HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Approving Agreement Among Story County, Iowa; Story County Conservation Board; and the City of Ames for Funding Assistance for Water Nutrient Removal Practices RESOLUTION NO. 22-013
RESOLUTION APPROVING AGREEMENT AMONG STORY COUNTY,IOWA;
STORY COUNTY CONSERVATION BOARD; AND THE CITY OF AMES FOR
FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR WATER NUTRIENT REMOVAL PRACTICES
FOR THE CITY OF AMES,IOWA
WHEREAS, the Water Pollution Control (WPC) Facility is being converted to a nutrient
removal treatment technology over a period of 20 years,and separate from the work that will occur
inside the treatment plant,watershed-based improvements performed by the City can be"banked"
as credit toward any future, more stringent nutrient reduction regulations imposed on the WPC
Facility; and,
WHEREAS,on February 24,2021,staff executed a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU)
with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to allow these off-site nutrient reductions to be
banked with the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Exchange; and,
WHEREAS, throughout the past year, staff has been in development of a partnership with
multiple entities to bundle together Edge-of-Field (EOF) practices that can be bid as a single-bid
package; and,
WHEREAS, the project will construct 25-30 EOF practices in Story County, consisting of
both saturated buffers and bioreactors; and,
WHEREAS, these practices allow natural removal of nitrogen from subsurface drainage
before it enters a stream or other surface waters; and,
WHEREAS,the City of Ames will act as the fiscal agent for the proposed project, and this
will include receiving funds from the different partners, procuring the necessary temporary
easements, and then contracting for the work to be performed; and,
WHEREAS, the funding for this project will consist of 75% from the Iowa Department of
Agricultural and Land Stewardship(IDALS)and 25%split between the City and Story County;and,
WHEREAS, the estimated cost for the City's share is $41,000 which will come from the
Watershed Based Nutrient Reduction Capital Improvement Project; and,
WHEREAS, the project will involve 20 to 30 installations that will each treat tile drainage
from fields that range in size from 20 to 100 acres; and,
WHEREAS,two separate Agreements have been developed to achieve the sharing of funds
and resources;one with IDALS and the Story County Soil&Water Conservation District(SWCD)
and a separate Agreement with Story County/Story County Conservation; and,
WHEREAS,both IDALS and Story County will provide funding,while Story County SWCD
will provide resources to execute the individual Maintenance Agreements with each landowner;and,
WHEREAS,with assistance from various entities,initial property owner meetings have been
completed, and final landowner meetings are anticipated to take place in the coming months; and,
WHEREAS,each landowner will be required to sign a ten-year Maintenance Agreement and
allow temporary access to their property during construction,which they will be compensated for;
and,
WHEREAS,following landowner meetings,staff intends to bring the preliminary plans and
specifications to City Council for approval and to issue a Notice to Bidders for construction in the
summer/fall 2022.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa,
that the Agreement among Story County,Iowa; Story County Conservation Board; and,the City of
Ames for funding assistance for water nutrient removal practices is hereby approved.
ADOPTED THIS 11`h day of January, 2022.
Diane R. Voss, City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor
Introduced by: Rollins
Seconded by: Junck
Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin, Junck, Rollins
Voting nay: None Absent: None
Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this I It" day of January, 2022.