Night one of a two-night strategic work session for the next two years held Tuesday highlighted the strengths and challenges the City of Pella faces, especially on the cusp of significant projects.

Among the projects included in strengths listed by city administration, the council looked completion of the long-term water supply plan, the energy agreement through 2057 with Missouri River Energy Services, the condition of city streets — of which 90 percent were listed as good or better in a 2019 DOT study, and the ongoing hookup of Pella Fiber and gigabit internet service.

Key challenges in the next few years was the potential adoption of Pella Ambulance into a city-operated service, needed downtown infrastructure improvements, the ongoing regional airport project in Mahaska County, and needed upgrades at the current Pella Municipal Airport.

Economic development projects such as the new Lely Park headquarters, South Main Housing, Pella Market, Smash Park, and Vermeer renovation and expansion post-2018 tornado were highlighted as strengths, while the city knows housing remains a critical need; 43% of the 966 housing units considered necessary by 2025 in a county-wide study have been evaluated by City of Pella staff.

And has been evident in several meetings since 2021, the strength of amenities such as the Pella Sports Park, Wonder Spelen, and Caldwell Park upgrades has been counterbalanced by the challenge of addressing fine arts and recreation needs through the aging of the current Pella Community Center, and what’s possible moving forward with two separate projects.

Following the strengths and weaknesses, comes focus of the city’s financial position — the challenge outlined for council will be to complete these major projects without significantly increasing the tax burden on residents. The city had a $6.8 million surplus at the end of June 2021, funding that could be directed toward those initiatives, in addition to the upcoming renewal of the local option sales tax, which could generate approximately $20 million. The current range of proposals for the Pella Community Center — new or renovated, and a new recreation facility is between $36-72 million, meaning the city council would need to identify outside funding sources beyond $20-25 million in order to avoid raising property taxes.

For every $10 million in debt issued above the city’s financial contribution, the estimated annual property tax increase on a $200,000 home is $106.

Click here to view the full presentation shown to council. Night two of the strategic work sessions begins at 5:30 this evening in the Pella Public Safety Complex.