The City of Fayette and Mayor Andrew Wenthe are pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2020 Mayor’s Award is John Winke. Mr. Winke stepped up this past summer and early fall to water and care for all the beautiful flowers in downtown Fayette. “It takes dedication to go out every day and water the twenty-three hanging flower baskets and eleven large flowerpots throughout the downtown area,” said Mayor Wenthe. “John deserves a great deal of thanks for his volunteer service to Fayette”. Wenthe also expressed thanks to all who helped with the flowers this year, which add color and beauty to downtown Fayette. The City of Fayette Mayor’s Award is normally presented at the community Watermelon Days celebration, which was not held this year due to the pandemic. Mayor Wenthe presented the Mayor’s Award to Mr. Winke on November 6^th in front of City Hall.

Released on 11/6/2020 from the Fayette County Public Health:

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Fayette County are on the rise with over 175 new cases in the past two weeks; the number of hospitalizations is also climbing.

For the entire county, the positivity rate has increased from 6.99% on October 27 to 15.3% as of Friday, November 6.  That is an 8.31% increase in positivity, which is more than double our previous rate.

We are seeing COVID-19 spread among all ages, many businesses and schools are affected, and the cases are not related to any single event or town. At this time, in Fayette County, the disease is being actively spread throughout all communities. This is happening in our surrounding counties as well.

The number of admissions for many hospitals in northeast Iowa are at, or near capacity. There is a desperate need to slow the spread, flatten the curve, and protect our community and population.

Fayette County Public Health, in conjunction with Fayette County Board of Health, is asking our towns to put into place an expectation of its citizens to step up and protect each other.  Public Health is requesting that towns ask businesses to wear masks to ensure the health of employees and to protect customers.

For our Fayette County communities during this pandemic, we are at a crossroads. Having been lucky enough to avoid high positivity rates until now has been a blessing. But COVID-19 is here, and it is not stopping. As many local healthcare centers are urging our communities to step up and assist in mitigation efforts, please remember it is going to require more than just our medical professionals to fight this fight. It will take all residents of Fayette County and we are asking for your help!

Please know it is acceptable to hold each other accountable to slow down the spread so our health care system can handle the increased number of patients. Ask businesses to wear masks. Ask customers to wear masks. Ask each other to wear masks. Fayette County Public Health continues to ask individuals to wear masks and practice social distancing and good hand hygiene. And, most importantly, stay home when not feeling well. These things are vital to ensure the continued health of all communities.

Currently in Fayette County, the Iowa Dept of Public Health (IDPH) is conducting COVID-19 disease investigation, and due to the increased testing, we know that investigations are behind. If you are not receiving timely guidance or have questions, call 2-1-1 at any time. Or, you can call Fayette County Public Health (a dept of Gundersen Palmer Hospital & Clinics) at  (563) 422-6267, Monday-Friday.  

Here are a few Halloween events in Fayette:

• Maple Crest Campus Costume Parade (100 Bolger Drive): On Saturday, 10/31 from 2PM to 3PM, 5^th Graders and younger are able to participate in the Costume Parade by walking around the campus and getting a goodie bags. Please remember to social distance between you and other parade members.

• City of Fayette Trick or Treating: On Saturday, 10/31 from 2:30PM to 4:30PM, everyone is invited to participate in the traditional door-to-door trick or treating in Fayette. If you would like to participate in handing out treats, please turn your porch light on between 2:30 and 4:30PM. Please follow CDC guidelines. Here is some guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health:
• Only hand-out/accept factory-wrapped treats and wipe off candy wrappers with sanitizing wipes when you arrive home. (Never wipe unpackaged food with sanitizing wipes).
• Leave individual grab bags or paper cups filled with factory-wrapped treats outside your door or in your driveway for people to take and avoid having children select treats from a bowl or common container. Watch and wave to trick or treaters through a window or from at least six feet distance.
• Only take your children trick or treating and stay in small groups. Maintain at least six feet distance.

The Fayette Public Works employees will begin leaf pick-up on Monday, Oct. 19th, 2020.  Pick up will be on Mondays (weather permitting). If they are unable to get to all the houses on Monday, then they will pick-up leaves at the houses they missed on Tuesday. Place raked leaves on the City parkway or right-of-way between the sidewalk and the back of the curb.  If you don’t have a curb, then place on the grassy area near the street.  Please do NOT place in the street!  No tree branches, sticks or garbage should be mixed with the leaves because they will puncture the vacuum hose. 

The City Yard Waste Disposal Site is open on Wednesdays from 2PM-4PM and on Saturdays from 8AM-10AM for disposing of branches, sticks, leaves and other yard waste.  A Yard Waste key may be checked-out at Fayette City Hall during office hours.  Yard waste may also be burned but burning of trash is prohibited.  City Ordinance 135.08 prohibits the burning of leaves on any curb and gutter or on any paved or surfaced street or alley.  A fire burns not only the leaves, but also the tar/oil in asphalt and cracks can crack the concrete.

Many donated their time, services and money to make the Fayette County Freedom Rock a reality and now the one-of-a-kind painting is almost complete. Please join us for a short ceremony and revealing of the Fayette County Freedom Rock on Friday, September 18, 2020, at 305 W. Water Street in Fayette, Iowa. We will reveal the newly painted rock at 12:30PM followed by a short ceremony and draw a winner of the quilt (purchase a quilt ticket for $100 prior to the drawing to get your name in, all money will be used for the Freedom Rock expenses and no more than 50 tickets will be sold). Financial donations for the Fayette County Freedom Rock are still being collected (please make checks payable to the City of Fayette and write Freedom Rock on the check). Visit https://www.facebook.com/TheFreedomRock or https://www.thefreedomrock.com/ to learn more about the Freedom Rock Tour and the artist.

   This is a courtesy notice from Fayette City Hall.  A Planning and Zoning Commission meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, August 6^th at 6PM and will be held at Fayette Community Library in the Community Room (use back door).  The meeting is to discuss Andrew and Elissa Wenthe installing solar panels and a solar energy system near the 300 block of Jones Street (Parcel ID 1128200025, Parcel “AV” in parcel “E” in lot 5, blk 7, river addn to city of Fayette, survey bk 2010 pg 2689). Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting as the Planning and Zoning Commission decide whether to recommend or to not recommend the solar energy system to the Fayette City Council.  The Fayette City Council will receive the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation at an up-coming Council meeting.  At that time, the City Council will make the final decision whether to approve the solar energy system for Andrew and Elissa Wenthe. If you have any questions, you may contact Fayette City Hall at 563-425-4316.

CITY OF FAYETTE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA

Thursday, August 6, 2020

6 p.m.   Fayette Community Library (104 W. State Street) in the Community Room (please use back door)

1. Call meeting to order/Roll Call
2. Discussion and consideration in recommending Andrew and Elissa Wenthe to install a solar energy system near the 300 block of Jones Street (Parcel ID 1128200025, Parcel “AV” in parcel “E” in lot 5, blk 7, river addn to city of Fayette, survey bk 2010 pg 2689) to the Fayette City Council
3. Discussion and consideration in recommending to the Fayette City Council revising Chapter 162 of the Fayette City Code: Solar Energy Systems
4. Approve the meeting minutes from 6/30/2020
5. Discuss any other business
6. Adjourn

FAYETTE TREE BOARD AGENDA

Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.

Open Air Market Park (200 block of W. Water St.)

If inclement weather, meeting will be at Hofmeyer Law Office (231 S. Main St.)

1. Call the meeting to order
2. Review and approve minutes of 6/3/2020
3. Old Business
   1. Any names for new members
   2. Other
4. New Business
   1. Rich Patrick tree planting request
   2. Other
5. Set a date and time for next meeting
6. Adjourn

   This is a courtesy notice from Fayette City Hall.  A Planning and Zoning Commission meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 30^th at 6PM and will be held at Fayette Community Library in the Community Room (use back door).  The meeting is to discuss Upper Iowa University installing solar panels and a solar energy system near the 600 block of Wadena Road (Parcel “AC” in lots 5 & 6, Blk 6 & in lot 7 Blk 7, J.E. Robertson Add, Fayette, EX N 200’PCL”AC” measured from NW COR of PCL “AC” on Wadena Rd. Southward along W LN which grantor reserves & retains & EX N 36’ E 200’ PCL “AC” SE SW). A representative from Upper Iowa University will be present to discuss the project.  Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting as the Planning and Zoning Commission decide whether to recommend or to not recommend the solar energy system to the Fayette City Council.  The Fayette City Council will receive the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation at an up-coming Council meeting.  At that time, the City Council will make the final decision whether to approve the solar energy system for Upper Iowa University. If you have any questions, you may contact Fayette City Hall at 563-425-4316.

CITY OF FAYETTE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

6 p.m.   Fayette Community Library (104 W. State Street)

in the Community Room (please use back door)

1. Call meeting to order/Roll Call
2. Discussion and consideration in recommending Upper Iowa University install a solar energy system near the 600 block of Wadena Road (Parcel “AC” in lots 5 & 6, Blk 6 & in lot 7 Blk 7, J.E. Robertson Add, Fayette, EX N 200’PCL”AC” measured from NW COR of PCL “AC” on Wadena Rd. Southward along W LN which grantor reserves & retains & EX N 36’ E 200’ PCL “AC” SE SW) to the Fayette City Council
3. Approve the meeting minutes from 7/23/2019
4. Discuss any other business
5. Adjourn