At Monday’s meeting of the West Branch City Council, Parks and Recreation Director Melissa Russell announced that she is forming a committee to “explore all options” for the Cookson Community Center.


“All meetings will be open” to the public, she said. “At this point, we’re just talking.”

Council members Robert Sexton and Mark Worrell asked to join the committee and Jim Oaks — who initiated on Feb. 15 the idea of closing Cookson to save about $30,000 — also volunteered to help.

Sexton encouraged residents to provide input rather than complain.

“This will put West Branch in the right direction.

The West Branch Times’ conducted an online, unscientific survey, on Cookson from Feb. 19-25. The newspaper used e-mail, its print and online editions, and Facebook to draw attention to the survey.

Of 52 people who completed the survey, 45 were from West Branch, four were from Iowa City and one each was from Ottumwa, Franktown and Atalissa. There were 30 women (57.7 percent) and 22 men (42.3 percent) who took the survey.

Of those who took the survey, most — 21 — marked that they were 35 to 44 years old (40.4 percent). Some 13 were 45 to 54 years old (25 percent), seven were 55 to 64 (13.5 percent) and seven were 22 to 34 (13.5 percent). Three people (5.8 percent) were over 65 and one person (1.9 percent) was under 21.

Last week, the West Branch Times published an article that reflected a variety of comments left by respondents prior to the end of the survey.

On the home page of this Web site we will post the answers by the numbers at the completion of the survey. The answers will be taken down on March 10.