American Rescue Plan Act Listening Session

Join us for a Listening Session sponsored by the City of Urbana from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 5, 2022 in the Urbana City Council Chambers.

No official action will be taken.

There will be a brief introduction followed by an opportunity for public input.

Everyone who wishes to speak is also encouraged to complete a survey, available on our ARPA website accessible via the following link: ccrpc.org/ urbana-arpa

We are interested in hearing more about:

• Which one of the following priorities is/are the most important? 1) Sustainable Infrastructure 2) Human Rights and Social Services 3) Public Health and Safety 4) Adequate and Affordable Housing 5) Economic Recovery and Development.
• What are the outcomes that you would like to see from the use of ARPA funds?
• Do you have specific ideas for funding projects or programs related to the priority areas? 

PUBLIC INPUT

The City of Urbana welcomes Public Input during open meetings of the City Council, the City Council’s Committee of the Whole, City Boards and Commissions, and other City-sponsored meetings. Our goal is to foster respect for the meeting process, and respect for all people participating as members of the public body, City staff, and the general public. The City is required to conduct all business during public meetings. The presiding officer is responsible for conducting those meetings in an orderly and efficient manner.

Public Input will be taken in the following ways:

Email Input

Public comments must be received prior to the closing of the meeting record (at the time of adjournment unless otherwise noted) at the following: citycouncil@urbanaillinois.us. The subject line of the email must include the words “PUBLIC INPUT” and the meeting date. Your email will be sent to all City Council members, the Mayor, City Administrator, and City Clerk. Emailed public comments labeled as such will be incorporated into the public meeting record, with personal identifying information redacted. Copies of emails will be posted after the meeting minutes have been approved.

Written Input

Any member of the public may submit their comments addressed to the members of the public body in writing. If a person wishes their written comments to be included in the record of Public Input for the meeting, the writing should so state. Written comments must be received prior to the closing of the meeting record (at the time of adjournment unless otherwise noted).

Verbal Input

The Council’s complete rules regarding verbal input at public meetings may be found in the Urbana City Code, Chapter 2, Article 1, Section 2-4. Persons wishing to speak should fill out a Comment Card including their name and the topic to be discussed and provide the card to the City Clerk prior to the start of the meeting.

Protocol for Public Input is one of respect for the process of addressing the business of the City. Obscene or profane language, or other conduct that threatens to impede the orderly progress of the business conducted at the meeting is unacceptable.

Public comment shall be limited to no more than five (5) minutes per person. The Public Input portion of the meeting shall total no more than two (2) hours, unless otherwise shortened or extended by majority vote of the public body members present. The presiding officer or the City Clerk or their designee, shall monitor each speaker's use of time and shall notify the speaker when the allotted time has expired. A person may participate and provide Public Input once during a meeting and may not cede time to another person, or split their time if Public Input is held at two (2) or more different times during a meeting. The presiding officer may give priority to those persons who indicate they wish to speak on an agenda item upon which a vote will be taken.

The presiding officer or public body members shall not enter into a dialogue with citizens. Questions from the public body members shall be for clarification purposes only. Public Input shall not be used as a time for problem solving or reacting to comments made but, rather, for hearing citizens for informational purposes only.

In order to maintain the efficient and orderly conduct and progress of the public meeting, the presiding officer of the meeting shall have the authority to raise a point of order and provide a verbal warning to a speaker who engages in the conduct or behavior proscribed under “Verbal Input”. Any member of the public body participating in the meeting may also raise a point of order with the presiding officer and request that they provide a verbal warning to a speaker. If the speaker refuses to cease such conduct or behavior after being warned by the presiding officer, the presiding officer shall have the authority to mute the speaker’s microphone. The presiding officer will inform the speaker that they may send the remainder of their remarks via e-mail to the public body for inclusion in the meeting record.

Accommodation

If an accommodation is needed to participate in a City meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at least 48 hours in advance so that special arrangements can be made using one of the following methods:

• Phone: 217-384-2366
• Email: CityClerk@urbanaillinois.us