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Council delays Central College 'Imagine More' TIF ordinance after public outcry
Summary
After extended public comment and council questioning about transparency, housing need and TIF payback, the Pella City Council voted to delay final action on the Imagine More Urban Renewal/TIF ordinance until the first meeting in November to allow additional public engagement and clarification from Central College.
The Pella City Council delayed final action on Ordinance 1090 — the TIF ordinance tied to the Imagine More Urban Renewal Area that encompasses portions of Central College’s campus — after an extended public forum and council debate.
Staff presented the ordinance as a procedural mechanism to establish an urban-renewal boundary and the legal framework for future tax-increment financing (TIF) should taxable development occur on currently tax‑exempt parcels. Staff said the city’s independent consultant reviewed 15 campus buildings and found approximately 40% contained elements of blight, meeting the statutory threshold used for a blight designation. "The city hired an independent contractor to go out and review the buildings on the Central College campus, and they reviewed 15 of the buildings on the campus… and they found that 40% of the buildings contained elements of blight on it," a staff presenter summarized.
During public comment dozens of residents spoke on both sides: some urged delay to allow Central to provide more details and to avoid using TIF for a private institution, while others urged passage to support future redevelopment and workforce housing. Anna Rupert pressed that commercial benefits to Central are clear but the public need justification for TIF is not: she said the city's own 2024 housing‑needs assessment showed a greater need for senior housing than rentals. After discussion a council member moved to delay consideration to the first meeting in November (or, by substituting a 'delay' motion instead of a tabling motion, place the item automatically on the Nov. 3 agenda). The council adopted the delay on a roll-call vote so the ordinance will not be adopted at that meeting and requires future action to be taken off the agenda.
Staff emphasized that approval of the ordinance would not obligate the city to fund projects or award economic development incentives; it would only create the mechanism to capture incremental property taxes from future taxable development. Staff also outlined the multi-step process that would be required before any developer could receive incentives — rezoning, subdivision and design reviews, public notices to neighbors, and a separate development agreement — noting an extensive vetting process and separate financial review would be required for any developer seeking incentives.
