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. There is currently no mechanism to address Council during our live meetings using Zoom or other online services; if you would like to speak, then please plan to attend.

The agenda includes:
 

• 5. Motion setting salaries for Council appointees and 12. Resolution approving 2021-2022 Pay Plan. While Council previously allocated funds in the 2021-2022 budget for new pay rates, budgeting is not itself a pay change. These actions will actually set the rates. Council directly appoints only two employees: the City Manager and the City Attorney. These appointees have in turn recommended the pay rates for other positions in the City, taking long-standing and complicated human resources policy and union agreements into account. 
  
  This item passed as part of the consent agenda, 6-0.
• 36. Consideration of Initiating an Application for Voluntary Annexation of 28.43 acres of land located along N. 500th Avenue (Parcel No. 0906300120) immediately adjacent to the Ames City Limits. The City has received a voluntary annexation application for property located north of Sunset Ridge in West Ames. (This is completely separate from the 80/20 annexation that was recently approved by the Council for land west of Sunset Ridge on Lincoln Way.) The developer intends to develop single-family detached homes on this property within the next two years. The current Ames Urban Fringe Plan and Land Use Policy Plan designations would allow for this. It appears that the requested annexation might benefit from annexing some adjoining properties as well, but it's currently unknown whether those property owners would support being annexed. Therefore, staff is recommending that Council authorize them to contact these neighboring properties to gauge their interest before proceeding with a vote on whether to initiate the requested annexation.
  
  Council voted 5-0-1 (Gartin abstaining) to direct staff to reach out to the neighboring properties to gauge their interest in being a part of voluntary annexation before proceeding with the initiation of annexation.
  
  
   
• 37. Hearing on Prairie View Industrial Center Utility Extension Project. Without water and sewer, the Prairie View Industrial Center won't attract much industry. In 2020, the lowest bid received last year for construction of these utilities would have cost $2.5 million more than expected. Since then, the City revised the project specifications to phase the construction and has sought additional revenue sources. Working with the Ames Economic Development Commission, the City secured a $1.5 million Economic Development Administration Grant. Since then, the federal American Rescue Plan Act has designated substantial funds that are enough to complete the project. In this meeting, staff seeks a Council decision as to whether to continue funding the project in phases, or to build out the entire infrastructure now. Since construction costs appear to be abnormally high this year, staff is recommending sticking with the phased approach.
  
  Council voted 5-1 (Gartin voting Nay) to proceed with utilities to 580th, and to use the aforementioned Rescue Plan funding.
• 38. Hearing on 2018/19 Main Street Pavers - Burnett to Kellogg. The City has already replaced the 20 year old pavers on Main Street between Clark and Burnett. This next phase will continue replacing them on the next block. In addition, the City is recommending buying all of the pavers needed to complete the project all the way to Duff Avenue so we don't end up with a shortage or mismatch when we move on to the later construction phases. By the way, it appears that de-icing chemicals have really taken a toll on the pavers over the years. Staff is planning educational efforts to promote voluntary compliance in reducing the de-icing chemicals.
  
  This item passed 6-0, and staff again mentioned educational efforts to teach downtown business owners about the damaged caused by de-icing chemicals.
• 40. First passage of ordinance regarding Chapter 23 (Subdivision) Text Amendments (second and third readings and adoption requested). Council previously supported a staff request for updates to the City's Subdivision code relating to conveyance parcels and other relatively technical changes. The changes are intended to benefit applicants for development as well as City staff that process the development applications. The Planning and Zoning Commission has unanimously recommended approval. Additionally, staff "recommends that the City Council proceed with all three readings on June 22, 2021 to approve the ordinance. A handful of customers have made inquiries about projects that would benefit with saved time and effort related to the proposed changes and they would like to start immediately if possible. The changes are principally related to administration and application requirements and do not create new limitations or process for applicants that would normally benefit from additional time for review over the course of three City Council meetings."
  
  This item passed 6-0 on all three readings and adoption.

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. 
 

• LUPP Map Change Request. This letter requests permission to apply for a change to the Land Use Policy Plan map for the former Facilities Management and Planning building of the Ames Community School District at 1621 Wilson Ave, in order to support exploration of attached housing or other multifamily possibilities at this location.
  
  This item was referred to staff for a memo, 6-0.

• PRD Text Amendment. This staff memo describes the context of a previously received request for a text amendment allowing for additional "office and trade" uses in a Planned Residential District.
  
  This item was placed on a future agenda with a vote of 6-0.

• Subdivision within Ames Urban Fringe. A property owner within the Ames Urban Fringe writes asking Council to accommodate a subdivision request.
  
  This item was referred to staff for a memo 5-0-1 (Gartin abstaining).

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