City of Fort Dodge, Iowa

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• Summary Plan Description - Flexible Benefits
• 2024 FSA Plan Document
• 2024 Summary of Benefits & Coverage - HDHP
• 2024 Summary of Benefits & Coverage - PPO
• Rental Fee Update 2025
• Utility Billing Fee Changes
• 2025 1st & 2nd Grade Basketball Schedule
• Water and Sewer Rates

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• Adopt-A-Park Program
• Adult Recreation Programs
• Burning Regulations
• Confined Space Contracts
• DART Bus
• Discolored Water or Odors
• Education
• EEO & Diversity Training

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• Calls For Service 01/16/2025
• SPD PSF 7.2024
• Calls For Service 01/15/2025
• Calls For Service 01/14/2025
• Calls For Service 01/13/2025
• Calls For Service 01/12/2025
• Calls For Service 01/10/2025
• Calls For Service 01/11/2025

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"A Mile of Highway Will Take You a Mile...but a Mile of Runway Will Take You Anywhere!"

What to Know About Flying out of Fort Dodge

The Fort Dodge Regional Airport offers direct jet service to Chicago O'Hare (ORD).
We are excited to have this service on United Express by SkyWest Airlines to connect you to all of United's global destinations.

What should you expect when flying from Fort Dodge? Here's a few common questions and answers.

How do I book a ticket?
To book your tickets, you can use the United app, visit www.united.com or call 1-800-864-8331.

When should I check in?
Carry-On or personal items only: 1 hour prior to departure time
Checked Luggage: 1 hour and 30 minutes prior to departure time

When does the airport open?
Airline employees will be at the counter an hour and a half prior to scheduled departure times.

Do you have the option for TSA PreCheck?
Yes we do. Haven't heard of PreCheck?  Experience a smoother screening process - no need to remove shoes, belts, liquids, laptops, or light jackets. Learn more HERE.

Is there a charge for parking? What are the parking lots like?
Parking is free of charge for any duration of time.
Areas inside the yellow boxes are open for public parking.

Do you have a restaurant?
While we do not have an on-site restaurant, we do have a vending area in case you need a snack or drink before your trip.

What is the terminal like?
Click HERE to view our photos on Google.

If you have any other questions not addressed on this page, please send an email to fdairport@fortdodgeiowa.org.

We truly appreciate all of you who choose to fly Fort Dodge!

Click here for council agenda's and minutesWelcome to the Fort Dodge City Clerk's office!

• The City Clerk's office is responsible for the following functions of City Government:
• Public Records of Council Action including agendas, minutes, resolutions and ordinances.
• City Finances including accounts payable, payroll, investments and budgets.

• The Clerk's office assists with various contractor registrations, cigarette permits, Beer permits & Liquor licenses.

• Utility Billing is a function of the City Clerk's office and can assist citizens with downtown parking, contractor registrations and pet licenses. 
  • Please click here for information concerning Utility Billing.

City Council Members and Mayor

Welcome to the City of Fort Dodge! Our City is divided into four Wards, and each is represented by one Council Member. Each Ward Council Member is elected for a two-year term. There are also three Council Members elected at large for four year terms.

                  Click here for Council Agendas and Minutes 

Matt Bemrich, Mayor mbemrich@fortdodgeiowa.org	Quennel McCaleb, At Large qmccaleb@fortdodgeiowa.org
Megan Secor, At Large msecor@fortdodgeiowa.org	Lydia Schuur, At Large lschuur@fortdodgeiowa.org
Jen Crimmins, Ward 1 jcrimmins@fortdodgeiowa.org	Cameron Nelson, Ward 2 cnelson@fortdodgeiowa.org
David Flattery, Ward 3 Mayor Pro Tem dflattery@fortdodgeiowa.org	Kim Alstott, Ward 4 kalstott@fortdodgeiowa.org

DAVID FIERKE, CITY MANAGER

David has over 25 years of municipal management experience with his last 13 years as Manager for the City of Fort Dodge. In his current position he is responsible for the daily operations a municipal corporation employing approximately 185 people full time in 13 departments with a total annual operations budget of approximately $30 Million. As the City Manager, he is appointed by the City Council, and is responsible for carrying out their policy direction. His key role is to implement the City Council's strategic plan while cutting operational costs and improving service delivery using Lean tools and principles.

Before Fort Dodge, he was the Manager of Richton Park, Illinois, and Savoy Illinois. Before Savoy, he was a Program Specialist of a suburban Chicago Council of Governments, and held several intern positions.

David earned a BA in Political Science, and an MA in Public Administration from Western Illinois University.

AWARDS:

2016 Iowa Lean Consortium Lean Champion

The Iowa Lean Consortium was proud to name David Fierke, City Manager for the City of Fort Dodge, as the 2016 Iowa Lean Champion. The award was created to honor a leader who has made significant contributions to Lean practices and/or led a Lean journey for 10 or more years. The award was presented at the ILC’s annual fall conference on October 12th, 2016.

“David has been a strong Lean leader in government. His belief in the transformative power of Lean is evident through his actions and we are pleased to honor his work and achievements,” Jeff Dahm, ILC board president and factory advisor at Deere & Company.

As the City Manager, David Fierke inherited a tough situation when he arrived in 2006. Like other Midwestern “blue collar” towns, Fort Dodge had endured the loss of major employers resulting in a declining population, downtown vacancies and aging infrastructure. Tax and fee receipts were not matching expenses with projections showing the gap widening. But David had a vision and a strategy for realizing that vision. He had done his homework on Lean, realizing that it was not simply a toolset but rather a means for transforming culture. And he understood that it started with him.

David is a member of the Fort Dodge Rotary. He is also the Past President of the Iowa City/County Management Association.

In January, 2016 BusinessWire recognized Fort Dodge as one of the 15 semi-finalists in their America’s Best Communities $10M Competition.

The results are also evident in the top level metrics tracked as part of the Fort Dodge 2010 strategic plan which contained seven top level goals to be realized by 2015:

• Reduce the crime rate by 8% (FBI Category 1 UCR); Actual reduction 11%

• Increase sewer revenue by 20%; Actual increase 56%

• Increase water revenue by 20%; Actual increase 90%

• Increase hotel/motel tax by 20%; Actual increase 51%

• Increase average wage by 15%; Actual increase 20%

• Increase property tax base by 10%; Actual increase 11%

Mission Statement

of life for all.   

Hydro Dam Removal Time-Lapse Video (2/14-2/26/19)

WELCOME

Thank you for visiting the Envision 2030 web site! Here you can find general information about Envision 2030, reports on its progress, opportunities for you to share your ideas and ways you can participate in the process.  Please see the "IN THIS DEPARTMENT" section to the left to find these areas of information.

"Over the next 20 years Ft. Dodge will experience many positive changes.  We need to plan how we would like to develop and control these changes.  We need ideas from people from all generations and backgrounds.  We can let the future happen to us or we can be a part of shaping it.  The Council and I think we definitely need to be a part of it, so we initiated this Visioning and Strategic Planning project,"

What is a GIS?

GIS, stands for Geographic Information System, it  is a live, intelligent mapping system that allows for the collection of data using "real world" geographic coordinates.

This information is useful in making maps, but it is also useful in decision making, such as engineering and planning development, natural disaster recovery, environmental impact studies, criminology and much more.  Almost everything has a geographic component that can be mapped.

GIS:"An organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information."

GIS supports all departments within the City of Fort Dodge, as well as providing support to developers and citizens.

Want to see more? ......  check out some of our resources:

>> WEBCOGIS             Webster County, Iowa GIS Online

>> GIS.IASTATE.EDU  Iowa Geographic Map Server

>> ESRI GIS.COM        Environmental Research Systems Institute

>> Click here to learn more about GPS and its use in Public Works

>> Click here to see the GIS Map Collection

Looking for general directions and an internet street map?

Mission

The mission of the Human Resources Department is to provide efficient and effective customer service to all of our employees.

Current Employees

City Employees can access information, to the right, In This Department

Future Employees

Applicants

All applications must be submitted electronically through the GovernmentJobs website. Paper applications are no longer accepted.

To view a list of job openings, click below.

• Filing Discrimination-Related Complaints;
• Mediation Services; and
• Training

 The Fort Dodge Human Rights Commission By-Laws, as approved by the Fort Dodge City Council, govern the operations of the Commission. The  FDHRC has the following responsibilities:

• Enforce the laws regarding discrimination as provided in the State Code of Iowa and City of Fort Dodge Code of Ordinances;
• Investigate possible areas of discrimination in Fort Dodge;
• Study and attempt to eliminate discrimination in Fort Dodge;
• Cooperate with state and federal agencies in law enforcement activities and develop civil rights educational programs;
• Provide a pro-active approach to educating employers and employees on human rights issues.

For more information about the Commission, click here.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Fort Dodge Human Rights Commission is not associated with the Department of Human Services. If you have general questions relating to assistance provided by DHS, please contact Webster County Human Services at (515) 955-6353. Links to other community resources can be found here.

Welcome to Fort Dodge, Iowa !

Fort Dodge is a city I am proud to serve as Mayor and call my home.  With a population of over 26,000 we are the county seat for Webster County and a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa.  We are dedicated to working in partnership with the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, local businesses, and citizens to enhance our quality of life.  Together we have made great strides within our infrastructure, retail, recreational and educational opportunities.

Our major industries are trucking, gypsum and limestone mining.  Another industry is the manufacturing of veterinarian pharmaceuticals by Boehringer Ingelheim - a world class research and production facility.  We recently welcomed two new companies to our Iowa's Crossroads of Global Innovation Park.  Cargill, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural and industrial products and services as well as CJ Bio American, Korean based company that will produce amino acids used in livestock feed.

Trinity Regional Medical Center is one of 32 in United States to participate in a Medicare Pioneer ACO program.  They recently opened a Comprehensive Cancer Center and are one of the top 100 cardiovascular hospitals in the nation with patient safety awards.  Friendship Haven, located on over 60 acres, has become the largest retirement community in the state.

We are home to first class schools; Iowa Central Community College, one of the largest community colleges in Iowa.  We are proud of our four private and various public schools.  A new middle school opened in the 2013-2014 school year.  It offers a 21st century learning environment with over 173,000 square feet and a performance auditorium.

An array of arts and culture are available with the Area Symphony and Blanden Memorial Art Museum; the first public museum of art in the state of Iowa.  The Hawkeye Community Theatre, one of the longest running theatre organizations in the state and even a full scale recreated military outpost at the Fort Museum.

Our recreational opportunities are also abundant.  Visit Mineral City Speedway or the state's largest OHV Park just southeast of town.  Ride the swift waters of Lizard Creek or the Des Moines River.  Enjoy over 32 miles of our new hard surface trails as well Rosedale Rapids Aquatic Center and multiple golf courses.  Our sports complex, Harlan Rogers, hosts over 80,000 people per year with its ballparks and 10 soccer fields.  We have indoor and outdoor tennis courts and multiple parks such as Kennedy, Olson, Brushy Creek, and Dolliver available.

Fort Dodge is home to special events such as Shellebration, Dragon Boat Festival, Frontier Days, Skydiving, Blues Under the Trees, Oktoberfest and Apple Fest at our local community orchard.  Also our Market on Central has become the 4th largest in the state with over 50 vendors.

I invite you to discover why Fort Dodge is a healthy, vibrant community in which to live, work and play.

Mayor Matt Bemrich

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For information regarding new activities and events, program photos, programming changes, or weather-related cancellations please check Parks & Recreation's Facebook

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City of Fort Dodge

Rental Housing

Inspection Program

Rental properties must be registered and inspected according to Ordinance No. 2204 of the Fort Dodge Municipal Code. You can pay a hefty fine if you don’t register your property. If you have never registered your property as a rental and you rent it, please register your property right away.

Chapter 14.08 – Rental Housing Code. “All dwelling units being let for rent and occupancy without a valid certificate of rental housing compliance or application for same on file with the city and fees paid may be ordered vacated and the owner or operator thereof cited for violation hereof and of the International Property Maintenance Code.”

An updated rental ordinance will be effective on October 1, 2022. The revised ordinance is a 4-star system. A letter explaining the design was provided to landlords in mid-August 2022.

Click on the image above to go to a recording that outlines the updates effective 10/1/2022.