Rachel's Council Review

As usual for the review, my comments are in red and italicized in the context of the latest Council Preview by Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen. 
 

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

• 30 Renaming the Ames Municipal Airport to James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport.
  This is the final step in naming our airport the James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport. Costs associated with new signage will be $7400. As a recap, J.H. Banning was the first black pilot licensed by the Dept. of Commerce and lived in Ames for a time while he studied electric engineering at then Iowa State College. After graduation, he operated an auto repair shop in Ames, but eventually left Iowa to be an instructor at a flight school in Los Angeles. Ames presumably kept a place in his heart, though, as he went on to name his plane Miss Ames. In 1932, he and fellow aviator Thomas Cox Allen became the first African American pilots to fly across the United States. Banning died in 1933 in an accident at an air show in San Diego. 
  Council moved to adopt the resolution renaming the airport and authorize funding from the Council Contingency fund for Airport signage changes. The motion passed 5-1 (Gartin voting nay).
• 31. Resolution naming the Downtown Plaza as Steven L. Schainker Plaza.
  At our last meeting, at the suggestion of the Mayor, Council directed staff to prepare a resolution naming the currently-under-construction downtown plaza the Steven L. Schainker Plaza in honor of his 40+ years with the City.
  Council moved to name the plaza the Steven L. Schainker Plaza, 6-0. 
• 32. Motion approving/denying renewal of Class E Liquor License with Class B Wine Permit, Class C Beer Permit (Carryout Beer) and Sunday Sales – Neighborhood Liquor & Smokes, 3505 Lincoln Way Suite 105.
  After a number of failed compliance checks (and complaints), staff are recommending denying the 12-month liquor license renewal for Neighborhood Liquor & Smokes. 
  After listening to public comment and considering the staff report and recommendation, council moved to deny renewal of the liquor license 6-0.
• 33. Staff Report on Downtown URA Criteria.
  Council was asked by the Chamber to consider changing the criteria for our Downtown Facade Grant program. This staff report gives several options, ranging from no changes to allowing some changes in eligibility if the building already meets the facade criteria. 
  Council moved to modify the existing program to offer three-, five-, and ten-year options with the same criteria in place. The motion passed 6-0. Then council moved for staff to explore Option Three (offer abatement if the building has a compliant historic façade or includes improvements to the façade consistent with the existing Downtown guidelines) and do outreach on Option Four (abatement for specific uses) to gage interest of downtown stakeholders in identifying targeted options. The motion also asked staff to create a definition for "compliant historic façade" and to disqualify projects that include demolition from the tax abatement program. The motion passed 6-0.
• 34. Resolution approving Urban Renewal Area Plan for 2105 and 2421 North Dayton Avenue (small lot industrial subdivision).
  This URA (Urban Renewal Area) is the next step in the process of incentivizing the creation of a small-lot industrial subdivision off of North Dayton Ave. 
  
  Council moved to initiate proceedings for creating the Urban Renewal Area, 6-0.
   
• 35. Ansley Subdivision (3210 Cedar Lane).
  This subdivision, located in south Ames, will include 122 residential lots with a mix of single-family homes and townhomes, and a commercial lot. The developer has reached an agreement with Xenia for Ames to provide water to this area, and this project will also include a link to the Tedesco Connector Trail.
  
  Council moved to approve the agreement to accept the transfer of approximately 59.7 acres of land for Ansley development from Xenia Rural Water to City of Ames, 6-0. Then council moved to approve the Preliminary Plat for Ansley Subdivision with a conditional waiver, 6-0.

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.
 

• Run for the Roses letter.
  This item was for information only and no council action was required.
• Naming of the plaza.
  Council considered this letter as part of agenda item 31.
• Garfield Ave safety concern.
  Council moved to refer this item to Public Works staff for a memo, 6-0.
• Ped activated warning lights.
  Council moved to refer this item to Public Works staff for a memo, 6-0.
• AIPCA letter to city council.
  Council took no action on this letter at this time.
• Aqua programs Green Hills.
  This item was for information only and no council action was required.

Thanks for reading,

Rachel Junck

Ames City Council, Ward 4