During what hours is City Hall open?
Normal office hours are 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Friday hours are 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Following are holidays that city offices will be closed: New Year's Day, noon on Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, day after Thanksgiving, noon on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If a holiday falls on Saturday, the preceding Friday will be observed and if it falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed. If the holiday observance is on a day when a normal city service occurs (garbage), that service will be pushed back one day that week.
When is garbage picked up?
Garbage is picked up every Monday. City bags must be used and are available for purchase at the following locations: Riceville Market Place, Andy's Mini Mart, Casey's, True Value Hardware and city hall. Cost is $1.00 for an approximate 30 gal size and $.50 for a 15 gal. size. The city also has dumpsters available for rent on a temporary basis. Appliances cost $15 for disposal (TV prices range from $20 to $50, depending on size) and arrangements for pickup must be made in advance by calling city hall.
Are building permits required?
Building permits are required if you are making changes to buildings. There is no cost for a building permit and they may be obtained at city hall. If you do major remodeling to your residence, be sure to check into applying for tax abatement. In a nutshell, if you qualify for tax abatement, you will not pay tax for five years on the additional value added to your property by the improvements, up to $75,000. To find out the requirements for qualifying for this program, contact city hall.
Does the city have a snow ordinance?
The city requires that no person shall park any vehicle on the public street during snow removal operations unless the snow has been removed from said street and the snow has ceased to fall. Snow must also not be pushed out onto the street. Abutting property owners must remove snow from sidewalks. If the owner does not, the City may do so and assess the costs against the property owner.
How do I dispose of my leaves and other yard wastes?
The city does a curbside pickup of yard wastes on the last Thursday of the month from April through October. Please do not set out more than 5 bags of leaves at a time. Branches must not be bigger than 4" in diameter and no longer than 48". Please bundle or stack your branches neatly to make them easier to handle. You may also burn your leaves, but we ask that you do not burn on the street and please be considerate of your neighbors.
How do I dispose of my medical sharps?
Needle containers are available for purchase at city hall. Cost is $15, which covers disposal of a full container and a replacement container. We in turn contract with a company to pickup these containers and properly dispose of them. Please dispose of your needles appropriately, especially for our city workers' safety.
In what school district is Riceville located?
Riceville is located in the Riceville Community School district. The school consists of grades K-12 with pre-school program available. All grades are located in one complex. We are fortunate to have a $2 million dollar endowment which awards scholarships to any graduating senior who wants to further his/her education, regardless of grades. To contact the school, call 641-985-2288 or click on the website link located on the city website home page.
What about pets in the city limits?
The city does not require that dogs or cats be licensed, but check with your county of residence for their requirements. Do not allow any pets to run at large or allow them to disturb your neighbors. If your dog should escape, your first call should be to city hall. We will impound animals running at large and if we are unable to contact the owner after 7 days, the animal will be destroyed.
What are charges for city water, sewer and garbage?
Current rates: Water - $11.05 Base rate per month, plus $2.12 per 1,000 gallons
Sewer - $11.05 Base rate per month, plus $2.12 per 1,000 gallons of water
Garbage - $11.05 per month. City bags are required. Cost is $.50 for approx. 15 gal bag and $1.00 for approx. 30 gal bag.
Riceville also does curbside recycling weekly, curbside yard waste pickup once a month April through November, and a neighborhood clean up twice a year. All this is at no extra cost to residents, however there is a fee for appliance pickups, which must be taken care of in advance.
What are emergency phone numbers for fire, ambulance and police?
Emergency numbers are as follows:
Fire 911
Ambulance 985-2200
Police 563-547-3535 or 911
What are the siren signals for severe weather?
The warning signal for an impending tornado is a long, constant wail of the siren. The signal for a fire is an up and down wail. The city recommends that citizens purchase a NOAA weather radio to install in their homes for severe weather warnings.
What is available for recreation in the Riceville area?
We are fortunate to have a wonderful county run campground just one mile north of the city. Lake Hendricks has a full-time park ranger and over 200 camping sites. Electric motors only are allowed on the lake and there is a sand beach for swimming (no lifeguard on duty). There is a walking trail that goes all round the lake, and a butterfly garden that looks out over the lake. There are 2 playground sites and an adjoining softball diamond at the entrance to the lake.
Wapsi Great Western Nature/Bike trail starts in the heart of Riceville. It goes north along the old railroad bed, winds through Lake Hendricks campground and continues north toward McIntire. The trail also can be taken south to Elma. Along the trail, you can see a section of prairie grass from an observation deck, a herd of buffalo grazing and numerous other sights of nature.
Riceville Country Club is a picturesque 9 hole golf course. With many mature trees, it is a challenging course. Golf carts are available for rent and the clubhouse has many amenities.
A city park located near the public library has tennis courts, horseshoe pits, plenty of playground equipment and a shelterhouse.
Approximately 7 miles south of town, there is a Mennonite auction house that has sales throughout the week. They sell everything from hay to garden produce to flowers.
When and where are city council meetings held?
Regular monthly council meetings are held the second Monday of each month. They are held at city hall, located at 123 W. Main St., and start at 6:30 p.m. Special meetings are held when necessary.
When are city utility bills sent and when are they due?
City water, sewer and garbage bills are mailed out around the 20th of each month. They are due on the 15th of the following month. The late fee is $25. Accounts that remain unpaid on the 15th of the month following billing will be shut off until full payment plus a $30 reconnect fee is remitted. The city offers automatic withdrawal from your checking or savings account for your city utility bills. These amounts are withdrawn on the 15th day of the month billed and there is no charge for this service. For more information or to sign up for this option, contact city hall.
When is recycling picked up?
Recycling is picked up curbside for residents on Wednesdays. Items must be clean. The items do not need to be sorted. Make sure to use a visible anchor to hold down your plastic recyclables on windy days and in the winter, refrain from using plastic shopping bags for your items. For a complete list of what can be recycled and how it should be prepared, stop at city hall.
Where is the Howard/Mitchell county line located?
Riceville has a unique situation of being divided between two counties: Mitchell and Howard. The dividing line in the city is Woodland Avenue with Howard County being on the east side and Mitchell County on the west side. So be aware of this fact whenever you need to register anything with the county of your residence. Howard County's seat is Cresco and Mitchell County's seat is Osage.
Who are the various utility providers in the city?
Following are the utility providers in the city and their contact numbers:Electric - Alliant Electric 800-255-4268
Telephone & cable - Omnitel 641-749-2531 (a local call from Riceville)
Water, sewer & garbage - City of Riceville 641-985-2367
