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For Immediate Release – February 23, 2026

LOCATION: Manchester, Iowa

Contact: Sarah Maurer, sarah.maurer@gnbbank.com – 563-608-5522

Community Survey on Housing Needs Announced

The City of Manchester has begun working with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach on a program to help improve housing in the area.  The Rural Housing Readiness Assessment program, or RHRA, has been implemented in over 60 rural communities across Iowa and has won numerous awards for assisting communities in the development of housing action plans.  

The program begins with a self-assessment of the community that collects relevant plans, studies, resolutions and ordinances.  As part of this assessment, input from the wider community is sought to help highlight housing needs from residents and people who travel to Manchester to work.  Feedback from the survey will assist the Housing Committee develop priorities in the city’s action plan.  Survey results will be included in the final report from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, along with all of the presentation materials, a detailed action plan and relevant resources to support those efforts.

The City of Manchester would like to invite all residents to participate in the online survey, which takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.  The survey can be found at either the link or the English/Inglés: Online Survey Software | Qualtrics Survey Solutions

Spanish/Español: https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4OvOHOkUS1HKj2K

For more information about the program, please contact the city of Manchester at 563-927-3636

Garbage & Recycling

SET OUT TIME: 6:00 A.M.

PICKUP: Trash is picked up weekly on your scheduled day. Recycling is picked up every other week on your scheduled day. Keep a 4-foot clearance around the can to allow the robotic arm to work properly. Avoid setting can by mailboxes, other cans, shrubs, fences, or other obstructions. 

Place can so handles are toward the house and lid with arrow pointing toward the street.

For specific questions regarding your recycling or garbage pickup, please contact:

Phone: 866-525-4506

Website: https://kluesnersanitation.com/manchester-trash-pickup-and-recycling/

(Visit the website above for calendars and more information)

Additional Information

• Holidays: Services will only be affected if the holiday lands on your collection day. Collection will be the day after the holiday. Holidays include New Years Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
• Extra Garbage/Large Items: Call Kluesner Sanitation to arrange for the pickup and payment of extra garbage, large items, construction debris, electronics, etc.
• Hazardous Waste & Metals: Please contact the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency at 563.557.8220.
• Maintenance/Repair of Trash/Recycling Can: Trash & Recycling cans are owned by Kluesner Sanitation and are assigned to your address. Contact Kluesner Sanitation for any concerns regarding your trash or recycling container.
• Start & Stop Service: All residents living within the city limits, with an active water account, are billed for garbage and recycling pickup. Service begins when a water account is activated. Service stops when an account is deactivated.
• Missed Collections: Garbage and recycling must be placed at the curb no later than 7:00 a.m. on the designated pickup day. The hauler will not return to pick up late set-outs.

Garbage or Recycling?

GLASS is considered garbage.

TEXTILES

• Recycle: NONE. Clean, gently used clothing may be donated to a local organization or charity
• Garbage: all soiled, torn, unusable clothing, shoes or bedding, stuffed animals, pillows, leather, nylon

BATTERIES

• Recycle: NONE. mercury, silver or lithium batteries, nickel-cadmium and lead-acid batteries are considered hazardous waste and are only accepted at the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA)
• Garbage: alkaline, non-rechargeable batteries

The Manchester City Council meeting on Monday night included

a warm farewell and the official swearing-in of elected leaders for the upcoming term. 

Mayor Behnken presented outgoing City Councilperson Linda Schmitt with a Certificate of Appreciation, acknowledging her dedicated service as Councilperson At-Large. 

The ceremony marked the beginning of new terms for three officials:

• City Clerk Erin Learn administered the Oath of Office to Mayor Connie Behnken for her new term, which runs from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2029.
• Mayor Behnken then swore in City Councilperson Mary Ann Poynor, who will continue to represent Ward 1 for a term running through December 31, 2029.
• Finally, Mayor Behnken swore in City Councilperson Diane Hammell, who will serve the City as a Councilperson At-Large.

The regular meetings of the Manchester City Council are scheduled for the second & fourth Mondays of the month at 5:00pm.
Meetings are held at Council Chambers, 204 East Main Street.

The City of Manchester is leveraging the power of Internet to radically improve the governance process while saving time, taxpayer dollars and the environment. The eGovernance initiative replaced the old and costly method of compiling, printing, binding and distributing paper agenda packets by hand. The remarkably powerful, easy-to-use solution enables the City to maximize the effectiveness of their Council meetings with increased transparency, providing a basis for better and more open communication with the public, while dramatically increasing productivity and saving thousands of dollars annually.

The paperless meeting solution, called CivicPlus, is a 100% Web-based service. By making meeting agendas and supporting documents available on the internet, the City of Manchester will be able distribute documents associated with City Council meetings more quickly and efficiently, at a dramatically reduced cost to the City.

Electronic distribution not only saves time and resources, it will also provide unprecedented public access via the City's website to agenda items and other council-related information. This process allows interested parties to review information prior to council meetings. All documents associated with the meeting are automatically archived and can be accessed by meeting date or by using the system's comprehensive search feature.

The new features can be accessed via the City's website by clicking on CivicPlus. For questions regarding the new initiatives, please contact the City Office at 563.927.3636.