Winter Weather
Now that winter has officially arrived in Northwest Iowa, we would like to take this time to remind you of a few things.
City Council Meetings
The Arnolds Park City Council meets in regular session the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend and bring any questions or concerns that they may have. The Mayor of Arnolds Park is Mike Mitchell. Members of the City Council include: Jason Christensen, James Jensen, Mike Koppert, Sue Munsen, and Mitch Watters.
Curb Valves
According to City Ordinances 90.14 and 90.19, there shall be installed within the public right-of-way a main shut-off valve on the water service pipe of a pattern approved by the Superintendent. The shut-off valve shall be constructed to be visible and even with the pavement or ground. It is unlawful for any person except the Superintendent to turn water on at the curb valve. It is of great benefit to the property owner to have their valve accessible, especially in the winter.
Street Projects
ROHR STREET AND FOREST PARK ROAD: A contract has been let for a water main upgrade, storm sewer improvements and asphalt street construction including curb and gutter with a sidewalk on one side. The completion date for this project is June 1, 2005.
ZEPHYR DRIVE: A contract has been signed for the construction of a hard surfaced parking area and sidewalk at the very north end of Zephyr along the west side of the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum property, north of Elm Drive. The project includes curb and gutter, sidewalk on one side, and an asphalt street and parking area. The completion date for this project is May 20, 2005.
LINDEN DRIVE HINSHAW BRIDGE: These two projects are being engineered, and an attempt is being made to coordinate several projects so as to be the least inconvenient to the residents and businesses along the route. Water main replacement is nearly complete, with the bridge being planned for construction beginning in the fall of 2005. Not until the bridge is completed and Alliant Energy is through burying the power lines, with the exception of the large transmission line on the south side of Linden (east of Iowa St.), the street and sidewalk project can be completed. To date, the proposed street will be nearly the same width, with curb and gutter and 5' sidewalks on both sides. This configuration will tie into two 5' pedestrian walkways on the bridge. The Bridge project is programmed to be cost shared at 10% County, 10% City, and 80% Federal money. The street project is programmed to be cost shared at 30% City and 70% Federal money.
SAWMILL BRIDGE: The City has just sent a "letter confirming its acceptance of federal aid funds" to the Iowa Department of Transportation. The costs of construction of this bridge are projected to be at a rate of 20% City and 80% Federal money. The plan is to have this bridge under construction after the Hinshaw Bridge is completed.
DAM ROAD AND HELMS DRIVE: These are the next streets on the City's capital improvement program. Design engineering is currently being done with respect to storm sewer and utility upgrades.
RAIN GARDENS: This relatively new approach to cleaning up the storm water run-off from streets and parking lots is being considered in several locations. The Soil and Water Conservation District will receive funding from the Water Quality Commission in the amount of $52,175 to be matched with federal funding of approximately $200,000 to do five demonstration projects in Dickinson County. Four of these projects are proposed in Arnolds Park at the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum parking lot, Hinshaw Bridge Boat Ramp, the Baseball Diamond, and near Oak Hill Marina. There should be more of these projects appearing throughout the lakes area.
Building Numbering
The City of Arnolds Park has an ordinance that requires the owner to install and maintain the building number on the principal building of each lot. The building number must be easily seen from the street. The figures must also be not less than 2" in height and of a contrasting color with the background. If you fail to comply with this ordinance, the City may proceed to place the assigned number on the principal building and assess the costs against property for collection in the same manner as a property tax. Having a visible building number makes it much easier for the police department, the fire department, medical personnel, and city crews to find your home during an emergency. If you are unsure what you building number is, please check with the City Hall.
City Website
Log on and check out the City of Arnolds Park¹s new website at http://arnoldsparkcity.com. Meet the City Officials; and members of the City Hall, Library, and Police and Fire Departments. The minutes of the latest City Council meetings are available to look at, along with a listing of the City services, Ordinances, and calendar.
Curbside Recycling
Recycling is collected curbside on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month. Please clean recyclables before placing them in the recycling containers. Make sure all recycling is in the recycling containers and not stacked beside them. A community recycling facility is located next to the water tower. Styrofoam is not a recyclable item in the City of Arnolds Park; please do not place Styrofoam in the residential bins or the community bins located on Dewey Street.
Dickinson County Conservation Board and The City of Arnolds Park continue their dedication to the countywide recycling program. As in the past, a set of recycle bins are furnished at no cost to all residents. These bins are furnished as a convenience and not meant as a requirement for pick up. Therefore, to the residents who have not received recycle bins in the past, please contact City Hall at (712) 332-2341 or stop in the office at 156 N. Okoboji Grove Road.
At the Library
Books, especially best-selling novels, on audiotape and CD have been very popular at the library. Lots of people use them in the car. Some use them at home while doing housework or sewing. It¹s a way of multi-tasking: making it possible to read and get something else done at the same time. The Library Foundation has given money this year to update that selection. So if you like to listen to books, check with us soon and there will be lots more to choose from.
The library is now a computer hotspot. People can bring in their own laptop computer and use our Internet service. If you have friends or relatives visiting who are anxious to check their email‹that might be just what they need.
Preschool story hour is now Monday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Library assistant Grace Cummins has a lively program each week featuring; music, stories, and a take-home craft. Please call us at 332-2033 for more information.
Lorraine Little, who has been an assistant here for sixteen years, is retiring. She has been a valuable asset and will be missed!
Two new magazines are being added. One is Electronic Gaming Monthly , which gives lots of information about video and computer games. The other is Smart Computing In Plain English, which will give easy-to-understand computer tips and reviews.
Library hours are: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, 9:00 to 6:00. On Thursday and Friday, 9:00 to 5:00. And Saturday the hours are 10:00 to noon.
Police Department
The Arnolds Park Police Department hopes everyone had a happy holiday season.
The police department would like to take this time to remind all pet owners that they must have their pets, especially dogs, contained on their property at all times. When walking animals, they must be on a leash. All animals must be in a secure location away from electric, gas, and waters meters. This will assure you meters are read properly.
The Arnolds Park Police Department has hired a new reserve officer, Brandon Ehret. Brandon comes to us from Lake Park.
Regretfully, Reserve Officer Joel Eilers has left our department. We wish him the best of luck. Our total number of reserves now stands at seventeen. If anyone is interested in becoming a reserve officer for Arnolds Park Police Department and serving the community, please apply at the Arnolds Park Police Department.
You can reach the Arnolds Park Police at 332-2227 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday thru Friday. After hours, please call the Communication Center at 336-2525; and for an emergency, call 911.
As always, if our department can be of service to you, please contact our office and we will do our best to assist you with your Law Enforcement needs.
Garbage Collection
From now until Memorial Day, residential garbage will only be picked up once a week with that day being Monday.
There are proper disposal methods for yard waste and it should never be placed or blown on street right of ways, public roads, or neighboring lots.
Utility Billing
The City now has the ability to directly deduct the utility bills from checking accounts at any bank. You would still receive a bill at your home stating paid by bank. Utility bills are billed quarterly; or for your convenience, you may change to annually. Just contact City Hall if you would like either of these changes.