Champaign City Council convened Tuesday night for a regular meeting after last week’s hiatus. The city met to vote on a combined total of fifteen resolutions and ordinances.

Many of the resolutions concerned the approval of services for the infrastructure projects throughout Champaign, including the Washington Street watershed drainage improvements.

Everything on the agenda is fairly routine, said Michael LaDue, district 2 council member.

There was also a resolution authorizing the city manager to purchase recycling collection carts for the multi-family recycling program approved earlier this year.

The resolution was passed 9-0.

A public hearing was held at the beginning of the meeting to discuss the annexation of a property on the northeast corner of Curtis and Staley. Currently, the property is farmland located in Champaign County but not in the city of Champaign, said Lorrie Pearson, land development manager for Champaign.

Developers have proposed the property become part of the city, where it would benefit from infrastructure assistance, LaDue said.

County codes are more relaxed than city codes, LaDue said. He added that they would have to make sure the developers would be in compliance with city rules.

The annexation agreement outlines the potential development on the property including a Christie Clinic, a hotel and retail and office space, said Dorothy David, assistant city manager.

The agreement lays out what the development would look like and how it would be phased out among other things, Pearson said.

She added that the agreement would entitle the property to sanitary sewer service, a service that is only available to properties within the city or that may contract with the city individually.

The public hearing concerning the annexation agreement was an opportunity for the public to ask questions about the property and the implications of its addition.

However, there were no comments from the public. The city council voted 9-0 to approve the agreement.

During the audience participation portion of the meeting, Champaign residents raised concerns over a mural located in downtown Champaign along Carrie’s Antique and Jewelry shop. The mural depicts several caricatures of black people.

Champaign resident Jerome Chambers said the mural is not welcoming and does not represent the city well.

“I don’t get the artwork,” said Patricia Avery, Champaign resident.

Avery said it is not what she wants the reflection of the city to be.

”It’s very distasteful; I understand that art is about perspective but I don’t think that’s the calling card I want our city to represent,” said Will Kyles, district 1 council member.

LaDue said all the council members have seen the images and were all alarmed.

“So much more is expressed in a picture, so much more than a thousand words,” he said.

Council members expressed their distaste for the mural, but did not discuss the possible removal of the artwork.