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PACE, HERA and Habitat for Humanity present funding requests; council to consider one-year contracts
Summary
Representatives from PACE Alliance, regional transit (HERA) and Habitat for Humanity presented funding requests and program updates; staff recommended one-year contracts through June 30, 2027, and requested council consideration of membership and targeted funding for low- and moderate-income projects.
Three outside agencies asked the Pella City Council for continued or new financial support and updated the council on services and local impacts.
PACE Alliance requested continued city membership at $30,000 (included in the FY27 budget). Karen (PACE representative) summarized metrics including growing new-business registrations, payroll trends and website traffic and emphasized workforce-attraction and downtown event programming.
HERA, the regional transit provider, asked for municipal support (packet listed $21,640) and provided an operational update. CEO Julia Castillo and COO Brooke Ramsey said HERA provided more than 7,000 local trips in Pella last year (an increase of about 2,000 from the prior year) and is expanding vehicle options with hybrid vehicles funded by a Federal Transit Administration mobility grant. Ramsey also outlined an RSVP volunteer program and rising operating costs (fuel, auto insurance, health insurance).
Habitat for Humanity asked for $20,000 to support the critical home repair program targeted at low- and moderate- income (LMI) households inside municipal boundaries. Executive Director Amy Meyer described recent activity across Marion County: nearly $400,000 spent on critical repairs in 2025 covering 37 projects, average beneficiary household income near $33,000, and many recipients elderly or disabled. Amy said the organization runs both new-build and repair programs and noted local outreach methods that help match households to repair funds.
Staff recommended one-year contracts for the agencies (to run through June 30, 2027) to provide time for state guidance on property-tax changes to settle into local budgets. Staff also advised that Habitat funds be targeted to LMI projects within the city corporate limits.
What's next: Council will consider the funding requests and contracts; staff will prepare contract documents for a one-year term and report back on any specified monitoring and reporting language.
