Chambana Sun

Champaign County Board met Oct. 21.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The County Board of Champaign County, Illinois met at a Regular Meeting at 6:30 PM in the Brookens Administrative Center, 1776 East Washington Street, Urbana, Illinois with County Executive Darlene Kloeppel presiding and Matthew Cross as Clerk of the meeting.

ROLL CALL

Roll call showed the following members present: Stohr, Straub, Summers, Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Wolken, Carter, Cowart, Fortado, Goss, King, Lokshin, McGuire, Passalacqua, Paul, Rodriguez, and Patterson – 17; late: Michaels (at 6:32 missing no votes) – 1 absent: Taylor, Esry, and Harper – 3. County Executive Kloeppel declared a quorum present and the Board competent to conduct business. Board Member Paul departed early at 7:29 missing no votes.

PRAYER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

County Executive Kloeppel read a prayer from the Lutheran Hymnal and 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 October 7, October 14, and October 20, 2021.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA/ADDENDA

Board Member Cowart offered a motion to approve the Agenda/Addenda; Board Member Michaels seconded. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

DATE/TIME OF NEXT MEETINGS

Standing Committees:

A. County Facilities Committee Meeting

Monday, November 8, 2021 at 6:30 PM

Shields-Carter Meeting Room

B. Environment & Land Use Committee

Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 6:30 PM

Shields-Carter Meeting Room

C. Highway and Transportation Committee Meeting

Champaign County Board

October 21, 2021

Committee of the Whole:

A. Justice & Social Services; Policy, Personnel, & Appointments; Finance Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 6:30 PM

Shields-Carter Meeting Room

Special Committees:

A. Broadband Task Force

Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 6:30 PM

Shields-Carter Meeting Room

B. Jail Facilities Committee

Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 6:30 PM

Shields-Carter Meeting Room

County Board:

A. Regular Meeting

Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 6:30 PM

Shields-Carter Meeting Room

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Sherry Steigmann of Urbana spoke in opposition to Covid bonus pay for public employees, except for Sheriffs and Jail officers, especially for those who worked from home during the pandemic.

CONSENT AGENDA

Board Member King offered a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, comprising 13 total resolutions (Nos. 2021-314, 2021-313, 2021-314, 2021-315, 2021-316, 2021-317, 2021-318, 2021-319, 2021-320, 2021-322, 2021-323, 2021-324 and 2021-325); Board Member Thorsland seconded. Motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.

Yeas: Stohr, Straub, Summers, Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Wolken, Carter, Cowart, Fortado, Goss, King, Lokshin, McGuire, Michaels, Passalacqua, Paul, Rodriguez, and Patterson – 18

Nays: None

COMMUNICATIONS

County Executive Kloeppel noted a letter from OSF Healthcare requesting ARPA funds.

Board Member Passalacqua read a letter from constituent Renee Mullen in support of new County Board Redistricting maps.

Board Member Lokshin noted recent gun violence resulting in death in Rantoul.

Board Member Carter thanked the Farm Bureau and Board Member Passalacqua for arranging a ride-along with local farmers.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Board Member Straub offered a motion to approve the minutes of the Special Meeting of the County Board of September 14, 2021, the Regular Meeting of the County Board of September 23, 2021, and the Public Hearing of the County Board of October 12, 2021; Board Member Michaels seconded. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

STANDING COMMITTEES

County Executive Kloeppel noted the Environment and Land Use Committee Summary of Action Taken October 7, 2021 Meeting was received and placed on file. Board Member Thorsland noted an error in the summary, which stated the meeting was remote via Zoom whereas it was actually an in-person meeting in the Shields–Carter Room at the Brookens Administration Center. County Executive Kloeppel stated the summary will be corrected.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

County Executive Kloeppel noted the Committee of the Whole (Justice and Social Services; Finance; Policy, Personnel, and Appointments) Summary of Action Taken October 12, 2021 Meeting was received and placed on file.

Board Member Fortado offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2021-321 to accept and place on file the FY2022 Tentative Budget; Board Chair Patterson seconded. Board Member McGuire thanked Deputy Director of Finance Tami Ogden the department heads for their work on the Tentative Budget, he requested to double the number of additional Sheriff’s deputies in the budget and asked the board to prioritize the jail.

Board member Fortado offered an amendment to add $4,490,714 to the County Departments Cost, with $2,000,000 for engineering and architectural services and $2,490,714 for other equipment and any unspent money to revert; Board Chair Patterson seconded. Board Member Michaels noted that this budget is tentative and will not be finalized until November. Board Member Fortado noted that it would be prudent to adjust the budget before it is finalized in November. The amendment to the motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Board Chair Patterson thanked the County staff, especially Deputy Director of Finance Ogden, for their work on the budget. The motion as amended carried by voice vote.

SPECIAL COMMITTEES

County Executive Kloeppel noted the Jail Facilities Committee Summary of Action Taken October 6, 2021 Meeting was received and placed on file.

NEW BUSINESS

Board Member Passalacqua offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2021-326 approving bid results and recommendations for Champaign County Highway Salt Dome Roof Replacement Project, pursuant to ITB #2021-010; Board Member Cowart seconded. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Board Member Lokshin offered an omnibus motion to adopt Resolutions No. 2021-327 authorizing payment of claims and No. 2021-328 authorizing purchases not following purchasing policy; Board Member Thorsland seconded. Motion carried by voice vote.

Board Member Goss offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2021-329 appointing Chris Diana to the Board of Review, unexpired term ending 5/31/2022; Board Member Stohr seconded. County Executive noted that while the Agenda erroneously stated the term ending 5/31/2021, the resolution itself in the Agenda Packet has the correct date of 5/31/2022. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Board Chair Patterson offered a motion to adopt Ordinance No. 2021-10 rescinding Ordinance No. 2021-7 and establishing the Champaign County 2021 Apportionment Plan Map “Equity Map Census 4”; Board Member Carter seconded. Board Chair Patterson confirmed with County Executive Kloeppel that the stated map for acceptance was intentionally left blank in the ordinance language to be filled in at the acceptance of the map. Board Member Goss suggested that “Equity Map Census 4” was created by employees of Cunningham Township while working for Cunningham Township insinuating unethical behavior—both Board Chair Patterson and Board Member Straub are full-time employees of the Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office—Board Member Goss continued deriding Democratic oversight in the county, especially the former County Nursing Home, the Downtown Jail, the work of the Mental Health Board, the failures of past County Treasurers, and the County Clerk’s tax and elections divisions. Board Member Goss called the question to end debate; Board Member McGuire seconded. The motion to end debate, requiring a two-thirds majority, failed by roll-call vote.

Yeas: Wolken, Goss, McGuire, Michaels, Passalacqua, and Paul – 6 Nays: Stohr, Straub, Summers, Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Carter, Cowart, Fortado, King, Lokshin, Rodriguez, and Patterson – 12

Board Chair Patterson noted members have passionate views and disagreements but was disappointed by Board Members Goss’s attacks, especially that accusation that Board Chair Patterson engaged in unethical behavior. Board Chair Patterson defended the vital social services work of the Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office. The

OTHER BUSINESS

Board Chair Patterson offered an omnibus motion to keep sealed the Closed Session Minutes of the County Board, The County Administrator Search, and the Nursing Home Board of Review; Board Member Stohr seconded. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

DISCUSSION/INFORMATION ONLY

American Recovery Plan Act (

ARPA) Project Manager Kathy Larson was present to

provide updates. Various board members, County Executive Kloeppel, and ARPA Project Manager Larson discussed the application processes, review standards, and oversight of ARPA projects, and all noted that different project types will have different standards, planning them to be both accessible and rigorous at once.

Board Member

Straub and Board Chair Patterson both thanked ARPA Project Manager Larson and Board Member Fortado for their dedicated work. Board Member Straub also thanked all present for wearing face masks. Board Member Fortado noted that the ARPA funds provide a singular opportunity to address county needs, and intentional thought and

planning are important to address issues and needs, and she stated that both social issues and the county jail will be addressed using ARPA funding. Various board members ex

pressed agreement with Board Member Fortado.

County Executive Kloeppel noted County Auditor Danos’ memo included in the Agenda Packet.

RECESS

County Executive Kloeppel recessed the meeting at 7:32 PM

https://www.co.champaign.il.us/CountyBoard/CB/2021/211021_Meeting/211021Minutes.pdf