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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - January 11, 2022, Regular Meeting of the Ames City CouncilMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA JANUARY 11, 2022 The Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 6:00 p.m. on January 11, 2022, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law. Present were Council Members Gloria Betcher, Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, Rachel Junck, and Anita Rollins. Ex officio Member Trevor Poundstone was absent. PROCLAMATION FOR “SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION AND AWARENESS MONTH,” JANUARY 2022: Mayor Haila proclaimed the month of January 2022 as “Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Month.” He encouraged all citizens to become more familiar with the problem, to be vigilant and report suspicious activity, and to work towards solutions to end trafficking in all its forms in the community. Accepting the Proclamation was Dr. George Belitsos, Chair of the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery; Angi Bright, Executive Director of Wings of Refuge; Josie Rodriguez, Housing Advocate with ACCESS; and Jazmin Diez, Domestic Abuse Diversity Advocate with ACCESS. Dr. Belitsos thanked the Council for standing by his side in the fight against Human Trafficking. He noted that statewide, 558 women became survivors in Iowa; many of those women were served by residential programs. He mentioned that in 2021 there were 14 convictions of Iowa traffickers and all 14 are in prison. CONSENT AGENDA: Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda. 1.Motion approving payment of claims 2.Motion approving Minutes of Special City Council Meetings held December 21, December 29, 2021, and Regular City Council Meeting on December 14 3.Motion approving Report of Change Orders for period December 1 - 15, 2021 4.Motion approving Report of Change Orders for period December 16 - 31, 2021 5.Motion certifying Civil Service candidates 6.Motion approving new 12-Month Class C Liquor License with Sunday Service - Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant & Grill, Inc., 2601 East 13th Street 7.Motion approving ownership change for Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege and Sunday Sales - Texas Roadhouse, 519 South Duff Avenue 8.Motion approving renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits and Liquor Licenses: a.Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - Chipotle Mexican Grill, 435 S Duff Avenue, Pending Dram Shop Insurance b.Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Fuji Japanese Steakhouse, 1614 S Kellogg Avenue, 101 c.Class A Liquor License with Sunday Sales - American Legion Post #37, 225 Main Street d.Special Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Springhill Suites, 1810 SE 16th St e.Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege, Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - West Towne Pub, 4518 Mortensen Road, Suite 101 f.Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege, Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - Dublin Bay, 320 S 16th Street, Pending Dram Shop Insurance g.Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Cactus 2, 2420 Lincoln Way, Ste B, Pending Dram Shop Insurance h.Class E Liquor License with Class B Wine Permit, Class C Beer Permit (Carryout Beer) and Sunday Sales - The Filling Station, 2400 University Boulevard i.Special Class C Liquor License (B/W) - Clouds Coffee, 119 Stanton Avenue, Suite 701, Pending Dram Shop Insurance j.Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - The Angry Irishmen, 119 Main Street, Pending Dram Shop Insurance k.Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege and Sunday Sales - Hy-Vee Market Café, 3800 Lincoln Way l.Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - Cy’s Roost, 121 Welch Avenue, Pending Dram Shop Insurance m.Class C Liquor License and Sunday Sales - North Grand Seafood, 823-Wheeler Street, Ste 1 9.Requests from Ames Main Street (AMS) for Downtown Dollar Days event on Thursday, January 27 through Sunday, January 30, 2022: a.Motion approving blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit. b.RESOLUTION NO. 22-001 approving waiver of parking meter fees and enforcement in the Downtown District on Saturday, January 29, 2022 c.RESOLUTION NO. 22-002 approving request from Ames Main Street for Saturday, January 29, to transfer $1,379.25 from the Local Option Sales Tax Fund to the Parking Fund 10.RESOLUTION NO. 22-003 approving and adopting Supplement No. 2022-1 to Municipal Code 11.RESOLUTION NO. 22-004 approving appointment of Council Member Anita Rollins to the Ames Economic Development Committee (AEDC) 12.RESOLUTION NO. 22-005 approving application for Procurement Card for Council Member Anita Rollins; setting the spend limit at $2,000/transaction, $3,000/day, and $5,000/monthly billing cycle 13.RESOLUTION NO. 22-006 approving Memorandum of Agreement between the City and Iowa Department of Natural Resources for the South Skunk River Water Trail 14.RESOLUTION NO. 22-007 approving preliminary plans and specifications for S. 16th Street Improvements; setting February 16, 2022, as bid due date and February 22, 2022, as date of public hearing 15.RESOLUTION NO. 22-008 waiving formal bidding requirements and authorizing purchase of Black Box Network Services 12-Month Comprehensive Service Plan in the amount of $55,107.77 16.RESOLUTION NO. 22-009 approving Change Order No. 1 to STI Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEM) Services, LLC, of Waldron, Arkansas, for monitoring Power Plant emissions to ensure compliance with operating permits in the amount of $48,483.20 (inclusive of sales taxes) 17.RESOLUTION NO. 22-010 approving Change Order No. 1 to VIM Technologies of Glen Burnie, Maryland, for monitoring CEMS data and reporting in the amount of $24,200 18.RESOLUTION NO. 22-011 approving Change Order No. 1 to Northeast Products and 2 Services of Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, for Accessible Kayak Launch project at Ada Hayden Heritage Park in the amount of $11,681 Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motions/Resolutions declared carried/adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor Haila opened Public Forum. Richard Deyoe, 505-8th Street, #2, Ames, explained that one time his doorbell rang, and he had answered his door naked and there were two police officers there that told him to put his clothes on. Mr. Deyoe was asked by the Mayor to discuss City business only. Mr. Deyoe did not have any City business to discuss; therefore, the Mayor asked him to sit down. Sue Ravenscroft, 455 Westwood Drive, Ames, stated that she had sent a letter to the Mayor and Council regarding issues they will address as they work on the Developer’s Agreement for the Reinvestment District Project. She explained that she had addressed a lot of issues in the letter, but she wanted to come tonight to reinforce the urgency for the need to address climate change. Ms. Ravenscroft was pleased by the Council’s vote in December 2021 to proceed with trying to lower emissions by 2030, and this reinforced the conclusions reached at the Glasgow Climate Summit. The primary message that came from Glasgow was that government entities, such as cities, should be careful to avoid lock-in. She stated that lock-in occurs when decisions are made now that the City makes or allows that will cause long-term emissions to continue or grow. Ms. Ravenscroft mentioned that she had read the December 14, 2021, meeting minutes and pointed out that some of the Council Members were concerned about being seen as promoting idealist goals that were not able to be followed. She stated if Ames is really serious about lowering emissions, the City needs to make sure that the Reinvestment District project meets building design standards that are compatible with the City’s long-term goal of lowering emissions. Ms. Ravenscroft pointed out that she is not an engineer, but there are plenty of people that serve on the Climate Action Committee who would be helpful. The Mayor closed public forum when no one else came forward to speak. STAFF REPORT REGARDING GROVE AVENUE RE-DIRECTION AREA: Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann mentioned this is the first time working with the new Ames 2040 Plan. A referral was received from the Northwood/Overland Heights Neighborhood Association before the adoption of the Ames 2040 Plan. The Neighborhood asked the Council to consider initiating rezoning the properties along the west side of Grove Avenue from a Residential High-Density “RH” Zone to Residential Medium-Density “RM” Zone. The Neighborhood Association wished to prevent commercial redevelopment within the area, believing access internal to the neighborhood (from Northwood, Grove, or Duff) would be harmful to the neighborhood. Director Diekmann noted that, on the north side of Northwood Drive and Grand Avenue, a mixed-use commercial site is being developed at the former Mary Kay’s Café and Flower Shop site. In 2018, a commercial use change and rezoning request for a Sherwin Williams store at 3115 and 3125 Grove Avenue was declined to be initiated by City Council. The recently adopted Ames Plan 2040 Future Land Use Map indicates this block as a “Redirection,” which are in a variety of locations throughout the City. The Ames Plan 2040 defines Redirection areas as those “areas anticipated to have a change in use or development pattern over the next 20 years to increase both the efficiency and quality of Ames’ urban environment. Infill 3 development may change the types and intensities of land use and introduce new building forms. In some cases, specific plans or zoning may be applied to provide direction for specific types of changes and to address issues of compatibility and transition.” Director Diekmann stated that an analysis of the block indicated that on the west side of the block that is zoned “RH” there are 25 dwelling units on eight properties. The uses consist of low-to-medium residential intensities, including single-family homes, duplexes, and apartment buildings of eight units or fewer. Currently, there are no goals of commercial development in this area. Director Diekmann commented that when staff started looking over the request, the question came up of “What does Council want to see out of the redirection area,” and whether it’s about compatible intensification or transition. He explained that staff would recommend a redesign transition so that any redevelopment would have more of a residential character along Grove Avenue. Mr. Diekmann stated it is not about density, but about design transitions, and that can be accomplished by either “RH” or “RM’ zoning. Council Member Betcher asked, when considering the different things that could be put into an Overlay, if it would be possible to separate some commercial uses from others. Director Diekmann confirmed they could, but he was concerned that every “Redirection” area would become its own zoning district. Ms. Betcher wanted to know if there were many zoning districts that had “RH” on one side of the street, and low density on the other side. Director Diekmann pointed out on the map that it was common in the area they were discussing. He noted that Ames has a good mix of areas that are “RH.” Council Member Gartin inquired, if the area was to redevelop, what kind of access would there be to the properties. Director Diekmann stated he didn’t believe that any access permission would be given from the Iowa Department of Transportation to access Grand Avenue, and the properties would only have access from a local street. All the internal properties would have to come off Grove Avenue. The Mayor opened public input. Marie Mayer, 607 River Oak Drive, Ames, stated that the east side of her property abuts Northwood. She wanted to know what “infill” meant in the Report along with more information about what an “Overlay Zone” was. Ms. Mayer said she also wanted a better understanding of what it meant in the Report when it said “more attention to design requirements and neighborhood context is desirable compared to current standards.” She thought that sounded good, as if staff wanted to be more sensitive to what is there and that there are real people living in the neighborhood as opposed to drawing on a map and mapping things out. Ms. Mayer commented that she is not sure what was meant by “design standards.” She stated that from the Report, it sounded like the recommendation was not for commercial, and while she understood that there were no goals for commercial development, things can change. If the area is not specifically zoned to not be commercial, she believed that the Council will have another group of neighbors come before them complaining about having commercial in the neighborhood. Ms. Mayer pointed out that any change would not directly affect her, but the traffic on Northwood would. She mentioned that the Report indicated that Mary Kay’s business used to be there, and she wanted to point out that Mary Kay’s had been in that location for a long time and the owner was a part of the Neighborhood Association. Ms. Mayer supported Option 1 to rezone the area to medium density. She said that this rezoning process started in April 2021, and it is now 2022, which has taken a long time. Ms. Mayer was worried that if the option to develop a Redirection Overlay was 4 selected the process would be even further delayed. She commented that she didn’t see how it would be a loss to the City to change the area to medium density. Leo Milleman, 3112 Northwood Drive, Ames, stated that he is the President of the Neighborhood Association. He said that everyone he had spoken to in the neighborhood wanted the area to be changed to medium-density and not left as a high-density area. Mr. Milleman mentioned that per the history of the neighborhood it was formerly low density and then the City rezoned several areas and made their little strip high density. He noted that he read the Staff Report several times, and if a change is not made then there is the possibility of commercial buildings coming in. The concerns the neighborhood has had are traffic and parking. After reading the four options, he asked for more explanation of the Overlay option. Bob Long, 3124 Grove Avenue, Ames, stated he is not sure if each Council Member was present when he spoke in the Fall of 2021, but at that time he told the Council he lived directly across the street from the area. He said he was not in favor of any commercial buildings being brought into this area. He explained that three years ago when Sherwin Williams made its pitch, it was turned down by the Council. Mr. Long stated that the reasons why the Council turned down that project still apply. His contention was that if Sherwin Williams wanted to put three apartments on top of their building, he would be looking at a Sherwin Williams building today. Larry Wolters, 3111 Grove Avenue, Ames, said that he lives directly in the district that is being discussed, and he hoped the area would be rezoned to medium-density. He noted that there are already apartments in the area, and it seemed to be working. Mr. Wolters felt that Grand Avenue made a good barricade by keeping the commercial properties on the west side and residential on the east side. He noted that if the zoning was left as “RH” it would not help with parking and would only increase problems. Greg Fisher, 630 River Oak Drive, Ames, explained that his property is on Grove Avenue on the south end where there is a “T” intersection. He believed there were already some issues in the neighborhood that started back when the change was made from a regular Wal-Mart to a Super Wal-Mart; it had created traffic issues. There are multiple times people cut through the corner of the neighborhood. Mr. Fisher commented that it used to be a quiet neighborhood and now cars are flying down the road. He said he is a believer that when something is designated a certain way it should stay that way. The area was originally designated as medium-density and then it was changed to high-density because there was an idea that something may happen in the area. Mr. Fisher has lived in the neighborhood for 12 years and knows his neighbors, but if a commercial building was going to be put in, he guaranteed he would not know any new neighbors. Brent Thomas, 3117 Northwood Drive, Ames, noted that he has lived in the City since 1986 and appreciated the work the Council has done. He lives about a block east on Northwood and there are three houses between him and Grove Avenue. Mr. Thomas and his wife do not want to see a higher density or commercial traffic in the area. He stated that the neighborhood is great and having a good neighborhood is hard to come by; he doesn’t want to see that change. He noted that the neighborhood is not conducive to higher traffic. 5 When no else came forward, the Mayor closed the public hearing. The Mayor asked Director Diekmann to explain infill, Overlay, and design standards. Director Diekmann explained that infill typically means replacing something that is there. Infill can mean redevelopment, or it can mean to fill in a vacant spot in the City; in this case it meant redevelopment. Director Diekmann explained that a Zoning Ordinance addresses many different uses of a property, which is identified as base zoning. In some parts of the City in addition to the base requirements, an Overlay is added. An example was given that in the Historic District, it has a Medium-Density Zone plus an Historic District Overlay. An Overlay is used to either add restrictions to a property that is greater than the base zoning. Director Diekmann commented that in unique situations design standards are added to an Overlay. The Overlay is a zoning tool and there are approximately 12 different Overlays within the City. The final question was about design standards and it was stated that the “RH” and “RM” base zoning districts are very plain and only have base standards. He defined design standards as standards as to how a building can be built, how a front door needs to relate to a street, etc. Director Diekmann stated that if the Council decided to go with Option 4, staff would look at it in either a universal way to see if it can be used elsewhere in the City or if it could be tailored to this particular area. Council Member Gartin said that the Council has heard from one owner who lives in the target area and asked what was done to provide notices to people who live in the area. Director Diekmann stated that there have not been any notices sent as this item was a referral to Council to discuss. Mr. Gartin stated that over the course of many years the Council is going to have situations where a proposal will come in for a change in zoning and neighbors will be impacted, while neighborhood feedback is important, it can’t be the only thing leading to a change. He asked Director Diekmann to speak about how the Council should think about this property in regards to the Ames 2040 Plan. Director Diekmann commented that if you boil down everything that is in the Plan to what is applicable to this property, there are two potentially competing policies. The City is supportive of infill in selective environments and the other is design standards. He said the main question was if the City is trying to intensify or selectively intensify, and what needs to be addressed. Council Member Beatty-Hansen explained that she was partial to Option 4 as she felt the Overlay could be powerful. The area could remain high-density, but the Overlay could control what goes into the area. She said with the Ames 2040 Plan and the Climate Action Plan she would be hesitant to lower zoning categories. In order to be a sustainable City, the Council has to make efficient use of the land that is already in the City. The Overlay could control the look and the height of the properties in the area, but would still allow for more housing units. Council Member Betcher mentioned that she was leaning towards Option 4, but after hearing the residents speak she wondered if she was looking at things the wrong way. She asked if an Overlay was done and the Council left it zoned as “RH” would it be sending conflicting messages. She pointed out that if the Council changed the zoning to “RM” it would accomplish the same goal as adding an Overlay, without misleading people. She would prefer to downsize the area to “RM” as it sends a clear message. The Mayor inquired about what the current density was in the area. Director Diekmann noted that 6 when they inventoried the properties, every property had at least one additional unit if not more, and if going to “RM,” the single-family homes would drop from six to ten units to four to seven units. He noted that lot consolidation was a possibility, but typically a lot of single-family homes don’t get acquired in a quick manner. Council Member Gartin asked what the next steps would be if the Council did decide to change the area to “RM” or the Overlay. Mr. Diekmann explained that if the decision was to go straight to “RM” then a neighborhood meeting would need to be held to get everyone’s thoughts. The Overlay option would need to host a neighborhood meeting as well, but would need to come up with options to put into the Overlay before coming back to the Council for further direction. Mr. Gartin said that whatever option the Council takes is not set in stone, but this would be the first step. He commented that he valued the input from the Neighborhood Association, but the process, by law, staff has to provide input to the people whose zoning would actually be changed. Council Member Beatty-Hansen asked a hypothetical question about the difference in height limits between “RM” and “RH” if someone was to consolidate properties. Director Diekmann stated he had a very hard time seeing anything go in over three stories. He pointed out that the sites in this area are very small and narrow. Ms. Beatty-Hansen commented that Option 4 would not necessarily gain the City any more units. Mayor Haila noted that if an Overlay zone was added where it eliminated commercial buildings along with putting a cap on the height it would bring them back to “RM.” Council Member Junck asked what the likelihood would be if the Council decided to go through with the Overlay process and the set of standards, and they would be applicable to somewhere else in Ames. Director Diekmann said it would be hard to say, as it would be a learning exercise for everyone involved. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to approve Option 1, to initiate the rezoning of the area to Residential Medium-Density “RM” beginning with an Owner Meeting before public hearing notices go out. Council Member Gartin stated that he will support the motion, but felt it was important to convey that this is the beginning of the process. He stated there is value in the process, by getting input from a broad portion of the community. Council Member Betcher commented that what was an overriding point for her was that she didn’t think this area is a typical “RH” zone. The area does not have access off Grand and this is not the kind of infill that they are going to see elsewhere in the City. She felt the area was unique and didn’t think it was a good place to start trying to create a model. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Director Diekmann noted that this process will take four to five months. He anticipated having the neighborhood meeting some time in the Spring and if there are any big issues after the neighborhood meeting staff will come back to the Council for further direction. 7 The Mayor wanted the public to know that at least once a year, the Council gets a list of the projects/workflow that the Planning Department is working on. The Planning Department is always the busiest department and needs to have their projects prioritized by the Council. The motion tonight will be added to the workflow for completion. HEARING ON REZONING OF 23959-580TH AVENUE FROM AGRICULTURAL “A” TO INTENSIVE INDUSTRIAL “II”: Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann stated that this request was unique. It is an existing site that was annexed into the City by the request of the property owner. He explained that the site is already built and changing the zoning is necessary for the reuse of the site. The property owner will need to rehabilitate the buildings and utility services in order to fully reuse the site. The Mayor opened the Public Hearing and closed it when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Gartin, to pass on first reading an ordinance rezoning 23959-580th Avenue from Agricultural “A” to Intensive Industrial “II”. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. HEARING ON PROPOSAL FOR THE CITY OF AMES TO LEASE ITS RIGHT, TITLE, AND INTEREST TO PROPERTY LOCALLY KNOWN AS 205 SOUTH WALNUT, AMES, TO HEARTLAND SENIOR SERVICES FOR A PERIOD OF 50 YEARS: The Mayor opened the public hearing and stated that it has been requested by Staff to continue the hearing until January 25, 2022. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Corrieri, to continue the hearing to January 25, 2022. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. STORY COUNTY SATURATED BUFFER/BIO-REACTOR PROJECT: Water and Pollution Control Director John Dunn explained that what is being proposed is an innovative approach to try and get a number of the small field projects done in a short period of time. The typical way would be to work with a landowner and get their buy-in and then hire a contractor, and then repeat with each property. What the City is looking at doing is bundling a bunch of the properties together so there is a “big packet” of construction projects that can go out at once. Director Dunn pointed out that they have about 28 project sites already lined up. In the proposal there is a 28E Agreement between the City and the Iowa Department of Agricultural and Land Stewardship (IDALS), where essentially IDALS says that they want to do these types of projects, and if the City will do the projects, be the fiscal agent, and do the contracting then IDALS will reimburse the City 75% of the construction cost. He stated that there is also a Cooperative Agreement among the City, Story County, and the Story County Conservation Board saying that the 25% local match will be spent evenly between the City of Ames and Story County. Director Dunn mentioned that there is one other element regarding the funding that is not in the Staff Report. He said that the City has partnered with Polk County Conservation on a grant application for the water infrastructure fund, which if successful then the City and County will get the 25% local match reimbursed through a completely different grant project. He pointed out if staff is completely successful then they will be able to get the 28-30 bioreactor/saturated buffer projects done at no cost. 8 Council Member Gartin asked for an explanation as to the purpose of this project. Director Dunn explained that the saturated buffers and the bioreactors are two different ways of intercepting drainage tile off farm ground. Which one you use depends on the soil, the slopes, and everything that is around. There are two different ways of intercepting and treating the water to remove nitrogen and some phosphorus before the water makes its way into a local drainage ditch. Council Member Betcher asked what kind of contracting would be needed for this type of project. Director Dunn noted it would be contractors who are familiar with doing underground work. Council Member Gartin inquired if there was a testing process to measure the effectiveness of the systems. Director Dunn stated that it can be done if they test before and after the saturated buffers or bioreactors are installed. He explained that in terms of the nutrient reduction credit that the City would be able to bank, the staff would rely on standardized performance. Mayor Haila opened public input and closed it when no one came forward. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 22-012 approving the 28E Agreement for fiscal agent assistance with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship - Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality, City of Ames, and Story County Soil & Water Conservation District. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared carried/adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. Moved by Rollins, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 22-013 approving the Agreement among Story County, Iowa; Story County Conservation Board; and the City of Ames for funding assistance for water nutrient removal practices. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared carried/adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. WAIVING FORMAL BIDDING REQUIREMENTS AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES CONTRACT WITH MCR PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS, LLC, FOR MISO TRANSMISSION RATE REVIEW AND CALCULATION: Electric Services Director Don Kom stated he was present if there were any questions. Mayor Haila opened public comment and closed it when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 22-014 waiving the formal bidding requirements and authorizing a Professional Consulting Services Contract with MCR Performance Solutions, LLC, of Deerfield, Illinois, in the amount of $94,500 for MISO Transmission Rate Review and Calculation. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared carried/adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. STAFF REPORT REGARDING COVID-19 MEETING POLICIES: Assistant City Manager Brian Phillips explained that during the past couple of weeks staff had been engaging in conversations 9 with local medical partners regarding the status of COVID-19 in the community and the impacts it could have on the City. Significant concerns were raised among these medical partners about the impacts of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Mr. Phillips said that City staff is going to be implementing a policy that requires all employees to wear a mask in settings where a six-foot distance cannot be maintained. One area where feedback is needed from the Council is regarding City Council Meetings and Board and Commission meetings. Mr. Phillips pointed out that a few options were provided to the Council in the Staff Report. He noted that earlier tonight with the public in attendance they would not have been able to maintain the six feet distance. He mentioned that tonight’s discussion is separate from what the City is required to comply with regarding OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard Regulation. Council Member Junck stated that she was interested in Option 1, but will be making a motion to include other possible accessibility options. She mentioned that she wanted to see if there was a possibility of not necessarily a Zoom interaction, but if people could email or call-in during the meeting, while watching virtually with their questions. Ms. Junck felt it would be easier for staff to have some sort of virtual participation, but not necessarily Zoom. Council Member Betcher stated it would be beneficial to have the phone-in option. She noted that with a City Council meeting like tonight, and if attendance was low, it would be reasonable to ask people to distance themselves from each other and require the mask if unable to social distance. She mentioned that this would also support staff as they would not be setting a different standard than the rest of the City. Moved by Junck, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to approve Option 1, to require masks to be worn at City Council and Board & Commission Meetings. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Moved by Junck, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to have staff to look into options for virtual attendees to participate via phone or email live during a City Council meeting. Public Relations Officer Susan Gwiasda explained that a phone number could be put up on the screen to allow people to call in with questions and a City employee could monitor the phone to take messages. Council Member Betcher asked about the possibility of using other rooms as a “holding room” for other people. Ms. Gwiasda mentioned that could be possible. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Council Member Beatty-Hansen inquired as to what would happen if the citizen refuses to wear a mask. The Mayor stated that they will address that if it happens, but he was encouraged tonight as a lot of people in the audience had on face masks. He was hopeful that the surge is short-lived. City Manager Steve Schainker commented that according to healthcare providers it should subside by the end of February. 10 ORDINANCE REVISING THE STANDARDS FOR DETACHED GARAGES AND ACCESSORY BUILDINGS AND NONCONFORMING STRUCTURES: Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to pass on second reading an ordinance revising the standards for detached garages and accessory buildings and nonconforming structures. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ORDINANCE CHANGING THE NAME OF SQUAW CREEK DRIVE TO STONEHAVEN DRIVE: Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to pass on second reading an ordinance changing the name of Squaw Creek Drive to Stonehaven Drive. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE PARKING REGULATIONS TO INCORPORATE THE RENAMING OF SQUAW CREEK DRIVE TO STONEHAVEN DRIVE: Moved by Rollins, seconded by Corrieri, to pass on second reading an ordinance amending the parking regulations to incorporate the renaming of Squaw Creek Drive to Stonehaven Drive. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. DISPOSITIONS OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL: The Mayor mentioned there were four items on the list. The first item was a letter from William Fedeler, H&B Properties, LLC, requesting a Zoning Text Amendment to allow him to subdivide his property at 2108 East Lincoln Way into two General Industrial lots. City Manager Steve Schainker recommended asking staff for a memo on Mr. Fedeler’s request, if the Council wanted to pursue it. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to ask staff for a memo regarding Mr. Fedeler’s request to rezone his property at 2108 East Lincoln Way. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. The second item was a letter from Sue Ravenscroft voicing her concerns about the proposed Reinvestment District project on Lincoln Way. Mr. Schainker commented that he didn’t think any action would be required and that the Council could take it under advisement when they make decisions regarding the Reinvestment District. Council Member Betcher asked if it required whom will be negotiating the Development Agreement to take Ms. Ravenscroft’s recommendation into consideration. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to have the City Manager take the concerns of Ms. Ravenscroft into consideration when doing negotiations with the developer for the Reinvestment District. Council Member Corrieri asked what the motion entailed. Ms. Betcher explained that it would be up to Mr. Schainker to explain to the developer that the City is developing a Climate Action Plan and Ms. Ravenscroft recommendations should be taken into consideration. Council Member Gartin stated he had raised the issue of Sustainability with the developer and had asked for specific design aspects, and he was encouraged that it was not a new concept to the developer. Mr. Gartin explained that he was not sure exactly what they are voting for. He went on to 11 say that if it is just to ask Mr. Schainker to consider the recommendations during negotiations it didn’t seem necessary. Ms. Betcher commented that she didn’t want Ms. Ravenscroft’s recommendations to be forgotten. The Mayor stated that one of the points brought up in the letter was to be built up to standards and those have a cost associated with them. His take on the motion was to bring up the ideas by a citizen and ask the developer to comment on the items and go from there, it is not a mandate that the developer has to do. Ms. Betcher confirmed that was her intent with the motion. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. The next item was a letter from Sharon Wirth and Craig Marrs, Ames History Museum Capital Campaign Co-chairs, requesting funding in the amount of $150,000 to be included in the City of Ames budget for the museum’s expansion project. Council Member Corrieri stated she had a discussion with Attorney Mark Lambert about the request from the Ames History Museum Capital Campaign as it reminded her of the Miracle Park and the decision from the City Attorney’s office at the time, that the City could not legally contribute financially to a project without it prompting Chapter 26 of the State Code, to have the project bid out by the City. She noted there is probably a lot more to the request than what was discussed with the Miracle Park project, and felt a memo from the City Attorney would be appropriate before moving forward. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Betcher, to get a memo from the City Attorney regarding being able to legally contribute financially to a project without it prompting Chapter 26 of the State Code. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. The Mayor noted that there was a little bit of time sensitivity to obtain the memo from the City Attorney and inquired if the memo could be ready by the next City Council meeting on January 25, 2022. City Manager Steve Schainker commented that if able to provide funding then this item would be discussed at the February 8 budget meeting. The last item was a memo from Traffic Engineer Damion Pregitzer providing an update to the Council’s request for a cost estimate to add a bicycle/pedestrian trail under the I35 interchange by 13th Street. It was mentioned that the Council will take the information that was provided by Mr. Pregitzer under advisement. COUNCIL COMMENTS: Council Member Gartin stated that on Saturday, January 15, 2022, there will be a free Cross-Country Ski clinic at the Homewood Golf Course. The event will happen whether there is no snow or not. Mr. Gartin noted that registration is required. He then explained that January 17, 2022, is the celebration for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a few details have changed. The event is now going to be held in the City Auditorium at 6:30 p.m., and there will be a virtual component. Face masks and social distancing will be required to attend the event in person. Long-time Ames resident Jeff Johnson, who serves as the Lora and Russ Talbot Endowed Iowa State University Alumni Association President and CEO, will be the keynote speaker. 12 Council Member Gartin explained that he had sent the Council a set of nine potential next steps for Climate Action. He noted that right now the Council is waiting for the consultant to bring back recommendations and mentioned that the Council can table his suggestions until later, but felt that some of his suggestions were things that could be started right away. He asked the rest of the Council for their opinion. Council Member Beatty-Hansen stated that some of the ideas could be started right away. One of them was reaching out to Iowa State University and the Ames Chamber of Commerce to enlist their support in making changes. Council Member Corrieri stated her opinion would be to discuss the nine recommendations during the Council’s Goal Setting meeting. Council Member Betcher commented that she wouldn’t want to start anything until after the Goal- Setting meeting. The Mayor indicated that the Council should be seeing results from the consultant soon and asked Assistant City Manager Deb Schildroth for a timeframe of when the Council will see tangible ideas and costs from the consultant. Ms. Schildroth stated that SSG planned on having information to the Steering Committee and the Council at the March 1, 2022, Workshop. She noted that SSG may not have all the details as this is the first “swipe” at action steps. Before March 1, 2022, SSG wants to do another survey, a focus group, and have the Supplemental Committee meet. Council Member Gartin stated he was fine with waiting, but wanted the public to know what he was talking about. His recommended nine steps were: 1.Re-evaluate the City’s subsidy for LED lighting 2.Review the current program for home and commercial solar and other ways to improve the City’s solar imprint 3. Look at subsidies for electric car charging stations 4. Develop a campaign to encourage reducing miles driven or leave the car at home by taking Cy- Ride, carpooling, or biking 5.Standing Agenda item at the beginning of each Council meeting to create opportunities for CAP updates. 6. Host a Workshop for builder on building in a climate friendly manner and consider a “seal of approval” for homes that have already been built and modified with climate in mind 7. Reach out to Iowa State University and the Ames Chamber of Commerce to begin the conversation of enlisting their support for a CAP goal 8. Create a fund of money in the budget to begin funding CAP projects, yet to be determined 9. Ask the City Manager to review if there is sufficient staffing to handle the various efforts that will be needed Council Member Betcher welcomed Council Member Rollins to the Council. Also, Ms. Betcher wanted to make sure that the citizens knew that they were invited to the City Council’s Goal-Setting session. It will be at the Homewood Clubhouse at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 22, 2022. 13 Council Member Rollins thanked the Council for the warm welcome and thanked David Martin for the great work he had previously done as a Council Member. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Junck to adjourn the meeting at 7:49 p.m. ______________________________________________________________________ Amy L. Colwell, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor __________________________________ Diane R. Voss, City Clerk 14