Taggeed bags of grass and leaves will be picked up Fridays of each week.  Residents will need to call into the transfer station to be picked up ---prior to each Friday.  712-580-7270

Control of Vegetation - Public Service Announcement

April 2013

The City of Spencer has adopted an ordinance that requires our citizens to maintain grass and weeds to a height of no more than eight inches (8”) on private property and on the public right-of-ways adjacent to their land. An exception to this restriction can be granted for certain areas within the community such as natural or wooded areas, native prairies, or land used for agricultural purposes. If a portion or all of your land is being used for one or more of these uses, you can contact City Hall (580-7200) and city staff will assist you through the application process.

When a tract of land or street right of way is found to have vegetation in excess of eight inches in height, a sign will be posted on the property by the City giving notice of the violation. If after seven (7) days the property has not been brought into compliance, the City will hire a contractor to mow the property and a statement of charges will be sent to the owner. If the charges are not paid within thirty (30) days, the charges will be certified with the county and collected with and in the same manner as general taxes.

Mowing is the only allowed method of maintaining the street right-of-ways in Spencer. The use of fire or herbicides that are formulated to destroy grasses is not to be used within the street right-of-ways. The use of herbicides to control plant growth on private property is not prohibited. Controlling vegetation on private property with fire is allowed only by permit by the Spencer Fire Department (580-7240).

If you have any questions regarding the maintenance and control of plant growth within Spencer, please contact City Hall during regular business hours by calling 580-7200, or by email at spencer@smunet.net.

For more information, look at Title 4 –Chapter 2; Control of Vegetation in the City Code under Public Notices on the City of Spencer website at:  www.spenceriowacity.com .

RIVERSIDE CEMETERY AND NORTH LAWN MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY REGULATIONS REQUIRE THAT;
 
“All Memorials May Be Placed Two Days Before Memorial Day” and that;
“All Memorials That Are Not In “Approved Containers” are to Be Removed Within One Week Following Memorial Day.”

Approved container at “RIVERSIDE CEMETERY” CAN BE EITHER A PERMANENT VASE OR A FLOWER STAND.

Approved container at “NORTH LAWN MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY” IS A PERMANENT VASE ONLY.

Anything left on the ground in the way of the mowers or weed eaters after June 4, 2013 will be removed and disposed of by Cemetery employees.

EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2013

 YEAR ROUND Hours will be as follows: 

  7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday
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ALL VEHICLES ENTERING THE TRANSFER STATION MUST “STOP” AT FRONT OFFICE BEFORE DUMPING

All Commercial Businesses and Contractors are required to STOP at the front office and pay for garbage or construction materials brought to the Transfer Station.

There is a charge for ALL Construction Materials brought to the Transfer Station by Residents, Commercial Businesses and Contractors.

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The grass/brush site located north of W. 18th Street at 18th Ave. West is open 24 Hours a Day, Seven Days a Week.

The Northern Plains Regional Collection Center
located at the Transfer Station, 3101 West 18th Street,
will officially open this Thursday, September 27, 2012 for collection of
Household Hazardous Waste. 

You Will Need To Call Ahead To Schedule An Appointment.
Appointments Will Be Available From 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
For More Information or to Schedule an Appointment  call 712-580-7277

As we approach the Clay County Fair, please be reminded of Chapter 3-1 of the Spencer, Iowa, City Code, regarding Registration of Peddlers, Solicitors & Transient Merchants.

This ordinance pertains to the licensing and registration of “transient merchants” (persons who bring into the City any goods or merchandise for sale); “solicitors” (persons who solicit from house-to-house or place to place or upon the public streets or other public property); and “peddlers” (persons carrying goods or merchandise for sale from house to house or place to place or upon public streets or other public property).

The confines of the Clay County Fairgrounds are exempt from these regulations.

Persons wishing to register under this ordinance must apply at the City Clerk’s Office, 418 2nd Avenue West, at least 24 hours before they intend to begin operations.  The process includes an application form, $25 application fee and $5 per day of registration.  A cash or equivalent bond of $500 is also required.  The bond shall not be cancelled or refunded until 30 days after the expiration of the registration.  A police check will be done on each applicant.

For registration information or a complete copy of Chapter 3-1 of the City of Spencer Code, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 418 2nd Avenue West, Spencer, Iowa 51301 or call (712) 580-7200, FAX # (712) 580-7236.

Important Lightning Safety Warning

The City of Spencer would like to inform our citizens of a concern regarding Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST) utilized as gas piping in residences and commercial buildings in Spencer.  Many fires around Iowa have been linked to lightning strikes, either by direct or indirect strikes and failure of CSST tubing due to the strikes. 

CSST tubing has been installed in millions upon millions of homes across the U.S.   The reason for its popularity is simple economics- the CSST product is less expensive and requires far less time and skill to install.  The problem- CSST tubing has a very thin wall and is very vulnerable to a fire if it is not installed correctly.  When electrical energy from lightning is conducted through CSST tubing, electrical arcing can be created between the CSST and any grounded metallic object as the lightning energy seeks a ground source.   The arcing can create a hole in the pipe with a blow torch effect with an endless gas fuel source more than sufficient to ignite nearly any type of structure.  What should you do if you think CSST tubing was used in your home or business?

                Find out if CSST tubing is present in your residence or business.

1.        If your home or business was built after 1990 there’s a good chance CSST tubing was installed. 

2.       The tubing is usually easily identifiable by its flexibility property and its yellow exterior plastic coating.

If CSST tubing is present:

1.       Call a licensed electrician to verify whether the CSST tubing is properly bonded to a ground utilized by the electrical service of that building.

2.       Look at the manufacturer’s name on the yellow coating and do some research into proper installation methods for that product.

3.       Call a licensed mechanical contractor to review installation methods utilized and have any deficiencies corrected.

4.       Call the City Hall at 712-580-7200 and ask to speak with the Electrical & Plumbing inspector on installation methods and building codes.

For additional information regarding CSST, you may access the State Fire Marshall's website containing the bulletin.

Open burning within the corporate limits of Spencer is not allowed by ordinance.

To dispose of leaves, grass clippings and other lawn waste or any household waste by burning is illegal.  You may be subject to a fine.

Other means of disposal are available.  You may bag and tag items, which the City will haul away or you may take your lawn waste items only to the designated tree and leaf site located 1 mile north of the intersection of West 18th Street and 18th Avenue West. Please observe all rules posted at the site.  Questions may be directed to City Hall at (712) 580-7200 or the Fire Department at (712) 580-7240.