Moline City Council and Committee-of-the-Whole Meeting - September 29, 2023

The Moline City Council held a Committee-of-the-Whole meeting at 6:00 p.m. and then convened as the City Council on September 29, 2023. The printed agenda is dated September 26, 2023, while the source metadata timestamp for this meeting is 2023-09-29 12:00:00+00:00; this summary uses the metadata date. The Committee received the Visit Quad Cities annual report, heard public comment, acted on special-event and development items, and received informational reports. The City Council then approved a consent agenda, adopted second-reading ordinances and resolutions, advanced four first-reading ordinances, and voted to enter executive session.

Board Appointments (Committee-of-the-Whole)

• Mayor's appointments and reappointments were presented with no questions: Eric VanSpeyBroeck to the Special Service Area #6 Board for a 3-year term expiring September 30, 2026; Andrew Sivertsen to the Moline Centre Main Street Commission for a 3-year term expiring September 30, 2026; and Jeff Dismer, Amanda Augsburger, and Lucie VanHecke to the Public Art Commission for 2-year terms expiring September 30, 2025.
• These appointments were later included in the City Council consent agenda and approved.

Presentation: Visit Quad Cities Annual Report

• Dave Herrell, President and CEO of Visit Quad Cities, presented the annual report. He thanked Moline for its investment and noted the organization is headquartered in downtown Moline.
• He said Visit Quad Cities is accredited by Destinations International, a distinction held by only 200 of more than 800 destinations worldwide.
• He described three entities: Visit Quad Cities, Sports QC powered by Visit Quad Cities, and Quad Cities Destination Inc., a C3 organization formerly known as Friends of the Quad Cities.
• Illinois provides 17% of the organization's operating budget through the LTCB investment program, which supports 37 destination organizations statewide.
• Visitor economy figures: $1.14 billion in 2021, down from about $1.2 billion in 2019; 2022 regional numbers are expected to be announced around October 26, 2023. Rock Island County visitor spending, local taxes, and state taxes were each up by at least 19%.
• Hotel data: about 6,500 hotel rooms across 73 properties, occupancy around 54%, hotel/motel taxes of about $10 million, with FY23 at about $7.7 million.
• Budget: operating revenue of about $2.3 million, expenses of about $2.5 million, a professional staff of 11, and continued deficit spending after the pandemic. He described Visit Quad Cities as being in the bottom 25% of destination marketing organizations by budget.
• Local public-sector investment in FY23 was just over $1.2 million, while the organization averages more than $3 million in direct group business.
• He said the transient occupancy tax collected across jurisdictions is 16%, compared with a 50% national average for destination marketing organizations.
• Using mobile-device data, Visit Quad Cities tracks visitors through 350 points of interest; top origin markets include Chicago, Cedar Rapids, and Des Moines.
• FY24 priorities include a first-ever interlocal agreement and development of a regional destination enterprise.

Public Comments & Testimony (Committee-of-the-Whole)

• Sam Moyer, a Moline resident and chair of the preservation committee for the Moline Housing Council, expressed support for agenda item 16.3, the rental housing inspection program. He said poor rental housing conditions are a frequent concern, residents deserve clean and safe places to live, the proposed fee is fine, and he encouraged council approval.

COW Action Items

• 7.1 Mercado on Fifth Día de los Muertos Parade After-Party (October 28, 2023): Staff recommended approval because the after-party extends one day beyond the original license agreement. The committee recommended approval.
• 7.2 Tabernacle Baptist Church Fall Harvest Celebration (October 21, 2023): Deferred to the next meeting to resolve traffic concerns with the police department.
• 7.3 Detention system criteria amendment: Staff said the change allows developers to receive a waiver if they own or control off-site property and build required detention there, subject to city approval. The committee recommended approval.
• 7.4 Sidewalk variance at 3715 39th Street: Originally proposed as a permanent waiver with $4,180 payment in lieu. Staff instead recommended option one, a temporary delay until sidewalks are installed on both sides. The committee amended the motion and recommended approval as amended.
• 7.5 Sidewalk variance at 2500 53rd Street: Originally proposed as a permanent waiver with $14,700 payment in lieu. Staff recommended a temporary delay until sidewalks are installed on both sides. The applicant said she preferred this because paying for the sidewalk herself would cost around $40,000. The committee recommended approval as amended.

Informational Reports

• 8.1 SSA #5 and SSA #6 Property Tax Levy for 2024: Corporation Counsel David Silverman explained that county software had diverted a significant percentage of SSA tax to TIF 1, leaving the SSAs underfunded. With new county software and the closure of TIF 1, SSA tax lines will jump, but total tax bills should not materially change. Because the SSA rate may exceed 105% of the prior listed rate, SSA boards must hold truth-in-taxation hearings; SSA #6's hearing is scheduled for October 18 at 3:00 p.m. Boards may keep, increase, decrease, or close out their SSA budgets, and decisions will return to council.
• 8.2 Enhanced Asphalt Repair Service: Rodd Schick proposed purchasing a small paver, up to 7 feet wide but typically used at 3-4 feet, plus a tack coat sprayer, for about $190,000 using ARPA funds. The equipment would produce saw-cut continuous patches, extend patch life from 3-5 years to 10-15 years, roughly double crew output, and could also be used for cart paths. Delivery is expected in 6-8 months.
• 8.3 Annual Outside City Limits Utility Customers List: Tony Loete presented the annual list of utility customers outside city limits. Some customers are ineligible to annex because they are not contiguous; some are contiguous and eligible; one has a pre-annexation agreement; others are covered by intergovernmental agreements. Staff sought direction on incentivizing voluntary annexation. Council members discussed stepwise rate incentives, higher out-of-town rates until pre-annexation agreements are signed, time-limited deadlines, and transfer-triggered annexation agreements. Staff said eight properties had been annexed in the past year through letters and calls. No formal action was taken.
• 8.4 Green Moline Special Event Checklist: Tony Loete presented a voluntary sustainability checklist for special events, with post-event verification through receipts and photos. Proposed incentives include permit-fee and recycling-container reimbursements at two levels. Council members discussed proof requirements, food vendors, composting, and definitions of local/organic. The mayor emphasized the program is voluntary and aims to reduce plastic pollution in the Mississippi River. Staff will revise the proposal with finance. An energy efficiency and conservation strategy, supported by a U.S. Department of Energy grant, is also being developed.

City Council - Consent Agenda

• The council approved, by a 7-0 roll call, the minutes of the September 12, 2023 Committee-of-the-Whole, Council, and Executive Session meetings, appointments made at COW, and resolutions 14.1 through 14.6:
  • 14.1 Professional Services Agreement with Hera Property Registry, LLC for vacant and foreclosure property registration services.
  • 14.2 Moline High School Homecoming Parade on October 13, 2023.
  • 14.3 Walk to Emmaus event on October 7, 2023, sponsored by the Diocese of Peoria.
  • 14.4 Memorandum of Understanding with MetroLINK for electric vehicle charging networks.
  • 14.5 Acceptance of the Avenue of the Cities Traffic Planning Study by Gewalt Hamilton Associates, Inc.
  • 14.6 Grant Agreement with Project Now Affordable Housing, LLC for the Level Up Program.

City Council - Non-Consent Second Reading Ordinances

• 16.1 Tobacco dealer's license amendment: approved 7-0.
• 16.2 Zoning text amendment on minimum off-street parking and traffic circulation standards for in-vehicle sales and service uses: approved 7-0.
• 16.3 Rental housing inspection program overhaul: approved 7-0. During discussion, staff cited Davenport's program, which receives $952,409 from the general fund and $285,000 from a trust fund while bringing in only about $345,000 in fees. Council members said the higher fee encourages responsible landlords and helps address absentee landlords. Staff said Section 8 units are not excluded because additional inspections protect vulnerable tenants; short-term rentals are excluded for now but under discussion.

City Council - Non-Consent Resolutions

• 17.1 Surplus property declaration and sale of 1316 and 1330 26th Street to Landeros & Sons Construction, Inc.: approved 7-0. A council member said the item was moved from consent because MCDC's Janelle Schwanier had reported delays on another project, though city staff reported good work by the company. Another member expressed interest in exploring a duplex or triplex on the church property as a future phase.
• 17.2 Sidewalk variance at 3715 39th Street: approved 7-0 consistent with the amended COW action, meaning a temporary delay until sidewalks are installed on both sides, rather than the permanent waiver and $4,180 payment.

City Council - First Reading Ordinances

• 18.1 Zoning text amendments for food trucks or motorized food vendors: advanced to second reading 7-0.
• 18.2 Residential refuse collection fee, Section 15-2200: advanced to second reading 7-0. A council member said the increase is needed to keep enterprise funds functional.
• 18.3 Water and sewers general provisions, Section 34-4400: advanced to second reading 7-0.
• 18.4 Sewerage rate system, Section 34-3200: advanced to second reading 7-0.

Miscellaneous Business and Council Updates

• The mayor reported on the MKSK riverfront consultant work and an October task force meeting; MICD proposals for the mall area, Eastgate TIF, and riverfront; Farm Bureau discussions about the Spiegel building; and an upcoming regional meeting on Illinois' development environment.
• The mayor announced a $450,000 state grant earmark for design of a solar project, noting it still requires bond-funded appropriation, and mentioned a higher-education study funded by State Representative Halpin.
• Council members shared updates on an affordable housing session, a Community ID proposal, zoning barriers to rebuilding on 35-40 vacant lots after fires on 13th Street, and upcoming prioritization of major unfunded capital projects before October budget hearings.

Key Outcomes

• All council roll-call votes were 7-0.
• The consent agenda was approved, including board appointments and resolutions 14.1-14.6.
• Ordinances 16.1, 16.2, and 16.3 were adopted; resolutions 17.1 and 17.2 were adopted; ordinances 18.1-18.4 were advanced to second reading.
• COW recommended approval of 7.1 and 7.3, deferred 7.2, and amended and recommended 7.4 and 7.5 as temporary sidewalk delays.
• Informational items were received on SSA tax levy changes, the enhanced asphalt repair equipment plan, outside city limits utility customers, and the Green Moline Special Event Checklist.
• Next steps include returning item 7.2 to a future meeting, the SSA #6 truth-in-taxation hearing on October 18, a future asphalt equipment purchase request, utility annexation policy direction, and revision of the Green Moline checklist with finance.
• The council voted to enter executive session for collective negotiating matters and pending, probable, or imminent litigation; no further public comment was taken before that vote.