I’ve been active in neighborhood preservation and revitalization since my husband Jack Haberman and I moved to Davenport’s Gold Coast in 1997. I am passionate about the 3rd Ward and its capacity as a place for homeowners, renters, businesses and institutions to flourish in neighborhoods that are safe, attractive and well cared for.
To me, 3rd Ward is “The Heart of Davenport.” It’s where our city began, its original melting pot, attracting people from all over the country and the world seeking to build their lives, establish their homes and share in the American dream.
Our mid-century neighborhoods at the NW corner of the ward, our heritage neighborhoods and old shopping districts across the center, and our riverfront and downtown sections forming our south border all make 3rd Ward the most vibrant and diverse part of the city. All these areas need our attention. We need to continue find ways to better promote revitalization and encourage private reinvestment.
That’s why I first ran for Council in a special election in the summer of 2017. Since then, I’ve focused in several areas that include:
- Lobbied for programs that enhance and revitalize neighborhoods.
- Written and supported ordinances and tools that enhance public safety and strengthen staff’s ability to deal with nuisance properties.
- Advocated for processes that make it easier for residents and businesses to more easily access city services.
Neighborhoods: Dream, Dream Plus, and Extreme Dream, projects that focus mainly on residential rehab in our heritage neighborhoods are initiatives I’ve helped design and promote. I’ve advocated for the city to more aggressively gain control of vacant/abandoned properties so that they can find their way into the hands of groups or individuals willing to rehab them.
I’ve supported enhanced neighborhood street rehab and alley replacement programs.
Before the new zoning code was introduced in 2019, I encouraged 3rd ward neighborhoods to closely examine the impact on their areas and that they advocate for the most positive outcome. After the code was introduced, I offered amendments in some areas where I believed that new zoning did not enhance or protect our neighborhoods sufficiently.
Enhancing neighborhoods includes protecting them from the increase in flooding events of the past few years. I was an active member of the flood task force set up after the 2019 event that led to commissioning of the city’s long-term Flood Resiliency plan. Parts of that plan are now being implemented for impacted wards all across the city; its completion will take years. This was an important next step in the city’s long history of fighting river and creek flooding over the past 200 years.
I often find myself in challenging, but I believe necessary, conversations about concentration of poverty in 3rd Ward neighborhoods. A bulk of services and housing have become concentrated here. That concentration goes against best practices for dealing with people in need that suggests integration of services within the larger community, is healthier for all. In one instance, a nearby city asking for redevelopment proposals specified no senior or affordable housing. In my opinion, that should be illegal.
I also spoke out against the location of the county’s new Juvenile Detention Center in 3rd Ward on an inhospitable site right next to one of our poorest neighborhoods. I authored the letter later adopted by City Council that asked for reconsideration of this location.
Public Safety/Nuisance Abatement: Ordinances tightening nuisance abatement for properties and problem vehicles is another area of focus.
Unfortunately, 3rd Ward has far too many “frequent flyers” who are keeping our police and inspectors busy with repeat offenses by operating illegal scrapping and auto repair businesses or poorly managed rentals. The legal hoops that our staff must jump through to force compliance are mind boggling. These people waste everybody’s time and our most precious resource, staff time.
There are hundreds of establishments selling alcohol in Davenport that manage their businesses well. Unfortunately, a few alcohol licensees bring disorder and sometimes danger to nearby residents. They rack up hundreds of calls per year and waste hours of valuable and expensive police time that reduce police presence elsewhere in the city. No all, but many of these are in 3rd Ward.
My focus in with these nuisance issues has been to look for ways to tighten existing ordinances that might be constrained by state law. I try to be mindful of avoiding placing undue burdens on good landlords, residents, and businesses.
Davenport as an Accessible City: By their natures, cities are complex and complicated organizations with many departments. That can make it difficult for residents or businesses to access services. Technology has certainly made that process simpler. But many in our city are elderly or without the ability to reach out digitally. I have supported efforts to streamline communication and outreach.
I was part of the group who created our “Party in the Park” events in neighborhood parks across the city. The goal of these events was to bring residents face to face with city departments and back into their own parks and neighborhoods. As a lover of history, I’ve made it my mission to research two questions: “Who Built my Neighborhood” and “How Did my Park Get its Name” and host PIP presentations on these topics. I’ve learned so much about many parks and neighborhoods through this research and conversations with residents at the events.
The bottom line is that governments at all levels must continue to challenge themselves to be better communicators.
Community Service: Prior to coming to council, I was engaged in my community in a number of ways. As a council member I have removed myself from all community board of directors except those required or assigned by my council service. I do retain membership in several groups. As a member or volunteer I:
• Helped found the not-for-profit Gateway Redevelopment Group. The group has helped save seven buildings in the Gold Coast neighborhood through direct rehab, or transfer to responsible owners.
• Collaborated to develop neighborhood tours, in creation of architectural guides, and other activities for the Gold Coast/Hamburg Historic District.
• Member, Quad Cities Housing Cluster.
• Former member of Davenport’s Historic Preservation Commission.
• Wrote brochure and managed marketing for P.U.N.C.H and Hilltop Campus Village for their 2013 and 2014 Altar Crawls events.
• Participated in monthly in Davenport Police Department’s Weed & Seed/NETS Community Neighborhood meeting and served as a
Board member Davenport Weed & Seed Task Force, 2008-2012. Focused on revitalization of heritage neighborhoods in the city.
Professional Background:
- President/General Manager WQAD-TV, 1997 to 2007. I was accountable for station earnings and budget, committing station to community public service projects and excellence in news and personnel development. In total, I spent 33 years working in local television stations in North Carolina, Chicago, and the Quad Cities.
- In 2014, I founded Davenport Historic Preservation Consulting. I advise and prepare state and federal historic tax credit (HTC) applications for homeowners and businesses. I have seen first- hand the important role these have played in commercial and residential revitalization. From time to time, when they have been threatened by state or federal legislation, I’ve been a strong advocate for their retention.
Other boards where I have served:
• Quad Cities Health Initiative
• Illinois Quad Cities Chamber
• Development Association of Rock Island (DARI)
• Gold Coast-Hamburg Historic District Association
• Gilda’s Club Quad Cities
• AIDS Project Quad Cities/The Project