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ALTON – After a few passionate public comments, the Alton City Council voted on Wednesday to put a TIF agreement on hold which would expand the parking lot of a proposed tattoo parlor.
As first reported on Riverbender.com, developer Kyle Hulker plans to open a tattoo parlor at 629 Ridge St. under the name “Blue Bird Tattoo.” Hulker was previously the owner of Alton Tattoo Company and Sherry’s Snacks, which were formerly located on College Avenue.
The Ridge Street property is properly zoned, but lacks the required amount of on-site parking. Under the tabled agreement, the city would reimburse Hulker for up to $10,000 of a planned parking lot expansion totaling $40,000.
Most of the evening’s public comments focused not on the parking lot expansion, but Hulker himself. Multiple members of the public claimed Hulker has been accused of sexual assault by up to 50 women. They asked council members not to allow Hulker to open another business in Alton.
“While [the allegations are] one part of the issue, the other is allowing our tax dollars through TIF funds to be supporting this kind of person,” one resident said. “I do not believe that allowing someone who has so many sexual assault allegations against him should be allowed into our community – and even less so, access to our money. I call on you all to not allow Hulker to own a business in Alton.”
While Hulker has not been charged or convicted of sexual assault, he was convicted in 2017 for mob action in a Madison County case from 2015. Cory Davenport said that while he doesn’t hold the “violent conviction” against Hulker, the high number of allegations against him would steer several people away from Alton.
“Whenever you have more than 50 allegations, that’s a lot of people that they’re connected to that are not going to come to this city, they’re not going to spend money,” Davenport said. “They’re not going to say nice things about Alton to their friends, to their family … they’re going to avoid us like the plague.”
Michael Batchelor raised multiple concerns about the business regardless of any allegations against Hulker, true or false. He spoke against opening a second tattoo parlor in what is essentially the downtown district after late Alton Alderman Charles Brake called for only one tattoo parlor to be open downtown at a time. He questioned whether using tax dollars for this parking lot was truly in the city’s best interest, suggesting Hulker’s previous upper Alton tattoo parlor – which now sits vacant – would make a better location for his latest business venture.
Kourtney Reifeiss spoke in defense of Hulker, claiming the sexual assault allegations against him are untrue and have negatively impacted his and her reputations. She added that if Hulker’s business is allowed to be delayed or shut down based on rumors, the same could happen to future business owners.
“For five years now, Kyle Hulker’s name and character have been dragged through the mud by baseless rumors and false allegations,” she said. “Accusations without evidence are nothing more than a smear campaign, and yet here I am before you, still having to defend him – and frankly, myself – against something that never happened.
“If he had actually done anything wrong, he would’ve been questioned, investigated, or faced any kind of consequences – that has never happened because the allegations are simply not true … If we allow gossip to dictate who gets opportunities and who doesn’t, then nobody is safe. Today, it is Kyle – tomorrow, it could be any of you.”
When the agreement came up for a vote, Alderman Raymond Strebel moved to table the item. While he acknowledged the city had done its “due diligence,” he also cited a need to consider the new information presented to the council before making a final decision.
Council members voted unanimously to table the item, delaying its approval until further notice. After the vote, Alderwoman Carolyn MacAfee said she recently learned Hulker sued the city when former mayor Brent Walker’s administration denied him a business license for the same location at 629 Ridge St.
“His license was denied based on the fact Mr. Hulker was a past St. Louis leader of the Mongols Motorcycle Club,” MacAfee said. “The Mongols is an outlaw motorcycle club involving violence and criminal enterprises. It is a racist organization and condones violence against women.
“Hulker has been reportedly accused of violence against women by multiple women over many years. I cannot give support giving Alton tax dollars to Mr. Hulker to open a business in Alton.”
While the agreement is likely to be reconsidered at a future City Council meeting, it has been tabled until council members decide to bring it back up for a vote. Stay tuned to Riverbender.com for updates as the situation develops further.
For more on the proposed tattoo parlor parking agreement, see this related story on Riverbender.com. A full recording of the March 12, 2025 Alton City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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