Rock Island swears in new alderperson; city shares name of new K9

Rock Island added a new face to the city council Monday night when an alderperson took his oath to become the Third Ward alderman.

Kevin Maynard, the Quad City Arts executive director, was appointed by Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms. Maynard said there is a lot of potential and promise in Rock Island and being part of the city council will allow him to help the city move forward with its goals and projects. He also believes more art in Rock Island will help the city attract more visitors, especially younger ones.

“Cities that have a strong economy have a strong art scene, so they see visitors through their public art and through their organizations that are presenting art,” Maynard said. “Wanting people to live in your town and people wanting to live in your town is directly linked to public sculptures, art, and art’s offerings.”

Also during the meeting:

• The Rock Island Police Department shared the name of its new K9 during the city council meeting tonight. After more than 1,000 comments on Facebook, the police department decided on the name “Blue.” The city unexpectedly lost K9 Sparky last year. Blue should be ready to work soon.
• Rock Island adopted a resolution to keep the one percent sales tax on groceries. Earlier, Gov. JB Pritzker proposed the elimination of the one percent tax. If this happens, city administrators say the city would lose $1 million. If the state drops the sales tax, city officials want to be reimbursed for the lost revenue.
• City officials gave an update on its downtown alliance project during a study session before the regular meeting.
• City officials say signage and wall mural improvements are a focus this year. The $7.3 million downtown street-scaping project is set to begin in spring.
• City administrators continue a plan to improving storefronts and other maintenance issues will boost visibility and attraction to the downtown area.

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