HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - June 2023 Monthly Project HighlightsHIGHLIGHTS
JUNE 2023
MONTHLY PROJECT
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
ELECTRIC
New Electric Vehicle Chargers: Three new public Level
2 Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers were recently installed in
Ames. They are located at Mary Greeley Medical Center,
the Ames Public Library parking lot, and the parking lot on
the south side of Main Street.
Rate Increase for Electric Vehicle Charging: Beginning
July 1, 2023, the state of Iowa has begun to charge a fee for
EV charging. This was implemented to replace the Road Use
Tax normally collected on gasoline purchases. To meet the
new requirement, public charger rates will go from
$0.10/kilowatt-hour to $0.126/kilowatt-hour for Level 2
chargers, and from $0.15/kilowatt-hour to $0.176/kilowatt-
hour for Level 3 chargers.
Unit #8 Repairs: Power Plant Unit #8 remains offline in June as repair work is done to the
turbine. It is estimated that Unit #8 will return to service mid-July. Meanwhile, Unit #7 is running.
Having a unit online provides an extra level of reliability, while at the same time turning Refuse-
Derived Fuel (RDF) into energy. This is one way the City reduces the amount of trash going to a
landfill.
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FIRE
Ames Triathalon: On Sunday, June 25, Ames Firefighters and their Water Rescue Boat patrolled
the waters of Ada Hayden as they assisted with the Ames Triathlon.
Firefighter Training: Every month, Ames Firefighters train on a number of different topics.
They also complete Assessment Based Trainings (ABTs), where they are timed and evaluated on
performance by the Ames Fire Department Training Officer. This month, Ames Fire crews
completed two ABTs, the “Omaha Heavy” and “Turning the Corner.” The Omaha Heavy ABT
requires the crew to utilize their master stream, also known as a deck gun, to apply water through
a window, while the rest of the crew stretches a hose line into the structure to apply water.
Coordination is key, and everyone must move with a purpose to complete the drill. The Turning
the Corner ABT requires the crew to make multiple turns while operating a hose stream. This skill
evaluates the crew’s ability to function as one team and quickly maneuver through an unfamiliar
structure. Photos of the crew performing the Omaha Heavy are included on the next page.
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Slater Structure Fire: On Friday, June 23, the Ames
Fire Department Tower 1 with crew was requested by
Slater Fire per the mutual aid agreement to assist with
a structure fire.
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LIBRARY
Free Summer Meals: The
Library offers free lunches for kids
and teens weekdays through the
summer to help fight childhood
hunger. Staff gave out 150 lunches
after the first Terrific Tuesday
event! The average so far this
summer is 80 lunches per day,
about double last year’s average.
Thank you to the Ames Public
Library Friends Foundation and
REG (Chevron Renewable Energy
Group) for sponsoring our Free
Summer Meals for Kids and
Teens!
Huge Attendance at the Library:
The Library is a go-to for families
looking for things to do in the summer, and for good reason! The Library’s calendar is packed with
special events for families. Terrific Tuesdays draw some of the biggest crowds, with professional
entertainers performing magic, storytelling, music, and more. Pictured below is June 6’s Choose
Your Own M.E.S.S. event, which drew 194 participants. Thank you to the Ames Public Library
Friends Foundation for sponsoring Terrific Tuesdays and many other events!
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Library Reading Challenge: A third of the way through the Summer Reading Challenge, 2,365
participants have already logged over 1.2 million minutes of reading! The reading challenge is
for all ages, with different prizes for adults, teens, kids, and babies/toddlers. There is still plenty
of time to sign up and get started; the reading challenge continues through August 22. Thank you
to the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation for sponsoring the Summer Reading Challenge!
Upcoming at the Library: Many exciting events are coming up at the Library, including:
• WEARABLES Exhibition – June 30 – July 27
• Book Sale – July 6-9
• Teen Art: Community Art and Murals – July 11 (Registration Required)
• Author Event: Diana Goetsch, author of This Body I Wore – July 27
• Pub Fiction Fundraiser – August 10
• And much more!
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PARKS AND RECREATION
Ames/ISU Ice Arena: The Ames/ISU Ice Arena will be closed June 25 – August 14 for annual
maintenance. One project that will be completed during this timeframe is releveling the sand base
below the sheet of ice. This will require removing the current sheet of ice, releveling the sand base,
and creating a new sheet of ice. Other tasks that will be completed during this timeframe include
painting the ice, painting the interior of the facility, completing compressor maintenance, repairing
dasher boards, Olympia (ice resurfacer) maintenance, and adding a mural funded by the Ames
Public Art Commission. To stay up to date on maintenance activities, visit @Ames/ISU Ice Arena
on social media.
The Ames/ISU Ice Arena had a very busy June with USA Hockey Camp, Planet Hockey Camp,
Ames Minor Hockey, Adult Hockey, Ames Figure Skating Club, and private rentals using the ice.
USA Hockey Camp brought 102 hockey players and 31 referees from all over the Midwest.
The Ames/ISU Ice Arena also hosted three recreation programs. Summer camp was held from
June 6-8 with a total of 20 registrants. On June 23, Painting with a Twist came back to the Ice
Arena to host another class with 14 people participating. To wrap up the ice season, an End of Ice
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Celebration was held
where people were able to
paint the ice with
homemade paint. Twenty-
three people came to paint
and stayed for public skate.
Aquatics: The annual
Princess Party was hosted
at Furman Aquatic Center
on Saturday, June 17. A
total of 75 registered
princesses had the
opportunity to swim with
Ariel and friends while
completing their own craft
and enjoying a light
breakfast with their
families.
Eleven aquatics staff
recently completed the
American Red Cross
Water Safety Instructor
(WSI) class and are now
certified WSI’s. Staff completed approximately 8-10 hours of online course work and 30 hours of
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in-person training. As part of the class, Boys and Girls Club users were offered free mini swimming
lessons so staff could practice what they learned. Twenty youth from the Boys and Girls Club took
advantage of these lessons.
Bandshell: After over 35 years of service, the previous Bandshell sound system was replaced.
The new sound system provides higher fidelity sound with much better coverage. Utilizing small
stacks of line array speakers in the Bandshell speaker openings helps disperse the sound evenly
throughout the park and eliminates a lot of the “dead zones” created by the old system. The new
system also includes auxiliary components that will allow larger events to happen at Bandshell
without the need to rent additional sound equipment. The new system has been operational for all
the Municipal Band Concerts and it was utilized for the first time with full bands during the Ames
Juneteenth Celebration.
While the system was being installed, some children from Ames Community Preschool Center
were in the park and made a special song request, which staff happily obliged, and was glad to
have them help break in the new system.
Brookside Park Prairie
Seeding: The City
received approximately one
acre of native prairie seed
from the Iowa Soybean
Association to increase the
amount of native habitat for
pollinators in the parks.
Staff set aside a portion of
land in Brookside Park
south of the baseball fields
for the prairie planting. The
planting took place in early June and was completed by staff from Story County Conservation.
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Elks Donation: The local Elks Ames Lodge
1626 donated $1,000 to assist with the renovation
of the restroom in Inis Grove Park that was
damaged by fire last summer. HPC, LLC, Ames,
Iowa, will be starting the renovation project in
July. Pictured left from left to right are Jean
Kingsbury (Ames Elks), Joshua Thompson
(Ames Parks and Recreation), and Dave
Delagardelle (Ames Elks).
Emma McCarthy Lee Park Pickleball Project:
Upper Midwest Athletic Construction, Andover,
Minnesota, will be converting two tennis courts to
six pickleball courts at Emma McCarthy Lee Park
in July. The project also includes the addition of
new fencing delineating the pickleball courts, crack repair, and resurfacing the tennis and
pickleball court surface. The project is expected to be completed by the end of July.
Forestry: Family Tree Care LLC, Windsor Heights, Iowa, completed treatment of 154 ash trees
across town. The ash trees were identified by staff as candidates for treatment given their overall
condition and planned removal date. Treatment of
the ash trees was identified as a method outlined
in the Emerald Ash Borer Response Plan
approved by the City Council in 2015 in an effort
to delay the removal over a 20-year period.
Pictured to the right is a staff member from
Family Tree Care, LLC., treating an ash tree.
Homewood Golf Course: The course opened
April 1 and business has been good so far. As of
June 26, 9,742 rounds have been played,
compared to 6,764 rounds played during the same
time frame in 2022.
Inis Grove Restroom Repair: HPC, LLC,
Ames, Iowa, will be starting to repair the
restroom in Inis Grove Park from the damage
caused by a fire that was intentionally set in July of 2022. The project includes replacing the roof
trusses, metal roof, electrical system, interior wall surfaces, lighting, exterior limestone, siding and
gutters. The project is expected to start in July and be completed sometime this fall.
Miracle League of Ames: KCCI 8 News visited Ames Miracle League on Saturday, June 17, to
highlight Miracle League and two local athletes, Erica Briest and Blake Russell, who will be
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participating in this year’s Miracle League All-Star Game November 3-5 in Palm Beach County,
Florida. Click here to view the full story.
Moore Memorial Park Prairie Seeding: Diversity Farms, Dedham, Iowa, completed seeding
of approximately 30 acres of land to native prairie on the west side of Ioway Creek in Moore
Memorial Park. This land was highlighted as an area that could assist with the Nutrient Reduction
Strategy as adopted by the Water and Pollution Control (WPC) Department. Staff worked with
WPC staff to develop a plan and received an approximately $60,000 grant from the State of Iowa
for the conversion of the land. Below is a picture of the land after it was seeded.
Park Pruning: Forestry staff completed work along the shared use path connecting Brookside
Park and Stuart Smith Park. Several hazardous trees and shrubs were trimmed or fully removed.
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Also, staff is continuing to evaluate and trim trees as needed in Stuart Smith Park. The pictures
below depict the work taking place in those areas of the park system.
Parks and Recreation Commission Annual Tour: The Parks and Recreation Commission as
part of their monthly meeting took a tour of the Ames/ISU Ice Arena and the Sands-McDorman
Property. The City is planning to purchase 50 acres from the Sands-McDorman Family for a
community park later this summer. Pictured below is Keith Abraham, Parks and Recreation
Director, with the Commission at the property.
Summer Camps: Summer Camp has begun! Each week, children grades K-6 participate in age-
appropriate themed activities, games, arts and crafts, special events and trips to Furman Aquatic
Center. The theme is different each week, so activities will vary from week to week. Thus far,
campers have enjoyed Olympian Week, Exploration Week, and Fun and Fitness Week. Fun
activities have included making bottle rockets, meeting the Ames Fire Department, and so much
more! Campers can still be registered online for July at www.amesparkrec.org.
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USDA Forest Service Grant: City Forester Gabriele Edwards submitted a grant application to
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service for $1.6 million dollars. The
five year project proposal would fund additional ash removals and replacements, additional
seasonal forestry staff, increase the number of trees planted across town, and fund the creation of
a gravel bed nursery. Grant awards are expected to be announced in October.
Wellness: A new session of wellness classes began in June with the following registrations:
Program Registrations