Mayor Feinen sits down with Chief Jeff Hamer, ILEAP Director, and Lt. Greg Manzana to discuss the Champaign Police Department’s recent reaccreditation as a Tier 2 department, the highest standard of excellence.In this episode, they talk about: What Tier 2 accreditation means for the Champaign community. How CPD’s policies and procedures meet rigoro…

Join Mayor Feinen on the latest episode of the Mayor Feinen Podcast as she sits down with State Senator Paul Faraci and State Representative Carol Ammons to discuss the vital importance of protecting the Mahomet Aquifer, the region’s primary source of clean drinking water. In this episode, Faraci and Ammons share insights into their recent legislat…

In this episode of The Mayor Feinen Podcast, Mayor Deborah Feinen sits down with Rachel Joy and T.J. Blakeman to discuss a vibrant new initiative that's set to transform Downtown Champaign—The Beat.

Mayor Feinen sits down with Council Member Kathy Shannon and (CU)rbanism Co-Chair Adani Sanchez and they explore the fascinating world of urban planning. Learn how they promote incremental development and affordable housing; advocate for walkable and bikeable cities; and master the art of policy advocacy before City Council.…

Mayor Feinen sits down with Jayne DeLuce, President and CEO of Visit Champaign County, and Trail Co-Chairs Angela M. Rivers, and Dr. Barbara Suggs-Mason to talk about the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail. Using Education and Art, the project celebrates the lives and contributions of African Americans in the Champaign County area.The…

Mayor Feinen talks with Senior Planner Lacey Rains Lowe and Neighborhood Relations Manager John Ruffin about what went into getting the Hedge Pop! Park up and running. The temporary park is the pilot project for the Safe Places, Active Spaces initiative, providing an exciting new neighborhood amenity to our Garden Hills neighbors. At the intersecti…

The Mayors' Monarch Pledge is a commitment by cities to create habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Mayor Feinen talks with Andrew Lamoreux and Leslie Heath from the Public Works Department about the City of Champaign's efforts to incorporate more pollinator-friendly plantings and habitats into City projects. They also talk not on…

The Odyssey Project offers free University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign courses in the humanities to income-eligible adults in our East Central Illinois community. Mayor Feinen talks with Michelle Awad and Alaina Pincus about how the program connects key humanities values and practices to the students lived experiences to help develop a rich unders…

Support for Workforce Training (SWFT) is a short-term workforce training program at Parkland College providing wrap-around academic and career services. In the newest episode, Mayor Feinen talks with SWFT Director Alicia Beck. During their discussion Beck describes the program, gives information on the application process and shares how it has help…

In the latest episode of The Mayor Feinen Podcast, Mayor Feinen talks with the Chamber's President & CEO Laura Weis. Find out how the Chamber has been instrumental in helping local businesses throughout the pandemic, and efforts taken to advocate for Champaign County residents, youth, and businesses.…

Mayor Feinen talks with Terri Reifsteck and Carly McCrory-McKay about the Chambana Welcome Crew, a community ambassador program to recruit and welcome new residents to the Champaign-Urbana area. These ambassadors help make moving to the community less intimidating by providing tips and pointing to resources available to our residents. You can find …

Welcome! Mayor Feinen talks with Jes DeVries, the Director of Immigrant Family Services at the University YMCA New American Welcome Center to talk about this year's Welcoming Week Events. Welcoming Week is a series of events that hope to bring together the US born and immigrant community members. This year’s theme is “Belonging Begins with US.” It …

Mayor Feinen talks with Finance Director Kay Nees about the American Rescue Plan funding for the City of Champaign. They talk about what type of projects the $25 million can be used for and how the public can provide input on the priorities they think should be funded.

Mayor Feinen talks with Sheldon Turner Sr. about Goal Getters, a program that provides academic and behavioral guidance, mentorship, social emotional learning opportunities, family focused activities and positive community experiences to a select group of Unit 4 high school males. They are joined by one of the student participants, Corey Barnes, an…

Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen talks with Julie Pryde (Administrator for the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District) about COVID-19 vaccines and how vaccinations are being administered in Champaign County. For the latest information about the status of COVID vaccinations in Champaign County please visit the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District's we…

Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen talks with representatives from community organizations about some of the social services available to Champaign residents who are affected by the COVID 19 pandemic and how these programs are being funded. The discussion included programs to assist neighbors without addresses, providing healthy food to families in need, a…

Mayor Feinen talks with local economic development leaders about the plans to safely reopen businesses in Champaign and Champaign County - including outdoor dining! Learn about guidelines and resources for businesses that are opening and online sites to provide detailed information.

Mayor Feinen speaks one-on-one with Council Member Tom Bruno about his experiences and observations during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mayor Feinen speaks one-on-one with Council Member Vanna Pianfetti about her experiences and observations during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mayor Feinen speaks one-on-one with Council Member Matt Gladney about his experiences and observations during the COVID-19 outbreak.

City Council Member Angie Brix (District 3) talks about why her job is busier than ever right now, incremental development, the impact of the pandemic on local tourism, and more on a new episode of The Mayor Feinen Podcast.

City Council Member Alicia Beck (District 2) shares her experiences sheltering at home, supporting local businesses, high school seniors, and more on a new episode of The Mayor Feinen Podcast. Available here or listen on your favorite podcast platform.

City of Champaign Mayor Feinen addresses COVID-19 in Champaign County.

The 2020 Census is just around the corner and Mayor Feinen knows Champaign's residents have lots of questions. City Planner Tina Marie Ansong joins Mayor Feinen to discuss the importance of the government Census, how the information is used, the different collection methods being used this year, data privacy, and how to avoid Census-related scams.…