Davenport council approves routine items, proclaims Black History Month and votes to enter executive session

The Davenport City Council on Wednesday handled routine business, approved several reappointments and adopted a proclamation before moving into a closed executive session on an unrelated real‑estate matter and litigation strategy.

The council approved the Jan. 28 meeting minutes and the Committee of the Whole report for Feb. 4 by voice vote, and it reappointed Carla Anderson to the Design Review Board and Vera Kelly and Tyler Sherwin Cole to the Affirmative Action Advisory Commission; former Alderman Paul Reinartz was appointed to the Riverfront Improvement Commission. Mayor Jason Gordon read and the council adopted a proclamation declaring February 2026 as Black History Month; a community representative accepted the proclamation.

By recorded roll call the council voted to suspend the rules and amend the agenda to add discussion of a real‑estate transaction to the executive session pursuant to Iowa Code §21.5(1)(j); a second roll call amended the executive session to include that topic. Later in the meeting the council moved to go into executive session to discuss that real‑estate transaction and to consult with counsel concerning litigation under Iowa Code §21.5(1)(c). The motion passed by roll call and the council adjourned to executive session from chambers and did not return to open session.

Votes at a glance: the minutes and committee report were approved by voice vote; reappointments and the proclamation were approved by voice vote; the suspensions and roll calls to amend and enter executive session were recorded and passed with affirmative roll‑call votes.

The meeting record shows the council conducted routine municipal business and then followed statutory procedures to add and address closed‑session topics; no final public action on the Humane Society contract was taken prior to the executive session.