[0:00] Good evening and welcome to the City of Champagne Township meeting for September 30, 2025. I call this meeting to order and I would request that the clerk call the roll.

[0:14] Or group of Kiles, Pianfetti,

[0:17] here.

[0:17] Pollock,

[0:18] here.

[0:18] Shannon,

[0:19] Williams.

[0:20] Present.

[0:20] Clayborn.

[0:21] Palmer.

[0:22] Here.

[0:22] Gladys.

[0:23] Chairperson, fine.

[0:24] I am also here.

[0:26] We need an emotion.

[0:30] Chairperson, fine.

[0:30] And I move that we approve the minutes of the regular board meeting held September 2,

[0:34] 2025.

[0:36] Second.

[0:37] Is there any discussion?

[0:40] All those in favor signified by saying aye.

[0:43] Code same sign motion carries I don't see correspondence as in item on the agenda

[0:51] normally is do we have any correspondence tear-person finance I move that we do we

[1:00] did receive a correspondence so I would like to put that into the motion to approve

[1:06] the correspondence that we received from a former striots employee on September 18th

[1:14] We have a motion and a second, is there any discussion?

[1:18] All those in favor signify by saying aye.

[1:21] Aye.

[1:22] I'm so sorry.

[1:23] I have a question.

[1:24] Yes.

[1:25] Will that correspondence be included on the Township website?

[1:29] I don't know what will give it to the city clerk,

[1:34] or to the Township supervisor,

[1:39] but it's whatever the standard practices

[1:41] practices for Township.

[1:43] All right, thank you.

[1:45] OK, all those in favor, same five by saying aye.

[1:48] Aye.

[1:48] Opposed, same sign, motion carries.

[1:51] We have a public hearing tonight for the budget

[1:54] and appropriation ordinance.

[1:59] The purpose of the public hearing

[2:00] is that Illinois State Law requires

[2:03] that the town of the city of Champaign Township

[2:06] called the Public Hearing on the proposed fiscal year

[2:09] 2526 annual budget prior to the adoption of the budget and the final form.

[2:16] And accordance with these state legal requirements and notice of public hearing for the annual budget and appropriation ordinance for the town of the city of champagne township was published in the news Gazette on August 30, 2025 and copies of the proposed fiscal year 2526 annual budget.

[2:36] We're placed at the Office of the Town Clerk,

[2:39] at the Office of the Township Supervisor,

[2:42] and on the Township's website at cctownship.com.

[2:47] Is it.com or is it.org?

[2:53] Okay, dot com.

[2:54] On Friday, August 29, 2025.

[3:01] I now declare the public hearing open

[3:03] if anyone desires to make a statement,

[3:06] concerning the proposed fiscal year 2526 annual budget, you're welcome to come forward and be recognized.

[3:14] Is there anyone?

[3:20] If anyone wishes to make a statement about the budget, please step forward.

[3:26] State your name and city of residents, please limit your comments five minutes or less.

[3:31] I'm Gil Cherry Berry.

[3:33] I live in Champagne, walking distance from here.

[3:37] I've owned property and been a business person in your downtown and after my first

[3:44] retirement work at Burry Center and then Rose Brand and then Sprites when it opened.

[3:52] The two years there and tried to retire again, hopefully it'll stick this time.

[3:59] I understand the questions that have been put so many times in the last few weeks

[4:06] about the budget. All I can speak to is the importance of the shelter which is the

[4:13] majority of the budget. I've been since my first retirement involved in social services

[4:21] with the community that the shelter serves. I think we all understand the need for it.

[4:29] I think we all also understand that without a low barrier shelter, people will die in champagne on the streets.

[4:41] See, with home is a transitional housing organization, it's a shelter, not really.

[4:48] You have to qualify, get in.

[4:51] Strides, chauffe the door. If there's a bed, you have a place to sleep. If it's an emergency,

[5:00] we'll find a place to sleep. Now whether or not strides should be funded through the

[5:09] pound ship is, I believe, an open bus. Because it serves a lot more than just the city

[5:16] township of Champagne serves the entire area.

[5:23] So settling Champagne taxpayers with the entirety

[5:27] of its cost is difficult counts. I'll put it down.

[5:34] Has anyone considered perhaps fucking with

[5:39] a regional and in commission about some kind of transfer of responsibility? When I came to work

[5:46] of the township and the shelter opened where there were eight employees within a year

[5:52] there were between 30 and 40 employees. This is drinking from fire. This is way more than

[6:01] the township supervisor has ever been responsible for that. And I don't know that there

[6:13] be qualified for that kind of explosive growth. And that's just the case.

[6:23] So speaking to

[6:24] the importance of the budget and the importance of funding, yes, please find the money.

[6:31] Speaking to the future, let's look at how this thing is structured so that we can properly

[6:37] serve the population that we're trying to keep alive and well in champagne and that's all I got.

[6:46] So I want to thank you. I want to be clear. This is a public hearing on the budget.

[6:54] We will also have an ordinance that is moved on the annual budget and people will have an

[7:01] opportunity to make comments about their values or their thoughts or whatever that may be.

[7:09] But I would ask that if you that you respect that this is the budget hearing.

[7:16] So if you have questions or comments about the numbers or the spending or the tax rate

[7:22] now is your time, you'll still get a chance to probably make the other comments that everybody

[7:28] is here to me.

[7:30] So do we have any other people who wish to make a comment about the budget?

[7:42] Seeing none, I declare the public hearing closed. The town board will act on the proposed fiscal year 2526 annual budget during tonight's meeting and again once we move in second that you will have an opportunity to speak to that.

[8:01] So, the next item on our agenda is ordinance 25901, the annual budget and appropriation ordinance.

[8:12] Chairperson, fine. I move that we approve ordinance 2025901 annual budget and appropriation ordinance.

[8:20] We have a motion and a second.

[8:23] Are there any technical questions?

[8:28] I just have one for the supervisor.

[8:31] We had received an email from you either late yesterday,

[8:36] I think, or today that said that you had made a higher

[8:43] for an executive director of the shelter.

[8:46] My question is, is that new salary and position included in the budget

[8:51] that we are preparing to approve this evening.

[8:57] Is that working? Sorry.

[9:02] So we didn't internal hire Charlene Murray, who's currently one of our directors right now.

[9:09] The increase to her salary is small enough that it fits into the budget.

[9:17] So is that that position is was already included?

[9:25] know, but if so the way what we're setting it up is that we're not going to, we're not going

[9:34] to fill the Director of Community Relations position that she left and instead we're going

[9:40] to incorporate some of those roles into her duties.

[9:47] Okay, so you're not adding staff, you're just increasing duties and providing a salary bump

[9:55] relating to that? Yes. Did you conduct any type of salary study or, like, how did you determine

[10:05] the amount to be paid? It's just in term, in term, in term position for now, so we kind of

[10:11] with what we could afford. Okay. Anybody else, technical, council member Shannon?

[10:23] I'm a little

[10:25] amount of salaries that you could afford. I'm a little surprised that town board is hearing

[10:31] now. I mean, you did send us an email what yesterday about a reclassification of someone.

[10:43] I'm concerned because we all had questions and concerns about this budget and so without consulting

[10:48] your town board, you decided to create a new position at a higher pay and somehow the money

[10:56] is just already there. Even though we thought that this budget was as accurate as possible

[11:02] for the upcoming salaries.

[11:06] Additionally, part of our revision plan that you have in front of you, we're going to

[11:13] look at restructuring the way that we're doing staffing and we're going to find savings in there.

[11:20] So, yeah, there's going to be plenty of space.

[11:24] So you mentioned the revisiting plan that we have in front of us, but I want to be transparent

[11:30] for the public.

[11:32] It was emailed to me at about 430 today, so to assume that we've had time to read or absorb

[11:40] that or be prepared to ask reasonable questions about it, I don't think it's reasonable.

[11:45] Yeah, I apologize for that.

[11:47] Unfortunately, we under a time crunch and I thought it was important to do what I could

[11:52] to get that to you guys before the budget vote.

[11:55] Are we planning on having a study session on strides where we can actually talk through

[12:01] some of these issues?

[12:03] Yeah, I think that would be helpful.

[12:05] I know we had discussed in the past that the need for study sessions surrounding strides

[12:11] And I think this will be the perfect topic to do for that.

[12:17] Anybody else have technical questions?

[12:20] Councilmember Shannon.

[12:22] So this document is not on the website.

[12:25] Is that correct?

[12:29] The revisiting.

[12:32] It will be tomorrow morning.

[12:34] Our staff member who does post stuff on the website had to leave the office early today.

[12:41] So it should be up there.

[12:42] Okay. I believe if there are members of the public who are looking for it, I ask the city manager

[12:50] secretary to make some copies and if they're not in the back, they may be at the, she's sitting

[12:56] out at the desk out there, so they may be available if anybody wants to grab them. Okay, anyone else have

[13:06] technical questions. Anyone in the audience wish to address the annual budget and

[13:15] appropriation ordinance, please step forward, state your name and city of residents. Please

[13:20] let me hear comments to five minutes or less.

[13:33] Hello. My name is Katie Harmon and I'm the

[13:36] coordinator of the continuum of service providers to the homeless. So those who are not

[13:41] familiar with our kind of collective, we are the designated continuum of care covering

[13:47] Shamping County by the Department of Housing and Urban Development

[13:52] Federally.

[13:53] So we're a collective of about 40 to 50 organizations and

[13:58] individuals in the community who are really committed to

[14:00] addressing homelessness here in Shamping County.

[14:03] At our most recent executive committee meeting of the

[14:06] continuum of service providers of the homeless.

[14:09] We were talking about strides and the importance of a

[14:12] low barrier shelter. So our executive committee met and

[14:16] I voted on a motion and approved it and I wanted to share it with you all today so you have that context and information.

[14:24] So the continuum of service providers of the homeless executive committee is committed to a low barrier shelter in our community as an essential tool for public health and safety.

[14:34] So we have assembled a committee of the CSPH to support the city of Champaign Township as the current operator of low barrier shelter in Champaign County through their revisioning and rebuilding plan.

[14:46] with timeline and benchmarks over the next six months,

[14:50] a rebuilding committee to support

[14:52] to provide support and accountability,

[14:55] the city of Champaign Township,

[14:57] a financial stabilization plan,

[14:59] month.

[15:00] Hopefully reporting strategy before a city of champagne town should forward and the CSPH as a whole, and then programmatic focus on moving residents from shelter, taking advantage of local funding, particularly the housing authority of champagne counties, recent funding that they released.

[15:16] If the rebuilding plan benchmarks are not met in a timely way, the CSPH executive committee recommends an open RFP process to select a new operator for low barrier shelter and offers the service active collaborators in such.

[15:32] So our the CSPH and our executive committee is very obviously committed to having a low barrier shelter in Champaign County and want to be involved as much as possible in the process. Thank you.

[15:46] Thank you, is there anyone else who wishes to address the Council? Please step forward.

[15:54] Good evening. I'm Beverly Baker and the Chief Impact Officer for United Way of

[15:58] Champaign County and I live in Subway. I just wanted to follow up with what Katie shared.

[16:04] Similar to the Executive Committee of CSPH, there are a number of us that have been members of the

[16:09] continuum that she referenced that have been following this closely our concerns for the need for

[16:19] hard. I know you've all experienced it too, the last several weeks, several months of watching.

[16:27] These meetings, the challenges of getting information, of ensuring that we have the safest,

[16:35] best possible facility available for some of our most vulnerable residents, a safe place for people to work,

[16:41] and a good community partner, right? We recognize that there's been a lot of activity that has impacted

[16:47] the business community and the residents near the shelter. Recognizing all of that, we, a number

[16:53] of us felt very helpless. What can we do to help the situation? So I reached out to the supervisor

[16:59] on behalf of the continuum and just said, can we bring a circle of support to you to talk through

[17:06] some of these challenges and even spit ball or there's some other options for the future if it's

[17:12] to remain under the township what might some other possibilities be. So we've been working on a weekly

[17:18] basis, sometimes twice a week working with a supervisor and his staff and a, and like said,

[17:23] a small team, all members of the continuum to just help ask hard questions, give some ideas, spitball,

[17:35] make some suggestions, most of the people on that committee have history of working with homelessness,

[17:41] homeless individuals, mental health services, substance abuse, et cetera, they provide a shelter

[17:46] in some number of ways case management, so they bring a lot of experience and technical assistance

[17:52] to the conversations. And I would say we've just asked some really hard questions and we challenge

[17:57] them to look at their program and their services and how it's currently operating differently

[18:05] because we too have heard the challenges that are shared here from community members from our neighbors and fellow residents as well.

[18:13] So I just wanted to express that this group came to try and help again to bring some of that technical assistance and support.

[18:22] I want to say thank you. I know the funds that the township has committed to this work already.

[18:29] it's important. We know that this is a challenging topic. If it was easy, we would have figured

[18:34] out how to make it better and how to solve it a long time ago. It's hard. It's complex. And so,

[18:41] I just wanted to express that not only is the continuum supportive of this, but there's another

[18:46] group working very closely trying to help. I don't know that we're going to be able to solve it.

[18:51] We've provided some input and suggestions and, like I said, asked hard questions for this revisiting

[18:57] plan. Our goal is to make sure that we continue to have the shelter through the winter and figure

[19:04] out a plan for going forward and hopefully help provide some guidance to improve the program,

[19:11] the services, the safety, the quality and the environment for everybody including the neighborhood

[19:16] around it. So I just wanted to bring forward that care and concern and to say thank you. Again,

[19:22] we know this is not easy and as Katie said at the end of her statement on behalf of the executive

[19:27] committee, I want to express that we want to help. And so do not feel like you're alone in this.

[19:37] We have people who want to help. We recognize the challenges and we want to bring as many resources

[19:42] as possible together to help figure out what our community needs and how to make it better going forward.

[19:52] So, thank you very much.

[19:55] Thank you, is there anyone else?

[20:01] Okay, seeing no one.

[20:03] Are there any counts of comments?

[20:04] Or town board member comments?

[20:08] Anybody?

[20:09] Town board member Shannon.

[20:15] So, supervisor.

[20:18] You know, we had asked you to provide summaries of these meetings

[20:23] that you were having at our last meeting.

[20:28] I emailed you, and I emailed you again, and I eventually did get an answer that you

[20:37] were, you had met and hadn't really come up with anything solid yet that you were

[20:44] ready to share.

[20:47] Last week, in a different area, I heard about the resolution from the

[20:55] in UM of service providers, but I did not hear about it in my capacity as town board member,

[21:01] and I imagine that none of my colleagues heard about it either.

[21:04] I do want to point out that this revisioning plan that you, that clearly a lot of work has

[21:10] been put into it, was done without the input of the town board.

[21:16] And it, as town board chair mentioned, it came to us at like 430 this afternoon.

[21:23] And I appreciate that you are trying to get a handle on things, but I think that this

[21:35] onboard has asked repeatedly to be updated on things, to be involved in things.

[21:41] And the fact that we are finding out about this so late after it happened is feels like more

[21:50] of the same. And it feels like, for whatever reason, you are not bringing the town board

[21:56] along with you and I certainly intend to vote for the budget. But I would urge you to actually

[22:06] keep us posted about things as they are happening to ask for our input before you set things

[22:13] before us, you know, in our two hours before a meeting starts, if you want us to consider

[22:20] things, you cannot give it to us at 430 in the afternoon when we meet at 7.

[22:26] And it's really important for the public to be able to see these things ahead of time.

[22:30] As well, if it's not finished, then put up what's not finished at, you know, on Friday when you put up the rest of the agenda, because it's really important to be transparent about this process.

[22:42] And as I said, I will be voting for the budget, but I have, I have grave concerns. I've, I, they are the same concerns that I've had all along about transparency and about whether the township has the capacity to do any of this. So that's, that's my comment. Thanks.

[23:00] Anyone else?

[23:04] Councilor Town Board member, PM Fettie.

[23:07] Thank you, Chairperson.

[23:09] So,

[23:12] thank you to folks that have kind of been writing this out with us.

[23:21] I, you know, I do appreciate the organizations that have come together and kind of thoughtfully

[23:29] wanting

[23:32] to support.

[23:34] I'm sort of sitting here though, a little bit frustrated, right?

[23:38] Because there are nine of us here who have four weeks now shared,

[23:47] probably the same questions have put out the same requests

[23:55] who have really, you know, our commitment besides the $7 million

[24:00] that we have put towards the residents without homes, we've looked at a lot of different ways

[24:12] to strengthen this community. And I'm frustrated because it looks like we're going to, you

[24:21] know, we have this resolution, we have this. But, but Kyle, I still, I don't see your stamp on this.

[24:29] I don't see your leadership in this and I'm still left at a point where I have to approve a budget potentially tonight.

[24:42] I mean, I have to either, yes or no, but your leadership, right?

[24:48] And everything did know what Tom Board member Shannon said.

[24:54] I get something, I'm trying to read it as somebody's driving me home so that I could

[25:01] try and look at what have they been doing and some of it seems great, but you know there

[25:08] are things like, oh, I've been talking, you know, potential funders, well, who might give

[25:12] you money?

[25:13] because I'm like what's going on and while everybody is sitting here saying we are supporting

[25:21] you, I don't think there's anybody in this community that does not want to help the housing

[25:29] crisis that we have, that are, that want to see people that do not have a permanent address

[25:37] be housed. But that is different than saying, I have $3 million or $2.5 million dollars every year to run a shelter.

[25:50] And this, while it's a start, isn't what your board requested, which was some sort of mapping of, what are we going to do, not just when the money may run out

[26:06] February but what are the plans for the future and I get it fundraising but I don't know what fundraising

[26:15] is going to get to $2.5 million. Because if you could, the United Way would be doing it,

[26:24] the community foundation would be doing it. It is not easy to raise $2.5 million and I don't

[26:31] you doing it.

[26:36] And to sit here and when a question is asked about salary, to tell us that

[26:42] you have appointed somebody to be an interim executive director and that person is supposed to

[26:51] take charge and not be able to address whether or not you've given any pay increase or where that

[26:59] increases coming from, puts us back to where we were, that you don't understand this budget.

[27:07] Other than maybe you're going to be firing a whole bunch of people, and that money is

[27:13] going to come from somewhere, but that your board, all of us need to know that.

[27:21] And if you don't believe that, then you have to tell us we don't matter.

[27:29] But you know what? We do matter because we are the ones that push this forward to begin with.

[27:40] Do you think it's easy to look at you, Kyle, and say you need to resign because you can't fulfill the statutory obligations of your role?

[27:50] It is not.

[27:54] I toward this shelter and you didn't even show up.

[28:00] You didn't show up, Bob and I were waiting for you.

[28:11] So now I am left to try and figure out,

[28:13] what am I supposed to take a chance?

[28:17] Because if I don't vote yes,

[28:21] I make it difficult for a lot of people in this community.

[28:25] A lot of people.

[28:27] A lot of people that I do not want to see suffer

[28:31] because you can't do your job.

[28:36] But this, getting this, I got it at 338

[28:43] and I emailed you.

[28:44] I kept emailing you when are we going to get it?

[28:49] 338, I worked, I have a job, I can't get home until five o'clock.

[28:55] If I'm lucky and I asked somebody to drive me home so I could read through it quickly.

[29:01] It's not right, Kyle, it's not right.

[29:05] There's so much writing on this and it's not just strides.

[29:08] We've been focusing on strides.

[29:14] It's rental assistance.

[29:16] I've said it before.

[29:17] It's a social service arm of this community.

[29:21] That's what we're doing here.

[29:23] That's what we're trying to, it's everything.

[29:27] Look at these people here.

[29:29] They know it.

[29:29] They won't even look up.

[29:31] They know it.

[29:34] They know it.

[29:36] This is not right.

[29:38] Do better.

[29:42] Anyone else?

[29:46] I can't smell my former. Thank you, honor.

[29:51] I have not looked at this.

[29:55] The first thing that jumped out of me was I...

[30:00] This says that it's authored by the city of champagne township, but the township is not represented in the members listed. So I don't know if I should be alarmed or relieved or I'm not really sure what that means.

[30:19] This

[30:22] is really hard for me, buddy.

[30:29] I don't want to have to be doing this.

[30:34] Um, not, nobody wants to have to be doing this, um, having this service for the people

[30:45] in our community is so critical and to have to be trying to just stumble through this week

[30:55] after week.

[31:01] It's not working. It's not working

[31:07] and it's not fair to anybody who's involved

[31:12] right now.

[31:16] I really want to say thank you to all of you who are reaching out, who are providing

[31:21] your support, who are working your your jobs in this job now. We all share that drive that passion

[31:36] for the people in our community and we all are spending so many hours and it's so heartbreaking

[31:46] to see how hard folks in our community are working to try to make this better.

[31:57] So thank you all so very much. I really appreciate everything you're doing, the extra hours you're

[32:05] spending, the effort you're spending to train our staff to work with our staff to try to

[32:13] do everything that you know how that you've all experienced in your time to make this a

[32:20] better situation.

[32:28] Supervisor Patterson, it's not working. It's not working.

[32:38] Anybody else?

[32:43] So we have a motion in a second regarding the budget and appropriation ordinance, can you please call the role?

[32:55] Board member Kiles?

[32:56] Yeah.

[32:57] Pianfetti?

[32:58] Yes.

[32:59] Pollock?

[33:00] Yes.

[33:01] Shannon? Yes.

[33:02] Williams? Yes.

[33:03] Clayborne? Yes.

[33:04] Former?

[33:05] Yes.

[33:05] Gladney?

[33:07] Nope.

[33:07] Chairperson, fine.

[33:13] Yes.

[33:16] Sumotion passes 8 to 1. The annual budget and appropriation ordinance is approved. We are now

[33:26] at the point for general audience participation if anyone wishes to address the town board

[33:33] please step forward. State your name and city of residents. Please limit your comments to five minutes

[33:38] Well, what?

[33:42] Okay, you're seeing none, or are there any, Tom,

[33:45] oh, do we have somebody

[33:51] up just to the microphone, yeah?

[33:54] This is the last chance to speak in the meeting.

[33:57] It is.

[33:59] My name is Michael Kramer, I live in Champagne, Illinois,

[34:02] and I address you all as a group.

[34:04] I don't know who did what.

[34:05] It seems that you find folks with Erid somewhat.

[34:07] You were given a windfall with the Arphamani, a one-time windfall.

[34:11] And you chose to spend part of that money on the shelter,

[34:13] Funding or recurring expense for the one-time gift was an error.

[34:17] You are further by choosing to make the shelter a low barrier shelter.

[34:21] A shelter that does not explicitly discourage homelessness, the beliefs the people at shelters

[34:25] have are right to self-determination and behave how they feel and can come back to many times as they like.

[34:31] There's a shelter that implicitly encourages homelessness.

[34:34] The data backs the site.

[34:36] There were 137 homeless people in January, 22.

[34:40] to 215 and 23 to 79 and 224, 355 and 225, so 2.5 times more give or take.

[34:48] The shelter that does not explicitly require sobriety abstinence and law abiding behavior implicitly

[34:54] encourages the societal rots of addiction and criminality.

[34:57] Ask a tree, ask a tooth, ask a gangreness wound, they will all tell you the same thing,

[35:02] rots spreads, which is why the viaduct is now closed.

[35:05] Low area shelters are a cause to disguise the secure, it was a grave area error to open one here.

[35:12] You heard furthers still by attempting to fund the shelter with a property tax increase.

[35:16] When owners already don't like paying property taxes, what alone paying roughly 7 times what they were paying to support a program that is likely to lower property values.

[35:25] So the first referendum didn't pass and rather than taking that loss as the unsuttle hint it was,

[35:30] You chose to ask for the same thing again and pailed again. The gravest error of all even the

[35:35] panhandlers around here know you only ask once. No means no. Now that you know, you have

[35:41] aired and how you have aired, I humbly intrigued you to air no further. Let it close. Thank you.

[35:49] Thank you, sir. Anyone else who wishes to speak to the town board please step forward. Stay

[35:53] your name and the city of residence.

[35:57] Good evening.

[36:00] Good evening. My name is Claudia Lanhoff and I'm

[36:02] executive director at Champaign County Health Care Consumers, I reside in Urbana, and I just

[36:10] wanted to talk about one scenario that we see a lot with our clients, including our clients

[36:18] at strides. So part of the work that our organization does is we help people apply for disability

[36:27] benefits. So that's SSDI and SSI. People who don't have enough of a work history might not

[36:36] qualify for SSDI, which the benefit is based on their earnings. So instead they will qualify

[36:43] for SSI. And SSI income, if nothing is deducted, is 1967 a month. So we have people in this

[36:56] community who have incomes but who are homeless because they cannot overcome the barriers,

[37:05] the financial barriers to housing.

[37:09] And that can include that they can't raise a deposit and first month's rent or deposit

[37:15] first month and last month's rent depending on what landlords are asking for.

[37:20] They might not even be able to pay for the application fees that they have to pay in order

[37:26] to even be considered to live somewhere.

[37:28] So I'm additional ba-

[37:30] In the world of finance could be credit scores, even for so-called affordable apartments, there are often minimum credit scores that are required, or, and, or I should say, there can also be income to rent ratios that are required.

[37:53] And so if somebody, by some miracle, finds a place to live that might be $600 a month,

[38:04] there can still be an income to rent ratio requirement, and they will never get that apartment.

[38:13] And it's getting worse.

[38:15] It's getting harder as cost of housing is going up.

[38:19] And the only reason that I mentioned this right now is in the event that any landlords are paying attention to this

[38:27] and want to help and be part of the solution and what is so heartbreaking is that when we help people qualify for disability

[38:35] like SSI, for example, they can also qualify for other benefits that can help reduce their out-of-pocket expenses

[38:45] And they might well be able to keep up with their rent if they're just given an opportunity.

[38:54] And, okay, I don't know what's going to happen at the federal level with SSI.

[38:58] That's a real concern right now.

[39:01] But let's set that aside.

[39:04] And just, you know, it's important for people to know that usually once somebody qualifies for disability,

[39:09] whether SSDI or SSI, they have that income.

[39:14] It's guaranteed income, it's not like an employment situation that can be unstable, where they might lose their employment, lose their income, fall behind on their rent.

[39:25] You know, and we do our best to support our clients.

[39:28] But I can tell you that there are people at the shelter who are eager to be housed, who have SSI income.

[39:35] We've helped them get that income, we've helped them get approved for that.

[39:39] But the struggle is helping them move on to housing.

[39:43] Unfortunately, the housing authority has stepped up to help several of us have gotten grants,

[39:48] and we're going to be working to try to use those funds to help get people housed.

[39:54] But we're still going to have to work around those barriers that I have described.

[40:00] Additionally, there are also people at the shelter who are elderly, who are elderly.

[40:09] And they should be able to qualify for housing, but there are these same barriers also.

[40:15] So I just wanted to provide that information just sort of as a backdrop for, you know,

[40:23] or maybe a counterpoint in terms of people thinking that people just want to stay in the shelter.

[40:30] Most people want a plan and they want to be able to move on, but they need this help.

[40:35] Thank you for your time.

[40:36] Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to address please support? Good evening.

[40:43] My name is Tammy Little and I am a transitional housing coordinator with our followers.

[40:49] Although I have to admit there's not a whole lot of housing that I can coordinate.

[40:55] There is lack of funds.

[40:59] And just like the former speaker said, there is the lack of being able to even afford,

[41:08] you know, like she said, I have many clients who just get the 900 after paying rent.

[41:16] They have nothing.

[41:19] So I want to speak about the collaboration that Ms. Charlene Murray has had with first followers

[41:26] some of our clients. I don't know if you heard the story before, but we had a client that

[41:32] was released from the Department of Corrections at the 41 years of incarceration. He did

[41:38] not choose champagne. They put them on a van and they dropped them off at the NTD bill.

[41:51] So now

[41:56] individual, we did manage to get them a broom, although it just is the perspective. When

[42:05] I saw this broom, I looked at it as a dump. This individual saw it as a paradise.

[42:15] So it doesn't take too much, you know, we have to keep in mind that the population that

[42:22] service not up there, but we have to keep in mind that they have paid their debt to society.

[42:31] The Department of Correction releases over 20,000 and maybe even more at this point into

[42:37] the state of Illinois, that's how we get the trickle of back into our community.

[42:44] So now it becomes a community problem.

[42:46] Without this shelter, many of our clients, with some very severe medical issue and not live through it, without the shelter, you know, so we appreciate, you know, and maybe it's not a popular thing, but it does help, it does help, and we do better, yeah, we can certainly do better, but you know, now we got to look at the big,

[43:15] I want to call it ugly bill, okay, where all of these individuals benefits are going to be up, okay?

[43:27] So what are we going to do then? Now they're not going to have a snap program.

[43:32] You know, so then we're looking at the cuts and health care. I personally have had my Medicaid.

[43:41] this continued. I am a senior citizen, even though I think I don't like the thing I

[43:46] I look like one, but I will be 67 years old. And I cannot live, I'm my

[43:56] social security, which I work for practically 50 years. I cannot live. I cannot

[44:03] survive. I can't even imagine if somebody is only getting $900 from a month.

[44:10] How can we expect for any of them to survive off of that in, you know, currently the rent

[44:20] here in the city of Champagne is escalating to a point that if one of our clients'

[44:27] This work is receiving the minimum amount, the minimum wage.

[44:35] They will need to work 80 hours to afford a one-bedroom unit, 80 hours.

[44:46] So we definitely appreciate the resources and the collaboration that we can tap into across

[44:55] the city of Champagne, but we continue to.

[45:00] Fight for a population that is voiceless, so I appreciate y'all listen and have a good.

[45:10] Thank you, is there anyone else? Please step forward for a roll forward.

[45:22] All right.

[45:24] Thank you, Mayor. I'll see you, council.

[45:27] And my name is James Corbin, acronym Tiger.

[45:31] I work with our first followers as well as other organizations do a lot of social impact stuff

[45:39] within the community and I just like to speak on behalf this time of the shelter and the

[45:46] role, the critical role that it play in our community and it wasn't for the shelter like

[45:53] time you see that's not the first time we got individuals like that the shelter has been

[45:59] several times and we would call and say that we'd need, you know, just a

[46:04] cot or bad for individual. It has played a critical role in the re-housing

[46:10] process. Like, you know, there's no way we could put them up in a hotel. Hotel is

[46:16] too high. So, that a shelter allowing that spot where these slots that give me

[46:23] time to get out there and try to find, like Tammy said, somewhere for these

[46:27] videos to go. Now it's not easy, but you know, that's what I do. I get out there, I put

[46:35] a thousand miles on my wheelchair, trying to find this 40s individuals. Sometimes we

[46:43] find it, sometimes we don't. That Taj Mahal that Tammy was talking about, you know,

[46:48] that took a lot of digging. I got an individual now that I'm trying to get out. But if you

[46:54] don't have this, we're looking at a crisis moment, right, that something like this is not

[47:03] provided within the community. There is a, you may, well, we're looking at, there's a,

[47:11] you may think, you know, food and shelters and assess a community that don't have these

[47:15] things, and what does that leave us? You know, they don't have just a basic shelter,

[47:20] somewhere that we could say, okay, we could put you there, we could work with you, see

[47:26] we could find something within your price range or even help you find some type of part

[47:31] time job that could help pay for that. But that takes time to do. That takes times and

[47:36] steps to do. But if it wasn't for having this low barrier shelter, I would say that this

[47:45] What first followers do is impossible in a lot of weight that there's this co-dependency right now that

[47:54] We got to have it and I could I could tell you a case, you know like I said, but I'm not going to repeat myself

[48:04] I just want you know put that on your heart and your mind to kind of think about

[48:09] Where's just going in the community and what is this saying about a community that don't have this type of

[48:15] service for a basic citizen and I'll leave it there and I thank you.

[48:23] Thank you, is there anyone else?

[48:35] I just want to circle back one more time and I'm hearing tonight and over the past several

[48:40] weeks, two pretty significant things are very clear to me.

[48:43] One, there's a need for a shelter in our community, a low barrier type shelter.

[48:49] It needs some changes to work better.

[48:53] Number one, and I'm concerned that what is happening in the rest of the world and our economy and things to come, none of us can predict the future, but we're concerned that there may even be more need and demand for this type of service in our community and communities around us.

[49:10] The second thing that is loud and clear is there's a significant frustration.

[49:15] by all of you and many of us in the room with the way the shelter has been operating,

[49:23] challenges with the township and we hear that. We've been very clear with the supervisor

[49:29] about our frustrations and like I said, we've asked some really tough questions.

[49:33] But at the end of the day, we need this. So I guess what I'm asking, just a personal, personal plea.

[49:40] If this board determines that a shelter should not remain under the umbrella of the township,

[49:48] please know that there are people who want to come to the table and work with you to figure it out.

[49:55] I just, I can't say that enough. We don't have magic answers. We have a lot of ideas.

[50:00] And I feel confident that if we throw all these ideas in our salad spinner and spin it around together,

[50:05] we can come out with something doable for our community.

[50:10] So I just ask that you consider that.

[50:15] Again, if you determine the shelter should not be here,

[50:18] it also should not remain the sole responsibility

[50:21] of the city of Champaign or the city of Champaign Township.

[50:25] This is a community-wide issue.

[50:28] And part of this group that has come to support the township

[50:32] right now, like I said, where if it's not meant

[50:34] to be here at Township, and it should be someplace else operated by someone else.

[50:39] We're willing to entertain those conversations, right?

[50:42] We just need to maintain a shelter in our community.

[50:46] And it's not the sole responsibility of this entity.

[50:50] It is a community-wide issue.

[50:52] It's for the health and well-being of our community.

[50:54] And I think we're happy to help take that message out into the broader community as well.

[50:59] So just recognize that we don't feel like all the answers and all the responsibility

[51:03] live right here. So just know that as you look at options forward and what role you want

[51:09] the township to play in this there are other partners in the community willing to come to the

[51:15] table and help solve the problem. So I just wanted to express that one more time that I'm confident

[51:21] we can come to some good solutions together. Thank you very much. Thank you, is there anyone else? Please

[51:28] up forward. State your name and city resident.

[51:34] Pretty tall huh. My name is Lee Kelly and I am a resident of

[51:39] soy. But as the lady just state of before me, this is a problem for

[51:46] our entire community, regardless of champion or being a

[51:50] this is something that we have to address. It's not the stride,

[51:55] that is the problem. I do believe it's the leadership.

[51:58] I work in the mental health and substance and this has been something that has been addressed

[52:05] or looked at for her.

[52:08] As a citizen, we come up with solutions, we think about things, we complain, but we want to

[52:14] be proactive in the resolution of this crop.

[52:18] I do believe there is a need for the strides, a little barriers, absolutely, but I also know

[52:24] this is a larger problem for our community and that we need to think beyond the shelter.

[52:30] And start looking at affordable housing and what that looks like and where we can place it.

[52:36] I do believe that we should have a full office program for the unhapped and our unhapped veterans.

[52:43] There are so many unlavery day, individually, along with a few volunteers, Anita Gay, who was also here represented and in social work.

[52:53] We've fed together over 163 unhapped individuals on our own.

[52:59] No support, no collaboration other than with the legion that allowed us to use their facilities as the baits to see the individuals come up for them to talk about their concerns.

[53:13] They're housing issues.

[53:15] It was heartbreaking, but it was also informed.

[53:18] People are not out here because they want to be on the street.

[53:21] They are out here because they...

[53:23] And there are so many young persons that live in this hand that are unhappened, and it's very unfortunate.

[53:32] But as a solution, I would love to work collaboratively with the city and any other organization in this town to come up with the solution.

[53:41] I have a very different that works for the City in Bloomington and gave me a proposal to

[53:49] present when it is to the City regarding our unhappiness.

[53:55] But it needs to be full scope.

[53:57] It needs to be, I know that strides offers counseling and case management, but that needs

[54:04] to be in luck.

[54:05] that needs to be, we are not servicing the population that we have in this, at our best

[54:12] level, best practice. That's not that. And that's what I see it stride. The population is

[54:20] uncontained. They're wondering, they're looking for things to do when that shows. Moses and

[54:25] therefore, you get the vacancies, right? When are spring summer fall? It happens. And we need

[54:32] find a way to restructure strides but also look for permanent housing as well and then come

[54:40] up with a full-skilled plant that would help everyone involved. Working collaboratively with

[54:47] the strides with other resources in town, we have Rose, Brands, we have Promise, those things,

[54:55] and they also assist. But knowing that there are financial barriers for most, they don't have

[55:01] They are struggling to get identification and just the small things that would allow them to start to

[55:10] to make changes in their life, to be a productive citizen.

[55:14] So I, as the young lady that spoke prior, I would love to work with the city and collaborate with

[55:22] on some projects and then give my spend and let you see what I have come up with as a proposal.

[55:29] Thank you.

[55:30] Thank you, sir. Anyone else?

[55:35] Seeing none any town board comments, town board member gladney?

[55:40] Yes, thank you.

[55:44] So I'm trying to find the best way to frame this. So I've got to know on this,

[55:49] but I want to be clear. It's not because I don't believe in the mission of the township.

[55:54] I don't believe in the mission of strides. That's not the case.

[56:01] Honestly, I'm just angry.

[56:05] It's one of the reasons I didn't speak earlier,

[56:07] because sometimes you say things when you're angry.

[56:12] And also, look, philosophically, I also am concerned about putting anger out into the world.

[56:20] There's already enough angry people out there.

[56:24] So I'm trying to temper my comments here, I guess weeks and months of this, weeks and

[56:33] months of us requesting information, not having answers immediately available, requesting information

[56:41] again, and then again, and then finally getting it or kind of getting it, but also

[56:50] making it clear that, you know, we don't want things given to us at the last second.

[56:57] I mean, our township board meetings and council meetings are agendas for those and all

[57:03] different. Those are made available to us by our city staff the week before the meeting.

[57:07] That gives us time to take it in and, you know, contact people if we have questions, that

[57:13] And I think, this strides of issuing benchmarks, I mean, this has got a lot of stuff

[57:19] in it, and it's ambitious, and I have opinions on it,

[57:27] but getting this to us three hours

[57:28] before our meeting, I think, is unacceptable, and it's so frustrating, because it's not

[57:36] Like we haven't made clear, we don't want this kind of thing.

[57:44] Or we don't want it two, three hours before we have to talk about it and vote on it.

[57:56] So yeah, and I also want to think the folks in the community who have been working not only

[58:01] with the township but also just on this issue because it's it's has been one of our biggest issues

[58:10] it's becoming bigger and it's only going to unfortunately I think it's only going to kind of grow.

[58:17] And finally

[58:20] I'm just this is a personal thing it's this has really been a stressful issue for

[58:24] me while we've been you know it's been escalating but I have to say I feel a little guilty for feeling

[58:32] stress because at least I have a job and at least I have a permanent roof over my head.

[58:39] So I could be stressing a lot more.

[58:44] So you know for the folks out there who are of trouble and or unhoused and homeless, you

[58:51] are not forgotten and we are going to do what we can and hopefully it's enough.

[58:59] I don't know, uh, Deputy Mayor.

[59:06] You know, what, no, no, it's, it's, it's good.

[59:09] I've been drinking in my energy drink and I'm cool.

[59:11] I'm really, I, I, you know, like, you know.

[59:14] Um, I, so I, all of the comments that have been, uh,

[59:21] talked about the frustration and stress, um, uh,

[59:25] have been said enough.

[59:26] So I may say a little of that, but not, um,

[59:30] repeat. I think one of the things that I would say to the

[59:36] township supervisor,

[59:40] I'm not, I would look forward to in your

[59:45] supervisor comments to close the gap on where the gap is in the

[59:50] communication. Like, like, I'm not going to lie to you. If I were you,

[59:56] I would be talking to every township.

[1:00:00] Board member, but I was specifically talking to the township board members that, because a lot of the work that's being done is done, but there's a communication gap, and I don't know where to get, well, wait, I don't know why to get because, because I would want to talk about the positive things that at least a plan moving forward.

[1:00:21] And that's what I'm excited about for the,

[1:00:26] I gotta make sure I say this right,

[1:00:27] the city of Champagne Township.

[1:00:29] As well as the city of Champagne,

[1:00:31] because we've been talking about this for weeks and months

[1:00:34] and while it's been frustrating and it has,

[1:00:37] the reality is we're not talking about it in January or February,

[1:00:41] we're literally pushing the conversation

[1:00:42] so that we can get some type of,

[1:00:46] some type of a plan wrapped around this

[1:00:50] And yes, I do recognize that we're looking

[1:00:55] for commentary from Township Supervisor.

[1:01:00] I mean, you understand that, you're the Township Supervisor.

[1:01:02] But I want to stress that this shows our commitment to what

[1:01:13] we said we would be committed to.

[1:01:16] I was looking forward to hearing more about the vision because we're going into goal setting

[1:01:25] next week and so what I was looking forward to tonight was kind of like not just the budget

[1:01:31] but I was looking forward to more so a somewhat of a vision for what we would be for what

[1:01:40] strides could look like and I recognize this is a part of the vision but I looking forward

[1:01:45] I was looking forward to more so, you know, let's fifth Tuesday, I don't know about child.

[1:01:49] If fifth Tuesday, it's special Tuesday, you know, fifth Tuesday, you know, they come, you know,

[1:01:54] they're so often, and so I was looking forward more to a probably more of a robust discussion

[1:02:01] and that gets into what I was looking forward in for October 14th.

[1:02:08] I'm looking forward to not just a update,

[1:02:12] I'm literally looking for a full blown out,

[1:02:17] if we're gonna have special meetings

[1:02:19] in additional meetings.

[1:02:21] I'm looking forward to a full blown out discussion

[1:02:26] on, I mean, we could talk about strides,

[1:02:28] we could talk about the township holistically,

[1:02:31] but I'm looking forward to a repositioning of chairs.

[1:02:34] Like, maybe there's some people in front and we have a full-out discussion so that we can...

[1:02:44] So now that frustration and we can close those gaps.

[1:02:48] But people are frustrated. Like right now we don't need to be frustrated.

[1:02:51] There's enough frustration out as already talked about and discussed.

[1:02:54] We need to be using our...

[1:02:56] We need to be in critical thinking mode.

[1:02:59] We need to be fired up and ready to go because we have some things we've got to close.

[1:03:07] That's not a good word.

[1:03:09] We have some gaps we have to close.

[1:03:12] We've got to understand what's going on in February.

[1:03:16] We've got to understand that.

[1:03:18] We've got to understand that.

[1:03:19] And if we're going to have the meetings, then now we've evolved from having meetings to

[1:03:25] Now let's have updates, let's have discussion, like full blown out, like, you know, I feel

[1:03:32] like tonight, you know, I'm not a, I'm typically a humble person, but I do have a sense

[1:03:39] of pride tonight, it's your Michael Jordan moment.

[1:03:41] I, if people were talking and saying things about what, I would literally be putting out some

[1:03:47] explanations and really saying, hey, you know, this is what's going on, this is what's happening.

[1:03:52] I wouldn't leave us out there tonight as if you're not working.

[1:03:57] You're not communicating great, but I would be, this would be my Michael Jordan moment.

[1:04:04] Kobe Bryant, if you're LeBron James fan, LeBron James, but my last, if I said anything

[1:04:10] that was number one, I want to thank everyone that's been meeting, but October 14th, I wish

[1:04:18] we would have had it tonight. That's what I was really looking for too, because go

[1:04:23] setting it's next week. But October 14th, I'm really looking for a really robust

[1:04:34] discussion as opposed to just general updates, where we're actually going.

[1:04:43] That would

[1:04:43] be my comments for tonight. And look forward to what we will be discussing

[1:04:48] that to over 14th.

[1:04:49] Anyone else?

[1:04:51] Council member, Paul it.

[1:04:53] Down board member, Paul it.

[1:04:55] No, thank you.

[1:04:58] T. Yes, and what you just said,

[1:05:01] I'm not looking forward to October 14th.

[1:05:02] I'm looking forward to October 10th.

[1:05:04] I hope that October 10th sees my inbox blessed

[1:05:07] with all the paperwork that we're going to be discussing

[1:05:09] on Tuesday.

[1:05:12] I, again, I don't want to complain.

[1:05:13] I know I asked for it.

[1:05:14] I know I literally went door to door around my neighborhood

[1:05:17] and ask people to let me do this but I only want to keep that in mind before I come up

[1:05:20] very complaint. I ask for this. I know. But I think this is a very interesting document.

[1:05:27] I'm going to keep reading it. I got the chance to read a little bit before this. I'm excited to learn

[1:05:31] more. I'm glad we have it. I thank everybody in the crowd that worked very hard to make this possible.

[1:05:38] But I'm really excited to keep making positive steps. So I hope we can do that.

[1:05:43] Councilman Machana?

[1:05:46] I just wanted to make clear that A, I think everyone on this board cares deeply about

[1:05:53] everyone in the community and particularly our homeless population.

[1:06:00] We have spoken extensively, maybe more at the city council meetings than the township meetings

[1:06:06] about the housing crisis, and this board and our staff are

[1:06:12] acutely aware of the housing crisis in this community and

[1:06:17] are working to find solutions on multiple fronts.

[1:06:23] But finally, I really do want to say that our homeless

[1:06:30] community members are people. They are not rot.

[1:06:34] It's really important to keep in mind that they are human beings and we all need food and shelter.

[1:06:43] We are arguing about the ways to provide it, but these are human beings who deserve our grace and care.

[1:06:53] And what else?

[1:06:56] I wanted to say just a couple of things. One is, I'm glad that you have an executive director and my comments in no way are reflective of that choice to hire Shirley and to do that job, but I am concerned at the idea that

[1:07:24] we're not going to have the job she was doing previously because we're not going to

[1:07:30] Anyone to fill that, although she is going to run the whole thing and maybe still do that job.

[1:07:36] I mean, realistically, this is a shelter that needs way more staff than what we have.

[1:07:46] I realize we're working within the budget that we currently have available to us.

[1:07:53] but we cannot expect and continue to expect our staff to live, breathe, and do nothing, but

[1:08:07] shelter work, pay them very little, and think that we're going to always have awesome outcomes,

[1:08:15] and nobody's going to burn out, and we're never going to have any problems. So, I realize this

[1:08:21] an interim step. I'm saying it out loud, though, because I just don't think it's a long-term

[1:08:27] realistic plan. And so I want to say that.

[1:08:36] I also want to also go on record that we have to

[1:08:40] have a study session. We have to have a study session. It's not, yeah, I think I'm going to

[1:08:51] discussion of all of these issues, we have to have answers to the questions we've

[1:08:57] been asking for months and months and months and we have to start working

[1:09:01] together as a board and a supervisor because ultimately we do approve the budget.

[1:09:14] So, yes, the supervisor has the authority to hire and fire and do whatever they want

[1:09:19] without having to get town board approval,

[1:09:23] but we could just say,

[1:09:25] you know, we're not gonna pay for that.

[1:09:28] And then we're at longer heads.

[1:09:31] And I don't think we're gonna do that

[1:09:34] because like everybody says,

[1:09:36] we want the shelter, we want to care for people,

[1:09:41] but we have to be included in this decision-making.

[1:09:44] We have big things going on.

[1:09:47] And we have to be a part of that planning.

[1:09:52] No disrespect to the people who are doing all the heavy lifting right now.

[1:09:56] Please keep doing it.

[1:09:58] We need all of you.

[1:10:01] But it doesn't happen without our vote, so we've got to be brought in on the process.

[1:10:10] And I love the idea that Bloomington may be doing something interesting that we can use.

[1:10:15] I will say for like the gazillionth time, the city of Rockford has a, I think it's vision

[1:10:25] zero.

[1:10:26] I always say it wrong, because vision zero is maybe the bike and walking thing and this

[1:10:32] is named something slightly different, but I have connected the township to the people

[1:10:38] who are doing that work in Rockford multiple times.

[1:10:42] We've never reached out and asked them to meet.

[1:10:46] We've never gone to visit with them.

[1:10:48] We've never followed through.

[1:10:50] And this is two years in, or three years in.

[1:10:57] Again, there are lots of opportunities,

[1:11:00] lots of cities that are doing this really well,

[1:11:03] who have a long range planning to tackle these issues,

[1:11:08] and to really help people, not just provide

[1:11:12] shelter which I get, there is a space for and that people need, but to also try to provide

[1:11:20] the services that help to help people who are able to move from homelessness or addiction

[1:11:28] or any number of different things. And we're not following through on any of those things.

[1:11:36] So, I need to start seeing, I need to start seeing all of that.

[1:11:42] I think it's all really important and we need to, you know, Mr. Miller comes and says,

[1:11:52] we need a homeless to sum it and he's bright and whether that's through a study session

[1:11:58] or whatever it is, we've got to start getting at the issues that are going to solve.

[1:12:05] this problem, so supervisor, it's your turn.

[1:12:12] Do you have anything you wish to add?

[1:12:15] No, I'll be brief.

[1:12:18] I just want to thank you guys for passing this budget.

[1:12:20] I know this has been a difficult process.

[1:12:22] I apologize for that.

[1:12:23] I take responsibility for that.

[1:12:25] Thank you for everybody in the community.

[1:12:27] He came out to support strikes tonight.

[1:12:30] Particularly the people who have been working with us.

[1:12:33] very hard on figuring out this very difficult issue and I want to apologize again for

[1:12:41] the lateness of this given you guys this proposal and I think it would be a very good

[1:12:49] topic for a study session and I will communicate with the city manager's office about, you

[1:12:55] know, when the right time you might be for that.

[1:13:02] You have passed your time, right? I'll let you talk again. What do you need?

[1:13:06] Yeah, but I think that it's just, I thank you, Madam Chair. Chair, Chair, person.

[1:13:19] But so

[1:13:27] the more so what I was hoping that we would say is that if today is October 1st,

[1:13:37] I've told her first Tuesday, but I was hoping to hear, and I can't make you say it, but when

[1:13:46] I was hoping more so to hear, was that we would start getting communications, because

[1:13:52] as we talked about well, this is the township, there are a lot of people talking right

[1:14:00] now, and there's some critical conversation that we're going to have during our goal setting,

[1:14:04] And so it would be important to have somewhat more of a vision or not just more communication,

[1:14:13] more conversation, more discussion, more phone calls, starting this week.

[1:14:18] And then when I was hoping we're looking forward to hearing, was that we would just have

[1:14:24] the study session that you would say that we are going to have a study session in our next

[1:14:30] special meeting. So instead of us just meeting, that we would really, that we would, I mean,

[1:14:36] this is a special meeting. So we wouldn't just be meeting just to meet. We would actually

[1:14:42] be meeting to discuss the vision that we're going to have. And lastly,

[1:14:50] you know, I mean,

[1:14:51] I guess it's the politically correct thing to do to take accountability responsibility and

[1:14:58] Apologize

[1:15:01] But in my thought process, it's really not about, I mean, the apology is about the execution.

[1:15:10] And so what I was looking forward in the commentary, and maybe this is a redo, is that October, that we're going to get communication, starting, what you have,

[1:15:22] because this could have been communicated.

[1:15:25] It's a lot of great things in here.

[1:15:27] A lot of great things for consideration.

[1:15:28] I know you're doing things behind the scene.

[1:15:30] I know people are doing things behind the scene.

[1:15:33] And then October 10th, or whenever prior,

[1:15:37] as early as possible, not waiting

[1:15:38] to October 10th to update or give updates,

[1:15:42] literally like, hey, we've got something on a docket.

[1:15:48] I mean, October 14th is a scheduled meeting.

[1:15:52] So, that's what I was looking forward to more so hearing is that we were having a study session ASAP.

[1:16:02] Anyone else?

[1:16:03] Supervisor, anything?

[1:16:06] All right.

[1:16:09] Chairperson Biden, I move me to adjourn.

[1:16:12] Remotion in a second, all those in favor of signify by saying aye.

[1:16:16] Aye.

[1:16:17] Opposed same sign.

[1:16:18] Motion carries.

[1:16:19] We are adjourned.

City of Champaign Township Meeting - 9/30/25

Transcript