City of Champaign » Weekly Activity Reports

Public Works January Service Requests

meadems — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:29:45 +0000

A total of 259 service requests from citizens and City staff were recorded during January 2012 in the Public Works’ Dispatch Office. This was an increase of 48 requests (23%) from the previous month’s count of 211. The chart below tracks the number of requests recorded each day by staff.

The greatest number of calls was received on January 3, the first work day after a long holiday weekend.

The Sewer Section received the greatest number of calls for service at 52 (20%). The Asphalt Section service requests tied with Snow and Ice service related requests at 36 (14%) each. The most frequent request was for pothole repair (32), followed by assistance with sewer backups (27). Coming in third was (17) miscellaneous internal service requests from various City facilities.

Plastic Bag Survey

meadems — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:08:08 +0000

In the first 29 hours, the City has received more than 260 responses to the plastic bag survey, which was made available to the public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 7. The results of this survey will be presented to the City Council as part of a discussion on reducing use of plastic bags on March 13. At this point, the majority of respondents indicate that they believe that either a ban on plastic bags or a minimal fee for use of plastic bags would be preferred over other options for our community.

The survey is available at http://www.mobosurvey.com/sb4ls until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 26. The survey is accessible on any computer or mobile device.

Stormwater Utility Fee Public Meeting on CGTV

meadems — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:05:38 +0000

The stormwater utility fee public meeting was aired live on CGTV Cable Channel 5 at 7 p.m. on February 8, 2012. CGTV will add this program to their scheduled programming until February 28 for citizens who were unable to attend the public meetings.

Kelly Brown Employee for the Month of January

meadems — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:04:06 +0000

Kelly Brown has been recognized as the Professional Standards Division Employee of the Month. Kelly is being recognized for the extra tasks she is taking on in addition to the burden of the overtime at the Front Desk. Kelly is also assisting with researching scheduling and overtime as we work through the issues at the Front Desk. All the Front Desk staff is working hard, and Kelly’s extra work is appreciated.

Tom Petrilli Promoted to Detective

meadems — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:02:19 +0000

Officer Tom Petrilli was promoted to Detective on February 6, 2012. Detective Petrilli has been with the Police Department for ten years.

The City of Champaign is currently accepting applications for “Entry-Level Police Officer” positions

meadems — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:58:13 +0000

Applications must be submitted online and will be accepted through March 2, 2012 at 4:00 PM. The application fee is $25. However, waivers will be granted to income-eligible applicants.

Please visit www.champaignpolice.com to apply. Click on the “Jobs” tab to access the online hiring center and obtain more information.

Come and join a diverse force of men and women dedicated to serving our community!

The City of Champaign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Champaign-Urbana Ranked #8 in Bicycling & Pedestrian Report

meadems — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:51:57 +0000

A new report issued by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy entitled “Active Transportation: Beyond Urban Centers, Walking and Bicycling in Small Towns and Rural America” designated the C-U area as #8 among all cities in the nation. This is an impressive accomplishment for our community.

Besides Champaign-Urbana ranking #8 there are several interesting quotes included in the report: “In Billings—and I think throughout the country – there has been a paradigm shift. Trails are no longer viewed as community amenities: they’re truly viewed as an essential infrastructure for business recruitment.” (CEO, Billings, Montana, Chamber of Commerce)

The entire report can be found at: http://www.railstotrails.org/resources/flipbooks/2012_bucreport/buc_report.html#/1/

Fitch Affirms City’s AAA Debt Rating

meadems — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:23:51 +0000

Fitch Ratings has affirmed the City’s AAA bond rating. In its press release announcing the rating, Fitch noted the following “key drivers” in its rating decision:

• University Provides Stability

• Diverse Revenue Stream

• Strong Fund Balance

• Solid Management

With respect to the strong fund balance, the press release stated “Fitch believes the city’s high fund balance level is key to maintaining the current rating level given that 50% of general fund revenue is derived from economically sensitive sales taxes.”

The full press release is available on the City’s website at the following link:

Fitch Affirms the City’s Excellent AAA Debt Rating

Police Department Tours and Presentations

meadems — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:21:51 +0000

School Resource Officer Jonathan Westfield represented the Police Department at the University of Illinois Campus Community Connection Resource Spring Semester Expo on January 30 at the Illini Union South Lounge. The Expo connects students with community services and provides useful information to help them better navigate the campus and Champaign-Urbana communities.

Officer Ben Newell will give a tour of a police squad car to a group of children at Next General Preschool on February 2. The class is learning about emergency vehicles.

School Resource Officer Rob Wills will give a tour of the Police Department to a group of K-4 kids from Kids First Daycare on February 3.

CFD’s Y-Fire Intervention Unit Recognized by FEMA

meadems — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:20:46 +0000

U.S. Fire Administration/Federal Emergency Management Agency informed the Champaign Fire Prevention Division that its youthful fire setting intervention program will be one of five in the nation highlighted during a FEMA campaign to bring focus to youth-set fires during Arson Awareness Week in May 2012.

Champaign’s Y-Fire Intervention Unit is managed by Fire and Life Safety Educator/Information Officer Dena Schumacher with two trained operations personnel, FF Randy Smith and Eng. Jay Middendorf, completing the unit. Youth and families receive age-appropriate and interactive education along with techniques to promote a safe home environment and to prevent injuries. The screening and education are provided free of charge.

The other programs highlighted include the State of Florida, the Texas Department of Insurance—State Fire Marshal’s Office, the University of Michigan Trauma Burn Center, and Glendale, Arizona.