Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Urbana council orders task force be run in public, approves public-safety appointments and local fuel-tax change
Summary
After a wave of public comment opposing consultant-proposed closed meetings for the Alternative Response Task Force, UrbanaCity Council instructed staff to require Open Meetings Act–style access, approved two deputy fire- and two deputy police-chief appointments, adopted a motor-fuel tax ordinance and passed a budget omnibus amendment.
Urbana City Council members voted on Sept. 30 to press for a public, transparent process for the city—s Alternative Response Task Force and approved several personnel and budget measures.
Public comment dominated the start of the meeting, with residents urging the council not to follow a recommendation from consultant Barry Dunn to limit public attendance, recording and livestreaming of ARTF workshops. "Please allow me to express our collective concern over the apparent recent change to the format for meetings of the Alternative Response Task Force," said Barbara Kessel, identifying herself as a resident and speaking on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. Residents told the council they expected the task force—s workshops to be viewable and archived so the community could monitor development of alternatives to policing.
Following extensive discussion, the council took a straw poll and directed staff to convey a…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
