Bronwyn's Council Review

As usual for the review, my comments will be in red and italicized. 

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

• 16. Resolution approving request to modify City’s FY 2019/20 ASSET Contract with Emergency Residence Project to transfer $6,569.31 in funds from Service Coordination to Emergency Shelter services. As stated in the report: the Emergency Residence Project (ERP) has exhausted the City’s current ASSET allocation for Emergency Shelter in the amount of $76,909 as of February 2020. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, ERP has temporarily closed its shelter and is serving a limited number of individuals in hotel rooms in order to appropriately provide social distancing. As a result, there are increased costs due to the utilization of hotel rooms while staff continues providing contact, delivering food, and discussing alternative housing plans with clients. I understand the requested funds were already made available to ERP by City staff due to the urgency of this need. In this agenda item, Council is being asked to give our final approval for the transfer of $6,569.31 from a previously approved allocation to extend their shelter services in the current budget year.
  
  Which brings me to another point. If you're able, please consider making a donation to help people in need during this difficult period. The United Way of Story County is maintaining a COVID-19 resource site providing both resources and lists of groups that could use assistance. While the United Way is not part of the City government, they're an important partner and they can help put your abilities to good use. 
  
  This item passed 6-0 as part of the Consent Agenda.
• 21. Resolution waiving Purchasing Policies and approving a sole source purchase of GRIDSMART Traffic Intersection Camera Systems from General Traffic Controls of Spencer, Iowa, in an amount not to exceed $271,825. This is cool technology: fish-eye lens cameras suspended above intersections coupled to image understanding software that determines who is waiting where to help with traffic flow.  The previous best comparable technology I was aware of used radar to detect vehicles and bicycles. I am interested in the privacy and public availability of the video feeds and the data derived from them.
  
  This item passed 6-0 as part of the Consent Agenda.
• 37. Resolution approving Preliminary Plat for Wheelock Corner Subdivision located at 1499 South Dayton Avenue. A developer is requesting to create commercial lots at the corner of SE 16th St. and South Dayton Ave. Staff's recommendation to Council, based on conditions requested by the Planning and Zoning Commission, is to approve the proposal with a condition that the owner agree to a conservation easement to preserve the oak woodlands on the west end of the property, along with a flood plain permit requirement. 
  
  The commercial lots being proposed are in the floodway fringe, meaning that they're likely to take water during the so-called 100-year flood. Generally speaking, the City will consider approving development in the floodway fringe as long as buildings are constructed three feet above the base flood elevation. That extra elevation is believed to be enough to protect the property; some owners build even higher than that. Those building footprints also will of course force water to go elsewhere during a flood, but my understanding is that since the floodplain apron as a whole is vastly larger than the sum total of all floodplain buildings, allowing floodplain development is not believed to meaningfully worsen flooding in the city. But that's also a general proposition. Obviously, the water that's displaced because a building is in the way is likely to go somewhere pretty close to the building, at least for a while. Any actual development upon the approved lots will require additional flood permits, so that will be an opportunity for a closer look at possible flood effects of specific buildings.
  
  In the image below (which I made based on the staff report attachment), I blurred the area outside of the requested development area, which is smaller than the environmental impact study area outlined in red. The yellow hashed territory is "developing wetland mosaic," likely the result of land compaction due to agricultural use.​  (video)
  
  Alternative 1 (to approve the Preliminary Plat with a condition that a Conservation Easement be put in place) was approved 6-0.
  
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• 38. Resolution awarding contract with United Public Safety of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, for parking enforcement hardware and software. The old parking ticket writing system needs to be replaced. The staff's recommended provider has the cheapest ongoing expense among the competitors, but that's largely because they intend to make money by charging $3 convenience fees to people who choose to pay their parking tickets online. However, if Council adopts this option, there would be no new fees to those who pay their tickets in person or by mail. (video)
  
  This resolution passed 6-0.
  
  39. Motion providing direction to staff regarding future workshops. Council will make a decision regarding the scheduling and topics of future workshops. Workshops are Council meetings where we do deeper dives into fewer topics. (video)
  
  This item also passed 6-0, with the understanding that we will continue to reassess the effectiveness of our electronic meetings if they are still necessary as the year progresses. Our next workshop will be next Tuesday, and will address the Ames Plan 2040 and the Future Land Use Map.

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."  (video)

• AmesMainStreetLandscapingRequest.pdf. Ames Main Street is requesting funding for downtown beautification.
  
  Council moves to view this request with the rest of the funding requests we expect to see  from Human Service agencies and other recipients of City funding (at the April 28th Council meeting). Passes 6-0
• VickyMartyAUFPAmendment.pdf. The applicant is requesting an Ames Urban Fringe Plan amendment to accommodate an existing business.
  
  Council moves for a memo from the Planning Dept, 6-0

Council Comments (video):

Additional topic: Forward 2045. This virtual meeting website, available through Tuesday April 14, is an opportunity for the public to learn about the vision and goals for the Ames Area transportation system, as well as review, comment, and provide ideas (big or small) on potential alternatives and strategies. What should our transportation and traffic priorities should be in the years to come? (Pro tip: most of this presentation's "pages" are orientation and teaching. Opportunities to provide comment are available in pages 6, 9, and 14. You'll also be able to see comments that other people have already submitted.)

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, At Large