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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - February 2025 Monthly Project Highlights Contact the City Manager's Office at 515-239-5101 515 Clark Avenue, Ames, IA 50010 Report compiled by Jeramy Neefus, Principal Clerk City Manager's Office FEBRUARY 2025 MONTHLY PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS CITY OFFICE Ames Climate Action Grants: The City of Ames has launched two new grant programs focused on encouraging sustainability in Ames. The Ames Climate Action Grants are designed to support programs, projects, and initiatives that reduce carbon emissions and conserve natural resources. Community grants of up to $10,000 are available to organizations in Ames for projects or activities that advance the community Climate Action Plan. Mini-grants of up $500 are available for students to encourage sustainability-focused outreach and education initiatives in Ames. Community Climate Grants will provide up to $10,000 to organizations, including non-profit agencies and businesses, that invest in projects or activities that advance the objects of the community Climate Action Plan. Efforts can include reducing energy, water, or waste; encouraging low emissions transportation; or using nature-based solutions. Applications are due by Friday, April 4, and are available at www.CityOfAmes.org/ClimateActionGrants. 2 A few examples of projects include: • A project that reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use in buildings or transportation, such as solar, energy efficiency, and electric vehicle charging. • A project that increases pollinator habitats, native tree canopy, or local food production. • An education or outreach campaign focused on specific topics or areas of concern such as waste diversion, clean transportation, or resilience. • A project that implements innovative technologies and/or practices to reduce carbon emissions. The City of Ames is also offering mini-grants of up to $500 for student-led projects or ideas that support the community Climate Action Plan. All students in grades PreK-12 can apply! Here are some examples of eligible projects: • Organize a campaign to encourage students to walk or bike to school • Plant trees or native plants • Start or improve recycling, composting, or waste reduction efforts at school • Conduct an energy audit of a school (like finding ways to save energy) • Create a plan to reduce food waste at school or home • Build a shared vegetable garden • Educate others about saving energy by handing out tools like smart power strips • Design climate-themed art installations • Work with local organizations on sustainability projects or events • Survey classmates about their thoughts and priorities on sustainability Every project must include an education or engagement component, like hosting an event, creating social media posts, writing an article, making flyers, or other ways to spread the word. Student grants are available year-round, so start brainstorming! For more info, visit: www.CityOfAmes.org/ClimateActionGrants. 3 LIBRARY Book Sale March 13-16: The Library’s spring Book Sale is coming! Find great deals on thousands of used items, including books, movies, music, and more. Visit the website at www.AmesPL.org for hours and admission information. Let’s Talk About Mental Health: Ames Public Library will host a special event called "Let's Talk About Mental Health" Tuesday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m. Presenters include Julie Saxton, Mental Health Advocate for the Ames Police Department; Susan Moore, Licensed Social Worker for Mary Greeley Medical Center Behavioral Health; and Becky Lundy, Social Worker for Alternative Response Community Health (ARCH). Library Carpet Project Complete: The project to replace carpet in most of Ames Public Library's public areas was completed in early February-- ahead of schedule! Stop into the Library to see the new, durable carpet in the entryway, first floor (Youth Services area), second floor (Adult Services area), Teen Space, and study rooms. Upcoming Pollinator Events: Ames Public Library will host a special event and an exhibit all about local pollinators! • February 26 - March 27, stop by the Library's vestibule to discover the stunning butterflies of Ames in a photo exhibit by Laura Beskow. • On March 1, Jamie Beyer will present "Creating Buzz: The Joy, Ease, and Challenge of Supporting Pollinators" at 10:00 a.m. in the Library's Auditorium and online via Zoom. The Ames Seed Library will also be on site during this event. 4 Many thanks to the City of Ames Pollinator Committee and Story County Conservation for bringing these great events to the Library! 5 PARKS & RECREATION Ada Hayden Heritage Park Trout Stocking: The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) stocked the north lake at Ada Hayden Heritage Park with approximately 2,000 rainbow trout. The Iowa DNR has consistently stocked the lake with trout for over 10 years. The picture below depicts Iowa DNR staff stocking the trout. Aquatics: Babysitter Training was held on Saturday, February 8, with 12 participants. Baker Subdivision Neighborhood Park: City staff is in the final stages of design development for the Baker Subdivision Park. The park will include a playground structure and swings, shelter, water fountain, and park sign. Staff is in the process of reviewing playground proposals and will be making a recommendation to City Council at its March 11 meeting. The plan is to construct the park later this spring. Homewood Golf Course: Homewood Golf Course partnered with Painting with a Twist to host a Valentine’s painting event on February 15 with 26 people registered. This painting was intended for two painters, where an individual and their partner create two canvases that will become one picture. Individual registration was also offered so people could create their own masterpieces. 6 Stuart Smith Park: Play-Pro Recreation, Des Moines, Iowa, completed installation of a new playground at Stuart Smith Park. The playground structure installed in the park was selected based on public feedback received from residents at the 2024 Juneteenth Celebration, a Community Band Concert, and an online survey. Staff will be installing a concrete border, benches, and an accessible sidewalk in the spring. Wellness: In January, 68 people completed EGym Onboarding for specialized equipment at the 60 Forward Center. There were 896 visits to the Cardio and Strength Room. A new session of fitness classes began Monday, February 17, with the following registrations: Program Registrations Group Fitness • Community Center • Sixty Forward *Includes 22 virtual registrations 427* 131 Vintage Cooperative 8 Volunteer Tree Removal: Staff removed large areas of volunteer willows and other woody vegetation in the park system during the month of February. The work at Ada Hayden Heritage Park was completed to allow park patrons to see the lake from the walking trail and also prevent the woody vegetation from overtaking the prairie areas. 7 PLANNING & HOUSING Baker Subdivision Market Rate Lots: A discussion with the City Council about the single- family market rate lots in the Baker Subdivision is tentatively planned for March 11. Staff will review the process for selling market rate lots and discuss the remaining low- and moderate- income (LMI) lots along Wilmoth Avenue. City Subdivision on Billy Sunday Road: Staff has hired Clapsaddle-Garber Associates (CGA) to prepare a final plat to divide the land that currently houses the animal shelter into lots. This is the next step to facilitate the lease of part of the site for a billboard and to make 10+ acres available for sale for commercial development upon relocation of the animal shelter. The current Army Reserve building site will be on its own separate lot from the other land that the City intends to sell. Driveway Permits: Inspections, Planning, and Public Works staff recently held a contractor meeting to discuss driveway permits and standards. Five contractors attended. Staff reviewed the permitting process and reviewed timelines from the past two years. Staff has improved its processing time of complete applications to an average of just over four calendar days, under the goal of five working days. Contractors voiced interest in allowing wider driveways for larger garages and options to simplify permitting applications. Staff anticipates a request for City Council consideration of changes to driveway standards in March. Hayden’s Preserve: The developer shared that it is looking at redesigning the site in light of the recent Conservation Ordinance changes and is eager to start a first phase of development focused on a substantial number of townhome/single-family attached homes. Changes to the overall phase of unit types and density will require City Council approval of a new Master Plan. The developer will also ask for some modifications to the Development Agreement to facilitate the first phase, such as City assistance with the east-west trunk line sewer project. A developer request could come forward as early as April. North Ames Annexation Update: Staff held an annexation meeting at the Ames Golf and Country Club for Irons Subdivision property owners on February 17. Staff provided the history of the prior development agreement and the annexation process. Approximately 25 people attended in person or online. There were a number of concerns about timing of the process and future costs required for sewer system extensions that will be required at owner cost in the future. Staff will provide the City Council an update on the annexation process at the March 11 meeting. North Growth Infrastructure: Staff has been in consultation with developers of Borgmeyer property and Hayden’s Preserve concerning pioneer infrastructure. Staff is exploring rerouting the planned trunk line sewer out of the east side of Hayden’s Preserve to improve constructability, lower first phase development costs, and ensure service to the Borgmeyer property. Staff will provide an update to the City Council on costs and route options this spring. 8 Public Outreach for Annual Action Plan: In March, staff will conduct public forums for resident input regarding potential activities for the 2025-2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Action Plan. Public input and City Council input will shape staff’s preparation of a draft Plan for public comment and eventual City Council approval this summer. Renter Affordability Program: Staff has begun accepting applications for its CDBG Renter Affordability Program. Under this activity, households with incomes at 60% or less of the Ames Median Income Limits can receive rent and/or utility deposits and up to two month’s rent. State Workforce Housing Tax Credits: The state offers a competitive program for builders to receive incentives for constructing new housing, with different scoring for rental, ownership, and second floor housing in a downtown area. Ownership housing is based upon construction costs limited to approximately $300,000, exclusive of land other site improvement costs. Incentives include sales tax rebates and tax credits for the builder. For ownership housing, an application must include at least four homes. The builder must have control of a site and present plans for the housing construction. The program moderately priced housing with its cap on incentives related to costs, but does not have income limits for buyers or sales price limitations. For Ames projects, the value of the program would be $15,000 per unit in tax credits plus the other incentives. This program is competitive, and applications are due in June for state review. Award announcements generally occur at the end of August. To submit an application, there must be a local government match of at least $1,000 per unit and a resolution of support from the City Council for the applications. The Ames Regional Economic Alliance has worked to build local understanding of the program and staff believes that it is likely that a builder(s) may seek to apply for the program for moderate priced housing. The current ownership housing tax abatement program qualifies as a local match. A resolution of support for a project is still required for each project. The City Council may desire to establish a referral to consider requests together for support at a specific City Council meeting in May, or the City Council can await individual requests and refer them to an agenda for review as they come forward. Zoning Ordinance Workshop: City Council planned for an update of zoning and development standards to begin in 2025. The first step in the process is for a workshop to discuss the scope of the rewrite of the standards and any specific goals or outreach objectives to help shape the overall process. This workshop will occur in March or April. 9 WATER & POLLUTION CONTROL PFAS Class Action Claim: In February, staff filed claims in the class action lawsuits with Tyco and BASF in the “Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) Products Liability Litigation.” These class action suits seek compensation for Public Water Supplies harmed by the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in source water supplies. Ames has discontinued use of one well due to high PFAS concentrations. However, the Water Treatment Plant continues to use blended water sourced from 21 other wells to consistently produce drinking water considerably below the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels. Two wells currently under construction in North River Valley Park were evaluated prior to construction. No PFAS was detected in that portion of the aquifer. These two newest claims are in addition to those filed last summer against 3M and DuPont. The City is seeking its share of a combined $12.75 - $15 billion from the four defendants. The first installment of the claims in the 3M and DuPont cases is expected to be received in 2025. WPCF Nutrient Reduction Modifications: Progress on the nutrient reduction modifications at the Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) in February was slowed somewhat due to very cold temperatures. However, the overall project timeline in still on track for the work to achieve substantial completion in October 2026, five months ahead of the contractual deadline. Pictured below left is the addition to the Sludge Pumping Building and below right is the installation of interior block walls for the Administration building. WPCF Participates in Wastewater Surveillance for COVID-19: The State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL) in Coralville conducts a statewide wastewater surveillance program for the SARS Cov-2 (COVID-19) virus. It also monitors for various strains of influenza and RSV. 10 Monitoring wastewater for these diseases can provide the healthcare system with an early signal for a disease outbreak, as infected individuals can shed the viruses several days prior to the onset of symptoms. The Ames WPCF participates in this surveillance program. Staff collects samples every week and submits them to the SHL for testing. Results are provided to local public health departments, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, and to the participating utilities. Funding comes through the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Staff’s time to collect and ship the samples is provided as an in-kind contribution to the program.