The Oskaloosa City Council voted to approve new boundaries for the city’s four wards at Monday’s (11/15) council meeting.  Oskaloosa Development Services Director Shawn Christ says the changes aren’t drastic.

“When we received and reviewed the new census information, we found out that what was once a less than two percent deviation in population is now over a four percent deviation.  Which here is, I think, a few hundred people, when it comes down to it .  But what state law requires is that we get those to be as equal as possible.  And by making a couple of minor changes, we found that we could get that down to almost half a percent of deviation.  So there are some wards, I think two of them, that just deviate by one person now with this change.  And also, the benefit of the change is they’re easier to describe.”

In other business, parking tickets will cost more in Oskaloosa.  Monday night, the City Council approved a proposal that raises the fine from $10 to $20 if a ticket is paid within 30 days.  Beyond 30 days, the fine goes up from $15 to $25.

The new Oskaloosa ward map: https://www.oskaloosaiowa.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/9533?fileID=25509