By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa City Council met last night and swore in the city’s first police chaplain to the Oskaloosa Police Department. Guy Almon, an Oskaloosa resident for over 30 years who has worked informally with local first responders since March 2020, will be joining the Police Department on a volunteer basis to provide emotional, moral, and spiritual support to officers, staff, and their families.

The council also received a presentation on a proposed vacant buildings ordinance. In September of last year, the council had an initial discussion on the idea, and the proposed ordinance would include several parameters, including the need to register any building that is vacant for 180 days or more, a registration and inspection fee of $90 per year, and a requirement that owners of vacant buildings describe their future plans with it.

Indoor storage would not count as occupancy unless directly authorized by the city’s zoning department and vacant lots would also be exempt.

A formal ordinance wasn’t up for consideration, so no action was taken, but it’s expected that the council will consider a final version of the ordinance in May or June.

Additionally, there was a discussion on animal control at Edmundson Park, specifically regarding Shelter C, also known as the “cat shelter.” City officials expressed concern over the state of the shelter, saying that the shelter has been used by a group of cat supporters to “take care of a ‘colony’ of feral cats,” which has included the dumping of wet and dry cat food over all surfaces of the shelter. They added that while it has been reported in the past that there was an agreement between the city and the group taking care of the cats, they have not been able to find a written record of it, adding, “The city would like to express that we care for these animals, and do not want to see any harm come to them. However, we must keep the public’s best interest in mind. So, we have asked that the shelters be removed, and the cats be relocated. We are giving the public one week to have the area cleaned and the cats relocated.”

There were also several proclamations signed at the meeting by Mayor Dave Krutzfeldt. The city commemorated National Police Week, National First Responder Day, and Preservation Month.