{"id":278,"date":"2021-06-07T22:42:18","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T22:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/box2019.temp.domains\/~pdmpreca\/colfax\/?page_id=278"},"modified":"2023-01-31T22:38:35","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T22:38:35","slug":"city-services","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/colfaxia.gov\/residents\/city-services\/","title":{"rendered":"City Services"},"content":{"rendered":"
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City Services<\/h1>\n

City Government<\/h2>\n

The City of Colfax has a mayor-council with appointed city administrator form of local government, which is typical in Iowa. The mayor is elected every four years and the five city council members are elected to serve four year overlapping terms. The city council appoints the city administrator. The city council meets in regular session on the 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall. The City employs 9 full-time employees.<\/p>\n

City Administration Services<\/h2>\n

Central administration includes the offices of city administrator, city clerk, and the utility billing clerk. The city clerk handles the general ledger, liquor permits, accounts payable and receivable, investments, payroll, bond and interest payments, and monthly financial reporting.<\/p>\n

Police Department<\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n

Code Enforcement<\/h2>\n

Fire Department<\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n

Colfax Public Library<\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Parks & Recreation Department<\/h2>\n

The City has six parks that provide a great variety of recreational opportunities for local residents. The various features include playground equipment, tennis courts, picnic shelters softball fields, baseball fields, a swimming pool, disc golf course, volleyball courts, shelters, stage, trails, fishing, archery, and more. There is a board that advises the city council on needed facilities and improvements. A general overview of the City’s parks is as follows:<\/p>\n

Lewis Park<\/strong> is on the west side of town near the Colfax-Mingo Junior\/High School. Lewis Park is 14 acres, making it the largest public park in town outside of the recently acquired Quarry Springs Park. Lewis Park offers a large variety of activities including an 9 hole disc golf course, tennis, volleyball, and horseshoe courts, a standard playground, as well as the Colfax public swimming pool.<\/p>\n

Colfax Public Swimming Pool<\/strong> – The City’s swimming pool was constructed in 1978 and holds 250,000 gallons of water. The average daily attendance is about 50 swimmers per day. Swimming lessons and aerobic lessons are also provided at the swimming pool.<\/p>\n

Colfax Women’s Club Park<\/strong> is located in the center of the town. The terrain of the park has large changes in elevation over its 1.47 acres. The Women’s Club Park contains a playground, shelter, and stage.<\/p>\n

Kelly Fields<\/strong> are the town’s local baseball\/softball fields on the west side of town. The 14.50 acre park includes four ball fields and four soccer fields.<\/p>\n

Conway Park<\/strong> consists of 1.23 acres of a mostly open field in the middle of town. The park has playground equipment on the east side.<\/p>\n

Mineral Springs Park & the Colfax Area Veterans Memorial<\/strong> share a lot located on North Walnut Street. The park has a total of 0.87 acres of mostly flat open ground save for a gazebo, Veterans Memorial, and a few picnic tables. The close proximity to the downtown makes this park very visible. There is a community welcome sign with changing messages on the east side of the park.<\/p>\n

Quarry Springs Park<\/strong> is located next to I-80 and east of Iowa Highway 117. Quarry Springs currently has three primary lakes within its borders, each with a plan on serving different purposes. The Park is planned to be a mixed use development. Quarry Springs represents a huge area of park land, at nearly 480 acres, that the City has at its disposal.<\/p>\n

There is great potential for both the short and long term development with unique attractions for the Park. The Park is currently used for several events such as the Rock the Quarry Music Festival, an annual fishing derby, indoor archery range and an annual 5K run that started in 2016.<\/p>\n

In the fall of 2015, Confluence, a park consultant, was hired to analyze the site and design a master plan for the development of the park. Based on meetings with community stakeholders and the Colfax Parks and Recreation Auxiliary Board, the primary goals of economic development and recreation were identified as the focus of the project. The plan shows a desire for the project to be educational, self-sustaining, feasible, open and flexible to users, available year around, multi-use, and to have an entrance that connects it to the rest of the City, as well as tie into the character of Colfax. New bridges and access points will be established across the South Skunk River and the various lakes to better connect Quarry Springs to the rest of Colfax. The Quarry Springs Master Plan includes additional campgrounds, room for retail, and an array of recreational opportunities aimed at making the park a regional destination.<\/p>\n

Future Trails<\/strong> – The 2016 Designing Livable Communities Survey conducted by Iowa State University, showed the desired walking trail routes from 66 survey respondents. Local Colfax citizens showed a desire for a trail system that would connect the City’s parks. Trails along the railroad tracks and along the South Skunk River were also referenced in the survey. Local residents expressed an interest in walking trails in Lewis Park.<\/p>\n

Musical groups perform during the summer months at the Anspach Stage, which is an outdoor amphitheater built by the CCC.<\/p>\n

Public Works – Street Department<\/h2>\n

The Public Works Department has four full time employees who operate and maintain approximately 28 miles of city streets, 4 miles of storm sewers, 20 miles of sanitary sewer lines, 20 miles of water mains. The Public Works Department services include street cleaning, snow removal, park maintenance, street signs, water system, and wastewater system.<\/p>\n

The Public Works Department is responsible for the mowing, maintenance, and grave openings at the City cemetery, which covers almost 25 acres.<\/p>\n

Public Works – Water Utility<\/h2>\n

The City’s water utility includes two water wells. Both wells are 66 feet deep and were drilled in 1966. The two wells produce about 105 million gallons of water per year. The City has one 250,000 gallon tower that was built in 1953. The City does not operate a water treatment plant, but does chlorination as the water is pumped. The City provides water to 920 customers in Colfax and a small area outside the City limits.<\/p>\n

Public Works – Wastewater Treatment Facility<\/h2>\n

The City’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was constructed in 1998 with a 2012 addition. The WWTP consists of a trickling filter, digester, and disinfection. The average daily flow to the plant is 376,000 gallons and the plant has a maximum design capacity of 1,200,000 gallons per day.<\/p>\n

The sanitary sewer collection system includes 20 miles of sewer lines and one lift station. The City has done some slip lining of sewer lines to reduce the rate of storm water infiltration in the system.<\/p>\n

Private Utilities and Services<\/h2>\n

Natural gas and electrical power is provided by Mid-American Energy. Cable television and internet service is provided by Mediacom and Century Link. The City contracts with Ankeny Sanitation for residential refuse collection services.<\/p>\n

Economic Development Programs<\/h2>\n

The City of Colfax has two organizations that promote growth and development in the community.<\/p>\n

Colfax Main Street Program<\/h3>\n

The Colfax Main Street Program is part of the Main Street Iowa Program and is modeled after the Main Street America Program.  The Colfax Main Street Program was formed in 2009 when these four organizations joined together:<\/p>\n