OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Moline City Council Meetings (Committee-of-the-Whole & City Council) - February 9, 2026

Committee of the Whole & Council — Monday, February 9, 2026
BodyMoline, Illinois
SessionCommittee of the Whole & Council
DateMonday, February 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:11:08

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Okay, that's meeting.

0:02

I hereby call this meeting of the committee of the whole to order on February 3rd, 2026 at 6 p.m.

0:08

in console chambers.

0:09

Madam Clerk, roll call, please.

0:11

Color person Murphy.

0:12

President Messias.

0:14

President.

0:14

Rosak.

0:15

President.

0:15

Time.

0:16

Present.

0:16

Finch, present.

0:17

McNeil.

0:18

Present.

0:18

Castro.

0:19

President Schmick.

0:20

Present.

0:23

Next is public comment.

0:25

Chief Galt, is there any public comment?

0:31

If there is just as a reminder, public comment, you have three minutes to make your comments.

0:36

It is our protocol here at Council that we do not respond during that time.

0:40

But if only if appropriate, and we can arrange follow-up communication outside of this meeting.

0:46

Good evening, everyone.

0:47

I came uh and saw you all in your December meeting and talked about the need for doing some quotes for something for our uh unhouse votes, and I was glad to see that there's some progress there.

0:58

There's always room uh for improvement and like further in uh investment in that.

1:03

Um, I think there's some other stuff on the agenda tonight around uh the Moline shelter, so I'm glad to hear and see all that.

1:10

So kudos to you all for making those steps.

1:13

I appreciate that.

1:14

Um also wanted to talk about um the flop cameras that are all uh kind of I'm sure you've seen the uh uh online you know footprint of these things and the concerns that we uh do have around that.

1:31

Um I saw the information that you posted on the city website, appreciate uh a lot of that, but I'm not sure it defin uh really addresses some of the current concerns that I have.

1:44

Um I think there's precedent that's showing that um ICE has been able to illegally or legally get access to that data one way or another.

1:55

Uh so that's obviously a concern.

1:58

Um I think there's other people hopefully tonight that are talking uh about that that know more uh and are more invested in that than I am, but um definitely a concern that I have.

2:08

Um I spoke about ICE.

2:11

I do want to uh I guess put it out there and get some sort of response or at some you know someday um about what the city uh what our local police uh department and our uh elected officials uh what their plan is to protect our neighbors um and keep uh federal overreach out of our community and um yeah again protect the people that we live with and the people that make our community uh what it is and how we function uh here in Moley.

2:42

So thank you.

2:44

Thank you.

2:46

All right, David Stoner.

2:53

Hi everybody, I'm David Stoner from the Fourth Ward.

2:56

Um I wanted to echo what's the sentiment that I'm really glad that Moline put together that winter shelter, like super important, and I'm proud that we're in a city that can take care of our most vulnerable.

3:07

Um I'm also here about the uh flock cameras a couple weeks ago.

3:12

I was in speaking about them and the privacy of our residents at that time.

3:17

I presented a petition with 250 signatures from people in the community.

3:21

Um today I'm back with an updated petition that has uh 425 people from the Quad Cities signing on to voice their concerns and ask for the removal of those cameras.

3:34

Um the concern comes from that this technology isn't just catching criminals, it's documenting daily movements of law-abiding citizens, including everyone in this room.

3:44

If you drove a car to get here tonight, it's all but guaranteed you've been logged by a flock camera.

3:49

Um we currently have nine flock cameras according to the city's website, which doesn't sound like a lot, but according to that website, those nine cameras are logging over four million records a month.

4:01

And we're often told that Moline owns that data, which is comforting, but the reality is we're feeding the community's private movements into a massive centralized database, and that network isn't always secure.

4:12

Um recently it's been discovered that Flock, uh the way they handle their data transparency, millions of the uh search results from police departments across the country have been exposed to the open internet, so just open a browser and you can see the results.

4:29

Um when we feed our cis feed our data into that system, we could lose control of it.

4:34

Even if our officers perfectly follow procedures, have perfect procedures.

4:39

We're relying on a private vendor to keep that data safe, and frankly, the trust has already been broken.

4:44

As alluded to, um, the Illinois Secretary of State's office did an audit on flock safety and found that they were sharing information with federal agencies, including ICE, which is um a direct violation of Illinois state law, uh, the Trust Act, which prohibits data for immigration and health care to be shared that way.

5:04

So this is a private vendor that's proven they're either willing or negligently able to bypass the laws of our state.

5:11

So we're putting the privacy of our residents in the hands of a company that's failed to respect Illinois law.

5:17

And we can't prioritize convenience over our fundamental right of privacy.

5:21

So I'm asking you to listen to the 400-plus residents on this petition.

5:26

Please cancel the contract until a sensible binding regulation from the state or locally is in place that guarantees our data is safe and our laws are followed.

5:36

I'd like to submit the updated petition, and also if I could be a resource to anyone who wants to learn more, I would gladly do that.

5:45

So I'm sure I'll take some time.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development██████████████14%
Homelessness███████████11%
Public Safety███████████11%
Procedural█████████9%
Personnel Matters████████8%
Affordable Housing███████7%
Zoning And Land Use██████6%
Public Engagement██████6%
Parks and Recreation█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Moline City Council Meetings (Committee-of-the-Whole & City Council) - February 9, 2026

Note: The agenda and transcript list the meeting date as February 3, 2026; however, the provided date for this summary is February 9, 2026. The following reflects the content of the February 3 meeting as transcribed.

The Moline City Council held a Committee-of-the-Whole meeting followed by a regular City Council meeting on February 3, 2026 (per agenda/transcript) to address a wide range of items including federal grant applications, zoning amendments, a temporary winter shelter lease, police officer oaths, and public concerns about automated license plate reader cameras. All votes were unanimous except one resolution concerning executive session minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Unhoused individuals & winter shelter: A resident praised the council for progress on serving unhoused residents and commended the new winter shelter.
  • Flock cameras (Automated License Plate Readers): Multiple speakers voiced strong opposition to the city's Flock camera system. David Stoner (4th Ward) presented a petition with 425 signatures calling for removal of the cameras, citing privacy concerns, data exposure incidents, and reports that Flock shared information with ICE in violation of Illinois' Trust Act. Cal Vo, a 15-year resident, argued mass surveillance erodes trust and disproportionately impacts lower-income residents. Another first-time attendee echoed concerns about mission creep and the vendor's accountability.
  • Pickleball tournament: Marcy Fosdick, tournament director for the Quad City Classic Pickleball Tournament, requested a $7,500 grant, noting the event's economic impact of $127,928 and 391 participants in 2025.

Discussion Items

  • I-74 Riverfront Reimagined BUILD Grant (Item 8.1/19.2): Staff reported the city's previous FY2025 application was not funded but received positive feedback. The refined application reduces the federal request by over 50%, focuses on design and engineering for transportation infrastructure, and includes a $644,392 local match (20% of project cost) from the capital improvement budget. The resolution authorizing the grant application passed.
  • Equitable Sharing Agreement (Item 8.2): The police department annually certifies federal forfeiture fund receipts and expenditures. Beginning balance $59,828.19; $61,891.48 in receipts; $34,716 expended; ending balance $87,002.98. Passed.
  • Pickleball Club Grant (Item 8.3): $7,500 from Special Events Fund to support the tournament. Passed.
  • Tobacco Dealer License Increases (Items 8.4, 8.5): Technical increases to allow new owners at two 7-Eleven locations to obtain Class B licenses; practical effect maintains current number. Passed.
  • TIF 13 Amendment (Items 8.6, 8.7, 8.8): Three ordinances to approve, designate, and adopt tax increment financing for the Moderno 2 development project (minimum 67 units) and a 3,800 sq ft adjacent parcel. The Joint Review Board recommended approval. Passed.
  • Zoning Amendment – Nonconforming Two-Family Dwellings (Item 8.9): Text amendment allows duplexes the same nonconforming use protections as single-family homes (e.g., no loss of status after 12 months of vacancy). Plan Commission unanimously recommended. Passed.
  • Zoning Amendment – Artisan Production and Sales (Item 8.10): New land use category added to zoning code (already allowed downtown) to permit artisan production without requiring a storefront in neighborhood commercial districts, aiming to reduce vacancies. Plan Commission unanimous. Passed.
  • Homeowner Assistance Fund Additional Grant (Item 8.11/19.4): Acceptance of $280,000 in additional ARPA pass-through funds from the Illinois Housing Development Authority for home repair. Funds can serve households up to 150% AMI with COVID-related hardship. Passed.
  • Temporary Winter Shelter Lease (Item 8.12/19.5): Ratification of a lease with Project NOW to operate a shelter at the Kone Building (1 Montgomery Drive) from January 21 to April 15, 2026. Staff reported 695 shelter bed-nights provided in first two weeks, with up to 58 people per night and additional families housed in hotels. Passed.
  • 2026-2029 Strategic Work Plan (Informational): City Administrator Bob Vitas presented the new strategic plan, which includes detailed project tasks, ward impacts, funding sources, and responsible staff. Reporting will shift to quarterly.

Key Outcomes

  • All 12 Committee-of-the-Whole resolutions/ordinances were approved unanimously (8-0) by voice vote during the committee portion.
  • City Council consent agenda (meeting minutes and resolutions 17.1-17.7) passed 8-0 on roll call.
  • Non-consent resolutions:
    • 19.1 (Java Lab coffee shop lease at library) – passed 8-0.
    • 19.2 (BUILD grant application) – passed 8-0.
    • 19.3 (Executive session minutes release/retention/destruction) – passed 7-1 (one nay).
    • 19.4 (HAFHR grant) – passed 8-0.
    • 19.5 (Winter shelter lease) – passed 8-0.
  • First Reading Ordinances:
    • 20.1 (Class B liquor license increase for QC Fun Factory) – moved to second reading, 8-0.
    • 20.2 (Video gaming terminal license increase for same establishment) – moved to second reading, 8-0.
  • Council moved into Executive Session to discuss property acquisition, sale/lease of real property, and pending litigation (motion passed 8-0).
  • The public's concerns about Flock cameras were noted but no formal action was taken; the item was not on the agenda for a vote.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, that's meeting. I hereby call this meeting of the committee of the whole to order on February 3rd, 2026 at 6 p.m. in console chambers. Madam Clerk, roll call, please. Color person Murphy. President Messias. President. Rosak. President. Time. Present. Finch, present. McNeil. Present. Castro. President Schmick. Present. Next is public comment. Chief Galt, is there any public comment? If there is just as a reminder, public comment, you have three minutes to make your comments. It is our protocol here at Council that we do not respond during that time. But if only if appropriate, and we can arrange follow-up communication outside of this meeting. Good evening, everyone. I came uh and saw you all in your December meeting and talked about the need for doing some quotes for something for our uh unhouse votes, and I was glad to see that there's some progress there. There's always room uh for improvement and like further in uh investment in that. Um, I think there's some other stuff on the agenda tonight around uh the Moline shelter, so I'm glad to hear and see all that. So kudos to you all for making those steps. I appreciate that. Um also wanted to talk about um the flop cameras that are all uh kind of I'm sure you've seen the uh uh online you know footprint of these things and the concerns that we uh do have around that. Um I saw the information that you posted on the city website, appreciate uh a lot of that, but I'm not sure it defin uh really addresses some of the current concerns that I have. Um I think there's precedent that's showing that um ICE has been able to illegally or legally get access to that data one way or another. Uh so that's obviously a concern. Um I think there's other people hopefully tonight that are talking uh about that that know more uh and are more invested in that than I am, but um definitely a concern that I have. Um I spoke about ICE. I do want to uh I guess put it out there and get some sort of response or at some you know someday um about what the city uh what our local police uh department and our uh elected officials uh what their plan is to protect our neighbors um and keep uh federal overreach out of our community and um yeah again protect the people that we live with and the people that make our community uh what it is and how we function uh here in Moley. So thank you. Thank you. All right, David Stoner. Hi everybody, I'm David Stoner from the Fourth Ward. Um I wanted to echo what's the sentiment that I'm really glad that Moline put together that winter shelter, like super important, and I'm proud that we're in a city that can take care of our most vulnerable. Um I'm also here about the uh flock cameras a couple weeks ago. I was in speaking about them and the privacy of our residents at that time. I presented a petition with 250 signatures from people in the community. Um today I'm back with an updated petition that has uh 425 people from the Quad Cities signing on to voice their concerns and ask for the removal of those cameras. Um the concern comes from that this technology isn't just catching criminals, it's documenting daily movements of law-abiding citizens, including everyone in this room. If you drove a car to get here tonight, it's all but guaranteed you've been logged by a flock camera. Um we currently have nine flock cameras according to the city's website, which doesn't sound like a lot, but according to that website, those nine cameras are logging over four million records a month. And we're often told that Moline owns that data, which is comforting, but the reality is we're feeding the community's private movements into a massive centralized database, and that network isn't always secure. Um recently it's been discovered that Flock, uh the way they handle their data transparency, millions of the uh search results from police departments across the country have been exposed to the open internet, so just open a browser and you can see the results. Um when we feed our cis feed our data into that system, we could lose control of it.

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TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
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