The City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 property tax levy on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 5:00 pm at City Hall (520 4th Ave) during a special City Council meeting. 

The proposed property tax levy rate is $15.59587 per $1,000 of taxable valuation, which is a $.05 decrease from the current fiscal year rate of $15.64054 per $1,000 of taxable valuation.

The public hearing is part of the annual budget process and provides residents and taxpayers an opportunity to learn about the proposed levy. At the hearing, any resident or taxpayer may present objections to or arguments in favor of the proposed tax levy. 

Following the hearing on the proposed property tax levy, the City Council will publish notice and hold a separate public hearing on the proposed city budget. 

View the full public notice for the proposed property tax levy.

The City of Grinnell offers several options to help residents with spring yard cleanup.

Brush & Compost Facility Opening

The Brush & Compost Facility will open for the season on March 31st. For hours of operation, rates, and directions, visit the Brush & Compost Facility webpage.

Free Disposal Weekend (April 11-12)

Residents may drop off yard waste at the Brush & Compost Facility at no charge on April 11th and 12th.

Curbside Yard Waste Collection (Week of April 13)

Residents may set out yard waste for free curbside collection on their regular trash day during the week of April 13th. Materials must be placed within four feet of the curb and set out by 7:00 am. 

• Leaves, garden waste and grass clippings: place in compostable paper yard waste bags (max 40 lbs.) or rigid containers (max 60 lbs.). No plastic bags. Limit of 20 bags/containers per residence.
• Brush and limbs: bundle with twine or string (no wire). Bundles must be no longer than four feet, weigh no more than 60 lbs., and have a maximum diameter of four inches. Limit of 10 bundles per residence.

Beginning Wednesday, March 11, 4th Avenue will be closed between State Street and East Street for a reconstruction project. Traffic control will be set up starting Monday, March 9th. 

The project will begin with removals, water main construction, and storm sewer work. After those phases are complete, crews will move into paving preparation and installation of the electrical system for new street lighting. Paving and final restoration will follow.

Construction is expected to continue through early July, weather dependent. 

Residents and drivers are asked to use alternate routes and use caution in the area while work is underway. We appreciate your patience as these improvements are completed. 

Grinnell water has levels of radium above drinking water standards

The City of Grinnell is in the process of building a new water treatment plant that will effectively reduce radium levels to below standards set by drinking water regulations. This project has been underway for four years, and the new treatment plant is planned to be operational in January 2027.

Radium is naturally present in the water drawn from the Jordan Aquifer, which supplies Grinnell's water. Recent water tests show that the Grinnell water system has radium levels higher than the standard set by drinking water regulations. Notifications received on March 17, 2026, for both 4th quarter 2025 and 1st quarter 2026 indicate that the system exceeds the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), for radium, combined (226,228). The standard for radium, combined (226, 228) is 5 pCi/L.

• The yearly average for 4th quarter 2025 was 7.79 pCi/L
• The yearly average for 1st quarter 2026 was 8.13 pCi/L

While this is not an emergency, the City of Grinnell aims to inform the public about what this means, any necessary actions, and the steps being taken to address the issue.

Monitoring violation notice

The City also received a monitoring violation notice on March 17, 2026. Even though this was not an emergency, customers have a right to know what happened and what is being done to correct it. The Grinnell Water Department is required to regularly test drinking water for contaminants. These results help confirm whether water meets health standards. 

During the 3rd quarter of 2025, testing results for Combined Radium and Gross Alpha from Wells 6, 7, 8, and 9 conducted at the plant after treatment were not received. Because of this, we cannot confirm water quality for that specific time period. The sampling deadline was missed due to an issue in the laboratory. 

The City has since switched laboratory service providers and is implementing more stringent tracking and recordkeeping procedures to ensure this does not happen again. 

Treatment options

Certain types of home water softeners and reverse osmosis treatment units can be effective at removing radium from drinking water. Boiling water and carbon-based drinking water filters are not effective methods of removing radium.

What is being done?

Radium is naturally present in the water drawn from the Jordan Aquifer, which supplies Grinnell's water. The current water treatment plant does not have the capability to remove radium. To address this, the City of Grinnell is constructing a new water treatment plant that include technology to reduce radium levels. The plant is expected to be operational by January 2027. 

In the meantime, the water department is using the best available wells to help manage radium levels, though current treatment options cannot fully reduce them below the regulatory limit.

For more information

Contact: Keagan Richmond, Water Director, 702 Main St., 641-990-7521Drinking Water Requirements-Radionuclides Rule, U.S. EPARadium Testing Results in Public Water, Iowa Health & Human ServicesCity of Grinnell Water Improvements Overview3rd Quarter 2025 Monitoring Violation4th Quarter 2025 Radium Violation Notification1st Quarter 2026 Radium Violation Notification

Nanofiltration Water Treatment Plant: Glass and doors are now installed on the east-side office area. Roof insulation and membrane are complete. Interior masonry work is ongoing. The plant water main tie in is finished, with additional piping being laid to the west. The flush box for treatment waste is installed and the aerator has arrived on site. 

South Water Tower: Caldwell crews have demobilized until weather conditions improve. Van Maanen is working on installing fiber optic communications from the tower site to 1st Avenue. 

Jordan Well No. 10: Well development is ongoing and will continue in coordination with work on the water treatment plant.

Nanofiltration Water Treatment Plant: Roof decking has been installed, roof insulation has arrived, and work continues on roof penetrations. Overhead doors are being installed, and the building is being closed in so interior work can progress inside over the winter. Wendler plans to begin excavating for pipe installation in coming weeks, and plant equipment is beginning to arrive on site. 

South Water Tower: Work continues as weather allows. Much of the tank has been assembled at the base of the pedestal, with remaining sidewall sections and the roof still to be assembled before the tank is raised to its final height. Interior work within the tower pedestal will also continue as time and weather permit. 

Jordan Well No. 10: The well project remains in development.