Rock Island Today

City of Rock Island City Council met Jan. 13.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

1. Call to Order

Mayor Thoms called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. and welcomed everyone.

2. Roll Call

Mayor Thoms asked City Clerk Samantha Gange to call the roll.

Present: Alderpersons Randy Hurt, Randy Tweet, Jenni Swanson, Dylan Parker, Mark Poulos, Bill Healy and Mayor Mike Thoms.

Absent: Alderperson Moses Robinson

Staff: City Manager Todd Thompson, Attorney Leslie Day, City Clerk Samantha Gange, and other City Staff. 3. Public Comment

No one was signed up to speak for public comment.

4. Presentations

a. Housing Needs Assessment Presentation

Community Development Housing Manager Nichole Mata introduced Jeremy Gray with Mosaic Consulting. Mr. Gray explained that Moline, Rock Island and Davenport are all working together on the impediments to fair housing assessment. He said the analysis of impediments focuses on four specific fair housing issues: racial integration and segregation, poverty, access to opportunity and housing need. The City of Rock Island receives approximately $1 million from HUD to address fair housing.

Mr. Gray discussed how they engaged the community and gathered data, which included a housing survey, community meetings, pop-ups, stakeholder interviews and resident focus groups. He noted they collected over 700 responses to the survey. He provided details on areas of concentrated poverty in the City, including specific demographic and poverty data. The four impediments to fair housing were discussed with Council and recommendations were provided.

Next, Jesse Johnson with Points Consulting discussed the housing needs assessment results. He explained that a housing assessment is necessary when considering the balance of housing supply and demand. He provided several graphs that depicted future population trends and housing needs for Rock Island as well as community survey response data and the change in housing prices and income over time.

Mr. Johnson discussed the recommendations, which included community revitalization and affordable housing development; affordable housing and land development programs; property tax abatement and encourage more high-density, low maintenance units in urban cores.

b. Parkway/I-280 Business Redevelopment Project Area Presentation

Mr. Jared Kanallakan with Moran Consulting discussed the Parkway/I-280 Business Redevelopment project and the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district feasibility study. He said the purpose of the study is to determine whether a TIF is appropriate for effective redevelopment of the proposed amended development project area. He noted the proposed amended area encompasses 57 parcels of property. In determining the basis for eligibility, there is a set of qualifying factors that are set forth by the state that must be reviewed. He presented a map of the proposed area and said the amended TIF district qualifies.

Mr. Kanallakan explained the next steps for the new Parkway/1-280 Business District Redevelopment Plan and Project and the amended TIF District. He provided an overview of the timeline and noted after Council passes the ordinance setting the public hearing date and time, a public hearing would be held on March 17, 2025, with the ordinance passed at the April 14, 2025 Council meeting.

5. Adjourn

a. Motion: Motion to adjourn.

VV Voice Vote is needed.

MOTION:

Alderperson Poulos moved to adjourn the meeting; Alderperson Tweet seconded.

VOTE:

Motion PASSED on a 6-0-1 voice vote. Aye: Poulos, Healy, Hurt, Tweet, Swanson, Parker. Nay: None. Absent: Robinson.

The meeting concluded at 6:32 p.m.

https://www.rigov.org/301/Agenda-Minutes