The Oskaloosa City Council on Monday approved a revised Complete Streets and Sidewalk Policy that merges the former sidewalk improvement policy and adds exceptions for implementation in certain circumstances. Council members spent more than an hour debating two new exceptions — an appeal process requested by residents (Item K) and a provision allowing design reductions to a single side of a dead‑end street (Item H).

Staff described the changes and recommended against keeping the appeal language (Item K), saying it would likely be invoked on most projects and could prevent the city from achieving long‑term connectivity goals set out in the active transportation plan. A staff speaker said, “If we put this policy in as this is written, that would be invoked on on essentially every project, and council will have to make that decision to property owners on every project.”

Council members expressed differing views. Several said they want flexibility to reflect different neighborhood contexts and noted residents near proposed sidewalks typically oppose them even where a connection or public benefit exists. One council member noted the city’s active transportation plan includes $35,000 in the capital improvement plan (CIP) for sidewalk improvements and asked whether the new appeal process would apply to that funding.

After debate, the council voted to approve the revised policy with the formal appeal language in Item K removed while leaving Item H about single‑side sidewalks for dead‑end streets in place. City staff said they will document specific roadway design changes in the CIP going forward so property owners receive earlier notice of planned design or width changes.

The council’s action is a policy‑level amendment; staff said specific project designs such as the Eighth Avenue corridor will be brought back to council for final design direction and that the CIP will explicitly list planned design changes in future years.