Council Passes Third Reading For Sewer Rate Increase

Oskaloosa City Hall

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Brownfields. What are Brownfields and how is the assessment process in Oskaloosa going.

“Brownfields are real property, of which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence, or potential presence, of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” Brownfields can include residential, commercial, or industrial properties.

That topic is what started the regular agenda for the Oskaloosa City Council this week.

A $400,000 grant was awarded to the City of Oskaloosa in June of 2014 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a petroleum and hazardous site assessment.

At the February 17, 2015 meeting, the Oskaloosa City Council then approved a contract with HR Green to manage the grant and conduct petroleum and hazardous site assessments.

Scott Mattes with HR Green then presented the council with an update on the current project.

Mattes explained that the EPA program is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields.

You can find the web portal for the project HERE.

Approximately 30 locations throughout the city are to be focused on for the project. These locations were considered to help bring the most revitalization to the community at this point.

The Oskaloosa City Council adopted an increase in the sanitary sewer system fee “for the purpose of providing necessary funding associated with the operation and maintenance of the city’s wastewater treatment works.”

The council voted in favor of the increase, finalizing the 25% increase that will take effect April 1, 2016.

The council also held a public hearing for the 2017 fiscal budget. No member of the public spoke in regards to the published budget, and was passed unanimously by the council.