HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - July 2022 Monthly Project HighlightsHIGHLIGHTS
July 2022
MONTHLY PROJECT
Contact the City Manager's Office at 515-239-5101
515 Clark Avenue, Ames, IA 50010
Report compiled by
Carly Watson, Principal Clerk
City Manager's Office
The Ames Fire Department is in the final stages
of a process improvement to the department’s
new firefighter recruitment program. The
physical agility test has been adjusted to better
match the job knowledge, skills and abilities
required of an entry level firefighter and as listed
on the firefighter job description. This process
has taken many months, with lots of research,
testing, and evaluation. The City’s Media
Productions Team is putting the finishing touches
on a video overview of the physical agility testing
process, which will be shared with potential
firefighter candidates to help prepare them for the
process. Here’s a sneak peak behind the scenes.
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LGBTQIA+ Teen Mental Health
Presentations: In July, licensed mental health counselor
Jen Hansen presented information for teens on
LGBTQIA+ mental health topics. On August 3, Hansen
will give a presentation for caregivers and parents at 6 p.m.
in the Library’s Rotary Room. Participants will learn how
to support LGBTQ+ teens, ways to ask for help, and how
to identify assisting organizations.
Pub Fiction: The Ames Public Library Friends
Foundation will hold its annual Pub Fiction fundraiser
Thursday, August 11. Proceeds from the popular pub
crawl in downtown Ames are used to enhance Ames
Public Library’s collections, programs, and services.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the Library or
online at http://bit.ly/PubFiction2022.
Student Library Cards: This will be the second school
year of Ames Public Library’s Student Library Card
partnership with Ames Community School District
(ACSD). Every ACSD student (unless they opt out) is
given an Ames Public Library account based on their
student ID number, which lets them check out Library
materials and use the Library’s online learning tools for free. This partnership makes it easier for
students, parents, and educators to connect with resources and tools that can help them succeed.
It’s also a step forward in the Library’s Strategic Plan goals of greater equity and access.
Summer at the Library: The Library’s Summer Reading Challenge continues until August 23,
and participants have already read a ton. Over 2,700 people have logged 1,285,000 minutes so far!
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There are also plenty of storytimes and special events at the Library and local parks through the
end of the summer to keep kids engaged and learning. Free lunches are available weekdays at the
Library for kids and teens through August 19.
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Ada Hayden Heritage Park Accessible Kayak Launch: JRM Construction, Ames, Iowa, will
be completing the concrete work necessary to install the Accessible Canoe/Kayak Launch at Ada
Hayden Heritage Park the second week of August. Once the concrete is completed, staff will be
assembling and installing the launch system. Over $35,000 of the funds used to install the launch
system were donations and grants. The project is expected to be completed by September.
Furman Aquatic Center: The aquatic center opened later than normal this year due to a shortage
of lifeguards. Additionally, basins and amenities have been closed at times due to the availability
of staff. However, attendance is still on par with prior years.
2022 2021 2020** 2019 2018
May 1,764 560 0 2,412 6,903
June 27,750 27,583 0 24,674 25,123
July* 25,107 25,703 0 26,575 17,229
Total 54,621 53,846 0 53,661 59,255
*Numbers are through July 26 of each year.
**Closed due to COVID-19 Pandemic.
Homewood Golf Course: The golf course opens on April 1 of every year, weather permitting.
The following table shows the number of rounds played from April 1 – June 27 for each of the
past four years:
2022 2021 2020* 2019
Rounds Played 9,764 10,362 7,885 7,318
*Delayed opening until May 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had reduced the number of tee
times per hour.
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Inis Grove Park Fire: Staff received a call from Police
Dispatch at 12:00 AM, Friday, July 22, stating the Fire
Department responded to multiple fires in Inis Grove Park.
In total five garbage cans were destroyed as well as damage
to the restroom building located adjacent Duff Avenue.
Investigators believe three separate fires were started in
different areas of the park: 1) adjacent Shagbark Shelter
(northeast side of park), 2) adjacent Acorn Music Hall
within the Barnes Family Inclusive Playground, and 3)
adjacent the Duff Avenue restroom. Parks and Recreation
staff is working with Bill Walton, Risk Manager, to have an
insurance adjuster review the damage. Staff is also meeting
with contractors to conduct an assessment of the building
and develop a cost estimate to complete the repairs. The
restroom is closed until repairs can be made to the building;
however, a portable restroom is in place during this closure.
Wellness: A new session of Aqua classes began at Furman Aqua Center Tuesday, July 11 with
76 participants.
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Ames Urban Fringe Plan: The Ames Urban Fringe Plan was jointly approved by Story County,
Gilbert, and Ames for an extension until November 7th. City staff had planned to return to the City
Council to review public comments at the July 26th meeting, but instead will plan to review the
comments on August 23rd. This will allow for Story County to take additional time to review the
comments and propose changes to the draft. The City of Ames will review the draft when it has
received input from the Story County Board of Supervisors.
Downtown Façade Improvement Program: The summer application round of Downtown
Façade grants will be advertised during the beginning of August. The City Council approved
changes to the program on June 28th. More information can be found on the Planning Division
website at www.cityofames.org/planning.
Zoning Regulations: The Bridge Home, an organization that supports people that may be facing
housing insecurity with shelter and support, has recently purchased properties located on the
southwest and southeast corners at the intersection of South Sherman Avenue and South 2nd Street.
They intend to construct larger shelter space for men, women, and families along with office space
to provide services. Staff has meet with representatives from The Bridge Home to discuss
applicable zoning regulations, including parking and remote parking options. Each corner is zoned
differently and may require a Special Use Permit depending on the final plans and locations of
uses. Staff will continue working through site and use constraints with them leading up to formal
site review and approvals in the future.
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Monitoring for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for the third quarter will take place
in early August. The briefing provided to the City Council in June was recorded and is posted to
the City website at www.CityofAmes.org/PFAS and will be used in social media posts in the
coming weeks. After the initial flurry, inquiries from customers have ceased.
Demolition of the old Water Plant will begin in August. The final steps in the financing process
will be for the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) to approve our application on August 3, and then to
have the City Council give final approval to the form of the loan agreement on August 9. Staff
anticipates giving the contractor a Notice to Proceed immediately after IFA approves the loan. The
first few steps include disconnecting the fire alarm system from the adjacent Technical Services
Complex, disconnecting electric and other utilities, and removal of some a sbestos roofing. Once
staff has a firm schedule from the contractor, another round of notifications to the neighbors will
be made.
On July 13, a contractor working at WPC completed the replacement of a three-way valve on
the sludge transfer line in the
Digester Complex. A short time
later, a flange on the new valve
failed. Approximately 200,000
gallons of sludge was lost from
the secondary digester and spilled
out into the property. The WPCF
staff responded instantly along
with staff from the Water Meter,
Water Plant, and Administration
Divisions and were able to
quickly place berms in the
drainage ditches, preventing any
sludge from leaving the property.
No sludge made it close to a
waterway.
The Iowa DNR was notified, and
their staff conducted a follow-up
inspection the following morning.
DNR staff was pleased with the
measures that had been taken and
made no requests for any
additional remediation or clean-
up beyond what was already in
progress.
The door at the base of the Digester Complex Tunnel on the morning
after the spill. This is the low point where the sludge drained to. Prior
to the door failing and being forced open, the sludge had accumulated
to a depth of over 5.5 feet. The red arrow shows the high “water”
mark.
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The contractor, Woodruff Construction, immediately stepped up to address the situation. They
quickly returned to the plant with a six-person crew to assist in the initial response. The next
morning, they installed a temporary repair kit that the flange manufacturer sent overnight and are
taking additional measures to fully restrain the joint so a similar failure can’t happen in the future.
They spent more than a week pressure-washing the piping, walls, and floors inside the building,
and arranged to have a motor that got wet pulled and sent to a repair shop to be cleaned, dried out,
and reinstalled. They also arranged to have all of the floor drains in the building jetted and cleaned.
WPC staff wants to express gratitude to the Ames Fire Department, who responded with SCBA
gear to help isolate the leak after the hazardous atmosphere drove WPC staff from the building.
Thanks also to Public Works crews who responded to the plant to assist in capturing the spilled
material and returning it to the flow equalization basins at the front of the plant. While it was a
stressful and dirty job, it also serves as a great example of the Total City Perspective philosophy!
City staff, with support from outside counsel, spent 8+ hours in mediation with the contractor
on the MG1 replacement project at WPC. A tentative agreement was reached on a dollar amount
for the damages, but the parties are still hammering out language addressing a final piece of
uncompleted work. Once the agreement is finalized, it will be brought to the City Council for
approval in the form of a contract change order.
Staff anticipates bringing to the City Council a professional services agreement, in August, for the
design of a standby generator for the SAM booster pump station.