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.