For a copy of an accident report, contact the records office at (641) 236-2670 ext. 2 or come by the Police Department at 1020 Spring Street between 7:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. It is recommended to call in advance to verify the report is completed.

Accident reports are also available online through Crashdocs.org (powered by Carfax). It can take up to two weeks for an accident report to be available through the site. 

Iowa driving records are maintained by the Iowa Department of Transportation. To obtain a certified copy of your driving record (fee $5.50), contact the Iowa Department of Transportation at (800) 532-1121 or (515) 244-9124.

Appointments for fingerprinting required, call 641-236-2670 choose option #2.  You must provide the fingerprint card , photo identification , and $20.00 cash or check. We are unable to accept credit cards. The standard fingerprint form FD-258 is available online for downloading. When printing out your own FD-258 card remember to use card stock. Standard copy paper does not work for fingerprinting purposes.

Yes, it is possible to have criminal background checks done on employees; however the Grinnell Police Department cannot share criminal history information. If you or your business needs criminal background checks, state law allows only the Division of Criminal Investigation to process checks. The Division of Criminal Investigation is based out of the Wallace Building at the State Capitol.

If you want to recognize an officer or employee for excellent service, you can:

• Complete the commendation form or any other written communication to let us know the details and mail it to the police department with attention to the Chief of Police.
• Complete the commendation form or any other written communication to let us know the details and email to djohnson@grinnelliowa.gov.
• Call (641) 236-2670 and ask to speak with a supervisor.

For written communication, we can be reached at:

Grinnell Police Department
ATTN: Chief of Police
1020 Spring Street
Grinnell, Iowa 50112

 All comments are appreciated!

Yes. A prescription drug drop box is located in the Public Safety Building Lobby during normal business hours ( Monday - Friday  7:30am - 4:30 pm ).

If you have a concern about our delivery of police service or would like to file a complaint about the conduct of a member of the department, you can start the process of resolving the concern in any of the following manners:

• Speak with an on-duty police department member and let them know you want to make a complaint. They will provide you with a complaint form for completion, or if you are unwilling or unable to complete the form, they will complete it for you and summarize your complaint. 
• Complete the complaint form and submit the form by mailing it to the Public Safety Building or dropping it off. Complaint forms or other correspondence may also be emailed to djohnson@grinnelliowa.gov.
• Call the Internal Affairs administrator at (641) 236-2670 ext. 3212. If you leave a message, please provide the date, time, type of incident, and any other important information. A supervisor will call you back as soon as possible and gather any additional information necessary to follow up on the complaint.

We aim to investigate and resolve complaints and concerns within 30 days. If the investigation takes longer, you will be notified of the progress. When the investigation is complete, you will receive a response from the Chief of Police or a designated command person from the police department regarding the outcome.

While we notify the complainant about the outcome of the administrative investigation, most personnel actions are not subject to open records laws and cannot be released.

In the complaint resolution process, we often meet with the complainant to have an open dialogue about the incident and work to see both sides of an issue. Depending on the circumstances of the encounter surrounding the complaint, it can be helpful to view the video when meeting with the investigator. This allows everyone to reflect on the situation and understand why specific steps were taken. In situations where video is unavailable, we will still do our best to work with the complainant to review the circumstances of the complaint.

Records released under Iowa Code Chapter 22 (Open Records) may be purchased through the Records office. Please contact (641) 236-2670 ext. 2, email, or come by the police department between 7:30am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Call in advance to verify that the records are releasable and/or ready.  

Medications should not be disposed of with regular solid waste. A prescription drug drop box is available in the lobby of the Public Safety building (1020 Spring Street) during normal business hours (Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:30pm). Drop box is only for prescription medications no sharps, no liquids, and no inhalers.

The Recycling Center is located at the Public Service building 1411 1st Avenue. See the recycling web page for a list of acceptable items and unacceptable items.

$1.30 stickers are available at the following locations: Fareway, Hy-Vee, McNally’s Super Valu, Paul’s Ace Hardware, Theisens, Public Service Department, and the City Office. Yellow bags (while supplies last) are available at McNally’s, Public Service Department, and the City Office. (Yellow bags or stickers are not needed if your trash is picked up in a brown rolling trash cart.)

The city of Grinnell is currently under the following building codes:

• 2015 International Building Code
• 2015 International Residential Code
• 2015 International Existing Building Code
• 2015 International Fire Code
• 2017 National Electric Code
• 2018 International Mechanical Code
• 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code
• 2012 International Energy Conservation Code
• 2010 ADA Standards

Yes, a rental inspection program was approved by ordinance dated 5/20/2019. It requires all rental properties used for residential purposes, including hotels and motels, to be registered with the city and be inspected on a one to three year schedule. For more questions or to set up an inspection contact the Building & Planning department at 641-236-2600.

If a currently paved driveway is being replaced or repaired without increasing in size, no permit is needed. If a dirt or gravel driveway is being paved or a paved driveway will increase in size, a permit is needed. If you are unsure if you need a permit contact the Building & Planning Department at 641-236-2600.

Mechanical permits are required for the new installation or replacement of existing mechanical equipment including central air conditioners, furnaces, air handlers, mini-split systems, and any other types of equipment. If you are unsure if you need a permit contact the Building & Planning Department at 641-236-2600.

The City of Grinnell requires an electrical permit for work that is outside of the electrical panel. If work is to be done which includes the addition of a new circuit to a breaker, the State of Iowa requires a permit to be obtained and the state will also complete the inspection. For work that includes working inside the panel, please contact Tim Shaw at 515-205-8815 to both obtain a permit and schedule an inspection. If you are unsure if you need a permit from the City of Grinnell contact the Building & Planning Department at 641-236-2600. 

Plumbing permits are required for the new installation or replacement of existing plumbing equipment including water heaters & supply, drain, and vent lines. Fixtures such as toilets, faucets, and shower heads do not require a permit as long as the work being completed does not interfere with the existing valve; if a new valve is to be installed, a permit will need to be obtained and test shall be completed. If you are unsure if you need a permit contact the Building & Planning Department at 641-236-2600.

Permit fees are based on the valuation of the work performed, including both materials and labor. If labor is at no cost, the permit fee is based on the material cost times two. Permit fees include all normal plan reviews and inspections. Beginning July 1, 2018 a number of items are charged a flat rate regardless of the valuation of the work completed. 

The property owner is responsible for all service pipes up to and including the connection to the water main. Typically this includes the pipes from inside the building out to the middle of the street.

If you have a newer gallon meter there is a leak detector on the meter. It is a red triangle in the center of the top of the meter. It should not be turning unless someone or something is using water at the time. If it is indicating usage when there shouldn't be any, you should contact your plumber to determine the source of the leak.

Yes, provided you obtain an outside water meter from the water department prior to using the water. There is a $20 charge for use of the meter. At the current rates 300 cubic feet of water needs to be used to cover the $20 charge. 300 cubic feet is roughly equal to 2250 gallons. To obtain an outside watering meter complete the outside watering meter request form. For more information see the Outside Watering Meters webpage.

Average Use:

• Shower - 25-50 Gallons (5-10 gallons per minute)
• Tub Bath - 36 Gallons (full)
• Tub Bath - 10-12 Gallons (low level)
• Toilet Flush - 5-7 Gallons
• Tooth Brushing - 2 Gallons (tap running)
• Tooth Brushing - 1 Pint (wet brush, rinse briefly)
• Hand Washing - 2 Gallons (tap running)
• Hand Washing - 1 Gallons (fill basin, rinse briefly)
• Shaving - 3-5 Gallons (tap running)
• Shaving - 1 Gallon (fill basin, rinse briefly)
• Dish Washing - 20 Gallons (tap running)
• Dish Washing - 5 Gallons (wash, rinse in pans or sink)
• Automatic Dishwasher - 15 Gallons (full cycle)
• Clothes Washer - 30-60 Gallons
• Outdoor Watering - 5-10 Gallons per minute

No. All open burning is prohibited in the city of Grinnell. Recreational fires for cooking, heating, recreation, and ceremonies are allowed. For a full list of exceptions see City Code, Chapter 156 or the Burning Ordinance webpage.

City utility bills are mailed on the last business day of the month. Payment is due on the 15th of the month. 

You can reserve a park shelter by visiting the Parks and Recreation Department office at 1500 Penrose Street or by going to our recreation activity website. Any questions can be directed to the Parks and Recreation Department by calling 641-236-2620. 

No, Youth Baseball and Softball is coordinated by the Tiger Baseball & Softball Club (TBSC).

Household hazardous wastes have been exempt from some of the federal regulations that govern hazardous wastes from businesses. The standards also vary for businesses that regularly generate only a little hazardous waste and those that regularly generate a lot. Basically the rules get more stringent as the generator gets larger, which makes sense. But there are rules at all levels.

For the purposes of automated pick-up of solid waste the Central Business District was defined as: 800-1000 blocks of Main Street, 800 block of Commercial Street, 800-1000 blocks of Broad Street, 700-800 blocks of 4th Avenue, and 700-800 blocks of 5th Avenue. 

Residences and businesses in the Central Business District that currently have curbside collection will continue to have curbside collection of trash with purchase of stickers required. 

It is recommended you have your trash in a bag or multiple bags inside your cart in order to keep it clean but you will no longer have to purchase yellow city bags or city stickers. 

No.  A recycling drop-off center is located at the public service building (1411 1st Avenue). Those that are not able or do not wish to haul their recyclables to the drop-off center should place that material in their cart with their other trash.

Monthly rates are set by the city council and can be found on the sanitation rates web page.

Yes. Arrangements for a special pick-up or pick-up of a large item can be made by calling Public Services at 641-236-2632. 

If there are weeks when your trash will not fit in the cart you will need to purchase a sticker and bring your bag to the public service building for disposal in the appropriate dumpster. If your trash will not fit in the cart on a regular basis you may want to consider purchase of a larger cart. Contact public services at 641-236-2632 to discuss changing sizes. Replacement or additional carts will cost $50.00. 

Replacement carts can be obtained by contacting public services at 641-236-2632. Replacement or additional carts will cost $50.00. 

Yes. Carts will be required at each property with a water meter in place. The cart stays with the property and will be used by the next occupant of the home. 

Homes that are vacant for three months or more can request reimbursement on their solid waste charges. Information on sanitation reimbursement can be found on the solid waste web page.

If you move the cart should stay with the house. Your new home, if in Grinnell, should already have a cart. If you prefer a different size cart at your new home, contact the Public Service department at 641-236-2632 to discuss changing sizes. 

For homes without a level surface at the curb, the cart will need to be placed in the street. 

Yes, as long as it has a yellow sticker or is in a yellow city bag.

Projects of this size usually require two years of planning, design, and permitting, and around two years of construction. The new drinking water treatment plant is on track to be online by December 2026.

Yes, the water is safe. The city regularly monitors and tests the water quality as required by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency. Recent testing showed the water contained a higher level of radium than previous readings; however there is no immediate cause for concern.

The use of water softeners is a personal preference. The new drinking water treatment plant will reduce water hardness down from 22 grains to 7 grains, a 68% reduction. The city needs to keep a safe level of water hardness in the water so it does not become corrosive. If customers continue to use water softeners, they will need to adjust their softener to the new water quality to see the cost savings in using less softener salt and minimize the harmful environmental impacts of water softener use.

Yes. The city is looking at multiple funding options in order to keep rate increases as reasonable as possible. The water improvement projects will be funded through the following sources:

• Low interest and/or forgivable State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans
• Federal money through community project funding programs
• Water rate increases

Once the city has a more accurate total project cost, we will communicate any expected rate increases. 

Yes. the Jordan Aquifer is a reliable source of water for many communities in the state of Iowa, including Grinnell. The Jordan Aquifer is one-half mile under ground. Water in the aquifer arrived there thousands of years ago, and as a result, does not contain any pollutants introduced by humans from the surface. Like any natural resource, its supply isn't infinite: water is pulled from the aquifer and there is a natural recharge as well. The state has spent several years studying the long-term viability of the aquifer and has implemented water conservation practices to ensure it remains reliable. 

During the project planning phase, the city and their consultant team modeled aquifer drawdowns for Grinnell and determined the long-term pumping levels will remain well above the conservation limits regulated by the state.