Bettendorf council adopts amended I‑80 urban renewal plan, approves two site plans including kennel; one site plan passes 6‑1

The Bettendorf City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 16 to adopt an amended and restated I‑80 Urban Renewal Plan area and later approved an ordinance at first reading that directs property tax revenues from properties in the I‑80 urban renewal area into a special fund for repayment of bonds and other indebtedness tied to the area. Council members also approved two site development plans for FG‑80 Holdings: lot 5 (a proposed kennel) was approved unanimously, and lot 4 (a separate development) passed on a 6‑1 vote.

The votes move forward a cluster of development projects the city and private developers say will expand tax base and support regional sports tourism tied to the existing sports building in the I‑80 area. The council adopted the urban renewal area following a public hearing with no public testimony and approved an ordinance at first reading that requires taxes on certain properties inside the subarea be paid into a special fund to cover principal and interest on loans and bonds tied to the renewal area. When asked whether the fund could pay for a new police station, Councilmember Saxer asked, "Can these funds that will be generated by, this fund be used to construct a new police station?" The mayor replied, "They cannot."

Developer and resident Kevin Kellner spoke during public request of counsel about the two projects and the broader development context. Kellner described a plan to split a roughly 30‑acre parcel so about 9 acres would host a storage facility and noted a separate kennel project to the northwest of the existing Iron T (sports) facility. "That current 30 acre lot is assessed at $55,700. The facility that we'll build there will be similar to one we have on Devil's Glen, which is assessed at over 4 and a half million. So we're gonna create a sizable tax increment with the project," Kellner told the council. He gave the council multiple figures on prospective assessments and local transactions, saying the two projects could add roughly $5.5 million of assessed value and that another 13 acres in the area remain for later development.

Kellner also described how tax‑increment funds would flow: "We're gonna pay about $35,000 per million dollar of assessment. Out of that $35,000... there's about 11,500 close to that for debt service, bond debt service of all the taxing bodies, the schools, the county, and the city... 25% of that goes right back to the city." He said the rebate portion would be used to support the sports building, which he characterized as operating at a loss and as the reason incentives were included in earlier development agreements.

Council discussion on the development items was limited but decisive. Councilmember Nauman introduced the two site development resolutions for FG‑80 Holdings. Councilmember Jaeger said he had planned to vote against one of the items at a prior meeting but, after hearing the presentation, changed his vote in support of the kennel (lot 5) while maintaining opposition to the other site (lot 4). On the lot 4 vote, the roll call recorded Jaeger voting "No" while six other named members voted "Aye," producing a 6‑1 approval.

Other routine items tied to city traffic and parking were approved on second readings with no extended debate: an ordinance adding a no‑parking zone on Rainforest Drive and an ordinance adding a yield intersection on Blackberry Lane at Lakeview Court. The council also approved a consent agenda that included standard items and adjourned the meeting.

The actions clear the way for the projects to proceed to the next administrative and permitting steps; the transcript does not record final building permits, construction schedules, or bond issuances. The ordinance affecting tax revenues was approved at first reading and therefore will return for further readings as required by city code before becoming final.