City Council - Regular Meeting

Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call

Journal of Proceedings for the Special City Council meeting held on May 11, 2026.

PROCLAMATIONS

Memorandum from Todd Cagnoni, City Administrator, regarding a proposed Funding Agreement with Comprehensive Community Solutions (CCS) to expand prevention and intervention programming in collaboration with the City of Rockford's Community Healing Center. Referred to Planning and Development Committee. 26-00630

Memorandum from Todd Cagnoni, City Administrator, regarding a proposed Funding Agreement with Goodwill in partnership with IBEW Local 364 for Electrical Workers Trades Program to better prepare individuals for the IBEW application process. Referred to Planning and Development Committee. 26-00631

Memorandum from Todd Cagnoni, City Administrator, regarding a proposed Funding Agreement with Farmers Rising in partnership with City Center Market for the establishment of a Mobile Grocery 26-00632 Store. Referred to Planning and Development Committee.

Memorandum from Todd Cagnoni, City Administrator, regarding a proposed Funding Agreement with Citied Foundation for Early Birds Social Work Development Program at Auburn High School. Referred to Planning and Development Committee. 26-00633

Memorandum from Todd Cagnoni, City Administrator, regarding a proposed Funding Agreement with Zion West for Youth Training and Mowing Program to better prepare individuals for future opportunities. Referred to Planning and Development Committee. 26-00634

Memorandum from Joshua Versluys, Assistant City Attorney, regarding grant of an easement to ComEd at 850 South Horace Avenue. Referred to Planning and Development Committee. 26-00653

Memorandum from Scott Capovilla, Planning and Zoning Manager, regarding authorization to allow the Zoning Officer to file Text Amendments for multiple sections of the Zoning Ordinance. Referred to Code and Regulation Committee. 26-00647

Memorandum from Scott Capovilla, Planning and Zoning Manager, regarding Plat No. 5 of Woodhill Subdivision. Referred to Code and Regulation Committee. 26-00648

Traffic Commission’s Agenda for the meeting to be held on June 10, 2026 and Minutes from that meeting for consideration at the Code and Regulation Committee Meeting on June 22, 2026. Referred to Code and Regulation Committee. 26-00649

Memorandum from Martin Bloom, Project Manager-Permits and Special Events, regarding a Program Renewal Request for the River District Association & City of Rockford Street Parklet Program. Referred to Code and Regulation Committee. 26-00650

Memorandum from Shurice Hunter, Human Resources Director, regarding proposed revisions to the City of Rockford Rules and Regulations. Referred to Finance and Personnel Committee. 26-00606

Memorandum from Todd Cagnoni, City Administrator, regarding allocation of funding for Community Healing Center, trauma-informed services to youth impacted by violence in Rockford. Referred to Finance and Personnel Committee. 26-00636

Memorandum from Todd Cagnoni, City Administrator, regarding a request for allocation and reallocation of Cannabis Dollars for 26-00637 Health and Human Services Department. Referred to Finance and Personnel Committee.

Memorandum from Angela Hammer, Legal Director, regarding a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Rockford and Board of Education Rockford Public School District 205 for School Resource Officers. Referred to Finance and Personnel Committee. 26-00645

Memorandum from Owen Carter, Deputy Director of Program Operations for Health and Human Services, regarding the recommendation for funding - HUD Emergency Solutions Grant. Referred to Finance and Personnel Committee. 26-00638

Memorandum from Owen Carter, Deputy Director of Program Operations for Health & Human Services, regarding Acceptance of Grant Award for DECO-Liheap State Supplemental Grant 27-254023. Referred to Finance and Personnel Committee. 26-00651

Memorandum from Owen Carter, Deputy Director of Program Operations for Health & Human Services, regarding Acceptance of Homeless System Capacity Expansion Pilot Program. Referred to Finance and Personnel Committee. 26-00652

Memorandum from Todd Cagnoni, City Administrator, regarding a proposed Contract with Resolution for Zephyr Government Strategies. Referred to Legislative and Lobbying Committee. 26-00635

Wren Medina

Maggie Watson

John Tac Brantley

Patti Bremer

Robert Pace

Planning and Development Committee

Final Plat No. 1 of South Avon Subdivision for the property located at the southwest corner of South Avon Street and Chestnut Street, and the southeast corner of Short Elm Street and South Avon Street 26-00607

Special Use Permit for the outdoor storage of operable passenger vehicles; and a

Variation to eliminate concrete or asphalt paving and replace with gravel for outdoor storage of operable passenger vehicles area in an I-1, Light Industrial Zoning District at 3382 South Alpine Road (Kamal Abedrabbo/Applicant). Subject to conditions.

Committee recommends sustaining Zoning Board of Appeals' recommendation of a Special Use Permit for a Planned Unit Development consisting of a Mixed -Use Development of 350 residential dwelling units with lower level parking, a courtyard with open space and recreational facilities and three, free-standing commercial buildings in a C-2, Limited Commercial Zoning District at 53xx East State Street (Place Foundry for Kevin Olson/Applicant). Subject to conditions. 26-00610

Committee recommends denial of the Sale of Liquor by the Drink (Class L50) in conjunction with a video gaming facility in C-3, General Commercial Zoning District at 3011 Auburn Street (Staci Johnson/Fatdaddy's Gaming Hall LLC dba Fatdaddy's Gaming Hall/Applicants), thus reversing the Liquor and Tobacco Advisory Board 26-00612

Committee recommends sustaining the Liquor and Tobacco Advisory Board of Appeals' approval for the Sale of Liquor by the Drink (Class NG-L) in conjunction with an event space in an R-4, Multi-Family Residential Zoning District at 716 and 7xx Indiana Avenue (Shawn Cox/Elizabeth Cox/Copper Latern, LLC dba Copper Latern/Applicants). Subject to conditions. 26-00615

Approval of vouchers in the amount of $13,402,796.72. 26-00619

Approval of the 2025 Supplemental Appropriation Ordinances (SAO). 26-00620

Committee recommends approval of the Special Use Permit for a Planned Unit Development consisting of four, 4-unit buildings and two, 8-unit buildings in an R-1, Single Family Residential Zoning District at 515 South Alpine Road (Zaher Qassem/Applicant), thus reversing the Zoning Board of Appeals' recommendation of denial. Subject to conditions. (LAID OVER MAY 18, 2026) 26-00458

OFFICERS REPORTS

Reappointment of Frank Buchmann to the Fire Pension Board for a term ending April 2029. (Pursuant to Rule 18, this reappointment will be up for passage after May 20, 2026.) 26-00499

Reappointment of Brad Benedict to the Historic Preservation Commission for a term ending June 2029. (Pursuant to Rule 18, this reappointment will be up for passage after May 20, 2026.) 26-00500

Appointment of Lafakeria Reuter to the Library Board, replacing Henrietta Dotson-Williams. The appointment will be for a term effective July 2026 through June 2029. (Pursuant to Rule 18, this appointment will be up for passage after May 20, 2026.) 26-00522

Appointment of Stephanie Nissen to the Library Board, replacing Colleen O'Brien. The appointment will be for a term effective July 2026 through June 2029. (Pursuant to Rule 18, this appointment will be up for passage after May 20, 2026.) 26-00523

Reappointment of Michael Laskonis to the Library Board for a term ending June 2029. (Pursuant to Rule 18, this reappointment will be up for passage after May 20, 2026.) 26-00524

Reappointment of Greg Harle to the Mechanical Board for a term ending June 2031. (Pursuant to Rule 18, this reappointment will be up for passage after May 20, 2026.) 26-00525

Reappointment of Roberta Holzwarth to the Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment Authority (RAVE) Board for a term ending June 2031. (Pursuant to Rule 18, this reappointment will be up for passage after May 20, 2026.) 26-00526

Appointment of Bryan Kruschke to the Traffic Commission to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Don Bissell. The appointment will be for a term ending October 2026. (Pursuant to Rule 18, this appointment will be up for passage after May 20, 2026.) 26-00527

Reappointment of Tom Okite to the Traffic Commission for a term ending May 2031. (Pursuant to Rule 18, this reappointment will be up for passage after May 20, 2026.) 26-00528

Reappointment of Craig Sockwell to the Zoning Board of Appeals/Liquor and Tobacco Advisory Board for a term ending June 2031. (Pursuant to Rule 18, this reappointment will be up for passage after May 20, 2026.) 26-00529

Planning and Development Committee

Rockford Fire 911 Run 26-00616

This event is scheduled for June 6th from 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. The run will be held at 391 North Trainer Road

Cycle on 2nd Street 26-00617

This event is scheduled for September 13th from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. (roads will close at 7 a.m.). The route will be as follows: Southbound on North 2nd Street (IL 251) from Auburn Street to East State Street

Award of Joint Purchasing Contract: Police Vehicle Computers, Docking Stations, Printers and Components to CDS Office Technologies, of Itasca, Illinois in the amount of $153,362.00. This is a one-time purchase. The funding source is the Capital Lease Fund/Police Department Capital Budget. 26-00623

Award of Joint Purchasing Contract: Panasonic Toughbook Laptop Bundle and Extended Warranty for Field Training Officers to CDS Office Technologies, of Itasca, Illinois in the amount of $36,900.00. This is a one-time purchase. The funding source is the Police Operating Budget. 26-00624

Award of Joint Purchasing Contract: Police Vehicles Equipment and Installation to Dana Safety Supply Inc., of Greensboro, North Carolina in the amount of $439,388.00. This is a one-time purchase. The funding source is the Capital Lease Fund/Police Department Capital Budget. 26-00625

Award of Joint Purchasing Contract: Police Radar Equipment to Kustom Signals Inc., of Lenexa, Kansas in the amount of $39,870.46. This is a one-time purchase. The funding source is the Capital Lease Fund. 26-00626

Change Order: Activate Church Street and Main Street Two-Way Conversion (Supplemental #2) to GFT Infrastructure, Inc., of Chicago, Illinois. 26-00627

Extension of the contract with Fire Safety Consultants, LLC, for Building Code Consulting Services. 26-00628

Planning and Development Committee

An ordinance approving a Special Use Permit for the outdoor 26-00639 storage of operable passenger vehicles and Variation to eliminate concrete or asphalt paving and replace with gravel for outdoor storage of operable passenger vehicles area in an I-1, Light Industrial Zoning District at 3382 South Alpine Road (Kamal Abedrabbo/Applicant).

An ordinance approving a Special Use Permit for a Planned Unit Development consisting of a Mixed -Use Development of 350 residential dwelling units with lower level parking, a courtyard with open space and recreational facilities and three free-standing commercial buildings in a C-2, Limited Commercial Zoning District at 53xx East State Street (Place Foundry for Kevin Olson/Applicant). 26-00640

An ordinance approving the Sale of Liquor by the Drink (Class NG-L) in conjunction with an event space in an R-4, Multi-Family Residential Zoning District at 716 and 7xx Indiana Avenue (Shawn Cox/Elizabeth Cox/Copper Lantern, LLC dba Copper Lantern/Applicants). 26-00643

An ordinance approving the Special Use Permit for a Planned Unit Development consisting of four, 4-unit buildings and two, 8-unit buildings in an R-1, Single Family Residential Zoning District at 515 South Alpine Road (Zaher Qassem/Applicant). (APPROVAL REQUIRES 10 VOTES) 26-00506

An ordinance approving the 2025 Supplemental Appropriation Ordinance (SAO). 26-00629

ADJOURNMENT