OSKALOOSA — The Oskaloosa School Board set aside time to hash out a few concerns about the budding new stadium project.

For now, the project could include primary and secondary stadiums. The primary facility would include a track around a field used mainly for football. The secondary stadium would be used mostly for soccer games.

The school district’s activities director Kevin Pederson and several other key figures made their feelings known to the school board at Tuesday night’s meeting.

The issue of maintaining the new facilities was one of the main issues at the Tuesday night’s meeting.

Pederson said that if Oskaloosa Schools are involved with the new stadiums, William Penn University and the public school district will be in charge of their own games. He explained by saying things like concessions Oskaloosa Schools make money on at football games would not be changed at the new facilities.

William Penn Athletic Director Greg Hafner said Penn and Oskaloosa Schools could work together on things like upkeep of the new facilities, which he said would be owned by Penn.

“We know there will be some maintenance issues that will be shared,” said Hafner. “But, as far as a fee to use the facility, that’s not the intent at all. The intent is just to provide a nice facility for the entire community.”

Oskaloosa School Board member Jon Denniston expressed concern over what he believed could amount to using Oskaloosa Schools’ public funding for a private venture because of Penn’s ownership of the new facilities.

Hafner answered by saying the school district would save money in the long run by backing the new stadium project. He added the school already spends money on the maintenance of the current stadium.

“The maintenance should be cheaper than a grass field,” said Hafner in reference to the proposed turf fields at the new facilities.

Hafner went on to say that money to pay for the construction of the new facilities is expected to come from donations and grants.

Pederson said maintenance of the new facility is the only possible financial impact the new facilities could have on Oskaloosa School District.

“I could take that maintenance cost out of my activities fund,” said Pederson.

School Board member Anne Whitis explained why she believes the school board is hesitant to sign on with the new stadium project.

“It’s a tough year,” she said. “We’re cutting things we don’t want to cut. We’re just nervous about that.”

The idea for a stadium project at the Lacey Complex is not entirely new.

Pederson said the idea for a new stadium project came after an initial meeting about the current Community Stadium in December 2007. Soon after that time, William Penn Athletic Director Greg Hafner, Pederson and others began to think a new stadium project was favored over renovating the current stadium.

The biggest obstacle that would come up when Pederson and others would talk about renovating that stadium was the storm sewer, which runs under the Community Stadium. Pederson added, it would cost up to $700,000 to replace this storm sewer.

Pederson said he sought the assistance of the Iowa School of Design when looking into renovating the current stadium. He said they informed him a project such as this was not something they could do.

A group then formed to explore the idea of pursuing a new stadium at the Lacey Recreation Complex, said Pederson. At several meetings with this group, Pederson said he offered his input on what Oskaloosa Schools would desire from the new stadium project.

The city of Oskaloosa would need to get involved in order to solve the storm sewer issue, added Pederson.

“We really can’t do anything unless the city does something with that storm sewer,” explained Pederson. “The Community Stadium right now needs a lot of work and maybe more than what we can afford.”

The safety of those who use the current stadium is a big concern for Pederson.

Hafner said heavy rains can cause the current stadium’s field to become unsafe for play.

“It’s just not a safe environment,” said Hafner.

Pederson showed the school board diagrams depicting what would need to be done to renovate the current stadium. A diagram of the tentative plan for the new stadium project was also put on display for the school board.

“We’d have to move the bleachers back and probably raise the field so it’s level with the track,” said Pederson of the current stadium. “Then, the buildings would be extended out into some residential areas.”

When the question of what Oskaloosa as a community wants came up, Oskaloosa Indian Booster Club President Curt Spry spoke for the club. He said an e-mail survey was sent to booster club members in December and that the overwhelming majority of members were for the new stadium project.

School Board President Don Patterson said he believes renovating the existing stadium should still be considered.

“I think there’d be a lot of support for redoing the stadium,” said Patterson. By the end of the meeting, Pederson agreed to keep the school board updated on the progress of the new stadium project at upcoming regular school board meetings.

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Herald City Editor Andy Goodell can be reached at news2@oskyherald.com