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Planning director outlines Imagine Dubuque work, in-house Section 106 authority and downtown master plan request
Summary
Planning Services Director Wally Wernimont told the council his 8.38‑FTE department is managing Development Services, City Planning and Historic Preservation, has programmatic Section 106 authority to speed federal reviews, and requested $150,000 in FY27 toward a Downtown Master Plan update.
Wally Wernimont, Planning Services Director, presented the Planning Services Department’s FY27 budget and work program, describing three core activities — Development Services, City Planning and Historic Preservation — and 8.38 full-time equivalent staff (including an annual intern).
Wernimont emphasized the department’s cross-department coordination role and public-facing responsibilities, from providing staff to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Zoning Advisory Commission to managing long-range planning and annexation agreements (staff reported 171 pre-annexation agreements covering roughly 4,089 acres). He said the department implements Imagine Dubuque using AchieveIt software and monitors 110 recommendations across seven plan categories.
On historic preservation, Wernimont said the city holds a Programmatic Agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office that allows in-house Section 106 reviews — a status the city said is rare among CDBG communities in Iowa and that can shorten review time by about 30 days. The department reported more than 6,000 historic properties and roughly $7 million invested in historic and downtown neighborhoods in FY25.
Wernimont also reviewed Development Review Team activity (50 DRT cases in FY25; 30 meetings) and said 2,522 lots or units are at some stage of review, with 609 units constructed or in operation. He outlined requested improvements for FY27 including equipment upgrades for staff, training opportunities, and a $150,000 CIP request for a Downtown Master Plan update.
Council members praised the department’s collaborative work across city functions and its performance on plan implementation. No public comments were made during the Planning Services hearing.
