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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - January 28, 2025, Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council Minutes, Full1 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA JANUARY 28, 2025 The Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 6:00 p.m. on the 28th day of January 2025, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law. Present were City Council Members Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Gloria Betcher, Tim Gartin, Rachel Junck, and Anita Rollins. Ex officio Emily Boland was also present. Council Member Amber Corrieri was absent. CONSENT AGENDA: Council Member Betcher requested to pull Item No. 6: Requests from the Grand Drives, LLC for Campustown Showdown on April 26, 2025. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Junck, to approve the Consent Agenda less Item No. 6. 1. Motion approving payment of claims 2. Motion approving Summary of Minutes of Regular City Council Meeting on January 14, 2025 and Special City Council Meeting on January 21, 2025 3. Motion approving Report of Change Orders for period January 1-15, 2025 4. Motion approving Civil Service Candidates 5. Motion approving the renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits, and Liquor Licenses: a. Fareway Stores, Inc. #093, 3619 Stange Road, Class E Retail Alcohol License b. Fareway Stores, Inc. #386, 619 Burnett Avenue, Class E Retail Alcohol License c. Dog Eared Books, 203 Main St, Class C Retail Alcohol License d. Blaze Pizza, 2320 Lincoln Way, Special Class C Liquor License with Outdoor with Service e. El Azteca, 2727 Stange Rd, Class C Retail Alcohol License with Outdoor Service, Pending Dramshop Review f. Outlaws, 2522 Chamberlain Street, Class C Retail Alcohol License with Outdoor Service, Pending Dramshop Review 6. Requests from The Grand Drives, LLC for Campustown Showdown on April 26, 2025 a. RESOLUTION NO. 25-026 approving closure of Welch Avenue from approximately 100 feet south of Chamberlain Street to Knapp Street, and Hunt Street from Chamberlain Place to Welch Avenue, between 11 a.m. and 11:45 p.m. on April 26, 2025 7. RESOLUTION NO. 25-027 approving Quarterly Investment Report for period ending December 31, 2024 8. RESOLUTION NO. 25-028 assessing $2,788.42, current charges accumulated under the Dangerous Building Declaration, to the property located at 3323 Tripp Street per Municipal Code Section 5.407 9. RESOLUTION NO. 25-029 approving preliminary plans and specifications for 2024/25 Shared Use Path System Expansion - Skunk River, setting February 19, 2025, as the bid due date and February 25, 2025, as the date of Public Hearing 10. RESOLUTION NO. 25-030 approving preliminary plans and specifications for the 2023/24 Stormwater Erosion Control (College Creek Bank Stabilization - Hemingway Drive) project and establish February 19, 2025, as the date of letting and February 25, 2025, 2 as the date of report of bids 11. RESOLUTION NO. 25-031 approving partial completion of public improvements and reducing financial security on file for Ansley Subdivision 1st Addition to $198,478.75 12. RESOLUTION NO. 25-032 accepting the 2022/23 Traffic Signal Program (State Ave & Mortensen Road) as completed by Kline Electric d.b.a. Heartland Underground Solutions, of Des Moines, Iowa in the amount of $143,243.88 Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motions/Resolutions declared carried/adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. REQUESTS FROM THE GRAND DRIVES, LLC FOR CAMPUSTOWN SHOWDOWN: Council Member Betcher stated that the event organizer was in attendance, and she wanted to give him the opportunity to highlight the event. Christian Calliham, CEO of The Grand Drives, shared that the goal of the event was to bridge the gap between beef producers and consumers while positively impacting local businesses. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 25-026 approving closure of Welch Avenue from approximately 100 feet south of Chamberlain Street to Knapp Street, and Hunt Street from Chamberlain Place to Welch Avenue, between 11 a.m. and 11:45 p.m. on April 26, 2025. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor Haila asked Director of Public Works John Joiner to stand and be recognized for his 32 years of service, as this was his final City Council meeting before retirement. Mayor Haila opened the Public Forum. Tommy Lenz, Ames, spoke to the uncertainty of many Iowa State University (ISU) students and faculty on visas and inquired what was within the City’s power to protect those individuals. Mayor Haila closed the Public Forum when no one came forward to speak. 2025-2030 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN (CIP): Mayor Haila noted that this item was intended to gather public input on the proposed 2025-2030 CIP, which was discussed in detail at the January 21, 2025, Special Meeting of the Ames City Council. Mayor Haila opened the Public Input. Kevin Bourke, Discover Ames, urged the City Council to prioritize adding a indoor recreation center for the community and emphasized the impact hosting events at the facility could have on the local economy. Twyla Anderson, Ames, highlighted the positive impact that the animal shelter has on the community. She spoke to the importance of the volunteer experiences, hands-on student learning, 3 and the families who benefitted from adopting a pet as justification for a new sheltering facility to maintain priority for the CIP. Kathy Parsons, Ames, detailed safety concerns at the current animal shelter and how those concerns would be addressed at the proposed 2715 Dayton Avenue location. Jennifer Hubbs, Ames, asked the City Council to remember that projected costs for the animal shelter relocation were estimates and emphasized the importance of completing the project in a quality manner to meet the current and future needs of the community. She referenced the Resident Satisfaction Survey results which showed the community prioritized the need for a new animal shelter and noted that the City would reflect the values of the community by pursuing a new shelter. Mayor Haila closed the Public Input when no one else came forward to speak. Mayor Haila requested that City Manager Steve Schainker provide a project update on the animal shelter and an indoor recreation center. City Manager Schainker stated that the top prioritization was for the animal shelter relocation, where he was recommending that the City provide two-thirds of the costs and seek to fundraise the remaining portion. He highlighted that the City was partnering with a consultant to determine the suitability of the property at 2715 Dayton Avenue to serve as an animal shelter, which would be a more cost effective and timely location than pursuing a purpose- built facility. Additionally, he shared that funds had been set aside to perform a feasibility study on community needs for a recreation center. City Council direction would be solicited to determine the goal of the facility and public input would be sought. Other projects that had been prioritized included the relocation of Fire Station #2 and development of the Ontario Park. Mayor Haila reiterated that a report on the new animal shelter from the consultant was expected in the next 30 days and would remain a high priority for the City Council. City Manager Schainker and Assistant City Manager Brian Phillips emphasized that staff desired to move forward quickly once a determination was reached by the consultant on the feasibility of the 2715 Dayton Avenue site. City Manager Schainker noted that the Budget Wrap-up on February 11, 2025, would be when City Council voted to affirm funding priorities. CITY OF AMES CLIMATE ACTION GRANTS PROGRAMS: Assistant City Manager Pa Vang Goldbeck reviewed staff efforts to bring forward items demonstrating how the City continues to pursue sustainability. She highlighted that the City had recently received six gold certificates from Resilient Iowa Communities as a result of those efforts but emphasized that the City would require partnerships from the community to meet the Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals. Assistant City Manager Vang Goldbeck stated that the proposed pilot grant programs before the City Council would bring in community partners to participate in a variety of actions to create lasting impact. Sustainability Coordinator Nolan Sagan reiterated that the goal of the grant programs was to have meaningful impact in assisting with CAP goals, increasing resiliency, and realizing cost savings. Funding for the pilot program would be allocated from the Council Priorities Capital Sustainability fund that was set aside for the implementation of the CAP as a one-time allocation of up to $70,000. The program would be reassessed after the first year to determine effectiveness and impact, 4 explained Coordinator Sagan. Staff had modeled the grant program after peer communities and would consist of two grant cycles in April and October with the potential for five projects per cycle. Applicants would be competitive, required to contribute a partial fund match to allow the program to leverage private dollars, and be required to demonstrate the need for funding as well as provide a final report to be reimbursed from the grant fund. Coordinator Sagan continued by presenting the scoring criteria to receive grant funds and shared examples of programs that would be eligible for the grant. He shared that Youth Mini-Grants would also be available to provide outreach and education on sustainability measures to encourage youth involvement. Mayor Haila opened and closed the Public Input when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 25-033 authorizing City staff to establish two City of Ames Climate Action Grants Programs with an allocation of up to $70,000. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. 2025-26 GREEN IOWA AMERICORPS HOST SITE: Coordinator Sagan noted that being a host site would mean having two AmeriCorps members on staff to assist with sustainability efforts. He highlighted the scope of work that could be accomplished through the program through two positions serving September through August. He detailed the scope of work for the two members would involve administering energy efficiency services to interested Ames residents, which would complement and coordinate with existing City programs. The Green Iowa AmeriCorps member’s primary duties would involve conducting energy audits and directly installing energy-efficient measures such as weather stripping, caulking, pipe insulation, LED lights, and low-flow sink aerators. Training would be provided by Green Iowa AmeriCorps and the Building Performance Institute (BPI) and a goal of auditing 70 homes per year would be established. Director of Electric Services Donald Kom noted that funding for the program would be provided by the Electric Utility, which allocated funding each year to support weatherization of homes in the Ames community in order to realize positive impacts of energy efficiency. City Manager Schainker shared that while the program was new to the City, Assistant City Manager Vang Goldbeck and Coordinator Sagan had previous experience with the program. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 25-034 authorizing City staff to apply for 2025-26 Green Iowa AmeriCorps host site status. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. ENERGY READY SUITE OF PROGRAMS: Coordinator Sagan explained that the program consisted of technical assistance and recognition programs. Staff anticipated benefits of the program to include identifying and implementing best practices to reduce soft costs to the customer through evaluation of permitting, zoning, inspection, and interconnection procedures. He noted that the programs were free and that the City had previous experience with SolSmart, one of the two programs staff was seeking authorization to participate in. Coordinator Sagan concluded by stating 5 that staff determined that achieving gold certification through the SolSmart program could be achieved, as staff had implemented improvements to the process of installing solar in Ames beginning in 2017. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Rollins, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 25-035 authorizing City staff to participate in the Energy Ready suite of programs. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. FITCH FAMILY INDOOR AQUATIC CENTER MONTHLY UPDATE: Director of Parks and Recreation Keith Abraham, Troy Turner of Story Construction, and Brad Rodenburg of RDG Planning and Design presented the update and shared their excitement with the progress made. Director Abraham reported that change orders had utilized 1.4% of available contingency funds. Mr. Turner reviewed photographs of the work site, noted that work on the wellness room was anticipated to take place from February to April, with the wellness pool work beginning in March and work on the lap pool and recreation room to commence after. A milestone the project was approaching was the building being airtight, which was projected to be completed in April, explained Mr. Turner. He informed the City Council that the aluminum glass windows would be installed at the end of the project to allow access to the interior of the site. Mr. Rodenburg expressed his gratification to see the project come to fruition after the hard work the City staff had put into the project. Council Member Gartin expressed his apprehension of ground water being pressurized and contamination possibilities. Mr. Turner clarified that the greatest depth of excavation had been completed with no soil contamination found. In response to an inquiry from Mayor Haila on the ability to adhere to the project schedule, Mr. Turner stated that materials had been arriving as needed and continued to look consistent with the delivery schedule. DOWNTOWN FAÇADE GRANT PROGRAM UPDATES: Planner Benjamin Campbell noted that the Downtown Façade Grant Program updates were in response to direction given to staff by the City Council to expand eligibility to non-front façades and to allow for limited maintenance activities to be eligible. He elaborated that design guidelines had not changed, priority would be given to the most visually significant projects, and that maintenance items were tied to exterior walls, foundation repairs, and roof repair. Eligible properties for these new grant categories are only those that are contributing resources to the Downtown Ames National Register Historic District. Director of Planning and Housing Kelly Diekmann furthered that the administrative process was fundamentally unchanged and maintained the spring and fall rounds of applications. Council Member Gartin questioned what efforts had been made for outreach to stakeholders. Director Diekmann responded that staff had spoken with Mr. Scott Moorman, who had submitted the request that began the update process, and Ames Main Street (AMS) Executive Director Travis Toliver. Council Member Betcher reminded staff and the City Council that this change was a trial that could be revisited at a later date. Director Diekmann concluded that the scoring of applications was the most important part of the process, as scoring criteria articulated the intent of the program. The new standards would allow staff to rank projects in line with the intent of the program more effectively than previous years and applications would be available this March. 6 Mayor Haila opened the Public Input. Travis Toliver, AMS, expressed the enthusiasm of AMS regarding the changes and offered to partner in promoting the changes to eligible businesses. Mayor Haila closed the Public Input when no one else came forward to speak. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 25-036 approving Downtown Façade Grant Program Updates related to Other/Rear Facade and Maintenance Activities for Historic Buildings. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. HEARING ON TEXT AMENDMENT TO CREATE A TOWNHOME BUILDING TYPE WITHIN ARTICLE IV OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE: Mayor Haila opened the Public Hearing and no one came forward to speak. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Betcher, to continue the Hearing on a text amendment to create a Townhome building type within Article IV of the Zoning Ordinance to February 25, 2025. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. HEARING ON TEXT AMENDMENT MODIFYING PUBLIC HEARING NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS BY AMENDING CHAPTERS 20 AND 29 OF MUNICIPAL CODE: Director Diekmann highlighted that updates to the Zoning Ordinance in 2022 had created additional notification requirements than previously required. The proposed text amendment would remove the newspaper publication requirement for Planning and Zoning Commission item and City Council review of Major Site Development Plans. He furthered that the Legal Department advised defining courtesy notice in the text amendment, which includes mailed notice to property owners within 200 feet and posting of a sign. After engaging in questions and concerns regarding notices with the City Council, Director Diekmann clarified that the notices would remain unchanged but would not be published in the paper. Council Member Gartin suggested implementing a webpage to inform the public about pending projects and notices. Mayor Haila inquired about changing the notification area for courtesy notices. Director Diekmann responded that changing the distance for courtesy notices was not encompassed under the proposed text amendment, however staff could review previous years activity to retrieve data on how many notices were issued. He recommended moving forward with the text amendment as a separate item as it was independent from the courtesy notices requirements. Mayor Haila opened the Public Hearing. Kate Gregory, Ames, shared her support for additional notification methods. Mayor Haila closed the Public Hearing when no one else came forward to speak. 7 Moved by Rollins, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to pass on first reading an ordinance on a text amendment modifying Public Hearing Notification Requirements by Amending Chapters 20 and 29 of Municipal Code. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. HEARING ON TEXT AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 29 ARTICLE 12 FLOATING ZONES LOT AND BLOCK DESIGN REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO LOW IMPACT AND CONSERVATION SUBDIVISIONS: The proposed text amendment would address the final request item of the Ames Economic Development Commission’s Short-Term Housing Taskforce which related to block lengths and mid-block connections, explained Director Diekmann. The changes would align with the approval of changes to the Subdivision Code that now allowed for dead-end streets and longer block lengths to conserve natural resources and improve connectivity. Additionally, it would encourage walkways through a block within outlots rather than in easements with a new provision for reduced side setbacks. He furthered that this text amendment was designed to encourage homeowner’s associations to own the outlots rather than rely on easements to achieve greater clarity on who was responsible for the sidewalk as well as allow for greater development intensities. Mayor Haila opened and closed the Public Input when no one came forward to speak. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to pass on first reading an ordinance on text amendments to Chapter 29 Article 12 Floating Zones Lot and Block Design Requirements related to Low Impact and Conservation Subdivisions. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. SECOND READING ON TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE CONSERVATION SUBDIVISION STANDARDS OF CHAPTER 23 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE: Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Betcher, to pass on second reading an ordinance on a text amendment to the Conservation Subdivision Standards of Chapter 23 of the Municipal Code. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. THIRD READING AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 4546 OF ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT TO ALLOW SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE SINGLE- FAMILY CONSERVATION OVERLAY (O-SFC) ZONING DISTRICT WITH THE APPROVAL OF SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR CERTAIN PROPERTIES ABUTTING COMMERCIAL ZONING: Mayor Haila asked City Attorney Mark Lambert to address the City Council regarding the votes required to pass an ordinance. City Attorney Lambert explained that Iowa Code Section 380.4 stated that passage of an ordinance requires a majority vote of the full City Council regardless of how many City Council members were in attendance. He furthered that this meant four votes in favor of the item would be needed to pass the ordinance. City Attorney Lambert furthered that if a vote was taken, the ordinance may not pass, despite a majority of the City Council stating on the record and past votes their approval. He put forth the options of voting without Council Member Corrieri or a motion to continue the third reading and adoption to the next meeting of the City Council on January 31, 2025. Council Member Betcher stated that the circumstance was unique and her support to continue the item to the next meeting. 8 Moved by Gartin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to continue third reading and adoption of ORDINANCE NO. 4546 of a Zoning Text Amendment to Allow Social Service Providers in the Single-Family Conservation Overlay (O-Sfc) Zoning District with the Approval of Special Use Permit for Certain Properties Abutting Commercial Zoning to the January 31, 2025, meeting of the Ames City Council. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. DISPOSITIONS OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL: Mayor Haila highlighted the three items presented for consideration. The first correspondence was from Brian Foltz of Snyder and Associates detailing a request for Plat of Survey Subdivision Waiver. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to request a memo from staff. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. A request from Spencer Cruise regarding a request for parking to be allowed on one side of Suncrest Drive was evaluated next. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to request a memo from the Traffic Engineer. Vote on Motion: 4-1. Voting Aye: Betcher, Gartin, Junck and Rollins. Voting Nay: Beatty-Hansen. Motion declared carried. The last item requiring action was from Moses Ward, NAACP Branch President, requesting City sponsorship of the 2025 Freedom Fund Banquet. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to add the request to the January 31, 2025, meeting of the Ames City Council. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. REPORT OF GOVERNING BODY: Council Member Gartin shared that Discover Ames had met and reviewed hotel occupancy data as well as its 2024 goals and accomplishments. Council Member Beatty-Hansen detailed a presentation made to the Ames Regional Economic Alliance from Justus Jones, Director of Student-Athlete Development, about how the department prepared student-athletes to be a good citizen and transition to life after their time at ISU was completed. The Story County Emergency Management Agency (SCEMA) had approved its budget, reported Mayor Haila. He informed the City Council that he had requested SCEMA discuss the topic of homelessness from a countywide perspective. Council Member Junck stated that the focus of the recent meeting of the Ames Transit Agency Board of Trustees (Transit Board) was approving a Surface Transportation Block Grant application. Ex officio Boland shared that the Transit Board approved the second ISU Student Government appointee as well. COUNCIL COMMENTS: Council Member Betcher expressed her interest of identifying what funds in the City budget were federal grants and allocations in light of recent executive action in the federal government. She also reminded the community that the funeral of Richard Deyo would take place on Saturday, February 1, 2025. 9 Moved by Betcher, seconded by Gartin, to request the Finance Director prepare a report that shows where funds received from the federal government are allocated in the budget. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Council Member Rollins shared that the City Council would be participating in a working Lunch with former Mayor-President of the City of Baton Rouge Sharon Weston Broome on Friday, February 21, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. that was open to the public. She transitioned to discussing the possibility of setting aside funds to further assist efforts to assist the unhoused in the community after the consultant report is completed. She noted that funds had already been committed through the Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team funding process to meet community needs, however, Council Member Rollins emphasized her hope to have set aside funds available to meet any gaps identified by the consultant. Moved by Rollins, seconded by Betcher, to request the City Manager identify a source for establishing a fund of up to $100,000 to be utilized to address community challenges for those who are unhoused. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Council Member Rollins referenced the previous City Council discussion around the 200’ notices for text amendments and her interest in receiving additional information. Moved by Rollins, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to request a memo of the various notifications made to the community for zoning changes that are now represented so that the City Council is aware of the reach and frequency of notifications over the last couple of years. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Council Member Gartin addressed concerns from Mr. Lenz expressed in Public Forum regarding those in the community on visas. He noted the verification process ISU faculty and students must undergo and noted that federal government orders were not an area that the City Council could overturn. He revisited his previous proposal to add a page to the webpage to highlight public notices for zoning action. Council Member Junck suggested adding an enotification option for updates to the page. Council Member Gartin thanked Mr. Bourke for his recommendation to prioritize a recreation center for the community. Finally, Council Member Gartin noted that February 3, 2025, would be the George Washington Carver Day program at the Great Hall in the Memorial Union at 5:30 p.m. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Junck, to request that staff add a page to the City website that would facilitate public notices and add an e-notification category for the notice. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Ex officio Boland reiterated that the Transit Board approved the second ISU Student Government appointee and she was preparing the agenda for the joint meeting of the City Council and ISU Student Government. She shared that she had an individual who had expressed interest in the Property Maintenance Board. Ex officio Boland concluded that February 1, 2025, was the start date of campaigns for ISU Student Government and stated that the current administration continued its commitment to serving the community. 10 Mayor Haila requested City Attorney Lambert speak to what the City’s legal options were in regard to federal executive orders impacting the community. City Attorney Lambert stated that the City had no jurisdiction in immigration, and that the City had to abide by SF481 passed in 2018, which forbade the practice of sanctuary cities. Mayor Haila noted that in December 2016 the City Council passed RESOLUTION NO. 16-717 affirming commitment to the values of equity, fairness, inclusion, and justice, which he stated could be reaffirmed to highlight the stance of the City Council to the community. He further provided the information that the Police Department did not inquire about immigration status when responding to calls for service, but that the City had a limited scope of action. Mayor Haila concluded his comments by encouraging the community to apply to serve on a board or commission by the deadline of January 31, 2025. Moved by Rollins, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to reaffirm RESOLUTION NO. 16-717 reaffirming the City’s commitment to the values of equity, fairness, inclusion, and justice. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Betcher, seconded by Rollins, to adjourn the meeting at 8:12 p.m. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. _______________________________________ __________________________________ Grace Bandstra, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor _____________________________ Renee Hall, City Clerk