Rachel's Council Review

As usual for the review, my comments are red and italicized in the context of the latest Council Preview by Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen. Bronwyn was not able to call-in for this meeting, so all vote totals are out of 5. 
 

The Ames City Council meets on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall.  The agenda includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 32. Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center further discussion of indoor aquatic center site.
  Council will be hearing more public input on this topic, as well as reviewing updated information regarding the DOT site cleanup options such as state and federal funding eligibility. 
  Council learned about three potential funding options to offset expenses related to the contamination of the DOT site, as well as considered public input from many residents who spoke at the meeting. A decision about the potential indoor aquatic center sites will be made at the August 23rd council meeting. 
• 35. Request for waiver of Platting Authority in the Urban Fringe at Hidden Creek Farm, LLC in Story County.
  This item addresses a request to allow a subdivision at the corner of 190th and Hyde Ave, for the purposes of building a church there. Staff recommending denying the request to allow time to do a more thorough review. 
  Council discussed and decided it would be warranted for city staff to do a full review of the development rather than waiving our subdivision authority. Council moved to deny the applicants request 5-0. 
• 36. Discussion on procedure to rename the Ames Municipal Airport.
  This item involves a memo from staff outlining a naming policy, as well as detailing potential costs for renaming the airport (around $7,500).
  Council moved to place the renaming of the Ames Municipal Airport after James Herman Banning on a future agenda for further discussion. The motion passed 5-0. 
• 40. Hearing on Rezoning, with Master Plan, 798 North 500th Avenue from “A” (Agricultural) to “FS-RL” (FloatingSuburbanResidential Low Density)[Continued from June 28, 2022, from July 12, 2022, and from July 26, 2022].
  This item is a hearing which was opened on June 28th, but was continued until this meeting.
  Council approved the rezoning agreement and first reading of the ordinance rezoning with Master Plan for the site (5-0).

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.
 

• Winkleblack Request.
  Council moved to place the letter from Mr. Winkleblack on a future agenda for discussion (5-0).
• End of Season Hours at Furman Aquatic Center.
  Council took no action on this item.
• Whattoff 
  Council directed staff to respond to Ms. Whattoff with what has already been done in the past and suggestions for what to do with any future problems (5-0).

Thanks for reading,

Rachel Junck
Ames City Council, Ward 4