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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - CCC Minutes 06/22/20Minutes CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY COMMISSION Meeting was held via Zoom due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Ames City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue Ames, IA 50010 Monday, June 22, 2020 Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:07pm by Vice Chair Eric Abrams. Members Present: Evelyn Beavers, Pete Englin, Warren Madden, and Tom Lindsley Member(s) Absent: Karen Chitty, Sandeep Stanley, and Martha Broadnax Staff Liaison: Deb Schildroth Approval of Minutes: Warren moved approval of the April 27, 2020 minutes and Tom seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Public Forum: There was no one present for Public Forum. Review Tenant/Landlord Issues Report: The direction from the May 26th City Council meeting was reviewed: • CCC recommend ways to revamp and promote the Rent Smart Ames webpage as well as utilize other forms of informational material with the input of tenants and landlords. • City Attorney explore the potential for what might be done to expand the Story County mediation pilot program for FEDs (forcible entry and detainer) to include things that are of interest to ISU and the students. No action taken, yet, on the Story County mediation pilot program. Deb will follow up with the City Attorney. The Rent Smart Ames website was developed by an intern and was a collaborative effort between Iowa State University and the City of Ames. There are three main sections on the website https://www.cityofames.org/living/rent-smart-ames • Rental Housing • Tenant Education • Landlord Education The Commissioners discussed the following questions/comments related to the Rent Smart Ames webpage: • Is a webpage the best venue for the information, especially on the City’s website? • Can analytics be captured from the webpage to help understand if students are asking questions or just seeking information? • Input from users may help determine usefulness of the webpage. Perhaps it’s marketed to capture parent’s attention. • If a webpage is used, how will the ongoing updating and maintenance be managed? The property listing link on Rent Smart Ames directs the user to the Iowa Finance Authority’s “Iowa’s Housing Search” site. It should be noted that not all local property owners and/or managers list rentals on this site. Many of them have their own websites or post on other sites. Other methods of promoting information were discussed such as FAQs and short videos on Instagram or YouTube. Eric suggested having a contest where students film short videos about things like understanding a lease, reporting problems to landlords, etc. and then submit the videos to a panel of judges for review and winning videos are posted on social media sites and winners get $200 (5 videos total). There was consensus amongst the Commission members to continue considering this type of contest. The next steps include: Reviewing common themes of the issues Determining prizes Determining marketing strategy Commissioner Comments: Pete shared that plans continue for the fall semester. Approximately 9,000 students will be tested prior to moving into on-campus housing. Anyone testing positive will quarantine on a floor in the Oak Elm dorm. Next Meeting: Monday, July 27, 2020 at 6:00pm. Adjournment: Meeting was adjourned at 7:12pm.