HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - June 9, 2020, Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council MinutesMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA JUNE 9, 2020
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor John Haila called the Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council,
which was being held electronically, to order at 6:00 p.m. with the following Council members
participating: Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, Rachel Junck,
and David Martin. Ex officio Member Nicole Whitlock was also present.
The Mayor noted that the Council was working off an Amended Agenda. The additional item added
was “Public Forum” as it was inadvertently omitted from the Agenda.
Mayor Haila announced that it is impractical to hold an in-person Council meeting due to the
Governor of Iowa declaring a public health emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Therefore, limits have been placed on public gatherings, and this meeting is being held as an
electronic meeting as allowed by Section 21.8 of the Iowa Code. The Mayor then provided how the
public could participate in the meeting via internet or by phone.
Mayor Haila stated that before the Council starts with the meeting, he wanted to say a few words in
light of everything that had happened since the last City Council meeting. Mayor Haila requested to
read the following statement on behalf of the City Council:
“The senseless and horrible killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, two weeks ago, was repulsive
and extremely disturbing to the City Council, staff, and the Ames Police Department. They remain
deeply grieved by what transpired. Our hearts and deepest condolences go out to his family and the
entire black community. The City of Ames remains resolutely committed to maintaining and
strengthening our inclusive and welcoming city. We are not a perfect community, but are actively
engaged in trying to become a better one. For a number of years, the City has hosted the Ames
Community Institute, appointed and empowered a diverse City of Ames Human Relations
Commission, co-hosted the Annual Symposium for Building and Inclusive Work places, participated
in NAACP sponsored events, and recently installed an inclusive cross walk in Downtown Ames.
These are some of the tangible examples of our commitment and resolve to building and maintaining
a welcoming Ames.
We will not stop trying to improve. For the past few weeks the Council had received a variety of
communications requesting information, for pledges to be taken, and changes made to policing; all
in response to George Floyd’s killing and every one has been read. As they are received, they are
being aggregated and early next month they will be organized and categorized. Staff will then be
asked to review them and to submit a report to the Council by mid-August. By following this
approach, they will be able to consider these in a comprehensive manner. Some of the emails
received have requested that more funds be invested in mental health, community programs, and
youth. It is very interesting tonight that Item 9 on tonight’s Consent Agenda we are approving City
annual contracts in the amount of $1.525 million to 24 different service agencies through the ASSET
process. This is an increase of 4% or $58,000 over last year’s City allocation. Mental health, child
services, medical care, legal aid, food and housing assistance, and transportation are just some of the
important services being provided by these agencies via these Agreements. For over 35 years the City
of Ames, Story County, United Way, and the Iowa State University Student Government have pooled
their financial resources to help meet the needs of our community and county. This year, an
aggregate, our four entities will be investing over $4.5 million, which is 3.3% more than last year,
in the coming 12 months in community human services.
Two nights from now the first of four zoom moderated community discussions will be held; hosted
by the NAACP, and Co-Sponsored by the City of Ames. The purpose in part is to help us as a
community better understand where we are at locally with respect to inequitable treatment
experienced by people of color, in particular, African Americans in their interactions with law
enforcement and the legal system. Discussions will be with local law enforcement agencies and
community leaders. The first meeting is this Thursday night will include the City of Ames and the
Iowa State University Police Chief as panelists. As Mayor, I will be a panelist in one of the later
sessions. We encourage all residents to be actively participating in discussions like these, assessing
what changes each of us need to make, and working together to strengthen the community to every
person regardless of color, race, creed, sex, national origin, religion, ancestry, disability, sexual
orientation or gender identity, or social economic status welcome and treated equally in Ames.”
PROCLAMATION FOR “JUNETEENTH”: June 19, 2020, was proclaimed as “Juneteenth” by
Mayor Haila. He urged all citizens to recognize this day, participate in dialogue with one another
about its significance, and support efforts to advance inclusivity and equality in the Ames
Community. Housing Coordinator Vanessa Baker-Latimer spoke on behalf of the Ames branch of
the NAACP and President Edna Clinton. Ms. Baker-Latimer commented that they are honored that
the City would recognize by Proclamation this important event in their history. They look forward
to continuing their partnership and bringing diverse community and conversation to the community.
Ms. Baker-Latimer mentioned that they had an event for “Juneteenth” planned in conjunction with
the University, but that was postponed due to COVID-19. They look forward to future partnerships
with the City and celebrating the event. Mayor Haila commented that the partnership with the
NAACP can’t be overstated in its importance and how valuable it is.
CONSENT AGENDA: Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to approve the following items
on the Consent Agenda.
1.Motion approving claims
2.Motion approving Minutes of Special Meeting held May 19, 2020 and Regular Meeting held
May 26, 2020
3.Motion approving Report of Change Orders for period from May 16 - 31, 2020
4.Motion approving Class C Liquor Ownership Change for Texas Roadhouse, 519 South Duff
Avenue
5.Motion approving transfer of Bar la Tosca Class C Liquor License from 400 Main Street to
303 Welch Avenue, Ste. 101, pending final inspection
6.Motion approving renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits, and Liquor License:
a.Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege and Sunday Sales - Texas
Roadhouse, 519 South Duff Avenue
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b.Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - Bar la Tosca, 400
Main Street
c.Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege and Sunday Sales - Jethro’s BBQ,
1301 Buckeye Avenue, pending dram
7.RESOLUTION NO. 20-297 adopting New and Revised Fees for the City of Ames to be
effective July 1, 2020
8.RESOLUTION NO. 20-298 approving 2020-21 Human Services Contracts
9.RESOLUTION NO. 20-299 approving 2020-2021 Pay Plan
10.RESOLUTION NO. 20-300 confirming appointment of Jacob Schrader and Jacob Ludwig to
serve as Iowa State University Student Government representatives to Ames Transit Agency
Board of Trustees
11.RESOLUTION NO. 20-301 setting date of public hearing for June 23, 2020, on vacation of
right-of-way adjacent to 2400 and 2500 SE 16th Street
12.RESOLUTION NO. 20-302 setting date of public hearing for July 28, 2020, on conveyance
of vacated right-of-way to the owners of 2400 and 2500 SE 16th Street (Van Wall Equipment
Inc.,) for $28,410.06
13.Economic Development Administration Grant Application pertaining to the Prairie View
Industrial Center Utility Extension Project (East Industrial Area utilities):
a.Motion authorizing staff to prepare and submit the Grant Application
b.RESOLUTION NO. 20-303 designating Municipal Engineer Tracy Warner as
authorized representative to sign the Grant Application
14.RESOLUTION NO. 20-304 accepting extension of Property Brokerage Agreement with
Willis of Greater Kansas, Inc., for the period beginning July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021,
in the amount of $50,000
15.RESOLUTION NO. 20-305 approving renewal of property insurance program coverage with
Willis of Greater Kansas, Inc., for FY 2020/21 at the combined quoted premium of $728,137
16.RESOLUTION NO. 20-306 approving waiver of parking meter fees for three designated
spots on Douglas Avenue from May 19, 2020, to July 1, 2020, from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM,
Tuesday - Saturday, to facilitate Curbside Service at the Ames Public Library
17.RESOLUTION NO. 20-307 approving contract and bond for Electric Distribution Parking
Lot Reconstruction Project
18.Asbestos Remediation and Related Services and Supply Contract:
a.RESOLUTION NO. 20-308 approving renewal of Contract with Earth Services &
Abatement, LLC, of Des Moines, Iowa, for the one-year period from July 1, 2020,
through June 30, 2021 in an amount not to exceed $200,000
b.RESOLUTION NO. 20-309 approving Performance Bond
19.Valve Maintenance, Related Services and Supplies Contract:
a.RESOLUTION NO. 20-310 approving renewal of Contract with Pioneer Industrial
Corporation, of Hastings, Nebraska, for the one-year period from July 1, 2020,
through June 30, 2021 in an amount not to exceed $85,000
b.RESOLUTION NO. 20-311 approving Performance Bond
20.Line Clearance Program:
a.RESOLUTION NO. 20-312 approving renewal of Contract with Wright Tree
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Services, Des Moines, Iowa, for hourly rates and unit prices bid, in an amount not to
exceed $337,260,
b.RESOLUTION NO. 20-313 approving Performance Bond
21.RESOLUTION NO. 20-314 approving Plat of Survey for 2200, 2212 Oakwood Road, and
3210 Cedar Lane
22.RESOLUTION NO. 20-315 approving partial completion of public improvements and
reducing security for Crane Farm Subdivision, 4th Addition (aka Hillside, 4th Addition)
23.RESOLUTION NO. 20-316 approving partial completion of public improvements and
reducing security for Quarry Estates Subdivision, 3rd Addition
24.RESOLUTION NO. 20-317 approving completion of public improvements and releasing
security for Village Park Subdivision, 1st 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: Dustin DeMarest, 1306 Wisconsin Circle, Ames, explained he wanted to voice
his support for the City and the Ames Police Department. He wanted to make sure, in light of all the
chaotic events that are happening in the nation, that the Ames Police Department and the City of
Ames know that there are many citizens that do support what law enforcement does and they do
appreciate them.
Jeri Neal, 916 Ridgewood Avenue, Ames, stated she had an Ames Climate Action meeting last night.
One of the things that came up was their interest in Ames PaleBLUEdot, and what is going to happen
with the results of the report. Ms. Neal commented that people are also interested in when the City
will be looking at Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Ames Climate Action Plan. She wanted to
let the Council know there is still a group of people who would be really interested in working with
the project and how to move forward.
Sehba Faheem, 1930 Long Road, Apt. 166C, Ames, stated, in light of everything that is happening,
she would like to urge the Council to think long and hard about reforms that could be done in Ames;
to think about reallocating funds away from the Police Department to proactive approaches. She gave
examples of counseling, social services, and mental health. Ms. Faheem mentioned that Minneapolis
has one of the most progressive Police Departments, but George Floyd still died. As they see cities
working towards reform, she felt it would be very powerful for the City of Ames to have a system
where they defund the police officers and then move those funds to alternatives. Ms. Faheem
mentioned that the City of Ames is very fortunate to not have a lot of crime and it could speak
volumes that even smaller cities could be making a change; it doesn’t have to be just the big cities
making a change.
AMES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION: President and CEO of the Ames
Chamber of Commerce and Ames Economic Development Commission (AEDC) Dan Culhane
stated that it has been a good, but interesting, year.
The efforts of the Ames Economic Development Commission are well documented. There are over
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50 businesses that help underwrite and help leverage the investment the City of Ames makes to the
AEDC.
Mr. Culhane highlighted the following projects that the AEDC has been working on:
•Prairie View Industrial Center - This is still a high priority for the AEDC, Alliant Energy,
and for the City of Ames. There are 1300 acres with a little over 700 acres under option.
Over the last few months they have pitched every parcel of property to perspective industries,
even though there is not sewer or water service there yet.
•EDA Grant Opportunity for Prairie View Industrial Center - The AEDC is currently working
with the City of Ames for an opportunity to partially fund the extension of municipal sewer
and water. The AEDC is putting together supporting documentation to help with the grant
process.
Mr. Culhane explained that the unemployment rate in Ames for 2020 was at 1.7% in February, now
it is 8.4% as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are noticing that employers are starting to bring
employees back and re-opening their businesses. He is optimistic that as businesses start to re-open,
the unemployment rate will decrease.
He commented that he continues to be encouraged despite COVID-19. The economic activities in
Ames are still very robust. They have an international company looking at 310 acres on the north
side of Lincoln Way, a Minnesota company looking at 77 acres, and a food company looking at 79
acres. Mr. Culhane explained when looking at the Prairie View East map, there is only one parcel
that they haven’t pitched within the last 90 days.
Mr. Culhane mentioned that the Iowa Small Business Relief Fund was sponsored by the Iowa
Economic Development Authority. There were 120 Story County business, with the majority of the
businesses in Ames, that received money through the program. He noted that there is also the
Paycheck Protection Program (PPE), and he has not heard of one company that had not received PPE
funding.
Mr. Culhane noted that business retention is very important, and in the last year, the AEDC has
talked to over 100 private sector industries about how to get them to grow and expand in Ames. As
a result of COVID-19, they have talked with about 600 businesses in the last 90 days, to stay ahead
of their membership, and to be as helpful as possible to their customers during the pandemic.
Mayor Haila stated that he knows that the AEDC has worked tirelessly to try to help all of Story
County. He mentioned that about $2.4 million in State Grants has been pulled down and a lot of PPE
has been given.
Council Member Betcher stated that there is concern about inclusivity. She wanted to know if the
AEDC has done anything as a Board to talk about promoting small businesses that might be owned
by minorities, women, and members of the under-represented communities in Ames or Story County.
Mr. Culhane commented that they have not talked as a Board, but they have talked as staff and do
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see that as a priority going forward. He noted that the Chamber and AEDC enjoy a rich relationship
with the NAACP. He explained that they will be looking into that concern and may have a better
answer to the question in a few months.
Council Member Beatty-Hansen asked to propose to add an item to the AEDC contract that would
specifically call out the City of Ames interest in having the AEDC and the co-funded position work
to encourage businesses that are minority-owned or owned by black or indigenous people. She noted
that with all the calls for social justice, the economic element is very important. Having big
employers is great for the City, but felt that Ames is strengthened when there is a rich diversity of
businesses.
Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Betcher, to add to the contract the criteria for encouraging
and supporting minority-owned businesses.
Mr. Culhane mentioned that motion would be a great addition to the contract. He also stated that in
many respects the AEDC is already doing that, but not as formal.
Council Member Beatty-Hansen commented that this is not part of the motion, but thought that the
AEDC should start tracking the information. Mr. Culhane noted that the AEDC has not tracked that
information before.
Mayor Haila stated that the Contract is worked out between Steve Schainker and Mr. Culhane, and
they will work that out.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
Council Member Beatty-Hansen stated that another question she had about the contract was in part
2(B) about the position the City of Ames has regarding the Business Development & Marketing
position. She understood that there is already someone in that position, but felt there were some
elements that have changed since the contract was first introduced. Ms. Beatty-Hansen noted that
on Number 11, it states, “The position will be jointly supervised by the President and CEO of the
Ames Economic Development Commission and the Ames City Manager. As such, they perform
work as assigned by the City Manager related to the liaison activities and the President and CEO of
the AEDC related to marketing activities.” She mentioned that, from her understanding, the position
had morphed into something different, and the wording needs to be changed to define the role as it
is now.
Mr. Culhane stated he would categorize it as Mr. Schainker has his ear whenever he wants it and
they stay in close communication with a wide variety of things. There is always input and feedback
from the City Manager. Ms. Beatty-Hansen explained that is different than saying that Mr. Schainker
is also that person’s Supervisor. She understands there is cooperation on both sides, but Number 11
states that person is supervised by two people.
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Mayor Haila explained there is no issue with the Contract going forward, but to clean up a few points
that have aged out and seeing if Mr. Schainker and Mr. Culhane could work together and update the
contract. Ms. Beatty-Hansen explained that was correct; it is just a technicality as she has no problem
with the way the role is being fulfilled, but technically Mr. Culhane is more the Supervisor of the
position than both Mr. Schainker and Mr. Culhane. City Manager Schainker stated that he and Mr.
Culhane can get together and work on the wording. Originally, there was a separate person who filled
that position and now that person has multiple assignments within the AEDC’s it is hard to break
it down like they used to. Mr. Schainker stated that they can bring the Contract up-to-date to reflect
what is happening now. Ms. Beatty-Hansen mentioned that they just need to clarify the roles.
Council Member Martin stated that there may an advantage to keeping the language the way it
already is, as it gives Mr. Schainker the ability to intervene for supervision, if necessary. Currently
the supervision of the position is being largely delegated to the AEDC as long as it works.
Council Member Betcher commented that she is wondering if they even still need to have the
position. If they are, in fact, contracting for the services that AEDC is providing that used to be an
actual person who was split between the City and the AEDC. Mr. Schainker stated that it is molded
into the organization more now than just one person. Mr. Betcher asked if the Council knew enough
about how the position is currently run. She wondered if a motion should be made to have Mr.
Schainker and Mr. Culhane review the Contract to see which of the clauses may not accurately
reflect the way the position is working now and have them craft an updated version of the Contract.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, that the Council allow the City Manager and the
AEDC President and CEO to review the Cotract and craft new language that actually reflects the way
in which the services are currently working and give the City Manger the authority to revise the
Contract to accurately reflect the position.
City Manager Schainker stated that the Contract will come back before the Council for approval with
the requested modifications.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
The Mayor asked if anyone wanted to provide input. No one requested to comment, and public input
was closed.
FY 2019-20 SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR ACTIVITIES: Mayor Haila inquired if Ms.
Rankin had heard Ms. Neal’s question during Public Forum. Ms. Rankin explained that she had and
will address the questions during her presentation. Merry Rankin, Sustainability Coordinator,
highlighted a few items from the semi-annual Report.
Food Waste Diversion Project - This project was kicked off about a year ago on July 1, 2019, and
she had reported mid-year that they had sold about 100 buckets and collected a ton of material.
During the second half of the year, they sold 150 buckets and it was noted by Resource Recovery
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staff that due to COVID-19 closures there wasn’t the ability for the public to purchase the buckets.
Ms. Rankin commented that they had collected over five tons of material. The program was piloted
as a “fee for service” for the first nine months of the program, and the last three months, they piloted
a “complimentary service” option. With the closure of facilities, they had a drop-off container for
food waste available 24x7 for the community at no charge. She had received very nice compliments
from the community, particularly regarding the accessibility. On July 1, 2020, they will be looking
at the program further to see what to do moving forward.
Ms. Rankin noted that they had the opportunity to work with an ISU journalism class. The class had
reached out to the Resource Recovery staff and were interested in assisting in public relations and
communications. The students wanted to produce marketing informational awareness material to
assist the Food Waste Diversion program. She mentioned that the class put together a few
suggestions to help reach out to the student community about composting. The class had a lot of
questions about what can be composted and created a flyer, a sticker, and some suggestions for
“tweets”. The sticker was suggested as a “give away” item. Ms. Rankin commented that while
working with students and a number of engagement opportunities, stickers were found to be a
popular item. The stickers are put on laptops and water bottles, and are a great “little moving mini
billboard” to offer peer-to-peer discussion.
Small Business Challenge - Ms. Rankin mentioned that they had a great first semester; however, they
did have smaller numbers than in the mid-year report. She noted that there were two businesses that
closed and left the Challenge, one business decided that the challenge wasn’t as relevant to them at
the time, and they had a new business join. There were six new business certifications all within the
last semester and many of them happened virtually due to COVID-19. Ms. Rankin noted that, in
August 2019, the interns had put into place new requirements, processes and procedures for the
Smart Business Challenge. This was to have a more vibrant and robust engagement with participants
involved in the Challenge. Part of the new requirements was that within a year of starting the
Challenge, they would require the businesses to be certified. Of the six new certifications, three of
them were platinum and were honored at the third annual business recognition event. They were able
to honor Barilla, 3M, and REG at the event. Ms. Rankin noted that they are excited for the next year;
however, both of their interns had graduated and they are interviewing for new interns.
Community Engagement - Ms. Rankin mentioned that the community engagement was interesting
during the last semester. There were some opportunities to have in-person engagement both through
the monthly sustainability program that she does on KHOI and through Campus Sustainapalooza,
which is held every February. They were able to offer some unique opportunities for increasing
sustainability, information awareness engagement, and empowerment. Sustainapalooza had three
different City departments that were at the event. She commented that they went virtual and this was
a challenge for the EcoFair. They did a “Fresh Air (virtual) Ecofair” and an EcoFair (virtual)
Scavenger Hunt. The Scavenger Hunt was well received, and they are looking at making this an
annual event.
Rummage Rampage 2020 - This event has already been canceled, but they are working on ideas for
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next year. They are already looking at the dates of July 23 through August 2, 2021. They have
worked with Public Works, GIS, and the Resource Recovery Departments to create an online list of
resources where citizens can find different areas in the City to get rid of household items.
Greenhouse Gas Inventory - Ms. Rankin explained that she had a call yesterday with staff to finalize
some comments on the two secondary studies: the Citywide Renewable Energy Potential Study and
the Climate Vulnerability Assessment. She noted that she also had a conversation yesterday with
PaleBlueDot going over any final questions they had relating to multiple comments that had been
provided by staff for the Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report. The consultants are
finalizing the Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report and she is expecting a final version to
be available in the new few weeks. Ms. Rankin mentioned that she expects the report to be presented
to the Council some time this summer. She noted that earlier Ms. Neal had questioned the Climate
Action Planning and the Request For Proposals (RFP) for that project. Ms. Rankin stated that they
want to be sure that all the finalization of the studies are complete, but they are on track to have the
Report out in the next fiscal year and moving forward.
Ms. Rankin pointed out that her 2020-2021 Action Items are:
-Food Waste Diversion
-Rummage Rampage
-Smart Trash
-Smart Business
-Climate Action Planning
Council Member Betcher had a question about advertising. She noted that on the ISU Campus she
had seen some signs that are encouraging students to separate out their waste into different
receptacles. Ms. Betcher commented that she is not sure if this is an official message, but one of the
receptacles is mixing food waste with other paper waste. She mentioned that many students might
get confused by seeing those signs and then having different messaging if living off-campus. Ms.
Rankin stated she would be interested to see what those signs look like as she is not aware of them.
The only signs she has put up are signs relating to clarification as to what goes into recycling bins
and what does not. Ms. Betcher would like to see that the messages are clear and compatible,
especially on Campus. Ms. Rankin explained that they do not have triple separation containers,
specifically ones for food waste, and this is something that the ISU Recycling Coordinator is working
on with their zero-waste plan. The majority of ISU’s food waste does come from the dining facilities
and that is getting separated out and composted.
Council Member Martin wanted to know, with the Food Waste Diversion Program, what kind of
metrics are being used to allow the Council to understand the program as moving out of a
pilot/prototype phase and into something that has a substantial impact on the community. He
commented that the reason he asked that question was because the poundage of compostable refuge
has been reported at 800 pounds a month and that would be less than 1/100th of a percent of the
refuse that gets processed a month. He is not sure what the numbers should be and questioned if they
should be tracking the methane diverted because the food is not going to a landfill. Ms. Rankin stated
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that is a good question and is one of the finer points that the Resource Recovery Plant has been
tracking. She believed that poundage is a part of it, but another component that came out when they
did the waste sort was that food waste was going into the waste stream, and the acceptable and
beneficial materials were contaminated that could have been used in the Resource Recovery Plant.
Ms. Rankin explained that over half of the paper products that came into the Resource Recovery
Plant were contaminated by food waste and were all land-filled. Mr. Martin stated that was a great
example, but they need to find a way to quantify in order to measure the program.
Council Member Beatty-Hansen stated the Land Waste program is beneficial, but he wanted to know
more about expanding this offering and what limitations there are. Ms. Rankin stated that capacity
has not been a challenge, but the biggest challenge is the cost of having a third-party process the
material. She noted that they have had some challenges selling the buckets due to City closures, but
have also stated that citizens do not need to have a bucket to participate in the program. The sales
of the buckets and the fee for dropping off materials does not offset the cost of contracting with the
vendor.
Mayor Haila mentioned that the program may not be paying for itself with vendor costs, but what
they can’t determine is how much they save in landfill costs, and could argue the City is saving
money due to reduced waste being transported to Boone County. Ms. Rankin stated that at the end
of the first year of the Food Waste Diversion program, they are going to compare tonnage that has
been tipped at the Boone County landfill. It will be very informative to be able to compare weigh
tickets and those costs. Public Relations Officer Susan Gwiasda stated that they are promoting the
food composting rebate. Some citizens may not even be dumping their food as they may be
composting it in their backyard. The food avoided will never be weighed and will never have that
metric to compare. The program has a lot of potential benefits beyond what they can measure.
Council Member Gartin asked to be reminded as to why restaurants are not participating in the Food
Compost Diversion program. Ms. Rankin explained that they had been reaching out to restaurants
and grocery stores. In the work that was done with the consultant, they had received feedback related
to interest in the program. There is currently outreach being done and a few restaurants and grocery
stores are working on diverting food waste. Ms. Rankin explained they were looking at the industrial
customers and engaging residents within the community. While there was outreach with industrial
companies by Resource Recovery, she had focused on informing residents how to take part in the
program. She noted that industrial companies have the opportunity to work with vendors they can
contract with while residents don’t.
Mayor Haila opened public comment and closed it when no one spoke up.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to accept the progress report from the Sustainability
Coordinator regarding FY 2019-20 Activities.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-319 approving the
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Contract with Iowa State University for Sustainability Advisory Services from July 1, 2020, through
June 30, 2021, in an amount not to exceed $25,000.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
STORY COUNTY REQUEST TO EXTEND THE AMES URBAN FRINGE PLAN 28E
AGREEMENT: Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann stated he had broken this request
into two actions. The first action was to look at a one-year extension and the second action is a
combined action with Story County to review the Ames Urban Fringe Plan with the extension in
place.
Lauris Olson, Story County Supervisor, Ames, wanted to let the Council know that she was available
on behalf of the Board of Supervisors to answer any questions.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-320 approving the
extension of the Ames Urban Fringe Plan Agreement to July 11, 2022.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-321 directing staff to
work with Story County and Gilbert on future amendments to the Ames Urban Fringe Plan.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
MINOR AMENDMENT TO THE LAND USE POLICY PLAN FUTURE LAND USE MAP
AT 802 DELAWARE AVENUE: Planner Justin Moore stated that the request is from the property
owner at 802 Delaware Avenue to make a change to the underlying Land Use Map. The property is
currently designated as Low Density and the request is to change the density to a Medium Density.
The request is from Dick and Rena Hall and they are being represented by Justin Dodge, with
Hunziker Companies. The proposal to change to Medium Density would be an anticipation of future
rezoning and potentially a multiple-family development at this location. Mr. Moore explained that
during preliminary discussions, the developer has described an interest in a townhome development
concept that consists of six two-story townhomes. This would require a rezoning and then a
subsequent Minor Site Development Plan, if approved. When looking at the request, staff looked at
the goals of the current Land Use Policy Plan (LUPP), and the goals that pertained to this request
were goals 2, 4, 5, and 6. Staff looked at the request and compared them to those goals. Staff looked
at the neighborhood and the existing infrastructure. Ultimately, staff’s conclusion was that the LUPP
does encourage infill and diverse housing opportunities; however, intensification is site-specific. The
current neighborhood does have a few single-family homes and there are two-family homes across
the street and then single-family homes in the rest of the neighborhood. Mr. Moore explained that
staff concluded that the issue of intensification is site-specific, and they were unable to find support
in the LUPP for this request.
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Mayor Haila asked for Mr. Moore to explain what happened during the Planning & Zoning
Commission meeting. Mr. Moore explained that the Planning & Zoning Commission did discuss this
project at length on May 20, 2020. The Commission deliberated through three separate motions on
the matter based upon the alternatives presented by staff. The first motion made was to recommend
that the City Council deny the requested amendment to the LUPP Future Land Use Map. The motion
failed on a 2-4 vote. Further discussion followed about the benefits of delaying a decision until the
Ames 2040 Plan had more definition or to deny the request and have the applicant reapply. Next, a
motion was made to recommend the City Council defer the proposed amendment to the LUPP Future
Land Use Map. The motion failed on a 3-3 vote. Ultimately, a motion was made to recommend that
the City Council deny the amendment to the LUPP Future Land Use Map. That motion passed on
a 5-1 vote. Mayor Haila wanted to verify if the decision to deny the amendment was due to wanting
to wait on the Ames 2040 Plan. Planning and Housing Director Diekmann commented that the
Planning and Zoning Commission had a diverse set of responses, and the minutes were not ready yet
for the Council to read the minutes. He noted that the majority of the Commission felt that without
policy guidance the current LUPP was not in a position to support the request, but the bulk of it was
that without definition it was hard to move forward with predicting how this was a good land use
decision in isolation from other areas. Mayor Haila questioned if it would have changed the
Commission decision if the Ames 2040 Plan was in place. Director Diekmann stated he isn’t sure,
but could say that, based on the current LUPP, there was not a clear understanding of what to expect.
Council Member Gartin commented that he appreciated the fact that the Planning & Zoning
Commission was respectful of the LUPP and the lack of policy. He noted that the City of Ames has
a strong need for this type of housing, and it seemed like a great location for six two-story
townhomes. He felt that it could be done very respectfully and consistently with the neighborhood.
If there were no other concerns expressed by the Planning & Zoning Commission besides a lack of
policy, that is good feedback for the Council. Mr. Diekmann mentioned that he hesitates to put words
in the Commission’s mouth for them, but they had to look at the surroundings and gage what is in
the neighborhood. He pointed out that back in 2000 the zoning was changed, and the reason duplexes
are there is because the former Zoning Board allowed it. In 2000, to implement the LUPP, the City
removed duplexes, as an option, from this kind of development area.
Council Member Martin questioned if it was discussed with the Planning & Zoning Commission
about the difference between denial versus deferral. Director Diekmann stated that they did and the
Planning & Zoning Commission’s role as an Advisory Committee. The Planning & Zoning
Commission’s alternatives on the report are sometimes different than the Council’s. The two motions
were both about not approving the request. The first was just to deny the request and the second was
to table the discussion until there was more information. Mr. Diekmann stated ultimately the
Commission choose to deny the request thinking that the Ames 2040 Plan would address the issue
and the applicant would be free to re-apply in the future. Director Diekmann explained there was no
prejudice applied in the LUPP Amendments, but the discussion was whether it was worth tabling
the request to see if there is more information or denying the request.
Council Member Betcher asked if there was some concern about the amount of outreach to the
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community that was done. Mr. Diekmann mentioned they did talk about notices a little bit. When
staff started the process, a Minor Amendment was selected, and that process does not require a lot
of outreach. They followed the standard 300-foot notification process with ten day’s notice, posting
a sign, and publishing it in the newspaper. The developer did have limits on being able to do their
own outreach.
Public input was opened by Mayor Haila.
Justin Dodge, 1005 S. 16th Street, Ames, with Hunziker Company explained that this item is the
same as the letter that was referred to staff in January. Mr. Dodge commented that it has taken five
months to get to this step. A lot of the discussion that was had during the Ames 2040 Plan was infill,
and Mr. Dodge had thought this was an opportunity to bring the project forward. He realized that
the LUPP is the first step and several items still needed to be done and will come before the Council
and the Planning & Zoning Commission again. Mr. Dodge thought this area would be a great test
site for infill. Mr. Dodge stated that at the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting, outreach was
brought up. He noted that he had found out a few weeks ago that his request was going to the
Planning & Zoning Commission, and he should have written a letter to the neighbors, but failed to
do so. It was noted that, after the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting, they did send out a letter
to all the property owners on the list that was provided by the City. They did get two comments back
and he forwarded those responses to the Mayor and Council. He understood the Planning & Zoning
Commission’s perspective that the current rules do not paint this project in the perfect light.
Council Member Gartin stated that he hears regularly that the City of Ames doesn’t have enough
townhomes and asked Mr. Dodge to speak about the merits of a project like the one he is suggesting.
Mr. Dodge stated that when looking at the site, it does back up to a busier road with North Dakota
Avenue and has some detached housing across the street. Multiple-family housing has occurred in
the neighborhood, so it is not a brand-new idea. He noted that the likelihood of a single-family home
being built on the lot is highly unlikely. They are trying to bring something unique to the
marketplace.
Council Member Gartin asked for clarification from Director Diekmann, procedurally, if the Council
was to approve the request, what would the process be going forward. Mr. Diekmann stated if the
Council wanted to approve Alternative 2, which was to approve the request of the applicant, staff
was clear that it could only move forward by putting the applicant on notice that it would be a
contract rezoning. The expectation would be that at least a schematic Site Plan would be available
for citizens to understand what the proposed product would be for the site. If approved, staff would
work with the applicant to understand what the site constraints were, clearly what is buildable on the
site, and through the Rezoning public hearing process, with a Master Plan that defines how access
would happen on the site and orientation of the buildings.
Council Member Betcher asked, when the site was part of the R2 zone, if the townhomes have been
allowed as being compatible with that zoning district. Mr. Diekmann mentioned that he was not sure,
and that he only knew that duplexes were permitted. Ms. Betcher explained that she had some
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concerns about setting policy regarding infill when they have deferred on other decisions while
waiting on the Ames 2040 Plan and the discussion of the policy. Ms. Betcher commented that she
was hesitant to approve the request; by approving the request, the Council is getting ahead of the
Ames 2040 Plan process.
Council Member Gartin stated Council Member Betcher raised an interesting point, but the reason
why he will be making a motion for Alternative 2, is because this project could go in many different
directions, but if the Council is thinking this request is consistent with how the Ames 2040 Plan
would go, he sees no reason why the Council shouldn’t move forward with this project.
Council Member Martin mentioned that he believed caution is warranted in this case. He explained
that the City has a professional Planning Staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission that the
Council relies on to interpret the rules that the Council adopted. Mr. Martin noted that when the
Council previously discussed this, he agreed that the Council wants to encourage intensification in
infill locations throughout the City, but he felt that they put the staff and the Planning & Zoning
Commission in an impossible position. He is reliant on staff, community input, and ultimate vote
to decide what the infill intensification plan is going to be. Given that amount of uncertainty, Mr.
Martin felt that making the decision right now would not help the process and would rather see the
Council develop the policy to have more confidence in the decisions being made. Council Member
Gartin stated that there will be other opportunities to look at this request going forward. He
commented that he is not dismissive on what the Planning & Zoning Commission decided, but they
made a decision based on the policy they had. The property is kind of a “no man’s land,” and they
are only talking about six townhomes and doesn’t seem that it would be a huge lift.
Council Member Beatty-Hansen explained that she agreed with a lot of the points that have been
made and was supportive of investigating this request further. She still feels that way and hoped that
this was something the Ames 2040 Plan would lead them to eventually. It was asked how much time
it would take if the Council were to wait for the Ames 2040 Plan to give the Council some direction.
Director Diekmann commented that he believed it would be six to seven months, but it will still be
with the same zoning tools.
Council Member Corrieri stated she also agreed with a lot of what had been said, but this piece of
property is very desirable. When looking at the surrounding character of the neighborhood, putting
townhomes in the location is not outside the realm of possibilities. Ms. Corrieri noted that she has
long talked about the need to build more diversified housing in the community and this is an
opportunity to do so. She noted that it is premature in terms of the new Comprehensive Plan, but the
size of the property is negligible in the Long-Range Plan, and it makes sense to move forward.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-38 to approve the proposed
amendment to the Land Use Policy Plan Future Land Use Map to change the land use designation
of approximately .75 acres of land located at 802 Delaware Avenue from Low Density Residential
to Medium Density Residential, and is subject to a condition that a future rezoning including a
Master Plan would be required.
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Roll Call Vote: 4-2. Voting Aye: Corrieri, Beatty-Hansen, Gartin, Junck. Voting Nay: Martin,
Betcher. Resolution declared adopted, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these
Minutes.
POWER PLANT UNIT #8 CRANE RENOVATION: Electric Services Director Don Kom stated
he was available to any questions.
The public hearing was opened by the Mayor. He closed the hearing after no one asked to speak.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-322 approving the
preliminary plans and specifications for the Power Plant Unit #8 Crane Renovation; setting July 15,
2020, as bid due date and July 28, 2020, as the date of public hearing.
Council Member Corrieri left the meeting at 7:52 p.m.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
PURCHASE OF LIQUID SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE FOR THE WATER PLANT AND
POWER PLANT: The Mayor opened the public hearing and closed it after there was no one
wishing to speak.
Moved by Junck, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-323 awarding a contract
to DPC Industries, Inc., of Bellevue, Nebraska, for purchase of liquid sodium hypochlorite for the
Water Plant and Power Plant in the amount of $0.945/gallon for the period of July 1 through
September 30, 2020, and then $0.88/gallon for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
HEARING ON SECOND SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO CDBG 2019/20 ANNUAL
ACTION PLAN: Housing Coordinator Vanessa Baker-Latimer stated that in April, the City
received an allocation of CDBG COVID-19 funding. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) had set some minor guidelines for the program. They have not published any
final guidelines, but have encouraged entitlement communities to move forward. Staff requested
public feedback regarding how the funds should be utilized. The comments were brought to the
Council on May 15, 2020, and staff was directed to begin writing a draft COVID-19 Program for a
Renter’s Relief Assistance Program (Rent, Utilities) and a Homeowner’s Relief Assistance Program
(Mortgage, Utilities). One of the requirements of the Plan is to update the current Plan and address
the Duplication of Benefits (DOB) Policy. Ms. Baker-Latimer commented that she had written the
DOB by looking at previous HUD guidelines, and a ten-page example of a DOB that she had
received from a state agency. She is not sure if what she wrote is going to meet the requirements that
HUD is going to publish about Duplication of Benefits. The purpose of the DOB is to have the
CDBG funds to be used as a last resort. They could not replace any funding that has been given to
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an organization or the state utilizing the same activity. The guidelines were written to cover what the
Duplication of Benefits will mean and giving some examples of what DOB would look like. Ms.
Baker-Latimer commented that what the Council is seeing for the Duplication of Benefits might
change depending on what HUD publishes as the final guidelines.
Ms. Baker-Latimer explained that another item that she was required to do was to come up with
minimal guidelines for the Rent/Utility Relief Assistance Program. She commented that she did use
some of the previous guidelines that had been established for the previous Renter’s Affordability
program. She advised that she had set up the following:
Who is Eligible?
-Households experiencing loss of income directly related to COVID-19
-Households in good standing as of March 31, 2020
-Households which requested rental assistance from the landlord
-Households residing in assisted affordable housing projects and Tax Credit units
-Households with incomes at or below 80% of the Ames Area Median Income (AMI) [lower
incomes prioritized if needed]
-Households which received utility disconnect notices
Who is Not Eligible?
-Households with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher
-Households residing in a Project Based Voucher project
-Households residing in Public Housing
-Households receiving other government-based rental assistance
-Households receiving assistance through other community services/charitable programs
and/or organizations
Ms. Baker-Latimer mentioned that they would accept applications on a first-come first-served basis,
which is based on the date and time the application was received. A caveat was added that preference
would be given to applications submitted from property owners on behalf of their tenants that were
impacted by COVID-19. During this entire time, she has encouraged tenants and landlords to
communicate with each other to work out a payment agreement. She had explained this to landlords
to help communicate that, now that the eviction moratorium is lifted, the programs are available to
help them. Ms. Baker-Latimer mentioned that the applicant must have a Lease Agreement in their
name and must be in good standing. She mentioned that, with these funds, they will not be able to
help anyone who had rent past due before March 27, 2020.
Maximum Amount of Assistance Provided
-Up to 3 months of assistance per household for rent and utilities not to exceed $3,000
-Payments will be made directly to property owners/managers and to utility companies on
behalf of the household
Ms. Baker-Latimer stated that coordination would be done with Story County Legal Aid, Nonprofit
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affordable housing owners, Area Utility Providers, Property Owners/Managers, Human Service
Agencies, Charitable Organizations, and ASSET (Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team).
She noted that applicant(s) must be a United States citizen or a non-citizen who has Eligible
Immigration Status as a Permanent Resident. Any applicant(s) (regardless of court decision) that
have a drug-related criminal activity or a violent criminal activity within at least 36 months before
the date of the City of Ames Housing Division provides service to the family of its determination
to deny assistance.
Council Member Gartin asked if it was possible for someone to participate in the program and then
be disqualified from participating in another program down the road. He explained that he did not
want to jeopardize someone from getting help somewhere else. Ms. Baker-Latimer explained that
is the part staff is not sure of as they will have to see what HUD determines is a Duplication of
Benefit. Mr. Gartin stated the record-keeping for these requests would be mind boggling and
appreciated everything that Ms. Baker-Latimer has done.
Council Member Betcher wanted to know if there is a mechanism that would let the City know if
the applicant(s) have applied for help somewhere else. Ms. Baker-Latimer stated staff is looking at
coordinating with agencies that may be helping people with obtaining assistance. She noted that on
the application there will be a standard question “Have you received assistance for rent or utilities
from any other source,” and hopefully the applicant will identify the source for staff to look into.
Council Member Betcher commented that Ms. Baker-Latimer has done a great job in trying to
determine what HUD may set as the Duplication of Benefits. Ms. Betcher asked how is it defined
when they say the impact is directly related to COVID-19. Ms. Baker-Latimer stated that most of the
entitlements that she has been working with have stated that if someone had lost their job because
the company they worked for had to close down due to the State order, that would be a direct impact
of COVID-19. She mentioned that staff is concentrating specifically on rent and homeowners
because the human service agencies that do programs for the homeless have a lot more money than
what the City has gotten for CDBG.
Ms. Baker-Latimer stated that she wrote a similar guideline for the Mortgage/Utility Relief
Assistance Program.
Who is Eligible?
-Households experience loss of income directly related to COVID-19
-Households in good standing as of March 31, 2020
-Households which requested a forbearance or subject to contract forfeiture
-Households with incomes at or below 80% of the Ames Area Median Income (AMI)
-Households which received utility disconnect notices
Who is Not Eligible?
-Households receiving other government-based mortgage assistance loans (e.g. Fannie Mae,
Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, etc.)
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Ms. Baker-Latimer commented that one thing she is concerned about is for those homeowners who
received a forbearance. This would mean that the payments were just delayed, and they would owe
the back payments.
She noted that the Citizen Participation Plan needed to be updated. This Plan outlines how staff does
public hearings; all she did was add the caveat that they went from a 30-day comment period to a
five-day comment period and the public hearings could be held virtually.
Mayor Haila questioned if there was something that Ms. Baker-Latimer drafted that wasn’t approved
would it come back to the Council. Ms. Baker-Latimer commented that she is not sure how that
would work at this time, and she is hoping for some direction from HUD. She noted that usually
when they submit something to HUD and changes are made, they do not require another public
hearing.
Mayor Haila declared the public hearing open for the Second Substantial Amendment to the CDBG
2019/20 Annual Action Plan.
Terry Potter, 608 Douglas Avenue, Ames, explained that his comments were related to the document
that was published on the City of Ames website on May 29, 2020, having to do with the Community
Development Block Grant funding. He noted that the City of Ames will receive a special allocation
of CDBG funds in the amount of $354,515 to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to
COVID-19. The document that was originally published goes on to recommend that the money be
split evenly between those needing Rental Assistance and Homeowners needing assistance with
Mortgage payments which, at a payout of $3,000 over a three month period, would allow assistance
to approximately 59 rental and 59 homeowner units at the 50/50 spit. Mr. Potter mentioned he is
speaking on behalf of A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy (AMOS) of Ames and the AMOS group of
Central Iowa. For the record, AMOS is directionally supportive of the usage; however, on the same
day, the Governor of Iowa announced what would appear to be a similar program to be funded as
part of the $1.25 billion CARES block grant to the State of Iowa. Ms. Debbie Durham of IFA is
planning for 20,000 applications statewide per the press conference statements. One difference
would appear to be that if a person were receiving the $600/week CARES-related unemployment
payments, they would be ineligible for financial assistance from the State program. Mr. Potter stated
that AMOS asked that the Housing Department of Ames consider the following program
modifications:
1.The final split of the money to renter and homeowners be carefully considered in
comparison to the acute chances for the members of either of those groups to lose
their residence due to eviction or foreclosure. In other words, the money should be
prioritized where it will prevent the most immediate harm and benefit the greatest
number of vulnerable individuals and families against the possibility of
homelessness.
2.Any rules that are developed for these monies on a City basis should be carefully
compared to the new State program to differentiate and expand, as allowable, the
eligibility criteria. For example, that the CARES unemployment income supplement
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not be considered as a factor, meaning that those who are ineligible for the State
program may still be considered for the City program.
3.The Housing Department should consider setting aside a portion of the money, if
allowable, for funding homeless relief and accommodations as may be necessary due
to continued disruption of temporary housing options related to the COVID-19
pandemic. For example, this could allow additional time in temporary housing if
necessary, because of the unavailability of Emergency Residence Project (ERP)
communal housing or other funding as may be needed.
Ms. Baker-Latimer stated that, regarding the Governor’s program, her guidelines are much more
flexible because her CARES funding is not through the CDBG program. As far as what they consider
as income has to be determined by HUD under the guidelines. She has heard a lot of scenarios; staff
should not count stimulus money; whether to include unemployment monies as additional income
and if that would include the additional $600. She noted that she cannot say at this time what the
guidelines would be, but unemployment money has typically been a source of income for people who
apply for any of the CDBG programs. Regarding homelessness, they are trying to look at areas that
do not have readily available money for funding. This is the first round of CDBG funding, and
another round will be coming that will be distributed through the State of Iowa Department of
Economic Development to both entitled and unentitled communities. Before they release on how
much the City may qualify, they are waiting on the HUD guidelines. She understands some of the
concerns of AMOS, but can’t say if they will have any flexibility at that time.
Mayor Haila asked about the 50/50 split between Renters and Homeowners and if there was a need
for more funds on the Homeowners side versus the Renters, could an amendment be done at a later
time to move the funds to different programs. Ms. Baker-Latimer stated that they would be able to
shift funds from one program to another to help.
Council Member Gartin stated that the discussion of choosing what type of people are going to
receive assistance is a very complicated one and they will need help with the possible implications.
He is not sure how to choose between an eviction versus a foreclosure.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-324 approving the Second
Substantial Amendment to the CDBG 2019/20 Annual Action Plan.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PARKING RESTRICTIONS ON DUFF AVENUE (20TH
STREET TO GRAND AVENUE): Mayor Haila opened public comment and closed it when no
one came forward.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to pass on first reading an ordinance establishing parking
restrictions on Duff Avenue from 20th Street to Grand Avenue, and prohibiting parking at all times
on the west and south side of Duff Avenue from Douglas Avenue to 22nd Street and from 120' west
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of Briggs Circle intersection to Grand Avenue.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
ORDINANCE UPDATING NAME OF IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT
GOVERNMENT IN AMES MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 26A: Moved by Betcher, seconded
by Junck, to pass on second reading an ordinance updating the name of the Iowa State University
Student Government in Ames Municipal Code Section 26A.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
ORDINANCE RELATING TO TRASH AND RECYCLING COLLECTION AREAS IN
COMMERCIAL ZONES: Moved by Betcher, seconded by Gartin, to pass on third reading and
adopt ORDINANCE NO. 4413 relating to trash and recycling collection areas in commercial zones.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Ordinance declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
ORDINANCE RELATING TO INDUSTRIAL USE PARKING REQUIREMENT: Moved by
Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to pass on third reading and adopt ORDINANCE NO. 4414 relating
to industrial use parking requirement.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Ordinance declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
DISPOSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL: Mayor Haila mentioned that there
were four items to be addressed. The first was a letter from Lojean Peterson, Ames Main Street
Farmers’ Market Manager, requesting the Council to reconsider allowing food and drink vendors at
the Main Street Farmers’ Market.
Council Member Martin stated that the Ames Farmers’ Market has been open for a few weeks now
with no complaints and the City Attorney Mark Lambert reminded the Council that the Governors’
Proclamation expires on June 17, and he is not sure what will happen after that. He liked the request
to allow the Farmers’ Market to have food trucks and drinks on-site if it is marked “not for
immediate consumption” as that is a constraint that they would have to work under. The Ames
Farmers’ Market seemed willing to follow the constraint.
Moved by Martin, seconded by Gartin, to approve the request of the Ames Farmers’ Market and as
much as it is consistent with the Governors Order and with the understanding that the City of Ames
will still not send any enforcement personnel in and the City of Ames still reserves the right to
remove the permit as well.
Council Member Gartin commented that the motion was very well-stated. The Council had talked
about the idea of treating equal parties the same, and this request cries out for approval.
Council Member Betcher explained that she still doesn’t support the motion and would prefer to wait
until after June 17 to find out what the Governor’s guidance would be. She noted that most people
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who buy food at the Ames Farmers’ Market are going to eat it immediately.
Vote on Motion: 4-1. Vote Aye: Martin, Gartin, Junck, Beatty-Hansen. Voting Nay: Betcher. Motion
declared carried.
Mayor Haila stated that the second item is an informational memo from Planning and Housing
Director Kelly Diekmann regarding Norm and Vicky Marty’s request to amend the Ames Urban
Fringe Plan Map Designation.
Council Member Betcher asked to clarify if the request was something that could be dealt with by
the County. She clarified the issue, not the request. Mr. Diekmann stated the issue is a zoning issue
and one path given to the property owner was to change the zoning to fit the use; that is where the
Ames Urban Fringe Plan comes into play. Ms. Betcher asked if the request could be dealt with
another way. Director Diekmann commented that it is an enforcement action by Story County on a
Special Home Occupation Special Use Permit that they had issued. He noted that what remedies
Story County has he can’t say, but knows that the one before the Council was what was preferred
by the property owner.
Mayor Haila wanted to know “what if” the Council went with Option 1 to retain the existing Urban
Fringe Plan designation and communicate to the County and the property owner that the Council is
not interested and does not want to see Highway-Oriented Commercial (HOC) in the area. Would
it mean that the property owner would need to shut down or would the County find another way to
approach the issue. Director Diekmann commented that it would be hard for him to speculate how
the County would handle it. Mr. Diekmann explained there is a possibility that the property owner
may no longer be able to operate as they have been.
City Manager Schainker asked if the issue was the definition of the number of employees on-site.
Director Diekmann commented that was his understanding as they only allow a certain level of
employment under the type of permit they have. The business may have to relocate, but he does not
know what all the answers are. Mr. Schainker mentioned that the question before the City Council
is the Land Use Policy issue. Mr. Diekmann stated that is correct and that is where it gets difficult
as they are asking to initiate an Ames Urban Fringe Plan Amendment, that if the Council changes
the zoning to commercial, the County can rezone it to commercial and treat the property as a
commercial site instead of residential site.
Council Member Gartin asked if, from a procedural perspective the Council is being asked to decide
on Option 1 or 2 or to put on a future Agenda. Mr. Diekmann stated if the Council has no interest,
they would decline to take it up for any further consideration. If the Council wants to debate the
request further, it would need to go on a future Agenda for discussion. Council Member Gartin
inquired as to what the burden would be to staff for the Council to have further discussions on the
request. Director Diekmann noted that they would reach back out to the Planning Director of Story
County to make sure staff has the complete picture and nothing has changed.
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Council Member Gartin inquired if there were any other examples of this type of request that has
come before the Council in the past. Mr. Diekmann stated that, with commercial designation, there
has not been any. Ms. Betcher commented that the Council has been asked to change the Ames
Urban Fringe Plan and the Council had deferred those requests until after the Ames 2040 Plan.
Council Member Martin asked if the applicant ended up with what they were asking for, it would
require a rezoning to HOC in-Story County, and without understanding what HOC means in Story
County, is there anything the Council should be thinking of as potentially ending up a commercial
store. Mr. Diekmann explained that from a sizing perspective it would not be a big box type of
facility, but could be used for a variety of commercial light industrial types of uses. Mr. Martin
mentioned it was his understanding that it was not the applicant’s current desire to do that, but
changing the zoning is more about the current user of the property. It was confirmed that was correct.
Moved by Betcher, seconded by Martin, to not have the Council take this request any further.
Vote on Motion: 4-1. Voting Aye: Betcher, Junck, Beatty-Hansen, Martin. Voting Nay: Gartin.
Motion declared carried.
Mr. Diekmann stated that he will communicate to the Story County Planning Director and the
property owner that the Council was not interested in taking up the issue of changing to commercial
along 190th Street in the area at this time.
Mayor Haila noted that the third item was a letter from Mediacom about the change in channel
selections; it was for information purposes only.
Item No. 4 was a memo from Damion Pregitzer, Traffic Engineer, responding to a request to remove
the “No Parking” restriction on the south side of Westbrook Drive.
Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Gartin, to direct the City Attorney to draft an ordinance to
remove the “No Parking” restriction on the south side of Westbrook Drive.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
COUNCIL COMMENTS: Council Member Junck stated she wanted to express her condolences
for the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and countless
other black and brown people in the country who have lost their loved ones. Black Lives Matter and
she believed that just because Ames has not experienced something similar to what happened to
George Floyd, it shouldn’t stop the City from taking a proactive approach and listening to the
community members about what needs to change. Ms. Junck commented that one of their priorities
as a Council is a commitment to an inclusive Ames. At the Goal Setting meeting, the Council
discussed more inclusive policy changes. Examples given were income protection and housing, ban
the box, and closing the achievement gaps in the schools and she hopes the Council will continue
to work on these concerns in the coming months and see what can be done in the Police Department
as well. She recognizes that every City is unique and will need its own plan in moving forward; this
will take an incredible amount of community input. She thanked everyone who has been emailing
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the Council with suggestions on this topic. The Council will take the time and diligence that is
needed to fully investigate them while still maintaining a sense of urgency on the important issue.
Mr. Junck noted that everyone on the Council is white and will continue to listen to the community,
especially the black constituents when moving forward even though the conversations may be hard
to have. She is looking forward to digging into all the concerns with the rest of the Council.
Council Member Martin stated he has a couple motions he would like to make. He reminded the
Council that back in August 2019, MetroNet did a presentation and expressed a willingness to
provide the City with mapping information. He noted this will be important for the Council in
figuring out what gaps the City could hope to fill in the future. MetroNet is well into their
construction and should have a good sense of the area by now.
Moved by Martin, seconded Betcher, to have staff ask MetroNet for identification of Ames
properties that they are not serving and the reason they are not serving them, as soon as possible.
Vote on Motion: 4-1. Voting Nay: Gartin. Motion declared carried.
Mr. Martin stated that he had sent an email to the Council about observing that Des Moines was
debating an ordinance with the goal of encouraging more outside dining, specifically given the reality
of COVID-19 and the relative hazard of indoor activity versus outdoor activity. The theory is that
if people are going out less often then there is more parking available, and maybe they can reuse
some of the parking space to increase outdoor dining. Maybe they could make it easier to apply for
outdoor dining. He explained that at the same time he has not heard from any businesses in Ames
that have said that they would want to do this, but what is stopping them is the City of Ames
regulations. He has heard more general complaints that it would be better if the City could make it
easier. Mr. Martin mentioned that as much as he would like to do something it would be wrong to
start with the remedies and see if they appeal to anyone, but to reach out to business owners and see
what could the Council do to help them improve the outdoor dining situation.
Moved by Martin, seconded by Betcher, to ask the Mayor to reach out to the Chamber of Commerce
about taking a quick survey to see if there is any way in which Ames policies should be customized
during the COVID-19 season to encourage more use of outdoor space for sidewalk cafes purposes
including possibly alcohol service.
Council Member Betcher stated that she knows there are other college communities that are looking
into this as well.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
Council Member Betcher stated that the NAACP forum is going to occur on June 11, and she
believed the City has put out information on the Government Facebook page for anyone who wants
to sit it on the Zoom meeting. One of the things she has learned while being on the Council with the
training she has been doing on diversity, equity, and inclusion is that you have to keep working. It
is a continuing journey, and she hoped the residents stay engaged. The Council does read their emails
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and if there are any concerns or questions please email a Council Member. Ms. Betcher commented
that the Council has been taking about the Ames Urban Fringe Plan, and she was reminded earlier
today that one of the City’s long-term employees, Jeff Benson, (who passed away five years ago) had
invested a lot of time in community building within Ames, working as the neighborhood liaison. Mr.
Benson was also one of the people who was instrumental in getting the 28E Agreement crafted in
the first place. She noted it is important to work on those relationships outside of the City of Ames
as well as within Ames.
Council Member Beatty-Hansen commented that Council Member Junck did a great job stating
everyone’s concerns and it is important for the Council to note that Black Lives Matter. She knows
people want to see action soon, but she wants to have time to collect input from people who are not
as tuned into City politics. It is important for the Council to keep reaching out and get feedback from
a diverse population about what changes they would like the Council to make and to commit to
improving and changing policies. She noted that there is a lot of work to be done.
Council Member Gartin stated he participated in an event on Saturday night at Bandshell Park and
watched the protest a week ago. He has been involved in the NAACP for the past five years. Mr.
Gartin commented that when he was first elected to the Council, he contacted the Story County
Public Defender’s Office and asked them about the concerns they had with the Ames Police
Department, and was pleased to hear there wasn’t any problems. He noted that the Ames Police
Department is grieving over what happened in Minneapolis. There is a sense that police departments
that have functioned very well are being lumped into departments that are not functioning well. Mr.
Gartin explained he could not be any prouder of Chief Cychosz and the work he has done with
community policing. He noted that at the events that he attended he has asked the citizens how they
felt about the Ames Police officers, and it was almost unanimously that the citizens loved the City
of Ames Police. He stated they are always doing continuous improvement and always looking at best
practices. They will look very hard at the comments that are given. Mr. Gartin wanted to remind
everyone that they have an outstanding Ames Police Department and phenomenal leadership. In the
five years he has worked with the NAACP, he has never heard a complaint about the Ames Police
Department. His heart is broken over what happened to George Floyd and what is happening
nationally, but wants to make sure they take a measured approach as it is hard for police officers and
their families to be lumped in unjustly with a broken system in other parts of the country.
Ex Officio Member Whitlock wanted to echo what Council Member Junck said and to emphasize
that the entire Council is white, and when looking over the comments, they need to get other
opinions and look through the lens of other races and not just their own.
Mayor Haila stated that if anyone is interested in joining the public forum on Thursday, June 11,
2020, they are welcome. He gave directions on how to attend the Zoom meeting. The next meetings
will be on June 29, July 9, and July 23 from 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. with a different panelist each
meeting. The NAACP will be hosting the meetings. Mayor Haila commented that it is not just
because of the George Floyd situation that they are all starting to have concerns, but they have been
concerned the entire time since being sworn in. He noted that the City of Ames is not a perfect
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community, but he is proud of the Police Department and how the community responded. The
protests in Ames have been civil.
ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Gartin to adjourn the meeting at 8:52 p.m.
______________________________________________________________________
Amy L. Colwell, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor
__________________________________
Diane R. Voss, City Clerk
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