The Pella City Council approved a development agreement with Pella Retail Management Group at their meeting Tuesday evening. The contract with the Michigan-based LLC has the city agreeing to upgrade West 9th Street at Washington and split the cost with the developer, who is also agreeing to update any sanitary sewer lines on the property. The proposed tenants for the space are Starbucks and T-Mobile.

A public hearing was also scheduled for Tuesday, April 2nd at noon to establish the maximum levy for the upcoming fiscal year, which has been proposed to be increased to $11.30 per $1,000 of valuation. This does not increase the actual levy, but does give the council the authority to do so once the budget recommendation process is completed after March 25th and 26th. This would reflect a $.33 increase in debt service and $.77 in operations. Projects included in these proposed bond issues include improvements to the Soccer Complex, Southside Beautification project, renovation of the now-city owned facility at 215 Main Street, a new ambulance, HVAC repairs at the library, demolition of the former Second Christian Reformed Church, police radio upgrades, and Phase I of the University Street extension project. The operating levy increase is attributable to operation of the Pella Community Ambulance and insurance-related increases for the City of Pella. Ultimately, the council does not have to increase the rate, but if they don’t do so, the city may not complete any of the proposed projects.

A tabled resolution to seek bids for a proposed indoor recreation center remained inactive.

Half of the council, including Dave Hopkins, Mark DeJong, and Spencer Carlstone, have argued it’s important to establish a potential cost before ultimately approving the next fiscal year budget, and the opposition, including John Butler, Lynn Branderhorst, and Harold Van Stryland, argued the need to slow down that process and wait for the rest of budgetary needs to be approved. Even if the council were to seek bids, they would not have to accept whatever would come in at a public hearing.

The council also approved a special event permit for “Pella Opera House Outdoors” for an event in May, scheduled a public hearing on April 16th to approve potential bids for Broadway Street improvements from University to Independence, and the 2nd reading of an ordinance to change zoning for 26 acres north of Highway G-28 west of Fifield Road from agriculture to medium density residential for a planned unit development.