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Animal Control No, there is no requirement in Walnut to license cats. Yes, all animals must be on a leash that is no longer than 6 feet when being walked on public property. City of Walnut dog licenses are due yearly and expire on February 14th, with a penalty being assessed after February 14th. If your dog is spayed or neutered: $8.00 per year.
If your dog is unaltered: $22.00 per year.
Proof of rabies vaccination and proof of the spay/neuter must be presented before obtaining your license. No. Federal and state laws prohibit owning/keeping any type of wildlife. If you live in the incorporated areas of Walnut and you own, keep or harbor one or more dogs, six or more months of age, you are required to license them with City Hall. Call 911 and report the dog bite to the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Department. Yes, an owner may not stake, tie, or fasten an animal in a way that permits the animal to pass onto, over, or across any public sidewalk, street, or alley or private property of anyone other than the owner. The City recommends that you first discuss the problem with your neighbor. If there is no relief from the problem, you can call Pottawattamie County Animal Control at 712-366-1143. An officer will respond to your call. City Hall The public will be notified when regular sanitation days are changed. Notification will appear on your monthly utility bill, it will be posted on the window at City Hall, and it will appear on the calendar of events on the City's website. You can also check the Holidays section of the City's website under the Your Government tab for sanitation information. The compensation for Mayor is $1,800.00 per year. The Council members and the Mayor receive $25.00 per meeting that they attend. Compensation for all of the part-time elected officials is received on an annual basis. The term on the City Council is four years, and the Mayor's term is for two years. A copy of the certificate can be obtained through the County Recorder's office at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse, located at 227 South 6th Street in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Their phone number is (712) 328-5612 or (712) 328-5725. City Hall is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until Noon; 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
City Hall is closed for the following holidays:
New Year's Day in January
President's Day in February
Memorial Day in May
Independence Day in July
Labor Day in September
Veteran's Day in November
Thanksgiving Day in November
Christmas Day in December In order to hold an office in the City, a candidate must be an eligible elector, meeting the same qualifications required to vote and be a resident of the City. Nomination papers may be picked up at City Hall. Nominees must obtain ten eligible signatures, and they must also submit a signed and notarized Affidavit of Candidacy by the required deadline. The Iowa State Patrol offers a toll free road report line at (800) 288-1047. There is also a website you can log on to at www.iowaroadconditions.org. This service is updated as often as possible during bad weather. City Council meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 5:00 p.m. Citizens may watch the City Council meetings on local cable Channel 12; please check the cable channel schedule for times of viewing. You can also view agendas and minutes on the City's website under the Your Government tab. 229 Antique City Drive in Walnut. City Utilities Walnut's Water Plant uses an Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) system to treat the water supply. EDR is a process in which ions are transferred through semipermeable membranes to remove impurities by means of direct electric current. Generally, water will be off for 2-6 hours for most repairs to the water system. With a water main break, it is hard to estimate how long the water will be off; however, in all cases, personnel will continue to work until the water is turned back on. You may contact City Hall at 712-784-3443 to obtain information about water, sewer, recycling, and garbage collection services. The office is located at
229 Antique City Drive. You will be asked to complete an application for utility service. Click here to obtain a utility service application. Citizens are asked to call MidAmerican Energy at 1-800-799-4443. Yes, Iowa One Call @ 1-800-292-8989. Please call City Superintendent, Jim Blum, at 712-249-4786 or City Hall at
712-784-3443. The City's personnel will check to make sure that the City's sewer mains are flowing properly. Right-of-way is normally the property from the back of the sidewalk to the center of the street. The right-of-way belongs to the City. Walnut's finished water has a hardness ranging from 6-7. Your City utility bill will include charges for water, sewer, and garbage collection. The City of Walnut is responsible for the old-fashioned street lights that are located on Antique City Drive. You may contact City Hall at 712-784-3443 if one of the old-fashioned streetlights are not working. If any of the remaining streetlights are not working, you can either report the outage to City Hall, or you can call MidAmerican Energy directly at 1-800-799-4443. Contact City Superintendent, Jim Blum, at 712-249-4786 or call City Hall at
712-784-3443. Citizens are asked to contact City Hall at 712-784-3443 or visit City Hall at
229 Antique City Drive. Finance The Code of Iowa states that at least 50% of the revenue that is derived from a hotel/motel tax must be used for recreation, convention, cultural, or entertainment facilities or promoting tourist or convention business. The remaining revenue may be spent by the City for any City operations that are authorized by law. Some examples of uses for hotel and motel tax are for recreational facilities such as the City park, walking or biking paths, playgrounds, or for the promotion of tourism in Walnut. The hotel/motel tax could be used to develop new recreational facilities or to upgrade existing park or recreation areas, for example. Revenues from the sales and service tax are to be allocated in the City of Walnut as follows:
Ten percent (10%) of said revenues shall be used directly for property tax relief.
Ninety percent (90%) of said revenues shall be used for infrastructure such as streets and alleys, water, sewer, and storm sewer. A hotel/motel tax is a tax that applies only to those hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast facilities that are located within the corporate boundaries of Walnut. There is currently a 7% hotel/motel tax in Walnut. L.O.S.T. stands for Local Option Sales Tax. Walnut currently collects 1%. Essentially, tax increment financing is a method by which infrastructure and other public costs of preparing and providing usable lands for development is financed. Municipalities with urban renewal areas may utilize TIF to establish tax increment districts within them. From this district, the City can use property tax dollars generated from new development to pay for the public improvement cost.
A TIF ordinance establishes a "base year" in which the assessed value of land within the district is "frozen", which serves as a point of reference for determining future tax increments. Walnut's base year is 1994. The City then takes over the responsibility of preparing the district for development. When development does occur, the actual assessed value increases, which results in increased tax revenues from the district. The portion above the base assessed value is identified as the "tax increment" and is used to pay for debt incurred to ready the lands or other public costs incurred to further the project.
A unique feature of TIF is that all of the increment goes to the City. For this to be effected, the City must certify to Pottawattamie County that it has incurred costs in furtherance of the urban renewal project. Without having outstanding debt there is no need for or right to the increment; consequently, tax increment financing is then inactive. In either case, the tax revenue from the "frozen" base assessment value is received by all taxing districts. In December and January, the City Council discusses possible allocations for inclusion into the budget.
At the February City Council meeting, the Council receives and adopts the final proposed budget and orders publication of the public hearing notice. Notice of the budget hearing must be published not more than 20 days nor less than 10 days before the date of the public hearing. The detailed budget must be available for public inspection at least 10 days before the final budget hearing and 20 days before the final date for certification. The detailed budget must also be available at City Hall and at the Library.
At the March City Council meeting, the public hearing on the budget is held and adoption of the final budget is made. The certified budget is due to the Pottawattamie County Auditor by March 15 of each year. March 25 is the final day for persons affected by the budget to file a written protest (10 days after certification date). On June 15 of each year, the Iowa Department of Management certifies taxes to the Pottawattamie County Auditor. The budget takes effect on July 1.
Warrants/claims are processed and released after the City Council meets on the first Thursday of each month. Typically, the City sends checks on the day after the City Council meeting. Fire Department Open burning of landscape waste (grass clippings, leaves, garden waste, brush, and trees) originating on the property is permitted, unless the County or State has issued a burn ban. Burning must NOT be done on sidewalks, paved or seal-coated streets or in the alleys. Ambulance calls are now being billed by a professional ambulance billing service. If you should have a question about your ambulance bill, please contact EMS Billing Service at 402-572-4019 or 877-367-9111. Residents should telephone 911 in the case of either a fire or in an emergency requiring ambulance service. The City of Walnut has 65 fire hydrants in the community. It is not possible for the City employees to keep them clear all winter long. The hydrants themselves and the needed three-foot clearance area is actually City property, and anyone should feel free to keep their hydrant clear, even if it's not on their property. Click here to view a map of Walnut's fire hydrants.The Walnut Volunteer Fire Department provides fire and ambulance service to the residents of Walnut and the surrounding townships of Layton, Lincoln, and the south half of Monroe Township. The City of Walnut has received an ISO rating of 5. General According to State law, no entity smaller than the State can regulate pesticide application. Therefore, the City does not have the ability to adopt an ordinance to regulate pesticides.
The pesticide label is the law for each individual pesticide. If an applicator does not abide by the label, a complaint and a claim can be filed with the Pesticide Bureau. The Bureau will investigate all complaints, which are public information.
The phone number for the Pesticide Bureau of the Iowa Department of Agriculture is 515-281-5601. Library There is no charge for using the Internet, but there is a charge for printing from the Internet. At this time, it is $.10 per page for black/white copies and $.25 for colored copies. The Walnut Public Library has 5 Internet desktop computers; the Library also has WiFi. Patrons with Internet-enabled laptops may stop at the circulation desk for suggestions on best reception locations. There is no wireless printing at this time. Residents of Iowa are eligible to apply for a Library card from the Walnut Public Library. There is no minimum age to receive a Library card. However, children under the age of 12 must have a parent or legal guardian sign their registration card. To get a Library card, please ask any of the Librarians at the circulation desk. Sometimes the Library does not have a book that you'd like to read. To get the item, you can request it through interlibrary loan. The Librarians will fill out the appropriate form for you at the main circulation desk. The Librarians will call you when the book arrives; when you are done reading it, you can return it to the Walnut Public Library. The fee for each interlibrary loan is $1.00. If a book or item that you'd like to check out is already checked out by another patron, you can reserve that item (also called placing a hold). When the item is returned, it will be held for you at the main circulation desk. We'll call you to let you know that the item is waiting for you to check it out. We'll hold the item for a reasonable amount of time. Patrons may sign up for Internet access at a sign-in sheet at the circulation desk. You will be asked for your name and the time. You will be allowed to use the computer for 30 minutes. If no one else is waiting to use the computer, you will be allowed to use the computer for a longer period of time. Books - 30 days; Books on CD - 30 days; Magazines - 30 days; DVDs - 7 days.
You can renew Library books and items once. You do not have to bring the books and items into the Library in order to renew them. Renewal can also be done over the phone. Fines are $0.05 a day for books. Fines are $.50 a day for DVDs. If movies or books are not returned, you will be charged the replacement cost or reasonable fee. You can check out all items at the circulation desk. You can return books, DVDs, and other items either in the outside book drop or inside at the circulation desk. The Walnut Public Library is located at 224 Antique City Drive. Zoning and Building Once a permit is issued, construction must commence within 180 days and is valid for 2 years from the date of issuance. The building permit expires after 180 days if no substantial beginning of construction has occurred. Extensions of time may be granted in writing by the Zoning Administrator for good cause. Cost of a building permit is proportional to the dollar value of your project. Residential District Fees: Minimum charge of $10.00 for up to $4,999.00 of construction - $2.00 for every $1,000.00 of construction thereafter - maximum of $250.00.
Commercial, Agricultural or Industrial District Fees: Minimum charge of $10.00 up to $4,999.00 of construction - $1.00 for every $1,000.00 of construction thereafter - maximum of $150.00. A building permit is a license that grants legal permission to start construction of a building project. A device used by the Board of Adjustment which grants a property owner relief from certain provisions of the Zoning Ordinance when, because of the particular physical surroundings, shape, or topographical condition of the property, compliance would result in particular hardship upon the owner, as distinguished from a mere inconvenience or a desire to make more money and which condition is not of the owner's own making. You need a building permit if you are planning to erect, move, or add to a building or other structure. A building permit is required before any new construction or alterations take place. The same guidelines hold true for any demolition of property. You can obtain a building permit application from City Hall. You can also click here to get a copy of the application. Tim Branan is the Zoning Administrator.
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