Committee of the Whole 6/11

I didn't see any local coverage of last week's Committee of the Whole meeting and the video isn't up on the County Clerk's YouTube page as of yet (it should be here when it's available). The agenda and agenda packet is available here. Amy did the write up for the Champaign County Board Committee of the Whole Meeting 6/11/2019:

Disclaimer: this is the first COW that I’ve attended in 2019, and it is likely that I don’t understand the context of some debates due to missing previous meetings.

Monthly reports were noted as being available for review on their respective Champaign County websites: Treasurer, Auditor, and departments that fall under the purview of Justice and Social Service reports. 

Finance committee took up the majority of the agenda. Interesting items of note during Item VII: Finance, County Executive items 6a and 6b.

During the FY19 General Corporate Fund Budget Projection & Budget Change reports (item 6a), it was announced that Moodys removed the negative outlook and affirmed the County’s AA2 rating.

During 6b, Request for Reimbursement of travel expenses by County Board Member Christopher Stohr for mileage to attend Lincoln Heritage RC&D in Paris, Il. There was a fair amount of discussion over motion to approve this request. If I understood correctly from the back and forth of committee members, the finance committee is working on a policy to address travel reimbursement. They decided that, until the policy is in place, they would approve reimbursements of members who are required to travel outside of the county as part of committee appointment responsibilities. Based on the debate period for this request, it sounds as though a member would rather hold off on reimbursements until the official policy is in place. I received the impression that this discussion has occurred before. It was ultimately approved by voice vote.

During Item VIII: Justice and Social services, new business centered around a discussion of the EMA, with many references to the May pop-up tornado that struck in south Urbana and community reaction to the lack of advanced warning.  References were made to a meeting between some board members, the police, and EMA to discuss what had happened and what might need to happen differently in the future. One Board member mentioned wanting to review policies and procedures. Other board members noted that there is a process for Weather Spotter Certification and that perhaps they could develop a program for locals to obtain this certification.

Item IX on the agenda (Policy, Personnel, & Appointments) was the period of the board meeting with the most debate. New business consisted of the appointments to boards and commissions, which is now under the purview of the County Executive. (See http://www.co.champaign.il.us/CountyExecutive/Appointments.php)

Three appointments/reappointments were on the agenda: Champaign County Forest Preserve District (1 position), Developmental Disabilities Board (2 positions), and County Board of Health (3 positions). When the committee brought forward the first nomination, Board member Fortado requested that the nominations be tabled until the Thursday County Board meeting. As she explained it, there had been discussion at the Committee meeting of presenting the nominations at the COW, then approving the appointments/reappointments at the Board meeting, thereby providing members with additional time to review the applications. McGuire pointed out that this is not the County Board policy; the policy is to process the COW agenda as it is presented. This then led to an extended debate as to whether the appropriate term for the motion was to Table or to Postpone. Some thought Tabling meant that the agenda items remained on the table (agenda) until the next meeting. Others thought that it ended the discussion period and, therefore, the positions would go unfilled. These members believed that Postponement was the appropriate motion, although at that point the Motion to Table had already been raised. In the end, these appointments were tabled by roll call vote during the course of the meeting, then raised before the end of the meeting and approved by roll call vote to place on the agenda at the Thursday Board meeting for a final vote on the decision to appoint. 

The regular County Board meeting is this Thursday (agenda here) with final approval of some of these appointments. The full agenda packet for that meeting is quite large as it includes amended contracts for the new tax assessment system and the Champaign County GIS Consortium. Both are part of the consent agenda (that allows the board to pass uncontested items with unanimous approval).