City And County Leaders Talk Cooperation
City and County leaders held an open round-table discussion on priorities that they could help support each other with.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors joined City of Oskaloosa officials and Council members to discuss future cooperation between the entities this past week.
Council member Joe Caligiuri spoke about the need for cooperation to incorporate some land within the city limits. Housing and being able to lure developers to build is something the City is hoping helps grow the City’s population.
Mahaska County Supervisor Steve Wanders said there isn’t anything the County can do to stop the City, so he doesn’t see the need to fight that issue.
Wanders stated that the Supervisors and Mahaska County Conservation are considering making water trails.
Wanders indicated they are working on a plan to add five miles of trail along the Des Moines River.
Additional work and cooperation in better understanding road projects like the one near Stadium Drive in the county was another point of discussion.
Oskaloosa City Council member Lisa Ossian said, “we’re not going to be singing Kumbaya on every project,” as the two entities are “diverse groups.”
An example of recent county/city cooperation can be found in the southeast connector, which Mahaska County Supervisor Mark Groenendyk hopes to see pavement by 2025 or 2026.
Oskaloosa City Manager Amal Eltahir said that the City recently got a grant for the wastewater treatment design because the county signed a letter of support for the project. “We got approved by the [grant] committee because they saw it as a community project because of the support.”
Eltahir said, “The leadership needs to be aligned as you think about the future of the community and make decisions on behalf of the community.
Council member Steve Burnett thanked the Supervisors for the recent road rehabilitation on what many call Old Highway 163. “It’s freaking spectacular.”
Burnett also talked about being able to attract business to the community. ” These places we’re trying to attract have choices, and we have to be more attracted to those choices. That’s all there is to it. So, are we willing to spend the time and the money in the effort?”
“But you know, when you build a new YMCA, and you’re able to take care of your streets, and you’ve got more restaurants, whatever they are, those people [Potential new residents] look at that. That’s how they make decisions, and the businesses… want to know what kind of place it’s going to be for my employees if I’m coming to town,” added Burnett.
“Decision makers, we get wrapped up in today,” Burnett encouraged the other community leaders at the table to think long-term. He used the bypasses as an example, saying those plans have been discussed for the past few decades.
Oskaloosa City Council member Bob Drost said to the group, “I’ve told a number of people that I’m 50 years old, lifelong resident of this community, and I am as excited for where we are as a community now than I ever have done.”
The two entities met for approximately an hour and a half and ended on the need for housing growth within the community.
