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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - April 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 APRIL 2025 MONTHLY PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS LIBRARY Celebrating Library Volunteers: National Volunteer Week was April 20-26, and Ames Public Library celebrated with a reception for its many amazing volunteers. This past year, 344 volunteers donated almost 12,000 hours of their time at the Library! Volunteers help the Library in many ways, from running book sales to serving summer meals to children to delivering books to homebound patrons. Thank you, volunteers! Community Outreach: Library staff attend a variety of events in the community to share information about the Library. Watch for staff at the upcoming Senior Expo as well as several Farmers’ Markets this summer! Once fall arrives, the focus will be reaching Iowa State University (ISU) students at events like WelcomeFest and weekly Bookmobile stops on campus. New Book Groups: Ames Public Library is trying out a few new book groups in May: Teen Silent Book Club and Deep Roots Book Group. Teen Silent Book Club will be a chance for teens to meet in the Teen Space, get to know each other briefly, then settle in for some quiet, cozy reading time. Deep Roots Book Club for adults will discuss fiction and nonfiction books on gardening, community building, and the relationship between humans and nature. Learn more about these and our other book groups at www.AmesPL.org/events. 2 Sustainability Programs: Spring is a great time to talk about sustainability! Ames Public Library has hosted several programs on sustainability topics, and more are still coming up: Earlier this spring, the Library hosted its spring Ames Repair Café, a Creating Buzz exhibit and presentation on supporting pollinators, an Apple Tree Grafting Workshop, an exhibit and virtual presentation by artist and science communicator Jill Pelto, a F amily Seed Planting, and a live performance by The EcoTheatre Lab. In May, the Library will have a window painting event with Bird Friendly Iowa, a workshop on Backyard Composting, the first Deep Roots Book Club, and a community Bike Fair. Find out more at www.AmesPL.org/events. 3 PARKS & RECREATION 60 Forward Duckpin Bowling League: In April, the very first Duckpin Bowling League at Sixty Forward Center concluded with eight participants. Plans are underway for upcoming leagues and instructional clinics. Agility Course at Carr Park: Construction continues on the Agility Course Project at Carr Park. Concrete footings are being poured for the upcoming installation of the agility course equipment and shelter. Remaining concrete will then be poured and the rubber surface will be installed. The project is scheduled to be completed in June. Aquatics: On April 25, ten staff members participated in CPR training. Earlier in the month, on April 12, ten individuals took part in a community CPR class. Dance and Gymnastics Recital: The annual Dance and Gymnastics Recital was held on Sunday, April 13, at the Ames City Auditorium, featuring performances by 67 participants. A big thank-you goes out to the instructors for making the event such a success! Drinking Fountains: As of mid-April, all restrooms and drinking fountains are operational within the park system. The two drinking fountains in the Community Center Gymnasium are being replaced with new fountains that 4 include bottle fillers. This project also includes the removal of the two spit sinks, a new tile wall, and the removal of the brick step in order to make the fountains ADA compliant. This project is being funded through donations received in memory of Dawn McDonald, ISU Professor and long- time Ames resident. Dawn first approached staff regarding having time at the gym for badminton 15+ years ago. Open badminton continues to this day because Dawn asked the question. Homewood Golf Course: As of April 23, 2025, Homewood Golf Course has had 2,531 rounds played. By that date last year, Homewood had 2,805 rounds played. Homewood opened on March 11 in 2024 and on March 28 in 2025. The Men’s League began on Monday, April 21. The league is full with 20 teams (40 golfers) participating. The Couples/Pairs Golf League began on Tuesday, April 29, and is also full with 36 participants (18 teams). The table below shows the current clubhouse rental hours and revenue amounts compared to the same time frame last fiscal year. July 1, 2023 – April 23, 2024 July 1, 2024 – April 23, 2025 Paid Event Hours 108.75 102.75 Revenue from Paid Events $11,123.75 $10,590.75 Non-Paid Event Hours 187.75 107 Mini-Pitch at Lloyd Kurtz Park: The concrete for the sidewalks and the mini-pitch court have been poured. Musco, a mini-pitch subcontractor, is scheduled to install the fencing and lighting from May 6–8. The surface subcontractor is expected to begin the acrylic painting as early as May 9. The entire project is anticipated to be completed by the end of May. A special thank you goes to Kurt and Sindy Friedrich and the entire Friedrich Team as the naming sponsor of the “Friedrich Pitch”! Thanks also goes out to Central State Bank, Draintech, and Greater Iowa Credit Union for their donations as bench sponsors. Splash Pad at Daley Park: A Request for Proposals (RFP) has been distributed for the Splash Pad equipment and installation. The Splash Pad will be approximately 5,000 square feet of wet area with multiple in-ground spray features, as well as above ground equipment like a dump bucket. Project plans and specifications will be presented to City Council in May for the remaining items for the project. It is anticipated construction could begin in late fall 2025 and be completed in spring 2026 with the Splash Pad to open in summer 2026. Wellness: Thirty-nine people attended onboarding at the Sixty Forward Center March 1 -31. A new fitness session began on Monday, April 7, at both the Community Center and the Sixty Forward Center. Classes continue to be offered both in person and virtually. 5 April classes have the following registrations: Program Registrations Community Center 475 Sixty Forward 157 Beginner Line Dance 13 Adult Ballet 8 Dynamic Aging 9 Balance, Strength, & Stretch (at Vintage Cooperative) 8 6 PLANNING & HOUSING Downtown Façade Grants: The newly updated Downtown Façade program was open for qualifying application during the month of April. Staff tentatively plans to present the qualifying applications for City Council approval on May 27. Development Incentives: Developers of multiple sites in North Ames have discussed with staff their interest in City financial support for planned developments. Staff intends to present these requests to City Council at one of its May meetings to get direction on how to proceed with any cost sharing or other incentives to support development. The requests range from City installation of infrastructure to ending the tax abatement program and allowing for tax increment financing (TIF) as developer rebates. Infill Development – S. 4th Street / South Lincoln Mixed Use: A new PUD application for 16 bi-attached homes has been submitted to the City. The project would create attached homes on individual lots with units fronting along S. 4th Street. The site has long been vacant and struggled with development of an apartment building under the current South Lincoln zoning rules. The PUD Overlay for a site under 2-acres gave the developer a new option to pursue a townhome development for the site that was not previously possible. The PUD will go to the Planning and Zoning Commission and then to the City Council for approval. Infill Development of Dakota Towns (North Dakota/Lincoln Way): A proposed PUD rezoning for 20 townhomes will be on the May 13 City Council agenda. Neighbors along West Bend are not supportive of the change and have filed a petition protesting the zoning change, which will require a supermajority vote by City Council to approve the project. Legislative Changes to Accessory Dwelling Units: The City approved an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance in the 2023. Recently, the state approved a new law requiring cities to allow ADUs without rental restrictions, certain design requirements, and no additional parking. To comply with this new law, the City will need to amend its zoning standards and consider how to approach accessory building encroachments and other issues. A staff report will be presented to the City Council before July 1. 7 North Ames Annexation Updates: City Council will hold a hearing for the “Borgmeyer” Annexation, which includes additional properties along GW Carver and Hyde Avenue, on May 27. Staff provided the Ames Golf and Country Club (AGCC) and each property owner in the Irons Subdivision with information regarding City Council’s offer for a transition of property taxes to submit annexation applications by April 30. Staff will provide an update on May 13 regarding whether the AGCC and Irons property owners submitted applications. State Workforce Housing Tax Credits: The state program has published its guidelines and set an application deadline of June 6. Staff believes that at least two developers will ask for a letter of support before the application deadline. A letter of support would indicate that the City’s tax abatement program for ownership housing acts as the required local match and is desirable to the City. Zoning Update Workshop Next Steps: The City Council held a workshop on April 15 and decided to proceed with a comprehensive update of the zoning ordinance and related development issues. As part of the decision, City Council asked staff to present an option to form an advisory committee and include the Planning and Zoning Commission in the process. Staff plans to address City Council’s interests for a committee and present an overall scope and timeline for the process as early as May 27 and no later than June 24. 8 WATER & POLLUTION CONTROL Control System Update: The Water Plant is wrapping up a major control system update that also includes isolation of the access control system and security camera system networks. Lime Pond Underdrain Improvements: Work is expected to begin in May on the Lime Pond Underdrain Improvements Project. This follows a pilot project completed a few years ago that demonstrated that increased dewatering of the lime softening residuals could be achieved. In the long term, this will result in reduced operating expenses to dispose of these residuals each year. Liquid Flouride Feed System: The Water Treatment Plant is currently performing a pilot test of a liquid fluoride feed system. This has the potential to provide greater operational serviceability compared to the existing powder feed system. Staff is closely watching the data reviews underway at the federal level for possible changes in either Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards (mandatory) or Centers for Disease Control recommendations (non-mandatory guidance). North River Valley Wellfield and Pipeline: Construction of the North River Valley Wellfield and Pipeline has slowed recently, as completion is dependent on delivery of electrical switchgear that is not expected to arrive until late summer. Staff is still working through a significant cost disagreement with the general contractor over the deletion of one well from the project scope. Nutrient Reduction Modification Project: Progress on the Nutrient Reduction Modification Project at the Water Pollution Control Facility continues. The contractor is still anticipating turning the Administration Building over to the City in September. Demolition of the old Administration Building would follow shortly thereafter, making way for the new aeration basins that will be the workhorses of the new treatment process. Substantial completion of the overall project is anticipated in the fall of 2026, with final completion and closeout by the end of calendar year 2026. Water Treatment Plant Open House: A successful Open House was held on April 19. An estimated 800 guests toured the Water Treatment Plant and visited with many City teams engaged in sustainability activities. Water Treatment Plant Emergency Response Plan: Staff is in the process of preparing an update to the Plant’s Risk and Resilience Assessment and the associated Emergency Response Plan. In April, a physical security expert from the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency assisted by touring the campus and offering recommendations for improvement. Youth Sports Complex Wellfield Emergency Generator: Design work is nearing completion for the Youth Sports Complex Wellfield Emergency Generator. The generator will be placed near the Ames Dog Park (out of the floodway), with power feeds to four of the five wells in this 9 wellfield. The project is expected to be funded in large part through a Hazard Mitigation Grant from the state and federal departments of homeland security.