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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - March 2020 Monthly Project Highlights1 March 2020 Project Highlights City Manager’s Office • Nearly all the data has been forwarded to PaleBLUEdot, the City's consultant for the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory, and we anticipate getting a first draft sometime in March. In addition to an inventory, PaleBLUEdot provided a draft renewable energy potentials study and is finishing a draft climate vulnerability assessment. A cross-section of staff representing several departments is assisting with the data gathering. Because the information will need to be collected every two years, procedures are being documented for uniformity. Additionally, the City is working with other utilities that serve Ames including Alliant Energy, Midland Power and Consumers Energy Cooperative. The tentative schedule is to present to the City Council in April. The GHG Inventory will provide benchmarking of citywide greenhouse gas emissions. The data generated will follow the recommendations of three organizations that have recognized standards in GHG Inventory data collection (Global Covenant of Mayors, STAR Community Rating System, and City Inventory Reporting and Information System CIRIS). The GHG data will be used to increase the awareness and understanding of Ames citizens regarding our city's carbon footprint, to forecast projections if no community changes are made, and to identify opportunities for emissions reduction in the future. • The "Claim Ames" campaign continues through video, social media, bus boards, print and radio advertisements. Census 2020 information is included in editions of the monthly City Side newsletter and is being shared with other organizations to include in their newsletters. Also, a Claim Ames link has been placed on the front page of the City's website (Also available at www.CityOfAmes.org/ClaimAmes). Outreach includes speaking engagements 2 (League of Women Voters, Collegiate Methodist Church, Fuel, Green Hills, etc.) and having a Claim Ames table at several existing events (EcoChats, in the lobby of Erin Brockovitch at MU, Sustainapolooza, etc.). The City is working with the US Census Bureau to hold a COIL workshop on campus (a working "innovation lab" with university students to develop social media) on Monday, March 2. Additionally, the City has partnered with Model Farm, the student-run, professionally managed creative agency at Iowa State University to reach out directly to Iowa State students. • In celebration of two anniversary milestones this year, EcoFair 2020 will be bigger and better than ever. First, the 50th anniversary of worldwide Earth Day will be recognized on April 22. Second, the 10-year anniversary of the City of Ames EcoFair will be celebrated on Saturday, April 25, in the City Hall Community Center Gym. In recognition of these April milestone anniversaries, several activities, challenges, and educational opportunities are being planned leading up to EcoFair 2020. The final of three once-monthly EcoChats will be held Monday, March 30. EcoChats have each featured a different environmental theme and include a vendor and community organization open house followed by short lectures presented by local experts and City staff. After each session, participants may talk to presenters, as well as browse the open house and enjoy refreshments. Environmental speaker Chad Pregracke, founder of the river clean-up organization "Living Lands and Waters" will be the keynote speaker leading up to the EcoFair. Pregracke will provide a free lecture beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21 in the City Auditorium, 515 Clark Ave. • The ASSET Joint Funders met in May 2019 to discuss their expectations and vision for ASSET. Several themes were captured from that meeting: • Limitations of ASSET Funding • Integrate an Assessment into the Process to Guide ASSET Decisions o The 2020 Community Needs Assessment is underway • Establish Shared Funder Priorities o Initial draft shared with Funders in September 2019 • Establish Core Services and Supplemental Services • Establish Shared Outcomes o For the first time outcome and trend data from Clear Impact Scorecard was used during the January 2020 ASSET work sessions 3 The next step with the shared funder priorities is to refine the draft which will be done in two steps. The first step will involve discussion amongst the Council at an upcoming Council meeting and the second step will be a special ASSET Joint Funders meeting in May for discussion involving all funders in effort to reach consensus. • The Council charged the Campus and Community Commission with exploring the issues surrounding landlord/tenant relationships. The Commission has completed that work and plans to have its report and recommendations to the Council in April. • Iowa State University created a Child Care Task Force last fall with representation from various campus offices and departments, child care referral resources, and city staff (Deb Schildroth). The Task Force is developing shorter term and longer term recommendations for ISU President Wintersteen to consider. During its exploration of existing and needed child care options, the Task Force realizes the issue is broader than the university and sees the value in partnering with other public and private entities. • City staff from Electric, Public Works, and City Manager’s Office will be meeting with the Public Art Commission (PAC) on March 4th to discuss a partnership for a pilot project to enhance the downtown area by painting electrical boxes. City staff identified possible boxes to start with and will need PAC’s expertise with identifying local artists and themes to paint the boxes. • City staff is reviewing and updating plans related to a potential COVID-19 outbreak that impacts Ames. City staff will be meeting with representatives of other local agencies (MGMC, ACSD, ISU, Story County Public Health) on March 5th to discuss 1) our organizations’ preparations for a potential COVID-19 outbreak, 2) roles of each organization in such a situation, and 3) any areas where we might partner to assist one another. Staff is also working to identify actions that can be taken to 1) protect employees, and 2) continue providing ongoing essential services, in preparation for a potential outbreak in Ames. City departments will develop a list of steps to be taken at different levels of severity, from initial precautions that can be taken before COVID-19 begins appearing in the Ames community, through major changes in how service is provided if City staff is significantly impacted by COVID-19. 4 Fire: • On February 20, the Ames Fire Department went live on the new temporary radio system. Crews participated in hours of training, both in the classroom and out in the field. The first two pictures show one of our firefighters using a new portable radio. It's important for firefighter to know their radios inside and out, and to be able to operate them in the dark or in zero visibility situations like a fire. Firefighters must memorize radio buttons and their functions, channel location and emergency radio functions, all while blindfolded. New radios also required a complete switch over of all of our apparatus radios, or mobiles. Here's a picture of one of our firefighters testing out the new radio and learning the new safety features. The new radio system has many added safety features, but probably the most important is the drastically improved connectivity between all radio users. Library: • Ames Public Library will host free AARP Tax-Aide this year from February 4 to April 15. To schedule an appointment, contact Ames Public Library at (515) 239-5646. (Press 4 for Adult Services.) • The Library will host a Child Care Ready Workshop Series on March 6 and 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. that will help potential early childhood professionals complete training components and be ready to submit a completed application to the Iowa Department of Human Services or an existing licensed child care center. 5 • Help Ames Public Library Commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment with a range of book discussions, films and the lecture, “Leading the Charge” in collaboration with the Ames History Museum on Wednesday March 25th at 7:00 p.m. – Hard Won Not Done https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/hardwon • Everyone is invited to come watch teams of local 5th graders battle it out in a book trivia contest on March 26 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. • Join the Ames Public Library's Friends Foundation for an afternoon tea on Sunday, March 29 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. with Debra Marquart, Iowa’s fourth Poet Laureate and recipient of numerous literary awards. Proceeds from this event will benefit special programming at Ames Public Library. bit.ly/2020AuthorCafe Parks and Recreation: • Parks and Recreation staff met with representatives from WHKS & Co. to review and approve the preliminary design for the pedestrian bridge in Emma McCarthy Lee Park. WHKS & Co. submitted the preliminary design and hydraulic calculations of Clear Creek to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for approval. Staff has requested the Iowa DNR expedite the approval process and complete their review by March 31, 2020. The goal is to bid the project this spring and have the bridge completed by September 1, 2020. • Henkel Construction has completed demolition of the interior walls and floor of the restroom building at Brookside Park which is shown below. Henkel Construction will be mobilizing crews in March to start constructing four gender neutral restrooms. • Staff held an open house February 20 to receive feedback on the master plan for Tahira and Labh Hira Park, site of the former Edwards School. Approximately 15 individuals attended and provided 6 comments to staff. Generally speaking, residents are happy with the design but also added some thoughtful comments for improvement. Plans are to develop the park this year. Planning and Housing: Planning: • MetroNet has submitted applications for approval of a Major Site Development Plan and a Special Use Permit for a Wireless Communications Facility at 901 N. 4th Street, in the Highway-Oriented Commercial (HOC) Zone. It is anticipated that their requests will be included on meeting agendas of the Planning and Zoning Commission, City Council, and the Zoning Board of Adjustment in March. If approved, staff understands that Metronet will not proceed with purchase of the 1420 Lincoln Way site. Housing & Community Development: • HUD has notified the City that it will be receiving the following amounts for the 2020-21 program year: $602,642 in CDBG funding and $468,771 in HOME funding. The program year is from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. • Staff will begin preparing the 2020-21 Annual Action Plan for a 30-day public comment period and public hearing prior to submittal to HUD on or by May 17, 2020. • The Department has contracted with Civil Design Advantage (CDA) engineering firm to prepare the platting for the 321 State Avenue Housing Subdivision. CDA will proceed with preparing a preliminary plat and final plat based on Council’s direction on February 25. Police: Animal Shelter • To ensure compliance with the new State standards affecting Animal Shelter operations, Purchasing is currently accepting bids to replace the 14 dog kennels at the Shelter. The new kennels will be constructed of materials that will provide a safe and sound structure while also complying with the new standards. Staff is also working on purchasing a used 12' by 50' mobile office trailer for incoming cat housing. The housing unit will provide additional space and will allow for the current incoming cat housing area to be retrofitted and used for a dog isolation room as required by the new code. The mobile cat housing unit will be fully equipped with heating and air conditioning and will provide three rooms for various cat housing options. This also expands the ability to isolate sick animals and protect healthy animals already in the Shelter. The new housing unit is a temporary solution that will allow the city more time 7 to develop a facility plan to meet standards over the long term. Public Works: Resource Recovery • Resource Recovery hosted 7 tours in February, with 167 people attending. Tour groups included an engineering club, St. Cecelia School principal, Principles of Environmental Engineering students (4 classes), and students in Environmental Law and Planning. • Speaking opportunities included PEO at Green Hills with 30 attendees, Living Information for Today (LIFT) at the Iowa Stater Restaurant’s Harvest Room with 12 attendees, a coffee group of 40 at Flame and Skewer, and Ames Morning Rotary at Green Hills with 30 attendees. • Sustainapalooza at Iowa State in the Memorial Union offers a great way to network with other sustainability leaders from campus and the Ames community; Resource Recovery featured the Food Waste Diversion Pilot. About 500 people attended the event. • Science Nights were well attended at Meeker and Fellows elementary schools, with about 150 students and families at each. • The Water EcoChat hosted 84 visitors at the Ames Public Library; Resource Recovery staff attended to assist with the Ames Census information/City of Ames Sustainability Initiatives table.