Council Approves Many Construction Projects
Oskaloosa City Hall
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Oskaloosa City Council met in regular session on Monday evening, with Mayor Pro tempore Doug Yates presiding.
The council heard from Oskaloosa Fire Chief Mark Neff in regards to code enforcement for the first quarter of 2018.
Neff said that there was a total of 61 violations in the first quarter. “The majority of those were snow on the sidewalks.” Of those snow removal violations, 18 were rental, and 18 were own occupied properties.
In the quarter, 81% of the violations were taken care of without city attorney action.
The city council then awarded $1,710,000 of general obligation bonds series 2018A. Six bids were received for those bonds from 31 different firms. The winning bid came in at 2.6445% for the 10-year bonds from Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley & Co.
The low-interest rate is due to the AAA Moody’s credit rating.
The council approved the sale of the bonds in a unanimous decision.
The council approved the Oskaloosa Housing Trust Fund Upper Story Housing Life/Safety Improvement Loan Program.
The program will help provide low-interest loans to help install life-saving systems like sprinklers to downtown housing projects, in an effort to help spark development and develop market-rate housing options.
Oskaloosa’s City Manager said that he’s heard from bankers and developers that some of the code requirements for things like sprinklers have been burdensome.
There is no general fund money used for the loan program, and only housing trust fund dollars are anticipated to be used to support the program.
Loans for the program are 0% over ten years. Loan amounts can be up to $8,000 per unit, for a maximum loan of $32,000 per property, for up to half the cost of the life safety improvements.
The resolution passed unanimously.
In other action, the council awarded the contract to TK Concrete for Division 1 of Phase 2 Sanitary Sewer System Improvements Project in the amount of $899,286.
The council awarded a contract to Visu-Sewer for Division 2 of Phase 2 Sanitary Sewer System Improvements Project in the amount of $1,275,886.60.
Approved a resolution approving and authorizing a construction loan application from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for a total amount of $8,267,600.00 for sanitary sewer system collection system improvements to reduce infiltration and inflow or otherwise known as INI.
The project will include replacement of 297 manholes and approximately 4,420 linear feet of sewer replacement, and approximately 17,200 linear feet of sewer lining.
Approved a resolution approving an amendment for an increase of $266,000 in Surface Transportation Program (STP) funding for the D Street Reconstruction Project. STP funding will cover 80% of the project funding, up to $2,849,000 for the total project.
Approved a resolution awarding the contract to Dave Schmitt Construction for the D Street Reconstruction Project in the amount of $2,920,902.14. Construction on the D Street Project will begin in early May, contingent upon the weather and will take approximately 135 days to complete.
Approved an ordinance to amend Chapter 15.50, Sections 15.50.070 and 15.50.080 of the Oskaloosa Municipal Code. It involves a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission, in an attempt to make the application process easier.
