Council Approves Road Project And New Aerial Apparatus

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Oskaloosa City Council met in regular session on Monday, March 5th, 2018.

The mayor, at the request of council-member Tom Walling, pulled item E and F from the consent agenda. The remainder of the consent agenda passed unanimously.

Item E was a request to authorize and direct Ahlers & Cooney to represent the city of Oskaloosa in connection with Urban Renewal and Economic Development. The agreement outlines specific services they would provide during the time specified for a residential project.

The agreement would be a one-time agreement for the proposed residential development, or the Marge Extension, and passed unanimously.

The next agenda item was an amendment to the 2018 fee schedule.

Changes to the schedule include “more clarity when specific trade permit fees are applied.” Those changes include building permits, including electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits. “A simple flat fee would be applied to the trade permits rather than calculating them based on valuation.”

The discussion was centered around how sub-contractors and trades fees may apply to trade permits. Walling disagreed that the trade permits should be additional, and should be part of the original fee paid for by the general contractor.

A motion was made to table the item.

The next item was to consider a resolution to authorize a loan agreement not to exceed $1,825,000 in capital loan notes to provide funds to pay the costs of the Lacey Complex Road Project.

The measure passed unanimously.

The plans and specifications and cost for the Lacey Roadway Improvement Project. The project includes over 2950 feet of pavement, recreation trail and stormwater improvements was next for discussion. Construction is slated to begin in the middle of April 2018 and is scheduled to take 90 working days. The project was awarded to DeLong Construction.

A resolution authorizing the purchase and the equipping of an aerial apparatus and to dispose of the 2008 Kenworth pumper fire engine.

The used aerial apparatus is located in Berlin Maryland and is a 100-foot aerial platform, that can pump two thousand gallons per minute. The cost of the apparatus is $300,000.

The funds for the aerial apparatus are coming from the remaining balance from the bonds that paid for the new fire station, sale of the 2008 pumper, and the budget from the fire department.

After equipping the new aerial apparatus, the total bill is not to exceed $381,000.

Oskaloosa Fire Chief Mark Neff said that the apparatus has low miles, and could potentially serve Oskaloosa for the next 15 to 20 years. “It’s got only 13,000 miles.”

*The council also approved the amended Fiscal Year 2018 budget.

*The council approved the Fiscal Year 2019 budget and levying the tax to pay for the budget.

* Approved was a scheduled public hearing for plans, specifications, and contract for the D Street reconstruction project. It will provide 2350 feet of new roadway, sidewalk, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, traffic signal, and water main pipes. The project will go from 6th Avenue to A Avenue on South D. The cost is projected to be approximately 2.8 million dollars. The public hearing would be April 2nd, 2018.

*Approved a resolution amending the existing attorney service agreement between the city of Oskaloosa and Misty White.