PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT GENERAL INFORMATION

TELEPHONE: (231) 592-4015

ALL NIGHT WINTER PARKING

In order to permit the city to properly remove all snow and ice from streets during the winter months, no person shall park a vehicle on any street in the city from November 15 to and including March 1, between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Vehicles parked in violation may be ticketed and/or impounded by the Police.

The Department of Public Works handles streets, parks, water operations, sewer operations, sanitation, snow removal and composting.

WHAT OUR DEPARTMENT HANDLES:

Streets - Pothole repair, snow removal, sidewalk repair, street lights, picking up dead animals in the street, etc.

Parks - mowing grass, litter removal, flower and tree care.

Water Operations - Getting the water from the plant to your tap. Billing is done by the Treasurer's Office (592-4005).

Sewer Operations - Getting the waste water from your house to the treatment plant.

FALL LEAF PICK UP

Fall leaf pick up will begin approximately the 1st Monday in November until approximately the last Friday in November. One city-wide pick up will be done, if we have time, we will attempt a second city-wide pick up. Call 592-4015 to check on second pick up.

Please call the Public Works Office or check the "PIONEER" for instructions on how to prepare the leaves.

Prior to the first Monday and after the last Friday in November, the leaves will have to be bagged and put out for Waste Management to pick up. LEAVES MAY NOT BE PUT INTO PLASTIC BAGS.

Please place leaves in paper bags (30 gallon bags are available at City Hall and other locations around town). Leaves may also be placed into cans clearly marked "compostable material" or placed in cardboard boxes for pick up.

State law prohibits leaves and other compostables from being placed into landfills.

YARD WASTE

Yard waste will be picked up by from the 1st Tuesday in April until the last Tuesday in November. Yard waste cannot be placed in plastic bags. The yard waste and leaves will be picked up if it is in rigid containers such as garbage cans and cardboard boxes or if it is placed in paper bags including grocery bags. Thirty gallon paper bags will be made available for purchase from local merchants and also at city hall. These materials will be picked up on the same day as your regular trash pick up.

WATER MAIN FLUSHING PROGRAM

The water distribution system should be flushed at least every six months. Using a program that starts at the source and works towards the dead ends contributes to cleaning of the system. The reason water mains are flushed is to remove sedimentation - rust and mineral deposits that have accumulated since the last flushing.

To remove these deposits, a water main should be flushed at a velocity at least six times its normal rate. During this flushing program not all the deposits can be flushed out of the hydrant so during a short period of time a resident can experience rusty or colored water. Normally this condition would only exist for a few hours while the flushing is being completed in your area.

There are several reasons other than flushing that could cause rusty or colored water. This rusty or colored water condition is from using higher than normal velocity in the system. Fire fighting, filling of the street sweeper through the hydrant as well as other hydrant uses could cause this condition to exist. The flushing program is also necessary to check flows for fire fighting and to make repairs as needed on hydrants.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause the user. If you experience rusty or colored water, let the tap run for a few minutes until the water runs clear, do not wash clothes during this period since your clothes may become rusty, do flush the hot water heater to clear out any sedimentation that may have entered the system.

If you have any problems and/or concerns, please contact the water filtration plant at 796-6231.