City of Grimes City Council Agenda Explained — July 28, 2026

City of Grimes Packet Summary — 2026-07-28

Meeting: Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 5:30 PM CDT — City Council Meeting

Location: Grimes Community Center, 410 SE Main Street, Grimes, IA 50111

The City Council agenda combines three public hearings on proposed ordinance changes with major infrastructure payments, planning studies, park initiatives, utility-rate analysis, and a large consent agenda. The packet presents these as proposed actions for Council consideration; it does not establish the outcome of the July 28 meeting.

Key Items on the Agenda

James Place PUD Amendment — Ordinance 814

The Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing and consider the first reading of an amendment to the James Place Planned Unit Development. The proposal would reorganize the PUD's land-use areas into:

• Mixed medium-density and high-density residential, allowing townhomes, multifamily housing, and senior living.
• High-density residential and commercial, allowing multifamily housing, senior living, commercial uses, and vertical mixed use.
• Commercial/mixed use.
• Public parkland.

The packet says the proposed land-use changes are generally consistent with the future land-use plan and include height, buffering, and landscaping standards intended to provide transitions between uses. About 5.9 acres of parkland have already been dedicated to the City as part of a regional detention-basin project, with additional parkland planned as future development occurs.

Staff recommends approval subject to remaining staff comments. The packet's proposed schedule calls for first Council consideration July 28, followed by potential second and third considerations on August 25 and September 8.

Zoning, Accessory Dwelling Units and Fireworks — Ordinance 815

A second public hearing and first consideration concern a broad update to the City's zoning and fireworks regulations. Staff says several changes are intended to bring Grimes ordinances into compliance with Iowa law adopted in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Among the proposed changes:

• Accessory dwelling units: A new Section 12-5-21 would establish ADU regulations and permit ADUs as accessory uses on single-family lots. The packet notes state requirements allowing ADUs up to 1,000 square feet or 50% of the primary residence's size, whichever is larger, subject to applicable building-code requirements.
• Board of Adjustment: Procedures would be revised for numerical variances, appeals and City Council review of certain Board of Adjustment decisions.
• Rezoning petitions: Existing requirements involving consent and protest petitions by abutting property owners would be removed to reflect state-law changes.
• Residential architecture: City requirements would be revised in response to state restrictions on local regulation of exterior building materials for certain residential buildings.
• Fireworks: The proposed local schedule would permit fireworks July 2 from noon to 10:00 PM, July 3 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, July 4 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and December 31 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 AM.

Staff recommends approval of Ordinance 815.

Nuisance, Property Maintenance and Building Codes — Ordinance 816

The Council is also scheduled to hold a public hearing and consider Ordinance 816. The proposal affects nuisance regulations, maintenance responsibilities for parking or terrace areas, and portions of the residential and general building codes.

The packet says the ordinance would add a definition for abandoned or unsafe buildings and direct applicable cases to the City's property-maintenance code and Iowa Code Section 657A. It would also further define the maintenance responsibilities of owners whose property abuts public areas.

The packet notes that Iowa has enacted radon-mitigation requirements for one- and two-family dwellings and townhomes, but City staff proposes waiting for state rulemaking and an effective enforcement date before adopting the related Appendix BE of the 2024 International Residential Code. The Building Regulations Board of Appeals previously approved the proposed Title 11 building-code changes on June 18, 2026. Staff recommends the ordinance changes and requests that the second and third readings be waived.

Ordinance 813 Returns for Second Consideration

Ordinance 813, which updates Title 12 zoning regulations concerning Planned Unit Development regulations, returns for second consideration. The first consideration was approved at the June 23 meeting, according to the prior-meeting minutes included in the packet.

Major Financial and Planning Items

Five-Year Utility Rate Study

Resolution 07-3426 would authorize a professional services agreement with PFM Financial Advisors LLC for a comprehensive five-year utility-rate study.

PFM would develop financial-planning models for the City's water, sewer, stormwater and solid-waste utilities and recommend rates designed to meet each utility's financial obligations over the next five fiscal years. The proposed one-time fee is not to exceed $20,000, plus reimbursement of reasonable documented expenses upon completion. Staff recommends approval.

$95,000 Outdoor Sports Facilities Study

Resolution 07-3526 would approve a $95,000 consulting agreement with Johnson Consulting for an Outdoor Sports Facilities Optimization Study covering the Hy-Vee Multiplex, Grimes North Sports Complex and Grimes South Sports Complex.

The study would examine field capacity and utilization, field conditions, maintenance, staffing and operations, financial performance, fees and cost recovery, sports tourism and economic impacts, and long-term implementation strategies. The Parks and Recreation Board approved the selection of Johnson Consulting on June 24, and staff recommends approval.

Brenton Slough Transportation Plan

Resolution 07-3726 proposes a multi-jurisdictional agreement among Grimes, Granger, Polk County Conservation and the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to develop a transportation plan for the area around the Brenton Slough Conservation Area.

The planning effort would address transportation needs, multimodal alternatives, conservation lands, trails and recreational facilities, and public and stakeholder engagement. The estimated study cost is $185,000, allocated as:

• City of Grimes: $75,000
• City of Granger: $10,000
• Polk County Conservation: $100,000
• Des Moines Area MPO: in-kind staff services

The MPO would coordinate the process and administer the professional-services agreement with Snyder & Associates. Importantly, the MOU is limited to planning: it would not commit Grimes to construct, acquire land for, maintain or otherwise implement projects identified by the study. Future projects would require separate approvals and funding.

Parks and Community Projects

Meadows Park REAP Grant

Resolution 07-3626 would authorize an application for a Fiscal Year 2027 REAP City Parks and Open Spaces grant for Meadows Park Phase I.

The City proposes using grant funding to develop a trail loop, establish native habitat along the trail and create open green space. The REAP grant does not require a local match, and the City has already secured approximately $17,470 toward Phase I through supplemental grant funding and the City's capital-improvement budget.

The Parks Board recommended the application on July 22, and City staff also recommends approval.

Consent Agenda Highlights

The proposed consent agenda contains more than 30 resolutions and several groups of project payments and change orders. Items may be removed for separate Council consideration.

Claims and Project Payments

The claims report totals $8,353,755.19, including payroll and expenditures reviewed by Finance Department staff.

The consent agenda also contains numerous professional-services invoices for active infrastructure and facility projects, including:

• $171,280.91 to Foth Infrastructure & Environment for S James Street improvements from S 37th Street to S 11th Street.
• $108,424.00 to Weitz Company for the Grimes Public Administration Building.
• $89,478.95 to OPN Architects for the Public Administration Building.
• $31,698.86 to Foth for the SW 19th Street SRF Sponsored Pond.
• $28,223.65 to Foth for the IA-141 Safety Action Plan.
• $25,618.25 to McClure Engineering for the SE 41st Street and SE Park Drive Extension.
• $23,950.70 to Foth for the 2026 CIPMH Lining and CIPP project.
• $23,655.95 to McClure Engineering for Phase 1B Water Main Improvements.
• $21,989.14 to Kirkham Michael for County Line Road work from W 1st Street to NW Beaverbrooke Boulevard.
• $19,747.07 to Snyder & Associates for NE Destination Drive and NE Beaverbrooke Boulevard improvements.

Capital-project payment requests include $1,510,139.84 to Des Moines Asphalt & Paving for the SW 19th Street and SW Jazzwood Drive overlay and $599,074.95 to Elder Corporation for S James Street and S 19th Street improvements, along with payments for Lions Park, the Public Administration Building, water-main work and multiple street projects.

Change Orders

Eight proposed change orders are grouped on the consent agenda. They include both increases and reductions, such as:

• -$100,821.61 for the Beaverbrooke West Plat Four Mill and Overlay project.
• $79,948.73 for the SW 19th Street and SW Jazzwood Drive Overlay.
• $29,674.24 for the SE 2nd Street Water Main.
• $13,557.50 for SE 5th Street and SE 6th Street reconstruction, associated with removing and reinstalling storm sewer because of conflicting design and construction elevations.
• -$8,700.00 for S James Street and SE 11th Street improvements.

FY2026 End-of-Year Transfers

Resolution 07-1326 would authorize Finance Director-recommended year-end transfers totaling $3,057,113.28.

The proposed transfers include $1.5 million from General Fund activities to the equipment replacement fund and $1 million from the General Fund to parks projects, along with transfers to close completed projects, establish a Multiplex reserve and account for engineering oversight of capital projects.

Transportation and Infrastructure Agreements

The consent agenda also includes an intergovernmental agreement with Urbandale for a traffic signal at 142nd Street and Meredith Drive. The preliminary project estimate is $450,000, with Grimes' current 25% share estimated at $112,500. Urbandale would initially fund construction, while the circumstances requiring Grimes to reimburse its share depend on future development and annexation conditions described in the agreement.

Other infrastructure-related items include:

• Initiating the 2026 CIPP Lining Project and setting bid-letting and public-hearing dates.
• Professional-services contracts for the NE Beaverbrooke Boulevard/NE Gateway Drive roundabout and the Public Administration Building fiber-optic connection.
• Accepting the Beaverbrooke West Plat Four Mill and Overlay and SE 2nd Street Water Main improvements.
• Accepting public improvements in Harvest Pointe Plat 1.
• Accepting an easement associated with the SW 19th Street Water Transmission Main Extension.
• Amending professional-services agreements for Lions Park and the Traffic Signal Network Communication Project.

Operations and Administration

Several operational purchases and agreements are also proposed:

• $17,266 for FY2027 membership in the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
• $12,350.97 for a GPS infrastructure locator system intended to improve underground utility mapping and field data collection.
• Authorization for delivery and purchase of salt for winter operations.
• Disposal of designated IT equipment.
• Removal of dead, diseased or dying trees from City-owned greenspace along the Prairie Creek Trail corridor.
• A communications-services agreement with Wixted & Co for content creation and communications strategy, not to exceed $25,000, while the City evaluates the financial effects of recent property-tax legislation and has paused hiring for a planned communications coordinator.

The consent agenda also contains personnel transactions, alcohol licenses, utility-billing adjustments and several agreements allowing specified improvements within utility, drainage, storm-sewer, sanitary-sewer or overland-flowage easements.

What to Watch at the Meeting

The three public hearings are the most direct opportunities for public input. Ordinances 814, 815 and 816 respectively address a substantial PUD amendment, citywide zoning/ADU/fireworks rules, and nuisance/property-maintenance/building-code provisions.

Financially, the agenda combines significant ongoing capital-project payments with several decisions that could shape future spending: the five-year utility-rate study, $95,000 sports-facilities study, up to $75,000 toward the Brenton Slough transportation plan, and a REAP grant application for Meadows Park.

The consent agenda is unusually broad, encompassing the $8.35 million claims report, capital-project payments and change orders, $3.06 million in proposed year-end fund transfers, infrastructure agreements, operational purchases and project acceptances. Any consent item may be removed for separate consideration.

Source Information

• Official public-body source: City of Grimes meeting packet and publicly available meeting materials.
• Official Meeting Source URL: https://grimesia.portal.civicclerk.com/event/443/files
• Provider: civicclerk
• Provider Meeting ID: civicclerk-443
• Civic Translator summarized publicly available meeting materials provided by the City of Grimes.