The Pella City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission discussed several topics during a joint work session Tuesday. Both received an overview of ongoing housing and development projects, as well as key city initiatives.
From there, City Administrator Mike Nardini discussed goals for the Planning and Zoning Department, which includes a new Comprehensive Plan, Zoning and Subdivision Code updates, and corridor redevelopment. The council and commission both discussed the challenges faced by changing current codes and some of the needs, and gave some feedback to city staff about potential improvements to the ongoing processes for building permits.
There was also conversation about how to begin developing the next Comprehensive Plan from the city, which was last updated in 2014. Part of that discussion centered specifically around housing, potential staff, and other incentives to spur growth.
Additionally, Planning and Zoning Director Gerald Buydos gave an overview of the site plan and building permit process developers go through as well.