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The following is a list of questions frequently asked by citizens. You may search for specific words or phases, or shorten the list by selecting a specific category.
Pet Licensing
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You will need to bring proof of alteration (spay or neuter) and current rabies vaccination certificate.
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You are allowed to have three dogs and/or three cats without having to qualify as a kennel.
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Pet Licenses are issued by the City Clerk's office at Cedar Falls City Hall, 220 Clay Street, Cedar Falls, IA 50613.
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For an additional fee of $.50, your pet license can be mailed to you by sending the appropriate payment and required documentation to Pet Licensing, City of Cedar Falls, 220 Clay Street, Cedar Falls, IA 50613.
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Bike Patrol
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Currently there are 12 officers that are certified Bike Patrol members.
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Between the months of April and November unit members are patrolling by bike as much as the calls for service allows. Officers are able to hook their bikes on racks attached to the back of their squad car while they are on patrol. If emergency calls slow down they can take their bikes off and patrol without having to come back to the station to get their bikes.
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Bike Unit members use a 24-speed Trek Police Mountain Bike equipped with front suspension, fenders, equipment bag, headlight, taillight, and red and blue emergency lights.
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Yes, unit members make numerous vehicle stops yearly.
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Yes we do. Please contact Lieutenant Mike McCallum at (319) 273-8612 for more information.
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Building Inspection Services
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Any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit.
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The following activities do not require a building permit: painting, wall papering, tiling and carpeting. For a more detailed list, contact the Building Inspections Division
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Any owner or authorized agent who intends to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by City Code, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit.
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City Clerk/Public Records
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There is no Driver’s license office in Cedar Falls. The Driver License Station for Black Hawk County is located at: Crossroad’s Mall
2060 Crossroads Center
Suite 103
Waterloo, IA 50702 For more information, including hours of operation, contact their office at (319) 235-0902.
Waterloo Driver's License Station
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Traffic citations received in Cedar Falls must be paid at the: Black Hawk County Clerk of Court
316 E. 5th Street
Waterloo, Iowa 50704 Payment and citation can be mailed to:
Traffic Division of the Black Hawk County Clerk of Court
P.O. Box 9500
Waterloo, IA 50704 For more information, contact their office at (319) 833-3331.
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Contact the City Arborist at (319) 268-5516 for further information.
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Community Services
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To be eligible for Housing Assistance, the applicant must be elderly, disabled, have minor children and meet the income limit requirements based on family size. For more information, please contact the Cedar Falls Housing Department.
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Applications for the Housing program are taken from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM on Tuesday only. Please bring a photo ID and your Social Security card.
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Engineering Services
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It is the responsibility of each property owner to determine the location of his or her lot lines. An abstract will give you the dimensions of your property, however, locating the property pins located at the corners of your lot will help you determine your property boundaries. If you cannot find your property pins, you need to consider hiring a licensed land surveyor to survey your property. The City does not have a survey crew to survey private property.
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No. The City has a survey crew to survey streets and public property, but does not have a crew that can survey private property. You need to contact a licensed land survey to obtain a survey for private property.
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Financial Services
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Information on estimating your own property tax bill can be found on the last page of the City's Budget Brochure.
Budget Brochure 2008
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Yes, Cedar Falls collects local option sales tax:
1 cent for street repair (100%)
1 cent for the school district
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The budget is available, either in its entirety or in a condensed brochure format, by selecting the link below, or you may contact Financial Services at (319) 273-8600.
Click here for the budget
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The City does not maintain a master vendor list. However, if you are interested in becoming a vendor, please contact Financial Services at (319) 273-8600.
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Please refer to the budget/financial plan document on the Financial Services web page, in the Introduction section of the document.
Financial Services
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Fire Department
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The two fire stations have personnel assigned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Office hours for official business are from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm.
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For more information on the burning regulations check out our link to Municode and read the City of Cedar Falls burning code in Chapter 11. In general here are the highlights of the city of Cedar Falls open burning regulations. *Bonfires must have Fire Department approval. *Grass and leaves MAY NOT be burned. *Fires used solely fo rthe cooking of food is permitted. *Recreational fires are permitted under the following parameters:
- Must be supervised by competent person at least 18 years of age.
- Must be 20 feet from any building.
- Must be in a fire pit or contained area, such as an incinerator or fire ring.
- Must be between the hours of noon and dark (it is considered dark when street lights turn on), after dark needs Fire Department approval.
- Cannot burn leaves or grass.
- Twigs and sticks must be at or less than 1½ inches in diameter.
*Burning of garbage or rubbish is prohibited.
*No burning is allowed on a street, alley or boulevard. *No burning is allowed in commercial, industrial, or shopping districts. *Burning of building materials is prohibited without Fire Department approval. *The Fire Department can prohibit any fire type that has received a complaint. *Sticks and twigs from your own property may be burned, if:
- They are in an approved incinerator with a maximum capacity of 30 gallons, metal with a lid and ventilations holes.
- Must be 20 feet from any building.
- Used only from noon til dark, unless otherwise approved by Fire Department.
- Must be supervised by competent person and must be attended at all times.
- The sticks or twigs can be no larger than 1 ½ inches in diameter.
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Currently, under various medical and traumatic injuries first responses we have fire personnel respond with Sartori Paramedics. We do not respond to all medical calls, but we do respond when called for breathing problems, heart trouble calls, stroke, falls and other traumatic injuries. The reason we respond with the paramedics is that often on a major medical response or traumatic injury response the paramedics need additional help to perform specific tasks in the treatment of a patient. In addition, depending on the medical call fire personnel may drive the ambulance so that both paramedics may assist the patient.
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Generally, the answer is no. The only time we would consider assisting a citizen unlock a door is if there is imminent danger to someone’s life.
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Unfortunately, as much as members of the Cedar Falls Fire Rescue would like to help get your cat out of the tree, for liability reasons we do not perform cat rescues. Your best bet would be to call the Cedar Bend Humane Society at 319-232-6887 for ideas on how to get your cat down from the tree.
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Government
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Individuals wishing to test for or renew their drivers license can do so at the Waterloo DOT office on the lower level of the Crossroads Shopping Mall. For information on these hours, phone 235-0902.
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Hostage Negotiation Team (H.N.T.)
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The H.N.T. can assist in “keeping the peace” while individuals divide their property but they cannot assist in actually dividing the property.
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In most cases the H.N.T. is not called out for “hostage” situations. They are more likely apt to be called out to assist the M.I.R.T. Team with a subject that has barricaded themselves inside their home for one reason or another.
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Investigations
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Currently Cedar Falls has the following officers assigned to the Investigative Unit. Two general investigators that work follow up on crimes. A crime scene investigator, who specializes in photography, fingerprints, etc. A school resource officer who is assigned to the junior highs and high schools in the City. Any or all of these officers could be called in to assist in a case at any time.
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Yes, the Investigative Unit does have an officer who has been trained in Internet crimes against children.
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You can contact the Police Department at (319) 273-8612 and ask to speak to the Investigative Unit. You will be transferred and an investigator will be happy to assist you in any way he/she can.
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First, you should not give out any of your personal information to anyone, especially over the phone. Second, do not have any personal information (social security number or date of birth) on your checks. Lastly, don’t leave personal items (checks, driver’s license, or social security number) where people have access to them.
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No, the Cedar Falls Police Department does not have the jurisdiction in other cities and the crime must be reported to the police department where it occurred.
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No, most cases assigned to an investigator have something that can be followed up on (a suspect, missing merchandise that can be located, etc.). If there is no more follow-up that can be done the case is closed inactive with no investigator assigned.
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Victims of sexual assaults can do several things that will aid police officers in the investigation of the victim’s case. Though it is sometimes very hard and embarrassing, one of the best things a victim can do is report the sexual assault immediately. As time goes on, physical evidence may be lost as well as the victim and other witnesses’ ability to accurately describe to officers what had occurred. A victim of sexual assault should not shower, brush their teeth, drink anything, or use a bathroom if at all possible. Taking these steps can ensure that physical evidence is not lost before a sexual assault evidence collection exam is complete.
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Sex offenders who are classified at moderate or high risk to re-offend are required to register their addresses with the Sheriff’s Office in their county. This information can be located with a search at the Iowa Sex Offender Registry. If the desired information is not located online, a person can fill out a request for registry information at their local Sheriff’s Office.
Iowa Sex Offender Registry
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You can contact the Investigative Unit Captain at (319) 273-8612.
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Knox Box Program
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A Knox Box is a key box placed on the exterior of a commercial or industrial building for rapid entry use by fire department personnel.
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A fire department key box must be installed in commercial or industrial buildings which have fire detection, fire alarm, or fire suppression systems. A fire department key box is also required for residential property consisting of six (6) or more residential dwelling units.
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The cost of purchase and installation of each fire department key box shall be paid by the building owner.
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First, contact Station Commander Bobby Wright at 273-8622 and confirm the type of Knox Box you will need. You can then either have him send you ordering information or you can go to the Knox Box site directly.
More...
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Major Incident Response Team (M.I.R.T.)
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The M.I.R.T. team is utilized whenever an incident requires the use of specialized personnel, equipment, or training. Members of the team are trained in various specialty weapons and tools to be used in high risk situations.
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Most often the M.I.R.T. team is used to serve warrants where there is a high possibility that someone has a history of using, or owning, dangerous weapons. The team also gets most of its calls on people that have barricaded themselves, and possibly innocent bystanders, with a threat of bodily harm.
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Parking
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Payment and citation may be mailed in the yellow envelope provided with the citation. If you do not have the yellow envelope, send the payment and citation to: Cedar Falls Parking Enforcement
P.O. Box 652
Cedar Falls, IA 50613 There is also a payment box located inside the lobby of City Hall at 220 Clay Street and inside University Book & Supply at 1009 W. 23rd Street. Please do not send cash.
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Daily parking permits can be purchased at City Hall at a cost of $1 per day.
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Parks Division
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You can find the park reservation form on this site. It should be filled out and emailed or sent to the Park Division. Keep in mind that there are restrictions related to the use of alcohol and amplified music. Shelters will need to be rented through the Recreation Division.
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After you have first talked to your neighbor about your concerns and believe they are not attending to the matter, the Park Division can address the situation. Keep in mind that we cannot address this matter until the grass or weeds reach 12” in height and it may take as long as three weeks to work through the required notification process.
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The Park Division does regulate the type of plant material that is placed in this area. Please call the Park Division at 273-8624 for more information.
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The Park Division will be interested in the size of your event so we can be prepared for any maintenance that must occur before or immediately following your event. The recreation center is open during hours that are more convenient for the person(s) interested in reserving a shelter.
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Patrol Unit
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No, if you are a victim of the crime you should call 911 if it is in progress, otherwise you should contact the Black Hawk County Dispatch Center at (319) 291-2515.
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Yes, each squad car in Cedar Falls has a computer in it. From this computer the officer receives his/her calls. The officer can run driver’s license checks, registration checks, warrant checks, and issue citations and warnings. The officer can also write his/her reports if they need to from this computer.
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Contact Captain Jeff Olson at (319) 268-5100 or email one week prior to the tour date. Please provide a contact name, telephone number, date, time and the number of people participating in the tour.
Email Captain Jeff Olson
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Pull your vehicle to the curb on the right side of the road and let the emergency vehicle pass on your left.
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If it is a vehicle that is in violation of the law you should contact the Black Hawk County Dispatch Center at (319) 291-2515. If it is a complaint about receiving a parking ticket you can contact the shift supervisor at 319-273-8612. If the Parking Unit issued the citation you will be transferred to their office.
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Yes, the City is divided up into three areas. An officer is assigned to one of these areas during his/her shift. This officer is responsible for traffic enforcement and responding to calls for service in these areas.
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Yes, a citizen can ride with an officer for all or part of his/her shift. All you have to do is contact a Shift Supervisor at (319) 273-8612 to set up a day and time. Before anyone can ride with an officer an application/waiver form must be completed and a background check will be conducted.
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If a crime occurs on UNI property it must be reported to the UNI Police Department at (319) 273-2712.
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When at full strength, the Cedar Falls Police Department has forty-three officers.
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Planning Services
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For a free copy of 2002-2022 Comprehensive Plan, contact the Planning Services Department at (319) 273-8606.
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The Zoning Ordinance is a set of policy guidelines adopted by the City Council to regulate the use of land, the location, size and height of signs and buildings, and the size of lots, yards and other open spaces. Zoning tells you what you can use your property for and what you can build on it. Each address in the City of Cedar Falls has a zoning designation attached to it. In order to find out the zoning classification for a property, call the Planning Services Department at (319) 273-8606. Be sure to have the address handy. Staff will need the location in order to look up the zoning designation.
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Setback requirements vary depending upon the zoning classification of a property. In order to get specific setback information, call the Planning Services Department at (319) 273-8606. Be prepared to give an address or parcel identification number in order for staff to look up the zoning classification.
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It is the responsibility of each property owner to determine the location of his or her lot lines. An abstract will give you the dimensions of your property, however, locating the property pins located at the corners of your lot will help you determine your property boundaries. If you cannot find your property pins, you need to consider hiring a licensed land surveyor to survey your property. The City does not have a survey crew to survey private property.
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No. The City has a survey crew to survey streets and public property, but does not have a crew that can survey private property. You need to contact a licensed land surveyor to obtain a survey for private property.
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Police Department
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We are located in the lower level of City Hall. 220 Clay Street, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613-2726
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Records can be obtained in our Records Unit at 220 Clay Street, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613-2726. There is a $10.00 fee for requested records.
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The Cedar Falls Police Department does provide a fingerprinting service at a cost of $5.00 per card. Fingerprinting can be done at any time.
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Public Works
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Yes, the mission statement for the City of Cedar Falls is: "Maintain and improve the safety and desirability of Cedar Falls through the efficient delivery of public services, and the ongoing practice of open communication among council, staff, mayor and the citizens."
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Yes, the number is (319) 273-8632 and is capable of receiving messages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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