- Home
- Government
- City Council
- City Council Goal #2
City Council Goal #2
**Please turn your Mobile Device sideways for better viewing experience.
GOAL #2: EXPANDING LOCAL ECONOMY
OBJECTIVES:
• Retain and expand local businesses
• Support growth in small business development
• Attract new businesses to Rock Island
• Increase the number of job opportunities
• Attract and retain young professionals
• Foster a cooperative business model with shared ownership
ACTION STEPS:
| ACTION STEP 1: Strategies related to redirecting hotel/motel tax revenue (minus Visit QC dues) for tourism-specific programming. - 7 Votes Such as: • Commission a Rock Island Heritage Tourism Plan (as identified in the 2016 Heritage Resources Plan, pg. 31 of document)
• Fund Rock Island/IL-QC Local Film Office
• Multicultural programming (i.e., Augustana’s Swedish Center, foreign investment via sister-cities, etc.)
|
|
| Responsible Department: City Manager, CED, DARI | |
| Status:
• $100,000 diverted from Hotel Motel tax in the 2021 to be devoted towards tourism. The budget is expected to increase to $200,000 in 2022. • DARI and City staff local representatives to discuss establishing a local film office in Rock Island. A letter supporting local film office and requesting financial support was submitted to State representatives
• Staff is working with Visit Quad Cities on an agreement to provide additional tourism related services to the City of Rock Island.
• Study session update scheduled for April 2021. |
| ACTION STEP 2: Adopt “set-aside” percentage of new development costs to fund public art program, administered by Arts Commission (as identified in the 2015 Arts Plan, pg. 5 of the document) - 3 Votes | |
| Responsible Department: CED, DARI | |
| Status:
Study session update scheduled for June 2021 |
| ACTION STEP 3: Improve City’s image - 6 Votes Curb appeal- weeds in ROW, facades, streets/sidewalks, monitor streetlight outages (reporting mechanism) |
|
| Responsible Department: Public Works, Parks | |
| Status:
• Study session in March 2021 regarding enhanced efforts for ROW beautification. • Promote positive marketing of image of Rock Island. This will be part of the agreement with Visit Quad Cities. Study session scheduled for April 2021
|
| ACTION STEP 4: Look at institutional barriers (policies and fees) to development in the city - 3 Votes | |
| Responsible Department: CED | |
| Status:
Study session in April 2021: Comparison of building codes and fees between Rock Island and other local municipalities. |
| ACTION STEP 5: Business Succession Planning Program - 6 Votes
To retain businesses by assisting in transitioning ownership through cooperative or other partnership arrangement for continuation of those businesses where the owner has no one to succeed them; or by assisting the family in taking over the business.
|
|
| Responsible Department: CED, DARI | |
| Status:
• A Resource Guide on how to start a business in Rock Island will be completed by May 2021. • Will seek assistance from the SBDC and Business Development Partners to conduct a workshop on Succession Planning workshop by June 2021.
|
| ACTION STEP 6: Aggressively Market the Downtown (Business) - 6 Votes | |
| Responsible Department: CED, DARI | |
| Status:
• Marketing Specialist hired by DARI in January 2021 • Study Session on Marketing Plan recommendations scheduled in June 2021
|
| ACTION STEP 7: Zero Interest Economic Development Revolving Loan Program or Forgivable Loans When Meeting Certain Criteria - 6 Votes | |
| Responsible Department: CED, DARI | |
| Status:
Study Session scheduled for June 2021 |
|
ACTION STEP 8: Economic Development (Business Marketing).
Promote everywhere, including 11th Street and Watchtower Plaza - 3 Votes
|
|
| Responsible Department: CED, DARI | |
| STATUS:
Study Session on Marketing Plan recommendations scheduled for June 2021 |