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Here's how Davenport plans to spend $41 million for COVID-19 recovery

Quad City Times - 7/6/2021

Jul. 7—Davenport city officials would use a bulk of the nearly $41 million in federal COVID-19-relief funds the city is expected to receive to create new outdoor gathering spaces and develop a west-end business corridor over the next three years.

Federal rescue dollars would also be spent on violence prevention, expanded affordable housing options, flood mitigation, neighborhood stabilization efforts, public WiFi hot spots and expanded early childhood literacy programs.

Davenport aldermen met Tuesday to review and discuss a "near-final draft" spending plan for projects that would be funded by money the city will receive from the federal government as part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.

"We are addressing crime in a long-term preventative way" Alderman Kyle Gripp, at-large, said. "We are further investing in our existing core neighborhoods, both in stabilization, (redeveloping) vacant and abandoned properties, and investing in parks where people who have lived in Davenport for decades and decades have seen disinvestment will see re-investment. We are doing economic development on the west end. ...

"We are kicking off a long-term flood protection (plan), starting with what the public was telling us is the most important — keep access open all across Davenport."

City Administrator Corri Spiegel said city staff intend to have a finalized spending plan to present to council for final approval either at the end of the month or in early August.

"This is Friday night of the wedding, and 'now or forever hold your peace' is coming soon," Spiegel said.

In total, the spending covers more than $43 million worth of spending, leaving the city with a potential $2.1 million deficit. Spiegel and city Chief Financial Officer Mallory Merritt, though, stressed they anticipate other funding opportunities and partnerships will become available at the federal, state and county level as a result of the federal stimulus package.

Spiegel and Merritt, too, stressed figures presented are estimates and may need to be adjusted based on project designs, bidding results, design schedules and contractor availability.

"There are a lot of variables we just don't know yet," Speigel said. "And some of these projects, we may not expend all of the funds and some may require additional sources."

The city will likely need to hire temporary staff to carry out council initiatives funded by the influx of federal dollars, according to Spiegel. City staff have proposed hiring a strategic initiatives coordinator, accountant and a design and construction coordinator at an estimated yearly cost of $350,000 over three years that would be paid for using a portion of the federal grant dollars.

Project-specific spending, including design and construction contracts, would still come before city council for separate approval as city staff work to implement the three-year spending plan, Spiegel said.

"We wanted to get something to (council) to kind of agree to (and) to take action on so we can ... get the pencil work much tighter," she said. "It's meant to evolve just like a normal budget does. ...

While largely supportive and complimentary of the draft spending plan, some aldermen said they are wary of spending the federal money to develop a flood-prone area ahead of a final report and recommendations expected this fall from a city-hired consulting firm assessing how best to protect Davenport's riverfront from flooding.

"I don't think that aligns with the" the guidelines and intent for using the federal money, Alderman Ben Jobgen, Ward 6, said of spending a proposed $6 million to design and build an outdoor "Adventure Play & Event Lawn" included in city plans for the Main Street Landing project located south of the railroad tracks, east of the Skybridge.

"I think we can do something else," Jobgen said. "I think we still need to wait and see what's going to play out from (Cedar Rapids flood consultant) HR Green as to what we do. And I don't want to get the cart before the horse."

Alderwoman Judith Lee, Ward 8, expressed similar concerns.

Other council members, including Alderman Matt Dohrmann, Ward 5, argued such an investment would create "an economic driver" and showpiece attracting more visitors, business, investment and jobs to the riverfront and downtown.

"For a neighborhood that was impacted by COVID the most," Dohrmann said. "Our small business districts really were the zones that COVID-19 really hit. And having this as an asset to drive people downtown, in addition to having all of the other events we're seeing coming back, that will get those business back up and going as quickly as possible."

Gripp, too, said he supports investing in "competitive placemaking," that capitalizes on Davenport's most iconic asset, using the riverfront to create spaces that promote health and happiness and increase quality of life.

"One of the side effects of the pandemic is people don't have to live where they work," Gripp said. "And we are in a position where we can start making a place where people want to live, where other cities to receive this money are looking at, 'How do we try to pay off our debt?' ... We are not in that position. We are in a competitive advantage where we can spend this money" that will make Davenport a better place.

The draft spending, in part, calls for:

$14 million to extend the Duck Creek sanitary sewer to enable a West Locust Street business park corridor for future development. The estimated cost includes acquiring land and boring under Interstate 280.

$4 million in improvements to city storm sewer systems along the riverfront to allow the city to keep River Drive and surrounding streets accessible during Mississippi River flooding, up to a river stage of 22 feet

$4 million to expand city's recreation trail system to include a section that runs north-south to connect the Mississippi River Trail to Eldridge

$6 million to design and build an outdoor "Adventure Play & Event Lawn" included in city plans for the Main Street Landing project located south of the railroad tracks, east of the Skybridge.

$2.5 million to "revitalize, re-imagine and refresh" five neighborhood parks in low- to moderate-income areas of Davenport. Parks to be considered include Lafayette, Cork Hill, Monroe, Harbor Road and Green Acres. Additional park amenities could include new and inclusive play spaces, water features, multi-sport courts and other items.

$750,000 to hire "violence interrupters" — community members tasked with aiding police in heading off conflicts before they turn deadly. City officials say the aim would be use "credible community messengers" to help police "prevent and reduce youth violence, particularly gang violence, by using community violence intervention strategies such as street outreach ... and group violence intervention."

$2 million to expand assistance to new home buyers in low-income areas of the city. Funding would also be used increase the maximum amount of housing rehabilitation loans provided by the city, from $20,000 up to $50,000. The increase is estimated to provide additional assistance to roughly 40-plus new homeowners. Coming out of the pandemic, more substantial assistance is required to provide affordable housing options, according to city officials.

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