Chambana Sun

City of Urbana City Council met May 9.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

ELECTED OFFICIALS PHYSICALLY PRESENT: Diane Wolfe Marlin, Mayor; CM Maryalice Wu, CM Christopher Evans, CM Shirese Hursey, CM Grace Wilken, CM Chaundra Bishop, CM Jaya Kolisetty, CM James Quisenberry

ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT: Phyllis Clark, City Clerk;

STAFF PRESENT: Darcy Sandefur, Bourema Ouedraogo, Carol Mitten, Sheila Dodd, Dave Wesner, Tim Cowan, Nick Olsen, Marcus Ricci

OTHERS PRESENT: 

1. Call to Order and Roll Call 

With a quorum present, Chair Mayor Marlin called the meeting of the Urbana City Council to order at 7:25 p.m. following a meeting of the Cunningham Township Board.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING 

April 25, 2022

Motion to approve by CM Wu and seconded by CM Hursey.

Voice vote:

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

NAY: None

3. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA 

CM Hursey motioned for the student presentation to come before public input and for the Dr. Ellis Discussion to occur before Council Input. CM Kolisetty seconded.

Voice vote:

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

NAY: None

4. PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC INPUT 

1. Public Input 

Allan Max Axelrod provided an update on COIVD spread and active cases locally. Shared information regarding efforts to stop utility shut offs and urged Council to pursue action to help stop utility disconnections. Julie Watkins shared that she came in person because she was having a difficult time hearing the meeting at home, hopes whatever version is uploaded later will allow her to go back and listen to the earlier part of the meeting. Eldress Melinda Carr spoke in support of the Dr. Ellis Subdivision being included in the equitable distribution of funds for infrastructure. Brandi McCoy submitted written input, attached.

2. Student Research Report on Community-Driven Approaches to Gun Violence – CMs Kolisetty and Bishop 

CM Bishop introduced the Community Data Course class from the University of Illinois to present their projects regarding Community-Driven approaches to address gun violence by examining four communities across the county. Dr. Chamee Yang, the class’s professor introduced her students and explained the scope of the students work this semester. Students have written white papers and these along with additional resources will be available on the Community Data Clinic website. Presenting today are Sarah Unruh and Gowri Balasubramaniam Students will present quick summary of their research on the City of Oakland and City of Detroit.

Gowri presented on Oakland, California and their strategies to reduce gun violence. Gowri spoke to stakeholders in Oakland who represented different areas of government and social service agencies. The summary of strategies utilities in Oakland was taking a restorative approach to addressing community violence by reallocating resources to supporting trauma informed care for youth services, workforce training, and education programming.

Sarah presented on Detroit, Michigan and their strategies to reduce gun violence. Sarah spoke to many social service providers who adopted a public health approach to address gun violence though community-driven initiatives. Their definition of a public health approach to violence reduction is that violence is treated like an illness and individuals are treated with resources to allow them to heal. Sarah interviewed providers on what areas they felt were the most important to invest in within the community to help individuals heal from violence such as mental health services.

Questions and discussion ensued. Dr. Yang made closing remarks and directed the public to the Community Data Clinic website to additional resources on their research.

5. CLOSED SESSION: Collective Bargaining Issues, Pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c) (2) Motion to enter closed session by CM Wu and seconded by CM Bishop.

Vote by roll call:

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

NAY: None

Entered closed session at 7:53 p.m.

Motion to return to open session by CM Hursey and seconded by CM Wilken.

Vote by roll call:

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

NAY: None

Returned to open session at 8:18 p.m.

6. COUNCIL INPUT AND COMMUNICATIONS 

CM Bishop thanked class from Community Data Clinic for their input and presentation this evening. Wished to have heard from more members of the class. CM Kolisetty clarified for public that the Dr. Ellis Subdivision presentation is still planned for this evening but that due to a tech issue the meeting is going to continue for the time being. Extended thanks to students for their presentation and to CM Bishop for organizing.

]7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 

None.

8. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES 

Committee Of The Whole (Council Member Maryalice Wu – Ward 1)

1. CONSENT AGENDA 

None

2. REGULAR AGENDA 

a. Ordinance No. 2022-05-017: An Ordinance Revising the Annual Budget (Budget Amendment #7 – Omnibus) – HRF 

Presented by CM Hursey. Item is a budget amendment previously presented at Committee of the Whole.

Motion to approve by CM Hursey and seconded by CM Bishop.

Vote by roll call:

AYE: Wu, Evans, Hursey, Kolisetty, Bishop, Wilken, Quisenberry, Mayor Marlin NAY: None

b. Ordinance No. 2022-05-016: An Ordinance Amending Urbana City Code Chapter 5, Building, Fire, and Flood Safety Codes (Merging Building Safety Code Board of Appeals and Property Maintenance Structures Code Board of Appeals) – CD 

Presented by CM Hursey. Item consolidates two building safety boards of appeal previously presented at Committee of the Whole.

Motion to approve by CM Hursey and seconded by CM Wu.

Voice vote:

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

NAY: None

9. REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES 

None.

10. REPORTS OF OFFICERS 

Carol Mitten announced the upcoming business mixer with contractors and subcontractors who may be interested in bidding on future projects for the City, Park District, and County. Event will be on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 7:30 AM in the Phillips Rec Center. More than 50 WBE and MBE contractors have been invited alongside other large contracting firms. Mayor Marlin announced an upcoming presentation from the Champaign County Regional Plan Commission on the public input received on the allocation of ARPA funds.

11. NEW BUSINESS 

a. Ordinance No. 2022-05-018: An Ordinance Amending the Urbana Zoning Ordinance (Solar Energy System Text Amendment / Plan Case 2425-T-21) – CD 

Presented by Marcus Ricci of the Community Development Department. This item would amend the zoning ordinance to allow for Solar Arrays and would more actively reflect the construction of solar structures instead of treating them as mechanical systems. This items adds a new section specifically to regulate solar energy systems and creates definitions for commercial and residential use. Staff felt that agriculture districts would create the least nuisance with the presence of large scale solar facilities. Ricci then shared a map of possible locations that a large scale solar array could be allowed. He then explained that the special use permit process would still be utilized. Questions and discussion ensued.

*Due to time constraints, CM Wilken motioned to extend the meeting to 11 p.m. and CM Kolisetty Seconded. 

Vote by roll call:

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

NAY: Wu

Motion to move to Committee by CM Wilken and seconded by CM Evans.

Vote by roll call:

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

NAY: None

b. Resolution No. 2022-05-039R: A Resolution Not to Protest a Proposed Text Amendment to the Champaign County Zoning Ordinance (Second Principal Use Telecommunications Towers / CZBA-040-AT-22) – CD 

Presented by Nick Olsen of the Community Development Department. This item is before the Council because the County is considering amending their zoning ordinance to allow a second principal use of telecommunication towers and the City reserves the right to protest as it could impact within the mile and a half distance of City limits. The staff recommendation is to not protest as this item does not currently effect the City as no electrical substations that would be eligible for this zoning ordinance exist outside the mile and a half distance and would not impact the City. The City zoning ordinance already requires special use permits should there be a desire to install one of these facilities along with the secondary principal use. Question and discussion ensued.

Motion to approve by CM Wu and seconded by CM Bishop.

Vote by roll call:

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

NAY: Wilken

12. DISCUSSSION 

a. Dr. Ellis Subdivision Sewer Issues 

Tim Cowan the Public Works Director shared a PowerPoint presentation on the Dr. Ellis Sanitary Sewers. Cowan started with a site map that detailed the three different phases of the subdivision and their dates of completion and then annexation into the City. Next he explained the sewer system components and ownership. The sanitary sewer mains are owned and operated by the City of Urbana and are located under the public streets. The sanitary laterals connect the sewer mains to the residence and are owned and maintained by the resident. Subdivision was constructed prior to being annexed into the City. Cowan shared a timeline of rehabilitation and improvements done to the sewer system in the area. Roughly eighty-five percent of the subdivision has received rehabilitation and maintenance. Currently only twenty-four percent of the City has undergone rehabilitation and maintenance. Next he shared a history of public input and coordination regarding residents’ concerns about the sanitary system. The four main concerns brought up from public coordination were a lack of equity, sewer mains being located on private property, private expenses for infrastructure in the Public Right-Of-Way, and lack of up front capital for the reimbursement program. Cowan then shared the timeline of City efforts to address public concerns. The City created two different assistance programs to address the public concerns including a reimbursement program and an emergency grant program. Next he shared the location of sanitary sewers within Dr. Ellis Subdivision and explained that in about thirty percent of the City the resident’s sewer lateral is longer than their neighbors because the sewer main is located on one side of the street resulting in an inequity. Due to the utility alignment under the Public Right-Of-Way and the gravity system engineering design of the sewer system it would be difficult to relocate sewer mains to the center of the street so another approach to address the inequity is needed. The City has a comparable sewer system design with other municipalities of comparable size. The estimated cost of the City assuming ownership moving forward for sewer laterals would add about $109.11/property owner/year. Cowan shared a table and explained how that dollar figure was calculated. Cowan then shared data on the past utilization of the two sanitary system assistance programs. Questions and discussion ensued.

13. ADJOURNMENT 

With no further business before the Urbana City Council Chair Marlin adjourned this meeting at 10:41 p.m.

https://www.urbanaillinois.us/sites/default/files/attachments/05-09-22%20%20cc%20minutes.pdf