Chambana Sun

City of Urbana City Council met Jan. 6.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

A majority of a quorum of the Urbana City council met in goal-setting session at 5:30 PM.

ELECTED OFFICIALS PHYSICALLY PRESENT: Diane Wolfe Marlin, Mayor; Phyllis D. Clark, City Clerk, CM Christopher Evans, CM Shirese Hursey, CM Jaya Kolisetty, CM Chaundra Bishop*, CM Grace Wilken

*Denotes arrival after roll call.

ELECTERD OFFICIALS ABSENT: CM Maryalice Wu

STAFF PRESENT: Darcy Sandefur, William Kolschowsky, Carla Boyd, Richard Surles, Tim Cowan, Sheila Dodd, Carol Mitten, Sanford Hess, Elizabeth Hannan, Charles Lauss

OTHERS PRESENT: Kevin James (Facilitator)

1. CALL TO ORDER

Mayor Marlin called the City Council Goal-Setting Session to order at 5:32 PM.

2. APPROVAL OF PUBLIC INPUT RULES

Vote to amend public input guidelines: proposed 30 minutes maximum time limit at 3 minutes a person. Motion to amend to adhere to the new guidelines by CM Quisenberry and seconded by CM Hursey.

Passed by roll call vote.

AYE: Evans, Hursey, Kolisetty, Bishop, Wilken, Quisenberry

NAY: None

3. PUBLIC INPUT

None

4. RESUMED CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC GOAL-SETTING

Mayor Marlin reintroduced the facilitator Kevin James. James provided a recap of previous sessions. Stressed importance of creating action steps to best support a strategy and its strategic area. Previous session was for establishing actions steps to accomplish strategies.

City Administrator Carol Mitten provided group with the same list they created previously with a color coded key to identify which resources are already present or could be reallocated. (See attachment E)

James shared a PowerPoint presentation as a warm-up activity that explored the relationship, roles, and responsibilities shared between elected officials, staff, and public.

Goal of this evening is to iron out and agree upon a finalized list by comparing attachment D (version created from previous sessions) and attachment E (version with resource mapping).

Decided to engage in discussions as a group strategy by strategy from each section. (See attachments E and D.)

Discussions

Strategic Area #4 Economic Recovery/Development

Strategy #1 Support Current Local Businesses

Questions about responsibilities and where the workflow starts. Questions about supporting non traditional business like online businesses. Questions about general assistance versus pandemic assistance. Questions about deadlines being applicable when the order of priorities is shifted.

James asked group which of the three strategies was their biggest priority (a, b, or c from strategy #1 in Strategic area #4).

Group consensus was to keep all 3 but to swap b and c due to timeliness.

*For item C ARPA funding was removed. Changed wording from existing funding to existing resources.

Strategy #2 Promote Workforce Development

Questions about how to implement item A. James asked if item B was best accomplished by the City or from community partners.

Group consensus was keep listing as is.

*For item #2 dual credit program from strategic area #1 under public safety and wellbeing is to be the new item C in this section (strategic area #4 under strategy #2) and reword it as “explore dual credit vocational program” (See attachment D for this one.)

Strategy #3 Recruit New Businesses and Industries

Questions about grocery store being removed in this version. Question about the ordering of priorities.

*Added item E to this section for the grocery store.

*Moved items E and F from strategic area #1 under housing to somewhere under strategic area #4 Economic Development/Recovery.

*Suggested moving item B to supporting local businesses (strategy #1, now item D) but removing the wording “adding 100 childcare slots”. Focus on identifying challenges.

Strategic Area #3 Infrastructure

Strategy #1 Improve Quality of Current Infrastructure Assets

Questions about deadlines versus timeframes.

*Remove word implementation from item B.

Group consensus was keep listing as is.

Strategy #2 Increase Investment in Infrastructure Equity

Questions about what implementation looks like.

*Incorporate an equity lens into assessment rewording of item D.

Group consensus was keep listing as is.

Strategy #3 Expand Green Infrastructure Within the Community

Questions about what EV is. Questions about assignments

*Strike out all words up to “enhance” in item B and add “evaluate options”

Strategic Area 2 Housing

Strategy #1 Support Housing Security and Equity

*Move items E and F from strategic area #2 Housing to strategic area #4 Economic Development/Recovery

Questions about scratching “HOME” wording from item B.

*Amend wording to “ongoing” for item C. Coordinate with housing and social service agencies.

*Amend wording to “Increase awareness and understanding of the housing provisions of the human rights ordinance within the community”.

Questions about item D.

Strategy #2 Improve Housing Quality

*Amend item A wording to “pursue funds”.

Question about including ongoing items in goal setting.

*Remove percentages from item B.

*Remove item C as it’s already covered in items A and B.

*Add action item for council to review Consolidated Annual Action Performance Evaluation Reports from the Community Development department in September. (New item C.)

Strategic Area #1 Public Safety & Well Being

Strategy #1 Pursue Methods to Mitigate Community Violence

*Removing items C and D

*Move Dual Credit item to strategic area #4 economic development and recovery under strategy #2 promote workforce development.

*Combine strategy 1 and 2.

Strategy #2 Enhance and Expand Public Safety Resources

*Add items for “contract and conduct public safety review” to replace items A, B, and C.

*A should read “contract and conduct public safety review”

* B should read “council and staff work together to develop police investigation options”

* C should read “formalize plan based on new information”

*Removed item D

Strategy #3 Engage Community Organizations to Address Root Causes of Violence

*Was enveloped into strategies #1 and #2

5. ADJOURNMENT

James thanked council for their work.

Mayor Marlin announced next steps and declared the meeting adjourned at 8:00 PM

http://urbanaillinois.us/sites/default/files/attachments/1-6-22%20goal%20setting%20session%20min.pdf