The Planning and Development Committee met on September 14, 2026, at 5:30 PM (called to order at 7:57 PM, adjourned at 8:36 PM) to consider two items: an amendment to the funding agreement with the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (GoRockford) and the termination of the Springfield Corners TIF district. The meeting included significant debate on the GoRockford agreement, particularly regarding contract length and funding levels.
1. Amendment to Funding Agreement with GoRockford (Item 26-00969)
2. Termination of Springfield Corners TIF District (Item 26-01133)
I'd like to call the order, the planning and development committee meeting for Monday, September 14th, 2026. Clerk, will you please call the roll? Here. Here. Here. Here. Thank you. Item one is an approval of the proposed amendment to the funding agreement with the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, go Rockford, extending the term of the agreement from the expiration of 2028 to an expiration of 2032. And the continued lease of 102 North Main Street. This is an extension of the six years from the existing agreement in lease. Do I have a motion to approve? So move. Second are there any questions or comments? Alderman, I'm sorry, Alderman Durkey. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to reiterate the comments on counsel that I made last week. First of all, I think it needs to be capped at some point. Having an open-ended contract as a percent basis, I'm not sure we can do that anymore. But there, first of all, go Go Rockford's from their uh tax filings, their income has gone up from I think it was 20 uh 2019 or so to present uh about almost uh two million dollars a year in their total funding. From uh somewhere around 2023 to uh present to 2025, their uh hotel income has gone up about 210,000. In addition, it's projected that Go Rockford will receive about somewhere, I think with the two percent um hotel district, somewhere around 1.38 million dollars. So my take on this is right now Go Rockford with the current contract already exists to fill City of Rockford hotel rooms. That's their role. So within their budget, that's one of the things that they do. They will get a bu uh an income overlay on that with the hotel uh uh regional taxing district. So part of that part of that money is freed up for them to be able to do Davis Park. So I I don't see the need to increase their funding at all. Um they've got substantial income and though when I took a purview of their tax forms, they spend every dollar that they get. It doesn't look like they leave funding over for next year or whatever, but they they but they get a dollar, they spend it. On what I I don't know. But I do not I think Go Rockford does a great job. I think the leadership does a great job. I just think we're paying we're paying too much money for it. And I think given their new source of income, which will pay will pay part of what they already do, will release dollars to do whatever Davis a park programming needs to do. I don't know what it takes one FTE or two to program Davis Park. Um, but there's certainly ample funds available. My proposal would just be to leave the bud their budget as is, their contract as it is, and let it expire in 2028. And just keep their funding. They will get an increase from the regional um tourism destination district, whatever I don't know the name of that specifically. They're gonna get a funding increase. And um given their projected increase in hotel tax revenue as it is, which has gone up, like I said over the past three years, their budget, their income from the hotel tax has gone up 200 some thousand dollars. So personally, I don't see the need. In fact, you I think we need to almost next uh go around and put a cap on it and and limit their funding. Some of the some of the hotel tax revenue, some of the difference we could realize. We have we have a couple of bonds that we need to pay down. And I think Director Hagerty is laid before us, it's it's really time to tighten our budget. So my proposal is just leave the contract as is. They can add on the Davis Park programming with an agreement with their current budgeting and funding level. Thank you. Alderwoman Granit.