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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - April 26, 2022, Regular Meeting of the Ames City CouncilMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA APRIL 26, 2022 The Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 6:00 p.m. on April 26, 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 also present. PROCLAMATION FOR “ARBOR DAY,” APRIL 29, 2022: Friday, April 29, 2022, was proclaimed as “Arbor Day” in Ames. The Mayor encouraged residents to plant a tree, mulch existing trees, and protect the trees and woodlands by becoming good stewards of the land. There will be an Arbor Day planting at Stuart Smith Park on Friday, April 29, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. Ames residents can receive a rebate for planting a native tree and that information can be found on the City of Ames website in the Smart Watersheds and Rebates area. Accepting the Proclamation was Bob Schumer with Ames Trees Forever. PROCLAMATION FOR “NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION MONTH,” MAY 2022: The month of May 2022 was proclaimed as “Ames Historic Preservation Month” by Mayor Haila. He asked the residents of Ames to join their fellow citizens across the United States in recognizing this special observance. City Planner Eloise Sahlstrom accepted the Proclamation along with Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) Members, Susan Minks, Rosemary Dale, and Mary Jo Winder. Ms. Minks said HPC was excited for the upcoming year. She explained that there was a new grant awarded to HPC, which will hopefully be adding a new neighborhood to the Historic Preservation Catalog. PRESENTATION OF “A HOME FOR EVERYONE” AWARD: Assistant City Manager Deb Schildroth introduced the members of the Human Relations Commission: Chair Jahmai Fisher, Dr. Chunhui Chen, Vice Chair Wayne Clinton, and Madesh Samanu. Human Relations Chair Jahmai Fisher said it was an honor and privilege to share space with everyone to present the “A Home for Everyone”Award. During the month of April, the Commission recognizes and honors a worthy individual or organization who has made a commitment to providing housing opportunities that enhance the quality of life for members of disadvantaged populations. To be eligible to receive the “A Home for Everyone” Award, the individual or organization must provide housing within Ames. Ms. Fisher stated the word “home” regardless of where people come from should be one that makes people feel safe, loved, and whole. While house and home are not always synonymous, everyone has to sometimes rely on the kindness of others in the pursuit of finding “home.” This year’s Award was presented to Alan Christy. His nominator wrote “Alan has spent many years volunteering his vast knowledge and experience in building and remodeling homes. He has volunteered his time with organizations such as the Friendship Ark, Habitat for Humanity, and Emergency Residence Project.” Mr. Christy thanked the Human Relations Commission for the Award. He said to have an affordable home is to have stability in one’s life. Family relationships will flourish and children will be safe and secure in their new environment, which will make them better students now and better citizens in the future. Mr. Christy felt there was not a better investment in the community than to support affordable housing. He commented that he has built thousands of homes, but the ones that he is the most grateful for are the ones that he built with the help of volunteers. He mentioned that by honoring his service it is also honoring several volunteers who have given their time to affordable housing through Habitat for Humanity. Mayor Haila announced that the Council was working off an Amended Agenda. City staff had added an item to the Consent Agenda to approve the appointment of the ex officio student liaison to City Council. CONSENT AGENDA: Council Member Gartin requested to pull Item No. 9: FY 2022-23 Commission On The Arts (COTA) Annual Grants in order to abstain from voting. Council Member Rollins requested to pull Item 10: Requests from Ames Main Street for Shop for a Cause on November 12, 2022, and Item 11: Requests from Ames Main Street Small Business Saturday on November 26, 2022, for further discussion. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Junck, to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda. 1.Motion approving payment of claims 2.Motion approving Minutes of Special Meeting of April 5, 2022, and Regular Meeting of April 12, 2022 3.Motion approving Report of Change Orders for period April 1 - 15, 2022 4.Motion approving the renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits and Liquor Licenses: a.Class C Beer Permit with Sunday Sales - Swift Stop #2, 3406 Lincoln Way b.Special Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - The Great Plains Sauce & Dough Co., 129 Main Street c.Class E Liquor License with Class B Wine Permit, Class C Beer Permit (Carryout Beer), & Sunday Sales - Walgreens #12108, 2719 Grand Avenue d.Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege, Outdoor Service, and Sunday Sales - Mother’s Pub, 2900 West Street e.Class B Beer with Sunday Sales - Jeff’s Pizza Shop LLC, 2402 Lincoln Way f.Class C Liquor License with Class B Wine Permit, Outdoor Service, & Sunday Sales - Bar La Tosca, 303 Welch Avenue, Ste. 101 g.Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service - Ichiban, 117 Welch Avenue 5.RESOLUTION NO. 22-214 approving appointment of ex officio student liaison to City Council 6.RESOLUTION NO. 22-180 approving Quarterly Investment Report for period ending March 31, 2022 7.Requests from Ames Main Street for Snow Magic on December 2 - 24, 2022: a.Motion approving Blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit b.Motion approving Blanket Vending License c.RESOLUTION NO. 22-186 approving waiver of Blanket Vending License d.RESOLUTION NO. 22-187 approving closure of four metered parking spaces within the Downtown from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on December 2 to facilitate pick-up and drop-off of passengers on horse-drawn carriage rides through Downtown e.RESOLUTION NO. 22-188 approving usage of electricity in Tom Evans Plaza and waiver of fees for electricity. 2 8.Requests from Ames Main Street for 515 Weekend on May 13-15, 2022: a.Motion approving Blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit b.Motion approving Blanket Vending License c.Motion approving 5-day (May 12 - 16) Special Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service for Ames Chamber of Commerce for closed area. Pending Dram Shop Insurance d.RESOLUTION NO. 22-189 approving closure of 41 metered parking spaces within the Downtown area impacted by event activities from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on May 13th only e.RESOLUTION NO. 22-190 approving waiver of parking meter fees and enforcement f.RESOLUTION NO. 22-191 approving waiver of Blanket Vending License fee g.RESOLUTION NO. 22-192 approving usage of electricity and waiver of fees for electricity 9.Requests from ISU Homecoming Central Committee for ISU Homecoming Events on Thursday, November 3, 2022 and Friday, November 4, 2022: a.ExCYtement in the Streets i.Motion approving Blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit ii.Motion approving Blanket Vending License iii.RESOLUTION NO. 22-193 approving closure of portions of Sunset Drive, Ash Avenue, Gray Avenue, and Pearson Avenue from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. iv.RESOLUTION NO. 22-194 approving suspension of parking regulations for closed areas from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 3, 2022 v.RESOLUTION NO. 22-195 approving waivers of Blanket Vending License Fee b.Central Campus Events i.Motion approving Blanket Vending License ii.RESOLUTION NO. 22-196 approving waiver of Blanket Vending License Fee 10.RESOLUTION NO. 22-197 approving the designs for seven storm drains and authorize up to $1,750 in funding for the reimbursement of the cost of supplies for Storm Drain Artistic Painting Program 11.RESOLUTION NO. 22-198 approving request to waive enforcement of the prohibition of motorized vehicles in Ada Hayden Heritage Park (Municipal Code Section 19.9) to allow the Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park to provide golf cart tours to mobility-impaired individuals from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on September 12 - 14, 2022 12.Resolution approving Amendment to Lease Agreement with T-Mobile to authorize an emergency standby generator to be installed adjacent to T-Mobile’s existing infrastructure located at the Bloomington Road Elevated Tank (BRET) 13.RESOLUTION NO. 22-199 approving Addendum to Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) Agreement for TAP funding for 2020/21 Shared Use Path System Expansion - Vet Med Trail (S. 16th Street to S. Grand Avenue) 14.RESOLUTION NO. 22-200 approving preliminary plans and specification for Painting Three Pool Basins at the Furman Aquatic Center; setting May 25, 2022, as bid due date and June 14, 2022, as date of public hearing 15.RESOLUTION NO. 22-201 approving contract and bond for Ada Hayden Heritage Park Dredging of Wetland G (Cell 1) 16.RESOLUTION NO. 22-202 approving contract and bond for South 16th Street Improvements 17.RESOLUTION NO. 22-203 approving contract and bond for CyRide Electric Bus System Upgrades 18.RESOLUTION NO. 22-204 renewing contract for FY 2022/23 Hauling and Related Services for 3 the Resource Recovery Plant with Waste Management of Ames, IA, in the amount of $15.68 per ton 19.RESOLUTION NO. 22-205 approving contract renewal with ABM of Des Moines, Iowa, for FY 2022/23 Custodial Services for the Ames Public Library in the amount of $92,641.30 20.RESOLUTION NO. 22-206 approving contract renewal with ServePro for Custodial Services at City Hall in the amount of $57,655.50 per year plus $26.36 per hour for emergency clean-up and additional work as authorized 21.RESOLUTION NO. 22-207 approving renewal of contract with ChemTreat, Inc., of Glen Allen, Virginia, regarding Chemical Treatment Program for one-year period from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, in an amount not to exceed $335,000 22.RESOLUTION NO. 22-208 approving renewal of contract with Maxim Trucking & Materials of Pella, Iowa, for FY 2022/23 Concrete and Asphalt Crushing for Public Works Department in an amount not to exceed $60,000 Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motions/Resolutions declared carried/adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. The Mayor thanked ex officio Trevor Poundstone for all his work and participation on City Council. Mr. Poundstone thanked the Mayor and Council and stated it was a great experience. He then introduced Bryce Garman as the next ex officio. FY 2022/23 COMMISSION ON THE ARTS (COTA) ANNUAL GRANTS: Council Member Gartin stated that he had requested to pull this item in order to abstain from voting due to a conflict of interest. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 22-181 approving FY 2022-23 Commission On The Arts (COTA) Annual Grants. Roll Call Vote: 5-0-1. Voting Aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Junck, Rollins. Voting Nay: None. Abstaining due to conflict of interest: Gartin. REQUESTS FROM AMES MAIN STREET FOR SHOP FOR A CAUSE ON NOVEMBER 12, 2022 AND REQUEST FROM AMES MAIN STREET SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY ON NOVEMBER 26, 2022: Council Member Rollins explained that she pulled Items 10 and 11 as there were a couple questions received by citizens about the parking portion being paid for by Local Option Sales Tax. She asked City Manager Steve Schainker to provide information. Mr. Schainker explained that the transfer of funds from the Local Option Sales Tax to the Parking Fund is a new transaction. It was noted that over the years, when reviewing the budget, it had been noticed that there had been a deterioration in the Parking Fund, especially during COVID. The Council wants to be supportive of Ames Main Street projects, but many of them come with a request to suspend the fees for Downtown. Mr. Schainker said while supporting the events the City is placing the Parking Fund in jeopardy with the loss of revenue. About two years ago, the Council went through its Outside Funding and decided that it will support the events themselves with funding, but they would make sure that the Parking Fund was reimbursed from the Local Option Sales Tax Fund. He said that back in the 80's, a referendum was passed that 40% of Local Option Sales Tax Fund proceeds could be used for community betterment. Community Betterment was predominately used for the support of Social Service agencies, the arts, the library, and other areas. The connection of the Local Option Tax Fund to the Parking Fund is that a 4 predominant amount of Local Option Tax is generated through sales in commercial areas. It was felt that a direct connection to the events that occur in Downtown would be the revenue from sales in the Downtown area. Mr. Schainker stated that the total amount transferred during the year is around $6,000 and this amount does not put any other projects in jeopardy. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Gartin, to approve the following: Requests from Ames Main Street for Shop for a Cause on November 12, 2022: a.Motion approving Blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit b.RESOLUTION NO. 22-182 approving suspension of parking regulations and enforcement for Downtown from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 12 c.RESOLUTION NO. 22-183 approving transfer of funds from Local Option Sales Tax Fund to Parking Fund in the amount of $1,370.25 Requests from Ames Main Street Small Business Saturday on November 26, 2022: d.Motion approving Blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit e.RESOLUTION NO. 22-184 approving suspension of parking regulations and enforcement for Downtown from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 26, 2022 f.RESOLUTION NO. 22-185 approving transfer of funds from Local Option Sales Tax Fund to Parking Fund in the amount of $1,370.25 Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. Mayor Haila noted that he made a tactical error as he had been asked to pull Item 17: Resolution approving Amendment to Lease Agreement with T-Mobile to authorize an emergency standby generator to be installed adjacent to T-Mobile’s existing infrastructure located at the Bloomington Road Elevated Tank (BRET), from the Agenda, as the signed Agreement had not been received. City Attorney Mark Lambert stated that since the City Council had already adopted the item from the Consent Agenda, he would recommend a motion to reconsider Item 17. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Corrieri, to reconsider Item No. 17 on the Consent Agenda. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Corrieri, to pull Item 17: Resolution approving Amendment to Lease Agreement with T-Mobile to authorize an emergency standby generator to be installed adjacent to T-Mobile’s existing infrastructure located at the Bloomington Road Elevated Tank (BRET), from the Agenda, as the signed Agreement had not been received. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor Haila opened Public Forum. Richard Deyo, 505-8th Street, #2, Ames, said that May 16 happens to be a day that is very personal to him. He has tried to place an ad in the Tribune a couple of times, but they wouldn’t take his ad. He commented that May 16 happens to fall on “National Bike to Work” week, and he had asked a couple people if he would be able to attend the free Bike Commuter Continental Breakfast. Mr. Deyo commented that people have complained to him that he is not getting the door for them any longer. He 5 said he went to a League of Women’s Voters meeting and one of the ladies had mentioned that she supported him, but not his t-shirts. Mr. Deyo said that she seemed upset that he couldn’t get the door for her any more and did not know that he has a No Trespassing Order for a year. Several of the people within City Hall have mentioned they were not aware that he had a No Trespassing Order. Tom Peter, 1925 Bloomington Road, Ames, said he was present because he was told there was going to be a group from Stonebrooke that was going to request that sidewalks be installed on the north side of Bloomington Road. He mentioned that this topic has come up in the past. Mr. Peter noted that he and his neighbor, Dan Nutini, are the only two houses on Bloomington Road that have addresses on Bloomington Road. He noted that he has 160 feet of frontage on Bloomington Road while Mr. Nutini has over 200 feet and it would cost $5,000 to $6,000 to put in a sidewalk. It would require demolition of three of Mr. Peter’s established flower beds, three apple trees, a 15-foot Cedar stump, and a fence. He stated he would not be looking forward to removing 160 feet of snow. Mr. Peter commented that there was already an established bike path on the other side of the road. He invited the Mayor and Council to stop by his property and he would be happy to show them what would happen if a sidewalk was to be put in. The Mayor closed public forum when no one else came forward to speak. APPROVING/DENYING RENEWAL OF CLASS C LIQUOR, SUNDAY SALES AND OUTDOOR SERVICE - WASABI AMES, 926 S. 16TH STREET: Police Chief Geoff Huff stated that Wasabi Ames had failed two compliance checks over the past year. During a compliance check on April 16, 2021, an employee sold alcohol to a minor and was cited accordingly. A follow-up compliance check was done on June 9, 2021, and another employee sold alcohol to a minor and was cited accordingly for a second time. At this time, the Police Department would not recommend a renewal of the Liquor License for Wasabi Ames for the next year; however, they would be in favor of allowing the business to apply for a six-month license. Mayor Haila opened public input. It was closed when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to deny the renewal of the annual Class C Liquor, Sunday Sales and Outdoor Service License to Wasabi Ames, 926 S. 16th Street. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. APPROVING/DENYING RENEWAL OF CLASS C LIQUOR, SUNDAY SALES AND OUTDOOR SERVICE - MONGOLIAN BUFFET, 1620 S. KELLOGG AVENUE, #103: Police Chief Geoff Huff said Mongolian Buffet failed two compliance checks during the past year. A compliance check was done on April 22, 2021, and an employee sold alcohol to a minor and was cited accordingly. A follow-up compliance check was completed on June 9, 2021, and another employee sold alcohol to a minor and was cited a second time. The Police Department would not recommend a renewal of the Liquor License for Mongolian Buffet’s for the next year, but would be in favor of allowing the business to apply for a six-month license. Public comment was opened by Mayor Haila, and then closed when no one came forward to speak. 6 Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Rollins, to deny the renewal of the annual Class C Liquor, Sunday Sales and Outdoor Service License to Mongolian Buffet, 1620 S. Kellogg Avenue, #103. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS AT BLOOMINGTON ROAD & FLETCHER BOULEVARD INTERSECTION: Public Works Director John Joiner noted that this item was to consider a request that was received from Friendship Ark Homes and Community Services to do an enhanced pedestrian crossing on Blooming Road at Fletcher Boulevard. City Engineer Mark Gansen stated that staff used the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) standard for city-wide crossing treatments. The FHWA establishes best practices for uncontrolled crossings based on the speed, volume, the number of lanes, and the context of the site being evaluated. Using this guidance and data collection, staff determined that the crossing should have high-visibility crosswalk markings and warning signs. These improvements had already been implemented in the fall of 2021. Friendship Ark has requested that a higher standard be applied at the location, such as a rectangular rapid flashing beacon or a traffic signal due to resident’s developmental challenges. Mr. Gansen had prepared a slide showing a future concept that could be implemented at the intersection. The concept would change Bloomington Road from two lanes to three lanes to handle some of the turning movements onto the side street, which will free-up space to create a refuge island for an improved crossing. Staff would recommend implementing these changes with a larger scale construction project. A sidewalk will be installed on the north side of Bloomington between Fletcher Boulevard and Top-O-Hollow Road with the 2021/22 Asphalt Street Pavement Improvements that will occur sometime in 2022. Council Member Gartin felt it was important to note that the Staff Report indicated there were only two crashes at the intersection, one in 2016 and the other in 2018. Both were property damage only, and neither pedestrians nor bicyclists were involved. He noted that this is a pretty safe intersection and asked if there were any other factors that the Council should consider. Mr. Gansen did not have anything else to add. Council Member Beatty-Hansen inquired about the timing of future improvements to the area and mentioned that the Staff Report indicated that a future resurfacing or reconstruction project would occur along this section of Bloomington in Fiscal Year 2026/2027. Mr. Gansen stated that the 2026/27 Collector Street Pavement Improvements project included work along Bloomington Road from GW Carver Avenue to Eisenhower Avenue, and as currently planned, it does not extend to the area in question. He did note that this particular stretch of Bloomington is starting to show some fatigue cracking and believed some form of project would be coming, but it is not in the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) yet. Council Member Betcher noted that the Staff Report mentioned a local example of a pedestrian signal on 24th Street, near Kent, for a citizen that is visually impaired, and now the signal is being considered for removal as part of the FY 2021/22 Concrete Pavement Improvements Reconstruction project. She wanted to know why staff is considering removing the signal when the Plan has not been done yet and did staff really know if there was a reason to not leave the signal in place. Mr. Gansen stated that 24th 7 Street is being considered to change from a four-lane to a three-lane conversion. The pedestrian signal would have been appropriate on a four-lane configuration, but by changing it to a three-lane street it would no longer warrant the pedestrian signal. Council Member Rollins asked if 1925 Bloomington Road would be impacted by the recommended changes. Mr. Gansen said it would not be as that property is farther to the west. The Mayor opened the public hearing. Dana Schumacher, 3919 Fletcher Court, Ames, stated she moved to the Stonebrooke area recently and regularly walks in the area. She is happy to live in an area that does have walking paths, but if anyone wants to go into town you would have to navigate through the intersection. Ms. Schumacher mentioned that the concept shown earlier looked like it would solve a lot of the concerns from the neighborhood. The only concern she would have would be the delay in how long it would take to implement. She stated that the population in the area should be taken into consideration as it is a self-selected elderly community and some of them are not at their physical or cognitive best when it comes to “dodging” cars. Ms. Schumacher explained another concern was the speed limits on Bloomington Road. In a very short distance from Stange Road to Grand Avenue, the speed limit goes from 45 mph, to 35 mph, and then 30 mph. The road also goes from four lanes to two lanes, but people will continue to pass you on the single lanes. Ellen Rasmussen, 724 Hodge Avenue, Ames, stated she was speaking on behalf of her daughter who lives at Friendship Ark. She said she was disappointed in the staff’s recommendation to do nothing for now. Ms. Rasmussen explained that she understood the need to use data, standards, policies, and budgets to make decisions, but those items don’t always take into account everything that affects someone’s quality of life. Her daughter, Chloe, is 23 years old and has a part-time job that she has to get to along with sports practices for the Special Olympics. Chloe needs to cross Bloomington Road to get to the bus stop to get her to those places. She agreed with staff’s proposed changes to the intersection, but is also concerned about the timing. Ms. Rasmussen noted that she has driven Bloomington Road since her daughter moved into the area and the vehicles are always going too fast. She said she drove up and down Bloomington Road and drove the indicated speed limit, which caused cars to be right up on the tail of her car. She had watched cars cut around people turning and speeding down the road. Ms. Rasmussen asked the Council to consider referring this intersection back to staff to see if there were some lower-cost items that could be added to the intersection to help. Hector Arbuckle, 2503 Bruner Drive, Ames, agreed with Ms. Rasmussen’s comments. He noted that on this street, people who travel the speed limit find themselves contrary to what most people are using as the speed limit, and this indicates to him that the design speed of the street is not the same as the speed limit. He felt there is a systemic problem with this road and possibly other areas of Ames. Mr. Arbuckle said that the design of the street, width of the lanes, the size of the clear zone, etc., communicates to drivers that it is safe/normal to go at a faster speed contrary to what the speed limit signs say. He suggested the Council to look at all the streets in Ames and the speed limits and note whether the 85 percentile speed is the same as the speed limit and if the 85 percentile is higher than the speed limit then staff should look at ways, in the future, to design streets so the design speed is congruent with the speed limit. 8 The Mayor closed public input when no one else came forward to speak. Council Member Beatty-Hansen said that there was support for the new design and parts of it will happen this year, but Council would need to put the rest in the CIP. She asked about having a speed limit indicator sign installed. Mr. Gansen said staff could look at dynamic feedback signs for the speed for this location, but would need to look at the curvature to see if any advance signage would be needed. The price would be around $10,000 for two of the speed limit indicator signs. Ms. Beatty-Hansen noted the signs have been effective where she has seen them and felt this may be a short-term solution. Council Member Junck asked how much a rapid flashing beacon would cost. Mr. Gansen indicated that it would cost a little more than $10,000, but one of their main concerns is the rapid flashing beacon would provide a false sense of security given the roadway width right now. Public Works Director John Joiner said that staff could visit with Police Chief Huff to see about extra enforcement in the area. Council Member Betcher questioned what the chances were that the project could be moved up in the CIP. City Manager Steve Schainker said the Council would have to wait until next budget year to place the project to the CIP, and then would have to look at all the projects to see what needs to be done first. Council Member Gartin asked if there have been any indications from CyRide that there are any concerns about this area. Mr. Gansen said that CyRide or their drivers have not said anything. Mr. Gartin wanted to know how many people live in the Friendship Ark Home. It was noted that three people lived there. Mr. Gansen said that when it comes to schools, the City is very careful about giving a heightened degree of care because of the children and he sees the Friendship Ark home along the same lines. He said the City needs to be more sensitive to the more vulnerable residents in the community. Mr. Gartin would like to make sure that CyRide is encouraged to let the City know about any issues they are seeing. Moved by Gartin to approve Alternative 2, which states to direct staff to develop alternative treatments for the crossing at Bloomington Road at Fletcher Boulevard with the expectation that these treatments be removed and replaced with the FY 2026/27 Bloomington project. Motion failed due to lack of second. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Betcher, to accept the Report and direct staff to program the improvements into the next CIP, as they see fit, and investigate the possibility of a speed feedback sign. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. 2022 STORMWATER UTILITY RATE ADJUSTMENTS: The Mayor opened public comment. It was closed when no one came forward. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to pass on first reading an ordinance adjusting the stormwater utility rates to be effective July 1, 2022. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. SOUTH 16TH STREET IMPROVEMENTS (TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLES & TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLER/CABINETS): Public input was opened by Mayor Haila and closed when no one 9 came forward to speak. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 22-209 awarding the Traffic Signal Poles purchase to CSLA Iowa of Des Moines, Iowa, in the amount of $123,272. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Gartin, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 22-210 awarding the Traffic Signal Controller/Cabinets purchase to General Traffic Controls, Inc., of Spencer, Iowa, in the amount of $73,670. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. AMES URBAN FRINGE PLAN UPDATE: The Mayor let the public know that there will not be any public input taken. Tonight is to get the draft Ames Urban Fringe Plan Update moving, and there will be time for public input at a later time. Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann stated that there was a lot of information in the Staff Report with background material so tonight his presentation will be focused on the maps and the Land Use Designations. The Ames Urban Fringe Plan (AUFP) is a great intergovernmental planning document. The current AUFP provides policies for understanding and predicting future land uses within two miles outside the boundary of the City of Ames. While this is the area under State Code where cities have extraterritorial subdivision review authority, it is also the area where land-use decisions have direct impacts on the ability of cities to grow efficiently, and where rural development can accelerate the loss of farmland, natural areas, and the rural character of the area. In conjunction with the AUFP, the City works cooperatively with Gilbert and Story County through a 28E Agreement to streamline subdivision review in the County based upon the Plan. The AUFP is important for the City of Ames because it supports logical and efficient expansion of the City to meet growth needs. For the County, it addresses rural development pressure near a City where densities are less than urban development, but development still has a large footprint of potential impacts. Director Diekmann said that having a Plan helps create predictability and eases administration responsibilities. Director Diekmann gave a brief history on the current Land Use Framework that was drafted in 2006. The Ames Plan 2040 was adopted in December 2021, along with the final selected growth areas. The City of Ames priorities were: 1) Implement Growth Area planning of Ames Plan 2040; 2) Implement Urban Reserve management policies of Ames Plan 2040; 3) Cooperatively plan for management of the Fringe Area with Story County; 4) Addressing compatibility of conditional uses in the County; 5) Planning for airport expansion; 6) Updating Natural Area and resource mapping with updates of related development policies; and 7) Enhancing integration of rural parks, open space, and trails into the Land Use Plan. Director Diekmann stated Story County had its own set of priorities. City and County staff had created four new base land designations and three overlays to replace the current AUFP designations. An Ames Urban Fringe Plan Draft Land Use Framework Map was shown and Director Diekmann pointed out the areas on the map. Director Diekmann indicated that Agriculture and Farm Service is the biggest designation and largest 10 amount of territory. It is also the base designation that the City uses in the Plan and is almost synonymous with what is in the current Fringe Plan. Agriculture and Farm Service is meant to be a limited division and proposed to allow only one house per 40-acres of land. Story County would retain jurisdiction and apply their zoning and subdivision policies, including the policies of a mutually adopted new Fringe Plan. Rural Residential was reviewed by Director Diekmann. He stated he was not going to go into much detail. He noted Rural Residential is limited in its use allowances and would only be governed by Story County. The City did not have any goals of adding rural subdivisions. The current Fringe Plan had areas where new rural subdivisions were allowed. It was mentioned that Story County is not proposing large areas for rural subdivisions. The County did not foresee a need to create large areas for additional rural residential development outside of the previously subdivided area in the Fringe. Story County had done a housing assessment and projected a need for 60 additional new dwellings. The County believed they could accommodate that amount of new dwellings without having to create large rural residential areas for subdivisions. The proposed Rural Residential Expansion designation is unmapped in the draft Plan, but has been written to be applied at a later date as an amendment to the Plan. Director Diekmann went over the Rural Residential - Expansion Amendment Standards that were proposed by Story County staff. They were: 1) The area is adjacent to a rural residential area or rural residential expansion area; 2) The area is not located in an Urban Growth Area or Urban Reserve Overlay; 3) No more than 40 acres of land in agricultural production may be requested to be amended; 4) The area is located on a paved road. If within a quarter-mile of a paved road then the developer may be required to pave the road; and, 5) The amount of previously approved Rural Residential Expansion area shall be considered. Director Diekmann said that with Urban Growth the City is hoping to address compatibility issues at a higher degree than the last Plan had. It was noted that the City does not have zoning authority; therefore, conditional uses will still be reviewed and decided by Story County. The Urban Reserve Overlay is a holding area to see where the City wants to grow next and this would be a 50-year growth plan. There are three other overlays: 1) Environmentally Sensitive; 2) Airport Protection; and, 3) Subsurface Mining. Mr. Diekmann stated the next step would be public outreach. Upon City Council, Gilbert, and Story County’s Board of Supervisors review of the draft Land Use Designations, a draft will be prepared for public review. Staff is working on a three meeting model to be done within a 30-day period. There will be a more robust document put together for the public outreach sessions. Any comments will be brought back to the City Council and Board of Supervisors for next steps. It was mentioned that the draft should be done in May, and after the public comment period, staff should be back before the Council in June or July. The Mayor asked when the current 28E Agreement expired. It would be on July 11, 2022, and Director Diekmann is speaking with Story County to see about having an extension to the 28E Agreement while the AUFP is completed. 11 Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to direct staff to proceed with completing the draft Fringe Plan Update and proceed with public outreach. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. CDBG/HOME PUBLIC FORUMS FOLLOW-UP: Housing Coordinator Vanessa Baker-Latimer said that on April 14, 2022, City staff hosted two in-person/virtual public forums to gather input regarding possible projects for consideration for the FY 2022/23 CDBG/HOME Annual Action Plan as part of the City’s Entitlement Program. Nine people attended the in-person forum and three people attended virtually. Attendees included representatives from The Bridge Home, Good Neighbor, Home Allies, Chamber of Commerce, Amos, and three citizens from Ames. The public feedback received was centered around the need to continue to address affordable housing and neighborhoods. Staff is recommending that the anticipated combined budgets of $3,382,427 be allocated to the project activities listed below: 1.CDBG Homebuyer Assistance Program (Down payment and closing cost) - $500,000 2.Housing Improvement Rehabilitation Program for Single-Family Homeowners - $225,000 3.Infrastructure Pocket Park Improvements - Baker Subdivision - $130,000 4.Acquisition/Slum and Blight Removal Program - $275,279 5.CDBG-CV CARES (Rent, Mortgage, and Utility) Relief Assistance - $58,282 6.CDBG-CV CARES Public Services Assistance - Mental Health (to be determined) - $85,000 7.HOME Multi-Family LIHTC Assistance New Construction - $1,801,222 8.General Administration for CDBG, HOME & CARES - CDBG $119,836, HOME $177,808, and CARES $10,000 Ms. Baker-Latimer noted that the anticipated revenue for the CDBG Program rollover and the anticipated program income are cautious estimates being projected by staff. These projections will be adjusted when the 2022/23 allocations are announced. Because the City has not been notified of the amounts for FY 2022/23 Program year, staff has been advised to project its current FY 2021/22 CDBG allocation of $599,177 and HOME allocation of $350,543 for budgeting for the proposed FY 2022/23 Action Plan projects. Staff received a memo from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that stated FY 2022/23 allocations may be announced on or around May 13, 2022. HUD also provided additional guidance for grantees in the development of their draft Annual Action Plans for the 30-day public comment period. Also, HUD suggested that grantees consider adding specific “contingency language” to their plans, if they will be publishing a budget using their current years (FY 2021/22) allocations as estimates. Ms. Baker-Latimer stated that staff does not plan to publish the 2022-23 Annual Action Plan for the 30-day comment until after HUD publishes the allocations on or by May 13, 2022. However, if there is a substantial increase or decrease in the amounts, staff will host an additional public forum and present feedback to the Council at the May 24, 2022, meeting. Public comment was opened by Mayor Haila and it was closed when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to approve the proposed draft FY 2022/23 Annual Action Plan Program Projects and proposed estimated budget and setting August 9, 2022, as date of public hearing. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. 12 REVISIONS TO U.S. HIGHWAY 30 AND BANDSHELL LIGHT SHOW POLICY: City Manager Steve Schainker said City Council had received some requests to change the lighting along Highway 30 and the Bandshell to support Ukraine. This brought up some concerns about not having a policy in place for future lighting requests. On April 12, 2022, the City Council directed staff to bring potential changes to consider other events the City Council may wish to change the U.S. Highway 30 light towers for, and to consider including the Bandshell lighting within the same policy. Council Member Rollins said that the Council has an opportunity to “set the cultural tone” within the City and to lead the way. She wanted to think about how the Council could be inclusive and lead regarding the lights. She suggested adding a little more “framing” language to the Policy. She suggested adding “the diversity of our community is strength. As an affirmation of this strength, the Council will strive to overcome historical biases by carefully considering the ideas, cultures, and experiences it is affirming, and not affirming, through its decisions related to the use of this policy.” She noted that this was a way to encourage the Council to be thoughtful and to be intentional about being inclusive. Council Member Beatty-Hansen stated she liked the language and recommended adding it to the Policy. The Mayor inquired where the language should be added. Ms. Rollins suggested placing the language in the Policy on Page 2 after Bullet 5. The Mayor opened public comment. It was closed when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Rollins, seconded by Junck, to approve the revisions to the policy in the Council Action Form and to add the language “the diversity of our community is strength. As an affirmation of this strength, the Council will strive to overcome historical biases by carefully considering the ideas, cultures, and experiences it is affirming, and not affirming, through its decisions related to the use of this policy.” on Page 2 after Bullet 5. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. HEARING ON REZONING WITH MASTER PLAN PROPERTY LOCATED AT 802 DELAWARE AVENUE FROM “RL” (RESIDENTIAL LOW-DENSITY) TO “RM” (RESIDENTIAL MEDIUM-DENSITY): City Planner Justin Moore stated that Penny Lane Townhomes, LLC, was requesting a rezoning with a Master Plan of property located at 802 Delaware Avenue. The request is to rezone the .75 acre property from Residential Low Density (RL) to Residential Medium Density (RM) to accommodate the future construction of two three-unit multi- family structures. In June 2020, the City Council approved a land use map change for the property, which changed the land use from Low-Density Residential to Medium-Density Residential in anticipation of future rezoning. The land use change at that time was done under the previous Land Use Policy Plan (LUPP). The Ames 2040 Comprehensive Plan identifies the land use on this property as Established Neighborhood 2 (RN2). The RN2 land use designation allows for a wide range of zoning districts for its implementation and supports the concept of limited infill within established neighborhoods when it can be done in a contextual manner to the surrounding character of the area. Mr. Moore explained that the property is currently vacant and has been for a long period of time. The property has frontage and is served from Delaware Avenue to the west. The property also has frontage on North Dakota Avenue to the east. Access is restricted from North Dakota Avenue. With the 13 proposed rezoning to RM, the allowed uses would include multi-family structures and the ability to build more than one building on a lot without needing to subdivide. Given that the rezoning is subject to compliance with a Master Plan a Zoning Agreement is required to be signed with the developer to ensure that the terms for the Master Plan are followed. A Zoning Agreement will be finalized with the developer prior to the third reading of this rezoning ordinance. The Zoning Agreement will require that the developer abide by the required housing type, number of buildings and number of units. In this case the following conditions of the Agreement will include: 1.That there are no more than six units developed on the property. 2.That the development consists of at least two buildings. 3.That the housing type be limited to townhome building style. The public hearing was opened and closed by Mayor Haila after no one came forward to speak. The Mayor stated that the Ordinance in the packet did not reference any Zoning Agreement and wanted to know how the Agreement is connected to the Ordinance since it is not mentioned. Director Diekmann explained that after the first reading, staff will finalize the Zoning Agreement which will be an exhibit and will be recorded against the property. The Ordinance does state that there is a Master Plan, which is an indication that there is something else to look at. The Zoning Agreement will get approved and recorded with the third reading of the Ordinance. Council Member Rollins asked about making sure the design is compatible with the neighborhood and wanted to know when this would happen. She noted that in other neighborhoods there has been careful consideration made to make sure new structures are compatible in an area. Director Diekmann stated that has not been done for this property and that was a concern that staff had. He mentioned that the Comprehensive Plan was adopted in December and the RN2 is new. Also, none of the infill standards have been established or guidelines prepared to apply to this project. Director Diekmann said that once the property is zoned RM, the standard RM zoning would apply, which has no architectural standards, other than setbacks. The Master Plan states that the buildings have to be broken into two buildings, but that is the extent for controls of compatibility at this time. Director Diekmann said that if the Council approves this request, the Council needs to understand this will not be long-term as to how it will be done throughout the City, but it worked for this project only. Council Member Rollins asked for clarification on the .75 acres and the six units as six units is the standard requirement for one acre. Mr. Diekmann noted that the Comprehensive Plan for RN2 does say the typical density is six units per acre, but it is not specifically written to say no property can exceed six units per acre. Mayor Haila opened the public hearing and closed it when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to pass on first reading an ordinance rezoning with a Master Plan property located at 802 Delaware Avenue from “RL” (Residential Low-Density) to “RM” (Residential Medium-Density). Council Member Gartin commented that there was not any discussion about the developer creating any affordable housing and wanted to know why. Director Diekmann noted that staff does not have any 14 policy telling him that he has to do that, at this time. He indicated that at the end of the summer there will be an Affordable Housing Workshop to discuss affordable housing strategies. Council Member Gartin asked about landscaping for this project and if it will meet city requirements. Director Diekmann stated that it will, but does not have a plan to show the Council yet. Mr. Gartin asked if the Council could ask for more landscaping than what is required. Mr. Diekmann said that it could be done; however, that is not how the Zoning Ordinance is written. Council Member Beatty- Hansen asked what Mr. Gartin’s goal was with the landscaping requirement. Mr. Gartin said the goal is to be consistent with how the Council treats projects. Ms. Beatty-Hansen wanted to know what historical decision Mr. Gartin was referring to regarding landscaping. Mr. Gartin commented that the Council had the opportunity on the Baker Subdivision to do a great project, but chose to have more landscaping rather than “caring about poor people.” He said that he wanted to bring up the fact that governments need to be consistent with how they treat people. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. HEARING ON AMES DOWNTOWN PLAZA: Facilities Director Corey Mellies indicated that, as noted in the Council Action Form, the bids received for the Ames Downtown Plaza came in over budget. There were five bids that were received, and staff felt the pricing was realistic since all five were within a reasonable range from each other. The Report does list some alternative options to help reduce the costs of the project. Staff is recommending that the Council accept the report of bids only and to ask staff to bring back recommendations to reduce project costs and identify additional funding sources to make up the projected funding shortfall. Mr. Mellies indicated that a review of the project indicated that the only single element that can be changed from the original scope that would yield the necessary project savings would be the elimination of the ice component which is estimated to cost $1.2 to $1.3 million. Council Member Corrieri asked if the Council asked for a report to come back to them would it include a variety of options. Director Mellies said that it would list some options to eliminate from the design and would provide funding options. Mayor Haila asked if Confluence and the architect had an explanation as to why their budget was a lot lower than the bids. Director Mellies said he had not received any explanation, but he was sure it would be because of the current market and supply chain price increases. The Mayor indicated that it should be Confluence present at tonight’s meeting explaining the budget. The Mayor opened the public hearing. There was no one wishing to speak, and the hearing was closed. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Junck, to accept the Report of Bids for the Ames Downtown Plaza and direct staff to bring back recommendations to reduce project costs and identify additional funding sources to make up the projected funding shortfall. Council Member Gartin stated he is supportive of this project, but reminded the Council that the Climate Action Plan (CAP) is going to be needing $2.3 to $3 billion, and the Council will need to think about amenities, such as the Downtown Plaza, or the climate. Mr. Gartin indicated he will periodically 15 remind the Council that they are not acting consistently with the priority of the capital investment needed for the CAP. Mayor Haila said that the Downtown Plaza project had been identified as a priority and a goal for the Council and believed the Council was being consistent with moving forward on the project. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. HEARING ON ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT TO REDUCE FLAG LOT ACCESS WIDTH IN THE GENERAL INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT: Director Diekmann noted that there is not a lot of new information to add. The request is a minor Text Amendment in General Industrial (GI). The applicant asked for a slightly different version, but is okay with moving forward with staff’s recommendation. The General Industrial Zoning District is unique in that the minimum street frontage requirement is only 25-feet, which is less than the flag lot street frontage requirement. Mayor Haila declared the public hearing to be open. It was closed when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to pass on first reading an ordinance reducing flag lot access width in the General Industrial Zoning District. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. HEARING ON 2021/22 SHARED USE PATH MAINTENANCE - LITTLE BLUESTEM: The public hearing was opened and closed by Mayor Haila after no one came forward to speak. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 22-211 approving the final plans and specifications and awarding a contract to TK Concrete, of Pella, Iowa, in the amount of $120,604.90. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. HEARING ON 2022/23 MAIN STREET PAVER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM (KELLOGG AVENUE - DUFF AVENUE): The Mayor opened the public hearing. Hector Arbuckle, 2503 Bruner Drive, Ames, noted that the pavers are beautiful, but has heard from a friend, who is mobility impaired that she found it difficult to move around on them. He asked if the Council may consider, at some point, if the type of pavers being used is the best thing to be used for mobility impaired people. Moved by Rollins, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 22-212 approving the final plans and specifications and awarding a contract to Con-Struct, Inc., of Ames, Iowa, in the amount of $333,333. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. HEARING ON 2020/21 CONCRETE PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM (FORD STREET, BELL AVENUE, S. 17TH STREET, S. KELLOGG AVENUE): The Mayor opened the 16 public hearing. There was no one wishing to speak, and the hearing was closed. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 22-213 approving the final plans and specifications and awarding a contract to Con-Struct, Inc., of Ames, Iowa, in the amount of $666,666. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. ORDINANCE INCREASING SEWER RATES BY 5%, EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2022: Mayor Haila opened public input. It was closed when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Gartin, to pass on first reading an ordinance increasing sewer rates by 5%, effective July 1, 2022. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ORDINANCE REZONING 3210 CEDAR LANE FROM AGRICULTURAL (A) TO FLOATING SUBURBAN-RESIDENTIAL LOW DENSITY (FS-RL) WITH A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY (PUD) AND MASTER PLAN: Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to pass on second reading an ordinance rezoning 3210 Cedar Lane from Agricultural (A) to Floating Suburban-Residential Low Density (FS-RL) with a Planned Unit Development Overlay (PUD) and Master Plan. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. DISPOSITIONS OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL: Mayor Haila indicated there were five items on the list. The first item was an email from Ace Lee, Iowa State University Student, with comments regarding the Climate Action Plan and reducing carbon emissions through active transportation and transit use. Mayor Haila noted the Council will take the comments under consideration. The second item was an email from Olya Arjmand regarding parking and traffic concerns on North Franklin Avenue. City Manager Steve Schainker noted the Council Members could refer the email to staff if they wanted to. No motion was made by Council; therefore, no action was taken. The third item was a letter from Todd Ashby, CEO/Executive Director with Mid-Iowa Planning Alliance inviting the Mayor and City Council to become a member of the Mid-Iowa Planning Alliance. Moved by Junck, seconded by Gartin, to refer the letter from Mr. Ashby to staff for a memo. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. The fourth item was an email from Balinda Ellsworth requesting an ordinance regarding bus parking in residential areas. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to refer the email from Ms. Ellsworth to staff for a memo. Council Member Betcher asked if a memo was previously provided by staff from other complaints. Mr. 17 Schainker indicated that it would need to be updated to list what the City can and can’t do with the current Ordinance. Council Member Gartin said he would like to know what other communities are doing with similar situations. Vote on Motion: 5-1. Voting Aye: Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin, Junck, Rollins. Voting Nay: Beatty- Hansen. Motion declared carried. The last item was a letter from Amber Deardorff, Vice President/Clinical and Support Services with Mary Greeley Medical Center, requesting a Zoning Text Amendment for medical office parking requirements. Moved by Junck, seconded by Gartin, to refer the letter from Ms. Deardorff to staff for a memo. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. COUNCIL COMMENTS: The new ex officio Bryce Garman said that he was from Algona, Iowa. He is a junior at Iowa State University and studies Public Relations and minors in Political Science. He currently serves as the Communication and Social Media Intern for the Story County Board of Supervisors, which gives him experience with local government. He indicated that local government is something that he has always been passionate about as it runs in his family. Council Member Beatty-Hansen reminded everyone that “Stash the Trash” is coming up along with the Ioway Creek clean-up. She wanted to let everyone know that these are great opportunities to volunteer for. Council Member Rollins thanked Public Relations Officer Susan Gwiasda and Merry Rankin from ISU for providing the residential satisfaction survey in multiple languages this year. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Gartin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to adjourn the meeting at 8:08 p.m. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ______________________________________________________________________ Amy L. Colwell, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor __________________________________ Diane R. Voss, City Clerk 18