Welcome to the City of Des Moines! As Iowa's capital city, Des Moines is a hub of government action, business activity and cultural affairs. With a Metro population of 456,000, Des Moines is a bustling metropolis. Though we have big city bustle, we're extremely proud of our small town atmosphere. Our community offers quality schools, superb public services, and friendly neighbor- hoods. Truly the best of both worlds! We hope this guide will provide you with helpful information for good living in America’s heartland. CITY OF DES MOINES GOOD NEIGHBOR GUIDE Useful Information for Neighborhood Residents—New and Old! February 2014
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Welcome to the City of Des Moines!
As Iowa's capital city, Des Moines is a hub of government action, business activity and cultural affairs. With a Metro
population of 456,000, Des Moines is a bustling metropolis. Though we have big city bustle, we're extremely proud of our small town atmosphere. Our community offers quality
schools, superb public services, and friendly neighbor-hoods. Truly the best of both worlds! We hope this guide will provide you with helpful information for good living in
America’s heartland.
CITY OF DES MOINES GOOD NEIGHBOR GUIDE
Useful Information for Neighborhood Residents—New and Old!
February 2014
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HELPFUL THINGS TO KNOW
AROUND YOUR HOME……………………………...….3 Your Property Your Safety Your Pet
AROUND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD………...…...……....8 Getting Connected Road, Sidewalk and Tree Maintenance Public Property
AROUND YOUR CITY………………………...…….…11 Transportation Activities Staying Informed
3
YOUR PROPERTY
The City of Des Moines wants our residents to enjoy their homes and make them mean-ingful places to live. By provid-ing helpful information on city services and regulations, we hope you can get the most out of your property, whether working or playing around the house!
AROUND YOUR HOME...
We believe that your home should reflect who you are when it comes to style! We also believe that a well-maintained home provides a better quality of life, not only for you, but for your neighbors as well. As a resident of Des Moines, it is your responsibility to ensure that your home is in good repair. Please follow these guidelines and services in this booklet for the upkeep of your property and the health of you and your neighbors.
Building Permits
The City requires permits for building decks, gar-
ages, finishing basements, interior remodeling
and various other construction/modification pro-
jects on residential properties. To find out if a per-
mit is required for your project, access the City’s
Permit & Development Center website at:
www.dmgov.org/Departments/
CommunityDevelopment/Pages/
PermitDevelopmentCenter.aspx
or contact the Permit Center by phone at 283-
4200.
Sewers
To report a sewer back up on your property call
the Public Works 24 -hour Call Center at 283-
4950.
Utilities & Services
Gas and electric services are provided by MidAmerican Energy Company. To set up an account, report problems, or for more information, visit the website at www.midamericanenergy.com/ or call 1-888-427-5632.
Collection carts should be placed at the curb or collection point no later than
6:30 AM on the day of pickup and not before 5:00 PM the evening prior to
pickup day. They can be placed on the curb 24 hours prior to scheduled pick
up and must be removed from the curb within 24 hours after pick up. Make
sure the short metal bar on the garbage cart is facing the street.
Blue recycling bins are provided for the collection of newspapers, magazines,
old mail catalogs, paper of any color (not soiled by food or waste), materials
like cereal and tissue boxes, clear glass (no lids), brown paper sacks, tin/
aluminum cans (lids off), #1 and #2 plastics like milk, 2 liters, laundry deter-
gent, bleach and shampoo bottles, and flattened cardboard.
YOUR PROPERTY continued...
Utilities & Services (contd.)
Water is provided by Des Moines Water Works (DMWW). To set up service, report problems, or for more information, visit the website at www.dmww.com/ or call 283-8700. For emergencies, call the DMWW—Main Breaks: 283-8772 or Water Outage: 283-8700.
Cable television, home phone and internet services are available through
various carriers throughout Des Moines. Some of which include Mediacom
and Century Link. To set up service or report problems with Mediacom, visit
the website at www.mediacomcc.com or call 1-855-633-4226. To set up
service or report problems with Century Link, visit the website at
www.centurylink.com or call 1-866-706-8592.
To find out which days your garbage, yard waste and recycling are collected,
Storm warning sirens will be sounded for tornadoes or severe thunderstorms
with winds occurring or forecasted to be 70 mph or greater. The sirens may be
sounded multiple times during the threat. There will be no "all clear" signal for
the sirens. The storm warnings sirens are tested on the first Saturday of every
month at 12 p.m. (noon).
If your siren is not working properly you should contact the Polk County Emer-
gency Management Agency at 286-2107. They will need to know the siren loca-
tion and a description of the problem in order to direct the maintenance/repair
request to the proper place.
Wildlife & Animal Control
To report a wildlife problem or dead animal contact the City’s Animal Control
Unit at 284-6905. To make a report after hours, contact the Des Moines Police
Non-Emergency Dispatch at 283-4811.
To report pest and rodent problems, contact the Health and Zoning Code En-
forcement Division at 283-4046.
All dogs and cats 6 months old and over must
be licensed. Dog and cat licenses are due Janu-
ary 1st of each year. To acquire a license you
will need to submit a current rabies certificate
and proof of spay or neuter, if applicable, along
YOUR PET
Pet Waste: City Ordinance
requires that all pet waste
deposited on any public or
private property be removed
by the pet owner or caregiver.
with the application and required fee. Any own-
er of any unlicensed pet is guilty of a misde-
meanor and may be punished by a fine up to
$500 or by imprisonment up to 30 days.
To obtain a pet license, visit the City Clerk’s Office or print the application form available on the City’s website at www.dmgov.org/Departments/CityClerk/PDF/AnimalLicenseApplication.pdf.
Des Moines has been named a “Bronze Level” Bike Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. There are over 40 miles of trails throughout the city for biking as well as walking and running. To access trail maps, visit the website at www.dmgov.org/Departments/Parks/Trails/newtrails/maps.htm. Fun on the Water
Des Moines offers plenty of opportunities to get cool throughout the summer,
which include aquatics centers, wading pools, and Gray’s Lake. For season
pass prices, rental information, programs, and operating hours, visit the website
The Des Moines public library has several branches throughout the metro
area. The library hosts numerous programs and services for people of all
ages. For a complete listing of the various library locations with their hours
and program offerings, visit the website at www.dmpl.org/locations-hours.
ACTIVITIES continued...
City News
You can access City news by visiting the website at www.dmgov.org/pages/news.aspx. For specific news releases, alerts and notifications subscribe to the Des Moines e-mail list at www.dmgov.org/Pages/subscribers.aspx.
City Council Members are elected by the citizens of Des Moines to serve as
their representatives for addressing city-related issues. City Council Members
are designated by Wards, each of which include numerous neighborhoods. To
find out who your City Council representative is and how to contact him/her,
visit the website at www.dmgov.org/Government/CityCouncil/Pages/
CouncilMembers.aspx.
City Council meets the second and fourth Mondays of every month at 4:30 PM
at City Hall. Meetings are open to the public and are broadcast live on DMTV
Mediacom Digital Cable Channel 86 & 97.1 or are available to watch online at
Website: www.dmgov.org DMTV on MediaCom Cable 86 and 97-1
Animal Control...........................................................284-6905 Animal License..........................................................283-4209 City Clerk...................................................................283-4209 Des Moines Water Works..........................................283-8700 Emergencies.......................................................................911 Fire Prevention Bureau..............................................283-4240 Forestry Department..................................................283-4134 Graffiti Hot Line..........................................................237-1808 Human Rights Commission….…………....................283-4284 Information Center (City Hall)....................................283-4500 Metro Waste Authority...............................................244-0021 Neighborhood Inspection Zoning Division.................283-4046 Non-Emergency Police..............................................283-4811 Parks & Recreation Department................................237-1386 Permit & Development Center...................................283-4200 Polk County Emergency Management Agency.........286-2107 Public Library.............................................................283-4152 Public Works 24-hour Call Center.............................283-4950 Weed Commission....................................................286-3005
CITY CONTACT INFORMATION
City Hall 400 Robert D. Ray Drive Des Moines, Iowa 50309