By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
During the regular meeting of the Panora City Council on April 13, the councilmembers approved the second reading of the proposed amendment to Ordinance 363, which would add “churches” as an allowable use in the Light Industrial District on the eastern edge of Panora. The council also voted to waive the third reading.
The council also discussed the city’s building inspection process. Councilmember Brian Dorsett stated he has heard from citizens that there are “too many hoops to jump through” and that the cost of building inspection in Panora is too high compared to nearby communities.
The council discussed Resolution 26-20 to approve an updated Professional Inspection Services Agreement with Veenstra and Kimm, Inc. Adam Holliday of Veenstra and Kimm discussed his availability to perform building inspections for businesses and personal buildings. The council voted to approve the agreement.
During the public comments portion of the meeting, JoAnn Johnson and Paulette Chambers spoke on behalf of the Panora Garden Club. They asked the city to consider budgeting funds to help support the work of the club in providing colorful flowers in the business district.
Brenda Dudley of Midwest Partnership addressed the council regarding the possibility of Panora participating in the Hometown Pride program. The hope was that multiple area cities would participate so that costs could be split, but Dudley explained that there may be fewer cities joining than planned, which would raise costs for those participating. The council took no formal action at this time.
The next regular meeting is set for Monday, May 11 at 5:30 p.m. The public is welcome. Interested persons may attend in person or electronically by visiting the website https://meet.goto.com/cityofpanora or by phone 1-312-757-3121 (Access Code 295-099-701, Audio PIN 220#).