HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - March 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
MARCH 2025
MONTHLY PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS
CITY OFFICE
ISU Students Visit City Hall: Engagement Coordinator Casandra Eames collaborated with
Arnold Woods, Director of Student Leadership Initiatives for College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
at Iowa State University
(ISU), to bring several
students to visit City Hall
to experience leadership
outside of the classroom.
The students met with City
staff and elected officials
on March 12 and learned
about the City of Ames.
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LIBRARY
Ames Seed Library: Ames has its own seed library offering free vegetable, flower, fruit, and
herb seeds. Stop by the Ames Seed Library near Ames Public Library’s Adult Services desk on
the second floor, or visit www.AmesPL.org/SeedLibrary to find out more.
National Library Week: This year, Ames Public Library will observe National Library Week
with a Ribbon Cutting celebrating the newly-installed carpet. The public is invited to join staff on
the Library’s 2nd floor Wednesday, April 9, at 4:00 p.m. for a ribbon cutting event. After the
ceremony, visitors can explore the
Library through a scavenger hunt to earn
a prize.
Social Services at the Library: Ames
Public Library is adding “office hours” at
the Library for two new social services:
The American Heart Association’s
HeartCorps and YSS Preventative
Services. Representatives from the
organizations will be available in a
Library study room during regular
scheduled hours to help visitors connect
with local services. The Library also hosts
regular office hours with Aging
Resources of Central Iowa, The Bridge
Home, Mary Greeley Medical Center
Behavioral Health, and UnityPoint
Health Eyerly Ball. Find out more at www.AmesPL.org/events.
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Workshops about Teen Relationships: The Library will host two workshops—one for parents
and one for teens—about healthy relationships. On April 8 at 5:30 p.m., parents are invited to a
Parent Night session about starting conversations with teens, including practical tools and insights.
On April 15 at 5:30 p.m., Teen
Night will help middle and high
schoolers explore the elements of
strong, respectful, and supportive
relationships. These workshops,
presented by ISU’s “Parenting:
It’s a Life” and ACCESS, feature
the Advocating for My
Relationships curriculum.
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POLICE
Property Acquisition for New Animal Control Facility: In the next step toward replacing the
existing Animal Shelter at 325 Billy Sunday Road, the City has closed on a 5-acre property at 2715
Dayton Avenue. The site, which previously functioned as a day care facility, presents a viable
opportunity to design a new animal control and sheltering facility by remodeling an existing
building. This approach will have significant cost savings compared to constructing an entirely
new building and it will allow the new space to be occupied sooner. The City contracted with
INVISION Architecture LTD, Des Moines, Iowa, to provide a conceptual design and preliminary
cost estimate prior to the purchase. INVIS ION’s evaluation of the site indicated that both the
building and the site are in good working condition. The cost of the project is estimated at $7.5 -
$8 million. The City Council has allocated $3 million, and private donors have contributed an
additional $3 million. Staff is seeking to close the funding gap through other donations.