HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - December 17, 2024, Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council, Full Minutes1
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA DECEMBER 17, 2024
The Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 6:00
p.m. on the 17th day of December, 2024, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark
Avenue, pursuant to law. Present were Council Members Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Gloria
Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, Rachel Junck, and Anita Rollins. Ex officio Emily Boland
joined the meeting electronically.
CONSENT AGENDA: Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to approve the consent agenda.
1. Motion approving payment of claims
2. Motion approving Summary of Minutes of Regular City Council Meeting on December
10, 2024
3. Motion accepting Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center Monthly Update
4. RESOLUTION NO. 24-671 approving Records Retention Schedule
5. RESOLUTION NO. 24-672 authorizing City staff to apply for the EPA Solid Waste
Infrastructure for Recycling Grant in the amount of $5,000,000
6. RESOLUTION NO. 24-673 authorizing staff to issue cancelation notice to CarelonRx
and negotiate with Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Iowa for Pharmacy Benefit
Manager Services
7. RESOLUTION NO. 24-674 approving Change Order #1 to Woodruff Construction for
the Water Pollution Control Facility Nutrient Reduction Modifications Phase 1 Project in
the deduct amount of $231,878.79
8. RESOLUTION NO. 24-675 approving Change Order #3 to Brockway Mechanical &
Roofing Co., Inc, Des Moines, IA, Bid Package, 22-1 Plumbing & HVAC Work for the
pool CO2 & AHJ modifications that was not anticipated in the contract for the Fitch
Family Indoor Aquatic Center in the amount of $12,066
9. RESOLUTION NO. 24-676 approving contract and bond for the 2019/20 Storm Water
Erosion Control Program (Ioway Creek - 6th to 13th St) with Iowa Earthworks, of Huxley,
Iowa
10. RESOLUTION NO. 24-677 approving contract and bond for the 2023/24 Ames Plan
2040 Sanitary Sewer Utility Infrastructure (265th Street Extension) with S.M. Hentges
and Sons, Inc., of Jordan, Minnesota
11. RESOLUTION NO. 24-678 approving contract and bond for the Ames City Hall Interior
Updates Phase II with GTG Construction, LLC, of Des Moines, Iowa
12. RESOLUTION NO. 24-679 approving contract and bond for the Ames/ISU Ice Arena
Radiant Heat Replacement Project with Converse Conditioned Air, Inc., of Ames, Iowa
13. RESOLUTION NO. 24-680 approving partial completion of public improvements and
reducing financial security on file for Scenic Valley 6th Addition to $16,102.75
14. RESOLUTION NO. 24-681 accepting the North Sunset Ridge Sanitary Sewer (798 N.
500th Avenue) project as completed by Rognes Corp. of Ankeny, Iowa in the amount of
$939,949.84
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motions/Resolutions declared carried/adopted unanimously, signed by the
Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes.
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PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor Haila opened the Public Forum.
Richard Deyo, Ames, shared ideas that he presented to the Ames Human Relations Commission
related to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Essay Contest.
Mayor Haila closed the Public Forum when no one else came forward to speak.
FY 2024/25 FALL DOWNTOWN FAÇADE GRANTS: Planner Benjamin Campbell shared
that there was a total of $61,785 in grant funding requested from three grant applications that
were being considered. The first application was from Ames Silversmithing to expand its
location at 220 Main Street to include the storefront at 218 Main Street. Planner Campbell
explained that the applicant intends to demolish the structure at 218 Main Street and add an
addition to 220 Main Street with a façade that will match the existing design and materials. He
emphasized that the grant requested is for the new building addition façade.
Great Harvest Bakery and Café was the second applicant for its location at 502 Burnett Avenue.
Planner Campbell noted that the building was originally constructed as a garage with a central
roll up garage door in the center of the building. He furthered that the applicant requested to
modify the façade with the addition of stone as well as an altered roof line and awnings. Planner
Campbell highlighted that the façade is not considered a traditional Main Street style storefront
in keeping with Design Guidelines and is a non-historic façade.
The third application considered was for 409 Douglas Avenue. Planner Campbell noted that the
building was a contributing property to the Ames Main Street National Register Historic District
and maintains its historic integrity of original building materials and architectural design
features. He shared that the applicant requested grant funds to remove and replace the historic
transom glass window that needs rehabilitation. He highlighted that due to the cost prohibitive
nature of rehabilitating the transom window, the applicant planned to complete a full restoration
and reinstall the transom window in the future. Thus, the applicant qualified for a matching grant
of $23,000 for the façade and an additional $23,000 for the restoration of historically significant,
character-defining features. Additionally, the applicant proposed to replace the wood bulkhead
under the plate glass windows with brick, in accordance with the Design Guidelines and replace
the plate glass windows in conjunction, replace the second story windows, and install an optional
awning across the top of the transom.
Council Member Betcher inquired about encroachment of the proposed façade at 502 Burnett
Avenue. Planner Campbell noted that approving the application would require a right-of-way
(ROW) encroachment permit to be obtained to allow for four inches of stone to project into the
ROW. He clarified that staff frequently issues encroachment permits for awnings, signs, and
canopies – objects that that do not obstruct the pedestrian clearway; however, from reviewing the
application he believed that the stone would be removable as encroachments are subject to the
City maintenance and insurance policies at the risk of the property owner.
Mayor Haila confirmed the applicant for 409 Douglas Avenue intends to reinstall the original
transom window after restoration is complete. Planner Campbell replied in the affirmative,
highlighting that frosted/translucent glass would be installed in the meantime, which would be a
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similar treatment to other buildings that replaced filled-in transom windows. Council Member
Betcher asked if the glass from the original transom window would be removed in the frame.
Planner Campbell stated that the details of the removal were not specified in the application,
reiterating that removal was needed for insulation issues, lead deterioration, and the overall long-
term integrity of the window.
The Public Input was opened and closed by Mayor Haila when no one came forward to speak.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 24-682 approving the
Downtown Facade Improvement Grants as proposed by the applicants for:
a. 220 Main Street for up to $15,960 in estimated eligible costs for a new facade and $2,000
in design fees.
b. 502 Burnett Avenue for up to $18,000 in estimated eligible costs and $2,000 in design
fees with the condition of approval of obtaining an encroachment permit prior to staff's
approval of a Notice to Proceed.
c. 409 Douglas Avenue for up to $21,825 in estimated eligible costs and $2,000 in design
fees with no additional conditions.
Roll Call Vote: 5-1. Voting Aye: Beatty-Hansen, Corrieri, Gartin, Junck, and Rollins. Voting
Nay: Betcher. Resolution declared adopted, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of
these minutes.
Council Member Gartin noted that the City of Huxley recently implemented a grant program for
businesses. He shared that $120,000 in funds has been allocated for the program with a
maximum award of $30,000 per business, noting his desire to revisit the allocations for the
Downtown Façade Grant to encourage greater levels of activity and investment.
PLAT OF SURVEY AND WAIVER OF SUBDIVISION ACCESS STANDARDS FOR
1420 SOUTH GRAND AVENUE AND 623 SOUTH 16TH STREET: Planning and Housing
Director Kelly Diekmann shared that the properties at 1420 South Grand Avenue and 623 South
16th Street were originally platted with subdivision access; however, the applicant is seeking
consolidation of the two lots and requesting to waive the arterial access standard. The applicant
intends to develop the site into a gas station and desires to have a right-in, right-out turn onto
Grand Avenue with full access points at the designated driveways from the original subdivision,
explained Director Diekmann. He furthered that the in order to accommodate the request the
Traffic Engineer recommended that a median be installed on Grand Avenue to control access. He
concluded that the condition of the median meets the Statewide Urban Design and Specifications
(SUDAS).
The Plat of Survey map was reviewed by Director Diekmann per the request of Council Member
Gartin. Council Member Betcher inquired if the median would impede traffic flow for the
adjacent residential units. Director Diekmann replied in the negative, noting that the traffic
pocket would stay the same. Council Member Gartin asked if the applicant was content with the
recommendation of staff. Director Diekmann noted that the applicant understood the requirement
of the median and corresponding financial obligation and wanted to proceed with the request.
Mayor Haila opened and closed the Public Input when no one came forward to speak.
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Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 24-683 approving the
request for a waiver from the Subdivision regulations, in accordance with Section 23.103(1), of
the restriction for access from a lot to an arterial street, as specified in in Section 23.403(9)(b) of
the Municipal Code, and authorize the Planning & Housing Director to approve the Plat of
Survey for the properties located at 1420 S. Grand Avenue and 623 S. 16th Street.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these minutes.
FITCH FAMILY INDOOR AQUATIC CENTER (FFIAC) PROPOSED OPERATING
BUDGET: Director of Parks and Recreation Keith Abraham reviewed the proposed operating
budget, highlighting that staffing expenses, utility cost projects, and cost of internal services
were balanced against conservative revenue projections developed by staff. He noted that the
revenue projections were calculated using the four-year average revenue from Furman Aquatic
Center (FAC). Director Abraham then presented the tax subsidy impact before reviewing the
details of the FY 2025/26 Aquatics Budget with FFIAC included.
Council Member Gartin inquired about the role of the consultant in developing the proposed
operating budget. Director Abraham explained that the consultant specialized in assessments for
recreation and wellness facilities and provided expertise specifically in regard to daily admission
and season pass pricing. He furthered that the philosophy applied by the consultant was to
determine a price point that most households could afford and provide assistance through
scholarships for households that the upfront or monthly costs may not be feasible for. He
discussed the price structure for season passes and potential monthly payment options. Director
Abraham noted that staff was still developing the facility schedule, evaluating staffing needs, and
reviewing season pass options, highlighting that staff was seeking approval of the budget in
concept.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Rollins, to approve Option 1: Approve in concept the proposed
budget for the Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center as presented by staff.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
HEARING ON AMENDMENT TO THE CITY-WIDE URBAN REVITALIZATION
AREA (URA) DESIGNATION AND PLAN: Director Diekmann noted that staff has
previously presented options to enhance the URA tax abatement incentive for new home
construction based on the Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals related to the incentive program. He
shared that the language of the incentive would promote an all-electric home with a solar
installation equal to 50% of its projected energy use. He also highlighted that since the
establishment of the URA, land had been annexed into the City, thus, an amendment was needed
include the additional territory.
Council Member Betty-Hansen noted that the City Council had heard from citizens that
requested the City Council consider both incentive options presented by staff previously.
Director Diekmann noted that staff did not recommend including both incentive options. He
shared that based on the dollar amounts of the incentives, staff did not feel as though the
incentive option that did not include a solar installation met the CAP goals nor did it effectively
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enhance a home.
The Public Hearing was opened and closed by Mayor Haila when no one came forward to speak.
Council Member Gartin inquired about options for additional incentives beyond what had been
presented by staff. Director Diekmann noted that staff did not have a rationale for additional
incentives beyond addressing the goals of the CAP. He stated that the tax abatement incentives
were not designed to lower the cost of construction but rather incentivize building a more
expensive, energy efficient home.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Rollins, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 24-684 amending the plan
to include an alternative tax exemption schedule and an additional eligibility requirement for
solar installation for new construction of ownership housing.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these minutes.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Rollins, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 24-685 amending plan
boundaries to include property that has been annexed to the city through December 31, 2024.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these minutes.
HEARING ON ACCEPTANCE AND SUBMITTAL OF THE CITY'S 2023-24
CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT
(CAPER) IN CONNECTION WITH THE CITY'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM (CDBG) AND HOME PROGRAMS: Housing Coordinator
Vanessa Baker-Latimer highlighted that every year the City submits an annual report to the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that lists program accomplishments for
the previous year. She noted that text was updated under Item No. CR-35-Other Actions
91.220(j)-(k); 91.320(i)-(j): Actions taken to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs.
The update included information received from the Story County Housing Trust Fund and the
Central Iowa Board of Realtors for FY 2023/24. She also shared that minor updates were made
to the financial information that did not affect the overall reporting; however, staff would be
touching base with HUD regarding the matter prior to submitting the report.
The program accomplishments were then reviewed by Coordinator Baker-Latimer, which
included the purchase and demolition of deteriorated housing and build out of three homes in
conjunction with Central Iowa Habitat for Humanity in the Baker Subdivision.
Mayor Haila opened and closed the Public Hearing when no one came forward to speak.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Gartin, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 24-686 approving the
submittal of the City's 2023-24 CAPER.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these minutes.
SECOND READING OF ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT (ZTA) TO ALLOW SOCIAL
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SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE SINGLE- FAMILY CONSERVATION OVERLAY (O-
SFC) ZONING DISTRICT WITH THE APPROVAL OF SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR
CERTAIN PROPERTIES ABUTTING COMMERCIAL ZONING: Mayor Haila noted that
the ZTA was pending appeal with the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) and City Attorney
Lambert advised the City Council to continue the second reading to the next Regular Meeting of
the City Council.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Junck, to continue the second reading of an Ordinance relating to
a ZTA to allow Social Service Providers in the Single- Family Conservation Overlay (O-SFC)
Zoning District with the approval of Special Use Permit for certain Properties abutting
Commercial Zoning to January 14, 2024.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
THIRD READING AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 4542 FOR REZONING OF
3200 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD FROM "RI" (RESEARCH PARK INNOVATION
DISTRICT) TO "FS-RM” (FLOATING SUBURBAN - RESIDENTIAL MEDIUM
DENSITY) WITH "PUD" PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY: Moved by
Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Rollins, to pass on third reading and adopt ORDINANCE NO. 4542
for rezoning of 3200 University Boulevard from "RI" (Research Park Innovation District) to
"FS-RM” (Floating Suburban - Residential Medium Density) with "PUD" Planned Unit
Development Overlay.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
THIRD READING AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 4543 FOR REZONING OF
3300 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD FROM "RI" (RESEARCH PARK INNOVATION
DISTRICT) TO "FS-RM” (FLOATING SUBURBAN - RESIDENTIAL MEDIUM
DENSITY) WITH "PUD" PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY: Moved by
Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to pass on third reading and adopt ORDINANCE NO.
4543 for rezoning of 3300 University Boulevard from "RI" (Research Park Innovation District)
to "FS-RM” (Floating Suburban - Residential Medium Density) with "PUD" Planned Unit
Development Overlay.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
CT-1 COMBUSTION TURBINE RETURN TO SERVICE REPAIRS: Assistant Director of
Electric Services Curtis Spence explained that Combustion Turbine 1 (CT-1) was put into
service in 1972 and experienced failure on July 15, 2024. He shared that a field technician from
the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Wood Group Pratt & Whitney (WGPW), came
onsite to perform diagnostics and damage was identified on the blades in the high-pressure
section of the compressor. CT-1 was sent to Sulzer Turbo Services for full disassembly and
inspection, noted Assistant Director Spence, and it was determined that a root for one of the
blades cracked while the unit was operating. He stated that since the engine was spinning at full
speed, the damage caused to the engine was substantial.
It was now the recommendation of staff to purchase a used, but operable, engine from Sulzer
Turbo Services, shared Assistant Director Spence. He noted that Sulzer Turbo Services has a
used engine available that must be overhauled due to its hours of operations before being taken
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out of service. He stated that the overhaul would take several months, and Sulzer Turbo Services
would lease the City a unit until the overhauled engine could be provided.
Council Member Gartin inquired about the cost for repair, highlighting the opportunity to replace
the unit entirely. Assistant Director Spence shared that a full replacement of the unit would cost
the utility approximately $25-$30 million, while the contract with Sulzer Turbo Services for a
leased unit and overhaul of an operable unit is estimated to cost the utility $1.5 million. Director
of Electric Services Donald Kom emphasized that the return to service repairs would not
adversely impact the finances of the utility, and the City would seek dollars from its insurance
company.
Mayor Haila noted the critical nature of CT-1. Director Kom replied in the affirmative and
Assistant Director Spence explained that CT-1 provides the utility black start capability, which
allows for the utility to be brought back online in instances of a complete blackout. He furthered
that this capability was initiated after the utility experienced blackout conditions as a result of the
derecho in 2020 and was unable to access the transmission network running from Ames to
Ankeny.
Council Member Betcher asked if staff was confident that the failure would not happen with the
overhauled unit. Assistant Director Spence noted that Sulzer Turbo Services proposed to
reinforce the blade roots during the overhaul to counteract the design flaw and ensure the
longevity of the unit. Council Member Rollins inquired about the operating hours of units with
the same vintage. Assistant Director Spence noted the importance of using the same vintage in
order to pair with the supporting equipment, highlighting that the operating hours for CT-1 were
low at approximately 1,000 hours. He shared that most units of the same vintage have thousands
of operating hours.
The Public Input was opened and closed by Mayor Haila when no one came forward to speak.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Junck, to approve Alternative 1 and adopt RESOLUTION NO.
24-687 approving Change Order No. 2 with Sulzer Turbo Services of La Porte, Texas, in the
amount of $1,509,269.57 (inclusive of Iowa sales tax) to provide a temporary lease engine and
provide a permanent, overhauled engine to be installed at CT-1 combustion turbine.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these minutes.
PRESENTATION ON ELECTRIC SERVICES LONG RANGE PLAN: Director Kom and
Assistant Director Spence presented the long-range plan, highlighting the utility’s long-term
considerations of affordability, reliability, and sustainability. Director Kom noted the
development guidelines for the Plan as follows:
1) Maintain ability to serve City's peak load amount with generating units that can be turned
on at anytime
2) Under normal conditions, have N-2 redundancy
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3) Keep customer costs competitive with surrounding Electric Utility companies
4) Limit overproducing (selling) when generating only from green sources
5) Serve as much of the City's electric load with green energy without compromising other
guidelines
Assistant Director Spence shared that changes in Midcontinent Independent System Operator
(MISO) requirements, load growth, asset health/life, operation post waste-to-energy, and
environmental regulations as well as the CAP, were the main drivers of the Plan. He noted that
the utility must adapt to changes but is committed to the development guidelines mentioned
above. Director Kom then reviewed the utility’s plan for going green before reviewing changes
to the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the Electric Department.
Director Kom and Assistant Director Spence engaged with questions from the City Council.
Robust discussion was had over the technical aspects of the utility relating to infrastructure
capacity and green energy generation. Mayor Haila thanked staff for their thoroughness and
noted that the City Council would review the CIP projects in more detail over the next month.
The meeting was recessed at 8:13 p.m. by Mayor Haila and reconvened at 8:19 p.m.
BUDGET GUIDELINES: Finance Director Corey Goodenow, Budget Manager Nancy
Masteller, Assistant City Manager Brian Phillips, and Assistant City Manager Pa Vang Goldbeck
detailed the guidelines. Director Goodenow highlighted that staff was soliciting guidance from
the City Council on specific budget components including overall funding allocations for arts
and human services before offering a comprehensive perspective of the factors likely to
influence budgetary decisions. He then presented the history of the property tax rollback trends
and the projections for the coming year. He also reviewed changes to the Iowa Property Tax
system for FY 2025/26 and the combined general levy fund calculations.
An overview of the General Fund was provided by Director Goodnow and FY 2025/26 was
noted to be the final year of the state funded backfill related to the introduction of the
commercial rollback. He then detailed the funding needs for the Alternative Responses for
Community Health (ARCH) Program and CyRide Services as well as rate changes to
Water/Wastewater, Electric Utility, Resource Recovery, and Stormwater. Following, Director
Goodenow reviewed the Hotel/Motel Tax Fund, Road Use Tax Fund, and Local Option Sales
Tax. He then offered an overview of changes to the pension systems and health insurance.
City Manager Steve Schainker highlighted future CIP projects that staff was requesting the City
Council prioritize and determine funding preferences for. The projects were as follows: new
animal control shelter, reallocation of Fire Station No. 2, development of the park in west Ames,
new indoor recreation center, and new Fire Station No. 4. He noted that the placement and
development of Fire Station No. 4 was dependent on future development on the northeast side of
Ames, and that staff would continue to monitor response times to ensure residents in the area are
being adequately served in the meantime. He then reviewed the available funding mechanisms
for the projects, highlighting donations, the City Council CIP fund, and bonds as options.
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The City Council members each shared opinions on project priorities and funding options.
Through conversation, the new animal control shelter was identified as the top priority for the
majority of the City Council members. The need for a new facility was discussed and potential
facility locations were reviewed before consensus was found on funding the project through
donations and the City Council CIP fund. The City Council members also agreed on the
preference that the development of the park in west Ames be phased to focus on the natural
beauty of the land. It was noted that modest investments in parking infrastructure and a light trail
system were desired so the community could experience the park and provide input on utilizing
the space in creative ways during the master planning process.
Council Member Gartin inquired about the relocation of Fire Station No. 2. City Manager
Schainker noted that a relocation was needed for site safety measures and to improve response
time for calls. He shared that the unique opportunity to sell the property that the current station
sits on and lease the land identified for the new station could eliminate or significantly reduce the
obligation of a bond issue. The City Council members agreed that eliminating a bond issue for
the five identified future CIP projects was preferred.
The new indoor recreation center was noted by Council Member Corrieri and Gartin as a need
for the community, highlighting the lack of space for indoor youth activities. Fundraising and
sponsorships were discussed as funding mechanisms, and it was noted that more information was
necessary to understand cost of construction and operation in order to determine the level of
priority.
Director Goodenow then discussed residential infrastructure, highlighting a developer request for
infrastructure improvements totaling between $1.5-$2 million. He noted that staff was seeking
feedback on whether it is an investment the City wants to make, and if so, how staff should go
about the allocation of funds. He shared that the City has $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan
Act (ARPA) Funds that could be allocated to the request. He reviewed that the one-time ARPA
funding, if allocated, would not set precedent for funding future requests. Through discussion,
the City Council expressed interest in funding the request in some capacity using ARPA funds
but highlighted the desire to incentivize high density infrastructure with a mix of owner-occupied
housing types including town houses and condos. Council Member Gartin noted that when a
developer requests public dollars to fund infrastructure development for a private project, the
City Council must evaluate what the public is receiving in exchange. Thus, more information
was needed on project specifics, which staff was requested to gather, prior to action being taken
on the request.
The Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team (ASSET) funding requests were presented by
Assistant City Manager Vang Goldbeck. She highlighted that requests were submitted by 29
agencies with one of those requests being from a new agency, which was Prairie Flowers, a non-
profit nature-based early childhood center in Ames. She noted that the requests totaled a 27.6%
increase from current funding. The Story County Board of Supervisors and United Way of Story
County both serve as funding partners and approved a 5% and 3.5% funding increase for FY
2025/26 respectively. Assistant City Manager Vang Goldbeck noted that staff was
recommending a 5% increase with the additional recommendation that any unallocated dollars in
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the ASSET budget be designed towards continuing work with agencies to prevent and assist the
unsheltered individuals in the community.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to approve a 5% increase over the FY 2024/25
Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team (ASSET) Budget for FY 2025/26.
Council Member Gartin inquired about the anticipated overall budget increase for the City.
Director Goodenow shared that staff anticipated an increase similar to the increase observed for
FY 2024/25, which was 3.5%. Council Member Gartin shared that budgetary constraints will be
realized for human services funding in the future and his desire to match funding increases for
human services at 3.5% alongside the City budget.
Vote on Motion: 5-1. Voting Aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Junck, and Rollins. Voting
Nay: Gartin. Motion declared carried.
Assistant City Manager Phillips shared that the Commission on the Arts (COTA) received 22
applications from local arts agencies to provide funding for annual activities and operations. He
noted that the Commission routinely reserves funds for unique opportunities that may come up
throughout the year, which is distributed through special projects grants in the spring and fall. He
reminded the City Council that a 5% increase was approved for FY 2024/25 and highlighted that
the Commission routinely utilized the entirety of funding permitted.
Moved by Junck, seconded by Corrieri, to approve a 5% increase over the FY 2024/25
Commission on the Arts (COTA) Budget for FY 2025/26.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
Requests for Outside Funding were then reviewed by Assistant City Manager Phillips. He noted
that these requests received are from organizations throughout the community where the requests
do not fit within the existing programs the City Council has structured for arts and human
services. He shared that the requests are financed out of two different funding sources, with the
request for workforce initiatives from the Ames Regional Economic Alliance and waivers of
parking for Downtown and Campustown events being financed through the Hotel/Motel Tax
Fund. All other requests are financed out of the Local Option Sales Tax Fund. Assistant City
Manager Phillips noted that 11 applications were received, two of which, YWCA and the Ames
Foundation, were new requesters.
Assistant City Manager Phillips highlighted that staff was not seeking review of the merits of
each request from the City Council, rather staff was requesting an allocation of funds to then
provide funding recommendations to the City Council. Council Member Gartin referenced set
criteria that was used to evaluate the requests. Assistant City Manager Phillips confirmed that
there were criteria.
Moved by Junck, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to approve a 5% increase over FY 2024/25 to the
Local Option Sales Tax Funding for Outside Funding Requestions for FY 2025/26.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
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Assistant City Manager Phillips stated that staff was not seeking direction for requests funded
through the Hotel/Motel Tax Fund and would provide a recommendation at the Budget Wrap-Up
meeting in February.
Directive from the June 11th City Council meeting was referenced by Director Goodenow, which
related to allocating funding for youth scholarships. The scholarships were noted to be for youth
traveling with the Ames International Partner Cities Association. Council Member Junck noted
that the delegation would not be traveling until the summer of 2026 and Council Member Rollins
requested to delay consideration until the next fiscal year.
DISPOSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL: Mayor Haila noted that there
were two items for consideration, a letter from Chuck Winkleblack and Justin Dodge regarding
the additional tax abatement incentive for all electric homes and an update from Assistant City
Manager Phillips concerning the Downtown Master Plan, both of which were for information
only.
REPORT OF GOVERNING BODY: None.
COUNCIL COMMENTS: Ex officio Boland shared that she would be back in person at
meetings after winter break.
Council Member Betcher shared sentiments for happy holidays and restful winter breaks.
Council Member Gartin congratulated graduating Iowa State University seniors and commended
staff for their work preparing information and presentations for the meeting.
Mayor Haila wished everyone happy holidays and safe travels. He noted that the next Regular
Meeting of the City Council would be on January 14th.
ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Rollins, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to adjourn the meeting at
9:46 p.m.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
__________________________________ ____________________________________
Carly M. Watson, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor
__________________________________
Renee Hall, City Clerk