Council Hears About Splash Pad Study

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Oskaloosa City Council met in regular session on Monday evening, May 20th, 2019, at 6:00 pm in the council chambers of Oskaloosa City Hall.

Oskaloosa resident Kristi Bridges spoke about her concern in regards to a sinkhole that has appeared in the alley near her home.

The council approved the consent agenda with the exception of one item that was removed in which Doug Yates, an officer with Musco Sports Lighting, could abstain from the payment to Musco Sports Lighting for the street lighting project along South D Street. The cost of the project payment was $138,367.50.

That measure also passed the council, with the exception of Yates who abstained from the vote.

The council heard a presentation by the Oskaloosa High School Project Based Learning Class. As a-rhetoric, they had developed three different potential splash pad projects.

The students suggested three different potential locations for the water features. Edmundson Park, near the Oskaloosa Elementary, and a spot along the east side of the Oskaloosa Square were chosen as concept locations.

Oskaloosa High School Teacher Autumn Reisetter contacted the Oskaloosa City Managers office to discuss a project-based learning opportunity her class was going to undertake.

In that conversation with the city managers office, Reisetter explained her students would like to evaluate the possibility of adding a splash pad to the community, and the students would do all the necessary research, come up with proposals, ultimately sharing their findings at a later date.

On April 3rd of this year, the students completed their work and shared three concepts for community splash pads.

Reisetter was asked if she would be interested in sharing the students work with the mayor and city council, and she agreed.

Oskaloosa resident Scott Stefanc, an employee for Vortex (an aquatics play solutions company), joined Reisetter for the presentation. Stefanc was instrumental in assisting the students with information and concepts for the various splash pad concepts.

There was no action taken on the item, as it was just for information purposes, as there is no funding for such a project at this point. “The city’s five-year capital improvement program does not include specific funding to complete splash pad improvements at this time. The work completed by the students provides useful information to the city council as they consider future projects and funding during the FY2021 budgeting process scheduled to occur in the fall of 2019.”

The board held a public hearing for approving the plans, specifications, form of contract, and estimated cost for the Facade Improvement Project Phase 2. No one spoke at the public hearing.

Phase 2 will improve 6 properties in downtown Oskaloosa. The project which has received approval from the Iowa Economic Development Authority for compliance with state historic preservation standards and also received a certificate of appropriateness from the Oskaloosa Historic Preservation Commission.

If awarded, improvements are expected to begin in June of 2019.

One bid was received for the project on May 8th, 2019. The bid was 20% higher than the architect’s estimate. The project team is reviewing the bid details and discussing options to close the funding gap to keep the property owner share at 25%.

The resolution approving the plans, specifications, form of contract, and estimated cost was passed after council member Tom Walling verified that the council wasn’t locking itself into a price amount at this time.

The measure passed unanimously.

The council approved the completion of the South D Street lighting. It was approved unanimously, except for Yates who is an officer with Musco Sports Lighting. He abstained from the vote.

The next scheduled meeting of the Oskaloosa City Council is June 3, 2019, at 6 pm in the Oskaloosa City Council Chambers of City Hall.