Illinois State Board of Election for the FY2021 HAVA Grant; Board Member Ingram seconded. Motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.

Yeas: Patterson, Rector, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Tinsley, Wolken, Clemmons, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Fortado, Goss, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 18

Nays: None

Board Member Goss offered a motion to adopt Resolution 2020-235 authorizing the execution of an Intergovernmental Agreement between the County and the Town of Normal, McLean County, Illinois (“Normal”), and authorizing Normal to exercise the power of the County of Champaign in connection with a MCC Program and a Loan Finance Program; Board Member Esry seconded. Motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.

Yeas: Patterson, Rector, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Tinsley, Wolken, Clemmons, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Fortado, Goss, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 18

Nays: None

OTHER BUSINESS

AUDITOR

Board Member Goss offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2020-233 authorizing payment of claims; Board Member Michaels seconded. Motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.

Yeas: Patterson, Rector, Summers, Taylor, Thorsland, Tinsley, Wolken, Clemmons, Cowart, Dillard-Myers, Esry, Fears, Fortado, Goss, Ingram, McGuire, Michaels, and Rosales – 18

Nays: None

ADJOURN

County Executive Kloeppel adjourned the meeting at 7:28 PM.

http://www.co.champaign.il.us/CountyBoard/CB/2020/200820_Meeting/200820Minutes.pdf