[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6261465,"mediaKeyId","3123503-518a6db5bffbb9d39f12db63bad1bb81","parentId",3123503,"title","Votes at a glance: key resolutions, appropriations and contract approvals — April 24, 2025","audioSeconds",1759,"startMs",6153000,"endMs",7912000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3123503-518a6db5bffbb9d39f12db63bad1bb81&start=6153&end=7912","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3123503-518a6db5bffbb9d39f12db63bad1bb81/thumbnail_6153000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6261465/Champaign-County/Illinois/Votes-at-a-glance-key-resolutions-appropriations-and-contract-approvals-April-24-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261465-f432626d80f858777bbf7417aa9f4109/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161920&Signature=SCaSLKx-QWx8gwIA~pXjhacX-B2Z-jiQ-p7hd0aiXefCkIYMvLTD64PCfGV2nWHwmHjnVd17Y2XLekoeyl9dbx4L-oKdI56HdFKdNyIXPjjEwuj1xmuZoRICasO-cH2ZXi5unJe6UKiZk1i5I0VJvKvtAyE3AWkqCTM4cC4QgryWm-XiEzLJA4ZyY3Rs8TV3DY1LR2Vw9IFMs-tnz3hvdFvX4U~-l7y8XPIcgMIUO54r4HtoKYNV8DzNhxE2KOECDyJJQtXut51c36FNW8m6Lp8WugitSTEFmIX9kqOg5Q6FwnIQhCRe~e0FBdxZS6YVt8Hwl3dqSg~Mh6R5XGAhNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Champaign County, IL","date","2025-04-25T14:12:56.917Z","article","At its April 24 meeting the Champaign County Board voted on multiple ordinances, resolutions and budget amendments. The following summarizes each formal action recorded in the meeting transcript and associated committee recommendations.

• Ordinance 2025‑7 (zoning case 144‑S‑24) — Approved (voice vote). The board approved a special‑use permit for a 135 MW solar farm with an accessory 135 MW battery energy storage system and accepted a decommissioning/site reclamation plan. The action followed a recommendation from the Environment, Land Use and Zoning Committee. The vote was taken by voice; the transcript records the motion carried.

• Resolution 2025‑136 — Highway fund appropriation — Adopted (roll call recorded at committee and affirmed by board). The board adopted a budget amendment (BUA 2025‑3407) to increase appropriations by $500,000 in Fund 2083 (County Highway) for initial investment in highway department solar panels.

• Resolution 2025‑137 — Award of contract for voter registration and poll book software — Adopted (voice vote). The board approved awarding the contract pursuant to RFP 2024005; the county clerk fielded questions about modules and security, and members thanked clerk staff for pursuing grant funding to reduce costs.

• Resolutions 2025‑138 and 2025‑139 — Budget amendments for 10‑x election system contract — Adopted (roll calls recorded). The board approved appropriation changes to Fund 2628 (election assistance/accessibility) and Fund 1080 (general corporate) to cover the 10‑x contract. The clerk explained that the vendor package includes voter central and precinct central modules and requires vendor‑supplied iPads for poll book functionality; the clerk said the package was necessary for security and integration.

• Resolutions 2025‑140 and 2025‑141 — Proclamations — Adopted. The board adopted proclamations recognizing National Correctional Officers Week (May 4–10) and National Police Week (May 11–17).

• Resolution 2025‑142 — Recreation and entertainment license — Adopted. The board approved a license for a Spanish rodeo at the Champaign County Fairgrounds on May 4, 2025.

• Resolution 2025‑143 — Payment of claims — Adopted.

• Resolution 2025‑144 — Budget amendment (sheriff drug forfeitures) — Adopted. The board corrected a disbursement error (increased appropriation $12,009; no additional revenue) related to Fund 2612 (sheriff drug forfeitures). The transcript shows a roll call with a motion passing and some members voting no in the record indicated elsewhere in the roll-call portion.

• Resolution 2025‑145 — Budget amendment to fund completion of ACFR/CAFR — Adopted (roll call recorded). The board approved a $75,111.64 appropriation from general corporate to hire CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) to assist with completing the county ACFR/CAFR. Members debated the recurring and one‑time elements of the work and expressed concern about the county’s late audits and grant risk; the motion passed by roll call.

Other actions recorded (resolutions 2025‑134 and 2025‑135) honored employees for years of service and retiring employees earlier in the meeting; both passed by voice vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Champaign County County Board Meeting - 4/24/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Champaign County Board adopted multiple resolutions and budget amendments on April 24, including zoning approval for a 135 MW solar farm (voice vote), a $500,000 highway appropriation for solar panels, and awards and budget authorizations for election software.","taxTitle","Champaign County, Illinois","taxId",2552,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6261470,"Champaign County coroner reports rising caseload, requests additional deputies",1057,3904000,4961000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3123503-518a6db5bffbb9d39f12db63bad1bb81&start=3904&end=4961","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3123503-518a6db5bffbb9d39f12db63bad1bb81/thumbnail_3904000.jpg","/articles/6261470/Champaign-County/Illinois/Champaign-County-coroner-reports-rising-caseload-requests-additional-deputies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261470-d6f660f3bef6fb5f3fa6434a1e49cd5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161920&Signature=UsYt-HXzDrLvqHPukRXK0tnD3i-Ed71GqpxoXaAw-naZVF7ylilnxyGuCmDD1lzTju5F-EaJPxlxqQwbxcJv08nCOT9ZuueOMtRKrdReRyCmTN6BPfTR7AJiDHTR8Yy7jya8QFCVLiuyM8oDoZZUa5F6n9ZvzOUd0S1wsNCo6IY707PiB~zzJELv634Fn2DZ-gIdyBk2MwM55eYdmguNvh29GAqU~c3LMrz4lhDzkOuS2d9Uok0HeFnYp8xmTYxyuo2xByNUi~rDe8P1-2GkLbDA9vHtnDijAoZrJyArH1~FIH11-zyPf1bDXAnTdXgi~KhntGPOIlYeSEZ4Mg2Wag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coroner Lori Brower reported to the Champaign County Board that the coroner’s office is experiencing a staffing crisis and rising caseloads and requested the board begin a process to add three deputy coroner positions.

Brower told the board the office has been operating with three full‑time deputies on staff and two vacancies that have been filled but not yet started. Since December 1 the office has tracked an increase in deaths: at the same time last year (April 23, 2024) the county had recorded 597 deaths; as of the report on April 23, 2025 the total was 645, Brower said. Homicides and other categories have increased, and the office is responding to calls that can last three to eight hours per incident.

Brower said she has centralized organ‑procurement approvals to herself to reduce burden on deputies and improve coordination with procurement organization Gift of Hope. “All of those cases come directly to me now. They don't go through the deputies, and I review them all so that the deputies don't have to. ... 100% of the cases presented to me have been approved for donation,” she said.

She also reported finishing work clearing unclaimed property and described long‑standing inventories of DNA cards, histology slides and tissue samples that will require additional work and expense to dispose of safely. Brower told the board that neutralizing and disposing of formalin‑preserved tissue is costly: the neutralizer she cited costs $238 per 5‑gallon container and disposal is limited to small quantities per month under environmental rules.

Brower asked the board to start a conversation and process to fund three additional deputies. She said county comparisons and internal workload calculations suggested the office would need more deputies to meet 24/7 coverage without overwork. Board members asked about death‑certificate processing times, pathologist recruitment and potential revenue options; Brower said office efficiencies have reduced an open backlog and that she has contacted Carle, the University of Illinois College of Medicine and others about shared or contracted pathology services.

No formal appropriation or hiring action was taken at the meeting; the coroner’s request was made as part of the office update and would require further budgetary action.","Coroner Lori Brower told the board the office is understaffed amid rising deaths, has improved organ‑donation processing, and requested funding to add three deputies to cover 24/7 calls.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6261475,"County employees press board on living wage and health benefits as bargaining continues",4318,1176000,5494000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3123503-518a6db5bffbb9d39f12db63bad1bb81&start=1176&end=5494","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3123503-518a6db5bffbb9d39f12db63bad1bb81/thumbnail_1176000.jpg","/articles/6261475/Champaign-County/Illinois/County-employees-press-board-on-living-wage-and-health-benefits-as-bargaining-continues","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261475-d399e39cbdbb1b413891d705e469df4f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161920&Signature=AqwdwrhesveVgKzHSZIR2OFH0k46NkimWtRTr-2Ee8b7M3zeGXZAigSxNNL8zfAAv5jcU52ILy9IdlZspuADpsCQ7JUa-OCnxJRwnHIJXZo4FUaJ9ZM2cQJJ8Z4qX3lKxAwEzEHJqYq3iJJZsyLd7-ip~YOfe-CKXeuzh5qEKdLgx9TlqYEXlrSwCvRoN0Ed-PK0rQoE3Ng2p5DYNWB~-YubArlvRWNYyfjM1E1JrbuULLB~KbN3LesU8L9dNT5~9madDg-tTEn--RCjsn~NoyNM0uGdJrUDW053wEtH6PGj7v2mNZwtCEEvbL8dagW2P4Rv4N2k4M9b1R4g~kjC5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several Champaign County employees and union representatives used the public‑comment period to press the county board to adopt living wages and affordable health benefits as bargaining with AFSCME continued.

Jason Benda, a facilities custodian, cited the county’s own 2002 living‑wage resolution (Resolution 4503) and said the living‑wage calculation in that document would now be $15.46 per hour. “We are advertising a position for a full‑time benefited employee whose 52‑week cash compensation is less than the poverty guideline that this board has established as the basis for a living wage,” Benda said. Several other AFSCME members, including Natalie Nagel (AFSCME staff representative), Cece Phillips (circuit clerk’s office) and Shanae Weishardt (state’s attorney’s office) described long service, multiple jobs and unaffordable health‑care costs.

AFSCME representatives said bargaining has been ongoing and that employees remain frustrated about health‑care affordability and wages. “Your employees deserve to feel like a priority because this county can't run without them,” Natalie Nagel said.

In the communications section of the meeting the board’s labor committee chair outlined a proposal the committee delivered to AFSCME in closed session. The package, as summarized by the chair, would increase the county’s contribution toward dependent health insurance premiums, add a floating holiday, expand the AFSCME salary scale (with proposed percentage increases and step changes), provide a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment (retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025), and expand paid parental leave from two weeks to 12 weeks. The chair said the package was “farther than most expected” and that bargaining would continue.

Speakers asked the board why operating decisions in the Bennett Center had led to additional retrofit costs and questioned whether the county prioritized employees when finding funds for projects but not for wages and benefits. Several long‑service employees described working additional jobs to cover basic needs.

No final board vote on bargaining terms occurred at the April 24 meeting; the transcript records public comment and a committee‑level proposal described in communications but no formal contract adoption.","Multiple county employees and AFSCME representatives urged the Champaign County Board to adopt a living wage and expand affordable health coverage; the board’s labor committee reported a comprehensive proposal offered to AFSCME.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6261480,"County board approves Little Prairie 135 MW solar farm with battery storage",5290,936000,6226000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3123503-518a6db5bffbb9d39f12db63bad1bb81&start=936&end=6226","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3123503-518a6db5bffbb9d39f12db63bad1bb81/thumbnail_936000.jpg","/articles/6261480/Champaign-County/Illinois/County-board-approves-Little-Prairie-135-MW-solar-farm-with-battery-storage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261480-e58e59416b9c2866e0a2669fb355a01a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161920&Signature=da1jMJPUU8OOvIdXjbfw4YzzOlMF7v9tR134qXzlqrZfs5EB0nOr9lXgv5MnjPZb59qdOINrRXkA2TA4CjeJjlOFQ8h6AjZ16s~jdbj-nnYDuGvnGuK6bsX1d46v0ggzdrC1rbFnLJfezcRgqFC2GeXIYR81je8EQuGnrKMtD2Y-PZMVL0qjxwjBXdtRB0vhZ2aYhCyfFf6CRMgdy32HXU2aT10KlNZaq-QFKooiEr9kkBFpzTfzSvC2aQLRJs2FmsuETkm~UqRbIxFH7HO0tT1KAxfYkLO~P5FDtQUrEjBRLTugi7suGkRMHANF6TbQzjZ~~7HnU9bHDeLeuO460w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Champaign County Board on April 24 voted to approve an ordinance granting a special‑use permit for the Little Prairie Hybrid Solar Project, a proposed 135 megawatt solar array paired with a 135 megawatt battery energy storage system, in zoning case 144‑S‑24.

Supporters who spoke during public input said the project would supply lower‑cost energy and bring tax and employment benefits. “Expanding solar energy capacity and battery storage in Champaign County will bring a lot of direct benefits … supporting almost 200 construction jobs, supplying lower cost energy to 35,000 homes, and generating $19,000,000 in property taxes,” resident Chelsea Peterson said during public comment. David Holly, the BayWa RE point of contact for the project, and other members of the development team were present to answer questions.

The board’s Environment, Land Use and Zoning Committee moved the ordinance (listed as ordinance number 2025‑7) and the full board approved it by voice vote. The motion approved three waivers of standard conditions and accepted a decommissioning and site reclamation plan submitted with the application.

The project was explicitly identified in meeting materials and a zoning motion introduced at the April 24 committee recommendation. County staff and the developer were on hand to field questions during the committee discussion and at the board meeting.

The ordinance grants the special use and approves the decommissioning plan; the motion carried by voice vote at the board meeting. The recorded minutes and committee summary place the zoning case as approved; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript excerpt provided.

The developer and proponents told the board they plan setbacks beyond county minimums for many site boundaries and to locate battery storage away from residences. Developer representatives said they will use cover crops and other post‑installation practices that can improve soil over time. The transcript does not record additional binding conditions beyond the waivers and the decommissioning plan included with the permit.

The project is listed in county committee materials as zoning case 144‑S‑24 and was represented at the meeting by BayWa RE staff. The board’s approval allows the project to proceed to the next required local and agency permitting steps; the transcript does not record subsequent state or interagency approvals.

Votes at this meeting were taken by voice for the ordinance motion; the transcript records the motion carried.","After several public supporters spoke, the Champaign County Board approved an ordinance granting a special-use permit and decommissioning plan for the Little Prairie 135 MW solar farm and 135 MW battery energy storage system in zoning case 144‑S‑24.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: key resolutions, appropriations and contract approvals — April 24, 2025

Champaign County coroner reports rising caseload, requests additional deputies

County employees press board on living wage and health benefits as bargaining continues

County board approves Little Prairie 135 MW solar farm with battery storage