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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - June 2020 Monthly Project Highlights1 City of Ames June Project Highlights - 2020 City Manager’s Office Greenhouse Gas Inventory A draft of the GHG Inventory report has been reviewed by City staff and comments submitted and discussed with the consultant, paleBLUEdot. They plan to have a second draft of the GHG Inventory returned to us in a couple of weeks. The additional reports for Renewable Energy Potentials and Climate Vulnerability are in the review stages with City staff. It is anticipated that the GHG Inventory presentation to Council will occur in late July. Painted/Wrapped Electrical Transformer Boxes City staff met with a PAC member in late May and toured a portion of the downtown area looking at transformers to paint/wrap. PAC discussed the project further to determine the process for recruiting artists and gather information on the use of wrap versus paint on the transformers. After studying the concept, PAC has decided not to proceed with this initiative at this time due to other priorities. COVID-19 Support The Communications Team continues to support efforts to reopen City buildings to the public. Vinyl floor markers, directional signage and custom signs have been developed for various facilities. Also, the COVID-19 email address (covid19@cityofames.org) continues to get regular inquiries, and those are answered directly. Some of those questions are used on the weekly “Ames Responds to COVID-19” videos that are distributed on Facebook. There have been 12 episodes of “Ames Responds” that have featured guests from McFarland, Mary Greeley Medical Center, Iowa State University, Story County, and others. All COVID-19-related press releases are archived, along with other related information at www.cityofames.org/covid19. Iowa State University is working on a public education campaign specifically targeting the age 19 to 25 2 demographic and focusing on best practices for personal health and community health. That messaging will be supported community-wide by the City, partner organizations, and others. City staff continue to participate every day in KASI updates and three times a week on KHOI community radio. 2020 Census Update The 2020 Census will be delayed by at least three months, and the US Census Bureau is regrouping and working on a new timeline. Enumerators (Census workers who go door- to-door) may be in Ames in August. The "Claim Ames" campaign continues through video, social media, and bus boards for those still in Ames and in the digital version of the ISU Daily. Census 2020 information continues to be included in editions of the monthly City Side newsletter. The Claim Ames link remains on the front of the City's website (Also available at www.CityOfAmes.org/ClaimAmes). All the outreach efforts on campus and throughout the spring were cancelled, although Iowa State University has been a good partner in educating students. In April, the Mayor sent a reminder to ISU students to remember to complete their census. To see the most up-to-date data on response rates in Ames down to the census tract level, go to https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html Fire Department On June 1, the Inspection Division started in-person inspections again, including rental. Working through social media, and with Channel 12, the Fire Department has produced multiple postings on fire safety, and some great online videos: fire truck tours, firefighter A-Z series. Electric Department Ames Community Solar – As COVID restrictions are lifting, the developer of the community solar farm is moving towards a construction start date. Plans are underway for a ground breaking ceremony sometime in July. MetroNet – Electric continues to stay busy providing locating services for MetroNet. At this point we are about 50% complete with the underground buildout. Electric is also receiving requests to attach to electric poles. This process requires an inspection of the pole and approval from Electric Engineering. Estimates are that MetroNet will conclude this work in the September timeframe. 3 and Reliable streets. progressing with work on S. Grand Extension and S.5th Street with underground utilities and grading. Street/Duff is occurring this week to give the area Works or Parks, please check out our Ames on the Go app for a direct staff assignment. You can access it via the website mobile 4 Welch Avenue Construction is underway. Two phases have been completed on Lincoln Way, and work has now moved to Welch from Lincoln Way to the CVS Parking lot. Access to businesses will be open throughout the 5-phase project. For information on phases and projects: www.cityofames.org/welch ����� Fun Energy Savings Fact: The new traffic signal installed at S. Dakota Ave and Hwy 30 is our first signal to run entirely on low voltage. The amount of energy needed to run one of the older traffic signal bulbs (135 watt) is equal to the power needed for the entire signal! Great Work, Traffic crew! Public Works 5 Two new traffic signals have gone up, one at S. Dakota and Highway 30 as well as State and Mortensen Ave. A permanent signal will be installed in the next 2-3 years at State/Mortensen. Asphalt, Slurry Seal, and Paint Crews are working throughout the City. We are asking drivers to please slow down to keep all the crews safe. Resource Recovery Brian Heenan, a 4.5-year employee, was deployed with his National Guard unit to assist in Covid-19 operations. His unit is JFHQ (Joint Force Headquarters), the top headquarters for the state. He is an NCOIC (Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge) for the Regional Medical Coordination Center. They are the liaison for all the hospitals and long-term care facilities in the state. They are gathering information and putting it into a system he built specifically for Covid-19, tracking PPE and staffing needs, current and projected. Troop and mission needs are recommended from that information. He is expected to return to work August 10. 6 Resource Recovery Plant has resumed car line service and household hazardous waste collection, after being closed for the Covid-19 virus. Car line now has a plexiglas partition to ensure our customers and employees experience a safe transaction. web page. You just click on the link, and in the top right-hand corner, type in what you’ve 7 ISU Research Park - Thursday (6/26) they are paving the north half of Collaboration Place and will be preparing the south half in the next few days for paving next Tuesday. 8 GIS – GIS is working on a help menu for the customer utility portal. Instructions to download and use the information in the mobile GIS app are also under way. Other Items Added: -ability to pull up asbuilt information throughout the City. -“Contact Us” button so users can contact us while in the app. -a ROW layer for areas where the ROW does not run congruent with the parcel lines. Project awarded to Manatts late Summer/Fall 2020 start 14th - 15th St updates Project awarded to Manatts Fall 2020 start Clear Water Diversion page) Currently out for bid Start time of Fall 2020/Spring 2021 2019/20 Seal Coat Program video with Media Production. In the video, Dean will talk about the 3 blocks of Franklin Ave to be reconstructed with an HMA surface and the East 8th block that will be constructed as an alley with a v shaped profile, no curb and gutter, and a concrete surface. The video will show figures from the current preliminary plans for both projects. This will help the city connect residents and give them some visuals that would normally be provided at an open public meeting. Dean is hopeful to have the video up for public viewing by the end of the month. When the video is up, he will be sending out letters to residents of Franklin and East 8th with project information and a link to the video. Franklin Ave (Lincoln Way to Oakland St) In house design-90% complete Bid Letting Aug 5th Start time of Fall 2020/Spring 2021 East 8th St (Duff Ave to Carrol Ave) In house Design 60% complete Bid Letting Aug 5th Start time of Fall 2020/Spring 2021 9 Ames Public Works has started a Facebook page to give updates on construction activities, programs, services, and all things public works. You can find us on Facebook at Ames Public Works. Give us a like or a follow! Water & Pollution Control Work on the Engine Replacement Project is underway. The contractor has removed the old Methane Generator Number 1 (MG1) to make way for the new dual-fuel boiler that will take its place. Primary Digester #2 Cover The cover was damaged when the overflow pipe became plugged and the digester became pressurized, forcing the fixed cover off of the digester and damaging the mounting brackets. 10 Digester Rehabilitation Project was recently accepted as complete by Council. Among the multiple elements of the project was the replacement of several pumps and valves, and repainting the complex piping in the Digester Complex. State and Mortensen (SAM) Elevated Tank was completed in late June. All of the water towers are taken out of service, cleaned, and inspected on a three year cycle. recently took a field trip with Dr. Tom Isenhart of Iowa State University to learn more about edge-of-field nutrient reduction practices being used in the South Skunk River watershed. The trip resulted in a number of ideas for how the funds authorized in the Watershed-based Nutrient Reduction Project can be used to maximize the pounds of nutrients removed per dollar spent, as well as to maximize other ancillary benefits such as recreation, habitat improvement, and flood mitigation. 11 Parks & Recreation Ames/ISU Ice Arena The Ames/ISU Ice Arena reopened on June 5 and users have enjoyed being able to be skating again. Two programs, “Figure Freestyle: and “Stick and Helmet” have been well attended since the reopening. Ames Figure Skating Club had their largest turnout during the past two years with 19 skaters attending sessions. Adult Hockey is back in full swing for the summer and are at capacity on Fridays and near capacity on Sundays. Top Shelf Hockey hosted a goalie camp in June and had 60 skaters and coaches in attendance. Planet Hockey held a camp for 49 players the week of June 22. Manatts Inc. completed renovation of the parking lot which included removal of the top two inches of asphalt, crack repair, curb and gutter repair, and a final two-inch overlay of asphalt. Public Works and Parks and Recreation staff completed the layout and painting of the lot. Aquatics Municipal Pool reopened on Monday, June 8 for swim lessons and lap swimming. Near the end of June, Ames Cyclone Aquatics Club (ACAC) started practicing as well. There have been no open swims yet and staff is still considering whether to offer any this summer. One evening session and two morning sessions of swim lessons were offered in June and went well. Changes to lessons included parents being required to be in the water with their child for some levels, only one person per family allowed to attend with the lesson participant, and instructors teaching without touching participants. Although things went well, the first session registrations were approximately 1/3 of what have registered in past years and the July registrations are looking like they will be even lower. 12 Lap swimming has been extremely popular as the following table shows: Week Spots Available Spots Reserved % Reserved June 8 – 14 June 15 – 21 June 22 – 28 Totals 1,060 976 92% Fitness Programming Yoga in the Park began on Saturday, June 6 and will conclude August 1. The weather has been great with a wonderful turnout of approximately 50-60 people at each class. Seven volunteer instructors from various Yoga studios around Ames donate their time to teach this free class at Bandshell Park. Yoga in the Park at Bandshell Park Monday, June 8 saw the start of a four-week session of outdoor classes including Yoga, Strength, Strong HIIT class and a Balance, Strength & Stretch class for older adults. People have enjoyed these outdoor offerings so they will continue in July. 13 Outdoor fitness class at Ada Hayden Heritage Park A summer session of indoor classes will begin on Monday, July 6. The schedule has been modified to allow time in between classes for proper cleaning and so class participants can leave and enter without crossing paths. Brookside Park Restroom Renovation Henkel Construction, Ames, Iowa, is making progress in renovating the Brookside Park restroom. The roof trusses, sheeting and the restroom ventilation has been installed. Also, all the door frames and brick walls have been installed on the front of the structure. Henkel still needs to complete the metal roof, install plumbing fixtures, and complete the concrete sidewalk in front of the building. Henkel is expected to have the restroom completed by July 15. Brookside Park restroom renovation 14 Inis Grove Park Restrooms HPC, Inc., is expected to complete the restroom renovation along Duff Ave in July. They are also making progress on the new restroom being constructed north of the tennis courts. The roof framing was installed and painted, and the roof decking has also been installed. New Inis Grove restroom north of tennis courts Sunset Ridge Park (325 Wilder Avenue) Ames Trenching, Ames, Iowa completed grading the site for the playground, shelter and walkways. Staff will be constructing the shelter in July and the playground is to be installed the week of July 13. Staff is planning a ribbon cutting for late August. The Sunset Ridge Property Owners Association has received close to $40,000 in donations and grants to go toward the development of the park in addition to the City’s $80,000 from the Park Development Fund. 15 Bandshell Park Lighting and Electrical Upgrade Jaspering Electric is almost complete with renovations, which includes upgrading the main electrical service, interior restroom lighting, exterior building lighting, and shell lighting at the Durham Bandshell. Two (2) of the 4-foot cove fixtures in the shell were malfunctioning, so they will be replaced in the near future. Furman Aquatic Center Security Camera Upgrade Communication Innovators started replacement of the security camera system at Furman Aquatic Center (FAC). This includes replacing / upgrading 10 cameras and adding two new cameras for a total of 12. It also includes replacing the existing iDVR analog surveillance system with a Milestone Husky X2, which is an IP based video system.