Davenport City Council Meeting - June 25, 2026
Davenport City Council Meeting - June 25, 2026
The Davenport City Council met on June 25, 2026, for a regular meeting. Key items included a monthly finance update, a fire department accreditation resolution postponed for further review, approval of a landscaping contract, and a resolution authorizing a FEMA BRIC grant application for flood mitigation. Public comment addressed allegations related to former city legal counsel.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes of the June 10, 2026 city council meeting.
- Approved the report on the committee of the whole for June 3, 2026.
- Approved appointments to the Historic Preservation Commission (3 reappointments), Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (new and reappointments), and Library Board of Trustees (reappointments and one new appointment).
- Approved a proclamation declaring July 2026 as Parks and Recreation Month and July 17, 2026 as Parks and Recreation Professionals Day.
- Approved the consent agenda (items not requiring separate discussion) unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Judith Lee (2nd Ward) – Commented on the West End flood mitigation project, urging the council to consult the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about hydrology changes and access to Credit Island.
- Cheryl Shagna (3rd Ward) – Alleged that the city and certain council members concealed information regarding secret settlements and the reprimand of a former corporate counsel. She criticized the current corporate counsel's actions during a trial, claiming that a delay in proceedings affected the outcome. She stated that three council members still serving had knowledge of unauthorized checks being cut and urged transparency.
Discussion Items
- Fire Department Standards of Cover (Item 1) – Alderwoman Newton expressed concerns about the resolution approving the Davenport Fire Department's standards of cover for the 2026 accreditation cycle and requested a postponement to allow time to vet those concerns. The Fire Chief noted that the accreditation hearing is scheduled for August 21, 2026, and that a delay could risk deferral of accreditation. After discussion, the council voted unanimously to postpone the item for one cycle (July 2026).
- Landscaping Contract Renewal (Item 2) – Resolution approving a one-year contract renewal with Delft's Landscape and Irrigation for $104,200. Alderwoman Burkholder confirmed the contractor holds all required certifications. Approved unanimously.
- BRIC Grant Application (Item 3) – Resolution authorizing submission of a Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant application to FEMA for the Davenport West End flood mitigation project. Alderman Dunn moved to amend the resolution to correct the grant amounts, increasing the city's local match by $10,249 (total city commitment $2,274,484; total project cost $15,163,224). The amendment passed unanimously, and the amended resolution was approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Postponed: Fire Department Standards of Cover resolution (Item 1) – postponed to the July 2026 meeting cycle to allow further review of concerns.
- Approved: Landscaping contract renewal (Item 2) – $104,200 to Delft's Landscape and Irrigation.
- Approved: BRIC grant application (Item 3) – amended grant amounts approved; city will apply for $11,372,418 federal share, $1,516,322 state share, with $2,274,484 local match.
- Finance Update: CFO Basha Gerlach reported that as of May 31, 2026, major revenues are trending 11.26% above the year-to-date budget ($144M collected vs. $129.5M budgeted). Property taxes are $300,000 below budget, but other revenues (local option sales tax, road use tax, hotel/motel tax) are outperforming. General fund expenditures are at 89% of budget (92% of fiscal year elapsed). Enterprise funds show transit with a $352,000 loss, and River Center and River's Edge continue to face challenges.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I would like to call the city council meeting for Wednesday, June 24th, 2000 or 2026 to order. At this time, we'll have a moment of silence. Thank you. Please rise as Alderman Grip will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. One nation under God. Indivisible with the for all. All right, Brian, could you call the roll, please? Ardun. Vasquez? Holloway. Present. Lenin. Present. Grip. Here. Newton. Here. Blunk. Here. See you done. Here. Job Jen. And Burkholder. Yeah. Done present, Your Honor. All right. Thank you. And good evening and welcome to tonight's city council meeting. Uh, those of you that are here with us in the chambers or watching online or on a mobile device. We welcome you to uh participating in your city government. We value your comments and opinions, and please remember that when you address the council, you are also sharing your thoughts with fellow Davenport residents and viewers throughout the region. City Council meetings are live streamed and recorded for later viewing on the City of Davenport's YouTube channel. We appreciate your engagement in city government and ask that your participation reflects our shared goal of making Davenport an even better place for our residents for those that would visit us, the those at work here, anyone that comes into the city of Davenport. Thank you for being part of tonight's meeting. Before we get beginning just a few reminders, silence any devices that you may have that might make a noise during the meeting. You will have an opportunity to address the city council during the public with business portion of the meeting later this evening. When speaking, please come to the podium. Wait to be recognized by the mayor and address the city council as a whole and not to any one individual. And you will have five minutes to do so. Thank you. Will an alder person move approval of the city council meeting minutes for June 10th, 2026? So move. Second. Motion and second. All in favor say aye. Any opposed, same sign. The minutes are approved. Nicole, is there a city administrative update this evening? Yes, two things.
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