Mental Health Center CEO Asks Champaign Council to Reconsider Grant

The head of a local agency overseeing a federally funded project to curb underage drinking among Champaign-Urbana college students is asking the Champaign City Council to reconsider its decision to refuse its share of the funding.

The City Council rejected the money on a five to four vote two weeks ago. CEO Sheila Ferguson of the Mental Health Center of Champaign County wasn't at that meeting. And on Tuesday night, she apologized to council members for not doing the best job of explaining the program, which also involves U of I, Urbana and Illinois state police forces, along with Parkland College.

The program would have given Champaign Police about $11,000 a year for three years to enforce underage drinking laws. In voting "no" two weeks ago, council members said they would be conducting those enforcement measures anyway. And Councilman Tom Bruno criticized the program for not including education along with enforcement efforts. But Ferguson says education is indeed included, in programs run by the Mental Health Center.

"There's things like advertising, pamphlets, brochures, opportunities for public speaking at fraternities, on campus, during Quad Day, things like that, where we'd be focusing on providing education and advocacy efforts tot those groups specifically", says Ferguson.

Ferguson says Champaign Mayor Jerry Schweighart wrote a letter of support for the program in 2008. But in voting to reject the funding two weeks ago, he expressed concerns about federal money being spent at a time of high deficits. The total size of the multi-agency grant is around $120,000 a year for three years. At Tuesday night's council meeting, Schweighart told Ferguson to call his office to discuss ways to bring the grant money back before the Champaign City Council for discussion.