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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA013 - Council Action Form dated May 22, 2007 - Item 16a-c R ITEM # DATE May 22 2007 COUNCIL ACTION FORM SUBJECT: OUTDOOR AQUATIC FACILITY BACKGROUND: Based upon an extensive community outreach effort, on May 8, 2007 the Parks and Recreation Commission presented the City Council with the following recommendations related to the development of an outdoor aquatic center: 1. Establish Tuesday, July 24 for a special bond referendum election to determine the public's support for approving the sale of $8,488,000 of General Obligation bonds to pay for the design, construction, and equipping of an outdoor aquatic center along with the overall site improvements including environmental sustainability practices. 2. Approve the site for the facility along 13th Street, east of Squaw Creek. 3. Incorporate the elements of Option A (20,000 square feet facility) into the project which includes a lazy river, zero-depth recreational area, and an eight lane, 25 yard lap pool area. A bid alternate should be included to determine the cost of expanding the eight lane lap pool area to 25 meters. 4. Assure that the overall site will be graded to allow the lap pool to be expanded to 50 meters in the future. 5. Include in the base bid the wetlands, riparian zone, and grasses to insure that the entire site utilizes sustainable environmental practices. Additionally, as deemed appropriate, bid alternatives should be incorporated into the bid document to address other identified environmentally sound practices (grass block parking lot, bio-swales, rain gardens, etc.). 6. Negotiate a long-term lease agreement with Iowa State University for property located on 13th Street for this development. The School District's sport fields should be incorporated into the Site Master Plan. 7. Demolish Carr Pool and transition the site into open green space upon opening of the new facility. In order to proceed with this project, the City Council also must approve the referendum language. Working with our Bond Attorney, the following language is being recommended. "Shall the City of Ames, in Story County, Iowa, issue its bonds in an amount not exceeding the amount of $8,488,000 for the purpose of paying the cost, to that extent, of the acquisition, designing, constructing, and equipping an outdoor aquatic center and of developing a wetland protection and riparian buffer area, necessary and useful for the health and welfare of its citizens, on and adjacent to the area known as the 13th Street Site east of Squaw Creek?" ALTERNATIVES: 1. Approve the Parks and Recreation Commission recommendations listed above as well as the proposed referendum language. In addition, approve $22,000 for the cost of conducting a special election for the Outdoor Aquatics Center issue from the General Fund available balance. 2. Modify the Parks and Recreation Commission recommendations listed above. In addition, approve $22,000 for the cost of conducting a special election for the Outdoor Aquatics Center issue from the General Fund available balance. 3. Delay any further action on this issue by referring the project back to the Parks and Recreation Commission and staff for further review. MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION: Ames' need for an outdoor community aquatics center has been well documented. Following voters' rejection of the Rec-Plex bond issue, the Parks and Recreation Commission initiated a lengthy public involvement process to identify the components and location that would best serve the community. Over the last several months the Commission expended significant time and energy in educating and gaining the public's reaction to the development of an outdoor aquatic center. The four meetings they hosted in April were the foundation for the recommendations included above. While unanimous support for any issue can not be expected, the Commission's extensive citizen input process did yield support for the seven recommendations from the majority who attended the sessions. Given the importance of this amenity to the community, the central location, the City - School District - University cooperation on the 13th Street site, and the preference for voting on July 24 in order to save money and have the facility open in 2009, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, approving the seven recommendations of the Parks and Recreation Commission. This recommended alternative should also include the approval of a special bond election for July 24, 2007 with the following ballot language, "Shall the City of Ames, in Story County, Iowa, issue its bonds in an amount not exceeding the amount of$8,488,000 for the purpose of paying the cost, to that extent, of the acquisition, designing, constructing, and equipping an outdoor aquatic center and of developing a wetland protection and riparian buffer area, necessary and useful for the health and welfare of its citizens, on and adjacent to the area known as the 13th Street Site east of Squaw Creek?"