T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM Newly elected Marshalltown School Board members Sean Heitmann, Jan McGinnis, Sara Faltys and Bob Untiedt, were sworn in at the Monday school board meeting.

The Marshalltown School Board is moving forward on notifying the public about plans to construct tennis courts and pickle ball courts in what would be called the Marshalltown Tennis Complex.

At the regular Monday meeting, the board set 5 p.m. Dec. 16 as the date of a public hearing to use SAVE – Secure an Advanced Vision for Education – funds for the construction.

“Districts are required to have a public hearing when either debt is being issued or cash on hand is being used for proposed athletic facilities,” said Paulette Newbold, director of business operations for the district.

The estimated cost of the athletic facility is $1.6 million.

Board member Mike Miller said the action was just to set a public hearing and not giving approval for the project.

“This is just continuing to move the process forward,” Miller said.

Members of the public will also have an opportunity to file a petition if they are against the project. If enough people sign the petition, the issue is pushed to an election. If an election is required to use the funds, the district will have to set the hearing now in order to get the matter on the March ballot.

Outgoing board member Ben Fletcher said he thought it seemed early for the matter.

Superintendent Theron Schutte said the hearing is in step with what the district would normally do for a construction project.

The most favorable time to advertise for bids for such a project, Schutte said, would be in January or February so construction could being in the spring or summer of 2020.

Earlier in November, the school district entered into a $157,600 contract with FEH Design for complete designs of the complex.

In other business:

Newly elected Marshalltown School Board members Sara Faltys, incumbent Sean Heitmann, Jan McGinnis and Bob Untiedt were sworn in and assumed their seats on the school board. Leaving the board were Niko Aguirre, Janelle Carter and Ben Fletcher. Aguirre was not present at the Monday meeting.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.