City Council - Regular Meeting

The City Council is a public hearing pursuant to the Tourism Preservation and Sustainability District Act, which is 70 ILCS 3455-25 to receive public comments on the proposal to establish the proposed district. I will open the discussion explaining that 100% of hotel owners subject to the transaction charge support the formation of the proposed district. Are there any additional comments from any of the City Council members regarding the proposal of the proposed district? Seeing none, I would ask for a submission of any written testimony from any business owner that may be subjected to a trans

Is there any other members of the public wishing to speak? All right. Seeing none, all persons designed to be heard have been given an opportunity to present oral and written testimony with respect to the formation of the district. I hereby declare that the public meeting pursuant to the Tourism Preservation and Sustainability District Act is concluded. Thank you.

This is a memorandum from Scott Capovella Planning and Zoning Manager regarding the annexation of 5426 and 54XX 35th Street, referred to Code and Regulations Committee.

There's a memorandum from Owen Carter regarding the approval of a lease agreement with Emerald Property Management. In this matter, we refer to the Finance and Personnel Committee. Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor. I move that we lay over item one.

I just have a question on item number two. Director Lies, can you tell me would Springfield Corner's redevelopment project, would that TIF be considered a successful TIF?

Can I get an understanding of how much was used to bail out this TIF out of general funds, Director Haggerty?

And I don't know if this is a question I can ask, but do we know over the life of the TIF how much was generated? I do not.

And I'm just curious, I was just wondering, because I'm just trying to get a clear understanding of what is considered success when we're talking about TIFs versus what's not successful as a TIF as we continue using this model through the city. So thank you for those questions, and I'll wait for that. You can even email it to me if you want to. Thank you so much.

For Code and Regulation Committee, we have two items. Item number one, committee recommends approval of the proposed landmark designation of 2520 North Main Street. And item number two, committee recommends sustaining the Zoning Board of Appeals approval for a special use permit for a single room occupancy consisting of 20 single bedrooms with shared living, kitchen, and common space in a C3 general commercial zoning district. Thank you, Mayor. All right.

Thank you. Number one, the committee recommends approval of vouchers in the amount of $13,780,749.44 as approved at the Finance and Personnel Committee held on September 14, 2026. Number two, the committee recommends approval of an IGA between the city and county to replace sidewalks along West State Street in coordination with the county's public safety building project. Estimated city's contribution is $127,000, with the actual cost determined by measured quantities upon completion of the project. Number three, the committee recommends approval of a memorandum of understanding between the ci

Yes, I move we lay over items six and seven. Second.

Thank you, Mayor. Just wanted to ask Chief Teo a really quick question about the correspondence that we received sometime last week. I think it was maybe Thursday. I forget. Can you kind of explain to us how we got to this point with Medic 4 and Engine 5? Sure.

Thank you. And then maybe to Director Hagerty, just wanted to see if there was any update for council as it relates to the finance task force, the budget task force. I believe the meeting was last week. Tomorrow. Oh, it's tomorrow.

Thank you so much, Mayor. I wanted to first just send another reminder. I'm having a town hall meeting on Wednesday, September 30th. This will be held at Cliff Breakers from 530 to 730. Lots of city leadership will be there, and we will be discussing. array of topics and hopefully we can cover a little bit of the homeless conversation as well at this town hall and I also just want to say that the 25 20 north main street location the single room occupancy i just want to go on the record that i will be approving this item um i know that we don't deal with single room occupancy very much in this

I just have a follow-up question for the fire chief.

I just have a follow-up question for the fire chief that Alderman Bell raised. What is our current staffing west of, I'm sorry, east of Alpine? What's our current staffing levels as exists now?

So we have two fire apparatuses and one ambulance east of Alpine, covering all of that side of Rockford? Correct. Thank you.

Alderman Hoffman. Thank you, Mayor. I just want to thank Public Works. They did an excellent job on Newberg. And Newberg has been horrible for so long. It's like a speedway now, so we need to address that. But the road is really done well. So thank you, Public Works.

Thank you, Mayor. Just real quick, I want to remind folks that planning to have a town hall meeting the 13th to 14th of October, one of those days, I'm trying to solidify the location at Victory Homes Co-op, where we typically have it in the fall. So I just want to remind them. And like I said, we'll be discussing different options coming up with the budget that we're kind of looking at and different projects within Public Works. Hopefully, we can get that going forward and talk a little bit about Broadway with the Livable Community Initiative and also the Broadway Business Association and wha

Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to second everything Alderwoman Meeks said about the property on North Main Street. I've already, at previous meetings, commended it as a... great adaptive reuse and new chapter for historic building. I just wanted to take a moment to, I think everybody here understands, but as Alderman Thunberg says, for the millions who are watching, I think it's pretty amazing that we just declared that property a landmark. a unanimous vote with no discussion when landmark issues have been highly controversial in the past and have ended up recently in the demolition of some i

Three items. Item number one, committee recommends approval of the Rockford Police Department trunk retreat event. The event is scheduled to take place on October 29th from 6 to 8 p.m. The event will be held in the RPS 205 administration parking lot located at 501 7th Street. Item number two, committee request denial of the Earthrise 815 Sustainability Conference request to waive parking fees in an estimated amount of $8,500. The event is scheduled to take place on November 6 from 8 AM to 6 PM. The event location will be Embassy Suites Conference Center. 416 South Main Street. In item number t

With respect to number two, it came out as a denial, so... A yes vote is meaning you want to deny it, and no vote would be in favor of it, correct? Yes, that's correct. Okay. Thank you.

Just to clarify for item number two, is this, we're only requesting, or the, it appears to me as I read this right here that we're only denying the request for a waiving of the parking fees, correct? That's it?

Thank you, Mayor. Can I hear that explanation again about a yes means no and a no means yes? Who was...

I just was curious, have we ever waived parking fees in the past? I think this question might have been asked before, but I didn't hear the answer.

Okay, so I heard Jehovah's Witness as one example. Yes. Did you say there were several examples in the past, though?

Is there, Administrator Cagnoni, can you tell me what the reasoning, I just need a reminder, what was the reasoning behind us waiving for the one that we did, the example that we have, the Jehovah's Witness? Why did we waive those fees?

Thank you so much for that explanation. I'm done. Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor. Just wanted to know if there were any additional conversations over the last week with this group as it relates to potentially amending this request and not using the lots around Embassy specifically, but changing it over, amending it to maybe them using one of the parking garages.

Are there any other questions or comments?

Oh, this is the third time that this has been asked really quick. A no means that I do not want to approve the $8,500. Is that correct? No. That's incorrect. Aye.

Thank you. Number one, the committee recommends approval and award a bid for residential snow removal and operators to regional snow services in an estimated amount of $1.5 million. It's a one-year contract with four possible one-year extension options. Annual price adjustment for CPI will be considered contract renewal only. The funding source is the street department operating budget. Number two, the committee recommends approval of award of bid for citywide multi-use path maintenance and DPI construction in the amount of $209,888. The contract is through November 2026. The funding source, 1

Thank you, Mayor. On Item 6, Chief Tile, we know that there's a 911 telecommunicator shortage across the nation, and this contract is for the duration of three months. Can you share with us the plan for after three months and what that looks like?

Incentives that you guys offer for this position we had

Thank you. And then item seven to Director Hagerty. for the funding source, the Community Healing Center American Rescue Plan funds. Can you tell us how much is left in that line item? I don't need to answer right now. I'm going to be supporting this, but just wanted to .

Thank you. Director Sanders on item one for the residential snow removal and operators. Is this the same company as years prior or is this a new company? the past eight years. And I know we came in to this chamber at the same time last year in May. Maybe Administrator Chignoni, what's our satisfaction with this company here?

thank you um and i know there's not snow on the ground so i won't talk too much about snow um but in preparation i know there were certain or several um large snowfalls that we had last year as you alluded to um i just hope to to not see um tens of feet of uh snow piled up in front of um Places like the Luther Center and Olsen Plaza, in which seniors are trying to navigate, some with limited transportation, and especially through the wintertime downtown. And as we support tourism in the winter months, too, we know that people come down and shop at our downtown businesses. And being an alderman

Thank you. Alderman Meeks. Thank you so much, Mayor. Director Sanders, does this, for item number one, does this $1.5 million, does that cover the alleyways in the wards as well?

Thank you. With respect to number seven, I know last week at committee there was a lot of discussion about this matter. And I thought more about our staff member that presented it. And again, I'm still bothered by the... The fact that either if we're going to work on this project, I don't have a problem with the Youth Advocacy Board, but I do have a problem with not just the funding, but the fact that we're using a third-party company that I can't even pull up our web page because it's not active. I pull up the LinkedIn page. And I just, I question just us using a vendor like this when, if our

Thank you, Mayor. I, too, shared some concern on the $50,000. I will just say I'm not concerned about the credibility behind the individual and her team and, truthfully, the vendor as a business. I don't have an issue with the... programming or anything like that, I think, by any dreams necessary, has been a great asset to the individuals that participate in these programs. I have benefited from programming directly from the individual who leads the company in my younger days, not that long ago. But see, I turned out pretty fine, right? I hear that. No. The point that I'm trying to make is the

I know there's a lot to hear. I think what I want to say is I don't know the exact reason why the Community Healing Center contracted out, but from the little tour that I had several months ago at the Community Healing Center and visiting with representatives from By Any Dreams Necessary, Washington Park Community Center, What I can say is there was something to mentoring and working with youth with people that look like them and the comfortability that came with that. And so I don't know if that was part of some of the reasoning why They were contracted out because they were connecting with t

Thank you, Mayor. Director Haggerty, what is the total amount of not unspent but undesignated ARPA money that we have left, ARPA money that has neither been spent nor is earmarked for something in particular?

OK. And we spend a lot of time under officers' reports talking about staffing in the fire department. I was wondering if Chief Taiyo could comment on the cost of, if we were to allocate funding to keep maybe not Medic 4, but Engine 5 in service, My understanding is that's about $400,000, if that would be the case in how we get to $400,000.

Okay, thank you. And Not sure if anybody can answer this with any precision, but about what percentage of the city's population, following up on Alderman Durkee's question, lives east of Alpine?

More than a quarter, close to a third. I just think that we need to start looking at this issue as well as our anticipated budget shortfalls. And even if we have designated all of our ARPA money, anything that we have unspent, I think we really ought to be thinking about setting that aside and not committing to, even though $50,000 doesn't sound like much. But I think in the court of public opinion, We keep approving programs like this while we have these very concerning staffing issues in the fire department and a looming budget deficit. They add up, and I just don't think it looks good. Than

Briefly on number seven, one of the reasons I'm opposed to it is that it does things, as I read their proposal, that basically can be done in District 205. So I view the program, while maybe worthy, it's redundant.

Thank you, Your Honor. Yeah, so I completely agree with everything that has been said forward here. I think if we want to make sure that we're going to cherry pick some of these organizations, we should just put a moratorium on discretionary spending altogether until we come up with a policy in place that kind of directs how that is allocated. I think I've expressed this before, because if there's also reporting out of the ROI, the investment that goes into it, because this is where we get into a conversation about, you know, is this organization effective? administration costs over 10% or wha

Thank you, Mayor. I think we're still on number seven. I'd argue that I agree with a few things the 11th Ward Alderman said. But specifically about regrow, I think that this program would fall under that regrow program or framework that was created a while back. We also, some folks on council, I'd say that I didn't, support the idea of reallocating funds from regrow, but we're now here today. But when you look back to the conversations post-budget discussion and as we head into the next budget discussion, Planning and Development Committee were the ones to not bring REGROW forward and continue

Thank you. I'd like to ask Director Haggerty to do a little more detail on when we, as a council, agreed to fund this program originally. Was it as a re-program originally? Or was it as part of some larger expansion?

Thank you. So that makes sense to me. In June, I was in the hospital. And if it was earlier than that, I might have even been in a coma. So I've missed a few things. Can I ask the legal director, if I were to make a motion to lay this over indefinitely, what is the mechanism to eventually bring it back?

Okay. In that case, I... I'm going to make a motion to lay this over for 90 days. Rather than vote yes or no, vote it up or down. I think the net effect is the same. The money doesn't get spent until it comes back. And if the council chooses to reallocate it for another purpose, we can. But if not, then it can come back. after presumably we've approved the budget and for reconsideration at that time.

Thank you, Your Honor. I just want to ask a question, and I don't know if the staff could answer it. Is there any impacts to what they're doing if they weren't to get approved for their $50,000 from a programming perspective? Just would like to know if there's any impact to schedule, timing, from that perspective.

Thank you. Just want to make a few points. I'm always happy to invest in our youth. Investing in our youth is the investment in the future of our communities. So I'm happy to participate in that. One of the things I wanted to bring up is we just all, several of us just came back from the Illinois Municipal League Conference. And last year at that conference, they gave us a book. on civics for both middle and high school students. So when I hear somebody say, well, this is duplicate, and this is something that District 205 should be doing, I shared that book within District 205. And they weren'

Since we've opened up the discussion far beyond the layover, I just wanted to comment. In no way, shape, or form was I trying to disparage the credibility of the entity or the person who just spoke that I believe is the leader of By Any Dreams Necessary. My first complaint was that our city staff in and of itself isn't doing more except hiring a third party to do this. So regardless of who the third party is, that's my biggest beef about it. But secondly, after hearing her speak, the fact that the budget went from $25,000 to $50,000 to hire a freshman from NIU to basically be an intern, I mean

Thank you. I just want to reiterate the, we've had the question come up about whether this is duplicative of what our PS 205 might already be doing, but we've also asked the question of staff previously why rps 205 isn't funding it or at least contributing to the funding of it and we basically have gotten you know arms in the air we don't know and now tonight we're being told by an employee of rps 205 and a member of this council that that essentially RPS either ignored the proposal or took a pass on it, which, I mean, I think this is an argument in favor of a layover. RPS is a public body wit

Thank you. Madam Mayor. First off, I think a layover is unproductive in this situation. I also think we have, most of us, probably now at this point, including myself, have spent the time talking on council floor that we could have spent talking with the youth advocacy board. And we're spending staff time right now talking about this. I'd actually say, if we have this much concern and debate about it, let's reallocate the funds to the fire department and start building a pot of money to get that $400,000. And so I won't be supporting a layover. We all agree, as we keep saying, that it's import

Alderman Prenti. clarify here that I did not say that District 205 did not support this program. I said that last year when we were at IML, in our bags that they gave us, similar to this one, was a coloring book, two coloring books actually, both on civics, both acknowledging and other resources in the bag acknowledging the 250th celebration of our country. And yes, I shared those books with people from District 205. And I say to you again, if this was something that they wanted to do, they would have. So no, I'm not saying that they didn't want, if volunteering, if working with our youth, in

Thank you, Mayor. I think we beat this to death. Can we call the question? Second.

Thank you. I just can remember about a year ago, a lot of comments being had maybe in the media or even around the horseshoe about snow plowing. Director Sanders, I'm going to probably throw this to you. But back to item number one. as I was sitting here, got a correspondence from a resident in the 13th ward about, and this resident watches every single week and is very in tune with some of the things that council has decided to do as it relates to competitive bids. And so while there was conversations last year about being unhappy with the contractor, I would make a motion to, first off, let

Great perspective there. I appreciate it. And when you talk about local drivers, and let me just first off say, I apologize for not having enough time throughout the week to talk to you about this in preparation, or the last few weeks. When you talk about local drivers, I mean, what does that look like? All of them, is there a percentage of a required local driver number?

Thank you. And then just a kind of A follow-up on that is I believe, and I'm sure many do, local workers should benefit from local dollars. Those workers, do they have to be certified? And what's that kind of process? No? I think they need a driver's license. Yes, sir.

And in that contract, there was no language to insure local workers?

OK. I just would like residents in my ward or anyone else's ward to benefit. I mean, I know plenty of individuals who've reached out, especially over last year's snowfall, that asked, what's the process of being a part of that?

The timing it depends on the timing if the vote has already been tallied it's improper to go back and change your vote I

Before I vote, I'd like to know the reason for the abstention and the reason for switching that to a yes vote.

I'm presuming the alderwoman... believed she had a conflict. Yes, I'd like to know if she had a conflict, why she now thinks she doesn't have a conflict.

And what was the basis for your abstention originally?

My question is, we're in the middle of a vote, and the question has been asked and answered. I don't think you need to keep continuing to ask those questions. You can move on.

I don't think it's the discretion of it all to tell the mayor what to do.

Two items under code and regulation. Number one, ordinance approving a landmark designation of 2520 North Main Street. And item number two, an ordinance approving a special use permit for a single, oop, that one is laid over, single item.

Thank you, Your Honor. Number one is an ordinance approving an IGA between the city and the county to replace sidewalks at the West 8th Street in coordination with the county's public safety building project. The estimated city contribution is $127,000 with the actual cost determined by measured quantities upon completion of the project. Number two is an ordinance approving a memorandum of understanding between the city and the state for the Rockford Complete Streets Revitalization Project. Number three is an ordinance approving the addition of city-owned property located at 710 North Church S