Bronwyn's Council Review

As usual for the review, my comments are red and italicized in the context of the latest Council Preview by David Martin.
 

The Ames City Council meets on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m, at City Hall live! in-person! for the first time since March of 2020. As far as I know, there is currently no mechanism to address Council during in-person meetings using Zoom or other online services — if you would like to speak, then plan to attend. 

The agenda includes:

• 29. Progress Report from Sustainability Coordinator regarding FY 2020-21 Activities. The City of Ames has collaborated with Iowa State University on sustainability activities over the past eleven years with a contract for up to 1/4 of the ISU's Director of Sustainability's time. This report highlights the ongoing activities of this engagement including public education, supporting the Smart Business challenge, and coordinating the Rummage RAMPage, as well as helping to lead the City's Greenhouse Gas Inventory efforts last year and the Climate Action planning process now underway.
  (vide0)
  
  After a presentation by staff and some follow-up questions on our Food Waste Diversion program, Council accepted this report 6-0.
• 32. Hearing on Ada Hayden Heritage Park Fishing Pier Improvements. The accessible fishing pier at Ada Hayden Heritage Park has taken damage due to "ice jacking," which occurs when ice forms around the pilings, the water level increases, and the pilings heave. This estimated $225,753 project will reconstruct much of the pier and is expected to be completed this year.
  (video)
  
  This item was approved 6-0 and will be partially funded through savings (around $20k-worth) from the Emma McCarthy Lee bridge project.
• 33. Hearing on 2020/21 Multi-Modal Roadway Program (Vet Med Trail - S. 16th Street) - Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon. Improvements to the Vet Med Trail from S. 16th St. to the ISU Research Park continue with this estimated $150,269 contract for installation of a pedestrian hybrid beacon at the S. 16th St crossing.
  (video)
  
  This item passed 6-0, and will be an important improvement for pedestrian safety at the intersection of S 16th Street and the Vet Med Trail.
• 34. Hearing on Master Plan Amendment for 5571 Hyde Avenue (Hayden’s Preserve - formerly known as Rose Prairie)[Continued from May 11, 2021, and May 25, 2021]. In March, Council discussed some requests from the developers of Rose Prairie to amend their Master Plan and 2016 agreement with the City. Since then, the developers have renamed this land Hayden's Preserve and have further clarified and revised their requests. The changes include fewer multi-family units and more single-family units, but no overall change in unit density; more of a "treatment train" approach to stormwater treatment, in keeping with the intent of the conservation subdivision ordinance; elimination of an east-west street; relocation of a neighborhood park to the north end of the property (part of "parcel 14" shown below); reduction of sewer extension requirements; and more explicit triggers for completion of the north-south shared-use path along Hyde Avenue and an east-west path running through the property.
  (video)
  
  Several community members and members of the Friends of Ada Hayden attended the meeting to share their concerns about the effect any development might have on this area. While some of proposed changes found support (such as a larger park area and removal of a road), other concerns were raised, such as reducing biodiversity and adding impervious surfaces for swifter water run-off. After the public input, Council directed staff (6-0) to bring back information and pricing on a series of small shallow-water wetlands that could be installed to slow and improve water flowing through this area. The other approvals then passed 6-0.
  
  

Proposed Non-Rental Property Maintenance Code. While it's not on this meeting's agenda, this is a good opportunity to ask for comments prior to our June 15 workshop meeting on this topic. As stated in a City press release: "More than a decade ago, the City of Ames established standards applied to the exterior condition of rental housing in Chapter 13 of the Ames Municipal Code entitled 'Rental Housing.' However, these ordinances do not apply to owner-occupied residential, industrial, and commercial properties. The lack of standards has caused frustration on the part of property owners who feel the value of their neighborhood is being diminished because certain conditions continue. Additionally, rental property owners believe owner-occupied units should be held to the same exterior maintenance standards."

The Ames City Council invites public input regarding proposed exterior property maintenance standards at a workshop scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15 in the City Hall City Council Chambers. In addition, an online opportunity to provide feedback, along with details about the proposed ordinance, is available at www.CityOfAmes.org/PropertyMaintenanceCode.

Again, please do feel free to reach out via e-mail or attend tomorrow's workshop to give input on this topic.

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially.  This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action. 
(video)
 

• PRD Text Amendment. This letter asks the City to consider a text amendment allowing for additional "office and trade" uses in a Planned Residential District.
  This was referred to staff for a memo, 6-0.

• Crossing Safety Request. This letter asks the City to evaluate and improve pedestrian and cyclist safety at the intersection of Fletcher Blvd. and Bloomington Rd.
  This was also referred to staff for a memo, 6-0.

COUNCIL COMMENTS: (video)

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