City Info Guide

Water, sewer and garbage are billed monthly on the same bill. Bills are mailed out between the 20th and 25th of each month. They are due by the 10th of the following month. Automatic payment of your utility bill from your checking account is available. Contact the city clerk if you are interested in this payment method.

Current Monthly Water Rates:

• 0-1000 gallons - $8.00 (minimum bill)
• All over 1000 gallons - $2.75 per 1,000 gallons
• Improvement fee- $10.00 (part of the minimum bill)

Current Monthly Sewer Rates: (sewer rates are based on water usage)

• 0-1000 gallons - $9.00 (minimum bill)
• All over 1000 gallons - $6.40 per 1000 gallons
• Improvement fee - $20.00 (part of the minimum bill)

Monthly Garbage Rates

Set by garbage hauler

To pay your water bill online, please go to: https://www.govpaynow.com/gps/user/cyg/plc/a004yr

The City requires all residents to have garbage pickup. The fee is collected with the water/sewer/garbage bill. Malcom Enterprises Inc. is the garbage hauler. Monday mornings the garbage is picked up at residences south of Hwy 52. Typically, if a holiday falls on a Monday your garbage for that week will be on the Friday before. Wednesday mornings garbage is picked up at residences north of Hwy 52. Typically, if the holiday falls on a Wednesday it will usually be picked up on Tuesday that week.

MAKE SURE TO SET YOUR GARBAGE OUT EARLY!

You need only contact Malcom Enterprises; 800-892-6239, if you have a problem concerning your garbage pickup.

There are recycling bins located across from the Ossian City Park (along Mechanic Street) where you can bring plastic, paper, cardboard, and tin cans. Glass is not accepted in the recycling bins at this time.

The City operates a dump-site for residents to dispose of grass clippings, shrubbery, garden waste, leaves, trees, branches, landscaping rock and dirt. There is no charge for dumping these items. Concrete is NOT ACCEPTED at the yard waste site. The site will continue to be open for residents of Ossian as long as only the acceptable materials are brought here. The dump site is located at the end of North Hall Street and Bothel Avenue.

Open burning is not allowed in the City. The only burning allowed is for burning leaves, branches, and landscape waste during the following periods: April 1st to May 15th and September 15th to November 15th. Burning on blacktop surfaces is prohibited.

Property owners are responsible for keeping their lawns mowed to specifications required by the City. Residential property lawns shall not exceed six inches in height. If a property owner fails to mow the lawn the following action may be taken:

• A notice will be sent to the property owner giving them 7 days from the date of the notice to mow their lawn.
• If the lawn is not mowed within the timeframe, the City will mow the lawn and charge $75.00 /hr. plus a surcharge of $100.00.
• If the payment is not made, the mowing charges will be assessed to the property and collected in the same manner as general property taxes.

Note: only one notice per summer will be sent to a property in violation, after which the City can respond to additional violations without additional written notice to be given.

If grass or other lawn debris is blown onto the streets and alleys in Ossian and not removed in a timely manner, the City of Ossian will take action:

• For the initial offense of each mowing season a door hanger will be placed at the property residence giving notice of the violation. Any additional violations will result solely with a penalty being charged.
• If the property owner does not remove the grass or lawn debris, the City will have it removed at the owner's expense.
• The fee charged for the first offense will be $50.00. Every offense thereafter will carry a penalty of $100.00.
• If the property owner ignores paying the fee charged for removing the grass or lawn debris the city clerk will assess the costs to the property. These charges will then come due with their property taxes.

It is the duty of property owners with trees overhanging a street to keep the trees trimmed so that the branches will be at least 15 feet above the surface of the street. Tree branches hanging over sidewalks must be 8 feet above the sidewalk. Failure to do so can result in action taken by the City.

There are restrictions for planting trees in city boulevards, therefore, please contact the City if you are planning to do so.

Building permits are required for buildings or structures, decks, etc. that are erected or altered. Contact the city clerk for information regarding building permits. These permits are approved at council meetings, so plan ahead and apply for the permit early. You need to have the permit before the project is started. The fee for the permit is $25.00. Please call Iowa One Call before you dig: 1-800-292-8989.

Be sure and call Iowa One Call before you do any type of digging in your yard.  This will help prevent any underground service from being hit.  1-800-292-8989.

It is unlawful for any animal owner to allow an animal to run at large within the corporate limits of the City or cause damage or interference to someone’s premises. In other words, if dogs or other animals are not on their owner’s property, they must be on a leash. Animals caught running at large will be impounded. When animals defecate on either public or private property, it is the owner’s responsibility to clean up the droppings.

Snow, ice and accumulations needs to be removed from sidewalks within 24 hours of the event. Failure to do so, can result in a warning. Note: only one notice per winter will be sent to a property in violation, after which the City can respond to additional violations without additional written notice to be given.

• If after being warned, the snow, ice, accumulation is not removed, the City will have the sidewalk cleaned at the resident’s expense.
• The minimum fee charged will be $50.00 or $50.00/hr.
• If the resident ignores paying the fee charged for cleaning their sidewalks, the city clerk will assess the costs to the property. These charges will then come due with their property taxes.

• NO PARKING FROM NOVEMBER 1ST TO APRIL 1ST BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 2:00 A. M. AND 6:00 A.M.
  1. Main St. from the intersection of West St. to the intersection of Boody St.
  2. North Lydia St. from Main St. to the railroad crossing.
  3. South Lydia St. on the east side of the street.
• ALL NIGHT PARKING PROHIBITED 1. South Lydia St. on the west side from Main St. to the alley.
• NO PARKING ZONES
  1. Fisher Ave. from the west City limits to Main St.
  2. Main St. from Fisher Ave. to West St.
  3. Main St. from Boody St. to Ogden St.
  4. Main St. from Ogden St. to a point 340 ft east of Ogden St.
  5. Boody St. on the west side from Bothel Ave. north to Dessel St.
  6. Mechanic St. on the south side from Becker Ave. to Boody St.
  7. Becker Ave.
• NO PARKING FROM NOVEMER 1ST TO APRIL 1ST
  1. Fisher Ave. from the intersection of N. West St. to the intersection of Hwy 52 also known as Main St

Snow Removal Parking for Streets Not Specified in the Above Parking Regulations will be as follows.

• On odd-numbered calendar days of the week, vehicles are to be parked on the east side of streets that run north/south and on the north side of streets that run east/west, until such time as the snow has been removed or plowed from the opposite side of the street.
• On even-numbered calendar days of the week, vehicles are to be parked on the west side of streets that run north/south and on the south side of streets that run east/west, until such time as the snow has been removed or plowed from the opposite side of the street.

EXAMPLE: If tomorrow is an even day and your vehicle will be on the street overnight-park it for the next day (west or south side of the street).

In case any motor vehicle is found parked on any street or alley in the City of Ossian in violation of the snow parking regulations, the police department or anyone under their direction is authorized to move such vehicle at the owner’s expense. When such vehicle is reclaimed by its owner, there shall be assessed a fine of $100.00 and associated costs.

Effective January 1, 2020 it is legal to operate UTV and golf carts on Ossian’s streets, but to do so you must register them at the city clerk’s office.