DUBUQUE, Iowa — The Dubuque City Council approved two updated urban renewal plans, advanced the sale of general obligation bonds and adopted a revised Housing Choice Voucher administrative plan at its regular session on Monday, November 2, 2026, at the Historic Federal Building, 350 W. 6th St. All seven council members were present.

The council adopted the amended and restated urban renewal plan for the Sky Blue Housing area, Version 2026.1, on a 7-0 vote (Resolution No. 421-26), and the amended and restated urban renewal plan for the Dubuque Technology Park, Version 2026.1, also 7-0 (Resolution No. 422-26).

The council also approved the plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost for the ImOn Ice Arena cooling tower replacement, 7-0 (Resolution No. 423-26), and took additional action on the proposed general obligation loan agreements, including the sale of General Obligation Corporate Purpose Bonds Series 2026A and Taxable General Obligation Corporate Purpose Bonds Series 2026B and the preliminary official statement, 7-0 (Resolution No. 424-26).

The one split vote of the night came on the revised Housing Choice Voucher administrative plan, adopted 5-2 (Resolution No. 425-26), with Council Members Staver and Leyendecker voting nay.

On the consent calendar, the council voted 7-0 to receive and file documents, adopt resolutions and dispose of items as indicated, with one item held for separate discussion. Resolutions adopted on consent included city expenditures (404-26), fiscal year 2027 Period 3 fund transfers (405-26), a first amendment to the Linwood Cemetery agreement (406-26), Cedar Ridge Commercial Park improvements (407-26), a Kennedy Mall sidewalk easement (408-26), garbage collection assessments (409-26), an Iowa Department of Transportation Volkswagen Settlement Fund grant application (410-26), four $10,000 Community Support and Empowerment Grants to Convivium Urban Farmstead, ElevateHER Network, Mindful Minutes and the Red Basket Project of Dubuque (411-26 through 414-26), a sanitary sewer easement at 335 Locust St. (415-26), the Greyhound Park Road Water Main Loop (416-26) and a federal-aid swap agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation (417-26).

The item held from consent, the nomination of Ruby Sutton, was received and filed on a separate 7-0 vote. The council also voted 7-0 to set public hearings for November 16, 2026, on a T-Mobile license agreement for the West Third Street cell tower (Resolution No. 418-26), an amendment to the MacHom Windows lease (Resolution No. 419-26) and the first amendment to the fiscal year 2027 budget (Resolution No. 420-26).

Among the action items, the council voted 7-0 to receive and file information on city support for efforts addressing unhoused residents, 7-0 to release a request for qualifications for a first-floor City Hall space needs study at 1398 Central Ave., and 7-0 to receive and file an update on the Areas of Persistent Poverty grant and hear a presentation on The Jule network redesign study.

Three ordinances passed on final reading after the council voted 7-0 in each case to suspend the two-meeting rule: Ordinance No. 48-26, repealing Ordinance No. 35-19 for the Sky Blue Housing urban renewal area, passed 7-0; Ordinance No. 49-26, the Sky Blue tax increment financing ordinance, passed 7-0; and Ordinance No. 50-26, the Technology Park Subarea D tax increment financing ordinance, passed 7-0.

The council went into closed session at 9:19 p.m. to discuss the purchase or sale of real estate under Iowa Code Chapter 21.5(1)(j), reconvened at 10:43 p.m. and adjourned at 10:43 p.m.

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