Bronwyn's Council Preview

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.
 

• 17. Resolution awarding contract to the State Hygienic Laboratory of Coralville, Iowa for water quality monitoring at Ada Hayden Heritage Park in the amount of $79,872  .
  The last water quality study at Ada Hayden was conducted in 2017/18, and the City aims to test every 5-7 years so it is time again. On a related note, we sometimes get questions about Ada Hayden being our backup drinking supply and how exactly that would work. Basically, if our aquifer were to run low, we would release water from Ada Hayden while simultaneously damming up the Skunk River, causing the excess water to seep back into the aquifer and refill it. This is one of several reasons that we keep such a close eye on the water quality of Ada Hayden.
• 35. Resolution approving road closures for RAGBRAI Route.
  Oh boy, RAGBRAI! RAGBRAI will be stopping overnight in Ames on Tuesday, July 25th. This year marks the 50th Anniversary celebration of RAGBRAI, and a special record breaking attempt (most people on one day of an organized bike ride) will be held on Wednesday, the day bikers travel from Ames to Des Moines. Organizers expect up to 100,000 riders may join for the 50 mile ride from Ames to Des Moines. The following map shows the proposed road closures for Tuesday all day and Wednesday morning.
  
   
• 38. The Bluffs at Dankbar Farms. Resolution approving agreement and Resolution approving Preliminary Plat.
  This is a continuation of an item from April 11th, approving rezoning to a PRD (Planned Residential Development) at the southwest corner of the intersection of GW Carver and Cameron School Rd.
  
   
• 39. Downtown Façade Grants .
  One eligible grant application was received for facade improvements at 214 Main St., with $5,000 requested from the facade grant. 

• 40. Amendment to the Downtown Façade Grant Program.
  Staff are recommending some small changes to our facade programs (one in Campustown, one in Downtown). The changes recommended by staff include increasing the maximum grant amount to $23,000 and increasing the amount that can be awarded for design services in the Downtown area to $2,000 per grant.

• 41. Ames Plan 2040.
  Staff are recommending some small edits and text corrections to our comprehensive plan. For example, the plan references our recently-expired 28E Fringe Plan agreement, so staff will change the language to modify that section of the Plan 2040 (yet allow for a potential future agreement). Other changes include language to better describe apartments and townhomes, and some slight map modifications to the Rural Character category.
  

• 46. Hearing on Nuisance Assessments.
  The following items occur when a property owner is reported for a nuisance, doesn't respond to a warning, and doesn't pay their bill. For example, if someone doesn't clear the snow from their sidewalk after 10 daylight hours following a snow event, they might be reported. After they are reported, notice is sent to a property owner, and they have 24 hours to clear the sidewalk. If they still haven't cleared it, the City may send someone to clear it and send the property owner the bill. The following properties being assessed have not yet paid the bill for the clearing of sidewalks, so these are sent to the County Treasurer to be paid in the same manner as property taxes. 
  (Nuisances and other errors, such as a downed electrical line or bad street light, can be reported by calling City Hall or through the Ames On the Go app. This app is super handy, and allows you to submit pictures and receive notification when an item has been addressed.)

  • Resolution assessing costs of snow/ice removal and certifying assessments to Story County Treasurer.

  • Resolution assessing costs of sidewalk repair and certifying assessments to Story County Treasurer.

  • Resolution assessing cost of garage demolition and certifying assessments to Story County Treasurer.

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.
 

• Exisiting buildings on Sands McDorman property.
• Parking lot paving unimproved parking lots.
• Preview of workshop.
• Required mnimum parking space text amendment.
• Hayes Avenue.
• LVS Farm property.
• Parkgin text amendment request.
• Linc project.

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