Centerville outlines 18-month comprehensive plan update and housing stabilization work
July 20, 2026 | Centerville City, Appanoose County, Iowa
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City staff and a consultant from Chariton Valley Planning and Development told the Centerville City Council on July 20 that the city will begin an approximately 18-month update of its comprehensive plan.
Nichole Moore of Chariton Valley Planning and Development presented a tentative timeline for the update, saying the process will include multiple public, planning-and-zoning, and council meetings. The minutes state this process will take roughly 18 months and that Appanoose County is scheduled to review its plan concurrently, creating opportunities for shared resources.
The City Administrator's written report, entered into the meeting record, listed several operational items: a delayed FY25 audit attributed to a 2024 accounting software transition and a statewide shortage of auditors; a required city code recodification; and the Stabilize, Tear-Down and Renovate (STAR) program. The STAR program section lists numerous properties classified as condemned or pending demolition and notes two structures (801 S. Main and 202 W. Wall) currently under renovation by local contractors and groups.
The minutes also list a demolition grant program that has approved 12 properties for demolition, which the report estimates represents approximately $96,000 in cost avoidance to date. The report described imminent demolition work and neighborhood stabilization activities and noted staff is evaluating moving the rental inspection process into the Fire Department after the initial three-year cycle completes this winter.
Other items in the Administrator's report: the FISH (Financial Incentive to Stabilize Housing) initiative and a housing catalog project intended to encourage housing starts; a TIF rebate program that has authorized $7,600 in rebates to date; and public-works operational statistics including water and wastewater volumes and a tentative start date of Sept. 1 for Oak Street paving work.
Council did not take separate action on the comprehensive plan presentation at this meeting. The presentation and written report place the comprehensive plan kickoff and housing stabilization work on the city's near-term calendar.
Nichole Moore of Chariton Valley Planning and Development presented a tentative timeline for the update, saying the process will include multiple public, planning-and-zoning, and council meetings. The minutes state this process will take roughly 18 months and that Appanoose County is scheduled to review its plan concurrently, creating opportunities for shared resources.
The City Administrator's written report, entered into the meeting record, listed several operational items: a delayed FY25 audit attributed to a 2024 accounting software transition and a statewide shortage of auditors; a required city code recodification; and the Stabilize, Tear-Down and Renovate (STAR) program. The STAR program section lists numerous properties classified as condemned or pending demolition and notes two structures (801 S. Main and 202 W. Wall) currently under renovation by local contractors and groups.
The minutes also list a demolition grant program that has approved 12 properties for demolition, which the report estimates represents approximately $96,000 in cost avoidance to date. The report described imminent demolition work and neighborhood stabilization activities and noted staff is evaluating moving the rental inspection process into the Fire Department after the initial three-year cycle completes this winter.
Other items in the Administrator's report: the FISH (Financial Incentive to Stabilize Housing) initiative and a housing catalog project intended to encourage housing starts; a TIF rebate program that has authorized $7,600 in rebates to date; and public-works operational statistics including water and wastewater volumes and a tentative start date of Sept. 1 for Oak Street paving work.
Council did not take separate action on the comprehensive plan presentation at this meeting. The presentation and written report place the comprehensive plan kickoff and housing stabilization work on the city's near-term calendar.
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