Rock Island Today

City of East Moline Committee of the Whole met July 1.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

ROLL CALL

Mayor Freeman called the meeting to order and directed the City Clerk Wanda Roberts-Bontz to call the roll. The following Alderpersons were present: Olivia Dorothy, Jeffrey Deppe, Nancy Mulcahey, Adam Guthrie, Rhea Oakes, Lynn Segura, and Jose Rico. 7:00 p.m.

ADDITIONS/CORRECTIONS TO AGENDA

None

Vacant Building Ordinance Proposal (Tim Wymes, Community Development Director)

Attached for the City Council’s consideration is a framework to establish a Vacant Building Ordinance (VBO) for East Moline. Key components of the ordinance discuss the purpose, definitions, guidelines, appeals process, and penalty for failure to comply with the ordinance.

The purpose of the Vacant Building Ordinance (VBO) is to prevent and regulate general nuisances; retain property value, and to maintain the health and public safety for the East Moline community. Vacant properties historically impact communities by absentee owners, crime, illegal dumping, vegetation growth, vandalism, and unsafe structures.

As with most other communities, addressing vacant properties will be challenging for the City of East Moline. Absentee owners purchase commercial and residential properties as stagnant investments properties. Stagnant investment properties come with neglect, broken windows, unsecured/unsafe structures, illegal dumping, vandalism, tenant squatting, and drug activity. Communities in similar situations have implemented VBO ordinances to address the negative impact that vacant properties have on communities.

The vacant building ordinance will require commercial and residential property owners to register all vacant properties with the City of East Moline every 6 months. A registration fee will also be associated with the registration process. Registrations will be filed and kept on record with the Community Development Department. The property owners will be required to submit a registration form with their contact information along with a secondary point of contact who is local to the area. Active registration allows staff to contact property owners in the event of an emergency and nuisance issue.

The VBO ordinance also defines a process that the City of East Moline will enforce the VBO and provides a road map for both staff and property owners on expectations. Registration is a key component of the process. Property owners are not only required to submit contact information, but also a maintenance plan and insurance information for review. Community Development Department staff will be responsible for reviewing the application and making sure it conforms with the VBO. If the applicant does not satisfy the requirement on the application, the director will notify he/her to make the necessary adjustments.

If the applicant does not agree with the director’s ruling, they can make an appeal to the Zoning Appeals Board. The request must be filed within 20 days of the director’s ruling. Once the request has been submitted, staff will be responsible for proper notification and setting the time, date and location of a hearing. Failure to comply with the VBO may result in municipal adjudication through MUNICES Court or the Circuit Court system, which could end in fines or abatement/demotion orders for the property owner.

RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION:

Move forward with VBO and make the necessary adjustments.

A motion was made by Alderperson Dorothy, seconded by Alderperson Deppe to bring back to the Committee of the Whole in the final draft. Upon roll call the following voted in favor: Segura, Rico, Dorothy, Deppe, Mulcahey, Guthrie and Oakes. Motion carried.

The Quarter – Lot 5 TIF Redevelopment Agreement (Mark Rothert, City Administrator)

Revitalize and Develop East Moline, Inc., (REDEEM) is the owner of real estate in the Quarter Addition to the City of East Moline (parcels 08-24-401-002 and 08-24-401-003) (see below map and attached site plan), all in the Port of Call TIF District. B & L Development at The Quarter, LLC, (Developer) is interested in continuing its redevelopment of The Quarter with seven new residential duplex units at a total investment of $2,000,000. This is the fourth phase of the residential development by the Developer and with 14 new residences in this proposed phase, the total number of new residential units in The Quarter increases to 63, with the average sale price around $225,000 per unit. The Developer has a target completion date of January 31, 2028 and has agreed to construct all of the infrastructure required to service the development in accordance with all permits and all applicable City ordinances.

A duplex unit developed in a prior phase created an Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) of approximately $106,000 and $9,200 in TIF increment. When complete, the planned Lot 5 development containing 7 duplex units is therefore estimated to approximately generate $742,000 in new EAV and $64,400 in new TIF increment for the City.

The Developer, however, has advised the City that it is not economically feasible for the Developer to proceed without assistance from both REDEEM and from the City due to the extraordinary costs to be incurred to construct the required infrastructure for this development.

In response to the Developer’s request for assistance, REDEEM is prepared to convey title to the two parcels to the Developer “as is” for a purchase price of Twenty Dollars ($20.00), along with the City also providing tax increment financing incentives. The City will not putting any direct financial assistance upfront to support the project but rather is reimbursing the Developer for their TIF Eligible costs during the life of the TIF.

Therefore, attached for the City Council’s consideration is a TIF redevelopment agreement that outlines how incremental taxes would be distributed between REDEEM and the Developer for reimbursement of Redevelopment Project Costs, as defined by the TIF Act, to support the project. In summary, the City would establish a special tax allocation fund (STAF) into which the City is to deposit Incremental Taxes generated from the Project. Each year during the term of the Agreement, the City shall transfer and deposit 85% of the Incremental Taxes received by the City with respect to the developed parcels into the Subaccount for the Developer. The City will retain 15% of the Incremental Tax for its use in the TIF District. Out of the subaccount, the Developer and REDEEM would be reimbursed as follows:

• 70% to the Developer for eligible Redevelopment Project Costs;

• 30% to REDEEM to reimburse it for the amount equal to the fair market of the Subject Property less

o $10.00 paid by the Developer for each of said Lots ($75,000); and all other eligible Redevelopment Project Costs, as hereinafter defined, incurred by REDEEM in connection with the Project and this Agreement; and

• After REDEEM is reimbursed, all funds deposited in the Developer Subaccount of the STAF shall be paid to Developer until Developer is reimbursed for all eligible Redevelopment Project Costs.

The city’s obligation to reimburse REDEEM and the Developer is payable solely from incremental taxes deposited in the Developer subaccount of the STAF and shall not be secured by the full faith and credit of the City.

Given the nature of this project to further develop residential growth in the Port of Call TIF District and East Moline, staff recommends approval.

RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION: Approval

A motion was made by Alderperson Guthrie, seconded by Alderperson Rico to concur with the recommendation as presented. Upon roll call the following voted in favor Segura, Rico, Dorothy, Deppe, Mulcahey, Guthrie and Oakes. Motion carried.

Destruction of Old Equipment – Police Department (Jeff Ramsey, Chief EMPD)

The Police Department has recently been updating old equipment with new equipment; therefore, the old equipment no longer has any use as it is inoperable, outdated, or expired. Recently new AXON Fleet 3 squad car cameras, a new Decatur solar radar speed trailer, and new AVON gas masks were purchased. With this, the old Panasonic Arbitrator system with squad car cameras, old battery-operated MPH radar speed trailer, and old AVON gas masks were replaced with this new equipment.

The old battery-operated MPH speed trailer (1) is inoperable and over twenty years old, the old AVON gas masks (40) are over twenty years old and expired, and the old Panasonic Arbitrator system with squad car cameras (13) is over ten years old with outdated technology. These items have little to no value in selling them therefore the department is requesting to dispose of all these items through the following methods: e-waste, recycle, and/or scrap.

RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION: Approval destruction of old equipment through e-waste, recycle, or scrap.

A motion was made by Alderperson Oakes, seconded by Alderperson Deppe to concur with the recommendation as presented. Upon roll call the following voted in favor: Segura, Rico, Dorothy, Deppe, Mulcahey, Guthrie and Oakes. Motion carried.

Mayor Freeman requested that as of August 2024 that Alderpersons state name when making a motion or second.

Alderperson Segura requested that Mr. Tim Knanishu introduce his guest.

Mr. Tim Knanishu introduced his Grandson Nico. Mr. Knanishu stated that he comes and spends time with him every year. Mr. Knanishu stated that Nico wanted to see what a City Council Meeting is like and he is involved in leadership training.

Mayor Freeman welcomed Nico to the City Council Meeting tonight.

Alderperson Dorothy thanked Chief Ramsey and Director Wymes as she spent Friday, June 28, 2024 at Municipal Code Enforcement System (MUNICES) with the City Staff, very informative and educational process. Alderperson Dorothy recommended that the City Council should go to a Municipal Code Enforcement System (MUNICES) at least once.

ADJOURMENT:

A motion was made by Alderperson Oakes, seconded by Alderperson Rico to adjourn the Committee-of-the-Whole meeting. A voice vote was taken. Motion carried. 7:17 p.m.

https://www.eastmoline.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_07012024-1031