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 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.
 

• 30. Cyclone Welcome Weekend. Resolution nuisance party violations  and resolution towing of vehicles.
  Like last year, Council is considering increased fines for nuisance parties (up to $650 from $100 for a first violation) and immediate towing on the weekend known colloquially as “801 Day” aka Cyclone Welcome Weekend. (The weekend before classes begin in the fall.) These  were generally seen as successful last year. (For nuisance parties, it is helpful to note that a few warnings are typically given before that violation is issued.) 
  Council passed the two resolutions to authorize enhanced penalties for nuisance party violations and allow immediate towing of vehicles during Cyclone Welcome Weekend, 6-0.
• 31. Resolution approving request for City Council to allocate $10,000 for ribbon-cutting event at the James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport in conjunction with Juneteenth activities.
  This item is to approve the allocation of up to $10,000 from the Council Contingency Fund for a ribbon cutting and celebration of the newly renamed James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport.
  Council voted to approve the allocation of council contingency funds for the ribbon cutting event, 5-1 (Gartin voting nay).
• 32. Staff update on the Steven L. Schainker Plaza.
  Originally, the design for the plaza across from City Hall included a water runnel (basically a very shallow concrete trough with water running through it). Due to our desire to conserve and recirculate water, the State considers this a pool and code requirements are too cost prohibitive. Staff are recommending a spray pad instead of the runnel, at a cost of an additional $17k or so.
  Council voted to move forward with replacing the water runnel with a horizontal spray pad, 6-0.
• 33. Staff Report on Infill Discussion Follow Up.
  As part of our goal to promote infill (thus controlling sprawl), Council directed staff to research a number of related topics. Staff are reporting back on ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units). Accessory Dwelling Units are a second living space on a property, usually separate from the original dwelling…they might include converted garages, above-garage spaces, or separate small buildings (sometimes called granny flats). Staff are reporting back on several elements of ADUs. It turns out that about 23% of single-family homes in Ames are already under a covenant prohibiting seconds units (in many HOAs, for example). 
  Staff recommended the following actions as a place for council to start in creating an allowance for second units: 
  
  - Allow for ADUs and Duplexes as new construction only, city-wide. 
  - Allow properties with ADUs to have only one rental Letter of Compliance (LOC) 
  - Within Near Campus Neighborhoods treat ADUs as accessory only, not a new unit 
  - Allow for ADUs to have a maximum of one bedroom, meaning no dens, office, or extra rooms that would qualify as a bedroom. 
  - Require 1 parking space per ADU and require the property overall to comply with total required parking for the home and ADU, meaning three parking spaces. 
  - Apply design standards to duplexes for single-family compatibility. 
  - Apply standards ADUS uniformly for all buildings rather than create exceptions uniquely for ADUs.
  
  This list would then be used as a framework to draft standards and receive public feedback on this as an incremental approach to start allowing for additional units, as duplexes or ADUs. Council voted to move forward with the recommended actions 5-1 (Gartin voting nay). Gartin moved to have staff create an ADU approval process through the ZBA, but the motion died due to lack of a second.
• 34. Plat of Survey for 220 & 420 South Teller Avenue and 5810 & 5898 East Lincoln Way (Wyffels Hybrids).
  Council moved to approve the Plat of Survey and Dedication of the Right of Way, 6-0. There was then some council discussion about whether to waive, defer, or require Wyffels Hybrids to put in a sidewalk along Teller Ave. This area does not currently have any other developments, so the sidewalk would not connect to anything else. Council moved to approve a waiver of financial security with two conditions: 1) that Wyffels will grant a sidewalk easement across the frontage of Teller Ave, and 2) that they will enter into an agreement for the future construction of a sidewalk along the Teller Frontage of parcels D and E, based upon triggers of sidewalk connections or plans of the city, and the signed agreement must be returned prior to occupancy of a structure on parcel D. The motion passed 6-0.
• 35. Hearing on City of Ames Budget and Property Tax Levy.
  The budget and property tax levy for FY 2023/24 were approved 6-0. If you are interested in how these issues were affected by the state legislature this spring, there is an excellent breakdown on pages 3, 4, and 5 of the staff report.
• 36. Hearing on Zoning Text Amendment on Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Setbacks.
  Council approved the first passage of this ordinance, 6-0.
• 37. Hearing on Zoning Text Amendment on Affordable Housing Parking Requirements.
  Council approved the first passage of this ordinance, 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.
 

• Vogel husing development .
• Homeowner permits memo .
  These two communications were considered together, and were referred to staff for a memo, 6-0.
• Traffic in campustown and west .
  This item was referred to staff for a memo, 6-0.
• Fireblocking memo .
  This item was taken under advisement by council, and no action was taken at this time.
• Parking code for Overflow Thrift Store .
  This item was referred to staff for a memo, 6-0.

Thanks for reading,

Rachel Junck

Ames City Council, Ward 4