HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - January 9, 2024, Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council, Full Minutes1
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA JANUARY 9, 2024
The Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 5:59 p.m.
on the 9th day of January, 2024, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant
to law. Present were Council Members Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Gloria Betcher, Tim Gartin, Rachel
Junck, and Anita Rollins. Council Member Amber Corrieri was absent. Ex officio Jeff Clark was also
absent.
PROCLAMATION FOR "SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION AND
AWARENESS MONTH," JANUARY 2024: Mayor Haila presented the proclamation to Dr. George
Belitsos, the Chair of the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery, and Cayleen
Mesecher, the Director of Residential Services for Wings of Refuge. Dr. Belitsos thanked the City
Council for their willingness to issue the proclamation to raise awareness. He also thanked the local
agencies that the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery work ed with. Wings of
Refuge was recognized by Dr. Belitsos for receiving national accreditation for their efforts.
CONSENT AGENDA: Council Member Rollins requested to pull Item No. 5.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to approve the consent agenda less Item No. 5.
2. Motion approving payment of claims
3. Motion approving Summary of Minutes of the Regular Meeting on December 12 and
December 19, 2023
4. Motion approving Report of Change Orders for period December 1-15, 2023
5. Motion approving the renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits, and Liquor
Licenses:
a. American Legion Post #37, 225 Main, Class F Liquor License, Pending Dramshop
Review
b. Springhill Suites, 1810 SE 16th St, Special Class C Retail Alcohol License
c. Blue Owl Bar, 223 Welch Avenue, Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service and
Catering, Pending Dramshop Review
d. Dublin Bay, 320 S 16th, Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege and Outdoor
Service, Pending Dramshop Review
e. The Filling Station, 2400 University Blvd., Class E Liquor License
f. Clouds Coffee, 119 Stanton Ave Suite 701, Special Class C Retail Alcohol License
g. The Angry Irishmen, 119 Main Street, Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service,
Pending Dramshop Review
h. Hy-Vee Market Café, 3800 Lincoln Way, Class C Retail Alcohol License with Catering
Privilege
i. Cy's Roost, 121 Welch Avenue, Class C Retail Alcohol License with Outdoor Service,
Pending Dramshop Review
j. Tip Top Lounge, 201 East Lincoln Way, Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service
6. RESOLUTION NO. 24-001 approving Memorandum of Understanding for Enhanced Security
Services (MOU) with the Iowa Department of Management.
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7. RESOLUTION NO. 24-002 approving the Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) Grant
agreement in the amount of $500,000 with the Enhance Iowa Board.
8. RESOLUTION NO. 24-003 awarding contract to Trivista Companies Inc. of Altoona, Iowa,
for CyRide Reconditioned Replacement Engines for a total cost of $116,737.78
9. RESOLUTION NO. 24-004 approving partial completion and reducing financial security at
Birch Meadows 2nd Addition to $6,335
10. RESOLUTION NO. 24-005 approving partial completion and reducing financial security at
Domani Subdivision 2nd Addition to $52,636
11. RESOLUTION NO. 24-006 accepting completion of Inis Grove Restroom Renovation Project
with HPC, LLC., Ames, Iowa in the amount of $135,000
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motions/Resolutions declared carried/adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor,
and hereby made a portion of these Minutes.
RENEWAL OF BEER PERMITS, WINE PERMITS, AND LIQUOR LICENSES : Council
Member Rollins stated that she pulled the item to hear more about the differences in the violations and
recommendations for the listed businesses as compared to other licenses that had been considered
recently. City Manager Steve Schainker stated that in reviewing the listed businesses the Police
Department had determined that these infractions were of a smaller scale than other violation types,
and the Police Department would work with the businesses who had violations to improve their
processes.
Moved by Rollins, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to approve the renewal of the following Beer Permits,
Wine Permits, and Liquor Licenses:
a. American Legion Post #37, 225 Main, Class F Liquor License, Pending Dramshop Review
b. Springhill Suites, 1810 SE 16th St, Special Class C Retail Alcohol License
c. Blue Owl Bar, 223 Welch Avenue, Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service and Catering,
Pending Dramshop Review
d. Dublin Bay, 320 S 16th, Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege and Outdoor Service,
Pending Dramshop Review
e. The Filling Station, 2400 University Blvd., Class E Liquor License
f. Clouds Coffee, 119 Stanton Ave Suite 701, Special Class C Retail Alcohol License
g. The Angry Irishmen, 119 Main Street, Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service, Pending
Dramshop Review
h. Hy-Vee Market Café, 3800 Lincoln Way, Class C Retail Alcohol License with Catering
Privilege
i. Cy's Roost, 121 Welch Avenue, Class C Retail Alcohol License with Outdoor Service, Pending
Dramshop Review
j. Tip Top Lounge, 201 East Lincoln Way, Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared adopted unanimously.
PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor Haila opened the Public Forum.
Richard Deyo, 505 8th Street #102, Ames, discussed the opportunity for Public Forum at various City
meetings.
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Grant Olsen, 3812 Ontario Street, Ames, spoke to the opportunity to address transportation and
accessibility options for alternative methods of travel other than vehicles. He urged the City Council
to continue to evaluate and adjust as needed with urgency to make good decisions for the coming
generations of citizens.
Greg Carlson, Ames, expressed his concerns with snow removal procedures used by private
contractors across the City. He also shared his concerns with various City construction projects
currently underway.
Mayor Haila closed the Public Forum when no one else came forward to speak.
STAFF REPORT REGARDING CLIMATE ACTION PLAN (CAP) AND SEVEN INITIAL
IMPLEMENTATION STEPS: Members of the Climate Action Plan Committee, including Public
Relations Officer Susan Gwiasda, Director of Electric Services Donald Kom, Director of Planning and
Housing Kelly Diekmann, Director of Fleet Services Corey Mellies, and Assistant City Manager Brian
Phillips, presented the Staff Report. Public Relations Officer Gwiasda gave a brief history of the City’s
efforts to promote sustainability over the last fifteen years, and the recent history of the CAP being
accepted in June 2023. She also stated that the aspirational goal of lowering greenhouse gas emissions
by 83% from 2018 levels by 2030 had been revised to an aspirational 70% reduction in greenhouse
gases from 2018 levels by 2030, and 94% emissions by 2050.
Public Relations Officer Gwiasda reviewed the original Six Big Moves, which were: building retrofits,
net-zero new construction, renewable energy generation, reducing vehicle emissions, increase active
transportation and transit use, and reduce waste emissions. From these, staff on the Climate Action
Plan Committee developed seven action steps for the City Council to consider:
• Step 1: Increase wind and solar generation as part of Electric Services renewable energy
portfolio
• Step 2: Waste-to-energy improvements/reducing waste emissions
• Step 3: Net zero and net-zero ready (NZR) new construction
• Step 4: Retrofit existing buildings
• Step 5: Retrofit municipal buildings
• Step 6: Electrify the municipal fleet (non-CyRide)
• Step 7: Create a Mayor’s climate action plan leadership task force
Staff gave a high-level overview of the steps, and what would be needed to accomplish each goal.
Updates on measures currently underway were also provided. Director Kom shared that 18-20% of
the City’s generated electricity was already generated through “green” energy. He shared that
approximately 50% of the energy used in the City was supplied by the Power Plant, with the remaining
demand being supplied by wind, solar, and energy purchased from the grid. Capacity and energy
requirements were two categories being evaluated by staff to determine where greener alternatives
could be utilized. As it is more cost effective to invest on a larger scale in regard to long term benefits,
Director Kom noted that staff was also evaluating the pros and cons for power purchase agreements
and ownership. Federal tax incentives were also being considered to leverage the City’s potential
purchasing power.
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An intermediate step staff is considering included fitting municipal buildings for solar capability.
However, Director Kom stated that building wind or solar capabilities was not a fast process due to
the agencies that regulate those industries. City Manager Steve Schainker highlighted different
avenues to fund solar expansion on municipal buildings, as well as how the energy produced from
those buildings would be utilized. Council Member Betcher requested a report detailing energy
consumption levels of municipal buildings, which Director Kom said he would be able to provide.
Assistant City Manager Phillips presented on the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) efforts as they related to
ensuring the reliability of the current system, as well as working towards the CAP goals. He shared
there were several moving parts that the City Council would have to evaluate and prioritize, as the
current WTE system and its reliance on natural gas is responsible for 45% of the City’s greenhouse
gas emissions. Staff has identified three options to address the WTE system in relation to the CAP
goals:
• Option 1: Maintain the status quo
• Option 2: Develop a new dedicated WTE facility
• Option 3: Invest in traditional recycling solutions, with the remainder being landfilled
After presenting on the several options staff had identified, Assistant City Manager Phillips
highlighted recent creation of recycling opportunities on a greater scale than were previously offered
in order to reduce the amount of waste entering the system, as all alternatives would benefits from
greater recycling and diversion efforts. Constraints on the Boone County landfill and the increased
amount of waste being routed there by Story County and the City made finding an alternative a
pressing issue. Assistant City Manager Phillips also reviewed the reliance on the City from other
communities in the county as a motivator to provide a satisfactory long-term solution to all
stakeholders. Methods of collection of waste from the open collector system was also examined as an
additional layer of consideration. However, the urgency of current discussions focused on how waste
was disposed of rather than how it was collected to maintain reliability of the system and reduce
emissions. Assistant City Manager Phillips encouraged the City Council to consider collection in
conjunction with alternatives to the current WTE system.
Assistant City Manager Phillips then reported that maintaining the status quo would not be an option,
as the City’s contract with the Boone County landfill would expire at the end of June 2025. With this
consideration in mind, staff was working to develop additional partnerships to dispose of waste long
term in a manner that supported CAP goals. He stated that there were alternatives, with details being
worked out that would later be brought back to the City Council.
Director Diekmann addressed net zero and net-zero-ready (NZR) new construction. The strategies
developed by staff worked with the projected growth in Plan 2040 to address new construction for
residential and non-residential growth. While working toward net zero construction, Director
Diekmann recommended an intermediate step of making construction “net-zero ready.” This would
include sizing a building to its ability to generate energy and not having a carbon fuel source as a part
of the energy plan. Under Iowa law, the City does not have the power to mandate those higher
performance requirements through the Building Code, but Zoning Code and Development Agreements
would be two tools that could be utilized by the City to pursue CAP goals. Director Diekmann
highlighted design elements that could be incorporated into future codes.
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Development agreements were an option for utilization through annexation and rezoning requests.
Director Diekmann stated that residential construction is an easier category to address, with
commercial buildings being more challenging. With the variety of requests and projects, he stated that
there is no universal solution and staff would be in a learning mindset to navigate how to best serve
the community. He furthered that education of any proposed changes would be a key element to
remove barriers going forward.
An additional consideration when examining net zero and NZR construction was where growth was
projected to take place in the City. As growth is likely to occur in areas under the jurisdiction of other
energy providers those entities would need to be considered as well when developing incentives, as
the Ames Electric Services would not have direct influence in those areas. Director Diekmann stated
areas in the City’s electric service area would be more suited for infill incentives. He then reminded
the City Council that working on developing these potential standards would need to be scheduled
into the work plan for the Planning and Housing Department for prioritization.
City Manager Schainker stated that staff was bringing options to the City Council in response to
Sustainability Solutions Group’s recommendations regarding the Six Big Moves. He furthered that
any policy action undertaken regarding the proposed Seven Initial Implementation Steps would be at
the discretion of the City Council. Director Diekmann emphasized that staff would need to know the
City Council’s goal to create programs. Council Member Gartin expressed his concerns tied to
understanding the costs to development and addressing affordable housing in the community.
Public Relations Officer Gwiasda spoke to the potential of retrofitting and shared with the City Council
that retrofitting existing buildings offered the chance to reduce carbon emissions by 15%. With most
occurring in the Ames Electric Services territory, Smart Energy incentives have the potential to create
an impact in this area. To extend the benefits of retrofitting to as many people as possible, staff
proposed a partnership with Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) in providing additional funding to
low-income citizens for the Weatherization program. Staff also proposed Ames Electric Services
offering comprehensive energy audits with a customized carbon reduction roadmap.
To incentivize customers to invest in their home and the recommended carbon reduction upgrades, the
City would be able to borrow funds from a “green bank” at zero or low interest loans to offer loans to
Ames Electric Services customers to be financed through the customer’s utility bill. Public Relations
Officer Gwiasda explained this could operate as a “Pay as You Save” program, where the provided
financing would stay with the home, and the payback would be based on the savings realized by the
upgrades. She further explained that “green banks” are financial entities that provide loans to
municipalities to provide financing to customers for energy saving initiatives.
Director Mellies outlined potential considerations for retrofitting municipal buildings. He shared that
the City had joined a Department of Energy cohort with other cities, with the goal of developing a
Request for Proposal (RFP) for a consultant to come evaluate municipal buildings. This would include
a cost-benefit analysis. Another piece of the retrofit would be examining what the City needs to do to
increase vehicle charging infrastructure to electrify the Municipal Fleet. Director Mellies stated the
proposed timeline for the RFP would tentatively begin summer of 2024, and then reviewed potential
funding sources for retrofits of municipal buildings. City Manager Schainker noted that the funding
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will depend on the project and department and that once costs have been identified those numbers
would be brought back with potential rate information impacts and Capital Improvement Projects
planning. He stated that staff were up for the challenge of addressing retrofits and keeping costs
affordable for residents. Mayor Haila noted that the potential yields would be listed in the report as
well.
Director Mellies proceeded to highlight two new electric trucks with anticipated delivery dates of this
year. He further explained that Fleet Services has worked to identify revenue to help departments
purchase hybrid or electric vehicles. Hybrids were an intermediate step for departments as electric
vehicles are not currently available to meet all the needs of the City. As more electric models become
available, Director Mellies stated that Fleet Services staff would continue to evaluate and push forward
for sustainability to remain leaders in that area. Council Member Beatty-Hansen also stated that
CyRide was beginning a pilot program with biodiesel based off Fleet Services’ experience in
pioneering biodiesel for the City fleet.
Public Relations Officer Gwiasda covered the last step of creating a Mayor’s CAP leadership task
force by gathering community leaders to share GHG reduction strategies and best practices. She
suggested different methods of selecting the task force and models for the City Council to consider.
Public Relations Officer Gwiasda stated there is value in adding diverse perspectives to the group.
Council Member Gartin also encouraged community members to participate in the Smart Business
Challenge to investigate their energy usage.
Mayor Haila opened the Public Input.
Justin Dodge, 105 S. 16th Street, Ames, presented strategies to continue utilizing incentives such as
rebates to meet the CAP goals based on his personal and professional experiences in the community.
Mr. Dodge expressed his support for retrofits and financing. He stated his preference to have choices
built into each approach and to keep incentives that make sense to incentivize all-electric energy. Mr.
Dodge also provided examples of ways other power utilities are leveraging incentives to promote clean
energy and encouraged the City Council to take examples of utility rebates working for Ames Electric
Services to other power utilities to ask them to model them as well.
Mayor Haila closed the Public Input when no one else came forward to speak.
City Manager Schainker stated that staff did not expect direction at this meeting unless the City
Council wanted any steps to not be pursued. He stated that he wants the community to know that staff
is still prioritizing and working towards the CAP goals. Council Member Beatty-Hansen thanked staff
for all the hard work being done on the CAP and that it was apparent that staff was taking the topic
seriously.
AUDITORIUM ALCOHOL AND CONCESSION POLICY: Parks and Recreation Director Keith
Abraham and Recreation Superintendent Courtney Kort presented the Council Action Form (CAF)
and reviewed the history of the item. Superintendent Kort stated Parks and Recreation staff worked
with the Legal Department, Risk Manager, and Police Department to develop a policy that maintained
a welcoming environment while also protecting City assets. She walked through the responsibilities
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of each party, and shared there would be an administrative procedure to allow interested parties who
were eligible for alcohol service to have an exemption from the service if desired.
Mayor Haila opened and closed the Public Input when no one came forward to speak.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 24-007 approving the
Auditorium Alcohol and Concession Policy.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion
of these Minutes.
ROOF REPLACEMENT AT THE POWER PLANT: Director Kom presented the CAF.
Moved by Rollins, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 24-008 approving
preliminary plans and specifications for the Roof Replacement at the Power Plant, setting February
14, 2024 as the due date for bids, and setting February 27, 2024 as the date of public hearing and award
of contract.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion
of these Minutes.
HEARING ON HVAC REPLACEMENT AT THE POWER PLANT: The Mayor opened and
closed the Public Hearing when no one came forward to speak.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Gartin, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 24-009 awarding contract to
Mechanical Comfort, Ames, IA, for HVAC Replacement at the Power Plant, in an amount of
$269,740.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion
of these Minutes.
SECOND READING ON TEXT AMENDMENT FOR PUBLIC NUISANCE "PROPERTY
MAINTENANCE" RELATED TO CHANGES TO THE AMES MUNICIPAL CODE: Moved
by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Gartin, to pass on second reading a Text Amendment for Public
Nuisance “Property Maintenance” related to changes to the Ames Municipal Code.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
SECOND READING ON ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT TO PAVING STANDARDS FOR
BASIC UTILITY USES AND OTHER SIMILAR USES: Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by
Rollins, to pass on second reading a Zoning Text Amendment for Paving Standards for Basic Utility
Uses and other similar uses.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
THIRD READING AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 4516 ON TEXT AMENDMENTS
TO AMES MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 13, (RENTAL HOUSING CODE), CHAPTER 29
(ZONING ORDINANCE), AND CHAPTER 31 (HISTORIC PRESERVATION) TO ALLOW
ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS (ADUS) IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS AS
AMMENDED: Mayor Haila noted for the City Council that this was an amended agenda on this item,
with the change being the addition of “as amended.”
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Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Junck, to pass on third reading and adopt ORDINANCE NO.
4516 on Text Amendments to Ames Municipal Code Chapter 13, (Rental Housing Code), Chapter 29
(Zoning Ordinance), and Chapter 31 (Historic Preservation) to allow Accessory Dwelling Units
(ADUs) in residential districts as amended.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
DISPOSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL: Mayor Haila reported that there were
two items for consideration, with the first being a memo from the Historic Preservation Commission
regarding revisions to Municipal Code Section 31. City Manager Schainker stated that this item was
for informational purposes only.
A letter from Chris Murray requesting East 13th Street PRC and Overlay District Abandonment
Consideration was considered next.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to request a memo from staff.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
COUNCIL COMMENTS: Council Member Rollins expressed her condolences to the community of
Perry, IA after the recent school shooting that recently occurred.
Council Member Junck shared that she enjoyed the City Council’s goal setting session the previous
weekend, and looked forward to the goals City Council would be able to accomplish in the coming
years.
Council Member Gartin shared his thanks to the Public Works Department for the great job they had
done of maintaining the streets with the recent winter weather. He invited the community to join the
cross-country ski clinic at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 13, 2024. Additionally, Council Member
Gartin expressed his excitement for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration planned for Monday,
January 15, 2024, at 6:30 p.m., with a reception beforehand beginning at 6:00 p.m. He expressed his
frustration with the Iowa Caucuses being held on a national holiday.
Council Member Betcher shared her agreement with Council Member Gartin’s frustration regarding
the caucus schedule. She also commented that the City Council needed to evaluate the methods of how
they sought to engage residents with the understanding that not everyone is a computer user. She
requested clarification on comments from a citizen during Public Forum, which were addressed by
City Manager Schainker and Mayor Haila.
Mayor Haila echoed the frustrations of the caucus schedule, and shared he would be attending the Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. He thanked staff for all their efforts to organize the program. He
also highlighted that the Capital Improvements Plan would be covered in the January 16, 2024, special
meeting of the City Council. Mayor Haila shared that he, Director of Finance Corey Goodenow, and
City Manager Schainker would be meeting with State lawmakers to discuss impacts of funding
decisions from the last legislative session.
ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Betcher, seconded by Rollins, to adjourn at 8:06 p.m.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
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__________________________________ ____________________________________
Grace A. Bandstra, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor
__________________________________
Renee Hall, City Clerk
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