Early PPEL voting now under way at county courthouse

Early voting began Monday at the Mills County Auditor’s Office for the Glenwood Community School District’s $3.7 million Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) that would help fund an overhaul of the Glenwood Athletic Complex. The special election is set for Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Glenwood Activities Director Jeff Bissen is hoping the February vote goes better the second time than it did the first.
Voters turned away a similar proposal in April of 2017 for a $6 million, 10-year PPEL. Bissen said this time around the project is more streamlined and scaled back from that original plan.

Bissen, who hosted a Dec. 20 information forum on the project with Superintendent Devin Embray, laid out the new financial and construction plans for the project to the more than two dozen area residents in attendance at the high school auditorium. Bissen said many of the questions that were asked revolved around what’s on all voters minds: cost and design.

“The audience asked some great questions throughout the forum,” Bissen said. “The biggest question people wanted to know was what has changed from last April to now.”

The new plan still includes a complete facelift for the more than 50-year old athletic complex, including a new track, press box, bleachers, locker and training rooms, concessions stands, restrooms, a dedicated pick up and drop off lane and extended parking areas. The district has scrapped plans to install artificial field turf and a proposed pedestrian bridge over Keg Creek to an auxiliary parking lot, at savings of more than $400,000.

The Glenwood Board of Directors approved a second PPEL vote in December only after discussions with the Youth Action Committee (YAC), a group of district residents spearheading a public and private partnership to update the aging athletic facility, yielded the new, scaled-back plan and a smaller price tag.

A $3.7 million levy would mean .85 per $1,000 of assessed property value for 10 years. For the average assessed house within the Glenwood School District boundaries, that would mean an addition $55.41 a year in taxes, according to calculations provided by the district. Embray has said the district could also commit about $2 million to the project via the district’s Secure and Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) fund it receives through the one-cent sales tax levy. SAVE funds are collected by the state and then equally distributed to school districts across the state according to enrollment. SAVE funds can only be used for infrastructure purposes or property tax relief.

YAC is also undertaking a private fundraising campaign to help off-set costs and pay for project alternates that had to be left off the latest proposal, according to Darren Thomas, spokesperson for YAC.

Three additional informational forums are planned in the high school auditorium on Jan. 10 at 6 p.m., Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 5 at 6 p.m.

“We want to educate everyone and make sure people have the facts on the project,” Bissen said.

And the fact is, Bissen said, the athletic complex is in dire need of improvements.

“Many drive by the complex and see that we have a track, a grass field, bleachers and buildings and everything looks good from the road but in reality our track is five years past its 12-year life expectancy and is need of repair now,” Bissen said. “Our bleachers lack handicap accessibility, we lack adequate seating on the home and visitor side. Our restrooms struggle to keep up with our game day crowds and the number of parking stalls we currently have do not accommodate the size of crowds we get. Our press box and concession stand are also in need of an upgrade to best accommodate our crowds and all those who use it.”

If the PPEL is approved Feb. 6, construction could begin as early as this Fall with a planned 12 to 18 month construction phase.