Mechanical Board - Regular Meeting

8th, 2026. Call the committee meeting to order. Clerk, could you please call the roll? Here.

Here.

Thank you. Six committee reports before us. Item number one, plat number five of Woodhill subdivision for the property located at 5101 and 5115 Woody Ranch Lane. Is there a motion on the floor? Second. There's a motion and a second. Any discussion? Seeing none, clerk, could you please call the roll? Aye. Aye. Thank you item number two at 714 Broadway the liquor and tobacco Advisory Board recommends approval for the sale of tobacco products in conjunction with a tobacco store in a c4 urban mixed-use district at 714 Broadway with Damien Lyman doing business as Dalla Dame smoke shop. Is there a motion on the floor? I Seeing no motion, the item will fail. Moving on to item number three. At 2614 and 2600 Kilburn Avenue, Liquor and Tobacco Advisory Board recommends approval for the sale of packaged liquor in conjunction with a grocery store in a C2 limited commercial zoning district at 2614 and 2600 Kilburn Avenue with Samabi Patel and Shiv Drishti doing business as Jasmine Pantry. Is there a motion on the floor? It's a motion is there a second I'll second we have a motion and a second clerk. Could you please call the roll? Oops, sorry any discussion? Alderman Bell.

Yeah just want to say I do not believe that We need To be selling liquor at this establishment. I would be voting no at Council With respect to the other woman In advocating for for this to move forward. I made a motion today, but I'll be voting Thank you.

Thank you any further discussion Clerk to please call the roll on item number three. I Motion fails. Item number four, the Zoning Board of Appeals recommends approval for a special use permit for a planned unit development for an RV and fifth wheel only community in an R1 single family residential zoning district at 2530, 2710, and 2720 South Main Street. Midwest Yard Holdings is the applicant. Is there a motion on the floor?

So moved.

Is there a motion? Is there a second? I'll second the motion. Any discussion on item number four on South Main Street? Alderwoman Tarina.

Thank you, Chairman. This is a tough item. A couple things. I just kind of want to walk through the process with this. First, I did attend the initial meeting when I first learned about the grievances from the residents. I was very concerned with that. Then it did move, well it actually has moved on to me, but some of the other things that I did was I felt it very important to listen to the concerns of the residents. Again, concerned to hear about from the residents. I just felt it was important, so we met on a Saturday. We had Alderwoman Granth was there, Alderwoman Meeks, Alderwoman Prunty. Thank you all for showing up for the residents so they could be heard. Sat down with the attorney of the new developer. I've read every single email. I've had conversations here. So I really try to do my due diligence just to make sure that ultimately the voice of the resident was heard, but we also were able to offer services to the residents. we i want to see the city do a better job in situations like this um especially like when it went through zoning i think there was an opportunity there for us to get in front of that knowing that we would be potentially displacing 120 people just to get in front of that to say we kind of see it's coming down the pipeline so what can we do to get in front of it um so perhaps in the future we can be more mindful about The work that we do is always to serve people first. So I have had extensive conversations with Attorney Rodriguez. We have talked today, and they have come up with a plan to help the residents the best that they can. I can certainly appreciate that the developer has tried to do the most that they can, right? They don't have to. They have gone up significantly in the amount that they originally offered. They're also willing to, I don't wanna say this wrong, so I'm gonna read my email just to make sure I got the verbiage correct. We're ultimately gonna be wanting the residents to elect to participate in a program, a package, within 30 days, and then they would have 60 days thereafter to move. So it almost gives them pretty close to 90 days additional time after this. But again, giving all the background to say that I, ultimately, I am going to say yes to move this forward. Because While I certainly feel for and have empathy for the residents and their concerns, I don't think that the developer coming forward is, a couple things aren't happening. I don't think that whoever the current seller is, they're not doing anything wrong by wanting to sell their property. I know that the residents were concerned that they weren't informed that we should have given additional zoning warnings. according to our legal department, that is not a, legally we're not required to do that. So I think the city did all they could on that aspect of things. But I don't, again, what I feel like is what's being presented is probably the better option to move it to the RV park. So again, I will be voting to support to move this forward, just knowing that, The residents are taken care of. Health and Human Services Department was present at the meeting. They had plenty of information, plenty of packets, so they know how to get in contact with services to help them in the transition should they have issues. I did get another letter from, it was a signed letter by maybe five or six different residents. supporting the project. So I've just kind of heard from both sides of it. But I did try to do my due diligence to make sure that, I'm gonna say it for the fifth time, that the residents' voices were heard and that they will ultimately have support during this transition. And again, I just wanna thank my colleagues for just showing up and being willing to help and I really, really, really appreciate Alderman Braniff because I didn't know the first thing about camping culture and RV parks, and she does. And so it was really nice to work with her to be able to answer, get some of the questions answered, because I wouldn't even know how to ask some of these things without her expertise in that area, so I appreciate that. I think that's the remainder of my comments, unless you might have any more questions about something.

Thank you, Alderman Tarina. Fun fact about Alderman Grana, thank you for sharing. Thank you, Alderman Tarina, for providing more of the social context there. I think it's difficult for others around the horseshoe here to understand an SUP or a PUD and how it affects the social context, so thank you for that. Any further discussion? Clerk, could you please call the roll on item number four? All right. Thank you. Item number five is a proposed lift assist ordinance. Is there a motion on the floor? We have a motion. Is there a second? We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Alderman Beach.

I'm not on the committee. Thank you.

I was. Tunberg's not either, but I like you more, so we'll go with you, Beach.

So, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for this meeting. on your committee. If I'm reading right, there was a fee established, or at least proposed fee, of $470 after the sixth time. So my concern is if this is going to apply to the residents as well as businesses, should there be a different responsibility for a business, a for-profit business, when they call, like a high-rise, call the fire department out? If I'm not mistaken, I've seen calls, you have a fire truck with four firemen, you have paramedics with two, that's six, sometimes even an administrator. And they can be there two hours or something more than that for $470. So I'm just asking the question, should the fee connected with this be different for the residents? Yes.

It's good quick chief tile. I'll swing it over to you director hammer

the services, regular services that all residents of the city of Rockford expect. Now, does that just mean assisted living? If someone came to your house, no charge. Correct. I understand. Thank you.

Thank you. Alderman Thunberg.

Thanks, Chairman. Now this is on assisted living facilities, so I believe I read there's six allowed, and then after that the fee comes into play. I would think that a place like Wesley Willows or Fairhaven, they're gonna burn through that six probably within a few days. So the, you know, and I understand the burden on our fire department on these lift assists. And if I'm not mistaken, it's more of a liability issue. Why that these... These facilities will not lift somebody that fell and just literally needs to be lifted back into bed or in a chair. And so yes, thank our legal system on that, attorney. No. But here's an issue. So I can understand the cost to the city on these calls is immense. But now we're going to implement this on our assisted living facilities, which could put a cost burden on them as well. We don't have any cost when we have calls to RHA facilities, Rockford Housing Authority, and they are called to do some of these same things there? Do we charge RHA after six calls? I think I already know the answer to that. So, I mean, it's almost going back to the conversation we had regarding the public schools pitching in a little bit on services that I think we as a city are offering to their benefit, county as well. I frequently see our fire department at RHA facilities, but yet I don't think we're billing them. Is that correct? For instances like this?

We're not currently billing those facilities. There is a RHA property that I'm aware of that does have maybe a certain floor that has dedicated staff. I think when it triggers that assisted living or nursing home, there needs to be 24-hour staffing or qualified staffing to be able to care for those residents. And some of the RHA facilities do not require that. And so I think that's where that separates us from what we can and can't do underneath this state law.

Yeah, just to add a little bit here. The assisted living facilities and nursing homes were the facilities included in the state statute because the residents of those facilities were paying for medical support services. that the agencies are then relying on our fire department to provide. RHA, the bulk of RHA residents are not paying RHA to provide medical support services to them. While we wouldn't bill RHA for arriving at the property, when we do arrive and transport a patient, we're billing that individual's health insurance. whatever that may be, for the transport specifically. But RHA doesn't staff their facilities with medical professionals to provide medical services like a nursing home or an assisted living facility would.

Understandable. OK. Well, I need maybe further thought, but right now it's thank you.

Any further discussion? Alderman Meeks?

me to speak in your community i just want to ask this does an independent living community also apply as the assisted living i'm i'm familiar with independent living senior living communities that also do not staff properly in certain times, and so they utilize the fire department very frequently for lift assists. So are they included in this?

Any further discussion? Seeing none, clerk, could you please call the roll on item number five? Aye. Aye.

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We have a motion and a second for a layover. I believe we need to take a vote on that layover, correct? Okay. Clerk, could you please call the roll? All right. Thank you. Moving along to resolutions. We have two resolutions before us. Item number one, River District Association and City of Rockford Street Parklet Program. Is there a motion on the floor? So moved. There's a motion and a second. Any discussion? Alderman Tarina.

Thank you. My question is, I really like these parklets. I really like the one that's in front of Woodfire. My question is, why are we just proposing this for the River District and not all of Rockford?

Sorry. So the River District is our...

have a different reason.

So I think it could work in other business districts. I don't know that we would do it throughout the entire city. I don't see these happening over on

I guess it could be handled that way, yes, but right now...

Thank you, Chairman. Oh, sorry.

I'll pass it back to you, Chairman. Alderman Trina, go ahead.

I guess I don't feel like I got a clear answer on that. The question is, would it just be cleaner to do it for the whole city?

The primary reason is because we have an operating partner that was willing to do the due diligence in advance of it coming to the city of Rockford staff with the river district. If it is the desire of the city council as a whole to have a parklet program in all the urban areas, we're more than willing to work on that for an expansion. Is that like a lot of work? You know It's not a tremendous amount of work. No the historical benefit is it's taking some of the pressure off staff Making sure that communities in the businesses associated with it accepted it and had the river district do some of that late work versus landing on the staff Alderman Bell

I can vouch for some of what Director Cagnoni said

most of the river district down there at the time and when this came through uh the river district association did in fact do a lot of the leg work on it uh and it was kind of a unique thing um i i appreciate uh on proposing for us for maybe a city-wide thing i can tell you though that what may fly in one area uh may not fly in another area uh and meaning in relation to that some business owners may be in majority that don't want it uh in in the case of the river district there was a couple that were against and one that was adamantly against and actually referred to these as hillbilly porches. So that this isn't always accepted in maybe other areas and that would be kind of a word of caution maybe. If Midtown, for instance, majority of individuals or businesses wanted Yeah, good point the chief concern I hear is usually safety in the streets with these type of parklets to so Thank You Alderman Toonberg woman belt

I mean, probably like others, I want a definition of what a hillbilly is, but I'll move on. I think that should be redacted out of the minutes. Thank you for allowing me to speak on this item. The River District, I have some of the River District in the 13th Ward, along with yourself, and I believe maybe even all the women in Torino. The River District, like the Third World Alderman I mentioned, has advocated for this. I am in favor of exploring the opportunity in other areas. And so, I mean, maybe, Steph, if you guys want to meet with this specific alderman or propose something of that nature? But I do think separating the areas would be ideal, given the fact that we've done this already in the River District, and so we're bringing this back. Is that correct, Mr. Pignone? Correct.

We've done this in the past, and we are bringing it back in the River District.

And I could imagine that there could be some traffic stipulations or what have you, or modifications, I should say, in other areas. And so maybe that programming plan has to be created specifically for them. But should it come forward, I'm definitely in support of expanding this program.

Thank you, Alderman Bell. Any further discussion? Seeing none, clerk, could you please call the roll on item number one? Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

Aye. Aye. Aye.

Aye. Aye.

Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Thank you. Item on the agenda, item number two, request for authorization to allow the zoning officer to file text amendments for multiple sections of the zoning ordinance. Is there a motion on the floor? So moved. There's a motion and a second. Alderman Tarina.

Let's make a motion to lay this item over, please.

Is there a second?

Second.

We have a motion and a second to lay the item over. Clerk, could you please call the roll on the layover? Thank you. Well, that concludes the Code and Regulation Committee meeting for this evening. Do I have a motion to adjourn? So moved. We have a motion and a second. The Code and Regulation Committee is adjourned. Thank you.