Council adopts development‑agreement policy into code to clarify expectations for developer benefits

The council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 26 D, which inserts planning commission’s recommended development‑agreement policy and priorities into city code as nonbinding guidance. Bob Barnhill explained the change: "It's the policy of Perry City that such developer benefits be counterbalanced with relatively equal community and city benefits." The new code also requires applicants to submit a statement describing how a proposal meets code and the adopted priorities and creates an early, informal review by a designated planning commissioner, a designated council member, the community development director and the city engineer before a development agreement reaches the Planning Commission agenda.