Members of the Oskaloosa School board met in a special session to take care of some urgent business and held discussions on technology updates, budget tax levies and accept resignations.

Technology director Shari Barnhart made a presentation to the board regarding the need to upgrade various technology units at the high school and elementary. Barnhart told board members the district has approximately 2,025 units between students and staff. She said that many of those units are beginning to reach their life expectancy of 5-8 years. The high school vertical team and student representatives have spent the year looking at options.

The options have come down to a discussion of whether to use MacBooks or Chromebooks. The pros and cons evaluated include cost and length of utilization. The team considered the usability and it was determined that the Chromebook had less ability to use some apps that are currently used by the students. Members of the staff in attendance said that some of the apps require a deeper thinking realm than what a Chromebook can provide.

At the high school the purchase of MacBooks with an 11.6 inch screen would be $659,250 or with a 13-inch screen $726,750. The Macs would have a life expectancy of 7-8 years and are upgradable. The cost for Chromebooks would be $243,750. Barnhart said a Citrix server could allow further use of some apps at a cost of $100,000.

Options at the elementary could include the re-management of existing units could be approximately $35,200, but would have a very short life span. A Chromebook solution would cost $200,600. Barnhart said there may be a chance to sell the old MacBooks and recover $82,000 so a net of $118,000 could pay for the upgrades.

Board members asked questions and Barnhart and the vertical team will put a proposal together and present at the April meeting. Carl Drost asked them to consider looking at a multi-year replacement. Superintendent Russ Reiter said he and the team would put those numbers together.

Extensive discussion occurred about the tax levies. The discussion led to the number of students that are open enrolled out of the Oskaloosa districts and the costs that are connected with that enrollment. Drost was concerned about the open enrollment costs, home school costs, special education deficit and other costs amounting to $194,000. The board will continue the discussion with the pending budget approval in April.

Board members approved the resignations of Julie Miller as food service director and Mauree (Marie) Hagee (Hay-Gee) as high school science teacher.

The board approved Kim Gile and five student council students to attend the national student council meting in June. The students and chaperones will pay their own transportation, hotel and conference fees. The event will be held in Portland, Oregon June 24-26. Cost to attend will be $1,100 per person.

Story provided by RD Keep

Persons of Interest: 

“What we have is a situation where two males entered the TruBank corridor after hours, at like 5:34 p.m.,” said Oskaloosa Police Lt. Troy Boston. “We’re just trying to figure out who these guys are.”

Contact the Oskaloosa Police Department if you have any information on this incident by calling 641-672-2557.

Story provided by the Oskaloosa Herald

The Oskaloosa City Council met for their regularly scheduled meeting Monday evening and a project in the alley on the Market Street side of the square was the major topic of discussion.

A group of local residents, who call themselves the “Alley Katz,” had a proposal to decorate the alley in between Smokey Row and Bridal Dreams on the west side of the square. The project would cost roughly $40,000, but will all be privately funded. The group said there was roughly $10,000 already pledged.

During the community comments portion at the beginning of the meeting, several business owners and citizens showed support for the project, while the property owner of the Bridal Dreams building had concerns about the residents living above the business and their convenience and safety if the alley were to be closed off for a gathering place.

After a presentation and discussion, the council voted 5-1 in favor of the project with Aaron Ver Steeg the lone vote against. The group hopes to have the alley open for seating during the summer of 2016.

Prior to the regular meeting, the council had a study session to discuss the Sheriff Avenue Pavement Construction Concepts. After a presentation, the council seemed to be in favor of pushing the project back past the targeted 2018 start time, and rather focus on other roads in poor shape, such as South 7^th Street. No official motion was made during this session.

The council also split a vote which would have authorized City Manager Michael Schrock to submit an application to the Mahaska County Community Foundation to provide funding for a fixed transit bus route. The vote was split 3-3, as council member Doug Yates was absent. The deadline for the grant from the MCCF is March 31, and a new vote would need to take place before the deadline to apply for the grant. This would require a special session called for by the council prior to next Thursday.

In other business:

• The council also approved a resolution which sells unused sections of public right-of-way lying between 1216 and 1302 Green Street, between 816 and 902 South 12^th Street, and adjacent to 600 6^th Avenue East. The land was split between adjacent landowners.
• The council approved a request to direct city staff to study parking restrictions on C Avenue East between North 11^th Street and North Park.
• City Manager Michael Schrock reminded the council that Residential Clean-up days in Oskaloosa will be coming up, and there will be notifications of the days and quadrants that will be addressed in the next couple of weeks.

The next scheduled meeting of the Oskaloosa City Council will be held on Monday, April 4^th, at 6 PM in Council Chambers in City Hall in Oskaloosa.

The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors met for their regularly scheduled meeting in the third floor conference room of the Mahaska County Courthouse Monday morning.

Dave Sedivec gave a report on Mahaska County Conservation. He said that the shooting range at Russell Wildlife is temporarily shut down. He said volunteers are working to clean it up and expand it from a 50 yard range to a 100 yard range. Sedivec also said that spring activities are starting up, and recent programs have been going well. He said the hide-tanning program had around 21 people bring hides, and around 115 people came to the Maple Syrup Festival at Eveland Access.

Northland Securities gave a presentation on bonding for the Local Option Sales Tax if it passes. The financing group gave the board multiple scenarios for both the recreation center and the Environmental Learning Center as options for how to finance the county projects. It was noted that the presentation from Northland Securities was informational, and nothing is set in stone yet.

The Supervisors also touched on the Employee Assistance Program. The Employee Assistance Program will go into effect July 1^st for county workers.

There was also discussion on ballot language for a second vote if the Local Option Sales and Services Tax did not pass in the county. It was proposed from a representative of unincorporated Mahaska County that 80{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} go towards maintenance or construction of roads and bridges, and associated infrastructure of portions of unincorporated Mahaska County, with 20{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} going towards construction of the Environmental Learning Center, with leftover funds going towards roads. The Supervisors elected to not discuss the topic until the vote happens in early May.

In other business:

• Approved Ordinance #24 – Mahaska County Speed Ordinance for 230^th Street on the east side of Highway 63 North, as well as Lincoln Avenue
• MCARD gave a report on events in the county
• Payroll changes were approved, as well as a weed notice publication
• A resolution for Fiscal Year 2017 Capital Improvement Plan, assignment of funds, and approval of transfers was approved
• A resolution for Economic Development Funding was approved

The next scheduled meeting of the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors is set for Monday, April 4^th, at 9 AM at the Mahaska County Courthouse in Oskaloosa.