Chambana Sun

City of Urbana Cunningham Township Board met May 9.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

ELECTED OFFICIALS PHYSICALLY PRESENT:

Chair: Diane Wolfe Marlin

Township Clerk: None

Trustees: Maryalice Wu, Chris Evans, Shirese Hursey, Jaya Kolisetty, Chaundra Bishop, Grace Wilken, James Quisenberry*

Supervisor: Danielle Chynoweth

Assessor: None

*Denotes present after roll

ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT: Township Clerk Phyllis Clark, Township Assessor Wayne Williams 

OTHERS PRESENT: Bourema Ouedraogo, Darcy Sandefur, Ivana Owona, William Harris 

I. ROLL CALL 

With a quorum present, Chair Marlin called the meeting of the Cunningham Township Board to order at 6 p.m.

II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 

April 11, 2022 regular meeting

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

Voice vote:

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

NAY: None

III. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA 

None.

IV. PUBLIC INPUT 

None.

V. COMMITTEE TO VERIFY BILLS 

a. Town Fund 

b. General Assistance Fund 

Presented by Supervisor Danielle Chynoweth. Supervisor detailed expenses of $54,156.70 from the Town Fund, $165,744.11 in the General Assistance Fund, and a combined total of $219,900.81 in expenditures. Chynoweth shared service statistics represented in month to date bills. Currently under budget within this fiscal year. Questions and discussion ensued.

Motion to approve by Trustee Wu and seconded by Trustee Quisenberry.

Vote by roll call:

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

NAY: None

VI. REPORTS OF OFFICERS 

Supervisor Chynoweth presented the Supervisor’s memo. Thanked Library and City for funding of new murals on the Township building. Provided programmatic updates detailing changes from the previous month. Announced first months totals of households serviced by the new joint Township and Urbana School District housing case manager. Share opportunity for free technology and cellphones with Cingular Wireless. Announced upcoming event UrVana on May 28th from noon to three p.m. in the Township garden that will have music, free lunch, and information about Township services. Questions and discussion ensued.

No report from the Assessor’s Office.

VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 

None.

VIII. NEW BUSINESS 

a. Ordinance T-2022-05-001: Ordinance Approving the Annual Budget and Appropriation Ordinance (Fiscal year 2022-2023) 

Presented by Supervisor Chynoweth. This item allows the draft budget to be placed on file for public inspection for thirty days prior to the final budget to be approved. Supervisor shared the proposed budget for the General Assistance and Supervisors Funds. Draft budget includes information regarding cost of living and the poverty line within the community as well as data on community needs and unemployment. Reviewed program descriptions to aide in the understanding of the allocation of funds. Shared data on funds expended per assistance program over time to show the change in need. Detailed the summary page of the budget that explains the breakdown of which fund covers which recurring expenses.

From last year’s budget the Supervisors fund is seven percent less in this budget. The Assessors fund is 1.49 percent greater than the previous years. The overall budget proposed is 4.58 percent less than the previous years. Budget will be available for public inspection at the Township office and the Urbana City Clerk’s office as well as on the City website. The vote on the final budget will be on Monday, June 13, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. immediately following a Cunningham Township Board public hearing specifically to hear public input on the budget. Questions and discussion ensued. Motion to approve to be placed on file by Trustee Wu and seconded by Trustee Hursey.

Vote by roll call:

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

NAY: None

b. Resolution T-2022-04-011R: Resolution Authorizing the Township Assessor to Sign an Agreement Between the Cunningham Township Assessor’s Office and CoStar Group 

Presented by Ivana Owona and William Harris of the Assessor’s Office. This item would authorize the Assessor to sign an agreement with CoStar to use their software. CoStar is a real-estate platform that stores market data to aide in the valuation on commercial properties by tracking data on their profitability and income. This would aide in ensuring equitable and accurate assessments with the most current information, potentially assisting the Township Assessor in the property tax appeals process. This could lessen the burden on residential tax payers by ensuring industrial and commercial properties are being taxed appropriately for their value. The current agreement is priced at a discount with a longer contract term. Questions and discussion ensued. Town Board was asked to email further questions to Assessor for the next meeting.

Motion to table until the next meeting by Trustee Wu and seconded by Trustee Bishop.

Vote by roll call:

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

NAY: None

IX. ADJOURNMENT 

With no further business to come before the Township Board, Chair Marlin declared the meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.

https://www.urbanaillinois.us/sites/default/files/attachments/05-09-22_Minutes_TB_draft.pdf