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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Grant Agreement with IDNR for Low-Head Dam Safety Cost-Share Program RESOLUTION NO. 15-345 RESOLUTION APPROVING GRANT AGREEMENT FOR LOW-HEAD DAM SAFETY COST-SHARE PROGRAM FOR WATER AND POLLUTION CONTROL DEPARTMENT FOR THE CITY OF AMES,IOWA WHEREAS, in 1984,the City constructed a low-head dam in North River Valley Park, and the sole function of this dam is to create a pool of water in the primary recharge location for the City's downtown well field during drought conditions; and, WHEREAS,the process for the proposed modifications began in March 2008 when the City Council received a letter from a representative of the Skunk River Paddlers outlining the inherent dangers of low-head dams; and, WHEREAS, in 2009, City staff secured $75,000 in funding from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to improve safety at the dam, and, at the time, City staff did not have a complete design concept that met all the necessary requirements,and the City did not formally enter into the grant agreement with the Iowa DNR; and, WHEREAS, since that time, City staff has continued to work with the DNR to try and resolve some of the outstanding design issues to move the project forward; and, WHEREAS, some of these issues included finding an engineer to sign and seal the planned modifications and meeting the "no rise"requirement for work taking place in the flood way.; and, WHEREAS, in 2008 when the project started, the City was one of the first to consider a modification of this nature and most of the modifications that had been done were out of state,and City staff does not have the requisite expertise and was uncomfortable signing the engineering certification for the design; and, WHEREAS, since that time, several low head dam modification projects have taken place in the state including: Manchester, Elkader, Story City, Boone, and Charles City; and, WHEREAS, there are now engineering firms that will do this type of work, and the DNR worked to develop some alternatives so the "certificate of no rise" can be issued; and, WHEREAS,an acceptable alternative has been identified that would remove a portion of the south wing wall of the dam and cut back the south bank of the river,and this will still allow the dam to serve its primary function, and the modification has been agreed upon by the City; and, WHEREAS, in the fall of 2014, during discussions for meeting the certificate of no rise criteria,DNR staff suggested the City consider adding some additional recreational opportunities to the new design, and these additional features proposed would help improve bank access, increase shoreline fishing access, and provide a possible white water feature to the last weir of rock arch rapids; and, WHEREAS,City staff met internally to discuss the options and then decided to approach the Parks and Recreation Commission to ask for additional input and funding for these types of features; and, WHEREAS, several members of the community representing various stakeholder groups attended the meeting and voiced their support of the project and the additional recreational features, and the Commission was also in favor and supported approval of the additional funds in the FY 15/16 Capital Improvements Plan; and, WHEREAS, current funding for the Low-Head Dam Safety Grant is $75,000; and, WHEREAS,the Council should note that the grant agreement is back-dated by several years, and,procedurally,the DNR has indicated that it needs the original grant agreement to be executed; and, WHEREAS, once executed,the DNR and the City will extend the original milestone dates of the grant to better reflect the current time line, and amendment to the original grant will be developed by the DNR and the City that outlines more specifically some of the design requirements that the City will require in order to protect the integrity of the dam; and, WHEREAS, the amendment will outline a more specific delineation of responsibilities of both the City and the DNR,with the DNR leading the design through an outside consultant and the City handling the bidding and contracting for the project, and the City will provide construction administration with the assistance of the DNR. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that the Grant Agreement with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for the Low-Head Dam Safety Cost-Program in the amount of$75,000 is hereby approved. ADOPTED THIS 26th day of May, 2015. c��"__R lia& /4. el. 6,' .AAeZ1 Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ann H. Campbell, Mayor Introduced by: Nelson Seconded by: Orazem Voting aye: Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin, Goodman,Nelson, Orazem Voting nay: None Absent: None Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 26t' day of May, 2015.