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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - August 2020 Monthly Project Highlights1 City of Ames - August Project Highlights - 2020 Water & Pollution Control August 10 Derecho Event The severe wind event of August 10th led to some very tense hours at the Water Plant. The standby power at the treatment plant functioned as designed and kept the plant and its controls operational; and a direct-drive diesel engine in the old High Service Pump Station allowed one high service pump to remain in service. But the lack of standby power on any of the wells or other remote sites meant that no raw water could be brought into the treatment plant to be processed; the only water available was what had already been treated and held in ground storage or elevated storage (i.e. – water towers) when the power went out. Ingenious measures by the Water Plant and Utility Maintenance staff included the use of make-shift pumps to move water from the Solids Contact Units into the filters and ultimately into the ground storage reservoirs. This allowed a minimal amount of high service pumping to help anchor water pressure around the city. Additional assistance by Electric Distribution crews got a portable generator wired into a single well. By the time electricity was restored to the first of five well fields, the water distribution system was down to less than two hours of available water. The event underscores the importance of planned CIP projects to add standby power to multiple wells. Staff is investigating an acceleration of the well field projects and an expansion of the project to add standby power to remote pumping stations. White board in the operations control room where staff was tracking time until water pressure was lost in the distribution system. At 6:25 PM, staff estimated there was only 4.7 hours of remaining water available. Measures taken by staff to pump water out of the Solids Contact Units (SCU’s) helped buy valuable time until power could be restored to a well field. These actions likely averted a city-wide boil water order like what was experienced in 2010. 2 Drought Conditions Persist The “severe drought” in west-central Iowa continued to worsen during the latter half of August. As of August 18, nearly all of the watershed for the City’s drinking water supply was classified in the D2 “Severe” category. We track impacts on our available water supply based on the amount of water that is available above the pump in each of our wells while the pump is running, and use a color- coded chart to visualize the severity of the drought. The charts to the right show those wells where there are: more than 15’ above the pump (green), between 10’ and 15’ (yellow), and less than 10’ (red). There was an increase in the number of wells currently running with less than 10’ above the pump (red), but an overall increase in the groundwater elevation. Taken together, those two items suggest that the source water supply is stable, and we do not believe that our water supply wells are significantly stressed – yet. Water Plant Remote Storage Building The plans for the new Water Treatment Plant included a remote storage building to allow fuel oil, lubricants, and other combustible materials to be stored in a comparatively low-value structure away from the main building. The engineering design consultants recommended that the City construct this under a separate contract from the main plant construction to obtain a better price. Work on the building commenced in the latter half of this summer, following an extended COVID-19 suspension of contractors’ access to the treatment plant. The slab has now been poured, and erection of the building is expected by the end of August. 3 Methane Generator #1 replacement This project is replacing the original Methane Engine #1 (MG1) with a new dual-fuel boiler. The project also includes replacement of the controls and switchgear in the facility’s Total Energy Building. The contractor recently agreed to a deduct change order which allowed them to work longer days and not have to reconnect an engine every night. The WPC facility will have a slightly higher electric bill because it isn't able to use the engines to shave off its peak demand, but the change order provides enough cost savings to make up the difference while speeding up the project completion. Nutrient Credit MOU with the Iowa DNR Staff is finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) on the subject of nutrient reduction credits for watershed-based projects. The Ames Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) is following a 20-year plan of improvements to the treatment plant in order to achieve the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. On a parallel track, staff is also pursuing projects in and upstream of Ames in the South Skunk River and Squaw Creek watersheds that will help reduce nutrient loadings into those waterways (see the Watershed-based Nutrient Reduction CIP page for more background on this program). Under the proposed Memorandum of Understanding, the IDNR agrees to bank any nutrient reduction achieved by projects the Ames WPCF voluntarily undertakes as a credit towards any future nutrient limitations imposed upon the treatment plant. Once the wording in the MOU is finalized between City and IDNR staff, it will be brought to the City Council for approval. 4 Parks and Recreation Homewood Golf Course Ames Parks and Recreation Department held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Homewood Golf Course Clubhouse recently after the site was cleared by the Ames Fire Department during a fire training exercise. The new clubhouse will include a community room that can be utilized year-round (including rentals), a fireplace, an outdoor patio, and energy efficient appliances. It is scheduled to be completed in spring of 2021. On Monday, August 24, it was discovered the irrigation system was not working. It was determined the irrigation well pump system needed a new pump and other repairs at a cost of $20,500. A new pump was installed, and repairs completed by August 28. While repairs were being made, staff utilized water trucks to keep the greens and tee boxes irrigated in the 90+ degree weather. Sunset Ridge Ames Parks and Recreation Department recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Sunset Ridge Park. The park, at 325 Wilder Avenue, includes a playground, picnic shelter with lighting, grills, drinking fountain, benches, and bike rack. The 1.3-acre park also features open green space and connects to a shared use path along Wilder Avenue. The park was made possible in part due to the efforts of the Sunset Ridge Property Owners Association (POA), which deeded the property to the city and raised funds (over $40,000) needed in excess of those allocated by the City for park development. 5 Ada Hayden Ames Parks and Recreation joined the Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park to hold a dedication ceremony for the addition of a heritage stone at Ada Hayden Heritage Park honoring Dr. Erwin Klaas. Ada Hayden Heritage Park now has 10 heritage stones placed throughout the park recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to the conservation of natural resources in Iowa. The Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park, a partner in the management of the park, proposed the addition of a 10th stone to honor Dr. Klaas because of his efforts in getting the park established and his continued effort in renovating the park to its native habitat. Brookside Park Ames Parks and Recreation Department recently celebrated the opening of the new restrooms at Brookside Park. The previous Brookside Park restroom building was constructed in the 1930s as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) project. On May 5, 2018, a fire started in a garbage can under the building’s overhang and caused significant damage. The renovated facility includes four gender-neutral, ADA- compliant restrooms. The roof has been rebuilt out of brown metal and includes skylights for each restroom. The skylights allow in daylight and reduce the need for lighting. Infrared occupancy sensors will turn the lights on based on body temperature. The feature will serve multiple purposes. Lights will only turn on when needed and will stay on as long as someone is in there, illuminating the dome on the skylight. If this happens after park hours, the lit dome will be an indicator for police in the area to check the restroom. President of the Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park 6 Inis Grove Park Restroom Project The restroom project at Inis Grove Park is nearing completion. The restroom located adjacent to Duff Ave. has a few finishing touches before occupancy will be permitted, but it is expected to be open the first week of September. The new restroom located east of the All- Inclusive playground and Miracle Field is expected to be completed the second week of September. Drinking Fountains The drinking fountains in the park system are being turned back on beginning this week. The process includes installing a water meter (neighborhood parks), flushing the water lines, and completing a water test. Community parks (e.g. Brookside, Ada Hayden, etc.) will be turned on first with neighborhood parks to follow. Fitness Programming A six-week session of indoor fitness classes started August 17 with only nine of the 27 offered classes being held. Another session of outdoor fitness classes began August 3 with 14 classes being conducted. These classes have increased in popularity with the number of registrations growing from 100 in July to 140 in August. Aqua classes were able to resume at Forker Pool on the ISU Campus on August 17. Three classes per week are offered with 30 total registrations. In addition, deep water classes at Municipal Pool have been offered for another two weeks before school starts with 18 registrations. A new class, Parkour (pictured left), started Wednesday, August 19. Parkour is an outdoor class in which participants learn how to move through their environment while negotiating obstacles. Two classes were offered with one being for ages 35+ (five registrants) and the second for ages 60+ (11 registrants). This six- week class will meet at various parks in Ames and will work on progressions throughout the session. Two free classes were offered August 12 so individuals could learn what this new class was about. The response has been very well received! 7 Fall Programming Staff continues to evaluate how to safely offer programs and gauge the interest of residents to enroll in programs. Outdoor activities have been more popular than indoor and thus some programs traditionally held indoors have been moved outdoors. Below is a listing of several fall recreation programs and classes starting in September: • Youth Tennis and Adult Golf Lessons • Youth Soccer, Kiddie Kickers, and Start Smart Soccer • Youth Sand Volleyball • Youth Dance and Gymnastics • Youth Swim lessons, Youth Diving and Treading, Adult Starts & Stroke Clinic, and Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/ AED • Youth and Adult Virtual Tae Kwon Do • Adult Indoor Volleyball Leagues Fire During the week of August 17, Fire crews conducted hands on fire training evolutions at the Homewood Golf Course Clubhouse. Crews conducted search and rescue drills, hose operations, laddering techniques and a host of other firefighting skills. The weeklong training concluded on Friday with crews practicing multiple interior live fire attacks. The crew ended the day practicing defensive fire operations and finally allowed the clubhouse to burn to the ground. Having a structure like the clubhouse that is isolated from neighbors and possible exposures is a rare find. In fact, it had been nine years since the Fire Department’s last live fire training burn in Ames. 8 Planning and Housing Housing & Community Development Effective August 24th, staff has launched the CDBG-CV CARES COVID-19, Mortgage, Rent and Utility Assistance Program. Under this program, the City was allocated $354,515 from HUD to implement programs to assist lower income households (80%) impacted by loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds may only be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. On August 3rd, staff released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to accept proposals from qualified and experience affordable housing developers utilizing the Iowa Finance Authority’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. The purpose of the RFP is to partner with a housing developer to construct either single-family or multi-family rental housing units. The proposals are due by September 11, 2020. Due to COVID-19, the completion of the 2020-21 CDBG Annual Action Plan that was due to HUD by August 16th was delayed. Staff anticipates completing the Plan for City Council approval in late September. City Manager’s Office Climate Action Plan Since the acceptance of the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, a core group of staff has been meeting to determine the next steps to issuing an RFP for a Climate Action Plan. The proposal will focus both on establishing a greenhouse gas reduction goal and developing a thoughtful, reasonable, attainable plan to reduce community-wide carbon production in the future. Additionally, the consultant selected will need to include a robust public input process to ensure the community is understanding and accepting of the goal and recommendations. Cyclones Care The City continues to partner with Iowa State University, Mary Greeley Medical Center, Story County, Ames Chamber of Commerce, Heartland Senior Services and other local organizations to educate the community on pandemic best practices through the Cyclones Care message, which focuses on the four pillars of healthy behavior. As COVID-19 continues to be a concern, and Ames residents prepare to return to school, reducing transmission of COVID-19 continues to be a priority. Messaging has been placed on the interior and exterior of CyRide buses, a billboard, social media messaging, signage, and promotional products. Also, the City will work with local healthcare providers to disseminate information about the new Test Iowa site at the ISU Research Park and direct residents who to use the new facility.