The Pella City Council will move to the bidding phase for three key projects identified several times as major priorities to consider over the past few years at this week’s meeting.

While there was no formal resolution, the council decided unanimously to move forward to the bidding process of the proposed indoor recreation center, renovations of the Pella Community Center, and extension of University Street east. Mayor Don DeWaard stated during the meeting that the council’s approval to move forward with receiving bids for the projects does not guarantee that they will move forward to construction, but will allow the council to determine the best course of action to proceed with these projects and that the city reserves the right to reject or accept any bids moving forward.

A series of ten public hearings were also held by the council covering a wide range of zoning changes.

Among the public hearings, the council accepted a construction bid of $167,000 from D.W. Zinser Company of Des Moines to demolish the brick former church building, the former single-family residence building at 606 Union Street, and site improvements at 609 E. 1st Street. The council also approved one rezoning request and resolutions for ordinances of five other rezoning requests and adoption of the 2021 International Residential and Building Codes and the 2020 National Electric Code.

During policy and planning at the end of regular business, the council held discussion on a dog park proposal and an agreement with Pella Regional Health Center to pay for ambulance transportation, but no formal action was taken on either item.