Champaign County Board met Jan. 20
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 and remote participation via Zoom due to social distancing necessitated by the Coronavirus, with County Executive Darlene Kloeppel presiding, Matthew Cross as Clerk of the meeting.
ROLL CALL
Roll call showed the following members present: Thorsland, Wolken, Carter, Cowart, Esry, Fortado, Goss, Harper, King, Lokshin, McGuire, Michaels, Paul, Rodriguez, Stohr, Straub, Summers, Taylor, and Patterson – 19; late: Williams (arrived at 6:32 PM missing no votes) and Vanichtheeranont (arrived at 6:35 PM missing no votes) – 2; absent: Passaclacqua – 1. County Executive Kloeppel declared a quorum present and the Board competent to conduct business. Paul departed early, shortly before 8:15, and missed the final two votes; Michaels departed early, shortly before 8:22, and missed the final vote.
PRAYER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
County Executive Kloeppel read a prayer 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 January 6, January 13, January 19, 2022.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA/ADDENDA
Board Member Esry offered a motion to approve the Agenda/Addenda; Board member McGuire seconded. The motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote. Yeas: Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Williams, Wolken, Carter, Cowart, Esry, Fortado, Goss, Harper, King, Lokshin, McGuire, Michaels,
Paul, Rodriguez, Stohr, Straub, Summers, Taylor, and Patterson – 21
Nays: None
DATE/TIME OF NEXT MEETINGS
Standing Committees:
A. Highway and Transportation Committee Meeting
Friday, February 4, 2022 at 9 AM
1605 E Main Street, Urbana
B. County Facilities Committee Meeting
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 6:30 PM
Shields-Carter Meeting Room
C. Environment & Land Use Committee
Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 6:30 PM
Shields-Carter Meeting Room
Committee of the Whole:
A. Justice & Social Services; Policy, Personnel, & Appointments; Finance Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 6:30 PM
Shields-Carter Meeting Room
County Board:
A. Regular Meeting
Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 6:30 PM
Shields-Carter Meeting Room
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Allan Max Axlerod spoke in support of Resolution 2022-11, urging a moratorium on utility shut offs in the area. He also noted the high COVID-19 case numbers in the county.
Julie Watkins spoke in support of Resolution 2022-11 and in support of a county eviction moratorium.
Luke Lee spoke in support of Resolution 2022-11 and in support of a county eviction moratorium.
PRESENTATIONS
Jayne DeLuce, President of Visit Champaign County, gave a presentation on Visit Champaign County’s tourism and business/conference marketing and promotion. Board Member Esry asked about the annual Truck and Tractor Pull competition previously held at Gordyville and now being held in Shipshewana, Indiana and he asked for the amount of revenue lost by the event moving to Indiana; Ms. DeLuce stated she did not have that information readily available but could find that information. Board Member Rodriguez noted her familiarity with the Shipshewana region and suggested COVID-19 was not the sole reason for the Truck and Tractor Pull event relocating from Gordyville.
CONSENT AGENDA
Board Member King offered a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, comprising 9 resolutions (Nos. 2022-1, 2022-2, 2022-3, 2022-4, 2022-5, 2022-6, 2022-7, 2022-8, and 2022-9); Board Member Michaels seconded. The motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.
Yeas: Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Williams, Wolken, Carter, Cowart, Esry, Fortado, Goss, Harper, King, Lokshin, McGuire, Michaels, Paul, Rodriguez, Stohr, Straub, Summers, Taylor, and Patterson – 21
Nays: None
COMMUNICATIONS
County Executive Kloeppel noted an American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) request memo from the Village of Thomasboro in the meeting’s Agenda Packet.
Board Member Goss asked the County Clerk’s office to provide detailed, printed maps of the new County Board Districts to Candidates.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Board Member Taylor offered a motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of the County Board of December 16, 2021; Board Member Lokshin seconded. The motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.
Yeas: Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Williams, Wolken, Carter, Cowart, Esry, Fortado, Goss, Harper, King, Lokshin, McGuire, Michaels, Paul, Rodriguez, Stohr, Straub, Summers, Taylor, and Patterson – 21
Nays: None
STANDING COMMITTEES
COUNTY FACILITIES
County Executive Kloeppel noted the Summary of Action Taken for County Facilities on January 7, 2022, 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 January 6, 2022, was received and placed on file.
HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION
County Executive Kloeppel noted the Summary of Action Taken for Highway and Transportation on January 7, 2022, was received and placed on file.
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 January 11, 2022 Meeting was received and placed on file.
Board member Stohr offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-11 declaring continued utility disconnections in Illinois to be a pandemic safety risk; Board Member Lokshin seconded.
Board Member Williams offered an amendment to reflect the text distributed to board members; Board Chair Patterson seconded. Board Member McGuire stated he had not received to distributed text; Board Member Fortado stated the text was distributed by email on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 11 AM. Board Chair Patterson asked Board Member Williams to read the text that had been distributed; Board Member Williams read the amended text. Board Member offered a friendly amendment to correct the grammar in one passage; offering Board Member Williams and seconding Board Chair Patterson agreed to the friendly amendment without issue. Board Member Michaels questioned the amended text that removed an endpoint; Board Member Stohr noted that the resolution is simply advisory and not legislative; it is to draw attention of the issue to the governor and the state legislature. The amendment carried by roll-call vote.
Yeas: Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Williams, Carter, Cowart, Fortado, King, Lokshin, Paul, Rodriguez, Stohr, Straub, Summers, Taylor, and Patterson – 15
Nays: Wolken, Esry, Goss, Harper, McGuire, and Michaels – 6
Board Member McGuire stated the resolution is a partisan, progressive statement and that he did not see utility disconnections as a public health risk. Board Member Rodriguez thanked Board Member Paul for his support of the resolution is response to the needs of his constituents. Board Chair Patterson noted the needs addressed in the resolution are non-partisan. Board Member Thorsland thanked Board Member Paul and noted the needs of Board District 1 and the economic inequality within that district. Board Member Goss stated the resolution, as an advisory statement, would not provide any help and stated Governor Pritzker does not care about the issue. Board Member Esry stated county Democrats are partisan and defended his district constituents. Board Member Paul stated 109 Mahomet residents are currently at risk of losing water and encouraged the board to pass the resolution and to pass a binding moratorium in the near future; he then chastised county Republicans for their lack of support. Board Member Carter talked about the needs in District 6. Board Members Lokshin and Williams noted the recent intergovernmental agreement with the Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District (UCSD) to provide ARPA funding for utility assistance. Board Member Stohr stated the board needs to recognize the needs of all of the county. Board Member Williams noted that Republican Board Member Paul brought the issue to the board. Board member Taylor stated the resolution is intended to make the state legislature aware of the needs of the county’s residents and others in similar situations throughout the state. The motion as amended carried by roll-call vote.
Yeas: Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Williams, Wolken, Carter, Cowart, Fortado, King, Lokshin, Michaels, Paul, Rodriguez, Stohr, Straub, Summers, Taylor, and Patterson – 17
Nays: Esry, Goss, Harper, and McGuire – 4
NEW BUSINESS
Board Member Vanichtheeranont offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-12 granting authority to execute real estate documents for the purchase of real property; Board Member Summers seconded. Board Member Goss noted that his constituents had questioned the county purchase of the County Plaza building, especially regarding the building’s physical condition. Board Member Williams noted County Executive Kloeppel memorandum that highlighted the economic impact this would have on downtown Urbana, but he expressed concern about the planning of the potential purchase. Board Member Paul noted the current, highly inflated material costs that would make the purchase and renovation of the building a poor investment. Board Member Rodriguez asked for County Treasurer Johnson’s opinion on the matter; Treasurer Johnson was invited to join the discussion and stated concern about County Executive Kloeppel’s lack of communication with department heads about their current and future space needs; County Executive Kloeppel noted the discussion of moving offices thus far had only involved the Sheriff’s Office. Board Member Fortado stated the purchase would represent a major financial commitment and that older buildings can be problematic, but there is not another viable solution to the county’s current and future office needs; she stated the county needs a comprehensive space use and need solution. Board Member Summers stated the County Plaza building will address current and future space needs. Board Member Carter stated her preference in updating the Brookens Administrative Center. The motion carried by roll-call vote.
Yeas: Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Williams, Cowart, Fortado, Harper, King, Lokshin, McGuire, Michaels, Rodriguez, Stohr, Straub, Summers, Taylor, and Patterson – 16
Nays: Wolken, Carter, Esry, Goss, and Paul – 5
Board Member Thorsland offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-10 authorizing payment of claims; Board Member King seconded. The motion carried by roll-call vote.
Yeas: Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Williams, Wolken, Carter, Cowart, Fortado, King, Lokshin, Michaels, Paul, Rodriguez, Stohr, Straub, Summers, Taylor, and Patterson – 16
Nays: Esry, Goss, Harper, and McGuire – 4
Absent: Paul – 1
DISCUSSION/INFORMATION ONLY
Board Member Summers proposed an ad hoc board committee to plan for the County Plaza building use and needs.
County Executive Kloeppel discussed the new County Grant Writer position, noting the is a part-time position funded by the County Board.
County Director of Administration Bill Colbrook gave an update on the county premium pay, noting that full-time around the clock employees will receive $3,000 and other employees will receive $500, spread across 530 employees, including the Regional Planning Commission, for a total cost of approximately $735,000. Board Members Summers and Fortado thanked Director of Administration Colbrook for his hard work on the premium pay. Treasurer Johnson added her support for the plan, especially for the full-time, around the clock employees, but asked about other staff that had significant public exposure during the pandemic. Board Member Fortado replied that the plan is not perfect but worthwhile, nonetheless.
ARPA Project Manager Kathy Larson noted ARPA modifications that allow for government solution spending up to $10 million for lost revenue and the expansion with water infrastructure spending. She noted the near finalization of funding agreement with CU at Home, the intergovernmental agreement with UCSD on past-due relief, and immigrant services funding.
County Executive Kloeppel noted that UCSD covers approximately 75 percent of county sewage households, so she contacted the other sanitary providers in the county. She offered to extend $25,000 in ARPA funding to the Village of Mahomet for past-due aid to approximately 90 households. Board member Fortado stated her support to create an intergovernmental agreement between the county and the Village of Mahomet for the aid; she also noted the cost savings identified by UCSD in that funding agreement. Board Member Fortado asked County Executive Kloeppel to check with the Regional Planning Commission on other utility funding and mortgage assistance. County Executive Kloeppel stated she will bring an intergovernmental agreement before the board at the next meeting.
OTHER BUSINESS
Board member Esry offered a motion to approve the closed session minutes of November 18, 2021, and December 16, 2021; Board Member Goss seconded. The motion carried by roll-call vote.
Yeas: Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Williams, Wolken, Carter, Cowart, Esry, Fortado, Goss, Harper, King, Lokshin, McGuire, Rodriguez, Stohr, Straub, Summers, Taylor, and Patterson – 19
Nays: none
Absent: Michaels and Paul – 2
ADJOURNMENT
County Executive Kloeppel adjourned the meeting at 8:23 PM.
https://www.co.champaign.il.us/CountyBoard/CB/2022/220120_Meeting/220120_Minutes.pdf
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