Waste/Recycling

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Ash Tree Removal on Private Property

Reminder to residents who have ash trees on their property: The August 31, 2021, deadline extension is drawing near. City staff will resurvey the community throughout the summer months in an effort to update the database with those who have had ash trees removed, and those who may have been missed during the initial survey. Residents who have not removed ash trees by the deadline, or who do not have a plan submitted for removal, will be subject to removal by the city with all associated costs—including administrative fees—charged back to the property owner.

City of Cedar Falls Ordinance Section 15-2 states:

Nuisance defined; certain acts, conditions declared as nuisances. Whatever is injurious to the senses or an obstruction to the free use of property so as essentially to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property by the public or community shall be deemed a nuisance.

Nuisances shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following: (20)Trees infected with infectious disease as identified by the city arborist or operations and maintenance division manager; or any dead, diseased or damaged trees or plant materials which may harbor serious insect or disease pests or disease injurious to other trees or plant materials, or any healthy tree in such a state of deterioration that any part of such tree is likely to fall and damage property or cause injury to persons. The stump of any tree that is removed must be cut flush with ground level, unless the stump is made into a decorative, tasteful yard element. Questions related to private ash tree removal may be directed to the Public Works Department at 319-273-8629. Automated yard waste collection is offered to residents throughout the year. On July 1, curbside yard waste collection changes to every other week for the summer. Yard waste will be collected from July–September on: July 12, 26; August 9, 23; September 13, 27. (No yard waste is collected on July 5 or September 6.) The fee for yard waste collection is $10 each time the cart is emptied. During April, October, and November carts are collected for a reduced fee of $5/dump. Please be sure your yard waste cart is at the curb by 7 am and retrieved by 8 pm the same day. The Transfer Station will continue to accept yard waste exclusively on Mondays and throughout the week in small quantities for $29.50/ton or $0.75/bag of yard waste. There is a $7 minimum fee for weight under 400 lbs. Hours are Monday–Friday from 7 am–5:45 pm and Saturday from 8 am–2:45 pm.

SHINGLE RECYCLING GUIDELINES

The Cedar Falls Transfer Station is an authorized asphalt shingle recycler. Contaminated loads of shingles will not be accepted and must be transported to the Black Hawk County Landfill.

Clean asphalt shingles can include:

Non-asbestos asphalt shingles, nails and felt/tar paper

Clean asphalt shingles should not include any of the following:

Wood, Pallets, wood shake shingles, Metal: Flashing, gutters, plumbing stacks. Plastic or vinyl: vents, gutters, buckets, plastic packaging. Paper waste, Mastic or roofing cement, rolled roofing materials (excess felt), Other garbage, trash or dirt, nail coils. The fee for recycling is $40/ton for clean shingles. The fee for dumping unauthorized contaminated shingles is $65/ton. Plus, a $10/ton surcharge. Shingle recyclers must stop at the Transfer Station to fill out the required forms and obtain authorization prior to dumping.

Ash Tree Removal on City Property

The city’s arborist staff has nearly wrapped up the remaining ash trees on city right of ways, parks, and other green spaces. To date, approximately 98% of ash trees have been removed from city property. Although there are many stumps remaining, staff has been busy grinding and filling stumps in preparation of replanting new trees. The target date to have all ash stump removals completed is the spring of 2022. The city’s tree planting program will resume in the fall of 2021. The goal is to plant approximately 200 trees each year. Trees utilized for the restoration will be pulled from the city’s nurseries. Questions regarding stump removals or replanting can be directed to the Public Works Department at 319-273-8629.

Citizens with disabilities may experience unique challenges when faced with a fire emergency. It’s important to have a home safety plan built around the abilities of everyone in the home. Here are some helpful tips:

Install and maintain smoke alarms.

• Smoke alarms with a vibrating pad or a flashing light are available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. • Ask a friend or relative, or call the Fire Division, to help install at least one smoke alarm on each level of your home and inside every bedroom. • Test smoke alarm batteries every month and change them at least once a year. If you can’t reach the test button on your smoke alarm, ask someone to test it for you.

Live near an exit.

• You’ll be safest living on the ground floor if you live in an apartment building. • If you live in a multistory home, arrange to sleep on the first floor. • Being on the ground floor and near an exit makes it easier to escape a fire.

Plan your escape.

• Plan your escape around your capabilities. • Know at least two exits from every room. • If you use a walker or wheelchair, check all exits to be sure you can get through the doorways. • Make any necessary changes, such as installing exit ramps and widening doorways, to make an emergency escape as easy as possible.

Don’t isolate yourself.

• Speak to family members, your building manager, or neighbors about your fire safety plan and practice it with them. Maintain regular contact with these people. • Contact the Cedar Falls Fire Division at 319-273-8613 and explain your needs. They can suggest escape plan ideas and may perform a home fire safety inspection if you need assistance. • Ask Cedar Falls Fire Division to notify dispatch about information updates for your address. • Keep a phone near your bed and be prepared to call 911 if a fire occurs. Disasters occur without notice; being prepared can help provide peace of mind. Building a kit could be a family project, or you could purchase a pre-made disaster kit. It is important to regularly maintain and review your kit, and ensure your family is well acquainted with the items and uses of its contents. A basic kit should include these items listed below (you might add additional items according to your family’s needs). • Water (one gallon/person/day for several days for drinking and sanitation) • Food (at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food) • Battery-powered or hand crank radio, and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert • Flashlight • First aid kit • Extra batteries • Whistle (to signal for help) • Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air) • Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place) • Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties (for personal sanitation) • Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities) • Manual can opener (for food) • Local maps • Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery • Prescription medications • Non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids, or laxatives • Prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution • Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, and diaper rash cream • Pet food and extra water for your pet • Cash or traveler’s checks • Important family documents (such as copies of insurance policies, identification, and bank account records) saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container • Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person Remember to review the contents on a regular basis and replace expired items. For more info. on preparedness call the Cedar Falls Fire Division at 319-273-8613 or visit www.redcross.com and www.ready.gov/kit.

• The property is located between Hudson Road and Main Street (east to west) and between 1st Street and Carol Court (north to south); • You are in the process of purchasing or have purchased the home within the last year; and • You are planning to live in this home for at least five years. NOTE: Funding is only available for rental property purchases and must be coordinated with lenders/realtors at time of closing or shortly after. (Lenders/realtors are encouraged to contact city staff early on in the purchase review process.) If you are unsure if a property meets the criteria or if you have other questions about the program, please feel free to contact the Cedar Falls Planning and Community Services Division at 319-273–8600 or email planning@cedarfalls.com. For an application or details about the process visit: www.cedarfalls.com/rentalconversionapp.

Rental to Single Family Owner Conversion Incentive Program

Are you in the market to buy a new home? Are any of the homes you are considering currently a rental? Are you looking to make exterior improvements to the property? If you answered yes to these questions you may qualify for up to a $10,000 forgivable loan! The City of Cedar Falls has established a Rental to Single Family Owner Conversion Incentive Program with a goal of promoting a balance of owner-occupied and renter-occupied homes. The types of items covered by the program include improvements to or replacement of siding, roofing, paving, windows, entryways, garages, and similar. You would be eligible for this program if the property meets the following criteria: • Preference will be given to applicants whose level of personal investment is greater than or equal to city’s investment (for instance, proposed improvement with total amount >= $20,000); • A single family home that has been a registered rental for at least the past three years;

Cedar Heights Drive Reconstruction

Cedar Heights Drive reconstruction from the East Viking Road roundabout to the East Greenhill Road intersection begins in July. This project includes the replacement of the existing traffic signal at the Cedar Heights Drive/East Greenhill Road intersection with a multi-lane roundabout, and the construction of a single lane roundabout at the Cedar Heights Drive/Huntington Road intersection. Construction will start mid-summer and continue over the next two construction seasons. Below are the limits of construction for each year.

Phase I: Greenhill Road Intersection to Cedar Hill Road: July–November 2021

Phase II: Cedar Hill Road to Viking Road: April 2022–November 2022 Starting as early as late June, the contractor will install temporary access roads to provide access to residents and commercial businesses located on Chadwick Road, Cedar Hill Road, and Greenhill Road.

The intersection of Cedar Heights Drive and Greenhill Road will be the primary focus in 2021 with traffic on Greenhill Road maintained throughout construction with at least one travel lane in each direction. The roundabout at Greenhill Road will be constructed in halves starting with the northern section in the beginning of the construction season, and the southern half—along with Cedar Heights Drive down to Cedar Hill Road—later in the construction season of 2021. Residential access will be maintained along with signed business accesses throughout the remainder of construction.

During construction, additional information and updates for the Cedar Heights Drive Reconstruction project will be provided on the city’s website. For ongoing, active projects, sign up for e-mail notifications at www.cedarfalls.com/NotifyMe.

2021 Street Construction Project

Work on the 2021 Street Construction Project is well underway. The contractor began the construction season by focusing on the reconstruction for Stage I of McClain Drive—from Orchard Drive to Lilac Lane—and Stage I of Brandilynn Boulevard—from the western cul-de-sac toward the east past Andrea Drive. From there, the contractor moved on to the reconstruction of Olive Street— from 3rd to 4th Streets. McClain Drive and Olive Street are both full reconstruction streets including some underground utility work and pavement removal and replacement, while Brandilynn Boulevard includes only removing and replacing the concrete surface. Additional reconstruction streets this summer include Washington Street—from 6th to 8th Streets—as well as an additional stage to the north on McClain Drive, and two stages to the east on Brandilynn Boulevard. In addition to reconstruction work, the contractor is also on track to complete the restoration work on Tremont Street (12th to 14th), Cadillac Drive (Cedar Heights to Midway), Garden Avenue (Loma to Pleasant), Iowa Street (9th to 11th), Kaspend Place, 17th Street (College to Walnut), Lilac Lane and Calumet Drive (Boulder to Carlton), Pheasant Drive (Sandahlwood Circle east 500 feet), and Millennium Drive (Huntington to Luke). All of these restoration streets are slated to receive an asphalt overlay, with the exception of Millennium Drive which will see some concrete panel replacements.

Downtown Streetscape and Reconstruction Phase II

The contractor for the Phase II portion of this project is making significant progress. The reconstruction efforts on 4th Street are starting to shape up after the contractor began work on the block between Washington and Main Streets. As that portion is wrapping up the East 4th Street block will receive the same treatment, including the new concrete surface and updated brick pavers, trees, and amenities. In conjunction with that work, more of the Parkade streetscape updates are starting to show. The contractor began where they left off in Phase I and continue to move south. This updated streetscaping will continue south toward the 6th and Main Streets intersection.

2021 Sidewalk Infill Projects

The 2021 Sidewalk Infill projects consists of two different city projects that focus on constructing new sidewalk in the City of Cedar Falls to work towards complete connectivity for pedestrian traffic throughout the city. The first project is the City of Cedar Falls Sidewalk Infill Project and is funded by General Obligation Bonds. The second project is the CDBG Sidewalk Infill Project and is funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) the city receives from the Federal Government. The following locations are scheduled for infill as a part of one of the mentioned projects during 2021 construction season:

Street From/To

W. 3rd Street Hudson Road/Francis Street

Anticipated Closure

N/A

Tucson Drive Idaho Road/Colorado Road N/A

Walnut Street W. 20th Street/W. 21st Street N/A Bluebell Road Coneflower Trail/Coneflower Parkway N/A Hudson Road W. 8th Street/W. 12th Street N/A Rownd Street Hawthorne Drive/Sunnyside Drive N/A The projects consist of constructing new sidewalk to create connectivity to existing sidewalk and also connections that will be made in future projects. The W. 3rd Street infill between Hudson Road and Francis Street will be constructed on the north side of the road with minor ADA ramps being installed on the southwest and southeast corners of Ellen Street and W. 3rd Street intersection, as well as the southwest corner of W. 3rd Street and Francis Street intersection. This infill of sidewalk on W. 3rd Street will complete the sidewalk connection from State Street to Hudson Road along W. 3rd Street. The second infill location for these projects is on the east side of Tucson Drive from Idaho Road to Orchard Drive. This infill of sidewalk along Tucson Drive is in accordance to the 2011 Safe Routes to School Plan, which is a program to help provide safe routes for pedestrian traffic to schools such as Southdale Elementary School located on Orchard Drive. The third infill location is along Walnut Street from W. 20th Street to W. 21st Street and sidewalk will be placed on both sides of the road for this one-block stretch. This stretch of sidewalk—once constructed— will fill the gap on Walnut and complete the sidewalk connection from W. 1st Street to University Avenue, providing sidewalk on at least one side of Walnut the full length. The fourth infill location is on Bluebell Road and is a minor addition to complete sidewalk connectivity from the existing Coneflower Parkway Trail West to Coneflower Parkway. This addition of sidewalk will complete the connection from the Western Homes to South Main and Greenhill Road.

The fifth infill location is on Hudson Road from W. 8th Street to W. 12th Street, continuing infill from W. 1st Street south along the west side of Hudson Road. This is part of the stretch that is missing along the west side of Hudson Road to complete pedestrian connectivity going south. The future goal will be to complete the infill along the east side of Hudson Road and connect with the existing sidewalk on the south side of Linden Avenue. This will allow for a complete sidewalk section from W. 1st Street to W. Viking Road on the east side of Hudson Road. The sixth and final infill location is on Rownd Street from Hawthorne Drive to Sunnyside Drive. This stretch of sidewalk infill will complete the connection from Rainbow Drive to University Avenue on at least one side of Rownd Street.

The goals of the yearly sidewalk infill projects are to complete connections for pedestrian traffic throughout all of Cedar Falls. With these projects we work on infilling sidewalk where it is missing throughout the city as well as repairing deficient panels on city property and making sure city Sidewalks are complying with all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

Update: Imagine Downtown! Imagine College Hill!

The Imagine Downtown! Vision Plan was adopted by the City Council in November 2019. One of the most important steps in implementing the plan is adoption of new zoning regulations to help encourage development that is consistent with the community’s vision. A draft of the new code was released to the public and presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission on February 17, 2021. After careful consideration at multiple work sessions and public hearings, the commission forwarded their recommended draft of the code to the City Council for consideration. Public hearings will be held at the City Council meetings in July and August with adoption anticipated in September. The public is invited and encouraged to review the proposed code and new zoning map and participate in the public discussions. Visit www.OurCedarfalls.com to view or download the proposed code and new zoning map (called a regulating plan). If you have questions about the new zoning or would like more information on the review process contact Karen Howard, Planning & Community Services Manager, at Karen-Howard@Cedarfalls.com. After an extensive public input and review process, the City Council adopted the Imagine College Hill! Vision Plan in May, 2021. Residents, business owners, developers, rental property owners, UNI students, faculty, administration officials, and other interested community members all joined in the effort to help craft a vision for the future of the College Hill Neighborhood. The plan provides a framework for future growth and development on College Hill while preserving the character of and stabilizing the surrounding neighborhoods to provide a wide variety of housing choices to meet the needs of our community. The next step in the Imagine College Hill! project will be to draft new zoning and development standards to meet the community’s vision and to ensure existing neighborhoods remain stable and attractive to a variety of households who wish to call College Hill home. Visualizing the Future of College Hill…