City Council Meeting | October 5, 2026

At its October 5, 2026 regular meeting, the Dubuque City Council selected RDG for the downtown master plan update, approving a contract capped at $150,000 by a 5–2 vote. Council also advanced a public hearing for up to $11,000 in water revenue capital loan notes related to the loan initiation fee for phase two of the private lead service line replacement pilot. It adopted or approved several urban renewal and tax increment financing (TIF) plan and ordinance changes, including a new North Jackson TIF area for the former Flexsteel brownfield site, revisions to the Peru Road and Switch Homes areas, and a new Industrial Center subarea tied to a development agreement with Court Exchange, LLC. The Peru Road TIF ordinance will support administration of the previously approved Prairie Farms development agreement. Separately, the city’s City Manager recruitment process with GMP Consultants is underway; the council discussed the job description, stakeholder outreach, and interview scheduling, with further action planned for October 19.

Council discussed recent Iowa legislation affecting urban renewal and housing TIF: changes may allow some districts to collect increment for up to 23 years, while ending the former mandatory low- and moderate-income housing set-aside for new revenue. Staff said existing collected and budgeted funds remain available, but the city will have fewer resources for future housing incentives; workforce-housing projects may still qualify for TIF support under the revised framework. Council also set a December 21 work session for a housing data presentation. Public comments raised pedestrian safety near Highway 20 and concerns about housing and homelessness; no procurement action was identified on those comments.