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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - July 13, 2021, Regular Meeting of the Ames City CouncilMINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE AMES AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (AAMPO) TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE, JOINT MEETING OF THE AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, AND REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA JULY 13, 2021 AMES AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (AAMPO) TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING CALL TO ORDER: The Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) Transportation Policy Committee meeting was called to order by Ames Mayor and voting member John Haila at 6:00 p.m. on the 13th day of July, 2021. Other voting members present were: Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, City of Ames; Gloria Betcher, City of Ames; Amber Corrieri, City of Ames; Tim Gartin, City of Ames; Rachel Junck, City of Ames; David Martin, City of Ames; Linda Murken, Story County Supervisor; and Jacob Ludwig, Transit Board. Jon Popp, Mayor of Gilbert; and Bill Zinnel, Boone County Supervisor, were absent. HEARING ON FINAL FFY 2022-2025 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP): Public Works Director John Joiner explained that the 2022-2025 Transportation Improvement Program was presented to the Committee in May. During the public comment period, the document and project maps were available online and at a virtually held public input session. AAMPO staff received and addressed minor comments from the Iowa Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Transit Administration. Chairperson Haila opened the public hearing and closed it when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Murken, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 21-385 approving the Final FFY 2022-2025 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Vote on Motion: 9-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. POLICY COMMITTEE COMMENTS: Story County Supervisor Murken wanted to know the progress or lack thereof on studying the 190th and Hyde Avenue intersection. She noted that the Story County Board of Supervisors is concerned about this intersection. Ms. Murken pointed out that formal correspondence was given to the City in September 2019, and a stop sign was put up, but it did not work out well. She noted that the City has since annexed the area. The issues regarding this intersection is being exacerbated by all the development in the area (Auburn Trail, Hayden’s Preserve, and additional housing on the east side of Hyde in Quarry Estates). Ms. Murken mentioned that the intersection needs to be studied sooner rather than later. Traffic Engineer Damion Pregitzer noted that the 2040 Long-Range Plan showed improvements to paving in the area only. He explained the new 2045 Long-Range Plan had accelerated the area into an intersection improvement. Mr. Pregitzer mentioned that the short-term is FY 2025-2029, and two years in advance the City would be the sponsor of this project and it would be put into the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP). The current CIP shows that in FY 2022/23, the North Growth intersection studies are scheduled to be done. Mr. Pregitzer explained that the two-year planning process in advance of an actual improvement is a typical timeline. Ms. Murken verified that the earliest a study could be done would be July 1, 2022, with something being done in FY 2025-2029. Mr. Pregitzer confirmed that was correct if the City wanted to use federal aid; improvements could be done faster if a safety grant was received through the state or some other type of grant, but that is what the traffic study would tell staff. The traffic study would indicate the cost, and look at safety concerns, and operations to help them determine how competitive staff could be with a federal or state program. Ms. Murken inquired if there was an estimate as to how much the traffic study would cost. It was noted that the City budgeted $65,000 to do all three intersections in the area, and the normal range is $10,000 to $15,000 per intersection. Ms. Murken mentioned that she would like to have further discussions to see what options there would be to move the traffic study into this fiscal year. She noted that her concern was that last year the schools were held virtually and there were not any problems with the intersection due to less traffic; however, schools will be open as usual this year and it will become a bigger problem. She would like to figure out a way to continue a discussion of the intersection, in question. Council Member Corrieri asked how other studies that are planned in the Work Plan would be affected if the Council decided to discuss moving up the timeline for the traffic study along 190th and Hyde. Mr. Pregitzer mentioned that it would be part of staff’s job in putting a proposal together to let the Council know what the impacts would be from a funding and workload perspective. Ms. Murken stated that with the school year starting soon, she felt they needed to have some temporary measures put in place at the intersection. Council Member Gartin commented that he will be making a motion during Council Comments to ask for temporary measures. Ms. Murken mentioned that the County would be interested in being a part of the conversation as they are interested in 190th and the other two intersections that are scheduled to be done in FY 2025-2029. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Ludwig, seconded by Betcher to adjourn the Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Committee meeting at 6:15 p.m. JOINT MEETING OF THE AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION AND AMES CITY COUNCIL The Joint Meeting of the Ames City Council and Ames Human Relations Commission was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 6:17 p.m. on the 13th day of July, 2021, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law. In addition to the Mayor, City Council Members Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, Rachel Junck, and David Martin were present. Trevor Poundstone, Ex officio was also present. Representing the Ames Human Relations Commission (AHRC) were Jahmai Fisher, Wayne Clinton, Madesh Samanu, and Lynette Plander 2 PRESENTATION OF ANNUAL REPORT: Jahmai Fisher, Ames Human Relations Commission (AHRC) Chairperson, gave highlights of the Annual Report. She noted that first on the Report was the Commission’s Purpose, overview of work, mission of the Commission, and how the Commission implements the provision of the Iowa City Rights Act to provide general welfare for the citizens of Ames. The AHRC’s purpose is to study the existence of discrimination in the community and work to minimize or eliminate it, promote goodwill among the various racial, religious, and ethnic groups in the City, and cooperate with other organizations to develop programs designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural, and intergroup tensions. Ms. Fisher noted that there are a number of highlights that were outlined in the Report; however, there were a few she wanted to focus on. Despite the pandemic and its limitations, the AHRC increased its overall engagement with the community through its social media presence. The Commission’s photos and bios had over 4,000 hits on the City’s Facebook page. Along the lines of increasing its visibility and communication with the Ames community, AHRC created a video message in response to reports of hatred and/or discrimination to members of the Asian and Pacific Islander community in Ames. The Commission continued its support for City-sponsored events, such as the Symposium on Building Inclusive Environments along with the Annual MLK Jr. Celebration. Ms. Fisher explained that despite the many challenges that were brought to everyone in 2020, the Commission did its best to be seen and heard. The AHRC reviews any cases of discrimination in partnership with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (ICRC). Most of the claims in 2019 fell under employment-related concerns and housing. In 2019, race and retaliation were the main themes. The 2020 data showed trends in employment and public accommodation areas. There were 36 complaints in 2020, and the basis for those complaints was mainly disability, retaliation, and sex. Of the 36 complaints, 12 cases are still open and 14 of them were closed administratively. There are five federal laws that protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination, employment, and the job application process. The Americans with Disabilities Act, The Rehabilitation Act, The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, The Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act, and The Civil Service Reform Act. Ms. Fisher noted that based on data from previous years, there is an increase in complaints to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. The increase could be due to the increased visibility and accessibility on how to file a complaint or by circumstances brought on by the pandemic. Complaints related to disability and employment have increased and the Commission has noted this increase. Chairperson Fisher explained that going forward the AHRC is focused on increasing its visibility, dedicated to making a shared understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the City of Ames. It was noted that the Commission’s 2020-22 Strategic Plan was included in the Report. Council Member Gartin inquired where the Report would be located if someone wanted to view the information. Ms. Fisher mentioned it could be found on the AHRC website. Mr. Gartin noted that there was an increase in some of the complaints, and he asked to know if it was possible to add some longitudinal data to compare previous year’s data. Ms. Fisher commented that more in-depth data could be accessed through the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. Ms. Schildroth explained that a year 3 ago they had the Executive Director for the Iowa Civil Rights Commission conduct training on the complaint process. One of the things the AHRC asked for was for more information on the complaints. AHRC does not see any of the paperwork and the only data that is provided is for the Annual Report. One of the problematic issues is that its system that is used to collect information is “clunky/antiquated” and the ICRC is wanting to replace the system in the hopes of providing more information to the Commissioners. Council Member Betcher inquired if the complaint process was available in multiple languages. Ms. Schildroth stated that it is available in multiple languages and the City’s website can change the language of the page to be able to read the information in the language that best suits the individual. Ms. Betcher noted that she liked the videos and the biographies and felt it was a great idea to help personalize the Commission. She wanted to know what the plan was for more face-to-face outreach. Ms. Fisher noted that this year they sat as panelists for the “See Yourself in Ames” program. She mentioned that one of the issues they are facing is that a lot of people don’t know the Commission exists, but they are working on developing partnerships to establish and maintain a captive audience. Council Member Beatty-Hansen mentioned that she was reviewing the Report and one interesting thing she noticed was the results of the complaints. She stated that the result of “Right-to-Sue” was due to a legitimate complaint where cause was found. Ms. Beatty-Hansen wanted to know how the “Right-to-Sue” numbers compared this year to previous years. She also would like to see the longitudinal data in future reports. She noted that she wished they could find out who the employers were in order to provide education to the employers about employment laws. Ms. Fisher explained that she did not have the numbers available for the “Right-to-Sue,” but could get the information and provide it at a later time to the Council. Mr. Clinton noted that, while they don’t have the numbers, the category is one that has stood out for the last several years that he has been on the Commission. Determining the aggregate number is challenging as they don’t receive a lot of in-depth information or have the ability to ask a lot of questions. Ms. Fisher noted that there are limitations, but hopefully they will become more visible when the Commission becomes more proactive. Council Member Betcher asked if the AHRC had identified any new community partners. Ms. Fisher said that they have just partnered with the Ames Public Library and are looking forward to seeing what that partnership will bring. Mayor Haila wanted to know what the current plan was for reaching out to students. Mr. Samanu stated the AHRC plans on being at Iowa State University’s “WelcomeFest” and will partner with ISU as a whole. COMMISSION COMMENTS: No Comments were made. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Beatty-Hansen to adjourn the joint meeting at 6:35 p.m. 4 REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL The Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 6:36 p.m. on July 13, 2021, 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 David Martin. Ex officio Member Trevor Poundstone was also in attendance. PROCLAMATION FOR PARKS & RECREATION MONTH, JULY 2021: Mayor Haila proclaimed July 2021 as “Parks & Recreation Month.” Parks and Recreation Director Keith Abraham thanked the Mayor and Council. He mentioned that this year’s theme is “Our Parks and Recreation Story.” He explained there are several stories that could be told, and the support that the Parks & Recreation Department has received has been wonderful. Director Abraham wanted to mention one story. He stated that in the spring the City of Ames held the first Miracle League game for individuals with disabilities. During the game a ten-year old who was getting ready to bat when the coach called his name to go up to bat, the child turned to his mom and said “Mom, miracles do happen.” Director Abraham stated it is tremendous that this community puts such an emphasis on parks and recreation. CONSENT AGENDA: Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Betcher, to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda. 1.Motion approving payment of claims 2.Motion approving Minutes of Regular Meeting held June 22, 2021, and Special Meetings held June 15, 2021, and June 24, 2021 3.Motion approving Report of Change Orders for period June 16 - 30, 2021 4.Motion certifying Civil Service candidates 5.Motion approving New 12-Month Special Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service & Sunday Sales - Northcrest Community 1801 20th Street Pending Dram Shop Insurance 6.Motion approving Premise Update - Inside Golf, LLC Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales -2801 Grand Ave #1075 7.Motion approving New 12-Month Special Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service & Sunday Sales - Burgie’s Coffee Co North, LLC 3701 Stange Road 8.Motion approving renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits and Liquor Licenses: a.Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 105 Chestnut b.Class C Liquor License with Living Quarters & Sunday Sales - Sportsman’s Lounge, 123 Main Street c.Class E Liquor License with Class B Wine Permit, Class C Beer Permit (Carryout) and Sunday Sales - AJ’s Liquor II, 2515 Chamberlain d.Special Class C Liquor License and Sunday Sales - Huhot Mongolian Grill, 703 S. Duff Avenue Suite 105, Pending Dram Shop Insurance e.Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Welch Ave Station, 207 Welch Avenue f.Class B Liquor License, Class B Wine Permit, Catering, Outdoor Service & Sunday Sales - Courtyard by Marriott Ames, 311 S. 17th Street 5 9.RESOLUTION NO. 21-386 approving COTA Special Project Funding Grant to Story Theater Company in the amount of $1,000 10.RESOLUTION NO. 21-387 approving Encroachment Permit Agreement for Sign at 400 Main Street 11.RESOLUTION NO. 21-388 approving Memorandum of Understanding with Story County to apply for grant funding under the 2021 Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program and authorize application for that Grant 12.RESOLUTION NO. 21-389 approving Electric Utility Easement on State of Iowa property for the installation of an electrical pull box on Arbor Street 13.RESOLUTION NO. 21-390 awarding a contract to Bobcat of Ames, Iowa, for purchase of one compact track loader for Parks Maintenance in the amount of $59,442.99 14.RESOLUTION NO. 21-391 approving Change Order No. 1 to Emerson Process Management, Power & Water Solutions, Inc., of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the Power Plant DCS Hardware and Software Upgrade in the amount of $175,855 with applicable sales tax being paid by the City in an amount up to $12,309.85 directly to the state of Iowa 15.RESOLUTION NO. 21-392 authorizing additional repairs to Water Pollution Control Facility Methane Engine No. 2 by Interstate Power Systems of Altoona, Iowa, in the additional amount of $22,264 16.RESOLUTION NO. 21-393 awarding contract to Boland Recreation of Marshalltown, Iowa, for the North River Valley Park Playground Replacement Project in the amount of $54,085 17.RESOLUTION NO. 21-394 awarding contract to Outdoor Recreation Products of Omaha, Nebraska, for the Inis Grove Park Playground Replacement Project in the amount of $53,724 18.RESOLUTION NO. 21-395 approving contract and bond for 2018/19 Main Street Pavers - Burnett to Kellogg 19.RESOLUTION NO. 21-396 approving partial completion of public improvements and reducing security for Domani Subdivision, 1st Addition 20.RESOLUTION NO. 21-397 approving partial completion of public improvements and reducing security for Quarry Estates Subdivision, 3rd Addition 21.RESOLUTION NO. 21-398 approving partial completion of public improvements and reducing security for Quarry Estates Subdivision, 4th Addition 22.RESOLUTION NO. 21-399 approving partial completion of public improvements and reducing security for Scenic Valley Subdivision, 4th Addition 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: Jon Wolseth, 902 Arizona Avenue, Ames, stated he was present as part of a coalition of organizations, including the Ames NAACP, various faith-based institutions, and Ames Immigration. The group has been meeting regularly for the past several months since the release of the Ames Policing Report. They appreciated that the City had taken the important first step in clarifying the kinds of police-community relationships that fit within the values of the City as outlined in the Excellence Through People organizational goals. Mr. Wolseth commented that they understand the Policing Report as an alignment of those goals and wish to support it through dialogue and research. He noted that any changes in policing is important, and significant community 6 input should be included beyond the kinds of forums that have been held in the past. The coalition advocates for community workshops that begin by informing participants of the legal, budgetary, and political constraints of changing policing in Iowa. With this foundation, community members could help shape the direction of policing in Ames. By understanding that this approach may not occur, the coalition will use the Public Comment period at Council meetings to share their findings and keep policing at the forefront of Council’s mind. He noted that they will begin with the recommendation of #16 in the October 2020 Report, creating an Ames Resident Police Advisory Committee. Mr. Wolseth explained that the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) is the leading national organization that advocates for transparency in policing and building trust in the community through civilian oversight. It provides resources, training, and technical assistance for oversight boards, city staff, and elected officials. He noted that if the City of Ames is not yet a member, they believe the $400/year investment at the beginning of the process of defining the parameters and structure of the Ames Resident Police Advisory Committee would be money well spent. Further, they felt it would be prudent for the City Council to read the 2016 “Guidebook for the Implementation of New or Revitalized Police Oversight.” He noted that there were several free webinars available to the public. In future weeks, he will continue to share the guiding principles for effective civilian oversight committees. Public Forum was closed when no one else came forward to speak. STAFF REPORT ON 12TH STREET AND DUFF AVENUE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING: Public Works Director John Joiner explained that this item was in response to a City Council referral from a request that was received from McFarland Clinic regarding the pedestrian crosswalk at Duff Avenue and 12th Street. Public Works Traffic Engineer Damion Pregitzer mentioned that the Staff Report listed a summary of the issues that were brought up by McFarland Clinic. He noted that the reason he is providing a Staff Report is because the issues would be reflective of the City doing a corridor study. Mr. Pregitzer let the Council know that when looking through the options in the Report to keep in mind that they could be modified as it is a “work-in-progress.” In 2013, the City and the Clinic worked to install a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) at the intersection of 12th Street and Duff Avenue. Mr. Pregitzer displayed a map showing the existing conditions of the area. The segment of Duff Avenue from 10th Street to 13th Street is a five-lane arterial street with a two-way center left- turn lane that sees approximately 11,000 vehicles per day. The intersections at 11th Street and 13th Street are fully signalized intersections. The speed limit along this section of Duff Avenue is posted at 30 mph. At 12th Street, the improvements include a RRFB on the north side of the intersection, and in 2019; the City added high-visibility crosswalk markings and advanced warning signage. Mr. Pregitzer noted that this intersection is one of the more complicated areas in town. It was explained that staff did not do a study with actual engineering level radar detection, but used a program called Streetlight to look at the historical trends of speed throughout the corridor. This program gathers and analyzes anonymized mobile device data to report traffic patterns. Mr. Pregitzer explained that his take from the data is that it is somewhat concerning that it is trending up, but when looking at the hourly data, it is related to congestion. The less congested the corridor the more the average speed goes up. There was a big change from 2020 to 2021 due to COVID as more people were working 7 from home and not driving daily. He noted he didn’t provide all the data sets available, but at peak hours, the speed does go down. Mr. Pregitzer commented that there is some concern about the speed and what is trending, and they need to keep an eye on the area as things start getting back to normal. Mr. Pregitzer went over the Options available to the Council. The first option, which was to install a Hybrid Beacon with a partial closure of 12th Street. This option was a more pedestrian-focused design. The concept included a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon that would stop north-south traffic along Duff Avenue, giving clear right-of-way to pedestrians. However, because of how the hybrid beacon works, it should not be placed at locations where there are higher traffic volumes from the side street. Therefore, the concept included a partial closure of the intersection (12th Street) and the southern drive into McFarland’s parking lot. This would limit vehicle traffic into the intersection, primarily any conflicting turning movements across the crosswalk area. The hybrid beacon would also stop traffic for ambulances leaving Mary Greeley Medical Center. Knowing that this option could be unpopular, staff proactively sent out a letter with the conceptual drawing to all the properties fronting Duff and Carroll Avenues from 13th Street to 11th Street, asking for feedback. It was noted that the feedback received was overwhelmingly negative to this concept. The second option was to maintain the existing conditions and to continue to monitor safety. Mr. Pregitzer commented that it is very important to recognize that when a pedestrian gets hit, it is an appropriate response to look at the data and address the issue; however, to only have one pedestrian struck in eight-and-a-half years and three crashes that caused property damage only are low amounts. It should be noted that the use of the RRFB at an intersection such as the one currently in place would not likely be recommended today using current best practices. An ideal use for the treatment is a single-lane approach with a refuge median; an example of this installation type was the South Dakota Avenue north of the hospice house. Under Option 2, staff would work with McFarland Clinic staff to monitor safety and speed through the corridor. Public Works staff had already requested that the Police Department conduct periodic speed enforcement in the corridor from around 10th Street to 13th Street. Option 3 was to remove the RRFB and let the pedestrians use the 11th or 13th Street signals. In this option, if the existing RRFB is thought to give pedestrians a false sense of security, it should be removed to avoid encouraging crossing at a location not designed for that pedestrian movement. Mr. Pregitzer pointed out that from a data perspective, one crash in eight-in-a-half years is relatively low, but pedestrian crashes involving inattentive drivers are very random and hard to predict. These types of accidents are hard to solve with an engineering solution that would affect distracted drivers. He noted that for him to affect a driver’s attention he would have to have a very extreme restriction, which is what Option 1 was. In the feedback from McFarland Clinic and some of the residents it was mentioned to signalize 12th Street, and to do a traffic signal at that location it would require a study. A one-eighth mile is the absolute minimum for adding signals. In areas where there is low pedestrian volume, it is not recommended. Council Member Beatty-Hansen mentioned the last two bulleted items in the Staff Report that McFarland Clinic requested were to review options to lower the speed down to 25 MPH in the Hospital/Medical Zone and install flashing speed indicators (Dynamic Feedback Signs) similar to what is installed south of 9th Street on Duff Avenue. She wanted to know why those two options 8 were not part of Staff’s recommendations. Mr. Pregitzer explained, that from the Streetlight, data it appears that average speed is around 25-26 mph where the speed limit is 30 mph. He felt that if the speed was lowered to 25, there would still be some speeding that could be handled with Dynamic Feedback Signs, but he would want to verify with actual counters first. It was confirmed that one of the options could be to do a speed study to look at the feasibility of dropping the speed limit in the Hospital/Medical Zone to 25 mph from 13th Street to 10th Street. Council Member Martin mentioned that the original letter from McFarland had included the recommendation of adding additional lights, but he didn’t see this option addressed in the Staff Report. Mr. Pregitzer stated that the idea would be to give advanced warning. He drove the corridor several times and noted that all pedestrians pushed the button to signal the RRFB. An example was given that if someone was speeding at 40 mph the stopping sight distance would determine that a beacon would need to be installed 250 feet down the road. The current flashing lights can already be seen within 250 feet. If adding an advanced flasher, you would see that flasher and then the RRFB and it would confuse the drivers as to what they are supposed to be doing and what flashing light would they need to stop at. Council Member Betcher stated she had a few questions related to the Complete Streets Plan. She said that from her understanding, the City is creating areas of priority (pedestrian, car, biking, transport), and wanted to know how Mr. Pregitzer would define this area. Mr. Pregitzer stated it would either be an Avenue or Mixed-Use Avenue in the Complete Street Plan which had the most dynamic range of improvements that could be done. Ms. Betcher commented that the Council did get an email about adding a bicycle lane and putting this area on a road diet, and she noted that this would be something to consider further down the road due to the cost and intricacies of the whole project. Mr. Pregitzer couldn’t recall the last time they reconstructed this area, but 13th Street to 10th Street would be an area of interest. It would be a very expensive project to redo the arterial street. Ms. Betcher asked if the current location is the appropriate location for a pedestrian crossing or if there was somewhere better. Mr. Pregitzer explained that it is hard to say, but it seemed like it was. Council Member Martin mentioned that when reading through the materials it seemed as if the pedestrians were primarily employees going back and forth between different parts of the medial campus. He wanted to know if there had been any discussion about a pedestrian bridge being put up for the employees. Mr. Pregitzer stated they have not had that type of discussion as staff has not identified who the people are who are crossing the crosswalk, but it seems as if it is mainly employees. Mr. Martin commented that the pedestrian bridge would be conceivable except for the cost. It was agreed that it was a possibility. Mayor Haila wanted to know if it was possible to integrate a solid red light for people going westbound on 12th Street. Mr. Pregitzer mentioned there was a project that was identified in the Long-Range Plan in the bike/pedestrian portion to have Clark be a parallel corridor to Grand Avenue and one of the improvements was the crossing of 13th Street. When working with the Iowa Department of Transportation, they did a trial installation in Cedar Rapids. Staff had reached out to the Traffic Engineer in Cedar Rapids to see how it went and the City of Ames will be following their 9 lead. There will be Dynamic “Do Not Enter” signs and additional signs will be lit. There would be some risks, but he felt that 13th Street and Clark Avenue would be a good area to test the Hybrid Beacon. It was asked if a flashing speed sign was something that has proven to help. Mr. Pregitzer stated the data shows that some locations work better than others. Mayor Haila opened public comment. Grant Olsen, 3812 Ontario Street, Ames, stated that he lives in the area that has a Dynamic Feedback Sign. He noted that while the sign gives the driver information that they are speeding it only helps if the driver cares. Mr. Olsen explained that what the City needs is self-enforcing infrastructure; something as simple as a raised crosswalk. He explained that on the ISU campus near the main business building there is a raised crosswalk. This means the pedestrian does not need to change elevation from one sidewalk to the other, but the cars need to slow down if they don’t want to incur any damages to their vehicle. Mr. Olsen wondered what the McFarland employee who was hit by a 3,000 lb. vehicle would say. He went over the options listed in the Staff Report and felt that Option 1 would be the best fit for the City. Public comment was closed when no one else came forward to speak. Council Member Gartin noted that he drives this route every day and to only have one pedestrian hit in eight-and-a-half years is a good record. He suggested continuing with what the City already has. Mr. Gartin commented that a single accident, while unfortunate, shouldn’t drive the decisions for change by the Council. Council Member Betcher wanted to know if the Council agreed to go with Option 2 and not do anything at this time. Whether there still be the possibility of adding additional signage. The current signage is a sign letting the pedestrian know how to use the RRFB, but they could add a sign reminding pedestrians to not proceed until they can clearly see that traffic has slowed or stopped. Ms. Betcher felt that adding additional signs would be helpful until they can look at the area in a Complete Streets fashion. Council Member Beatty-Hansen stated she would recommend leaving things as is, but would be interested in doing a speed study to see if the speed should be reduced in this area. She mentioned that the option of closing off 12th Street was clearly disliked by the neighbors and facilities. Council Member Martin stated there is a leading pedestrian indicator that is deployed at Welch Avenue and Lincoln Way, and his personal observation was that the pedestrian indicator makes a difference. He asked if this was already set up in the area. Mr. Pregitzer explained that all the controllers are modern enough to implement pedestrian intervals. It was noted that this could be changed without Council direction. Mr. Martin wanted to know if there was any reason to not explore that option of walking a block to either 11th Street or 13th Street. Mr. Pregitzer mentioned that the only risk would be to re-time some signals. 10 Council Member Corrieri explained that she drives this corridor every day. She doesn’t believe the compliance is high as the City thinks it is for vehicles stopping for the flashing beacon. She wanted to know if a speed study would also gather data on vehicle compliance. Mr. Pregitzer stated it would not. This very difficult to capture, as an observer would need to be out there all day counting and making a judgment call if a vehicle did in fact yield to a pedestrian. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Junck, to approve Option 2, which was to maintain the existing conditions and to monitor safety. Council Member Corrieri asked what kind of police enforcement was currently being done and if it was possible to get a report back from the police to see what they are seeing before doing a speed study. Ms. Beatty-Hansen explained that her impression with police enforcement was that the situation would improve while they were in the area, but when their presence is no longer as active, it would go back to the way it was. Vote on Motion: 5-1. Voting Aye: Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin, Junck, Martin. Voting Nay: Beatty- Hansen. Motion declared carried. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Corrieri, to direct staff to do a speed study at the 12th Street and Duff Avenue intersection to see if a 25-mph speed would be feasible in this Hospital/Medical zone. Council Member Betcher wanted to know how much of staff’s time it would take and the cost of a speed study. Mr. Pregitzer stated it would take staff a couple of weeks to do the study, and if found that the intersection needed a dynamic feedback sign, it would cost about $8,000 and changing the signs in the area would cost $50 each. Mr. Martin asked if the dynamic feedback sign could be installed without changing the speed limit. Mr. Pregitzer explained that it could be added with the current 30-mph speed limit. Council Member Gartin mentioned that if there was a corridor that has solid safety concerns, he would be on board to try and figure out what is happening; however, at this intersection there is ample data that it is a safe area. Ms. Beatty-Hansen explained that at congested times traffic already moves at 25-mph and it would not be that big of a change to lower the speed limit from 30-mph to 25-mph. Vote on Motion: 5-1. Voting Aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Junck, Martin. Voting Nay: Gartin. Motion declared carried. Moved by Betcher to put enhanced pedestrian signage at the site of the beacon to encourage the pedestrians to watch more carefully. Motion died due to lack of second. 11 MOTION AUTHORIZING STAFF TO SOLICIT AND ENGAGE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR A SIDEWALK/PATH INFILL ASSESSMENT PROJECT AT 1305 DICKINSON AVENUE, 4535 MORTENSEN ROAD, AND/OR 4515 MORTENSEN ROAD FOR MORTENSEN ROAD SIDEWALK INFILL PROJECT IF INSTALLATION HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED BY THE PROPERTY OWNERS ON OR BEFORE JULY 23, 2021: Public Works Director John Joiner noted there was not any new information other than what was in the Council Action Form. He noted that one of the property owners was planning to start construction this week and another property owner is scheduled to start in the next couple of weeks. Director Joiner explained that Alternative 1 is to authorize staff to solicit proposals and engage in professional services and would be in the price range from a Purchasing Policy standpoint that staff would be able to approve a contract. This way if the property owners do not follow through on commencing construction then staff could move forward with the first step of the assessment project without having to come back to the Council. Council Member Gartin asked for a brief history on the City’s efforts to try and engage the property owners to put the sidewalks in place. Director Joiner explained that staff followed the standard procedures. There are gaps in the infrastructure in the area because sidewalks are typically installed with development and the lots in question have remained vacant. Staff had reached out to the property owners in the past years to see if they would be willing to put in sidewalks in advance of the development and the feedback received was that development was imminent on one or more of the lots and asked for time. The developments have yet to come to fruition and there are still no applications on file to develop the lots; however, staff was told that construction will start in the next couple of weeks. Mr. Gartin stated that they have waited a long time to have the infill done, and there is a large number of people who live in the apartments along Mortensen, and when the weather is bad those people are forced to walk in the street. Council Member Martin wanted to clarify that if the City constructs the sidewalks the property owners would still be responsible for clearing the sidewalks in the winter. Mr. Joiner confirmed that was correct. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to authorize staff to solicit proposals and engage professional engineering services for a sidewalk/path infill assessment project at 1305 Dickinson Avenue, 4535 Mortensen Road, and/or 4515 Mortensen Road, if the property owners have not commenced installation work on or before July 23, 2021. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. STAFF REPORT ON STATUS OF REINVESTMENT DISTRICT PROJECTS: City Manager Steve Schainker explained that the City Council had authorized staff to apply for $21,527,983 in incentive funding through the Iowa Reinvestment District Program. It was hoped that these monies, combined with $10 million from private donations, would cover the construction of a new indoor Aquatic Center. On June 25, 2021, the Iowa Economic Development Authority approved provisional funding grants to a number of cities. The City of Ames was one of the approved applicants; however, the City was not approved for the full amount, but $10 million. It should be emphasized that the 12 funding is considered provisional because the application was based on concepts as there was not a lot of time to solidify Agreements with developers and have actual construction costs. The State has given all applications until February 25, 2022, to submit their final applications, which will reflect the final design plans and expenditure/revenue projections for the projects. Given the $11,527,983 reduction in Reinvestment District funding, the gap that will require property taxpayer support is now estimated to be $7,494,000. Mr. Schainker noted that Dan Culhane has received over $9 million in private donations. Mr. Schainker mentioned that the City Council has three principal options to finance the project. It was noted that under Options 1 and 2, the City would issue $17,494,000 in General Obligation debt; however, it is anticipated that the net impact to taxpayers would be $7,494,000, after accounting for the $10 million of Reinvestment District funding. Option 1 would be to issue General Obligation (G.O.) bonds under the Urban Renewal law. The Urban Renewal law allows a City to issue bonds without a vote and would be subject to a Reverse Referendum. A referendum can be required if the Council receives a valid petition requesting a vote. The petition must contain signatures equaling at least 10% (3,189) of the number who voted in the last regular election. Option 2 would be to have a Referendum Election. The City Council can decide to bring forward a public referendum to authorize $17,494,000 in G.O. Bonds. This referendum would require 60% approval from voters. State law allows a vote at a Special Election on September 14, 2021, or March 1, 2022, or at the General Election on November 2, 2021. Mr. Schainker noted if the Council wanted to go for an election it takes a substantial amount of time to educate the public. If wanting to go for the Special Election on September 14, 2021, it would not be enough time to educate the public. In order to place this issue before the voters, a Council Resolution must be submitted to the Story County Auditor at least 46 days in advance of the election. He noted that the soonest the City could have this option would be the November election. The Special Election on March 1, 2022, would not work as the updated application has to be submitted to the State by February 25, 2022. Option 3 was to offer a Hybrid Urban Renewal and Referendum Election. Under this option, the Council would separately approve $10 million in Essential Corporate Purpose G.O. bonds within the Urban Renewal Area (subject to a reverse referendum) and authorize a $7,494,000 G.O. Bond Referendum Election. Mr. Schainker noted that Option 3 would be very complex and possibly hard for citizens to understand. With any of the three options, the City Council could reduce the amount needed to be financed by the taxpayers by eliminating the second floor of the Aquatics Center, which is intended to house the walking track and exercise area. The approach would reduce the gap from $7,494,000 to $2,805,000. Mr. Schainker commented that staff is not advocating to eliminate the second floor, but that is an option. Mr. Schainker gave a financial breakdown of the Aquatic Center. There were two assumptions given to the Council. The first assumption was that the City does not utilize any of the Reinvestment District Funding. It was pointed out that the financial numbers shown were the current estimate and those numbers could change at any time depending on interest rates and construction costs. He explained that the estimated cost of the Aquatics Center would be $27,494,000, and the estimated cost of the principal and interest payment would be $1,096,037. That amount would bring the estimated Annual Property Tax Cost for residential properties to $18.51 per $100,000 of assessed 13 valuation. This would cause a $0.33 increase in the debt levy. After the projected revenues are taken out, the City anticipates a $400,000 subsidy for operating costs. This would create an estimated annual property tax cost for residential properties for the operating expenditure to be $6.92 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. The overall combined increase would be $25.43. Assumption 2 assumes that the City is going to take advantage of the $10 million. The estimated cost of the Aquatic Center and Estimated Annual Debt Service Payments would not change, but it would bring the estimated annual amount applied to Property Tax Levy down to $596,037. With Assumption 2 the estimated annual property tax cost for residential properties would be $10.07 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, which would cause a $0.18 increase in the debt levy. The $400,000 deficit would stay the same. The overall combined increase would be $16.99. Mr. Schainker noted that all the estimated numbers were based on residential properties only as he did not figure out any commercial or industrial properties. Council Member Beatty-Hansen asked if it be possible for the City to receive more money in February if another community was not ready would. Mr. Schainker noted that would be possible. Parks and Recreation Director Keith Abraham spoke with representatives at RDG about changes in construction costs. RDG has reviewed its recent projects to determine how much cost estimates have changed recently. They also contacted Stoecker and Harmsen who does cost estimating and Water’s Edge who does aquatic estimating. It was discussed that they are currently experiencing supply issues, material shortages, labor shortages, and higher-than-normal projected costs. There were also concerns about how the National Infrastructure Bill, if passed, could impact the supply of certain materials. Additionally, if design for the Aquatics Center were to start after the Reinvestment District Program final application is due on February 25, 2022, construction would not start until spring 2023. Therefore, cost estimates would need to be looked at in 2023 dollars. RDG is estimating costs to be 10-15% higher than the original 8% that was figured into the original estimate. This overall increase at 10% would be an additional $2.5 million or if 15% a $3.7 million increase in the project. Director Abraham noted that these are all estimates. When moving forward, it was recommended by RDG to get together with Stoecker and Harmsen to do a more in-depth look at costs. Mr. Schainker pointed out that there is still a lot of work to do. The other issue will be the availability of the site for the Aquatic Center. Director Abraham explained that the Department of Transportation (DOT) is currently in year one of a four-year major renovation project that involves vacating the North Annex (property for the proposed Aquatic Center). Adding in other DOT projects, it was very difficult to give a specific timeline to when the site would be available. However, the DOT is very willing to meet with City representatives to understand the needs of the City, share the needs of the DOT, and determine if something can be done to meet both parties’ needs related to the site. Mr. Abraham mentioned it may be possible for the City of Ames to start construction while the building is still there, but that is a conversation that needs to happen with the DOT. Mr. Schainker mentioned that he wanted the Council to understand the cash flow if the City is going to rely on the Reinvestment District money. He noted that the cash is not given upfront, but earned over time. The bonds must be issued upfront, incur the debt, pay the contractors and designers, and 14 then there may be a delay by the time the hotel or restaurants are built and start generating revenue back to the City. Finance Director Duane Pitcher stated that the City would have liked to get a larger award, but one thing a smaller award does is gives the City more certainty. Mr. Pitcher commented that it would be a couple years before the City would start seeing any significant revenue. The City consolidates cash and investments and can carry the cost of the early debt service with no impact on other funds. The Reinvestment District rules request that a separate fund be established for the Reinvestment District revenue; this fund could be allowed to carry a negative balance in the early years of the project and be charged with interest. GO bonds could be amortized with equal payments throughout the term and paid proportionally from the property tax levy and the Reinvestment District fund. In later years the reinvestment district revenue is expected to exceed the debt service amount and will cover the deficit. This is similar to how cities account for TIF debt; however, with TIF, the City can claim additional TIF funds to cover interest costs while the Reinvestment District revenue is fixed at the award amount. Mr. Schainker clarified that the money received from the State on the reinvestment is State money from hotel/motel revenues and sales tax. It was mentioned that it will not decrease the amount the City or schools receive from sales tax. Council Member Betcher asked if the numbers from RDG for the 10-15% overage for 2023 prices were just construction costs and not design costs. Mr. Abraham explained that he looked at the 10- 15% to be on top of the construction costs, but when the construction costs go up, the design fees and contingency all go up. Mr. Schainker mentioned that staff will work further on firming up the numbers. The Mayor inquired if the 10-15% was on top of the 8% already projected. Mr. Abraham confirmed it was. Mayor Haila asked if the Council gave RDG permission to start sooner on the design and bids could be taken in 2022, would there be a possibility to save some money. Director Abraham stated he did ask RDG, and if they wanted to use 2022 numbers, the bid would need to go out in late spring or early summer of 2022; this way the contractor would be able to lock in some prices. The design would take about eight months for the Aquatic Center, which would mean the design would need to be approved before the referendum even happened. Mr. Schainker mentioned that if that happened then the Finance Department would have to check with the State to see if the costs could be incurred before the project. Council Member Beatty-Hansen stated that, towards the end of the Staff Report, it noted that if the Council wanted to seek the referendum option, it would be good to start a public information campaign, but wanted to know if there was any value in doing a campaign if the Council decided to go with the Urban Renewal option. Mr. Schainker explained that they would do a public information campaign for whatever option the Council goes with as the City wants to be transparent. Lincoln Way Redevelopment Project (Clark to Kellogg): Mr. Schainker mentioned that the Lincoln Way project is an exciting project on its own, but they are not doing this just to finance the Aquatic Center. He noted that on June 28, 2021, City staff met with the property owner and his development team for an update about the project. The developer described an updated concept that would include some public parking located in a garage north of the tracks, in the Central Business District parking 15 lot behind Wells Fargo, with a pedestrian bridge connection to the south over the railroad tracks. While the final square footage has not been determined, along with a full-service hotel and conference meeting space, the developer is exploring more residential and office space than was included in previous concepts. A significant amount of work remains for the developer to complete a detailed concept and financing plans for staff to evaluate and then present to the Council. These plans and accompanying Development Agreement would need to be finalized by the end of 2021. Downtown Plaza: City Manager Schainker mentioned that the Downtown Plaza was placed into the project to show the local match. The Downtown Plaza is being 100% funded by the City. The project will be done regardless if there was no Lincoln Way project. Money was put into the General Fund to start a parking lot north of City Hall. The first step will be to repay the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the appraised value of the property. Public Works staff had hired Bolton and Menk to design the new parking lot north of City Hall along 6th Street. It is currently planned that the project will be bid in September 2021, with construction anticipated in the spring of 2022. The current plan is for the plaza project to be bid in December 2021 with construction beginning in the summer of 2022. Staff plans to bring the recommendation to the Council to waive Purchasing Policies and Procedures and authorize the hiring of Confluence to design the new Downtown Plaza. The FY 2020/21 budget includes $3,925,000 for the design, installation of the parking to the west of Kellogg, the construction of the Plaza, and the commission for a signature art piece. The plaza concept includes three elements of public art, with one of them being an interactive piece of artwork. A separate Request for Quotations (RFQ) for the signature art sculpture will be done while working with a subcommittee from the Public Art Commission. Onondaga Properties (330 5th Street/412 Burnett): This project, which is under construction, was added to the Reinvestment District application to take advantage of the retail sales that were projected from the redevelopment of these properties into new retail/restaurant space. Council Member Corrieri stated she felt that the financing needs to be decided as soon as possible to give certainty to all the public. Ms. Corrieri asked if the Council was interested in providing direction at the next meeting. Ms. Corrieri noted that it was more of a philosophical question that will be presented to the Council. The Mayor wanted to know if there was enough time to get information out to the public to allow time for feedback in two weeks. The Council discussed that two weeks was a sufficient amount of time to notify the public as the public has already had a lot of input. Council Member Gartin asked what the gap would be between the current indoor pool closing and a new indoor pool to open. Director Abraham stated that the last day of operation of the current municipal pool would be February 28, 2022, and the best-case scenario to open a new pool would be the summer of 2024. Mr. Gartin wanted to know if staff would work with the Ames High School to continue swimming lessons during the interim period. Mr. Abraham stated they will work with the School District and Green Hills to see about continuing offering swim lessons and classes. 16 Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Betcher, to ask staff to put on the next Agenda a discussion of the financing options for the Aquatic Center. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. The Mayor asked for public comment. It was closed when no one requested to speak. Mayor Haila recessed at 8:30 p.m. and reconvened at 8:39 p.m. AWARDING DOWNTOWN FACADE GRANT FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT 108 MAIN STREET, 209 AND 211 MAIN STREET, AND 301 MAIN STREET: City Planner Benjamin Campbell advised that there were three projects for four grants total. 108 Main Street: The first grant request was for a single-story facade at 108 Main Street, which most recently housed Cyclone Barber. The building is the easternmost in a series of seven shallow buildings at the east end of Main Street. Several of these buildings have already been awarded facade grants (110, 116, and 122). The applicant is proposing to continue with the unified design proposed for 122 Main Street, completed in 2013. The one difference will be that the door will remain recessed where it is. 209 & 211 Main Street: This application is for the two-story buildings at 209 and 211 Main Street. The applicant proposes to create a new unified facade on the ground level with a single entrance including a vestibule at the property line. The storefronts currently contain a hair and nail salon (Heroic Hair at 209) and a tattoo parlor (Heroic Ink at 211). The applicant also proposes to restore the window openings on the second story of 211 Main Street. 301 Main Street: This application is for a replacement canopy and sign for the Sheldon-Munn apartment building at 301 Main Street. The new canopy would replace the existing one on the Kellogg Avenue facade with a historically appropriate design emulating the art deco canopy found in photographs from the period of significance for the Historic District. The storefront north of the entrance to the apartment lobby was recently converted to a cocktail lounge called Noir. The proposed canopy intends to incorporate a sign for Noir. The owners of the Sheldon-Munn and Noir anticipate expanding to the basement, which can be accessed from the current apartment entrance on Kellogg Avenue. The canopies would be eligible for a grant, but the signage and lettering are viewed as a temporary improvement and not eligible for a grant. Mr. Campbell explained that the total requested funding exceeds available funding. Staff found that the facade projects for 108, 209, and 211 Main Street are compliant with the design guidelines, visually significant, and priorities due to their location on Main Street and should be awarded the full funding. The project at 301 Main Street for a replacement canopy has minimal visual significance; however, the proposed sign is clearly more striking, but not an eligible project. Staff pointed out that the materials indicated for the Sheldon-Munn project were not materials that were in-line with what it was originally was, and the applicant has not indicated detailed materials to ensure the design intent will be met as depicted and conform to guideline definitions. 17 Council Member Betcher asked if staff knew what the fabric of the new canopy would be. Mr. Campbell commented that the applicant indicated that they would be using wood and pvc; staff is not opposed to the design, but more historically appropriate material should be used. Council Member Gartin asked what the total cost would be if the Council wanted to fully fund the Sheldon-Munn project. Mr. Campbell explained that the maximum amount that could be granted is $15,000 per project and $1,000 in design fees. Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann stated that there are a couple of layers to the request for Sheldon-Munn. There was not an actual budget for just the canopy; what was submitted was for more work than what was eligible. Mr. Diekmann explained that the Sheldon-Munn had been given previous grants. He explained that the structure of the program was that first round awards are given in the summer or fall. This is a second- round award to a facade that had already previously received funding. Council Member Betcher asked if a canopy should technically be metal. Director Diekmann stated that the guidelines talk about awnings and canopies; awnings are fabric while canopies are metal. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Martin, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 21-400 approving the Downtown Facade Grants totaling up to $53,001 for: a.108 Main Street in the amount of estimated eligible costs up to $15,000 for a facade to match the existing facades already approved for the series of buildings b.209 & 211 Main Street in the amount of estimated eligible costs up to $31,000 for window replacement and a new, unified facade on the ground level. c.301 Main Street in the amount of estimated eligible costs up to $7,001 for a replacement canopy on Kellogg Avenue, subject to staff review and approval of materials for a metal canopy meeting the design guidelines and historic intent. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared carried unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. APPROVING RETURN OF $198,000 OF CITY FUNDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY-OWNED PROPERTIES LOCATED AT 519, 525, AND 601 SIXTH STREET TO BE REPROGRAMMED FOR USE FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE BAKER HOUSING SUBDIVISION ALONG STATE AVENUE: Housing Coordinator Vanessa Baker-Latimer mentioned that before the Council was an Agreement to sell the 6th Street properties back to the City of Ames for $198,000. Those funds will be returned to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from the General Fund budget. These funds will then be reprogrammed for use on the infrastructure improvements for the Baker Housing Subdivision along State Avenue. Mayor Haila opened public input and closed it when no one came forward. Moved by Junck, seconded by Corrieri, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 21-401 approving the return of $198,000 of City funding to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the City-owned properties located at 519, 525, and 601 Sixth Street to be reprogrammed for use for the infrastructure improvements at the Baker Housing Subdivision along State Avenue. 18 Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared carried unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. HEARING ON REZONING WITH MASTER PLAN OF 4514 AND 4605 HYDE AVENUE FROM AGRICULTURAL (A) TO SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL LOW DENSITY (FS-RL): City Planner Eloise Sahlstrom stated that this item was a request to rezone the parcel at 4514 and 4605 Hyde Avenue as proposed as the Auburn Trail Subdivision. Annexation for the property at 4514 Hyde Avenue was approved in 2017, and the annexation for 4514 Hyde Avenue was approved in 2021. The two parcels total 75.17 acres. The owner is requesting a rezoning from Agricultural (A) to Suburban Residential Low Density (FS-RL), and this is a supported category under the Land Use Policy Plan which identifies the site as Village/Suburban Residential. She noted that there is a Master Plan associated with the property. The Master Plan identifies the planned approach meeting the requirements of the City’s Conservation Subdivision Ordinance that will apply to development of the property. In addition to identifying developable areas, the Master Plan shows approximately 22.58 acres, more than the required 25% of the property. The proposed Master Plan illustrates two categories of development: Single-Family Attached/Detached with 98 to 111 dwelling units and Single-Family Townhomes/Small Lots with 50 to 70 dwelling units, on approximately 36.29 acres. The applicant will likely apply for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Overlay in the future. The property at 4605 Hyde was the subject of a Pre-Annexation Agreement in 2013. The owner entered into an Agreement with the City for, among other things, buyout of rural water rights and cost sharing of infrastructure. At the time of annexation, a 50-foot strip of property was required to remain along the north property line to connect to unincorporated land located to the north and east of the site. Staff recommends addressing planned off-site infrastructure extensions through the 50- foot strip with the rezoning of this site through a Contract Rezoning Agreement that includes the requirement for the property owner to extend infrastructure from the site through the abutting properties. This strip of land requires public improvements to connect to the future development to the north known as Hayden’s Preserve. The next step once the land is rezoned would be for the developer to continue to work towards submitting a Preliminary Plat. The Preliminary Plat will include more details. Ms. Sahlstrom noted that the primary access to the site would be from Hyde Avenue. Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann stated there were some questions raised about the Master Plan and what it means. He stated that the Master Plan is an element of the Zoning Ordinance where staff asks for the developer to indicate its intent for the property. In this situation, the developer is asking for FS-RL zoning and is required to show the type of housing and open spaces. He noted that what is unique about this development is the Conservation Overlay that creates extra expectations in the later phases. Director Diekmann explained that there are buffer requirements, open space requirements, and percentage of lots for open spots requirements. The Master Plan gives the Council a good idea of what the developer would like to do. The Preliminary Plat will define more of the expectations as to how street layouts work and more details on how the areas will look. Tonight, if approved the Council is accepting, to some degree, that there will be detached single- 19 family homes on the south side of the site and versions of attached single-family homes and small lots on the north side. Mayor Haila mentioned that one concern was regarding traffic flow in Hayden’s Preserve. He wanted to know if this development is anticipating traffic flow coming from the north and getting onto Hyde Avenue. It looked like this would be the only option for people to get into this development and the one to the north, without going to 190th Street. Director Diekmann mentioned that when staff did the Haydens Preserve the average daily traffic that was calculated was under 1500. A lot of the traffic will go north and in preliminary meetings the Traffic Engineer has already outlined what the developer will need to access for turn lanes, and this will be addressed during the Preliminary Plat. The Traffic Engineer didn’t forecast any major traffic that would cause any major traffic congestion at the intersection with the spine road. Council Member Gartin stated that the letter from Dr. Pease was brought up and wanted to know if staff could address the questions in his letter. He noted that there were three questions from the letter and one of the questions was “the size of the proposed ponds and if they had adequate capacities.” Municipal Engineer Tracy Peterson explained that the Conservation Subdivision as well as the Post Construction Ordinance require the developer to detain back the water. The sizing and routing of the pond will depend on what area is passing through the flow, that is passing through. She noted that staff knows there will be off-site flow that will be passing through from the south or east; this will get passed through along with what is developed. It will then have the differential to hold back to not discharge at a higher rate. Ms. Peterson explained that the discharge will be longer as the flow has increased as it comes off the impervious area, but that is why the detention/retention basins are there. Mr. Gartin commented that the Council doesn’t need to worry about the accuracies tonight as those will come during the Preliminary Plat at a different meeting. The second question that came up was the sizing of the culverts. Ms. Peterson stated that when staff paved Hyde Avenue, they did have to enlarge the culvert under Hyde that was further to the north, she noted that this one did not warrant being upsized; however, there will be a detention facility in the corner with an outlet structure to hold it back. The third question was the size of the waterways and wanted to know if that question was similar to the retention ponds that the waterway sizing will be based upon the hydrologic studies. Ms. Peterson confirmed that was correct and staff took into consideration the soils and infiltration rates as well as groundwater and surface water. Mr. Gartin commented that it is not just about the water quantity but also the water quality. The Mayor opened the public hearing. Jerri Neal, 916 Ridgewood Avenue, Ames, stated that as a bicyclist she was appreciative of the new trail connection, but was saddened that the trail wouldn’t be developed until a couple years after the first part of development. She commented that she supports the Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park and is appreciative of the guidance from Dr. Pease. Ms. Neal explained that she understands the concept of the Master Plan, but it lacks conservation integrity. She felt that conversation integrity is tacked onto something that is already started rather than integrating it into the process. Ms. Neal stated that regarding climate change she wondered about this development and how water will be moving off the hard surfaces and will be concentrating in certain areas. She wondered if the 20 engineering evaluations of water detention and retention have accounted for not just historical patterns of rainfall, snowfall, and snow melting, but the projected increases in the frequency and intensity of rainfall events in the near-to-medium future. Ms. Neal would like to learn more about the area and get more information and would suggest the Council choose Option 3, which was to refer the item back to City staff and/or the applicant for more information. Diane McCauley, 4257 Eisenhower Lane, #10, Ames, stated that she is the Board President of the Association for the Townhome Association that is south of the east portion of the property. She had sent out the Staff Report to the Homeowners Association and had a couple comments on their behalf that she wanted to pass one. One of the biggest concerns was if there was adequate drainage and are the engineers looking at the impact of climate change. Ms. McCauley commented that there have been instances where water has pooled in the road (on the south side of the road by Hyde) and a couple years ago had overfilled and ended up filling basements with water. She mentioned that there is a stream that is behind her house and the stream is always full. A couple people in the complex noted that the Long-Range Plan talks about affordable housing and this development is not going to have those types of homes. Ms. McCauley noted that there is a speeding issue on Hyde Avenue. The additional traffic may slow down the traffic and this may help or hurt the area. She mentioned there was talk about a stop light going into Hyde Avenue. Director Diekmann mentioned that the original traffic study that allowed for the annexations to occur in 2013, will have each of the developers paying for a share that will go towards putting in a stop light. Ms. McCauley commented that she worked for ten years with the IDOT in rail safety and she didn’t like the fact that there were houses by the railroad tracks. She stated there needed to be some safety concerns built into the development. It was noted that the railroad tracks by this development are not highly used, but would still recommend having fences or something put in to make sure children don’t play on the tracks. Justin Dodge, 105 S. 16th Street, Ames, thanked staff for working through all the conceptual layouts, Master Plan, and rezoning. They are working on the Preliminary Plat and hoping to have it submitted as quickly as the engineers can get it together. It is their goal to start moving dirt this year. He explained that regarding the trail it is their intent that as soon as the first addition on the west side of Hyde they will incorporate and pave the trail right away. He noted that the two years in the Contract Rezoning Agreement matched the language used from Rose Prairie and they wanted to keep that consistent. Mr. Dodge mentioned that on the east side there is an existing house and they hope to create an additional lot that will be the first Final Plat. Mayor Haila asked if there was a trail planned from Hyde to Ada Hayden on the property on the east side of Hyde. Mr. Dodge stated they have been working through a connection with their conceptual layout with staff. Director Diekmann commented that staff is working through that possibility as there are some items that the Parks and Recreation Department would want. It is not shown on the Master Plan as the City can’t commit to the concept yet, but will be shown on the Preliminary Plat. Mayor Haila asked about the question regarding the projected rainfall due to climate change in terms of what the criteria is used for hydraulic engineering, and what does the City require. Ms. Peterson stated that periodically the standards are adjusted for rainfall; the last rainfall adjustments were made in 2014. She noted that is why there are buffers and the lowest opening must be three feet above the 100-year surface elevation. The Mayor asked about the pooling of water over the road and in 21 basements and if Ms. Peterson was aware of this problem. Ms. Peterson stated she would have to look back in the records and will have further conversations with Ms. McCauley. There were some adjustments made to the basin on the west side, but that was for erosion. The Mayor inquired about the question of rail safety. Director Diekmann stated that this is the first time that question has come up. The City does not have any specific fencing standards for residential properties along railroad corridors. Moved by Martin, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 21-402 approving the Zoning Change Agreement for the 75.17-acre property at 4605 and 4514 Hyde Avenue. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared carried unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to pass on first reading an ordinance rezoning with a Master Plan of 4514 and 4605 Hyde Avenue from Agricultural (A) to Suburban Residential Low Density (FS-RL). Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. The Mayor declared the public hearing closed. HEARING ON SLUDGE PUMPING BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT: The Mayor opened the public hearing. There was no one wishing to speak, and the hearing was closed. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 21-403 approving the final plans and specifications and awarding a contract to Woodruff Construction, Inc., of Ames, Iowa, in the amount of $369,700. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared carried unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. DISPOSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL: The Mayor mentioned there were two items to review. The first item was a letter from Jodi Stumbo, Executive Director of The Bridge Home providing data that highlighted the demographic of families that are served at The Bridge Home. The data was in response to the Planning and Housing Departments 2021/22 CDBG Proposed Annual Action Plan. It was for informational use only and no direction was taken. The second item was a letter from Kim Frey, Executive Director of Ames Main Street requesting the City’s support in moving forward with a permitting process for overnight parking. Mr. Schainker noted that staff has met previously with Ames Main Street on the issue and recommended referring the letter to staff. Moved by Martin, seconded by Betcher, to refer the letter from Kim Frey, Executive Director of Ames Main Street requesting the City’s support in moving forward with a permitting process for overnight parking to staff for memo. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. 22 COUNCIL COMMENTS: Moved by Gartin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to ask staff to examine if there would be any important traffic measures that could be considered for the intersection of Hyde and 190th, both temporary and long-term, and to include Story County in the discussion and look at short-term measures that could be put in place before school starts. Mr. Schainker stated the first step would be to look at accelerating the study. Staff would have to report back on what project would get pushed back. After the study is done, staff will need to come up with options for Capital Improvements and financing. He mentioned that the City would have to wait three years for federal funding, but if the City wants to move forward sooner, the City would have to find funding. Mayor Haila commented that there would also be the option to look at temporary measures to add stop signs or something in the area. City staff would need to meet with the Story County Engineer and collaborate on the intersection. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Council Member Betcher stated the Ames Human Relations Commission (AHRC) spoke earlier tonight about expanding its engagement with the community and that fits in with what she and Mr. Schainker have been working on with the class from Community and Regional Planning. She is hoping to find a way to use that class as a partner with AHRC. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Betcher to adjourn the meeting at 9:43 p.m. ______________________________________________________________________ Amy L. Colwell, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor __________________________________ Diane R. Voss, City Clerk 23