Council approves memorandum of understanding with Jo Daviess County for downtown parking facility at 312 North Main Street

The Galena City Council voted Sept. 8 to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Jo Daviess County to pursue a parking facility at 312 North Main Street. The MOU is preliminary and intended to guide negotiations over design, use and revenue-sharing.

Council discussion highlighted potential benefits and concerns. Supporters said the project could alleviate downtown parking shortages and improve traffic flow. One councilmember described the MOU as a “potentially awesome project” that would help address downtown parking. Concerns included the proposed allocation of spots to the county (reported as 40 of approximately 50 spaces) and whether the city’s revenue share was sufficient given midweek and weekend demand.

A councilmember asked staff to seek a more favorable revenue split, suggesting a 50/50 or 60/40 arrangement rather than a county-heavy allocation. Staff and councilmembers noted that parking garages “rarely pay for themselves” but that the project could reduce on-street congestion and support downtown businesses.

Action and next steps: Council approved the MOU to proceed with preliminary negotiations and directed staff to continue discussions with the county and return with more detailed terms, including a proposed revenue allocation and financial analysis. The vote carried on the motion recorded in the meeting minutes.

Background: Council said the MOU is an early-stage document; detailed design, financing and final agreements would return to the council for approval. No construction contracts or final binding agreements were approved tonight.