Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents question 25/75 cost split in city’s 2025 residential alley resurfacing program
Summary
At a public hearing, residents urged the city to reconsider the assessment policy for alley resurfacing, arguing alleys are public infrastructure and should be city‑funded; staff described the program’s long history and the current 25/75 resident/city split.
At a public hearing June 18, Davenport residents pressed the city to reconsider its residential alley resurfacing program and the current cost‑sharing formula that assesses property owners for 25% of reconstruction costs while the city pays 75%.
The hearing opened under the public works agenda item for the 2025 residential alley program. Mike Norvin of the Fourth Ward told the council: “Why specifically would a resident be obligated to pay at all for the maintenance of these things when it should really rest on the city to make sure that their means of transport from one place to another” and questioned why any alley open to the public should be assessed to residents. Paul Vasquez, also a Third Ward resident, echoed those concerns and said many households lack the ability to pay the assessed share.
City staff said the alley program dates back decades. City engineer Bridal Schatz said the city has had alley programs “back into the 1930s” and that the program's current structure began in the late 1980s; staff adjusted the household assessment percentages about three years ago to make the program more favorable to residents. Schatz characterized alleys as “a secondary access point” and explained the council’s policy prioritizes high‑volume roads and neighborhood streets for the capital improvement program, with alleys treated separately and assessed when resurfacing or reconstruction is undertaken.
What the council did: After hearing public comment, Alderman Rick Dunne moved to close the public hearing; the council seconded and closed the hearing by voice vote. The item remained on the public works agenda for later action and was later placed on the consent agenda along with other public works items.
Context and next steps: Residents asked the city to consider fully funding resurfacing for alleys that function as public access. Staff did not commit to changing the assessment policy at the meeting; engineering staff said the program already includes administrative and eligibility criteria (for example, whether an alley is public right‑of‑way) and that staff will carry the public input forward when preparing project plans and future budget proposals.
