Letter To The Editor: Housing Task Force Action Plan
Editors Note: The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are not necessarily the views or opinions of Oskaloosa News.
The 2015 Housing Task Force Action Plan has been mentioned lately in Letters to the Editor. We (the Housing Task Force) know this document better than anyone else; we know how it was put together; we drove the process; we wrote it. We are writing this letter to set the record straight.
First, Mahaska Community Development Group (MCDG) and the Housing Task Force are not in the business of endorsing candidates, and this letter should not be construed as a candidate endorsement. That said, the facts need to be clarified. Steve Burnett has accurately articulated his involvement in creating this plan. In their letters, Aaron Ver Steeg and Charlie Comfort make inaccurate and misleading statements about how this document was formed. Neither Aaron nor Charlie have any knowledge of what went into preparing the document.
Here are the facts:
1. MCDG identified housing as a top priority for 2015 – 2016, as part of a broad economic development strategy. This coincided with the city council’s general goal of improving housing in Oskaloosa.
2. After the MCDG Executive Director presented the strategic plan in November 2014, Steve Burnett asked the MCDG leadership to be placed on the Housing Task Force.
3. In December 2014, the MCDG Executive Committee asked Steve Burnett to Chair the Housing Task Force. The Executive Committee also requested Andrew Jensen, Daryl Petty, Lyle Siefering, Amy Meyer, and Michael Schrock (Oskaloosa City Manager) to be on the Housing Task Force. (Mr. Burnett and Mr. Schrock were not included in preparing this letter, for obvious reasons.)
4. Mr. Schrock informed city council that he was working with the Housing Task Force, as collaborative partnership with private sector, in an effort to address housing issues.
5. Between January 2015 and August 2015 the six members of the task force worked to get more community visibility on housing issues and collected background data for the plan. These efforts included:
a. Reviewing the 2012 Oskaloosa Housing Needs Assessment and identifying areas to update.
b. Meeting with area builders, real estate professionals, Housing Trust Fund members, and rental property owners to get a comprehensive understanding of local housing issues.
c. Visiting communities with active housing markets, including Indianola, Grinnell, Newton, and Mount Pleasant.
d. Surveying new hires in the community to understand housing difficulties faced by newcomers.
e. Investigating and identifying potential new sites for housing developments.
f. Bringing in a large, outside real estate developer to provide perspective on Oskaloosa’s housing market and to explore development opportunities.
g. Participating in two joint committee meetings with Council members. Council members included Tom Walling, Joe Caligiuri, and Tom Jimenez (one meeting).
6. In May, the Housing Task Force drafted the initial Housing Task Force Action Plan. Recommendations in the plan include action needed from private and governmental entities.
7. On June 15, the City Council held a Study Session where the Housing Task Force Action Plan was on the agenda. No comment was provided by city council.
8. On August 17, the City Council approved the Housing Task Force Action Plan with the requirement that every item in the plan first receive council approval before work can begin, even though fully 10 of the 16 recommendations could proceed apart from city government.
9. On August 18, 2015, the MCDG Board of Directors unanimously approves the Housing Task Force Action Plan, citing the need to move forward with housing initiatives even if city council slows the efforts.
10. The Housing Task Force continues to work to create new housing opportunities and raise housing standards in Oskaloosa. Support has been stated by the Oskaloosa City Council, but the council has yet to take any action on implementing the recommendations of the Housing Task Force Action Plan.
These are the facts. It has been a collaborative effort, and we will keep it moving forward as such. The document can be found here: http://www.oacdg.org/files/housing_task_force.pdf. We are open to anyone interested in working together to improve housing in Oskaloosa.
Andrew Jensen
Daryl Petty
Lyle Siefering
Amy Meyer
