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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Moline Committee-of-the-Whole and City Council Meeting – December 30, 2024

Committee of the Whole & Council — Monday, December 30, 2024

BodyMoline, Illinois

SessionCommittee of the Whole & Council

DateMonday, December 30, 2024

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:20:34

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:01

Good evening, everyone.

0:02

Welcome, and I'm calling this meeting to order at 6 p.m.

0:06

here in Council Chambers.

0:07

Roll call, please.

0:08

Alder Person Murphy.

0:10

Messias.

0:11

Present.

0:11

Rosak.

0:12

Present.

0:12

Timion.

0:13

Present.

0:13

Finch, President McNeil.

0:15

Present.

0:16

Castro.

0:16

President Schmidt.

0:17

Present.

0:19

All right.

0:19

We do not have any remote electronic attendance this evening.

0:23

We do have a board appointment, a mayor's appointment of Laura Chumbley to the Keep Moline Beautiful Commission for a three-year term to expire November 30th, 2027.

0:33

So someone who's already been helping the commission quite a bit.

0:36

So any questions?

0:38

Okay, seeing none, we'll move to our presentations.

0:41

5.1 Metrolink decennial update.

0:44

Ms.

0:44

Hirsch, thank you for joining us.

0:47

Thank you, Mayor.

0:48

Thank you for having me.

0:50

Thank you, Council, for entertaining me for just a few minutes, I promise.

0:54

It is a very large document, but I will not go through every page with you, but maybe just hit some of the highlights.

1:01

This document was a result of the decennial committee on local government efficiency act.

1:08

And so it was an act that the governor asked that townships and some park districts, and of course, Mass Transit asked us to kind of take a deep dive into our organization and look at ways that perhaps we could coordinate and become more efficient.

1:22

And so we uh took on that challenge, and instead of maybe just checking a box that yes, we did all these things, we wanted to take an opportunity to compile information regarding who we are, our history, how we're funded, um, what we do for our community, how we partner with our community and beyond, and really be very transparent.

1:43

Uh so I will just hit a few of the highlights here for those who maybe have not had a chance to go through it.

1:49

Uh, page four, five, six, seven really again talks a little bit about who we are as an organization.

1:56

Uh we do serve the Illinois Quad Cities with public transit.

2:00

That public transit service includes bus, uh, paratransit, microtransit, and of course the Channel Cat.

2:07

A lot of people don't realize that uh the Channel Cat is operated under the umbrella of Metrolink.

2:13

Also noted some of the major milestones that we have accomplished over the past 40 years, um, talking a little bit about our community impact and our sustainable journey uh for the past 25 years through you know the introduction of compressed natural gas and now we have battery electric and pretty much all of our uh capital infrastructure is built to LED LEED standards.

2:36

So we're very proud of a lot of the work that we've done in the sustainability realm.

2:43

Um if we flip to page 17, uh this is where we really just again highlight our mission and vision to provide the best possible public transit service to the citizens of the Illinois Quad Cities.

2:56

We are a mobility partner, and we also uh really believe in investing our in our community and partnering uh with those that we serve.

3:06

Uh page 20 talks a little bit more about those partnerships.

3:10

We've enjoyed a very, very long history with the city of Moline and have had the fortune of partnering on several very important capital uh projects in this great city.

3:19

So, certainly thank you for your continued partnership and really recognizing the value of public transit beyond our partnerships within our city government.

3:29

We also work closely with our schools, uh as you know, uh K through 12.

3:34

We have a very large student ridership and recently uh within the past three to four years, we've been able to waive fares uh for that student population.

3:43

So uh very happy that we are able uh to continue to provide that um key transportation to students here in Moline.

3:51

And we also partner with a number of nonprofits.

3:54

Uh one fund project I really just wanted to briefly hit on.

3:58

Uh we recently donated a bus to the Quad City Botanical Center.

4:02

Uh that bus has been turned into a mobile greenhouse, and so that mobile greenhouse is out and about uh in the community, uh teaching students uh it not only in our local urban area but rural area about plants and about sustainability.

4:18

So we were very, very excited uh to partner with them.

4:22

This is actually uh a project that is first in the nation, and I think uh if you know us, we are known for being first in many things.

4:29

And then heading on to page 30.

4:32

We talked a little bit about uh that community involvement.

4:36

We just felt that it was important to point out all the places we are very active in, whether we are visiting and participating in community events, or our staff is very, very actively involved in a number of organizations and boards and committees uh throughout throughout the Illinois Quad City.

4:55

So we really really have a great breadth of service and are dedicated to what we do.

5:01

Uh finally, uh want to point out um uh and thank our committee members, which would be uh our board of trustees.

5:10

Uh especially want to thank uh the city of Moline appointees.

5:14

We had two uh members during this time that the decennial committee met, uh Rochelle, Carlene Krueger, and also Sam McCollum.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural██████████████████████████████████34%

Transportation Safety█████████████████17%

Grant Funding█████████████13%

Licensing And Permits███████████11%

Strategic Planning█████5%

Historic Preservation████4%

Community Engagement████4%

Public Safety███3%

Technology and Innovation██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Moline Committee-of-the-Whole and City Council Meeting – December 30, 2024

Note: The agenda and transcript indicate the meeting originally convened on Tuesday, December 17, 2024; the date provided for this summary (December 30, 2024) does not match the source material. The summary below reflects the actual proceedings of the December 17 meeting.

The meeting began at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers with roll call (all aldermen present). It included a Committee-of-the-Whole segment (presentations, public comment, agenda items) followed by a formal City Council meeting with consent, non‑consent, and first‑reading ordinances. An executive session on personnel matters concluded the evening.

Presentations

MetroLINK Decennial Update – Jennifer Hirsch presented a decennial review required by the Committee on Local Government Efficiency Act. She highlighted MetroLINK’s history, services (bus, paratransit, microtransit, Channel Cat), sustainability achievements (compressed natural gas, battery electric buses, LEED‑standard infrastructure), partnerships with Moline, student fare waivers (K‑12), and a donated bus converted into a mobile greenhouse by the Quad City Botanical Center. A new cashless fare collection system is expected within 12–18 months. Council asked about reception of electric buses (positive) and fare innovations (upcoming tap‑and‑go system).
Key to the City – Robert Vogelbaugh – Mayor Rayapati presented the Key to the City to Robert Vogelbaugh (known as “Mr. Thanksgiving”) for his voluntary Thanksgiving meal service started in 1972, praising his steadfastness. Mr. Vogelbaugh thanked the council and expressed pride in being a lifelong Moline citizen.

Public Comments & Testimony

Jack (last name not provided) from 1708 53rd Street expressed concerns about the dangerous intersection at 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue near the YMCA, citing crashes and speeding (60–70 mph). He suggested speed bumps, a skywalk, a red light, or a roundabout. He also noted illegal parking on 53rd Street despite “no parking” signs. Council thanked him and noted the comments.

Discussion Items (Committee-of-the-Whole)

8.1 – Remote Attendance for Childcare – Ordinance adding unexpected childcare obligations as a fourth allowed reason for remote attendance. Passed unanimously. Council requested a memo clarifying rules for children in executive session.
8.2 – Stop Sign Change at 53rd & Fifth – Removed three‑way stop designation; added all‑way stop (stop sign northbound on 53rd at Fifth Avenue). Traffic Engineering Committee recommended based on crash history and offset geometry. Passed unanimously. Council discussed steep hill and agreed to install warning signs and a dynamic message board.
8.3 – Honorary Street Designation – Daniel Gordon – Designated portion of 26th Street (between 13th and 14th Avenues) for Daniel Gordon (1843 settler). Passed unanimously.
8.4 – Honorary Street Designation – Robert Vogelbaugh – Designated portion of 26th Street (between 37th and 38th Avenues) for Robert Vogelbaugh. Passed unanimously.
8.5 – Tobacco License Categories and Moratoriums – Ordinance created three license classes: Class A (primary retailer, limit 5), Class B (incidental, limit 36), Class C (head shop, limit 5), with temporary moratoriums on new Class A and C licenses. Council amended to remove the moratorium on Class C (head shops) by a 4–3 roll‑call vote (Castro, Schmidt, Razak opposed; Messias, Timion, Finch, McNeil in favor). The ordinance as amended then passed. Discussion covered grandfathering existing businesses, potential need for a business to hold multiple licenses, and enforcement mechanisms.
8.6 – Additional HAFHR Grant Funding – Resolution accepting $345,000 from Illinois Housing Development Authority for the Homeowner Assistance Fund Home Repair Program (COVID‑related, up to $60,000 per household, income up to 150% of AMI). Passed unanimously.
8.7 – Enterprise Zone Application IGA – Resolution approving intergovernmental agreement with Bi‑State Regional Commission and neighboring governments to fund a consultant (Moran Economic Development) for an Enterprise Zone amendment application. Passed unanimously.
8.8 – SHPO Historic Survey Grant – Resolution to apply for a $15,000 Certified Local Government matching grant (city match $4,500 from council contingency) for a historic property survey in the Forest Hill neighborhood. Passed unanimously.
8.9 – Treatment Chemicals Contracts – Resolution authorizing purchase of 2025 treatment chemicals through Bi‑State Regional Commission. Prices stabilized after previous hikes. Passed unanimously.
8.10 – Project NOW Level Up Grant – Resolution for 2025 grant agreement with Project NOW, Inc. for the “Level Up” program; categories expanded to include single adults and flexible timeframes (12, 14, 16 months). Passed unanimously.
8.11 – I‑74 Bridge Bollards – Resolution for MOU with IDOT, IDOT, Bettendorf, and Moline to install removable bollards on the multi‑use path approaches. IDOT pays for installation; city responsible for long‑term maintenance. Council discussed replacement costs, emergency access, and need to clarify maintenance split with Bettendorf. Passed unanimously.

Informational Presentation

RAISE Grant – Dawn Temple presented the “I‑74 Riverfront Reimagined” planning grant application (due January 30, 2025) to advance the riverfront vision plan into engineering and design. No local match required; proposed amount $5.5–6.5 million. Key criteria include safety, sustainability, economic competitiveness. Council expressed support.

Key Outcomes (City Council Segment)

Consent Agenda (minutes, appointments, alley vacation, law enforcement agreement, change orders) approved unanimously.
Non‑Consent Resolutions:
- 18.1: Change Order No. 1/Final – 38th Street Reconstruction ($32,251.36) – approved.
- 18.2: Modification of non‑union employee benefit package – approved.
- 18.3: 2025 Grant Agreement with Project NOW for Level Up – approved.
- 18.4: Paid Parental Leave Policy – approved.
First Reading Ordinances advanced to second reading (19.1: all‑way stop at 18th & Fifth; 19.2: parking restrictions on 6th Avenue near 53rd; 19.3: 15‑minute parking at 1509 15th Street). All advanced unanimously.
Strategic Planning Update – City Administrator Vitas announced that Northern Illinois University’s Center for Governmental Studies will conduct community and business surveys (January–April 2025) to inform the next strategic plan. Council will receive results in May.
Executive Session – Motion to convene for discussion of personnel (appointment, employment, compensation) approved unanimously.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. Welcome, and I'm calling this meeting to order at 6 p.m. here in Council Chambers. Roll call, please. Alder Person Murphy. Messias. Present. Rosak. Present. Timion. Present. Finch, President McNeil. Present. Castro. President Schmidt. Present. All right. We do not have any remote electronic attendance this evening. We do have a board appointment, a mayor's appointment of Laura Chumbley to the Keep Moline Beautiful Commission for a three-year term to expire November 30th, 2027. So someone who's already been helping the commission quite a bit. So any questions? Okay, seeing none, we'll move to our presentations. 5.1 Metrolink decennial update. Ms. Hirsch, thank you for joining us. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you for having me. Thank you, Council, for entertaining me for just a few minutes, I promise. It is a very large document, but I will not go through every page with you, but maybe just hit some of the highlights. This document was a result of the decennial committee on local government efficiency act. And so it was an act that the governor asked that townships and some park districts, and of course, Mass Transit asked us to kind of take a deep dive into our organization and look at ways that perhaps we could coordinate and become more efficient. And so we uh took on that challenge, and instead of maybe just checking a box that yes, we did all these things, we wanted to take an opportunity to compile information regarding who we are, our history, how we're funded, um, what we do for our community, how we partner with our community and beyond, and really be very transparent. Uh so I will just hit a few of the highlights here for those who maybe have not had a chance to go through it. Uh, page four, five, six, seven really again talks a little bit about who we are as an organization. Uh we do serve the Illinois Quad Cities with public transit. That public transit service includes bus, uh, paratransit, microtransit, and of course the Channel Cat. A lot of people don't realize that uh the Channel Cat is operated under the umbrella of Metrolink. Also noted some of the major milestones that we have accomplished over the past 40 years, um, talking a little bit about our community impact and our sustainable journey uh for the past 25 years through you know the introduction of compressed natural gas and now we have battery electric and pretty much all of our uh capital infrastructure is built to LED LEED standards. So we're very proud of a lot of the work that we've done in the sustainability realm. Um if we flip to page 17, uh this is where we really just again highlight our mission and vision to provide the best possible public transit service to the citizens of the Illinois Quad Cities. We are a mobility partner, and we also uh really believe in investing our in our community and partnering uh with those that we serve. Uh page 20 talks a little bit more about those partnerships. We've enjoyed a very, very long history with the city of Moline and have had the fortune of partnering on several very important capital uh projects in this great city. So, certainly thank you for your continued partnership and really recognizing the value of public transit beyond our partnerships within our city government. We also work closely with our schools, uh as you know, uh K through 12. We have a very large student ridership and recently uh within the past three to four years, we've been able to waive fares uh for that student population. So uh very happy that we are able uh to continue to provide that um key transportation to students here in Moline. And we also partner with a number of nonprofits. Uh one fund project I really just wanted to briefly hit on. Uh we recently donated a bus to the Quad City Botanical Center.

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