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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - July 2021 Monthly Project Highlights MONTHLY PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS JULY 2021 2 FIRE Fire: This month, Ames Firefighters put their CPR skills to the test, literally, as they recertified their basic lifesaving skills through the American Heart Association. Firefighters were tested on their life saving skills in CPR, AED use, rescue breathing, and choking (pictured right). Inspections: On June 23, 2021, the City of Ames learned that the State of Iowa had adopted the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and the 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) with amendments and an effective date of June 23, 2021. The State- adopted plumbing and mechanical codes prohibit local jurisdictions from adopting any codes other than those adopted by the State of Iowa. Local amendments are allowed as long as they are not less restrictive than the State of Iowa adopted code. The Inspection Division has been working hard to review, identify, and understand any significant changes in the new codes and share those with contractors. Many, but not all of the previous local amendments will be retained with no new local amendments being added. Contractors have been notified about the upcoming code adoption process, along with the changes, and asked to provide input. On August 2, 2021 the Building Board of Appeals (BBOA) will meet to discuss and review the code changes. Contractors have been invited to this meeting and asked to provide input to the BBOA. Once the BBOA has given their approval of the proposed adoption, staff will request the City Council to set a hearing date for the ordinances, which will provide another opportunity for public input. Ordinances require three readings before becoming codified so we anticipate an October 1, 2021 effective date. 3 LIBRARY The Bookmobile is Back!: This summer, the Bookmobile returned to weekly stops in neighborhoods around Ames. Visit us at one of the following stops to check out book, movies, and more for all ages: • Mondays: 5:00-8:00pm at Sawyer School (4316 Ontario) • Tuesdays: 3:00-4:00pm at St. Cecilia School (Hoover & 30th Street) • Wednesdays: 5:00-8:00pm at Fareway on Stange (Stange & Bloomington) • Thursdays: 11:00am-1:00pm at ISU Campus (Near Parks Library) Meeting Rooms: Ames Public Library reopened its meeting rooms for public reservations last month. Groups are enjoying the chance to meet in the space and use our technology for hybrid meetings. Pub Fiction: The Ames Public Library Friends Foundation is bringing back the annual Pub Fiction fundraiser! Participants can dress up like a literary character, then visit a series of downtown businesses to enjoy themed drinks and snacks. Tickets are on sale at bit.ly/PubFiction2021. Proceeds are used to enhance Ames Public Library’s programs, collections, and services. Tools for School: Summer is wrapping up, and the Library is gearing up to support students as they get back to school. Thanks to a partnership with Ames Community School District, all Ames students have a student account at Ames Public Library (unless parents opt out). This gives K-12 learners access not only to books and research tools, but also Wi-Fi Hotspots, live online tutoring, language learning, and much more! 4 PLANNING AND HOUSING Historic Preservation: The Historic Preservation Commission has a subcommittee exploring an option to do a Historic Resource Survey with a state Certified Local Government (CLG) grant and local match. The survey does not in it and of itself create a historic district, but it could be the basis for a future historic district or listing on the National Register of Historic Places. HPC will discuss the idea at their August meeting and approach City Council with a recommendation to support a grant application this fall. Planning: This year was the first year for the Ames Appreciation Project. This was presented as a new idea in place of the pancake breakfast. The intent and hope were to recognize and build connections with our neighborhoods and the larger Ames community. It was a two-part project including a banner-making kit for neighborhoods and yard signs. A kick-off event for the Ames Appreciation Project took place at the Ames Public Library where attendees could learn about Neighborhood Associations in Ames and gather supplies to make neighborhood banners and yard signs. Signs could also be made at three of the June Municipal Band Concerts prior to their performance and two Ames Main Street Farmers’ Markets. A group from the Parks and Recreation Camp Funshine made signs, too. The front yard of City Hall was filled with a little over 100-yard signs made by people of all ages recognizing the many great things about Ames. A few neighborhood groups picked up banner supplies and resulted in two parade entries, one representing Linden Drive and the other the College Creek/Old Ames Middle School neighborhoods. This project was supported and possible with support from Shelia Schofer and Megan Klein-Hewett from the Library, Susan Gwiasda and Kristy Marnin from Public Relations, Parks and Recreation Camp Funshine, and other City Staff. 5 PUBLIC WORKS Ioway Creek-Brookside Park Project: The proposed Ioway Creek Restoration Project in and along Brookside Park will restore stream function and stabilize the Ioway streambanks on a section of the creek between 6th Street and 13th Street (pictured right). An informational meeting about the proposed project will take place at 5:00pm on Wednesday, August 4, at the Linden Shelter in Brookside Park. Interested individuals are encouraged to attend the meeting, give input, and ask questions about the proposed restoration project. Those unable to attend the meeting but who have questions or would like to provide input can contact Liz Calhoun, Stormwater Resource Analyst, at 515.239.5575 or liz.calhoun@cityofames.org. 6 RESOURCE RECOVERY This month, during shutdown due to power plant maintenance, Resource Recovery: • Replaced the #2 rotary disc screen • Replaced conveyor belts C-2 and C- 3A, trough and return idlers, and reinstalled skirting • Replaced the #2 mill hopper, flipped 2 rows of hammers • Replaced the C-5A conveyor belt • Replaced the vault transition • Cleaned out the can bay prior to belt installation • Completed a Plant Dust System airlock flap replacement/modification, replaced the west cyclone bearing • Finished tipping floor fire line next to the #2 mill to tipping floor • Replaced C-6 conveyor skirting • Completed wet kit pipe repairs • Removed elevator link E-1, replaced buckets For more information about the Resource Recovery system, including accepted items and fees, please visit www.cityofames.org/smarttrash. 7 WATER AND POLLUTION CONTROL Drought of 2021 Continues: The hot, dry weather that began in the early summer has persisted. The month of June recorded the highest demand for that month ever at 232 million gallons. Fiscal Year 2020/21 also finished as the highest fiscal year demand ever at 2.359 billion gallons; surpassing the FY 2017/18 record of 2.260 billion gallons. A few timely rainstorms have helped keep irrigation demands down, but there has been no significant recharge to the watershed for several months. As July came to a close, the flow in the South Skunk River as it enters Ames was rapidly dwindling, the flow in Ioway Creek at Lincoln Way was the barest of trickles, and the USGS gauge on South Skunk River at SE 16th Street had recorded zero flow for more than a week. Preparations are in place to begin pumping water out of the lakes at Ada Hayden Heritage Park. The trigger to begin pumping is when flow stops overtopping the low head dam in North River Valley Park. A public information initiative will kick-off at the beginning of August, encouraging customers to begin voluntarily cutting back on outdoor water use. Lower water demands could help to slow the rate of drop in the aquifer, delaying the need for any mandatory use restrictions. While the need for any sort of mandatory conservation will be dependent on the combination of rainfall, temperatures, aquifer levels, and customer demands, it is conceivable that Council could be asked to enact Stage 1 of the Water Rationing Ordinance as early as the August 10th Council meeting. Stage 1 (found in Chapter 28, Section 28.603 of the Municipal Code) primarily consists of: • A prohibition on any use of water that results in ponding or runoff into ditches, gutters, or storm sewers; • A mandatory “even/odd” watering schedule (with a new lawn exemption); and, • A prohibition against washing vehicles except at commercial establishments. South Skunk River channel immediately south of SE 16th Street – July 28, 2021 60-day trend in river levels in Ames, May 29 – July 28, 2021 8 The need for any further restrictions depends heavily on future weather patterns and customer demands that are difficult to predict at this time. However, the National Wea ther Service’s three-month forecast is predicting a continuation of above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall through October, and there is a chance that additional stages of the rationing ordinance may be needed to be enacted. Supply-Chain Disruptions: One of the continuing ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is a disruption in procuring some commodities. In particular, the delivery time for new water meters has reached three to six months, and the orders are being only partially filled. As a result, the Water Meter Division has slowed the pace of the routine meter change program and the installation of new Automatic Meter Reading equipment so that the dwindling inventory of meters can be reserved for new construction and to respond to me ter failures.