The Ames City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall.   The regular council meeting agenda includes the following.
 

• 14. Resolution approving the 28E Agreement between the City of Ames, Story County and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship for the Dotson Wetland Project.
  This project, in partnership with IDALS, Story County, and Ducks Unlimited, will create a 20+ acre wetland, which will serve to filter a drainage district of 2,200 acres before that water then passes into Ioway Creek. Currently, this runoff flows directly into Ioway Creek sans any wetland filtration. The nitrogen mass removal rate of this wetland system is estimated to be 22,000 pounds annually.

• 20. Follow Up to Short Term Housing Task Force Request for Residential Tax Abatement Incentives.
  For this item, staff are seeking direction on how and if Council would like to pursue a tax abatement program for residential home construction. (The City has several tax abatement programs already, but none that specifically target residential home construction.) Staff pose several issues to consider, including the time frame of abatement, and whether we could consider building types other than single family detached and attached housing.

• 21. Discussion of additional questions for the 2024 Resident Satisfaction Survey.
  In preparation for our 2024 Resident Satisfaction Survey, we will be reviewing last year's survey and suggesting any edits or additions.

• 24. 2024 Urban Revitalization Tax Abatement Requests.
  Two properties applied for tax abatement for 2024 tax assessments, one in the Downtown URA (Urban Revitalization area) and one in the East University-Impacted URA. Both these properties meet the criteria for the URAs they are in. 

• 25. Request to Initiate a Comprehensive Plan Land Use Designation Change and Rezoning to Residential for Properties in the Iowa State University Research Park on University Boulevard.
  26. Request to Initiate a Zoning Text Amendment to Allow Mixed Use Residential Development within the ISURP.
  Both these items are related to a request from the ISU Research Park to consider a land-use and zoning change for two parcels of land (3200 and 3300 University Blvd) to the east and northeast of the Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor. Staff recommend considering this request for the parcel located at 3300 Univ. Blvd., but list some issues with the parcel at 3200 which would require extra consideration before proceeding.

• 25. Amendments to Ames Municipal Code Chapter 29 (ZONING ORDINANCE) to allow Two-Family (DUPLEX) Dwellings in Single Family and Other Residential Zoning Districts.
  In October of last year, Council directed staff to proceed in drafting the necessary changes to allow duplexes in more residential zones. This agenda item is the next step in that process. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-1 in support of the proposed changes. There is some potential legislation at the State level that might affect a City's ability to enforce certain design standards, so staff recommend waiting until more is known about those potential changes before the third reading and adoption of these changes.

   

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.

• Sidewalks.

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1