By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa city council met this week for the first time in the new calendar year and were given a presentation from the Oskaloosa Police Department and Lieutenant John Plumb on a possible K9 addition to the department. According to the presentation, the K9, named “Rocky,” has initially tested very well in training motivation and play drive, and would carry an overall annual cost of less than $1,000 if certified. The proposal was approved by the council.

The council also held a public hearing on an application to rezone a property on North B Street from Urban Family Residential to Mixed Use Urban Corridor. The applicants proposed opening an indoor golf simulator on the property, and though they announced that they did not plan to sell alcohol, they did propose the idea of allowing visitors to bring their own.

The Oskaloosa Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended denial of the proposed rezoning, citing several reasons, including that it was inconsistent with the new Plan Osky Comprehensive Plan, which states the subject property and vicinity is recommended for medium density residential future land use (MDR), and that new commercial uses should not be introduced to a residential neighborhood. The commission also said that the change could impact traffic and neighborhood character and would constitute “spot zoning,” or singling out a zoning change for the sole benefit of the owner and contrary to the comprehensive plan. After much discussion, the application was denied by the council.