For the second session in a row, the Pella City Council meeting featured a discussion by Mayor Don DeWaard following regular business about ongoing projects in Pella in response to alleged misinformation spread during the ongoing election campaign.
DeWaard first responded to a letter signed by the “Citizens Concerned for the Future of Pella,” which accuses GenLink of “quietly taking control” of the mayor, current councilmembers Mark DeJong, Liz Sporrer, Calvin Bandstra, and Dave Hopkins, as well as candidates Kyle Nelson and Spencer Carlstone. GenLink is the corporation representing the Shareholders’ family of Pella Corporation. DeWaard discussed the connections of GenLink to city projects at the October 19th council meeting.
The mayor challenged the individuals behind the letter to an open debate about the concerns addressed. Among those were contributions made from GenLink or Pella Corporation family members made to campaigns in 2019 and 2021. Click here to view campaign disclosures submitted by all recent City Council candidates in Marion County.
Following that discussion, DeWaard referred to ongoing debate surrounding the future of the Pella Community Center and potential projects related to enhancing the arts and recreation in the community. The presentation started with a rundown of a facility plan reviewed by the council prior to the current group being elected in 2019. (click here to read details about that plan as published in July 2019)
Specifically, he was directing his comments toward an email sent to Pella Firefighters and a Facebook post made about how the city was “planning” to move emergency services elsewhere to make way for a civic center south of the current Molengracht. DeWaard countered those claims, saying a consultant will be working with the city as soon as next week to discuss potential options for a new community center. DeWaard did acknowledge that the property purchased by the city at Second Christian Reformed Church was a potential location for both a public safety complex expansion and potential community center, but that those were only some of many options the council may consider in the coming months regarding the future of facilities. He expressed frustration in particular with an email sent to the Pella Fire Department claiming that decisions were being made about facilities and property now owned by the city east of the current Public Safety Complex without consulting membership of those groups.
“The other thing about the email that was being sent said there was a plan, and did you know, nobody asked the fire department? Really, to me that’s offensive. You think we’re going to put a plan together to move the fire department and never ask the firemen? Really? You think we’re going to do that? The problem is some of them believe that, they believe we would do that and that we would a plan together to move the fire department and never ask them about it. That’s not going to happen,” DeWaard said.
The mayor feels that current debate about the Pella Community Center and a proposed recreation facility has created a perception that the two projects are at odds with each other, when he says the current council intends to fully invest in both projects and chose to make the issues separate earlier this summer because they believe that is the best option to satisfy current and future needs in the arts and youth sports.
“Nobody is picking sides here. The beauty of it is, we can do both and we will do both,” he said.
DeWaard took an aside and praised the leadership shown by Pati and Arvin Van Zante and their work with the Friends of the Pella Community Center, saying the group has developed a viable option for renovation of the current facility. He did say the city needed to do its due diligence in exploring a new option vs. upgrading the building on Union Street to make sure all options are available. DeWaard promised action and decisions on the Pella Community Center and proposed rec facility by the end of his term in December 2023.
The biggest message from the mayor was that no formal action has been taken regarding the future of the Pella Community Center, rec facility, Pella Public Safety complex, fire station, and more, and any ideas that have been thrown out have only been meant to further discussion. He encouraged the public to pay attention to several upcoming meetings early next year as many of the concepts presented since 2019 will become more detailed, and that there will be opportunity for public comment and input, as well as opportunity for entities impacted to have their say before votes are held on those various issues.
Hear the full audio from DeWaard below: