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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - January 2022 Monthly Project Highlights MONTHLY PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS JANUARY 2022 Report Compiled by Carly Watson, Principal Clerk, City Manager’s Office 2 ANIMAL SHELTER Staff at the Ames Animal Shelter and Animal Control are committed to complete, accurate, and unfiltered statistical data reporting. They recently analyzed their 2021 data and report the following highlights. Animal Intakes & Outcomes: • Intakes increased from prior year - cats 9%, kittens 33.1%, dogs 32%, puppies 115.4%, and small pets 157.9% • 427 cats/kittens received & cared for - highest number in 12 years • 98 small pets (guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, etc.) received & cared for - second highest number in at least 17 years • 311 cat/kitten adoptions - highest in 13 years • 267 pets returned to their owners - 28.36% increase from 2020 • 87 cats/kittens returned to their owner - 28.85% reclaim rate - highest in seven years - national average is less than 5% • 171 dogs/puppies returned to their owner - 92.16% reclaim rate - national average is 10 to 30% • 97.79% cat Live Release Rate - highest rate in at least 17 years • 99.39% kitten Live Release Rate - highest rate in at least 17 years • 100% puppy Live Release Rate - has been 100% for at least the last nine years • 98.70% combined cat & dog Live Release Rate - highest rate in at least 17 years • 100% rabbit Live Release Rate • 96% small pets Live Release Rate Adoption Customer Service Surveys: • 328 Adoption Customer Service Surveys submitted (26.15% increase from prior year) • 100% of surveys (328) indicated YES that they were helped in a reasonable amount of time, received knowledgeable, thorough service, animals appeared well cared for and comfortable, staff members and volunteers were friendly and helpful, the facility was clean, fees were reasonable, we met their needs or offered alternatives, and they would use our services again or refer a friend. 3 • 325 (99.08%) of surveys indicated the overall quality of service they received was excellent. Three surveys indicated their quality of service was good. • 319 (97.25%) of surveys indicated their overall impression of our facility was excellent. Nine surveys indicated their impression of the facility was good. For complete statistical data, please visit the shelter’s website at www.AmesAnimalShelter.org. 4 CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE Ames Human Relations Commission: The Ames Human Relations Commission selected Anneke Mundel and the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Story County Immigrants to each receive its 2022 Humanitarian Award. The award recognizes and honors a worthy individual or program whose contributions to the Ames community demonstrate extraordinary quality, especially in efforts to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity. Jahmai Fisher, chair of the Human Relations Commission, presented the awards at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration held Monday, Jan. 17. Public Art Commission: The Public Art Commission (PAC) previously declined taking on the painting of active fire hydrants as a project, as it could potentially pose a safety issue in the event of a fire. As an alternative, PAC is exploring a project to have decommissioned City hydrants painted, and then put on pads at the Dog Park and Animal Shelter. This would be a fun way to incorporate a project that received a lot of community discussion with minimal cost or danger. PAC members have discussed the concept with the Utility Maintenance Supervisor and Parks and Recreation Director. Details are continuing to be developed for the program. PAC could potentially be ready to move forward in the spring or summer with painting and installation. 5 LIBRARY Black History Month: The Library has several events planned in February celebrating Black History Month: • Storytimes on Saturdays, February 5, 12, and 19 at 10:30am will feature books and readers that celebrate Black voices in our community. • We will show the film Akeelah and the Bee Thursday, February 10, at 10am as part of our Movies with Mainstream series. • ISU’s Stormettes Dance Line will perform jazz, modern, hip hop, and more dance styles Saturday, February 12, at 2pm. • The Library and Ames Human Relations Commission will host Sharing Our Own Stories: Ames’ Black Voices Tuesday, February 15, at 6pm. Jahmai Fisher and Wayne Clinton will kick off this series with a discussion of the role of storytelling in the Black community. DEI Training Continues: Ames Public Library staff are continuing training and conversations on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through small group meetings this winter. The Library’s next Staff Training Day on February 21 will feature a DEI presentation by Dr. Adrienne Coleman. Hybrid Events: Many of Ames Public Library’s events are being offered in a hybrid format— both online and in person. While this format has high staff and technology requirements, online attendance has been particularly high during times of COVID concern, bad weather, and frigi d temperatures. The Library will continue to evaluate the evolving technology and changing needs of our community in this area. MLK Day Events: The Library’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and the annual Ames/Story County Community MLK Day Celebration had a great response! For our Day of Service, community members donated items and helped to pack 105 hygiene supply kits which are being distributed by The Bridge Home. 6 PARKS AND RECREATION Inis Grove Playground Project: Playground equipment in Inis Grove Park, near Shagbark Shelter, in the northeast portion of the park is being replaced. City staff removed the old play structure and swings, wood chips, railroad tie border, and regraded the surface for the new installation. The installation contractor then installed the new play structure and City staff placed geotextile fabric and pea rock for drainage under the structure. The project will be completed in the spring when the new swing arrives for city staff to install. Staff will then be able to finish the fabric and pea rock, place another fabric layer on top of the rock and then place the EWF (engineered wood fibers) as the safety surface. The final steps are a concrete sidewalk border, new benches, and restoration of the turf around the area. 7 Outdoor Ice Rinks: Two outdoor ice rinks in South River Valley Park are now open as weather permits. The boards, ramps and signage were installed in late November, and the plastic liners, water filling and foam edges were installed when the forecast showed viable freezing conditions. This year that was the last few days of December. Once frozen solid enough, benches and goals are placed for use and the rinks are opened for use. A volunteer from Ames Minor Hockey Association (AMHA) is a huge help in flooding and maintaining the ice surfaces in smooth conditions with minimal City staff time needed for maintenance of ice conditions. Recreational Programming Auditorium: In January of 2021, The Ames City Auditorium successfully launched its first completely virtual concert series. This February, Parks and Recreation is launching its “Virtually Anywhere…AND Here” concert series which will feature in -person audiences as well as a virtual option for those who wish to participate from home. There are currently five concerts scheduled with a sixth event in the works. Concerts will be Friday nights at 7:00PM on the Auditorium stage beginning February 11, 2022. The artist lineup this year will feature folk singer Ryne Doughty – February 11, guitarist and songwriter Allegra Hernandez – February 18, indie rock artist King Wylde – February 24, Indian and Hindustani classical artist Debarpan Dhar – March 4, and jazz & folk singer/songwriter Sara Routh – March 11. 8 Cross Country Ski Clinic: On January 22, Parks & Recreation held a free Cross Country Ski Clinic. Over 40 individuals participated, with a majority having never skied but with an interest to learn. Tim Gartin and Greg Welk instructed the course, which consisted of two parts. Part one was held at the Homewood Golf Course Clubhouse and consisted of an in-class introduction to cross country skiing, and part two was held at Carr and East River Valley Parks where participants had the opportunity to ski on groomed trails. Iowa State Univer sity Recreation Services, Jax Outdoor Gear, and Skunk River Cycles supported the clinic and outfitted participants with rental gear. Municipal Pool: Municipal Pool is entering its final month of operations after opening in 1965. Through the month of February, Municipal Pool will continue to operate, offering lap swimming, water walking, aqua fitness, swim lessons, and lifeguard certification courses. Open swim is held every Saturday and Sunday from 1:00-3:00 PM. On Sunday, February 13 there will be winter themed games and activities available for patrons. The final weekend of operations will be celebrated with our Dollar Days promotion! Admission to Open Swim on Saturday, February 26 and Sunday, February 27 will cost just $1 per person. 9 Wellness: Ames Parks & Recreation offered sixteen free Drop-in Fitness classes December 27-31 with a variety of classes offered. Approximately 140 people attended with participants donating 1-2 cans of non-perishable goods per class for the local food bank. A new six-week session of in-person and virtual Fitness Classes began Monday, January 3 with 342 in person registrations and 82 virtual registrations. A new eight-week session of taekwondo began at the Ames Middle School, Tuesday, January 11 with 116 registrations. Aqua classes began at three facilities in January. Classes began at Green Hills Wellness Center Monday, January 3 with 177 registrations, at Forker Pool on the ISU Campus January 10 with 34 registrations and at Municipal Pool January 4 with 6 registrations. 10 WATER AND POLLUTION CONTROL Water Pollution Control Facility: A draft NPDES permit was issued by the Iowa DNR on December 15, 2021, with a public comment period that was open through January 29, 2022. City staff reviewed the permit in detail and offered numerous detailed comments. Most of the comments were minor and were seeking clarification or corrections to the specified locations within the plant that required samples were to be taken. The new permit will ultimately include new limits for copper and cyanide, although City staff have already conversed with the Iowa DNR about performing a site-specific water quality study that could demonstrate that the Ames WPCF has “no reasonable potential” to violate a water quality standard for those two parameters. The new permit also includes some small downward revisions to permitted ammonia levels in a handful of months. Staff anticipates that the permit will be issued as a “final” permit sometime in February. When issued, the new permit will replace a permit that was issued in 2011 and that expired in 2016 (when a permit expires, the facility continues to operate under its terms until a new permit is issued). Water Treatment Plant: On December 29, 2021, staff received a copy of the sampling results obtained by the Iowa DNR for PFAS in the drinking water. City staff assisted the Iowa DNR in collecting the samples on December 7. The sampling was part of a statewide sampling initiative looking to determine the prevalence of a class of chemicals known as per -and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to by the acronym “PFAS.” This is a huge class of manmade compounds that includes more than 5,000 individual chemicals. The results, published by the Iowa DNR on January 10, found PFAS compounds at what staff from the Iowa DNR described as “very low levels” of 9.6 parts per trillion. (Yes, trillion!) In a briefing provided to Council on January 13, W&PC Director John Dunn answered the question “Is Ames water safe to drink because of the PFAS?” His answer was “Yes. It is the professional judgement of the staff of the Water & Pollution Control Department that because PFOA and PFOS was only found in trace concentrations far below the US EPA Health Advisory Level, the Ames drinking water is safe to drink. There is nothing to indicate 11 that any consumer needs to take any special actions.” Staff will be conducting additional testing on all wells in the next few months as well as periodic retests of the finished drinking water. The results of the Iowa DNR sampling along with a “Q and A” analysis of those results is available on the City’s webpage at www.CityofAmes.org/PFAS. The results of any future sampling will also be posted to that same page.