What’s the future of recreation and child care in Oskaloosa and the Mahaska Community? Area residents are being asked to help answer that question in a survey released today.
The survey is available online at www.mahaskasurvey.com.
Paper copies of the survey are available at the Oskaloosa City Hall, Public Library and Water Dept., Mahaska County YMCA, Mahaska County Courthouse and Senior Center, Oskaloosa Chamber of Commerce and Eddyville & New Sharon City Halls. The survey will be available to the public until May 8.
The Mahaska Community Development Group (MCDG) and Mahaska County YMCA and are spearheading an effort to define what indoor recreation and early childhood education facilities and programs need to be in place to serve the community into the future.
“Indoor recreation and early childhood education & daycare services affect nearly every member of our community,” said Andrew Jensen, MCDG Executive Director. “They create places for us to have fun and stay fit, and provide area workers with quality, reliable daycare and preschool .”
“As we consider investments, whether renovation or construction of new facilities, we need to understand first what services the community thinks are important,” he said. “The survey input from residents will help guide what programs and facilities we maintain or create.”
The survey and study findings will be made available to the YMCA, Mahaska Community Recreation Foundation, William Penn University, and area schools and governments who offer facilities and programming. These stakeholder organizations will be able to use the information individually and in working together to meet community needs, according to Jensen. The reports will also be made available to the public.
About the Study
MCDG and YMCA contracted with Des Moines architectural firm Walker/Coen/Lorentzen to assist with the project. Matt Coen, a native of Oskaloosa, is leading the study process.
The study includes three phases: 1) a recreation and early childhood needs assessment to gather public input; 2) a capital needs assessment of the existing YMCA facility; and 3) creation of a master plan using data from phases 1 & 2. The plan will define facility and programming needs for indoor recreation and early childhood education & daycare for the YMCA and other community providers.
