City of Laurens

05/07/2026

📢❗️ TESTING, TESTING ❗️📢

It's that time of year again when severe weather can strike! 🌪

The sirens will be tested TODAY,
❗️Thursday, MAY 7th at 12:00 p.m.! ❗️

04/13/2026

UPDATE: ALL CLEAR! ✅
Thank you to everyone who shared and help spread the information!

Outdated Post:
‼️‼️⚠️ URGENT ⚠️‼️‼️
If you are in the area from SOUTH SADIE to LAWMAN LANE, we are asking residents to evacuate the area until further notice.

A crew hit an unmarked gas main!

Proper procedures have been followed, but at the direction of Alliant, with the wind - they are asking everyone in the aforementioned area to evacuate!

We are alerting people in said neighborhood, but AVOID THE AREA and PLEASE SHARE!

04/09/2026

Come join our crew at the Laurens Aquatic Center! 💦

04/02/2026

SPRING CLEAN UP DAYS ARE...(well almost) HERE!!!

We invite and ENCOURAGE all Laurens residents to participate in our spring clean up days!
Our clean-up days give you the opportunity:
🚛 to remove unwanted items that are not normally convienent to dispose through our regular trash service
✖️reduce neighborhood clutter
👌help maintain and take PRIDE in a 🟩clean and welcoming community! 🟩

So...
📆MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!

Because the city will have 40 yard roll-off dumpsters located at the city police station out on Highway 10, starting
🔷Friday, April 24th - Saturday, May 2nd, 2026🔷
from 8 am - 5 pm.
🔷Wednesday, April 29th hours will be extended until 7 pm.🔷

⚠️Same rules as before will apply:
▪️ABSOLUTELY NO Cardboard!
▪️Items that can be bagged, MUST be bagged.
▪️No furnaces, water heaters, oil, construction debris, trees, paints, tires, batteries, chemicals, dirt, leaves, bricks, concrete, grass, glass, or any hazardous waste.
▪️Carpet must be rolled and taped.
▪️Appliances, TVs, and electronics will be picked up at a later date. - These items do require stickers.
▪️When you place items in the dumpster, you must take them all the way back - do not leave items at the front of the dumpster. Walk them back to where the pile ends; ;this will help us use the container to its full capacity and allow for longer use for our citizens.
▪️If you have large items, such as couches, mattresses, bed springs, etc. that you cannot haul out, please contact City Hall at 712-841-4526.
▪️NO DUMPSTER DIVING.

We realize how important Spring Clean Up Days are to our citizens, so we ask for your complete cooperation in abiding by all said rules.

❗️ Any non-compliance may result in discontinuation of this service immediately. ❗️
❗️Also, please remember that the City Dump is used for YARD WASTE (and yard waste only!)❗️

⚠️ In order to control traffic, please use the East entrance, off of Rush Lake Road, and exit out the West, onto Highway 10. If you see both dumpsters being used, please wait until the person ahead of you is finished and exited. ⚠️

❗️ Please load your items in the dumpsters yourselves. City Personnel will ❌NOT❌ be able to assist. ❗️

If you have any questions, please feel free to call City Hall at 712-841-4526.

We thank you for your cooperation during our Spring Clean Up days and doing your part in helping our community clean!👍

03/26/2026

Notice of Public Hearing:
As per Iowa Senate File 718 - Proposed Property Tax Notice:
The Laurens City Council will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, April 6th, 2026, at 4:45 p.m. for the FY27 Proposed Property Tax at the Laurens Municipal Building.
A copy can be found at:
https://laurens-ia.com/city/announcements/
If you have any questions, please contact City Hall at 712-841-4526

03/16/2026

‼️‼️UPDATE: Shamrock will be in town for recycling around 11:00 AM today!‼️‼️

Thank you for your patience!!

‼️‼️UPDATE: Shamrock will be in town for recycling around 11:00 AM today!‼️‼️

Weather update for 🟩Monday, March 16th! 🟩👇

03/16/2026

‼️‼️UPDATE: Shamrock will be in town for recycling around 11:00 AM today!‼️‼️

Weather update for 🟩Monday, March 16th! 🟩👇

02/13/2026

Tonight, we stand with Iowa Lakes Community College — its athletic department, community, baseball team, and the families and friends who love them — by lighting up the Laurens Recreational Complex. 💡🕯️

Lights are being turned on in remembrance of the life of nineteen-year-old Carter Johnson, so tragically lost in yesterday’s accident; in honor of the 32 others injured all while traveling to play a game they love; and in support of everyone affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.

One thing we heard repeatedly yesterday was how incredibly the first responders and emergency agencies worked together to handle such a devastating mass-casualty incident — and how strong and compassionate rural Iowa truly is. We are not surprised. Being located literally right between the college and the accident site makes this hit even closer to home. Calling rural, Northwest Iowa, our home is a true blessing, and we are deeply grateful for the extraordinary efforts of all who responded.

Please join us in lifting up Carter’s family, his teammates, the coaching staff, and everyone affected by this loss. These lights shine as a symbol of love, strength, hope, and unwavering support.

Please also continue to keep the Iowa Lakes players, families, and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. 💙💛⚾

01/28/2026

Over the past week, we’ve received quite a few phone calls asking the same question: What is going on at the trail?

The short answer—some much-needed love.

We also knew the Laurens Sun - (The Record-Democrat) would be running a story on the project, and we thought this was a great opportunity to highlight both the work being done and the importance of a local newspaper that continues to ask questions and show what’s happening in our community. (Remember the blank front page they ran a while back asking what we would do without a hometown newspaper?) So, go get yourself a copy and read all about it! 😉

We would also like to share that this work is being completed based on formal recommendations from the Iowa State Forestry Division, following a site assessment conducted last spring.
Now, we understand that for many of you, your first reaction may be: “But I loved the trees—the canopy, the shade, the way the trail felt.”
We did too.

What we don’t love are invasive species (some of which the DNR requires removal), nuisance trees, dead or diseased trees, and heavy, high-hanging branches that pose a serious safety risk and could fall at any time. We cannot hold private property owners to standards we are unwilling to meet ourselves.

Unfortunately, when a trail develops a monoculture of trees, it can lead to what forestry experts call catastrophic synchronized mortality—which results in exactly what you may be seeing now: a trail that looks empty or drastically changed.

We recognize that trees provide many benefits and are an important part of our landscape. However, when left unmanaged, they can negatively impact native prairie environments by reducing sunlight and altering soil conditions that prairie plants need to survive.

As John Jamison noted during previous council discussions, for many of us, the tree canopy is all we’ve ever known. However, the trail was originally established for prairie preservation. Removing dead, damaged, diseased, and invasive trees is a necessary step to support the long-term health of the prairie ecosystem, reduce the spread of non-native species, and improve overall habitat conditions.

(We'd also like to thank Mr. Jamison for his time, research, coordination, efforts, and most of all his compassion for this project and trail! - Think he was a science/biology teacher at one point or something?! 🤔😉)

While the trail may look different for a time, this project is an important investment in preserving and restoring native prairie habitat and protecting the genetic integrity of Iowa’s natural ecosystems.

Following this removal phase, the area will be restored with native prairie flowers and appropriate native tree species. These plantings will support pollinators, improve biodiversity, and reflect Iowa’s natural heritage. The State of Iowa provides grant funding specifically for projects like this, and the City will be applying for those funds.

As we move through the “destruction” phase and into restoration, we believe it will be exciting to watch the changes and help support what Mother Nature does best.
🟩“Change is the very nature of nature. If there’s one thing that doesn’t change, it is the fact that everything changes.”🟩
— Ilchi Lee

We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this important conservation effort, and we thank you for your continued support of our trail systems and responsible land stewardship.
If you have any questions or would like any additional information, please feel free to contact City Hall at 712-841-4526.

01/23/2026

‼️‼️ Laurens Congregate Meals for TODAY, 🔸FRIDAY, JANUARY 23rd, 2026,🔸 have been CANCELLED!‼️‼️
Please help spread the word!

12/30/2025

City and LMPC offices will be closed, 🟨Thursday, January 1st, 2026.🟨

Laurens Public Library will also be closed🟨 Wednesday, December 31st and Thursday, January 1st.🟨

ALSO! Don't forget, with the holiday:
Thursday (1/1) residential pickup will be:
🟩 WEDNESDAY, December 31st 🟩
❗️If you happen to miss the adjusted garbage day, PLEASE pull your garbage in until the following week. ❗️
🗣️Also, we would appreciate if you would help spread the word! 🙌

🟨▪️Wishing you all a prosperous and Happy New Year!▪️🟨