City of Denison COVID-19 Response and Resources
For information and resources regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus), please click here.
Last updated on Thursday, July 2, 2020.
City Council, Agencies, Boards, and Commissions: Electronic Meetings
Citizens may attend Denison City Council meetings, but will have to practice social distancing. Because space is limited in Council Chambers, electronic access is still available for both city council members and citizens. The access information will be printed at the top of each agenda. We ask that citizens mute their microphones if they call in, except during public forum.
Other agencies, boards, and commissions may be hosting their meetings electronically with the access information printed on the top of their agendas as well. Please call City Hall with any questions.
City Services
The City of Denison is working within the guidelines of the county, state, and federal governments to keep our community informed about COVID-19. We urge all our citizens to follow the guidelines of staying home when possible and avoiding close contact with others. By doing this, we hope to keep our whole community safe by slowing the spread of the disease and keeping our most vulnerable residents safe.
All employees have been advised to practice CDC basic precautions including
- Washing hands often with soap and water, and/or using hand sanitizer and avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Avoiding as much as practice, close contact with other personnel, especially when appearing sick
- Allowing only one person per city vehicle when possible
- Wiping down vehicles and workspaces with antibacterial wipes and cleansers
- Encouraging employees to stay home when sick
- Using cloth masks in public when possible
When possible, please call the facility at 712-263-3143 to speak with our staff if you need assistance. Much business with the city can be done via phone or email. Below are what our Denison City government is doing during this time.
Denison City Hall: 712-263-3143
Denison City Hall is open for visitors. We ask that if you not enter if you have come in contact with someone who has COVID-19, or are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. We will be happy to answer any questions you have via phone.
See below for common tasks that are completed at city hall including building permits, taxi tickets, and pet licenses.
Police Department / Communication Center: 712-263-3195
The Denison Police Department continues to protect and serve the Denison community. The department has modified operations during this time to keep our officers, employees, and the community safe. These measures include:
- The Communications Center and Police Department is closed to walk-in visitors. Admittance is by appointment only.
- Police business should be conducted over the phone and/or via email when possible. Email addresses can be found on the Denison Police Department page.
- Non-essential meetings have been postponed or cancelled.
- Community outreach activities has been suspended during this time.
- The Communications Center will be screening calls by asking COVID-19 related medical questions, which are passed to officers before they go on a call.
Other modifications may be made if/when the situation warrants.
Fire Department: 712-263-2806
The Denison Fire Department continues to protect the Denison community and surrounding areas. All training activities and meetings have been suspended at this time until further notice. Community outreach activities have also been suspended.
Public Works / Street Department: 712-263-2559
Public Works employees are continuing to work as normal. Employees have been encouraged to only have one person in each vehicle, and to wipe down each vehicle frequently.
Building Department: 712-263-3143
Citizens may call or stop by City Hall to talk with the building inspector, Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 3:30 pm. They may also fill out building permits at City Hall. Contractors and homeowners who do not want to visit city hall, but need to submit a building permit can download them from our website (use the “forms” link above), and mail them to City Hall. Please call and let our staff know that a permit will be mailed. They can also assist you in calculating the cost of the permit. For certain permits including fences, decks, or additions, we will ask you to mark the boundaries of construction with stakes or flags so our inspector can check out the plan before approval.
Inspections will be made by appointment only. Non-critical inspections may be postponed for our staffs’ and citizens’ safety. During this time, the approval of permits may take longer than usual, so we ask for the public’s patience.
Code Enforcement: 712-263-3143
Citizens may call or stop by City Hall to talk with our code enforcement official, Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 3:30 pm. Please be aware of the most common code violations listed below, and what can be done to self-correct the problems:
- House Numbers: Every home is required to have their address numbers on the front of their home that can be clearly and easily seen by the road. If you do not have this, please take steps to put your house numbers on your home.
- Trash / Junk / Tires / Appliances: Piles of trash, junk, and/or tires are not allowed anywhere on property within city limits. Please take steps to clean up around your home. Appliances are not allowed outside your home either.
- Junk Vehicles: Non-registered vehicles and vehicles that cannot move on their own are considered junk vehicles. They are not allowed anywhere on property within city limits. Please take steps to register your vehicle or dispose of any junk vehicles now.
- Lawns / Weeds / Clippings: As we move into spring, lawn mowing will begin again. Residential lawns are not to be more than 6” tall, and weeds must be killed in lawns. Clippings are not allowed to be put in city streets.
City Facilities
Aquatic Center / Parks & Rec: 712-263-8130
The Aquatic Center is closed following guidelines set by the Governor, IDPH, and CDC until further notice. All city-operated playgrounds, basketball courts, soccer fields, tennis courts, ball fields, park shelters, and dog park are closed until further notice. Violation of this protocol may result in a fine!
City Parks and the Denison Aquatic Center opened to the public on June 18. However, they will be operating differently for awhile. We will continue to disinfect surfaces on a regular basis. But encourage patrons to bring hand sanitizer. lease see instructions and guidelines below.
OUTDOOR POOL
To help encourage social distancing, we are going to be starting out by offering 1 ½ hour time slots and allowing 75 people per time slot. We want to serve as many people as we can so that is why we are limiting it to 1.5-hour time slots. We are going to ask that people only come for one time slot per day so more people can enjoy the pool. No reservations. First come first served. Please call ahead if you so choose to make sure of availability. Also, please be aware of the time when you come (i.e. if you come at 1:30 you will still only be allowed to stay until 2:00).
Outdoor pool time slots are going to roughly be:
Thursday – Monday: 12:30-2:00 | 2:00-3:30 | 3:30-5:00 | 5:00-6:30
The pool will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We are hoping that this is temporary and will be reassessing frequently. We just ask that everyone remains patient and understand that this is new for us as well, and we all need to continue to work together to get through this unfamiliar time.
ADMISSION
No 3 month passes, pay by the day.
Pricing: 5 & under Free, everyone else is $2
We ask that everyone please bring exact change to limit the amount of money being exchanged.
ENTERING/EXITING
To use the outdoor pool, we are asking people to enter and exit through the concessions stand gate to limit the number of people in and out of the locker rooms and our lobby area. Indoor pool users can still enter through the main doors.
DECK CHAIRS
We are currently not offering deck chairs but will re-assess as the summer progresses. We encourage people to bring their own.
LOCKER ROOMS
Locker rooms remain restroom use only. So please come in your swimsuit and leave in your swimsuit.
CONCESSIONS
Concessions will be open but limited to prepackaged food only. So, no hot food will be available.
INDOOR POOL
Indoor pool will be open Monday-Friday 7:00 am – 6:30 pm.
Indoor pool will be closed Saturday & Sunday.
We are going to continue to have the indoor pool operating the way it currently is. ONLY lap swimming, water walking, and water exercise; no horseplay/rec swimming/”fun” swimming. However, we are not going to have appointments or time limits and encourage people to maintain social distancing. We will continue to disinfect surfaces on a regular basis. But encourage patrons to bring hand sanitizer.
We tend to have a lot of patrons in the upper age bracket use the indoor pool, and a lot of them are cautious of looking out for their well being. A lot of them depend on the pool to stay physically active or for therapy reasons, and we want to be able to continue to offer them a place where they feel safe. This will also help us control where patrons are at.
If it rains, then the option of letting people use the indoor pool will not be available this summer.
Locker rooms remain restroom use only. So please come in your swimsuit and leave in your swimsuit.
SWIMMING LESSONS
Since we are currently not offering group swimming lessons a lot of our instructors are book solid with private lessons. Please call and we will get you added to our list. We will be reassessing group lessons in the coming weeks. Again, we are hoping that this is all temporary and will be reassessing frequently. We just ask that everyone remains patient and understand that this is new for us as well, and we all need to continue to work together to get through this unfamiliar time. Thank you for our patience and understanding and we’ll see you at the pool!
CITY PARKS
City Parks are available for use; however, they will not be cleaned or disinfected on a regular basis, so can be used on a “use at your own risk” basis.
The Morningside Park and Union Park Shelters are available for rent at this time. However, there is a 2 day minimum rental, and we will require one day between rentals to clean the shelter. For questions on rentals, please contact City Hall at 712-263-3143.
Norelius Community Library: 712-263-9533
We are excited to be opening our doors on Monday, June 29th. We are asking the public to understand and make adjustments as we may need to adjust our planning in accordance with the Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines. What can the public expect:
Modified Hours
M-F 9-10 am open for high risk population
M-F 10-6 pm standard business
M-F 10-5:45 curbside service
Limited Number of Patrons / Masks / Social Distancing
Numbers of patrons within the library at any given time limited to 15 on a rotating basis allowing for up to 5 staff members to keep the library functional and clean. Wearing masks and social distancing protocols will be encouraged within the library. Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and throughout the library.
Circulation desks fitted with acrylic guards. Traffic flow guides in place to allow for social distancing. Check-Out Services will be basic Grab & Go (No lingering, sitting or congregating). One family member encouraged to visit library and check out materials for their family.
Children
Children under the age of 16 encouraged to be accompanied by an adult or caregiver over the age of 18. Children’s Library services limited to the check-out of materials (Books & DVDS). No technology or creative spaces available (Nintendo Switch(s), IPads and Computers offline until further notice). No lingering, sitting or congregating.
Computers
Five socially distanced computer terminals are available for patron usage on main floor. Patron’s must call ahead to reserve a time slot if they wish to use a computer. Patrons are limited to one hour of usage a day, in order to allow access to as many patrons as possible. Technical assistance will be limited due to social distancing factors.
Material Return
Returned materials will be returned through the external book drop only. Materials will be placed in 72 hrs. quarantine prior to processing back into circulation.
Services
Copying & Faxing services available. Requires exact change. Laminating services available on Fridays only. Exact change is required. Common surfaces cleaned regularly.
Meeting Rooms / Restrooms / Drinking Fountains
Meeting Rooms and Restrooms/Drinking Fountains are unavailable.
If you have any questions please contact us at 263-9355 for more information. Thank you for your patience during this time.
Denison Airport: 712-263-6424
The runways are open and still being used. The main building and office are now open. Please call the airport if you have any questions or need any assistance.
Boulders Conference Center: 712-263-5577
As we continue to monitor developments associated with COVID-19, our number one priority is to do everything we can to help you and our community stay healthy. We remain committed to providing a clean and safe environment for our guests and employees. Per Governor Reynold’s recent proclamation, we are booking and hosting events under the following guidelines:
- Operating at 50% capacity and adhering to 6-foot social distancing between households.
- Maintaining strict sanitation guidelines.
We are accepting bookings for future events. We are in direct contact with those parties who are immediately affected and making accommodations on an individual basis. Please call 712.263.5577 to discuss any questions or concerns. Our number one priority is to do everything we can to help you and our community remain healthy and safe. Thank you for your patience during this time.
Other Services
T.A.P. Temporary Aid Program: 712-263-4733
Temporary Aid Program (TAP) at 210 South 25th Street is open to anyone living in Crawford County who has a need for food. T.A.P. is continuing their service on Monday and Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon). They ask that only one household member visit the building. They will be given a pre-boxed selection of food items. Citizens are asked to remember proper social distancing when entering the building.
Monetary and food donations are greatly appreciated, as are household and personal items such as body soap, shampoo and conditioner, laundry soap, and dish soap. However, no other items are accepted at this time. Donations of groceries may be taken to the back door. Monetary donations may also be left at the back door or mailed to: T.A.P., PO Box 121; Denison, Iowa 51442.
Crawford County Hunger Fighters: 712-263-2934
Crawford County Hunger Fighters has been moving forward during this time through an incredible effort with Hunger Fighters, TAP, The Crawford County Ministerial Association, our local government, and a small army of enthusiastic volunteers.
The Hunger Fighters are distributing food every other Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. at 20th Street Elementary School. People who need assistance with food will drive up and volunteers will bring the food to the cars. They will have two lines open to help facilitate the distribution, and multiple people directing traffic.
They can deliver food to those who do not have a way to come to the school for food pick up. Anyone who needs home delivery should call Pastor Jose Guerra at 712-269-6573.
People with questions, or who would like to volunteer, please call Pastor Mike Fillmore at 515-229-6809 or the Denison First United Methodist Church at 712-263-2934. For more ongoing information, visit the “Crawford Cares” Facebook page.
Denison Municipal Utilities: 712-263-4154
In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic and for the health and safety of our customers and employees, the Denison Municipal Utilities (DMU) lobby is closed to the public until further notice. We encourage our customers to use alternate payment options until further notice.
The situation continues to evolve, and we will monitor it closely. We look forward to seeing our customers through this challenging time. DMU will continue to provide updates to our customers and employees as changes are made to current policies and practices.
Rather than making a cash payment at the DMU Business Office, we encourage customers to use one of the many options available to make a payment: The DMU App, the IVR system by contacting DMU at 712-263-4154 and select 1 to make a payment or 2 to speak to a Customer Service Representative, the drop box located by the DMU Business Office, Online through our website www.dmuonline.com, through the online banking system offered by your financial institution, or you may also leave your utility payment at Crawford County Bank, Bank Iowa or United Bank of Iowa. Be sure to write your name and service address on any envelope so the payment is properly applied to your account.
Get more information from their website at https://www.dmuonline.com/.
Solid Waste Removal: 712-263-3143
Solid Waste Removal will continue as regular on Tuesdays and Thursdays as normal. Please call Denison City Hall if you have any questions or need assistance. People wanting to purchase tags for additional bags may arrange for this by calling City Hall.
Dog and Cat Licenses: 712-263-3143
Denison citizens wanting to license their dog and/or cat during this time who do not want to visit City Hall will need to send a copy of their proof or rabies vaccine, payment via check or money order, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to City Hall. Please make sure your correct address and phone number is on the paperwork. Cost for spayed or neutered animals is $10 per year, and cost for male and female animals is $20 per year. If you have questions, please call Denison City Hall for assistance. Upon receiving the above information in the mail, we will process your paperwork and return your license and tag to you.
Taxi Tickets: 712-263-3143
Taxi tickets can be purchased during this time in person at City Hall.