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Public Works

Show All Answers

1. My sidewalk is raising and sinking and needs to be replaced. Who takes care of that?

Contact Jim Nahmensen, Street Superintendent, at 963-8643. He will investigate the problem, place it in priority when viewed with other similar work assignments, and get the walk repaired or replaced as rapidly as time and money permit.

2. The storm knocked several branches off the tree in my yard. Will you pick them up?

Yes. Drag the branches to the street in front of your house. Try not to block traffic lanes. Notify the street department at 963-8642 and they will dispose of the tree limbs.

3. I want the tree in my front yard taken down. Will you do this?

Unless it is a City tree, which are trees located between the sidewalk and the street, the City cannot remove or maintain trees. That is the responsibility of the homeowner.

4. I have water backing up in the drain in the basement. What should I do?

The City has a 24-hour a day, 365 day a year sewer hotline service. This service is funded by an annual assessment of $28 billed as one of the charges on your real estate tax bill. The phone number to report a problem is 962-6234. Call at any time. They will take your name, phone number, address and a brief description of the problem, and will contact the emergency sewer opening firm. It is this firm's job to determine if the problem is inside or outside the house. If the problem is inside the house, you may choose to repair the blockage your self and will not be billed for the service call. You may also contract with the firm that has made the service call, but that service is at your own expense.

If the problem lies outside of the house, between the house and the sewer main, a service man will open the line temporarily, and advise the City of the blockage. The City will then TV the line to verify the location of the blockage, and will either cable the line with a heavy duty cabling system, or excavate and replace the damaged or blocked pipe section. We will not excavate until we have the underground utility lines located. This normally takes 2 or 3 days. In most cases, you will have use of the sewer line during this wait. The repair is done at no charge to you. The City is not responsible for replacing any landscaping disturbed during the repair process. We will fill the excavation with compacted topsoil and sow grass seed. We will return in a few months if the dirt has settled, and you call to report the settling. This call should be made to Jim Nahmensen at 963-8643. If the blockage is determined to be in the sewer main (operated by MSD), they will be notified and will clear the pipe of any blockage, again at no charge to you.

5. I keep getting a hole in my yard but have never had sewage back up into the basement. Is this a problem?

Yes. This is a sign your sewer lateral, or yard vent/clean out might have a leak. It is covered under the sewer lateral program and will be repaired at no cost to you if the problem is with your sewer lateral pipe system. We have an easy way to check this whereby we pour dye into the hole and see if it shows up in the sewer system. If so, we know there is a leak and will repair it. In the event there are homes that have sewage backing up into the house, they will be repaired first, as the hole in the yard is not creating a hazardous situation. In the event the sewer lateral system is not the problem, the City will not do any further investigation. We do encourage you to find out what is causing the sinking but can not participate in the solution.

6. I am replacing my roof and need to store a dumpster at my property to take care of the roofing materials I am removing. Is a permit required for that dumpster?

The dumpster may be placed on your property without a permit. Generally, we expect this work to be accomplished within a few days and have established a maximum of 7 days for having a dumpster on residential property.

In the event that you cannot fit the dumpster onto your property and need to store it in the street, we will permit the dumpster to be placed in the street for a period of three days, provided it does not violate any parking restrictions or hide any signs. The dumpster must have reflectors on it to maximize visibility to motorists, and it may not block the sidewalk. It must be positioned so it does not block access to a fire hydrant and will not cause a problem for your neighbors' use of their driveways.

7. Is it necessary to have a permit to replace my driveway?

Not unless you are changing the size or manner of which your driveway joins with the street. If you wish to widen the driveway, apron it, or relocate it, you must have a street excavation permit. The Street Department will inspect the work to make sure it conforms to regulations. The same applies to the sidewalk that crosses your driveway. If a sidewalk is to be replaced as a part of your driveway project, it also must be inspected.

8. What kind of driveway may I put in?

The driveway may be either asphalt or concrete. It is not necessary to have this work inspected by the City. The driveway may not be installed as rock. Only rock driveways in existence prior to the adoption of the codes are authorized to remain rock. If an existing rock driveway is to be replaced, it must be replaced with a hard surface material such as asphalt or concrete.