21 minute read
Parking
For just over a year the City of Cedar Falls has employed a full time code enforcement officer, Greg Rekward, to ensure maintenance and code compliance throughout the city. Greg started in April of 2019, and he has been diligently working to keep nuisances within the city to a minimum. The city engages a two part approach; our goal is to not only be reactive but also proactive.
Reactive: Greg receives calls, emails, and online notifications on a daily basis from concerned citizens typically regarding: issues citizens see throughout their day such as grass exceeding 8", houses not well maintained and/or with safety issues, loud parties, trash and furniture left on the curb, snow covered sidewalks, dead trees, and more. Greg’s approach to these issues is to listen to the citizen, investigate the concern, and then respond. If compliance issues are found the problem is addressed. He starts by notifying the property owner and providing time to remedy the situation. For example, if the issue is grass over 8", the property owner has seven days to mow the lawn or the city will have it done on the eighth day. If it is a more involved issue, such as home maintenance, the property owner is normally given two weeks to provide the city with a plan to correct the issue before any further enforcement takes place. We appreciate citizens communicating their concerns; we work as quickly as we can to have a positive outcome for all parties involved.
Proactive: When Greg is not handling citizen concerns he is slowly canvasing the city looking for maintenance or nuisance issues; for this purpose the city is divided into 10 zones. Greg throughly walks each zone and works with citizens in each area to address issues. The goal of inspecting each zone is to get ahead of problems before there are complaints, as well as to ensure quality neighborhoods and encourage people to be good neighbors. This proactive approach is more about working with the community to make it better, rather than enforcement. Greg prefers to work with property owners directly instead of automatically sending a notification. For example, if he comes across a home with a couch on the porch, he knocks on the door first to speak with the tenant or owner. If they are not home he leaves a door hanger asking them to call.
Nuisance codes for the City of Cedar Falls are found in Chapter 15 of the city ordinance at www.library.municode.com/ia/cedar_falls/codes/code_ of_ordinances. If you would like to report a concern to Greg Rekward, call him at (319) 268-5186 or email greg.rekward@cedarfalls.com. You may use the “Request Tracker” on the city website under “I Want To…” and the “Submit a Request” link or by going directly to www.cedarfalls.com/requesttracker.aspx. Parking Implementation Resumes The Joint Parking Technical Committee resumed discussions in August. The Joint Committee—consisting of city staff, Community Main Street, College Hill Partnership, and University of Northern Iowa representatives—discussion and consensus was to move forward with implementing paid parking lots tentatively beginning on October 1. This will be the final piece of implementation of the parking study recommendations. The Farmers’ Almanac has dubbed the upcoming season the “Winter of Great Divide” with the forecast: “Cold and snowy in the north. Drought in the west. And everything crazy in between!” What does that mean for Cedar Falls? Only time will tell. Regardless, residents can be assured the City of Cedar Falls snow and ice control team has been preparing since late summer and will be ready for whatever Mother Nature brings.
The Operations and Maintenance Division is responsible for snow and ice control for over 264 miles of city streets. Other areas of snow and ice control include city owned parking lots, public property sidewalks, and select recreation trails. All these areas are maintained in a timely manner with properly trained staff and modern technology/equipment.
The city currently utilizes 21 trucks equipped with plows and speed sensing material application equipment. Several of these trucks are equipped with a side-mounted wing plow to enhance efficiency. There are also several specialty pieces of equipment used to enhance operations.
A vehicle telematics system is utilized to allow supervisory staff to monitor in real time where trucks are located on route, and the amount of material being applied throughout the city. This is important for ensuring all roads are serviced during the event, and the stored data can be analyzed post event to enhance future operations.
The Public Works Department strives to ensure staff are properly trained and equipped to ensure city streets are safely maintained throughout the winter months. For questions on this topic, or other
Public Works related programs, please feel free to call (319) 273-8629.
Sidewalk Snow Removal Reminder
As we head into winter, please remember the city ordinances associated with sidewalk snow removal…
To provide a safe walking surface for pedestrians, property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice on the public sidewalk abutting their property; the city ordinance states this must be done “within a reasonable amount of time.”
Sidewalk snow removal usually coincides with the 48-hour parking enforcement. If an owner fails to do so in a reasonable time, they will receive one notice per season to clear the snow. If it is not cleared after the notice, or after any other snowfall, the city may have the snow or ice removed without notice to the property owner if they were previously warned. The cost of removal is billed to the property owner. You can read the entire ordinance at www.cedarfalls.com/snowremoval.
^ Cedar Heights Drive
The City of Cedar Falls has contracted with Shive-Hattery of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the design of reconstructing the intersection of Greenhill Road and S. Main Street. This project includes replacement of the existing traffic signal at the intersection with a multi-lane roundabout, and a left turn lane off of S. Main Street into Fareway. These changes will improve traffic flow and safety.
The project also includes relocation of the existing water main, installation of a new storm sewer network, placing the overhead utilities to underground, and other utility related items.
Construction is planned to take two years starting as early as March 2021. Below is the proposed work for each year:
Phase I: Overhead electric & major utility infrastructure relocation March 2021–November 2021
Phase II: Reconstruction of the intersection March 2022–November 2022
Cedar Heights Drive Reconstruction
The City of Cedar Falls has contracted with Snyder & Associates of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the design of reconstructing Cedar Heights Drive from the E. Viking Road roundabout to the E. Greenhill Road intersection.
The improvements to the corridor include the replacement of the existing two-lane rural roadway with a three-lane urban roadway section from E. Viking Road to E. Greenhill Road. The project will include improvements to the sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer, and other miscellaneous roadway items. This project also includes the replacement of the existing traffic signal at the Cedar Heights Drive/E. Greenhill Road intersection with a multi-lane roundabout, and will include the construction of a single lane roundabout at the Cedar Heights Drive/Huntington Road intersection.
Construction is planned to take two years starting as early as April 2021. Below is the proposed limits of construction for each year:
Phase I: Greenhill Road Intersection to Cedar Hill Road April 2021–November 2021
Phase II: Cedar Hill Road to Viking Road: April 2022 November 2022
Before and during construction, additional information and updates for this project will be provided on the city’s website. For ongoing, active projects, sign up for email notifications through “Notify Me” at www.cedarfalls.com/notifyme.
During construction, additional information and updates for this project will be provided on the city’s website. Ongoing design updates and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for this specific project can be round at www.shive-hattery.com/microsite/citycedar-falls. For other ongoing, active city projects, sign up for email notifications through “Notify Me” at www.cedarfalls.com/notifyme.
Downtown Streetscape and Reconstruction
With construction beginning in April, the Downtown Streetscape and Reconstruction project is well underway. Full reconstruction— including utilities—of W. 3rd Street (from Washington to Main Streets), and streetscape upgrades from 1st to 3rd Streets are now complete. The remaining project work includes grading, paving, and streetscaping of W. 2nd Street (from Washington to Main Streets). Final streetscaping work will include the south side streetscaping of E. 2nd Street (from Main to State Streets) and the southern corners of the 3rd Street and Main Street intersection. The project is still planned to be substantially completed before Thanksgiving.
With completion growing near, the updated downtown area is already seeing increased foot traffic on the parkade, as businesses have found ways to adapt to the recommended safety guidelines put in place during the pandemic. The remaining sidewalk closures will be very brief, with minimal interruption to pedestrian walkability of the corridor.
On a related note, the design for Phase II of the Downtown Streetscape update has officially kicked off between the city and the engineering design consultant. This phase will continue the streetscape updates along Main Street (from 3rd to 6th Streets). In addition, E. 3rd Street (from Main to State Streets) and 4th Street (from Washington to State Streets) will receive full reconstruction and streetscaping, and portions of 5th Street (from Washington to State Streets) will be addressed as well. This second phase will truly integrate the entire parkade into a coherent, walkable, and functional space for all citizens to enjoy.
100 Block East looking south to 2nd Street 200 Block East looking north to 2nd Street
W. 3rd Street looking South to Caboose Stop
100 Block West looking North to 1st Street
Local Options for Unwanted Items
By the Waste Trac Education Team
With the cancellation of the Fall Household Hazardous Materials and Electronics Dropoff Event, many residents are looking for alternative ways to get rid of their old TVs, fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks, batteries, and more. Others are wanting to get rid of items that aren’t accepted during a typical drop-off event (such as paint, motor oil, appliances, and medication).
Did you know there are many local options to get rid of most of these items on a day-to-day basis? Several items frequently asked about can be found on the chart to the right. More details and tips for getting rid of 100+ materials can be found on the Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission’s website at www.WasteTrac.org/FAQs.
Please note: Before loading items into your vehicle, call ahead for recycling/disposal fee information, types of items accepted, and current availability of their services.
Visit wastetrac.org, the Waste Trac Education Team Facebook page, or contact the Waste Trac Education Team with questions at (319) 266-8722.
The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission’s next collection event for household hazardous materials is anticipated to be held in the spring of 2021, although the date and location have not been confirmed at this time.
Cedar Falls Transfer Station 1524 State Street 319-273-8629 www.cedarfalls.com/99/Garbageand-Yard-Waste
Automotive products (motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, lead acid batteries, etc.) Batteries (Alkaline)
Batteries (rechargeable, button cell, power tool, cell phone, etc.) Computers and handheld electronic devices
Fire extinguishers Fluorescent light bulbs - tube and compact (CFL) Grills, lawn movers, weed eaters, and snow blowers Liquid household cleaners and lawn/ garden chemicals Medical sharps Medications Paint Propane tanks Smoke alarms/ detectors Spray paint TVs and other electric items (vacuums, lamps, etc.) at the Cedar Falls Transfer Station, certified scrap metal recycler, or the Black Hawk County Sanitary Landfill. Contact a junk removal service or the Public Works Department about scheduling a curbside, bulk item pickup. through your local auto service station, dealership, or auto parts stores. The Cedar Falls Transfer Station only accepts motor oil and oil filters.
at home in your regular garbage. Throw away (per the Iowa DNR).
at the Cedar Falls Transfer Station (accepted in the vestibule in the Call 2 Recycle Boxes), Best Buy, Staples, and more locations (www.call2recycle.org/locator).
at the Cedar Falls Transfer Station, Best Buy, Staples, and Goodwill Industries (2640 Falls Ave, Waterloo location only).
through the Waterloo Hazmat Center or a local scrap metal recycler. at O’Donnell Ace Hardware, Lowes, and Home Depot (CFLs only). at the Cedar Falls Transfer Station, a local scrap metal recycler, the Black Hawk County Sanitary Landfill, or contact the Public Works Department about scheduling a bulk item pickup. Propane tanks, oil, and gas must be removed and managed separately. at home using the remaining product as directed. Throw away the
empty container. Through MercyOne Waterloo Pharmacy, UnityPoint Health (Home Medical Equipment Services Dept.), or check with your healthcare provider.
at the Cedar Falls Public Safety Services building, Black Hawk County
Sheriff’s Office, or through your pharmacy’s take-back program. at home using a waste paint hardener, kitty litter, or floor dry to harden. Leave the lid off the paint bucket and throw away dried mixture.
through your local retailer, Sam Annis Propane, or a scrap metal
recycler. by contacting the manufacturer for mail back instructions (per the Iowa DNR).
at home using a cardboard box. Spray paint into box (until can is
empty). Allow the paint to dry. Throw away empty can and dried paint. at the Cedar Falls Transfer Station or Best Buy.
Deep fat frying is a popular way to prepare turkey for Thanksgiving and other meals, but oils and other materials, such as grease, can be a big problem if not handled properly. Fats, oils, and grease are very problematic in the sanitary sewer system, and should not be poured down the drain.
How does oil and grease affect the sanitary sewer system?
You may think if it’s flushed down it simply washes away and is gone for good—but that’s not the case. Fats, oils, and grease will build up in pipes and potentially create blockages and plug sewers, leading to problems such as:
Raw sewage backing up into your home, business, or neighboring property. Basement flooding (an expensive and displeasing situation).
Exposure to disease-causing organisms.
Raw sewage overflowing into parks, yards, streets, creeks, and river.
Increasing operations and maintenance costs to clean and repair damaged sewer pipes.
These are unpleasant thoughts, especially during the holiday season. Please be sure these oils are recycled or disposed of properly.
What should you do with your fats, oils, and grease?
Deep fat frying oil should be cooled and placed in a container that can be taken to the Transfer Station at East 15th and State Streets.
Small volumes of liquid cooking oil can be placed into the garbage as long as it can be absorbed by the other organic materials or paper towels.
Let the grease cool and harden, then scrape it off of trays, plates, pots, pans, utensils, grills, and cooking surfaces into the garbage.
To help with proper handling, the City of Cedar Falls Transfer Station offers used vegetable oil recycling. Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) recycling includes any type of liquid vegetable oil used for cooking: canola oil, olive oil, etc. The used vegetable oil is converted into a biofuel additive for diesel fuel. Bacon grease or solid cooking grease (like Crisco) is not accepted as part of this collection; those solid types of grease should be disposed of in the garbage. The Transfer Station’s winter hours (November–March) are Monday–Friday from 7 am–5 pm and Saturday from 8 am–3 pm. If you have any questions upon arrival an attendant will be glad to assist. Other questions can be addressed by calling Public Works at (319) 273-8629.
Cedar Falls receives ISO BCEGS rating of 4 for 2020
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) reviews and grades building departments using the Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS) approximately every 5 years to determine the effectiveness of the building department. The City of Cedar Falls just completed another cycle of grading. We maintained a classification of 4 out of 10, which means we are ranked above average compared to communities of similar size nationwide. When determining the grade, ISO looks at many different factors, some of these include: code adoption, building official’s education and capabilities, staffing levels, workload of staff and training of staff, certification of staff, plan review quality, inspection skills, and quality assurance.
What does this mean for the citizens of Cedar Falls? Insurance companies use the ISO rating to determine risk levels when providing homeowners insurance. When a community has a higher classification (1 means exemplary) the anticipated result is a safer building which leads to lower insured losses. This translates to lower insurance needs and better rates for homeowners.
The Cedar Falls Inspections Services Division prides itself in quality inspections to maintain safe buildings for all citizens. We will continue to work toward an exemplary rating through the highest quality of inspectors, plan reviews, building inspections, and education of citizens.
Let’s protect our soil and waters!
Do you have a landscape project to complete this fall? Is there a bare lot or construction site close to where you live? If so, please keep reading.
Iowa’s gold is undoubtedly our amazing soil, allowing us to have such rich agriculture. Unfortunately, we are losing it much faster than it can naturally restore itself.
The first step to protect our soil is to keep it from eroding and getting into our waters. The best way to protect soil is to keep it vegetated, or at minimum to cover it with mulch or tarps until it is possible to vegetate it. Bare soil is highly susceptible to water and air erosion. Once erosion begins, the soil particles move freely to storm sewers and from there to water bodies. Soil particles can also enter directly ditches, streams, wetlands, etc. Soil particles can bring with them some chemicals, like phosphorous, and pollute our water bodies. Sediment is also one of the three main pollutants of concern in our waters, along with nitrogen and phosphorous.
The reason our soil is so valuable is because of its amazing organic matter content, which gives it the nutrients and structure required to support such rich agriculture. That organic matter is the result of chemical and biologic processes going on in the soil ecosystem. It is very important to protect the porous structure of the soil—the spaces where air and water is trapped—which allows the ecosystems Stay calm—don’t panic. Contact Cedar Falls Utilities immediately at (319) 268-6999. If you have downed power lines, let CFU know immediately.
Treat all downed power lines—and anything they are touching— as if they are still live and stay as far away as possible. Do not try to remove trees or branches off power lines. Touching live power lines can result in severe injury or death.
If you have damage to the meter cabinet or service lines connected to your house, call a qualified electrician to make the necessary repairs; they will work with CFU to get your power turned back on as soon as possible. If this happens in the evening or on a weekend, Cedar Falls ordinances allow for emergency work to be done immediately; permits and inspections are done on the next business day. In the image below, anything labeled “homeowner” should be repaired by your electrician. Weatherhead belongs to homeowner This wire belongs to CFU These wires belong to the homeowner
Conduit belongs to homeowner
Meter belongs to CFU
Meter base belongs to homeowner
If you want to use a portable generator, do not connect it to your household electrical system. This could back feed to the power lines and put anyone working to restore power in danger! Use extension cords to plug in the appliance and lights you want to use. Keep generators in a well-ventilated area outside and away from all doors and windows to your house.
Check on your neighbors—especially the elderly—to make sure they are okay.
If you have questions or concerns please contact Jeff Craig, Cedar Falls Electrical Inspector, at (319) 268-5179.
to function. If the soil is compacted, uncompact it using aerators or other tools before vegetating it. If the soil lacks nutrients, add some compost (soil rich in organic matter) to the soil as this will help the ecosystem restore itself faster.
As we deal with strong rainfalls, restoring our soils will help reduce flooding and promote water quality. A few months from now not much will grow in the ground; it is important to use this short window of fall stabilization to seed any areas that may be disturbed throughout the winter and early spring. Please contact the City Stormwater Specialist at (319) 268-5511 if you need help planning for fall stabilization or if you want to restore your lawn with a soil quality restoration project.
Yard Waste Disposal Options
Residents are strongly encouraged to mulch leaves & clippings.
Almost without exception, lawn clippings should always be mulched back into the lawn. The benefits of mulching lawn clippings are too numerous and valuable to ignore. From providing valuable organic matter to the soil to saving significant amounts of time and money, mulching lawn clippings just makes sense.
Yard Waste Carts
On Mondays from October 5–November 30, yard waste carts will be emptied at a reduced fee of $5 per dump. During the weeks of November 2–November 13, yard waste carts will be collected citywide as often as possible. During winter months (December–March) yard waste carts are serviced by request. To schedule a pick up please call the Public Works Department at (319) 273-8629.
In order to help ensure collection is safe and efficient, residents are asked to…
place your yard waste cart at the curb by 7 am on collection day. place carts at least 3–4' away from any other objects. remove your cart from the curb no later than 8 pm on the day of collection to prevent unwanted service. do not put dirt, sod, or ashes in the yard waste carts.
observe the weight limit of 250 pounds.
Compost Facility—300 block of East Main Street
The facility is open daily from 7:30 am to dusk throughout the fall and early winter months until snowfall prevents usage.
Residents are allowed to bring brush, logs, leaves, garden waste, and grass clippings to the site. Please be observant and deposit materials in the proper locations.
Garbage and demolition materials are not accepted at this site.
Wood mulch and compost is available to Cedar Falls residents free of charge during normal operating hours. Residents are required to “load their own,” so be sure to bring containers and shovels.
The Compost Facility is intended for Cedar Falls residential use only. Contractors and non-residents are prohibited from using the facility.
Leaf Vacuum
Cedar Falls residents may utilize the “call-in” leaf vacuum service offered during October and November by calling the Public Works Department at (319) 273-8629 to schedule an appointment. Prior to service, leaves should be piled directly behind the curb—between the street and sidewalk. The cost is $50 per visit.
Holiday Garbage Collection Schedule
REGULAR DAY RESCHEDULED DAY
Thursday, November 26, 2020 Tuesday, November 24, 2020 Friday, November 27, 2020 Wednesday, November 25, 2020 Thursday, December 24, 2020 Tuesday, December 22, 2020 Friday, December 25, 2020 Wednesday, December 23, 2020 Friday, January 1, 2021 Thursday, December 31, 2020
Garbage Collection
Automated Garbage Collection
The City of Cedar Falls Public Works Department uses a fully automated garbage collection system in order increase efficiencies and reduce worker injury.
If a cart becomes damaged and in need of repair, please call the Public Works Department at (319) 273-8629 to schedule repair or replacement. Cart repair is normally done on the day of collection.
Proper placement of carts
In order to help ensure collection is safe and efficient, please leave 3-4’ feet between collection carts and any other objects such as parked cars, mailboxes, vehicles, utility poles, snow banks, etc. Carts placed too close to each other or to other objects become problematic for collection operation. During the winter please ensure carts are at street-level height; containers on high curbs or snow banks creates a safety hazard.
Residents should place carts at the curb prior to 7 am on their scheduled collection day and remove carts from the curb by 8 pm on collection day.
Extra Garbage Bag
One extra garbage bag is allowed per household. The bag must have an approved Cedar Falls bag tag attached (30 gallon bag max.). Place
the garbage bag with the bag tag attached so it is visible to the operator on top of your garbage cart. Bags without an approved bag tag attached will not be picked up. Bag tags can be purchased at these locations for $1.25 each:
Transfer Station and Recycling Center—1524 State St., Cedar Falls Fareway Grocery—214 Magnolia Dr., Cedar Falls Fareway Grocery—4500 S. Main St., Cedar Falls Hy-Vee—6301 University Ave, Cedar Falls Ace Hardware—703 E. 18th St., Cedar Falls Transfer Station and Recycling Center
