URBANA -- County board Democrats unanimously rejected a proposed map of county board districts, effective with the November 2012 election, that had been recommended by the county's independent redistricting commission.

It is now, almost literally, back to the drawing board for the 11-member commission that is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. today.

The board turned down the map Tuesday night in a 15-12 straight party-line vote at a committee of the whole meeting. All 15 "no" votes came from Democrats; all 12 "yes" votes came from Republicans.

In a second vote, the board voted 20-7 that the redistricting commission offer the county board "multiple" new maps by the end of its May 16 meeting, that the maps not divide municipalities more than their population warrants (specifically aimed at preventing Urbana from being split into more than four districts), and that the creation of minority-majority and minority-influenced districts should be the highest priority.

The chairman of the redistricting commission, University of Illinois Professor Rick Winkel, attended the meeting but did not address the board.

After the meeting, Winkel said he did not object to the county board's action.

"I'm pleased with the constructive approach," said Winkel, a former state legislator and now a member of the faculty at the UI's Institute of Government and Public Affairs. "We'll certainly look at the guidelines that have been sent to us. And we'll certainly take into account any legitimate criticism."

Winkel said he still is still committed to the county's independent map-drawing project.

"This is the right thing to do. What it all boils down to is whether you do a nonpartisan map where voters truly get to choose their representatives, or you do a partisan map where representatives choose their voters. That's what's at stake and it's worth the fight."

The map that had been forwarded by the commission, known as Plan 1E Revision 1, was hit by Democrats for a number of reasons, particularly that it gave too little influence to minorities and that it split Urbana into five of the 11 county board districts.

Meanwhile, with little discussion and by a vote of 18-9, the board approved an agreement with the cities of Urbana and Champaign for the design, land acquisition and construction of the North Lincoln Avenue portion of the long-discussed Olympian Drive project. The "no" votes came from rural Republicans Ron Bensyl, Stan James, John Jay, Diane Michaels, Steve Moser, Larry Sapp and Aaron Esry, and Champaign Democrats Alan Kurtz and Pattsi Petrie.

The agreement calls for a realigned North Lincoln Avenue to be built between Interstate 74 and Olympian Drive along what is now called a "purple" corridor. The estimated cost of the Lincoln Avenue work is $3.6 million, with $1.4 million in federal funds and another $1.1 million each from the city of Urbana and Champaign County. Construction is slated to begin in 2015.

In other action, county officials believe they won't have to cover the estimated $20,000 cost to repair and replace a decorative piece that blew off the top of the courthouse clock tower last month.

Alan Reinhart, the county's facilities director, said that a finial on the courthouse tower came down as a result of high winds, not a lightning strike.

"We're going to do the best we can to make sure it doesn't happen again," said Reinhart.

The board also approved a recreation and entertainment license for East Central Illinois ABATE Inc. to hold a live music and motorycle festival June 3-5 at the Rolling Hills Campground in rural Penfield.