[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6562113,"mediaKeyId","3280667-bda3186f1604697d965b5a2b3af93bb2","parentId",3280667,"title","Votes at a glance: Oskaloosa council passes benefits package, bond sale and intergovernmental agreement; parking ordinance moves to next meeting","audioSeconds",356,"startMs",101000,"endMs",457000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3280667-bda3186f1604697d965b5a2b3af93bb2&start=101&end=457","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3280667-bda3186f1604697d965b5a2b3af93bb2/thumbnail_101000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6562113/Oskaloosa/Mahaska-County/Iowa/Votes-at-a-glance-Oskaloosa-council-passes-benefits-package-bond-sale-and-intergovernmental-agreement-parking-ordinance-moves-to-next-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562113-6451130d3a238802db65256dc9550809/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154164&Signature=FEv6-ApwEJDJmZBIKh7cdOI6IdWJ-IrkyV5chIrNhxKkzYalnfHc8zKOPvQUG8YRqp7T4I~d~T-AZ~oR~VB9z4uj~GlSqA4ZVjwAO1p06Mj3Ycn9O7tDR2hZ925sUY4dCx9lwQ4IGA9MzULjjJvAhCm2At0mDgsgx315RW~oc6TziryZEiKAnvb3U2oLqJ744lkh~UyKKP6QkXJOKZxUv0WQBAnb96q185-ProODhATBcmaBKa1xQuTrDUEmarhwYaPbqJ3l-koy7K4-faQet1i~PgflrT62XT3RdMEnhotqEQ4oy9Nr6-ZAGYxQazqpdMk~-pmbJPdb1-bZJGzxpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oskaloosa","date","2025-05-13T15:15:31Z","article","Here is a brief roundup of formal actions the Oskaloosa City Council took on May 5.

Consent agenda
- Outcome: Approved. The council passed the consent agenda by roll call. The consent agenda included routine items and a resolution scheduling a public hearing on June 16 for the vacation and potential sale of a 16-foot-by-480-foot section of a north–south alley adjacent to 1011 North Third Street (item o).

Employee benefits and insurance programs
- Outcome: Approved. The council adopted resolutions for employee benefit and insurance program renewals for fiscal year 2026. Presenter Brad Ryman reported mostly flat rates for voluntary vision and dental programs, modest fixed-cost increases and an overall Wellmark medical renewal of about 4.72 percent.

Direction to sell general obligation capital loan notes (bond sale)
- Outcome: Approved. The council directed the sale of approximately $2.955 million in general obligation capital loan notes over a 15‑year structure. Staff reported Moody’s affirmed the city’s AA3 rating; the winning bid came from Raymond James (Dallas) at a true interest cost of about 3.7494 percent, with the cover bid from Robert W. Baird.

28E agreement for Southeast Connector Project
- Outcome: Approved. The council authorized a 28E agreement with Mahaska County to formalize the city’s share of construction‑phase payments for the Southeast Connector Project, which staff said is funded 65% by a RISE grant with the remaining 35% split evenly between city and county.

No‑parking ordinance (first reading)
- Outcome: First reading passed by a tie and carried to the next meeting for final action. The item would remove a weekday no-parking restriction on the east side of Gurnee Street (from Trueblood Avenue to Rosenberg Avenue) that currently applies 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; staff reported adjacent property responses were mixed and Traffic Safety Commission raised no safety objection.

Other notes
- The council announced vacancies on several boards and commissions, including the airport commission (term to December 2028) and Mahaska County Solid Waste Management Commission (term to December 2025).

Roll-call tallies for many items were recorded in the meeting minutes; the council used standard roll-call procedure for each resolution.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025 May 5 City of Oskaloosa, Iowa","oneSentenceSummary","The Oskaloosa City Council on May 5 approved routine items including an employee benefits package, directed the sale of capital loan notes, and authorized a 28E agreement with Mahaska County on the Southeast Connector; a first-reading change to a no-parking ordinance produced a tie and was continued to the next meeting.","taxTitle","Oskaloosa , Mahaska County , Iowa","taxId",52335,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6562118,"Council agrees to seek independent review of wastewater facility plan amid rising cost estimates",181,3818000,3999000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3280667-bda3186f1604697d965b5a2b3af93bb2&start=3818&end=3999","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3280667-bda3186f1604697d965b5a2b3af93bb2/thumbnail_3818000.jpg","/articles/6562118/Oskaloosa/Mahaska-County/Iowa/Council-agrees-to-seek-independent-review-of-wastewater-facility-plan-amid-rising-cost-estimates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562118-db6fa7d52a55d04465d583174dd195b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154164&Signature=cE6hOMQ0Dx8QODSQIvo35JyZ2CRvWi7xrCQdTltWAFQktQyRK0cZ4pi178uHDBwI~Z4AGZd~xrunLZitQcNG-s9kEKii-TTlCzI~tsJ~iX8a170ECCFB-jY7UN465yGn7o2fNdjPj~cnZM5QjCFnCPRk6Is8-1FOl5E-lhyg85IzkWFDsVHmCnEthmnAxuf3izH5FXYtj19MfqS1QN2bqwm9~ytmi-XZmJsOjJ153iaHhC16~nmPJKIhJVGdsCBqpLeg46S9J9d7WY5M6Bb1PlBu38lotXTZXBKyogJV16zOfFt~TKdTVVptXE~kPlUY-UwEgW1tikYUo23SuwcioA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff told the Oskaloosa City Council on May 5 that the city’s wastewater resource recovery facility planning process, begun in 2017, now faces materially different market conditions and scope changes; the council agreed to seek proposals for an independent review.

The city has been working with Foxstrand (transcript name variant) Associates on designs to replace the Southeast wastewater treatment plant. Staff said the currently estimated construction cost is about $66 million. Because the plan is eight years old and markets and technologies have evolved, staff recommended hiring an independent firm to review the plan for potential cost-saving alternatives or refinements.

Council members expressed support for an RFP and a second look. “If we’re going to spend $66,000,000 I want to be sure,” one council member said. Staff clarified that an independent review would run outside ongoing design work and would not delay current project timelines but would provide an outside check to ensure the city is pursuing the most efficient option.

Why it matters: The wastewater project represents a large capital investment and long-term operating implications; an independent review could identify savings, alternative technologies or phasing options to reduce cost and risk.

Next steps: Staff will prepare a request for proposals and return to council with bids and a recommendation on which firm to hire for an independent review. No formal binding vote was required; council indicated consensus to proceed with seeking proposals.

","City staff recommended and the council agreed to request proposals for an independent review of the 2017 wastewater facility plan after project cost estimates rose to about $66 million for construction.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6562122,"City council accepts downtown master plan after student-led study proposing bike lanes, pocket parks and signage",1562,1074000,2636000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3280667-bda3186f1604697d965b5a2b3af93bb2&start=1074&end=2636","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3280667-bda3186f1604697d965b5a2b3af93bb2/thumbnail_1074000.jpg","/articles/6562122/Oskaloosa/Mahaska-County/Iowa/City-council-accepts-downtown-master-plan-after-student-led-study-proposing-bike-lanes-pocket-parks-and-signage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562122-eff3c090d261974fca069a3e9ad4d639/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154164&Signature=U7HE8KYiTr1963UK7q0msKkkULS5e8DrYXTq5VPh885mkoEX8eiaJvDWgzpSkAITyMpoUdLYmQTB9sCgn5Z0F1Z~XZJzXGOXgRxFUKRqpGcV0EOLgxACRTPPKqiVz6Na4eRosWUJrxDV7bLK8i31M~qKxpJmrXlONM1NJTPF6b3dBkTELbhRYqXCeWL15qT1743NkxCUPfwsduSPP~fTv3wG3mNI34Ku712AkAOBIUNylK5FN-cZantgAocyIL1iezXVqkogBF9kNbaALtiFYNn~mFEVDwdHqHnn69fuLc0wXMQJTqgnQN8okuZcMIrW3FuUzAvaIX9vLSC7gsCA1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oskaloosa City Council voted May 5 to accept a downtown master plan and updated design standards for the City Square Commercial Historic District, a plan prepared with assistance from students at the University of Iowa.

City staff introduced the student team and the planning students presented a multi-month project that emphasized placemaking, pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, historic-preservation guidance and wayfinding. The student analysis counted nearly 2,500 on- and off-street parking spaces downtown, mapped one- to six-minute walking radii to core destinations and proposed a phased implementation program of short-, medium- and long-term actions.

Key recommendations in the plan include: creating a comprehensive bike-lane network to connect the university and downtown (students presented three route alternatives, favoring two), enhancing marked crosswalks and signal timing, new wayfinding signs, a strategy for food-truck and events space through a color-coded ground pattern, urban seating and pop-up kiosks in the mall, and converting at least one underutilized lot into a pocket park. Students also proposed design concepts for an ATM-lot pocket park and a multi-level flexible gathering structure that could host seasonal markets.

The plan describes public-engagement activities — including open houses, stakeholder meetings and on-site events — that informed concept selection. Students noted constraints such as highway jurisdiction on principal downtown corridors and identified opportunities that could follow a jurisdictional transfer of state highways to the city after bypass construction.

Council members thanked the student team and engaged in discussion about implementation scope and constraints. Councilmember Lisa (surname not specified in transcript) and others emphasized that state-controlled highways limit some local streetscaping options; multiple council members said a jurisdictional transfer after the Southeast Connector/bypass would increase the city’s flexibility for downtown streetscape changes. One council member raised sensitivity around the use of local imagery (specifically a reference to Chief Mahaska statue) and urged care when pursuing funding and public-facing materials.

The council approved the resolution accepting the downtown master plan by roll call.

What happens next: The plan outlines short-term items (under three years) such as adjusting crosswalks and identifying wayfinding locations, medium-term engineering and funding for post-bypass streetscapes, and long-term projects (five to ten years) including completion of the bike-lane network and streetscaping. Staff will use the plan as a guiding document for project prioritization and funding applications.

","Oskaloosa accepted a downtown master plan and updated design standards presented by University of Iowa students that recommend improved walkability, a bike-lane network, pocket parks and wayfinding; council discussed state highway jurisdiction and historic imagery concerns before approving the plan.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6562128,"Oskaloosa council approves loan from housing trust to fill financing gap for Jefferson School senior apartments",3251,245000,3496000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3280667-bda3186f1604697d965b5a2b3af93bb2&start=245&end=3496","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3280667-bda3186f1604697d965b5a2b3af93bb2/thumbnail_245000.jpg","/articles/6562128/Oskaloosa/Mahaska-County/Iowa/Oskaloosa-council-approves-loan-from-housing-trust-to-fill-financing-gap-for-Jefferson-School-senior-apartments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562128-b1e1c58798b74daa6c722933cec0dfa5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154164&Signature=j3BQtgWXYuiwYATT8O12ESz8fIS0VaslVIlTaxJ76xDtI-CzLJgxooyeoHBB4P6Yly5IvU4amSRYms0iWifyAVb~qsp5Ub0Url5oF05baVoSe2aBMseN6BFOzovVCRr8XoTOVLWpcGaCu8ilgE5H1rdMnsK1RJ0X8thuiwftse5~pa3rC3GR-WFH584OW0e7CaethZH9ETuvIGEXc9mDyyPVdu8BuKWCYD8PBDjJl8t4Uw4JkNE9BzrLdG~oSsk3pMa~wgzY0NVJvx~Fbvs6cWU7S6ixwWbASF4nnlK7W0PfJ1fWNohfXTi89sTqeV5-jO-MqGJEotbWa~IzWygFQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oskaloosa City Council voted on May 5 to authorize a loan from the Oskaloosa Housing Trust Fund to help close a financing gap for the Jefferson School Lofts, a proposed conversion of the former Jefferson School into 42 senior rental apartments.

City staff, the developer and the council said the $13 million project now faces a roughly $1.4 million shortfall caused primarily by lower-than-expected tax-credit equity prices since the project's application and award. Developer representatives told the council they were seeking a combination of contributions and loans to fill the gap: $400,000 from developer equity, a requested $250,000 loan from the city housing trust fund, a $250,000 loan from the Mahaska County revolving loan fund and a $500,000 grant request to the George Veil Trust.

Why it matters: The project targets seniors and aims to preserve a historic building while adding affordable rental housing. Developers and council members framed the city loan as a construction-period tool the project needs to meet tax-credit timing and to avoid further deterioration of the building and neighborhood.

Developer John Cronin, identified as part of North Arrow Partners, told the council the financing shortfall resulted from a drop in the market price paid for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits after the project's award. “We dropped from 84¢ on the dollar to 76¢ on the dollar,” Cronin said, and each penny of decline translated into roughly $100,000 less equity for the project. Cronin and other development team members said construction was planned to begin in June and that the project must meet a placed-in-service deadline tied to the tax-credit schedule.

Council discussion centered on loan terms and project timelines. Staff recommended structuring the city loan with conditions to protect the fund and the public interest: recording the loan as subordinate to the first mortgage and other senior project financing, establishing a construction/completion deadline tied to the Iowa Finance Authority timing, and providing for interest to accrue in the event of default. Council members asked staff and the developer to identify a firm completion milestone; the council later instructed staff to use the tax-credit placed-in-service date as the deadline if that aligned with the developer's schedule.

The resolution approved by the council authorizes a construction-era loan from the Oskaloosa Housing Trust Fund to the Jefferson School Lofts project in the amount requested by staff. The council recorded its vote by roll call and the measure passed. The council and staff said the loan will be documented with completion deadlines and default provisions; staff will finalize the precise loan language and terms during preparation of the mortgage and loan documents.

Community and developer context: Beth Znowski, representing the Mahaska Chamber and Development Board and Business Development Committee, addressed the council during public comment in support of the Jefferson School conversion and described local housing needs for workforce and senior units. She cited a 2023 housing needs assessment that showed many residents — and a notable share of retirees — lack preferred housing options in Oskaloosa, and she outlined how the project preserves a historic building and adds 42 senior apartments.

What happens next: Staff will complete loan documentation reflecting the council’s direction, including the completion deadline tied to the tax-credit schedule, subordinate lien position and default interest provisions. The developer said construction timing aimed to meet the Iowa Finance Authority placed-in-service schedule and the council indicated it could amend deadlines later if progress and communication justified changes.

","The City of Oskaloosa approved a loan from its Housing Trust Fund to help fill a $1.4 million financing shortfall for the Jefferson School Lofts senior-housing project after developers said equity values dropped since their tax-credit award.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Oskaloosa council passes benefits package, bond sale and intergovernmental agreement; parking ordinance moves to next meeting

Council agrees to seek independent review of wastewater facility plan amid rising cost estimates

City council accepts downtown master plan after student-led study proposing bike lanes, pocket parks and signage

Oskaloosa council approves loan from housing trust to fill financing gap for Jefferson School senior apartments