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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Funding Agreement Between Story County, Story County Conservation Board for Water Nutrient Removal Practices RESOLUTION NO. 23-185 RESOLUTION APPROVING FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN STORY COUNTY, 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 Facility(WPCF)is being converted to a nutrient removal treatment technology over a period of 20 years. 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. On February 24, 2021, staff executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to allow these offsite nutrient reductions to be banked with the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Exchange; and, WHEREAS, over the past 18 months, staff has developed a partnership with multiple entities to bundle together Edge-of-Field (EOF)practices that can be bid as a single bid package. The first year of the project is nearing completion with 22 the outlets in Story County being treated by either saturated buffers or bioreactors. These practices allow natural removal of nitrogen from subsurface drainage before it enters a stream or other surface waters; and, WHEREAS, the success of the first year of the project was due in large measure to the collaboration between City staff and Story County, Story County Conservation, Story County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), and the Iowa Department of Agricultural and Land Stewardship (IDALS). Staff from the Water&Pollution Control Department are again working in collaboration with these groups to develop a project involving 20 to 30 installations, each treating tile drainage from fields ranging 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 SWCD and a separate agreement with Story County/Story County Conservation. Both IDALS and Story County will provide funding, while Story County SWCD will provide resources to execute the individual maintenance agreements with each landowner. City staff has coordinated with the Legal Department and each entity to review the agreements; 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. Each landowner will be required to sign a 10-year maintenance agreement and allow temporary access to their property during construction, for which they will be compensated. Following landowner meetings, staff intends to bring preliminary plans and specifications to City Council for approval and to issue a Notice to Bidders for construction during the spring or summer of 2023. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that the funding agreement between Story County, Story County Conservation Board, and the City of Ames for funding assistance for water nutrient removal practices is hereby approved. ADOPTED THIS 281h day of March, 2023. e4 W- 410e 4�� Renee hall, City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor Introduced by: Rollins Seconded by: Corrieri Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin, Junck, Rollins Voting nay: None Absent: None Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 281h day of March, 2023.