David's Council Preview

The Ames City Council meets on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall. The agenda includes:
 

• 20. Staff Report regarding 321 State Avenue Subdivision Concepts. In December, Council voted to develop 321 State Avenue with a mix of market rate and at least 51% affordable homes, as originally planned, but also to include the consideration of multi-family apartment options at the site. Previous plans had not included apartments. In this agenda item, Council is being asked to determine lot layouts and the proportion of affordable housing versus market-rate housing for this site.  This is the first meeting where members of the public can address Council on this topic since the staff outreach to the neighborhood in January and February.
• 22. Mortensen Road Sidewalk Infill Update. In November, Council asked staff to contact property owners to encourage completion of the sidewalk and path network heading west on on Mortensen Rd from South Dakota. The property owners responded that they would voluntarily build their portions by July 2020, but now there are complications that could delay the completion until July 2021. Council is being asked to decide how to respond to this news.
  
  
   
• 24. Motion approving City Council Values, Goals, and Tasks for 2020/21. Council drafted a list of values and goals in January weekend meetings. In the meantime, staff created a list of tasks that are intended to accomplish those goals over a two-year period. Summarizing briefly, the new goals include: adopting new techniques to communicate and engage the public, increasing the diversity of housing stock, creating a downtown community space, coming together to build an indoor aquatic facility, creating a beautification master plan for community entryways and thoroughfares, improving inclusion and equity, and adopting a climate action plan. Of course, we will continue working on previous goals as well (such as the 321 State Avenue affordable housing site and Internet improvements).
• 25. Hearing on Maximum Property Tax Levy. This hearing allows members of the public to speak regarding the proposed general levy, transit levy, and police & fire retirement levy totaling $6.99654 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. This item will be followed by vote on a Resolution authorizing issuance of $13,865,000 Essential Corporate Purpose General Obligation and $9,635,000 General Obligation Refunding Bonds. The new bond issues fund a new ladder truck for the fire department, a sewer extension to the regional commercial area at 13th St. and I-35, and street improvements throughout town.
• 26. Hearing on Homewood Golf Course Clubhouse Project. Although the Clubhouse is coming in with a higher price tag than hoped for, staff recommends approving the contract and making up the difference by appropriating from the Park Development Fund. One novel aspect of the project is that the Ames Fire Department is planning to help with the removal of the old clubhouse using their own special expertise.
  
  
   
• 27. Hearing on Campustown Public Improvements (Welch Avenue). Sadly, bids for the reconstruction of the north part of Welch Avenue also came in over budget - by $1 million. Staff is recommending that the city re-bid it, separating out some components that are more optional, in hopes that we can still complete the bulk of the project this year.
• 29. Hearing on South Grand Avenue Extension (0.1 miles North of South 16th Street North 0.54 Miles to South 5th Street). The bids on the main north-south leg of the South Grand Avenue Extension have come in, and they're $3 million under estimate. This is the kind of agenda item that Council likes to see! Assuming we award the contract, construction could begin as early as April with completion in Fall of 2021.

Non-Agenda Packet: The following items are requests and communications to the council that are not on the agenda for full discussion.  This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically the council will ask city staff for more information (a memo), put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action. Council generally processes these requests and communications during the agenda portion called "Disposition of Communications to Council." 

• 2030 Country Club. The applicant appears to be asking for an exception in order to widen a residential driveway.
• Broadband Performance Data Reports. Responding to a Council request, the City Attorney explains that the FCC has preempted City regulation of broadband service by cable providers.
• Emerald Ash Borer Response Plan Update. This staff report explains the efforts undertaken over the past five years and plans going forward to continue managing the Emerald Ash Borer's impact on local Ash trees, including removal and replacement costs and lessons learned. "If insect population growth and ash tree mortality in Ames is similar to what other Midwestern communities experience, we can expect that from 2023 to 2030 almost one hundred percent of existing untreated ash trees will die." The plan calls for the removal of 2,355 ash trees in the City Parks & Cemeteries (563) and City right-of-way (1,792) over a twenty-year period. The photo below shows an afflicted Ash tree on Clark Avenue.
  
  

Thanks for reading,
David Martin
Ames City Council, Ward 3