Davenport City Council members pressed staff on a finance agenda item proposing that the city defer its interest in a bequest from the Victor estate so the Figge Art Museum can complete a purchase.

Alderman Rick Dunton said he had “a lot of questions,” noting the green sheet indicated the bequest was roughly "a million dollars left to the city to build a farm" and asking whether the Park Advisory Commission or neighborhood had approved the original plans. Dunton said it was hard to support the item without clearer documentation and timeline of prior meetings.

A participant in the earlier planning process described meetings around 2017 to identify a fountain site, saying neighborhood opposition and changing plans left the project unbuilt. “They really, really like Lindsay Park,” the speaker said of the family’s site visits, but later neighborhood resistance meant the project did not proceed.

City staff, represented at the dais by Mister Gleeson, said the city’s interest in the funds is currently held by a community foundation and that, if council chooses to release or defer that interest, “by resolution” the transfer could occur so the Figge could make its purchase. Gleeson acknowledged that more preparation and documentation should have been shared with council earlier and took responsibility for the lack of notice.

Councilors repeatedly requested more detail before taking action—asking for the will’s precise language, the history of meetings and neighborhood responses, whether the funds were explicitly left "to Davenport," and what legal or procedural steps a transfer would require. Staff noted Director Chad Dyson was not present but had been involved historically, and that the Figge must tender payment at the end of the month unless the transfer proceeds.

The item did not reach a final vote during the meeting; council members said they wanted fuller documentation and time to review the bequest language and the proposed agreement before any resolution is considered.

The matter remains at the discussion stage pending staff follow-up: council requested the legal documentation, the community foundation account details, and clarification on whether the bequest was specifically restricted to Davenport Parks for a fountain.