Golf cart issue takes center stage at Osky Council

Oskaloosa City Council Members Jason Van Zetten, Joe Caligiuri and Doug Yates discuss issues on August 20, 2012

By R.D. KEEP

Golf carts took center stage at the regular meeting of the Oskaloosa City Council Monday night.

The issue asked city councilors to pass an ordinance to allow golf carts to park on city streets. It was pointed out during the discussion that rules for golf carts on the recreation trail are more stringent than the ones include in the parking ordinance.

Councilor Jason Van Zetten inquired about the need to “clean up” the ordinances regarding golf carts. Questions were asked about liability insurance if the carts are parked on the street. There must be liability if they are on the trail. Oskaloosa does not require registration of carts if on city streets as some communities do. It was agreed by councilors to send the issue to public safety committee to clean up rules and regulations. It is planned to have a revised version available for the second reading at the first meeting in September. The ordinance passed with Tom Walling and Tom Jimenez voting no.

A four-way stop at the intersection of Fifth Avenue East and South Seventh has been requested by the Oskaloosa Schools. The intersection is at the site of the former Webster School. The school will now house Oskaloosa Preschool, alternative school, SEIDA Head Start and the YMCA Preschool. With the increase of student activity in the area the district requested the signage.

Although the request was for temporary signage, Iowa law will not allow “portable signage” which is currently used near the current elementary school. Councilors are concerned about adding stops when they have begun removing signs in other areas of town. “We have a sign two blocks away near the old grocery store and laundermat,” said Walling. “Do we need both signs?”

“We are talking about the safety of our children,” said councilor Scottie Moore.

Included in the ordinance was the waiving of the other two readings. That addition required a super majority vote of six. Councilors Aaron Ver Steegh and Van Zetten voted no insisting more work needs done on the issue. The ordinance passed its first reading and will require two more before becoming part of the code. The reason a waiver was requested is that the building will see nearly full usage beginning Monday.

An ordinance to increase the membership on the Oskaloosa Municipal Water Board from three to five was tabled at the last council meeting. It was scheduled for discussion again Monday night. The ordinance would be on the placed on the November ballot. When mayor Dave Krutzfeldt called for a move to accept the ordinance the council fell silent. The issue failed due to no comment.

Following a public hearing on the plans and specifications for the project, councilors accepted the bid from TK Concrete for $87,480 for the Mall Storm Sewer Project, but with some reluctance. TK had the lowest bid, about $11,000 less than the next bid. Councilors inquired

about the past experience with the company. TK Concrete worked on the downtown streetscape project and was asked to return and correct some problems.

City attorney David Dixon said that some of those problems were partly city problems. TK did return to make the corrections, but it did take some time to do so. The councilors passed it unanimously, but some made it clear that they were not pleased with the decision. Van Zetten suggested developing a scoring mechanism to use to determine the bid. This could allow the city to take a higher bid if there are reasons to do so.

In other business:

* Conducted a public hearing and passed a resolution levying special assessments to nine property owners for sidewalk replacement. This will add $3,491 to offset the costs of the work performed.

* Approved final plat of the Pine Ridge Addition, just south of the former Garfield School.

* Approved the city manager to move forward with using designated funds to develop a plan for acquisition, demolition and redevelopment plan for properties impeding economic development activity along the A Avenue and Market Street corridors.