Bronwyn's Council Preview

The City Council meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. this Tuesday at city hall. The agenda includes (but is not limited to):

• 39. Resolution of support for Healthy Life Center.

  • As I stated in the last supplemental newsletter e-mail, Council has indicated broad support for the Healthy Life Center since the concept was introduced, and is now being asked to pass a resolution reiterating our support.
     

  • More information on the Health Life Center can be found here.
    
    

• 40. Resolution approving/motion denying request from Iowa State University to collaborate and co-brand the Principles of Community for inclusion in public buildings and make the campaign available to private organizations that are asked to participate.

  • Iowa State University adopted these Principles of Community in 2007, and is now asking the city to collaborate by adopting and marketing them too. The Principles include; Respect, Freedom from Discrimination, Richness of Diversity, Honest and Respectful Expression of Ideas, Purpose, and Cooperation.

  • The City could collaborate by marketing and publishing these values in public buildings, online, or in publications.

• 42. Update on changes to Rental Code and Discussion regarding adding carbon monoxide detectors to requirements.

  • Council asked staff to pursue three changes to the rental code. These include:

    • Making illegal rentals ineligible for an LOC (rental permit)

    • Include a provision for Rent Abatement that staff can use in their toolbox for addressing rental code compliance

    • Freeze the number of recognized bedrooms for all properties in the near-campus neighborhoods

  • Council also asked staff to bring back some options for requiring CO detectors in rental properties, which will be discussed with the aforementioned rental code issues.

• 43. Fleet Services B100 Pilot Program; to reduce vehicle carbon and NOx gas emissions by year round use of 100% biodiesel (B100) in selected City vehicles.

  • This proposal would involve converting 5 snow plow dump trucks to biodiesel for a pilot program that has the potential to reduce carbon emissions produced by said vehicles. B100, or biodiesel, has a similar fuel economy to the standard #2 diesel, but a carbon output which is lower. The City's commitment would involve purchasing the biodiesel from REG, one of the companies proposing this pilot (along with Optimus Technologies, a maker of diesel conversion technology).
     

• 44. Resolution approving/motion denying Preliminary Plat for Iowa State University Research Park Phase Four, 1st Addition (3898 University Boulevard and 3499 South Riverside Drive).

  • This item involves a preliminary plat for Phase 4 at the Research Park, which would create 6 additional developable lots and one outlot. 
    
    
     

• 45. Discussion of Vacation Rentals (Tabled from July 23, 2019).

  • This item is back on our agenda, having been tabled last time because a Council member was absent. As I wrote last time: "Vacation lodging refers to short-term lodging without the owner occupying the home, such as an Airbnb where the house is unoccupied unless it is being rented. Currently this class of short-term lodging is not allowed in residential zones. Staff have a number of suggestions for ways to limit the number of such homes, if we do decide to allow them. Suggestions include separation distances, or limiting this use to medium or high density zones, among other suggestions."

• 48. Hearing on 415 Stanton Avenue Contract Rezoning Agreement.

  • This item is in regards to the old Crawford school building, which was developed into a senior-living facility. The developer is asking now that 20% of the units be allowed to be sold to buyers who are under 55 years of age. 

• 49. Hearing on Amendment to Adaptive Reuse/Major Site Development Plan for North Grand Mall located at 2801 Grand Avenue.

  • This proposal involves reducing some of the parking at the North Grand Mall to make way for more retail space at the corner of 30th and Grand Ave.
    
    
    

Non-Agenda Packet: The following items are requests and communications to the council that are not on the agenda.  This includes staff reports and communications/request from constituents/developers. By tradition the council can ask city staff for more information (a report), put the item on a future agenda for discussion or just accept the communication (taking no further action). This usually takes place at the end of the meeting during council comments.
 

• Mainstream Living 
  • Mainstream is requesting the City sell them a property at 1417 Douglas Avenue for the construction of a group living home.
• ABC-Letter.
  • The Ames Bicycle Coalition is requesting the City consider "Share the Road" signs in a few locations throughout Ames.

Thanks for reading,

Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen

At-Large Council Member