The Pella City Council approved a contract for the Pella Municipal Airport Runway Rehabilitation project at their meeting Tuesday. The $1.41 million effort, which will be funded by the FAA, will start this summer with Wicks Construction earning the bid. The runway will be closed from August 1st through October 1st for the repairs.

Council also approved the Prairie Ridge Housing Development Agreement, which will bring 93 single family and 25 townhouses north of Washington Street at Fifield Road.

Additionally, the council approved resolutions to accept a land donation for the Wonder Spelen playground project on North Main Street, an agreement to purchase electric revenue capital loan notes for Pella Fiber, software and services agreement for the billing service for the utility with National Information Solutions Cooperative, and a public hearing for July 7th to authorize bids for Fiber to Premise Access Network Equipment. Council also approved a change order with Excel Utility Contractors by reducing the contract price by $1.4 million for extending fiber to every Pella home and business — the service line portion of the project will be rebid with a contract to be approved later this summer. The new contract for the main lines of the fiber buildout will cost $7.4 million.

Following regular business, council reviewed proposed water (5%) and wastewater (8%) rate increases for the upcoming fiscal year and discussed the 2020 sidewalk inspection program during policy and planning, all of which will have further action considered at future council meetings.