[OccupyCU] NG on last night's county board mtg

[Brian Dolinar]

A zinger from the SA Julia Rietz who said she did "not think there has to
be a token person of color" on the project planning team.
Anybody have anything else to report?

BD

Champaign County Board to request proposals for jails study
Wed, 03/07/2012 - 1:08am | Tom
Kacich<http://www.news-gazette.com/users/tkacich>
[1]

URBANA — After several weeks' delay, the Champaign County Board late
Tuesday night agreed to issue a request for proposals to conduct a
comprehensive assessment of jail needs.

The purpose of the study, to be conducted by a criminal-justice consulting
firm, is to review the county's current and future adult corrections
capacity requirements and the costs associated with either remodeling the
downtown Urbana jail or building an addition to the satellite jail in east
Urbana.

The study could be the first major step in what some county officials hope
is the shuttering of the 32-year-old downtown jail, which is said to have
numerous deficiencies and is inefficient to operate.

Among the numerous amendments to the request for proposals that were voted
on Tuesday night, one would have substituted the entire 27-member county
board for an eight-member project planning team that includes, among
others, the state's attorney, sheriff, jail superintendent and two board
members. That motion failed, 16-7.

Another motion to include a person of color from a minority-influenced
county board district on the eight-member project planning team generated a
brief period of controversy when *State's Attorney Julia Rietz said she did
"not think there has to be a token person of color on the committee."* The
statement prompted an outburst from the few people still in the audience at
11:15 p.m.

It was approved 12-11 with all the "yes" votes coming from Democrats.

Under the timetable approved by the county board in a 5 1/2-hour meeting
Tuesday, the contract would be awarded this summer.

The board also approved the appointment of Jermaine Raymer of Champaign to
the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District board. Raymer, who said in his
appointment-request form that he is daily bus rider, was chosen over Thomas
Shaw, also of Champaign. Both are Republicans, seeking to succeed Al
Anderson, also a Republican.

Three of the 27 board members were absent Tuesday — Republicans Steve Moser
and Max Mitchell and Democrat Brendan McGinty.

-- 
Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
303 W. Locust St.
Urbana, IL 61801
briandolinar at gmail.com
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