Champaign County Board met Dec. 15

By Philip Gonzales

Feb 17, 2023

Champaign County Board met Dec. 15.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The County Board of Champaign County, Illinois met at a Regular Meeting, Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 6:36 PM in the Shields-Carter Meeting Room, Brookens Administrative Center, 1776 East Washington Street, Urbana, Illinois, with County Executive Steve Summers presiding and Matthew Cross as Clerk of the meeting.

ROLL CALL

Roll call showed the following members present: Cowart, Esry, Fortado, Goss, Hanauer-Friedman, Harper, Locke, Lokshin, Rodriguez, Rogers, Stohr, Straub, Taylor, Thorsland, Vanichtheeranont, Wilson, Carter, and Patterson – 18; absent: Ingram, Michaels, Sexton, and Williams – 4. County Executive Summers declared a quorum present and the Board competent to conduct business.

PRAYER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

County Executive read a prayer for COVID, flu, and RSV patients, 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 December 1, December 8, and December 14, 2022.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA/ADDENDA

Board Member Straub offered a motion to approve the Agenda/Addenda; Board Member Carter seconded. Board Member Esry noted the Agenda/Addenda did not specify which items require vote thresholds for passage and requested future Agenda/Addenda are so marked; County Executive Summers stated the omission will be corrected in the future. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

DATE/TIME OF NEXT MEETINGS

Standing Committees:

A. County Facilities Committee

Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 6:30 PM

Shields-Carter Meeting Room

B. Environment and Land Use Committee

Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 6:30 PM

Shields-Carter Meeting Room

C. Highway and Transportation Committee

Friday, January 6, 2023 at 6:30 PM

1605 E Main Street, Urbana

Committee of the Whole:

A. Justice and Social Services; Policy, Personnel and Appointments; and Finance Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at 6:30 PM

Shields-Carter Meeting Room

County Board:

A. Regular Meeting

Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 6:30 PM

Shields-Carter Meeting Room

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Mark Dorsey, Penfield Water District Operator, thanked the Board for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) contribution for upgraded equipment.

Agnes San Miguel, Penfield Water District Secretary/Treasurer, thanked the Board for the ARPA contribution for upgraded equipment.

COMMUNICATIONS

County Executive Summers noted the County Board Orientation packets distributed to each board member.

Board Chair Patterson eulogized Sen. Scott Bennett.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Board Member Goss offered an omnibus motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of the County Board of November 17, 2022 and the Biennial Organizational Meeting of the County Board of December 5, 2022; Board Member Esry seconded. Board Member Straub noted that she was not present at the November 17 meeting. The motion carried pending correction by unanimous voice vote.

APPOINTMENTS TO COUNTY BOARD COMMITTEES

Board Chair Patterson distributed the board committee appointments and noted that due to time conflicts, Board Member Taylor was removed from the Facilities Committee and replaced by Board Member Locke and Board Member Locke was removed from the Highway Committee and replaced by Board Member Taylor. Board Chair Patterson reminded that the Facilities, Highway, Environment & Land Use Committees meet on a monthly basis; the Finance, Justice & Social Services, and Policy Personnel & Appointments Committees meet monthly as a part of the Committee of the Whole in which all board members are committee members; and the Labor and Litigation

Committees meet only on an as-needed basis. The committee assignments for the 2023-2024 board are as follows:

Facilities: Lokshin (Chair), Harper (Vice Chair), Fortado, Locke, Vanichtheeranont, Hanauer-Friedman, Wilson, and Ingram Highway: Cowart (Chair), Michaels (Vice Chair), Williams, Carter, Straub, Sexton, and Taylor Environment & Land Use: Thorsland (Chair), Esry (Vice Chair), Patterson, Rodriguez, Rogers, Goss, and Stohr

Labor: Rodriguez (Chair), Harper (Vice Chair), Fortado, Esry, and Patterson Litigation: Thorsland (Chair), Michaels (Vice Chair), Stohr, Goss, and Patterson Committee of the Whole:

Finance: Fortado (Chair) and Goss (Vice Chair)

Justice & Social Services: Taylor (Chair) and Sexton (Vice Chair)

Policy, Personnel, & Appointments: Stohr (Chair) and Wilson (Vice Chair)

NEW BUSINESS

Board Member Fortado offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-303 Revising Award of Contract for the Satellite Jail Consolidation Project (Originally Awarded by Resolution No. 2022-264) based on the County Board’s MBE/WBE Participation Percentage Aspirations; Board Member Lokshin seconded. Board Member Goss stated he would not support the resolution as it includes $67,000 for one supplier. Board Member Wilson asked about the price increase for material and supplies; County Executive Summers noted the increase is less than 0.5% of the total cost. Board Member Fortado noted the contract reflects cost estimates and change orders, and the contractor in question is not a minority/women owned business but does participate in disability hiring; she also noted that future contracts will require subcontractors to be listed in the biding process. Board Member Fortado also noted that ARPA funds could be used to support minority/women owned businesses.

Board Member Fortado offered an amendment to Resolution No. 2022-303 to add that the additional amount of $132,997 to be covered by ARPA funds; Board Member Thorsland seconded. ARPA Project Manager Kathy Larson was invited to join the discussion; she stated that this use of ARPA funds would be allowable. The motion to amend carried by voice vote. The fifth paragraph of the resolution was amended to read “NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Champaign County Board approved the revision of award of contract to P.J. Hoerr, Inc for the additional amount of $132,997 for the Champaign County Satellite Jail Consolidation Project, to be paid from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and authorizes the County Executive to execute that agreement.” The motion to adopt the resolution as amended carried by voice vote.

Board Member Taylor offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-304 Approval to Award Contract for County Plaza Renovation Project, pursuant to ITB#2022-008; Board Member Vanichtheeranont seconded. Board Member Fortado asked about the Petry Kuhne error. Facilities Director Dana Brenner was invited to join the discussion; he stated that it was an accounting error pertaining to a subcontractor which Petry Kuhne noticed immediately after submitting their bid. Board Member Fortado asked about the alternatives and if those would require board approval; Facilities Director Brenner stated they represent alternative to replacing all the windows in the building, doing so in stages as finances allow, and would not require separate board approval. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Board Member Taylor offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-267 Authorizing Amendment to the Intergovernmental Agreement Providing for the Creation of the Champaign County Geographic Information System Consortium; Board Member Lokshin seconded. Board Member Wilson asked if Appendix A of the original Champaign County GIS Consortium Agreement would need to be amended to include St. Joseph.

Board Member Wilson offered a motion to amend the resolution with St. Joseph data added to the data in the original agreement; Board Member Goss seconded. Deputy Finance Director Tami Ogden was invited to join the discussion; she stated that Appendix A is a part of the original agreement and does not reflect the amended agreement that would result from the adoption of the Resolution No. 2022-267. Board Chair Patterson suggested the Champaign County GIS Consortium be consulted before approving the resolution. Board Member Vanichtheeranont noted the data in Appendix A reflects the 2000 Census and the 2003 and 2004 fiscal years. The motion to amend the resolution to reflect the updated data carried by voice vote.

The motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-267 as amended carried by unanimous voice vote.

Board Chair Patterson offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-275 to Establish Place of Election for the 2023 Consolidated Election; Board Member Taylor seconded. Board Member Wilson stated that he would like to see more polling places in Mahomet and Fisher and less on the University of Illinois campus. Chief Deputy Clerk Angela

Patton was invited to join the discussion; she stated that the polling places are largely unchanged from the November 2022 General Election in an effort to have consistency for voters to avoid confusion of where to vote from election to election and to avoid the expense associated with notifying voters of polling places changes each election, and she noted consolidated election turnout is approximately 13% of registered voters. Board Member Wilson again expressed his concerns about both long lines at polling places and the county having too many polling places. Chief Deputy Clerk Patton again noted the historic differences in voter turnout between general elections and consolidated elections, emphasizing continuity for voters. The motion to adopt the resolution carried by voice vote.

Board Member Lokshin offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-301 Authorizing Consolidated Election Judge Numbers; Board Member Thorsland seconded. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Board Chair Patterson offered an omnibus motion to adopt Resolutions No. 2022-276 Appointing Bryan Schluter to the Harwood and Kerr Drainage District term ending 08/31/2025, No. 2022-277 Appointing Richard Barnes to the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District Board term 01/01/2023-12/31/2027, No. 2022-278 Appointing Jane Sprandel to the Mental Health Board term 01/01/2023-12/31/2026, and No. 2022-279

Appointing Elaine Palencia to the Mental Health Board term 01/01/2023-12/31/2026; Board Member Stohr seconded. Board Member Wilson asked about the appointment candidate’s not answering all the question on the application form. County Executive

Summers stated these appointments all stem from the prior County Executive who conducted interviews with the candidates and all future appointment interviews will include the Policy, Personnel, and Appointments Committee Chair. Board Member Stohr stated the Policy, Personnel, and Appointments Committee will be proactive in the future. The omnibus motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Board Member Carter offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-280 Authorizing Payment of Claims; Board Member Cowart seconded. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Board Member Cowart offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-281 Authorizing Purchases Not Following Purchasing Policy; Board Member Carter seconded. The motion carried by voice vote.

Board Member Rogers offered a motion to adopt Resolution No. 2022-282 Service from State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor; Board Member Goss seconded. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Board Member Harper offered an omnibus motion to adopt Resolutions No. 2022-283 Approving Budget Amendment BUA 2022/11/129 to receive the insurance payment for a squad car that was totaled in a motor vehicle accident, No. 2022-284 Approving Budget Amendment BUA 2022/11/189 to receive additional grant funding, and No. 2022-285 Approving Budget Amendment and Transfer BUA 2022/12/50 for a budget transfer from personnel and amendment reflecting receipt of new revenue to help cover unforeseen operational expenses; Board Member Fortado seconded. Board Member Fortado noted that Agenda/Addenda items M through U will require roll call and 15 affirmative votes to pass. The omnibus motion carried by unanimous roll-call vote.