How Do I?

1.) Sign up for or disconnect my water and sewer service?
To sign up for water or sewer service or disconnect water or sewer service, you must come into City Hall to fill out the appropriate paperwork. To sign up for service, we will need to take a copy of your driver's license and will require either a $60 deposit or a letter of credit. For us to be able to accept a letter of credit and waive the deposit, the letter of credit will need to be for at least one year of service from a previous utility company, and you must have paid on time for the entire year. In addition, we may need to set up an appointment for us to read your utility meter.

2.) Apply for a building permit?
To apply for a building permit, you must fill out a building permit application. This application is not available online because the application is a two-part form. You can either stop in to Maquoketa City Hall to pick up a building permit application or contact us and we can mail you a building permit application. Although the time it takes to get a building permit approved may vary, please allow up to one week for the approval process. Also, please keep in mind that a building permit must be approved before any work can begin.

3.) Apply for a variance?
To apply for a variance, you must fill out a variance application, which is available in our download center in the left hand menu or at City Hall. A person can apply for a variance at City Hall. As a part of the application, the person must pay a $50 fee and submit the names and addresses of property owners within 200 feet of his/her property. Those names and addresses can be obtained at the Jackson County Courthouse Auditor's Office. A public hearing then must be set up before the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the neighboring property owners must be notified of the hearing by City Hall. The neighboring property owners may speak either for or against the proposed project. The Zoning Board of Adjustment meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. Please allow up to one month for a variance to be reviewed and a decision made on the application. Also, please keep in mind that if a variance is required, the approval of the variance is required before a building permit will be issued and before any work may be begin.

4.) Get on the Council agenda?
Maquoketa City Council meetings are open to the public unless otherwise noted. Each agenda has an audience section near the beginning during which audience members are allowed to address the Council. If you would like a particular item on the agenda, please contact Maquoketa City Hall. Items for agendas must be turned in by noon on the Wednesday prior to the Council meeting.

5.) Apply to be on a board or commission?
To apply to be on a board or commission, you must reside in the City limits and you must complete an application. For an application, please refer to our download center in the left hand menu. Once you have completed the application, you can either mail it or drop it off at Maquoketa City Hall. Each application must be placed on a Council agenda for approval. For a list of openings, please call City Hall or look on our Boards and Commission page under departments.

6.) Get copies of the City Council and/or boards and commission minutes?
To get copies of any City Council and/or boards and commission minutes, contact City Hall at 563-652-2484 or Judy Carr at jcarr@maquoketaia.com. Please allow at least one day for these minutes to be retrieved and copied for you.

7.) Get visitor information on Maquoketa?
To get visitor information on Maquoketa, please contact the Maquoketa Chamber of Commerce, 117 South Main Street, Maquoketa, IA 52060, 563-652-4602

8.) Get employment information?
To get employment information or to fill out a job application, please contact Maquoketa City Hall, 201 East Pleasant Street, Maquoketa, IA 52060, 563-652-2484.

9.) Get my pet licensed?
In the City of Maquoketa, all dogs and cats are required to be licensed once they reach six months of age. You can get your pet licensed at Maquoketa City Hall, 201 East Pleasant Street, Maquoketa, IA 52060. In order to get your pet licensed, you will need to bring in a copy of their rabies vaccinations and a picture of the animal. License fees are $5.00 per animal for owners under 55 years of age and $1.00 per animal for owners 55 years of age and older. Upon moving in to the City of Maquoketa or upon getting a new pet, owners have thirty days to license their pet.

10.) Apply to close a city street or exceed the noise limits for a special function?
To apply to close a city street or to apply to exceed the noise limits for a special function, you will need to fill out the appropriate form. These forms are available at City Hall or can be downloaded from our download center in the left hand menu. After filling out your application, please return it to City Hall. Each application must be approved by the Maquoketa City Council. Please allow up to three weeks for approval.

11.) Apply for a street or curb cut?
A street cut or curb cut application needs to be filled out each time someone will be cutting into the City street or the adjacent curb. These forms may be picked up at City Hall or can be downloaded from our download center in the left hand menu. After filling out the appropriate application, the application must be returned to Maquoketa City Hall. Both applications require a certificate of insurance to accompany it from the person or company that will be doing the work. In addition, a street cut application also requires a $500 deposit to be made to the City of Maquoketa before any work is done. The deposit will be used to pay for any street repairs that will be made to the affected street. If the amount of street repairs does not total $500, a refund will be made to the person who made the deposit. If the amount of the street repairs exceeds $500, the applicant will be billed for the remaining amount. Both street cut and curb cut applications must be reviewed by the Public Works Director or his designee before work may begin.

12.) Apply for the sidewalk program?
Each year, the City of Maquoketa sets aside money to reimburse people who replace broken or missing sidewalks. In order to apply for a reimbursement, you must fill out a sidewalk program application before the project begins. This application can be picked up at Maquoketa City Hall or can be downloaded from our download center in the left hand menu. The application must be reviewed by the Public Works Director or his designee before the work may begin. Once the work is completed, the property owner must submit copies of the paid bill for the concrete to City Hall. The bill must show the length of sidewalk that was replaced. Please keep in mind that the program will only reimburse the property owner what the City of Maquoketa would have paid for the concrete if we had purchased the concrete.

13.) Apply for a home occupation permit?
Any person wishing to operate a Home Occupation must make application for a Home Occupation Permit. A Home Occupation permit application can be picked up at Maquoketa City Hall or can be downloaded from our download center in the left hand menu. After an application is submitted, a public hearing must be held. The City will publish notice of the date, time, place and purpose of the hearing. The publication shall appear in the newspaper selected for official notices not less than five days before and not more than ten days before the date of the hearing.

14.) Find out which ward I live in?
To find out which ward you live in, you can either call Maquoketa City Hall or look at a ward map. The ward map is available by going to our download center in the left hand menu or by going to our maps page and clicking on ward map.

15.) Get something on the local access channel?
To get something put on the local access channel, please contact Karen Rubel, Local Access Channel Manager at 563-652-2835 or maqaccesschannel@mauoketaia.com

16.) How do I report a complaint?
To report a complaint, you can either call Maquoketa City Hall at 563-652-2484 or fill out a complaint form on our report a problem page.

17.) How do I register to become licensed for tree trimming/removing and/or a solid waste hauler?
Everyone who wishes to trim or remove trees within the City and who wishes to haul garbage within the City must be licensed with the City. In order to register for a license, you must complete the appropriate form and the application must be approved by the Maquoketa City Council. If you are interested in trimming and/or removing trees, you must fill out a tree trimmers license application. If you are interested in hauling garbage, you must fill out a solid waste haulers license application. These forms are available by downloading them from our download center in the left hand menu or by calling Maquoketa City Hall at 563-652-2484. Please allow up to three weeks for approval.