The City of Ida Grove would like to thank Gary & Sharon Godbersen, the Harold and Leone Godbersen Family Foundation, and Godbersen-Smith Construction Company for their amazing contributions to City Park. When visiting the park you will see improved parking, sidewalks, and a patio in between the courts for your enjoyment. If you haven’t checked it out yet, we encourage you to do so. We hope everyone has a ball ya’ll!
The City of Ida Grove has picked up a lost male lab. He was found in the 400 block of Zobel Lane. If you have any information, please contact City Hall at 364-2428 as soon as possible. We would like to see him returned to his rightful owner.
A concrete patch is being poured from a sewer line repair from earlier this spring. A portion of 3rd Street is closed due to this, and should be reopened in a couple of days.
The 400 block of Main Street is opened back up.
Spring has finally arrived!
Public Works crew members, Bob Lorenzen and Kris Taylor, set up the pickleball nets today. With the warmer weather ahead, get out there and utilize the courts!
Grass Clipping Notice
The City of Ida Grove reminds residents not to blow grass clippings into city streets or alleys to prevent clogging of city storm drains. Leaving grass clippings in any street or alley is considered a “nuisance” and also includes debris such as leaves, brush, nails, glass, or rubbish of any kind. The placing of debris, including grass clippings, on streets and alleys could lead to violators being charged for clean-up per City Code 12.30.030. Placing Debris on Streets, Violation and Abatement.
Mowing Notice
Warmer weather is just around the corner! The City of Ida Grove reminds residents of the requirements for mowing of their properties within the City limits under Chapter 8.30 of the City Code. It is unlawful for owners of each lot and parcel of ground within the city limits to fail, refuse, or neglect to cut or destroy all weeds, vines, brush or other growth and debris. Property owners are reminded that any vegetation which reaches a height of more than 8 inches is required to be mowed. Any property not mowed after the vegetation reaches 8 inches in height, may be mowed by the City or their agents, and a charge of $75.00 per hour plus a surcharge of $100.00 will be charged to the property owner. This publication will serve as notice to property owners.
Tree Trimming Notice
Property owners are responsible for maintenance of trees on their property and on the city parking adjacent to their property as stated in City Ordinance 12.05.040. All branches are to be at least 15 feet above the street surface and 8 feet above sidewalks. Trees, bushes, shrubs, etc. are to be trimmed so they do not obstruct pedestrians, vision of traffic signs, or the view of any street or alley intersection. Alleys also need to be cleared to allow truck passage.
Permit Notice
This serves as a reminder to all property owners and contractors that permits are required prior to beginning any construction or maintenance on projects such as: water, sanitary sewer, building construction, etc. Please visit the online city code at https://idagrove.municipal.codes/ or contact City Hall if you are unsure if a permit is required in order to avoid penalties.
City of Ida Grove Burning Regulations
The State Fire Marshal has issued a burn ban for Ida County. Once the ban is lifted, the following regulations shall be followed for burning:
Hours and dates of burning. No person will be allowed to burn nearer than 10 feet of any building, or on any street or sidewalk at any time. Burning is only permitted between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. from April 1 to November 30 of each year. Yard waste is the only material that is allowed to be burnt. It shall be illegal for any person to burn or allow open burning on the premises except during the times and during the dates stated in this paragraph.
Due to the temperatures dropping below the freezing mark this weekend, the water has been shut off at the ballfields.
The City of Ida Grove and Community Partners have purchased a new sign for any type of organization, fundraiser, or event to advertise at the center of Main and Second Street. This sign holds up to 30 x 40 inch posters or plain paper with an easy front loading snap frame. If you would like to use this sign for your upcoming event, please stop into City Hall so we can get your name and date of event on the sign out sheet. Please keep in mind that starting June 23, the sign will be unavailable every Thursday for Farmers Market and will continue through the end of September.
The demolition of City Hall will begin on Monday, March 7, 2022.
Mark your calendars:
Ida Grove RAGBRAI community informational meeting will be held Sunday, March 13, 7:00 p.m. King Theatre, downtown Ida Grove.
The executive committee will be on hand to provide preliminary plans, answer questions and gather feedback about RAGBRAI’s overnight stop on July 24th.
For questions, contact committee members: Jared and Heather Bogue, Jeff and Geneva Miesner, Tonya Rehse, Kurtis Krager or Rhett and Kathy Leonard or email [email protected]
The Ida Grove Library is excited to announce a special Spark Joy! virtual program with Shannon Huneycutt. Shannon is the founder of Spark Joy® Charlotte and a certified Gold level KonMari® Consultant trained by tidying expert Marie Kondo. Marie is the author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and the creator of the KonMari Method®, which is a style of tidying focusing on decluttering and organizing your space by keeping only those items you love.
The Spark Joy! program will be available to registered participants from 5pm on March 10th through 5pm on March 12th. In addition, we will be hosting a special viewing of the program at 7pm on March 10th (at the library) to kick off our tidying journey! You are invited to sign up for this fantastic opportunity to learn how to Spark Joy! in your home, life, and work.
To register or find out more information about this program, please visit: Spark Joy! Program :: Ida Grove Public Library
RAGBRAI IS COMING! RAGBRAI IS COMING!
Excitement is buzzing in the community with the announcement of Ida Grove being the overnight host town for day 2 of RAGBRAI, which is happening Sunday, July 24, 2022. Stay tuned for announcements regarding a town hall meeting with the community. This is where we will address questions, concerns, and ACCEPT NUMEROUS VOLUNTEERS to help make this day a huge success for Ida Grove!
STAY TUNED!
In an effort to raise awareness and address some concerns regarding blocked crossings due to trains, City Officials met with members of Landus last week. Attached is some information and a link where blockages may be reported to the Federal Railroad Administration. We encourage citizens to report any blockages occurring in excess of 10 minutes via the link.
Click Here For More Information On Blocked Crossings
Please click the link below to see the Greetings from Iowa shoutout on Ida Grove from Iowa PBS.
A big thank you goes out to the Harold and Leone Godbersen Family Foundation, Gary and Sharon Godbersen, and Godbersen-Smith Construction Co. for getting the lights for the basketball courts operational. The lights are on a 60 minute max timer without having to reset it. 
Please use the link below to view details. If you have any questions, please contact Simpco’s Housing Manager, Amanda Harper, at 712-279-6286.
Click Here to View Simpco Housing Updates January 2022
The City of Ida Grove has picked up a lost male dog. If you have any information, please contact City Hall at 364-2428 as soon as possible. We would like to see this playful guy get back to his owners.
City Hall
Thursday, 12-30-2021 8 a.m. – Noon
Friday, 12-31-2021 Closed
We will resume normal business hours on Monday, January 3, 2022
Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year!
The Ida Grove Rec Center Committee was developed in 1998 after residents completed a survey expressing the need for more quality of life outlets in the community. After a lot of fund-raising, generous donations, and grants received, the groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2002. With the help of local businesses and more than 100 volunteers, the Ida Grove Community Recreation Center opened in December of 2003 to its members, and the Grand Opening was held in June of 2004.
The Ida Grove Recreation Center Team:
Director – Chancey Wilcke
Deputy Director – Melissa Ausborn
Receptionists:
Mary Clough, Kris Salmon, Holly Conover, Karen Petersen, Misty Johnson, Scott Clark, Michelle Schmidt and Seth Wheeler.
Ida Grove Recreation Board:
Kristy Gilbert – President
Dan Skirvin, Dan Remer, Denise Redenius, Kelly Krueger, and Chancey Wilcke
The rec center facility includes a weight room with cardio equipment, an aerobics room, a community room (temporarily occupied by the City Hall Office), gymnasium with a walking track, raquetball court, an interactive golf simulator and putting practice, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, hot tub, children’s pool, sauna, and a children’s playroom.
Fitness classes are free with an IGRC membership, an IGRC punch card, or can be paid at the front desk as a daily admission fee. There are many fitness classes offered such as: spinning, yoga, hot yoga, step and water aerobics, pilates, aqua board yoga/pilates, and an after-school program for school aged children.
Fitness Class Instructors:
Tabitha Bockleman, Melissa Ausborn, Brooke Skirvin, and Lauri Hummelgard
The Ida Grove Rec Center is in charge of youth activities such as: football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, and teeball. Many other activities are put on by the IGRC including the annual Turkey Trot, Glow Walk/Run, Ironman Challenge, Whitewall Raquetball Tournament, potentially a Pickleball Tournament this summer, Little Bubblers, and Coffee/Hot Chocolate in the Park.
Please use the link below to visit the IGRC website, find them on Facebook, or call 712-364-3716 for additional information.
Good morning, Ida Grove! We have just been notified that the water results came back this morning within normal range so the boil advisory is lifted. Have a wonderful weekend!
Kelly Young, Deputy Clerk for the City of Ida Grove, was the project manager for a recent Land Water Conservation conversion effort that balanced a commercial expansion with improved access to public greenspace for residents. Kelly’s efforts and constant communication over what was ultimately a year and a half of data collection, submissions, and responses demonstrates commitment to her community’s overall well-being including economic development, appropriate land use, and quality of life. SIMPCO and the City of Ida Grove appreciates Kelly’s dedication and mutual support for regional growth. SIMPCO recognizes Kelly Young as a Community Leader.
Congratulations Kelly!
DRINKING WATER ADVISORY
The Ida Grove Water Supply is recommending to boil the water before using for drinking or to use an alternative source
The Ida Grove Water Supply had a power outage due to storms on December 15, 2021, and was unable to disinfect the water supply for a period of time. Due to the potential for bacterial contamination, it is being recommended that the water be boiled before using for drinking or cooking or that an alternative source be used.
IT IS RECOMMENDED NOT TO DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. The water may be used for bathing and other similar purposes.
For more information, please contact City Hall at 712-364-2428. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.
Disinfection is occurring now. Hydrants will be flushed to rid the system of unchlorinated water, and once the system is stable, bacteria samples will be collected. This advisory is a precaution until bacterial sample results are available. You will be notified when the results are available and the advisory is lifted.
The system is working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to resolve the situation.
This notice is being sent to you by the Ida Grove Water Supply.
PWSID#: 4728067
Date distributed: December 16, 2021
The City has picked up a lost Australian Shepherd. If anyone has any information on getting this dog back to its rightful owner please contact City Hall at 364-2428.
City Hall will be closed on Thursday, November 25, 2021 and Friday, November 26, 2021 to observe Thanksgiving.
Normal business hours will resume on Monday, November 29, 2021.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday!
With the warm weather we have had the last couple of days, the Ida Grove Public Works Crew took advantage and started to hang the holiday lights. May the beauty of the holidays warm your spirit!
Please remember to join us on Sunday, November 21st, as the Ida Grove Chamber of Commerce presents a Christmas Holiday Open House!
Can you believe that our Ida Grove Public Library has been in business since 1908!? That is an amazing 113 years of service to our citizens!
The library offers a variety of amenities for the citizens of Ida Grove. There are designated areas for children to do activities and read. The Children’s Library was a recent add to the library as of May 30, 2009. There is plenty of space for teenagers/adults as well to enjoy.
A grant was received from the ICCBF (Ida County Community Betterment Foundation) along with generous local donations to update the Heritage room (meeting room). Iversen TV installed a brand new ceiling mounted projector, new motorized projection screen, and audio system with microphones for the library. Included in the funding was to replace all current lights and fixtures with LED bulbs to help reduce energy costs.
Library Board of Trustees:
Larry Albrecht President
Jackie Netherton Vice President
Shirley Hayes, Secretary
Tom Grell, Trustee
Dave Larson, Trustee
Luann Benge, Trustee
Roger Rector, Trustee
Library Staff:
Angela Scales, Director
Lisa Hopkins, Assistant
Jane Petersen, Assistant
The library continues to offer no contact pick up during library open hours. To see all services offered by the library, please click the link below to “check out” the new website.
The City of Ida Grove invites the submission of sealed bids from qualified farmers for a 1-year lease on approximately 60 tillable acres located just west of Ida Grove along Hwy 175. Blank lease, fact and bid sheets can be obtained at the temporary City Hall location, 311 Barnes Street, Ida Grove, IA or by request through the mail by calling City Hall at 712-364-2428.
Sealed bids must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. on Monday, December 6, 2021. Bids must clearly be labeled as ‘Farm Bid’ and may be delivered to 311 Barnes Street or mailed to PO Box 236, Ida Grove, IA 51445. Bids will be opened and awarded at the regular city council meeting on Monday, December 6, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. at the location listed above. The City of Ida Grove reserves the right to refuse all bids.
Sunday, October 31st at 5:30 p.m. located at Godbersen Park there will be a Pumpkin Parade put on by the Ida Grove Chamber. Bring the kids in their costumes as prizes will be awarded. Every child who participates will receive a goodie bag and glow stick.
The Ida Grove Farm Bureau and King Theatre will be serving free popcorn from 5-6 p.m. at the King Theatre.
Trick or Treating to follow from 6-8 p.m. 
Third grade students from OABCIG visited the temporary City Hall on Friday. The students were able to speak to the Mayor, City Clerk, and two of the Council members and learn about local government. 
The portable pickleball nets are all set up at City Park! Thank you to the Godbersen Foundation for the donation of these nets!
On Monday, October 11, 2021, a gentleman from Iowa Public Television came to town to film a segment in Greetings from Iowa, which tells of peoples lifestyles, cultures, art, and diversities in the community. They filmed at the Ida Grove King Theatre, the Skate Palace, and the GOMACO Car Museum.
Click Here for Greetings from Iowa link
The playground equipment at City Park, or better known as “purple park”, continues to be off limits due to being damaged from a fallen tree. Immediately following the storm event, the cities insurance was contacted and we are waiting to hear back regarding equipment replacement. Please be patient, as we are just as anxious as you to get it open. Thank you again for your patience.
Just a friendly reminder to the citizens of Ida Grove, that it is your “doody” as a responsible pet owner to clean up after your animal. Please be kind and courteous to other citizens by cleaning up what your pet leaves behind.
Other than being unsightly and smelly, animal waste can be hazardous to small children playing in the community and to other animals. When walking your animal, please remember that it needs to be on a leash. Take a baggie along with you so when your animal does its “business”, it can be picked up immediately. Dispose of the baggies properly. By taking simple steps, we can help beautify our community.
Ida Grove does have city ordinances in place for such violations.
SHOW US YOUR TEAM SPIRIT!
POST YOUR FAVORITE GAME DAY PICTURE OF WHO YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE WIN ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE!
Head on down to the City Park and check out the newest additions! The community of Ida Grove is extremely grateful to the Godbersen Foundation for the donation of these amenities!
While we’re all very excited to get out and use the new courts at City Park, please refrain for the remainder of the day today and all day tomorrow to allow the coating to dry properly. The courts should be ready for full use on Wednesday, August 4th.
City Hall recently received a child’s jacket that was found from the events during Heritage Days. Please contact City Hall at 364-2428 to describe and claim this jacket.
Please share with those on your friends list…
The Blocks for our Community have been established. There are 5 blocks. We have a volunteer for Block 4. We are in need of captains for Blocks 1, 2, 3, & 5. If you are willing to visit your neighbors and share information with them, please consider being a Block Captain. The map is attached for you to review. The next meeting will be held in the Heritage Room at the Ida Grove Public Library.
With the 4th of July only being a couple weeks away, we want to remind citizens of Ida Grove that certain fireworks are permitted only during the following times, and to please be cautious and courteous of neighboring property owners.
(1) From the Saturday before July 4th until the Sunday after July 4th.
(2) Between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. with the exception of July 4th or any Saturday within the permitted days, the hours are expanded to be between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.
(3) Noon on December 31st until 1:00 a.m. on January 1st.
(4) The mayor, in consultation with the fire chief or any other persons, has the authority to suspend the use of fireworks during the above hours, when the mayor determines it is in the public interest to suspend the use of fireworks. A person shall not be convicted of a violation, for use during such suspension, unless it is proven that such person had actual knowledge of the suspension. Actual knowledge may be proven by testimony that the person was given a verbal warning. City Code 8.40.030
Heritage Days will officially kick off this Thursday, June 24th! Come on out to enjoy the events that are taking place for this years celebration!
Click here for the schedule of events
The Ida Grove Library is pleased to announce two special events to add to this year’s Heritage Days festivities. First, stop by the city park for a FREE, fun, family event with the Iowa PBS STEAM trailer. All ages are invited to join us for exploration and play as we host the STEAM Trailer filled with activities centered around science, technology, engineering, art, and math. The Iowa PBS STEAM trailer will be located in the city park from 12 pm -4 pm on Saturday, June 26th.
Then, stop by the King Theater where we will be hosting special guest speaker, Dr. John Chase. Dr. Chase will share memories and stories from his book “You What!? Humorous stories, cautionary tales, and unexpected insights about a career in medicine”. Dr. Chase will speak at 3:30 pm and a book signing will follow the presentation. Books will be available to purchase at the event for $15 each.
We hope you’ll make time to join in these festivities and more to celebrate Ida Grove!
The City of Ida Grove has picked up a lost female blue heeler dog. If anyone has any information regarding her, please contact City Hall at 364-2428.
The Pleasant Valley Trail repairs have been completed. The trail is now open for the public to use and enjoy.
If you have been on the east or west side of town, you will notice that we have begun placing new welcome signs! Keep an eye out for the finished product!
With warmer weather just around the corner, everyone will be itching to get outdoors. The trail will be undergoing some maintenance for repair and improvements. Reminder to citizens that under the mayor’s proclamation, the trail is currently closed until May 1st.
