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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - November 2024 Monthly Project Highlights Contact the City Manager's Office at 515-239-5101 515 Clark Avenue, Ames, IA 50010 Report compiled by Jeramy Neefus, Principal Clerk City Manager's Office NOVEMBER 2024 MONTHLY PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS LIBRARY Authors Abound: Ames Public Library hosted a whole host of authors this fall! On October 12, local authors filled the Auditorium and 2nd floor meeting rooms to share their works with readers. As the Iowa Center for the Book, Ames Public Library held events in October and November featuring the authors of this year’s “Great Reads from Great Places” selections: Ten Beautiful Things by Molly Beth Griffin and The Swine Republic by Chris Jones. The Library also had a visit from Ruth Harkin November 12 to talk about her new book, When My Husband Ran for President and Other Short Stories. Snow Magic StoryWalk®: Ames Public Library will help visitors to Downtown Ames celebrate winter with a special StoryWalk® December 5-31. Start at Ames Public Library and find the pages of Big Snow by Jonathan Bean in windows of downtown businesses. The Library also maintains a permanent StoryWalk® at Moore Memorial Park in partnership with Ames Parks & Recreation. Visit the park seasonally to see a new book! The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg- Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. Resources for Gift Givers: Ames Public Library supports its community in a wide variety of ways. This time of year, library users can get help finding the perfect holiday gift! Ames Public Library card holders get free access to Consumer Reports online, a great resource for comparing brands and researching products. Finding gifts for readers is even easier; Library staff publishes curated lists of great books from 2024, and can even create Personalized Picks lists for individuals! Literary Grounds Bookstore inside the Library offers great deals on gently used books, puzzles, and more for all ages. Book lovers can also purchase library-themed T-shirts from http://www.bit.ly/RaygunAPL with 40% of the price benefiting the Library. 2 Winter Reading Challenge Begins December 1: All ages can earn a prize by reading 30 days this winter! Pick up your reading log at the Library or Bookmobile starting December 1, or sign up online at AmesPublicLibrary.beanstack.org. Thank you to Ames Public Library Friends Foundation for funding the prizes for our reading challenges! 3 PARKS AND RECREATION Ada Hayden Heritage Park Path Replacement: Staff sent out a request for proposals for engineering services for the Ada Hayden Heritage Park Path Replacement Project. A consulting firm will design a new twelve-foot-wide path and install any necessary drainage. One of the goals during construction is to keep a walking loop open during the entirety of the project, which is expected to take place in 2025. Ames/ISU Ice Arena Radiant Heat Replacement: Bids for the Ames/ISU Ice Arena Radiant Heating Replacement Project were due on November 20, with bids coming in below the engineer’s estimate. The project consists of replacing the radiant heating system over the stands and in the lobby of the facility. The project is to be completed by May 31, 2025. Ames/ISU Ice Arena V4 Hockey Vending Machine: The V4 Hockey Vending Machine is now available at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena! This innovative machine provides quick and easy access to essential gear and accessories for players, coaches, and fans alike. The vending machine accepts credits cards and mobile payment apps, making it simple to purchase gear like hockey tape, mouth guards, skate laces, protective gear, or hockey sticks on the go. Adding the vending machine is just one of many steps staff is taking to enhance the user experience of the Ames/ISU Ice Arena. Aquatics: The first session of swimming lessons at the ISU State Gym ended Sunday, November 17. Feedback indicated that 58.3% of respondents rated their experience as excellent, sharing the following comments: • “The instructors were great. My daughter hadn't ever done lessons and was nervous about the water, but they were kind and pushed her to try things without adding too much pressure.” • “Organized - all kids were active and learning for the entire time of the session.” • “The girls we had leading the class communicated and delegated well. Several of the kids had high anxiety of the water and needed one on one attention. They handled it very well.” • “We chatted with the instructors after and before class to make sure our kid was meeting the check marks. They did a great job continually to motivate him to finish. He did. It was his fourth time taking the class.” • “Preschool Level 1: the instructors did a great job of revisiting skills and continuing to work with each child to make sure they met the goals, or at least had the opportunity to.” An Adult and Pediatric CPR with AED and First Aid class was held on November 9, with 14 enrolled. The next class is scheduled for Saturday, December 14. Auditorium: The Ames City Auditorium received a 2024 Arts Project Grant award for $5,380 from the Iowa Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts to expand its annual concert series. For 2024 and 2025, the series has been expanded from 11 concerts to 12 and opening acts 4 have been added to most of the remaining concerts. The grant funding will also be utilized to create video content for the artists performing and for the Auditorium social media pages in an effort to reach a broader audience. This year’s “Fifth and Clark Fridays” series began in September and will continue into the spring. The grant funding will be used to enhance the remaining concerts from November through April. Homewood Golf Course: Homewood Golf Course was selected the Best of Story County in the Tribune’s Annual Community Choice Awards! Congratulations to staff for providing an exceptional experience to the community! A total of 25,959 rounds were played in the 2024 season, resulting in a 12% increase from 2023. The table below provides a detailed history of rounds played the last five seasons at Homewood Golf Course. 5 Season Rounds Played 2020 15,205 2021 18,151 2022 18,769 2023 23,189 2024 25,959 Total 101,273 Annual 5-Year Average 20,255 The table below shows the current clubhouse rental hours and revenue amounts compared to the same time frame last fiscal year. July 1, 2023 – November 22, 2023 July 1, 2024 – November 22, 2024 Paid Event Hours 59 61.75 Revenue from Paid Events $6,255.00 $6,408.75 Non-Paid Events Hours 77 53.5 New sessions of euchre and cribbage started at Homewood Clubhouse. Euchre has 28 participants on 14 teams; morning cribbage has 14 participants; evening cribbage has 18 participants. Wellness: A new fitness session began Monday, November 11, at the Community Center, Sixty Forward, and virtually, along with several other wellness classes. Registration numbers are as follows: Program Registrations Community Center 441 Sixty Forward 128 Zoom 20 Beginner & Intermediate West Coast Swing 13 Balance & Strength (at Vintage Cooperative) 12 Intermediate Line Dance 6 At Sixty Forward, 41 E-gym onboarding sessions were conducted November 1-25 and 114 were conducted October 1-31. 6 RESOURCE RECOVERY No-Charge Yard Waste Days: The first three No-Charge Yard Waste Days have seen strong turnout: • October 19 – 250 vehicles dropped off leaves • November 9 – 466 vehicles dropped off leaves • November 16 – 1036 vehicles dropped off leaves and brush up to three inches in diameter • November 23 – the last scheduled No-Charge Yard Waste Day of the year. RDF Pipe Rapid Repair/Replacement: Resource Recovery had a rapid repair/replacement that needed to be completed to resume service for solid waste. Resource Recovery crews worked around the clock to replace the north half of pipe that conveys refuse-derived fuel (RDF) to the storage bins. The 280 ft. long section of RDF pipe, which is located underground, had to be removed due to holes worn through in several areas causing low pipe pressure and material plugs. The pipe was then replaced one 20 ft. section at a time, triple pass welded, and then pushed in. The project was started on a Wednesday morning and completed by Friday afternoon. 7 The Great Pumpkin Disposal: Collection of pumpkins and other seasonal gourds began in mid- October, with many residents participating thus far. The collection bins will be available through Sunday, December 1. Science Night at Sawyer Elementary School: On November 14, staff attended Sawyer Elementary’s annual Science Night. The event gave staff the opportunity to talk with families and students about the importance of recycling, the types of material that are accepted at the 24/7 drop- off site at the Resource Recovery Plant, and battery recycling.