Remarks by Tamir Bell
31 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 2
- Play at 1:16:17
“Thank you, Mayor. make an amendment to this item I do not have a crib sheet prepared but the amendment and so therefore I asked director hammer to help me out here I'd like to make an amendment to item one And I'm just going to read this really quick. I move to amend the committee report for the proposed funding agreement and lease with Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to reflect 2030 instead of 2032. I can't formally get a second yet until we get that. But if we can move this item to later in the meeting, that would be great.”
City Council · Oct 5, 2026
- Play at 1:17:23
“So, and I'll go further on that. We only have 12 aldermen here, or 66, and there's no ability to break a tie, and I think, you know, So modifying this would, I think, give both sides of that vote some wiggle or an acceptance or consensus.”
City Council · Oct 5, 2026
- Play at 1:33:10
“it looks like someone from go Rockford's team could answer that question without objection from council I think it was a good good question to ask I'd like to know before you speak sir I'm sorry”
City Council · Oct 5, 2026
- Play at 1:43:30
“Thank you. I think there are some unanswered questions maybe that someone from the audience could answer. I'd like to ask again if the individual could speak and answer some of the questions that were just raised without objection, hopefully.”
City Council · Oct 5, 2026
- Play at 1:45:19
“He could probably answer the questions that were raised or a little bit of them. And so since he's not here, that's why I'm asking if they could speak. Thank you.”
City Council · Oct 5, 2026
- Play at 1:46:12
“Alderman Bates. Thank you. Can you kind of speak to some of the conversations that we're having, the questions that was raised from Alderman Thunberg and Prunty?”
City Council · Oct 5, 2026
- Play at 1:52:51
“Thank you, Mayor. On item one, I move to amend the committee report for the proposed funding agreement and lease with Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Gold Rockford to reflect a new expiration date of December 31, 2030.”
City Council · Oct 5, 2026
- Play at 2:10:56
“Thank you, Mayor. I'll touch on really quick the Avon Street development. yes that development is moving forward in partnership with and more information can be shared later but in partnership with our 13th ward housing task force two developers have come together to to save what habitat for humanity could not continue on the west side of avon street And so more information will be coming out about that. But thanks, Alderman Bonnie, for announcing that publicly today. Happy to have more conversations with our city administration and our council members about that. But super excited for that…”
City Council · Oct 5, 2026
- Play at 44:04
“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.”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 45:54
“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.”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 58:32
“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.”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:00:01
“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.”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:04:04
“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?”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:05:14
“Incentives that you guys offer for this position we had”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:05:35
“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 .”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:06:25
“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?”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:07:34
“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…”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:11:23
“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…”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:27:15
“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…”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:51:12
“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…”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:55:40
“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…”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 1:59:09
“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?”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 2:01:43
“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.”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 2:03:01
“And in that contract, there was no language to insure local workers?”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026
- Play at 2:03:13
“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?”
City Council · Sep 21, 2026