Public Funds

By Jhane Reifsteck— Local farmers markets in Champaign and Urbana, IL have started accepting LINK cards, creating more options for low-income people and families to obtain fresh foods.

CHAMPAIGN — A recent $3 million windfall could help residents who are struggling to pay utility bills this year.

The need for utility help is growing, yet there’s a gap among the few programs that offer assistance.

CHAMPAIGN – A $60 bus pass gets Steve Burgess out of the house and into the world.

To be perfectly honest, “house” isn’t entirely accurate: The unemployed restaurant manager lives in a men’s shelter. His newfound access to public transportation is meant to change that.

URBANA -- Local officials are waiting for word on a federal grant application to help build a high-speed fiber-optic Internet network, but a consultant hired to advise Champaign and Urbana councils thinks the proposed project here is designed too large and will have big problems with capital replacement in 10 years.

At a meeting of the Champaign-Urbana Cable Commission Wednesday, project organizers said there has been extensive questioning by federal officials about a local $28 million big broadband project.

Mike Smeltzer, director of networking for the University of Illinois Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services, told commission members, “We’ve been getting a going-over ... and we see this as hopeful.”

The council unanimously voted to direct the city staff to pursue three options: developing an emergency tenant relocation plan; a housing needs study; and exploring a safety net fund to expand emergency shelter service during the recession.

Kevin Jackson, director of the Champaign neighborhood services department, said all three will be done in partnership with other cities and service providers.

CHAMPAIGN — The proposed city budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 has a line item that is easy to overlook but is worthy of attention.

The fiscal year 2010 budget, released Tuesday, projects spending in the general operating fund, the city´s main account, of $67.5 million.

That´s $2.3 million less in spending than was budgeted for the current fiscal year, and $900,000 less than the city actual expects to spend this year — after the city implemented a hiring freeze and other cost-saving measures last fall.

Reductions in city spending don´t come easily, according to city Finance Director Richard Schnuer. He said the city needs revenue growth of 5 percent annually just to stay even in terms of numbers of employees.