Q: Are registered sex offenders allowed to go to amusement parks such as Adventureland and Disney World?
A: Park policies and state laws vary. Adventureland checks the names of season pass holders against the Iowa sex offender registry, according to a Des Moines Register report. Disney has said publicly, “While we do not share specific details of our security procedures, we are constantly strengthening our efforts so we can promote a safe environment for all our guests;” news reports have said the company is now running guests’ names through offender databases.
Q: Does the city use the same equipment and personnel to maintain both the Waterloo parks and the golf courses?
A: Each golf course has a set of specialized golf maintenance equipment, however a number of pieces of equipment are shared between the golf and park operations, said J.B. Bolger of Waterloo Leisure Services. Personnel are assigned to each golf course, although golf and park maintenance staff do work collaboratively on projects and all assist with city-wide snow removal.
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Q: The railroad tracks on Airport Boulevard by the armory are awful. Will they be fixed soon?
A: There are currently no plans to repair this crossing, but Waterloo engineering staff said they would look into the situation for possible future work.
Q: Where can I get a map of my property showing where all of the underground utilities are located?
A: We contacted the city of Waterloo and local utility companies and found no one that can provide a map of all underground utilities on your private property. Utility providers may have some of that information if you contact them individually. You can call Iowa One Call at (800) 292-8989 to request locations for utilities on your property. You could also hire a surveyor to perform an ALTA survey of your lot to locate all underground utilities.
Q: Is there a legal limit for how long trains can block crossings in Waterloo?
A: The Waterloo Code of Ordinances states a train cannot block a roadway for more than 10 minutes but sets a five-minute limit at Franklin, Mulberry, Lafayette, Sycamore, Commercial and Jefferson streets running north and south; West Fifth Street, West Fourth Street, West Park Avenue, West First Street and West Mullan Avenue running east and west; and West 18th Street and West 11th Street running east and west. The time limits don’t apply when necessary to comply with signals affecting the safety of the movement of trains; when necessary to avoid striking any object or person on the track; when the train is disabled; or when necessary to comply with governmental safety regulations. The last reason trumps any city ordinance and is the one cited most often by railroads when explaining longer-than-normal delays at crossings.
