A lengthy discussion was held about the future of renovations to the Pella Community Center and potential construction of a new rec center at Tuesday’s Pella City Council meeting.

The session started with nearly 30 minutes of public comment of a wide range potential rec center patrons speaking largely in favor of the facility, from its benefits for youth swimming to senior citizen usage. Many of those comments were echoed, including leadership from Pella Corporation during the second public forum following regular business.

Find audio from the public comments here:

This preceded a lengthy financial presentation from City Administrator Mike Nardini and the City’s Financial Advisor Michael Maloney, detailing the latest in terms of financing the potential rec center and Pella Community Center projects. Essentially, an $11.4 million gap remains for funding what Mayor Don DeWaard considers the ideal buildout of the rec center and where financing stands now. However, he challenged the council to commit toward working for a December deadline to commit to a path forward. DeWaard stated ultimately, the project will be scaled to whatever comes back from bids in December and where money stands then.

Additionally, the purpose was to also have council at least verbally commit again to $5.5 million in cash contributions to updates at the Pella Community Center, assuming the Friends of the Pella Community Center can fundraise the difference between that number and the $8.3 million estimated cost to renovate the facility. Also approved during the regular meeting was a partnership agreement with the Friends of the Pella Community Center so the non-profit can raise funds for improvements. The council was unanimous in their commitment to this effort.

While there was some hesitation and reluctance as it related to the rec center specifically — concerns expressed by John Butler and Harold Van Stryland in particular, the five council members in attendance agreed to push toward an early December deadline to make final decisions about both projects, and specifically, funding by use of a bond against the Local Option Sales and Service tax of $17 million, as well as another general obligation bond of extension of University Street east.

The Pella City Council held three public hearings as well Tuesday.

The first was for approval of a Urban Renewal Plan over a wide range of the western side of the community, which would include reconstruction of Washington Street into an urban cross section with additional traffic signals and turn lanes, improvements at the Pella Municipal Airport, and the upgrade of West 9th Street. The second public hearing related to conveying property to Scholte Heights, which was also approved. The third had the council consider bids to convert the first portion of West 9th into an actual city street, just west of Central Tire and Auto. That motion has been delayed to July 16th.

A resolution for amending a development agreement with Timberview for their ongoing project on North Hazel Street, which would postpone the construction deadline previously outlined in the original contract, was also approved. An agenda item added on Monday now includes a development agreement for off-site improvements related to Kwik Trip and its new location on Washington Street. The city intends to construct new traffic signals and install new turn lanes on the road at the impacted intersection.