Public Works

Responsibilities

The Public Works Department is responsible for the installation and maintenance of street name, warning, regulatory, and informational signs and pavement markings in accordance with the City Code and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

The department is responsible for the maintenance and minor repair on the city's storm water system and sanitary sewer system. This includes a once-a-year cleaning of the entire system and responding to calls of sewer backups.

The department also provides garbage collection once a week and recycling and yard waste pick-up twice a month for 4,000 residential units. Yard waste pick-up is available from spring to fall only.

Street Maintenance

This department does street cleaning on all paved streets in the city, which includes cleaning and picking up street trash and emptying public trash containers in the central business district.

The department maintains approximately 76 miles of improved and unimproved streets and alleys within the city. There is also a maintenance agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation for routine maintenance, minor repair, and snow removal on Highway 61 / Highway 2 where these roads run through the city.

The Public Works Department is responsible for application of ice control chemicals before, during, and after a winter storm. In addition, they plow city streets and highways that are in the city limits. The maintenance shop repairs and maintains city-owned heavy equipment, motor vehicles, mowers, and other mechanical equipment for city departments.