Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) Transportation Policy Committee Meeting 09/24/2019MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE AMES AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE, AND REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL CHAMBERS - CITY HALL - 515 CLARK AVENUE AMES, IOWA SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 AMES AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (AAMPO) TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING The Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) Transportation Policy Committee meeting was called to order by Ames Mayor and voting member John Haila at 5:01 p.m. on the 24th day of September, 2019, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law. Other voting members present were: Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, City of Ames; Gloria Betcher, City of Ames; Tim Gartin, City of Ames; David Martin, City of Ames; Chris Nelson, City of Ames; Juan Bibiloni, Transit; and Lauris Olson, Story County. Amber Corrieri, City of Ames; Jonathan Popp, Gilbert; and Bill Zinnel, Boone County Supervisor were absent. CyRide Transportation Planner Shari Atwood; City of Ames Traffic Engineer Damion Pregitzer; and the AAMPO Administrator and Ames Public Works Director John Joiner were also present. APPOINTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR JOHN JOINER TO STATEWIDE URBAN DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS (SUDAS) BOARD OF DIRECTORS: AAMPO Administrator Joiner said the AAMPO is allocated one member on the Statewide Urban Design and Specifications (SUDAS) Board of Directors. The representative is required to be a licensed professional engineer and has traditionally been the Public Works Director in the City of Ames. Moved by Bibiloni, seconded by Nelson, to approve Alternative No. 1, thereby approving the appointment of the City of Ames Public Works Director, John Joiner, as the AAMPO representative to the SUDAS Board of Directors. Vote on Motion: 8-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. IOWA CLEAN AIR ATTAINMENT PROGRAM GRANT APPLICATION: Five project applications are being submitted to the Iowa DOT for the Iowa’s Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP) for Phase 1 that includes a fiber-optic network and technology upgrades to every signalized intersection for traffic adaptive, which is the Long-Range Plan project. City Council Member Martin asked what happens if the fiber gets cut since traffic control will be based off the new fiber network. Traffic Engineer Pregitzer said the fiber is designed with redundant rings so that if one area gets cut, another part of the loop would reroute communication; there shouldn’t be any major downtime. Each internal controller would have a default mode that it would revert to if the fiber was completely disconnected from the traffic light. Mr. Martin asked why fiber technology was chosen instead of a competing cheaper option. Mr. Pregitzer said all of the traffic devices are designed and run on a fiber network, and it tends to be the most resilient style network because it is buried, which wouldn’t be affected by downed trees or ice storms. Wireless networks require line-of-site, which would not be ideal with all the trees in Ames. Mr. Martin then asked if the dark cable is something that could be leased to private entities. Mr. Pregitzer said the owner will be the City of Ames, so Council can decide the policy on any of the dark fiber. Mayor Haila asked if conduit will be roughed in along areas that are currently being developed to have the fiber pulled in the future. Mr. Pregitzer said the goal is to implement pieces that coincide with the Master Plan as they become possible. Story County Representative Olson asked for a rough estimate of how many years and how much money this entire project would take. Mr. Pregitzer said the Master Plan hasn’t been presented and adopted yet; the goal tonight is to not miss the current funding cycle window. This Phase was the most logical as it contains Duff, which is the most-congested corridor. The Master Plan will hopefully be presented this fall with a completion goal of three to five years but it is dependent on grants like these. CyRide Transportation Planner Shari Atwood discussed the route changes and additions listed in the Council Action Form. Moved by Olson, seconded by Betcher, to approve the following resolutions: 1.RESOLUTION NO. 19-485, thereby certifying that the Ames Traffic Network - Phase 1 (Fiber Network & Adaptive Control) project shown in the Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program grant application conforms to the MPO’s regional transportation planning process. 2.RESOLUTION NO. 19-486, thereby certifying that the West Ames Changes (New Route: #12 Lilac; Added Frequency of Service: #1 Red, #7 Purple, & #11 Cherry) project shown in the Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program grant application conforms to the MPO’s regional transportation planning process. 3.RESOLUTION NO. 19-487, thereby certifying that the Cherry (Night Service) project shown in the Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program grant application conforms to the MPO’s regional transportation planning process. 4.RESOLUTION NO. 19-488, thereby certifying that the Lilac (Midday Service) project shown in the Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program grant application conforms to the MPO’s regional transportation planning process. 5.RESOLUTION NO. 19-489, thereby certifying that the Brown (Night Service) project shown in the Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program grant application conforms to the MPO’s regional transportation planning process. Vote on Motion: 8-0. Resolutions declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. FISCAL YEAR 2016-2020 SAFETY PERFORMANCE TARGETS: Mr. Joiner said the numbers are incorporated in the AAMPO through the Long-Range Plan and the TIP, rather than each project. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Olson, to approve Alternative No. 1, thereby approving supporting the safety performance targets established by the Iowa Department of Transportation in coordination with Iowa MPOs. Vote on Motion: 8-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Bibiloni to adjourn the Ames Area Metropolitan Planning 2 Organization Transportation Policy Committee meeting at 5:11 p.m. REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING The Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 5:15 p.m. on September 24, 2019, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law. Present were Council Members Gloria Betcher, Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, David Martin, and Chris Nelson. Ex officio Member Devyn Leeson was also in attendance. PRESENTATION: Mayor Haila introduced Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds; Callie Sanders from the Iowa State University Athletic Department; and Pam Elliott Cain, Interim Senior Vice President for Operations and Finance for Iowa State University. Story County Attorney Reynolds recognized the joint efforts of law enforcement for their hard work. She recounted the reaction of the community and the law enforcement personnel to the Celia Barquin Arozamena murder case from September 17, 2018. The following officers were recognized for their vital roles in this case: Police Officer Adam McPherson, who was first to arrive on the scene and pulled the victim out of the water; Mitch Koepping, the police officer who arrested Collin Richards; Lieutenant Heath Ropp, who came in on his day off to help the community and broke the case quickly; Detective Cole Hippen, who was the lead investigator on this case; Iowa State University Police Chief Newton was on-scene and coordinated with the Attorney’s Office the whole time; Police Chief Cychosz, who coordinates an exceptional agency with Commander Geoff Huff and Commander Jason Tuttle. PROCLAMATION FOR “FIRE PREVENTION WEEK:” October 6-12, 2019, was proclaimed as “Fire Prevention Week” by Mayor Haila. Fire Chief Rich Higgins, Deputy Chief Tom Hackett, Deputy Chief Doug Allen, Firefighters Mike Kaldenberg, Rickey Thompson Jr., Jess Bappe, and Eli Ingram, Shift Commander Nick Lucchesi, and Fire Inspector Jason Ziph of the Ames Fire Department accepted the Proclamation. PROCLAMATION FOR “MANUFACTURING DAY:” October 4, 2019, was proclaimed as “Manufacturing Day” by Mayor Haila. Dan Culhane President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ames Chamber of Commerce accepted the Proclamation. Mayor Haila announced that the Council was working off an Amended Agenda. City staff had added a Certificate of Consistency with the City’s 2014-2018 Community Development Block Grant Consolidated Plan on behalf of Youth and Shelter Services, Inc. Mayor Haila also advised Council that he pulled the resolution setting the date of public hearing for October 8, 2019, for authorization to issue Hospital Revenue Bonds, Mary Greeley Medical Center Series 2019, in an amount not to exceed $35,000,000 from the Consent Agenda for separate discussion. CONSENT AGENDA: Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda: 3 1.Motion approving payment of claims 2.Motion approving Minutes of Regular Meeting held September 10, 2019, and Special Meeting held September 17, 2019 3.Motion approving Report of Contract Change Orders for September 1 - 15, 2019 4.Motion approving new 5-day (October 10 - 14) Special Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service - Ames Main Street, 500 Main Street 5.Motion approving renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits, and Liquor Licenses: a.Class C Beer Permit with Class B Wine, Sunday Sales - Hy-Vee Gas #5018, 636 Lincoln Way b.Class C Beer Permit with Sunday Sales - Docs Stop 5, 2720 E 13th St c.Class C Liquor License with Class B Native Wine, Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - AJ's Ultra Lounge, 2401 Chamberlain Street - PENDING DRAM SHOP d.Class E Liquor License with Class B Wine, Class C Beer and Sunday Sales - Hy-Vee Food & Drugstore #2, 640 Lincoln Way e.Class E Liquor License with Class B Wine, Class C Beer and Sunday Sales - Hy-Vee Food Store #1, 3800 W Lincoln Way f.Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Bullseye Restaurant Group LLC, 114 South Duff Ave 6.Ames High School Homecoming Requests: a.Parade on Monday, September 30: i.Motion approving blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit ii.RESOLUTION NO. 19-490 approving closure of City Parking Lot MM, southern portion of City Parking Lot M, and a portion of CBD Lot Z from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for parade staging iii.RESOLUTION NO. 19-491 approving closure of 5th Street, from Grand Avenue to Pearle Avenue; Pearl Avenue; Main Street, from Pearle Avenue to Duff Avenue; Clark Avenue, from north of the CBD Lot exit to Fifth Street; Burnett Avenue, from Main Street to 5th Street; and Kellogg Avenue, from north of the CBD Lot exit to Main Street, from 6:00 p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. iv.RESOLUTION NO. 19-492 approving waiver of parking meter fees and enforcement from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for 55 metered parking spaces in Lot N b.Fireworks at Ames High Stadium on Friday, October 4: i.Motion approving fireworks permit for display after football game (approximately 8:15 p.m.) ii.RESOLUTION NO. 19-493 approving waiver of fee for Fireworks Permit 7.Requests from ISU Homecoming Central Committee for ISU Homecoming Events on Friday, October 25, 2019: a.ExCYtement in the Streets i.Motion approving blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit ii.RESOLUTION NO. 19-494 approving closure of portions of Sunset Drive, Ash Avenue, Gray Avenue, and Pearson Avenue from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. iii.RESOLUTION NO. 19-495 approving suspension of parking regulations for closed areas from 5:00 p.m. Thursday, October 24, until 11:00 p.m. Friday, October 25 4 Central Campus Events iv.Motion approving request for Fireworks Permit for display from ISU Central Campus at midnight on Friday, October 25, for Mass Campaniling v.Motion approving a blanket Vending License vi.RESOLUTION NO. 19-496 approving waiver of the Vending License fee 8.Requests from The Mucky Duck for Anniversary Beer & Sausage Festival on September 27, 2019 a.RESOLUTION NO. 19-497 approving the suspension of parking regulations along the south side of the 100 and 200 blocks of Crystal Street from 7:00 a.m. on September 27 through 10:00 a.m. on September 28 b.Motion approving temporary extension of Outdoor Service area for The Mucky Duck, 3100 S. Duff Avenue - PENDING DRAM SHOP 9.RESOLUTION NO. 19-498 approving and adopting Supplement No. 2019-4 to the Ames Municipal Code 10.RESOLUTION NO. 19-499 approving Annual Street Financial Report 11.RESOLUTION NO. 19-500 approving Certificate of Consistency with the City’s 2018-2018 Community Development Block Grant Consolidated Plan on behalf of Youth and Shelter Services, Inc. 12.RESOLUTION NO. 19-502 setting date of public hearing regarding vacation of a Public Utility Easement at 2812 Hyatt Circle 13.RESOLUTION NO. 19-503 approving Professional Services Agreement for 2020/2021 U. S. Highway 69 Improvements (Intersection improvements and traffic signal at South Duff Avenue and U. S. Highway 30 Eastbound Off-Ramp) in an amount not to exceed $68,600 14.RESOLUTION NO. 19-504 approving renewal of Story County 28E Mutual Aid Agreement for Fire and Emergency Medical Service 15.RESOLUTION NO. 19-505 approving purchase of C-5 Conveyor Replacement for Resource Recovery Plant from Carrier Vibrating Equipment, Inc., of Louisville, Kentucky in the amount of $59,987 16.RESOLUTION NO. 19-506 approving contract and bond for 2018/19 Traffic Signal Program (U.S. Hwy. 30 Westbound Off-Ramp and South Dakota Avenue) 17.RESOLUTION NO. 19-507 approving Change Order No. 1 to contract with General Electric Steam Services, Inc., of Midlothian, Virginia, for additional field engineering services for Unit 7 Turbine Generator Overhaul in the amount of $49,986.22 18.RESOLUTION NO. 19-508 awarding Contract for Asset Data Collection and Hierarchy Development to Emerson of St. Louis, Missouri, in the amount of $99,532 19.RESOLUTION NO. 19-509 approving Final Plat for Sunset Ridge Subdivision, 9th Addition and the phasing of the private improvements 20.RESOLUTION NO. 19-510 accepting partial completion of public improvements required for Birch Meadows Subdivision, 1st Addition and reducing security being held therefor 21.RESOLUTION NO. 19-511 accepting partial completion of public improvements required for South Fork Wrap-Up (various additions of South Fork Subdivision) and reducing security being held therefor 22.RESOLUTION NO. 19-512 accepting completion of public improvements required for South 5 Fork Subdivision, 3rd Addition, and releasing security being held therefor 23.RESOLUTION NO. 19-513 accepting completion of public improvements required for South Fork Subdivision, 6th Addition, and releasing security being held therefor 24.RESOLUTION NO. 19-514 accepting completion of public improvements required for South Fork Subdivision, 7th Addition, and releasing security being held therefor 25.RESOLUTION NO. 19-515 accepting completion of 2016/17 Concrete Pavement Improvement (Dawes Drive) Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolutions/Motions declared adopted/approved unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. Mayor Haila said he pulled the item regarding Hospital Revenue Bonds from the Consent Agenda to allow further explanation. Gary Botine, Chief Financial Operator of Mary Greeley Medical Center, said the purpose of the bond is to finance renovations and additional expansions. The bonds are hospital revenue bonds, which are not paid for by the tax payers and the hospital does not receive any public support. If there is an event of default, the City is not held responsible. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri to approve RESOLUTION NO. 19-501, thereby setting the date of the public hearing for October 8, 2019, for authorization to issue Hospital Revenue Bonds, Mary Greeley Medical Center Series 2019, in an amount not to exceed $35,000,000. PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor Haila opened Public Forum. Richard Deyo, 505-8th Street, Ames, said he wanted to vote no for the Healthy Life Center due to the Center not allowing nudists. Mayor Haila advised Richard that this does not pertain to City business. Merlin Pfannkuch, 1424 Kellogg Avenue, Ames, said he wanted to talk about the announcement of a possible Multi-Use Development District between Hilton Colosseum and Jack Trice Stadium as well as the failure of the Healthy Life Center Bond Issue. He said the entertainment district idea is an ISU project with the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) involved somehow. He proposed that the ACVB set aside 15-25% of the annual Hotel/Motel Tax revenue from the proposed new convention center with an attached hotel that the ACVB is pursuing to offset losses from whatever aquatic facilities are eventually developed for the City. The ACVB gets approximately $1.75 million in tax revenue, and they don’t seem to know how to use the money wisely. He said according to the Code Chapter 24 Section 5, the City Manager may work with the ACVB and representatives of Iowa State University to develop for the approval of City Council multi-year agreements for utilization of said tax proceeds for improvements to and construction of recreation, convention, cultural, and entertainment facilities. Mr. Pfannkuch said he believes that means they can use those funds to subsidize aquatic facilities if they want to. He also said that the ACVB has been acting like a private body, but they are a public body. He would like the Council to direct them to make the minutes since Julie Weeks became the head available and post their agenda and minutes since they are part of the City. Mayor Haila closed Public Forum after no one else came forward to speak. 6 CAMPUSTOWN FACADE GRANTS: Planner Julie Gould said City Council voted in May to open an additional round of Campustown Facade Grant Applications during the summer of 2019 based on a request from a property owner within the District. Typically, the Campustown Facade program only accepts one round of applications that occurs each Spring. According to Ms. Gould, work was started on this project before receiving the grant approval and before the company received a Notice to Proceed. The applicant asked if they could still move forward. Public Works directed the applicant to update their budget for work that has not been completed. Based on the updated budget, the applicant would not be eligible for the full $15,000. Conditions have been added to ensure they still comply with the Notice to Proceed criteria. With City Council’s decision to award the Grant, the applicant is required to complete program requirements to proceed with the project. A Notice to Proceed will require the applicant to obtain a Building Permit and compliance with the City’s zoning requirements before receiving Grant funds. Additionally, an Encroachment Permit for the patio, canopy, or signage will be necessary, if applicable, and required before staff issues a Notice to Proceed. No work can restart until the official Notice to Proceed is granted if the applicant desires to receive any Grant funds. Council Member Betcher asked if the amount of the Grant was prorated based on the fact that they started the project before the Grant was approved. Ms. Gould said the total was $34,650, and of that, only $17,000 was eligible to be covered with a one-to-one match. Ms. Betcher asked why Council is voting on issuing the full $2,000 for design fees instead of prorating that portion as well. Ms. Gould said the design work is always done before any application is reviewed, and with this budget at $4,000, she did not see a need to prorate that amount. Mayor Haila opened Public Comment. He closed it after no one came forward to speak. Moved by Nelson, seconded by Betcher, to approve Alternative No. 1, thereby approving RESOLUTION NO. 19-516 a Campustown Facade Grant for the project at 117 Welch Avenue, awarding up to $8,650 in Grant funding for eligible features with an additional $2,000 in design fees for a total Grant award of $10,650 for the overall project with the following conditions: a. Submit patio and handrail details to verify the proposed patio improvements do not encroach into the proposed public sidewalk/right of way. b. Approval of Encroachment Permits must be received for any canopy, patio or building projection, or signage that may cross over the property line into the right-of-way prior to issuance of a Notice to Proceed. c. Work cannot restart until a Notice to Proceed is granted. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. INTERNET SERVICE FEASIBILITY STUDY: Assistant City Manager Brian Phillips reviewed the goals of the Feasibility Study. At the August 13, 2019, City Council meeting, the Council directed that City staff place on a future meeting agenda the topic of an internet service feasibility 7 study in which the City would have some hand in operating an internet utility. According to Mr. Phillips, Information asymmetry is one issue that has been discussed in conversations with private providers. There was a disconnect between what residents shared and what providers say about their abilities to serve various parts of the community. A survey was sent out that received over 700 responses from people who were interested in improvements to internet service. The information does not align with the information provided by the providers on where they can service. There is infrastructure throughout Ames, but they aren’t sure of the specific characteristics of it. Despite staff’s efforts to obtain the information, they don’t know where the gaps in the community are that can be put on a map. Mr. Phillips said the market will be different for private sector providers in about a year. Another provider has announced their intention to come to the community and build infrastructure to a substantial part of the community. Mr. Phillips stated that should the City Council decide to pursue a feasibility study, City staff would advise that a different approach be considered rather than focusing a study solely on the feasibility of a municipal internet utility. Under this model, a feasibility study for a municipal internet service would be just one possible path evaluated to accomplish the Council’s six goals related to internet service. Other paths would also be evaluated to achieve the community’s desired levels of service. Using this data, alternatives would be developed to create service improvements. These would range from filling gaps in the community to developing a City-operated utility. The City would then evaluate the alternatives and decide which approach to pursue to address internet service issues into the future. The scope of services proposed by staff would include three phases and would be a year- long commitment to get through all three phases. Mr. Phillips said that if the Council chooses to proceed with either Option 1 or Option 2, staff would prepare RFP and draft submittal requirements and the evaluation criteria. These details would then be returned to the City Council for final approval before the RFP is issued to ensure alignment with the Council’s vision. City staff recommends the funding for any study come from the balance of the Hotel/Motel Tax Fund, which is used to finance economic development projects. It was specifically pointed out that if Option 3 is chosen, the Council could wait to see how consumer satisfaction is affected by increased private sector competition for internet service, and then decide how best to proceed, if at all. Council Member Gartin asked if it takes a year to conduct this study, and there are constantly contractors out adding these different facilities, how Council can rely on a report that is potentially outdated. Mr. Phillips said it would have to be explored with the consultants. Council Member Corrieri asked if the scope of what they do a year from now would be altered if Council were to delay making a decision to see how the market and coverage has changed. Mr. Phillips said it could potentially alter the scope as Council would have a good indication of how the new provider impacts internet service. City Council Member Martin asked if MetroNet’s attempt to accelerate its schedule from Spring 2022 to Fall 2020 as it states in the report is correct. Mr. Phillips confirmed that MetroNet originally 8 had a three-year build-out, but was able to shorten it to just under two years and now is expecting a September 2020 completion date. Ms. Betcher asked how to write the RFP to allow Council to do the kind of phasing they want to do. Mr. Phillips said they could do this as one big package and have a single consultant for the entire scope of work or they could do Phase 1 and 2 as part of one package and provide the report to Council at the end of Phase 2 for a decision on where to go; then a new RFP would be issued for Phase 3. Council Member Corrieri verified that pursuing a stand-alone municipal internet service would require a bond referendum. City Manager Steve Schainker said a lot of cities have been getting authorization to consider establishing a utility and then come back with the cost and more details. He said a vote would be needed to establish it and then financing would need to be determined. He also said it cannot be subsidized by another fund. Ms. Corrieri asked if the third phase would incorporate the feasibility of the passage of a vote. Mr. Schainker clarified that it would not be a marketing study. Mr. Martin said he wants to provide Ames residents with communications internet infrastructure that will perform excellently and is ultimately answerable to the voters, which is a really important aspect. It addresses issues that are not handled by simple competition with the existing players. They will have to decide which goals are most important. One of those goals is policy, which incorporates net neutrality and privacy. Council Member Martin said he was part of a research team 20 years ago that investigated the way in which Web pages were engineered to watch what people did as they used the Web page, which has gotten so much more intense over the years. They watch how your mouse hovers over items on the page before you click on it. When you start typing into form, they know what you deleted over before sending it. The money is made as much in the grasping of customers as it is in the content that customers believe is there. Net neutrality (controlling the speed at which content arrives at the computers of Ames customers) is one of the engagement mechanisms that is currently being fought about. There is very little stopping anyone from buying an internet service provider and picking what content they want to be faster or slower. The private market will not compete on this issue. They will compete on price, customer service, bandwidth and other areas, but they will not compete on who gets to see what you’re doing and how they glue you to your equipment. He said if Council wants to achieve that for Ames residents, they are going to have to look at different mechanisms. That is the one advantage of having a city-owned component over pure private competition. If the city owns something, eventually there will be a board of some sort that sets the rules for how content will be delivered and that board will be accountable to the voters. Council Member Beatty-Hansen said a board in charge of a utility like this would be accountable to the voters, but what if it was appointed instead of elected. Mr. Martin said that could be solved by making the board accountable to the voters. MetroNet brought an impressive presentation to Council a few months ago, and it will improve things if they deliver what they have promised. But he did ask them about terms of service and whether that includes net neutrality provisions or not. They said they reserve the right to slow down content or speed it up, but they don’t have any immediate plans of 9 acting on it. Further in their terms of service, they regard customer information as something that can be sold in case the company gets sold and service can be changed; the customer is expected to periodically review their Web site to see how the services have changed. He explained that this is standard practice in the industry, not just with MetroNet. Mayor Haila opened public comment. Brian Woerth, 3515 Emerald Drive, Ames, said he is fully supporting the consultant approach to look at all the aspects. MetroNet has stated that they will not provide fiber-to-home service to every place in Ames. One example of another city that built an internet utility had only a 30% take-rate and they were able to compete with other companies and payoff their bonds with user fees. He said if 50% of the Ames residents are willing to go with a city-owned internet utility over private, it would be paid for with user fees. He said the City needs to be ready to help the people who will not be serviced in a year; there is no need to wait. James Benn, 230 Hickory Drive, Ames, said he and his wife both work from home and they rely daily on a connection to a live area network. Both are connected to remote secure servers so presence and quality of the service is required for them to do what they do. What a quality of service metric would look like needs to be determined regardless of who runs it or installs it. Value is in the quality of service and the price, not just the price, and not just the speed. It’s just as important as any other pipe coming into the home. He also asked what the community’s ability is to enforce or compel that quality of service standard. Area Director, Mediacom Bo Hicks of 225 South Dayton Avenue, Ames, said Mediacom previously presented an extensive study on coverage gaps to show only 4.44% of addresses in Ames are not served by Mediacom, excluding 2,281 addresses that they do not have a right of entry on. He said he is willing to go over the maps if the City will sign a confidentiality agreement. Josh Opperman, 1123 N 3rd, Ames, said Huxley has an option for internet service that isn’t a big company. They have a cooperative internet provider that works great with low cost and a good market share. He said he also worked for Mediacom for a few years. Mayor Haila asked Mr. Opperman to direct his comments specifically to the Council Action Form. Mr. Opperman said he would urge Council to not put a lot of stock in what Mediacom says. Mr. Gartin reminded Mr. Opperman that the Mayor instructed him to focus on the issue at hand. Mr. Opperman said the City should move forward with the feasibility study, and just because an address is marked as serviceable, doesn’t mean it is. Iddo Friedberg, 9038 Vermont Circle, Ames, said he wanted to expand on what Council Member Martin brought up on the net neutrality aspect. He said that only a public utility will be able to preserve net neutrality. Net neutrality will also affect economic growth; small businesses get hit by the larger interests that operate by internet service providers. Municipal internet will be able to maintain the internet as an economic engine that will construe fairness and accessibility, but also will promote economic growth of small businesses in Ames. Without net neutrality, small businesses may 10 be harmed. After no one else came forward to speak, Mayor Haila closed public input. Council Member Corrieri said a high-quality internet service helps Council to achieve the bigger picture in the community to encourage economic development and to offer amenities to improve the quality of life for Ames residents. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Betcher, to approve Option 1 for the consulting model. Mayor Haila clarified that Option 1 is to direct staff to prepare an RFP for an internet consulting contract with the three-phase scope for the Consulting Model. Ms. Betcher said the value in identifying gaps and determining where service is and is not and getting a baseline of where the City needs to move from is going to be useful. She said she is supportive of this because it has ancillary benefits. Council Member Martin said he is supportive because he believes it is a thoughtful proposal that provides an opportunity to look at combinations that Council may not have considered otherwise. Council Member Nelson said he is supporting this for the same reasons, but is concerned about timing with other things happening in the community. He asked that Council would consider phasing it in such a way so that it fits better with some of the other decisions they will have to make. Mr. Gartin said he believes that net neutrality is very important and that low-income families will benefit from this as quality of service improves. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. NON-COMPLIANT CROSSWALK AT THE INTERSECTION OF 5TH STREET AND DOUGLAS AVENUE: City Manager Steve Schainker directed City Attorney Mark Lambert to answer any questions from Council. Council Member Nelson asked if Council needed to do anything with the crosswalk. Council Member Corrieri asked if they could ignore the letter. Mr. Lambert said the letter did not ask for a response, so ignoring it would be an option. He said no penalties have been implemented against other cities that have used colors in crosswalks. The Manual does not contain a prohibition on the colors. The Federal Highway Administration does not have jurisdiction over City streets. Mayor Haila opened public comment. Bill Diesslin, 5209 Maryland, Ames, said he is not an attorney, but he believes the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has misinterpreted their own rules and they are wrong. He said his comments are based on the manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices 2009 Edition that was revised in 2012. There are two types of statements in the Manual: standards written in bold text that have words like must, will, and shall; and guidance is written as ordinary text and is recommended, but not mandatory. Based on his review of the Manual, it is abundantly clear that the Federal Highway Administration is at best offering a suggestion not an edict. There is a definition to 11 crosswalks, and Part B says any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated as a pedestrian crossing by pavement markings, lines, or surface which may be supplemented by contrasting pavement, texture, style, or color.; and a rainbow is color. The part that the Federal government is getting confused about is the definition of crosswalk lines, which are white pavement markings that identify the crosswalk. The rainbow crossing in Ames has white lines demarcating it and is consistent with the Federal recommendations. It also is contrasted with color, so it is completely consistent with Federal rule. In bold, the Manual says “when crosswalk lines are used, they shall consist of solid white lines that mark the crosswalk. They shall not be less than six inches or greater than 24 inches in width.” The same agency that says this is a safety issue, and he is a Board-certified safety professional, conducted research that found an unmarked crossing that is no more and no less safe than a marked crossing. Mr. Diesslin said if he were the Mayor, he would write a letter to the administration saying, “Thank you for the advice. We will give it the attention it deserves.” or just not reply if that’s not appropriate. He said he has been interpreting regulations at the international, federal, state, and local levels for years. Mayor Haila advised Council that Mr. Diesslin is trained in this subject, so he’s not just a random person speaking. Seeing no one else who wished to speak, Mayor Haila closed public input. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to ignore the letter and not take any action. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. RESERVE SHUTDOWN OF UNIT 8: Director of Electric Services Donald Kom, said he did take this issue to Electric Utility Operations Review and Advisory Board (EUORAB) prior to Council, and it is reconsidering the initial motion in Option 1 to bring down Unit 8 on the week of the 15th. The whole idea on the date is to allow timing for notice to the garbage haulers and Boone County Landfill. Not knowing the true life of Unit 8, they want to change it to be within 10-14 days after notifying the haulers and Boone County. Assuming that the Unit trips offline two or three more times, EUORAB is asking Council to put up to $50,000 into the boiler account in case they need more than the $100,000 that’s left in the Boiler Maintenance Budget. Mr. Schainker advised Mr. Kom that the money can be moved administratively, but Council can’t approve a Change Order in advance; he would still need to come back to Council if the policy numbers are exceeded. Mr. Gartin asked if the haulers know this is coming. Mr. Kom said they have had daily communications with the haulers. He said Unit 7 should be online sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to adopt the language that EUORAB has recommended and approve with regard to no more than 14 days after the haulers have been notified. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Mayor Haila asked if there are projects that could be moved up to help during the shutdown. Bill Schmitt, Superintendent of Resource Recovery, said they have created a list of projects that they can work on while the boiler is shut down. 12 Council Member Beatty-Hansen asked at what point staff alters how the Resource Recovery Plant is marketed. There is a gap in service where everything is getting land-filled, but the garbage system is still marketed as the most environmentally friendly. Mr. Kom said going from coal to natural gas, coal had some advantages in that it allowed the City to burn RDF and take care a lot of things that come out of plastics, like chlorine for example. Switching to natural gas no longer produces the benefits of the ash from coal to handle that and natural gas brought more moisture. He said specially coated tubes are being installed on Unit 7 and Unit 8 that reduce the amount of acid clinging to the pipes because of the moisture. Unit 7 will be running at the end of November or beginning of December and they will be working on Unit 8 in 2020. Once both of the boiler projects are completed, they will have two very good units that are coated with the Inconel and will have two reliable units available. Ms. Beatty-Hansen asked if the capacity for burning RDF will equal what it was when they were burning coal or if it will still be lower because of the natural gas. Mr. Kom said when they switched to natural gas, they oversized the burners so they could continue burning the same amount of RDF whether they were burning coal or natural gas. Unit 8, by its size, can burn more than Unit 7, which is just over half the size of Unit 8, so they should be back up to where they were with the coal or maybe even better. Mayor Haila called for a recess at 7:13 p.m. Council reconvened at 7:22 p.m. HEARING ON AMENDMENTS TO FISCAL YEAR 2019/20 BUDGET REGARDING CARRY-OVERS: Finance Director Duane Pitcher said the amendments represent projects that have not been completed and have been carried into this year. Ms. Beatty-Hansen asked if there is a trend with the roll-overs. Mr. Pitcher said there is a slight increase this year, but it varies depending on large projects. Last year, the total for projects was just under $71,000,000, and this year is just over $79,000,000, so it is up a little bit. Mayor Haila opened the public hearing. Seeing no one who wished to speak, he closed the public hearing. Moved by Nelson, seconded by Betcher, to approve Alternative No. 1, thereby approving RESOLUTION NO. 19-517 approving amendments to fiscal year 2019/20 budget regarding carry- overs. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. HEARING ON AMENDMENT TO ADAPTIVE REUSE PLAN/MAJOR SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 2501 GRAND AVENUE: Mayor Haila opened the public hearing and then closed it after no one came forward to speak. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Betcher, to approve Alternative No. 1, thereby approving RESOLUTION NO. 19-518 amending the Adaptive Reuse Plan and Major Site Development Plan 13 for 2501 Grand Avenue subject to the following stipulations: a. Provide two additional trees to meet current parking lot tree planting standards. b. Waive the front-yard setback requirement of 50 feet to allow the trash enclosure 10 feet from the Grand Avenue property line. c. Allow the Planning Director to approve outdoor lighting consistent with the Zoning Ordinance standards. d. Maintain or improve the overall parking ratio for the site and allow for development of the Second Amendment site area with a ratio of four parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area for the new fast food building and provide for a total 1748 parking spaces at the completion of all improvements. e. For uses and site improvements not included in the Second Amendment, the approved 2012 Adaptive Reuse Plan still applies. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. HEARING ON 2018/19 SANITARY SEWER REHABILITATION (SIPHON): Mayor Haila opened the public hearing. Seeing no one who wished to speak, he closed the public hearing. Moved by Martin, seconded by Betcher, to accept the Report of Bids for the 2018/19 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation (Siphon) project and continue the public hearing to the October 8, 2019, City Council meeting. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. HEARING ON 2019/20 SANITARY SEWER REHABILITATION (MUNN WOODS): Mayor Haila opened the public hearing. No one came forward to speak, so he closed the public hearing. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to accept the Report of Bids for the 2019/20 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation (Munn Woods) project and continue the public hearing to the October 8, 2019, City Council meeting. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. HEARING ON CONVEYANCE OF VACATED 180' x 16' OF ALLEY RIGHT-OF-WAY NORTH OF LINCOLN WAY AND EAST OF ELM AVENUE: Mayor Haila opened the public hearing. He closed the public hearing after seeing no one who wished to speak. Moved by Nelson, seconded by Betcher, to approve Alternative No. 1, thereby approving ORDINANCE NO. 4391 vacating 180' x 16' of alley right-of-way north of Lincoln Way and east of Elm Avenue. 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 Martin, to approve Alternative No. 1, thereby approving RESOLUTION NO. 19-519 approving a Quit Claim Deed conveying said property to Forest Park 14 Properties, LLC. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. HEARING ON REZONING WITH MASTER PLAN OF 507 LINCOLN WAY FROM DOWNTOWN GATEWAY COMMERCIAL (DCG) TO HIGHWAY-ORIENTED COMMERCIAL (HOC): Council Member Nelson noted that he would be abstaining from voting on this item due to a conflict of interest. Planning & Housing Director Kelly Diekmann explained the different options for the layout. The developer proposes the rezoning in an effort to situate a drive-through facility on the site in a preferred location to support relocating the existing Starbucks coffee shop at 327 Lincoln Way in anticipation of future development within the 300 block of Lincoln Way. Rezoning the site to HOC would permit a site design that allows a parking lot area between the building and both Clark Avenue and Lincoln Way, whereas the current DGC zoning does not permit parking between the building and the street. Planner Justin Moore reviewed the different proposals. The applicant proposed a layout that places the parking to the east of the building and the drive-thru on the west side of the building. This version does not comply with the current zoning as the DGC zoning does not allow parking between the road and buildings. City staff proposed a layout that has the parking aspect compliant with the zoning requirements: the parking is on the west side of the building with the drive-thru on the north side. Mr. Diekmann said staff is recommending approval of the request as it does not cause a net increase in drive-thru facilities. The DGC zoning restricts the number of drive thru facilities per block facing Lincoln Way to one site and also restricts parking between a building and certain streets, such as Lincoln Way and Clark Avenue. The intent of this standard was to improve the walkability of the area and minimize vehicular driveways and interruptions along Lincoln Way. According to Mr. Diekmann, the Master Plan depicts a general layout for the site with a design that surrounds the building with a drive-thru aisle and parking on the east side of the building. The drive- thru window is proposed on the west side of the building facing away from Clark and Lincoln Way. The proposed layout in the Master Plan features a Lincoln Way access point that is designed so that drive-thru stacking has adequate room for approximately 15-17 vehicles through the parking lot and around the building. The number of stacking spaces will likely minimize issues with traffic extending out onto Lincoln Way while waiting in the drive-thru lane. A final driveway design would be subject to IDOT approval, as this part of Lincoln Way is also Highway 69. Landscaping would be placed as required by the Zoning Ordinance in all front yards of the site and for parking lot landscaping. Vehicular stacking capacity from the north at the Gilchrist access point is much less than from Lincoln Way. It is anticipated by the developer that far less stacking will occur at this location due to the much lower levels of traffic on Gilchrist. The Master Plan does not describe building materials or represent building facade design as there are no specific standards in HOC 15 compared to the DGC zoning district. Council Member Betcher asked what the orientation of the previous driveway was before. Mr. Diekmann said the previous KFC drive-thru exited on to Lincoln Way, and Taco Time did not have a drive-thru. Mayor Haila asked what the intent was with eliminating parking along the street. Mr. Diekmann said it bolstered the environment to encourage buildings to be brought as close to the street as possible; they did not want parking to be the first look to the site. Mayor Haila asked if a landscape buffer could soften the impact of the parking next to the street. Mr. Diekmann said Council can add landscaping as a condition, but this meeting is first reading at most, not a final action. Ms. Betcher asked if the number of parking spaces changes between proposals if the orientation of the lot is shifted. Mr. Diekmann said it could change, but they just looked at what the minimum parking requirement was. Council Member Beatty-Hansen asked if bike parking could be added in to the contract similar to what would be seen in the Downtown Gateway area. Mr. Diekmann that would be beyond the Code question. He reminded Council that this request is not something they would normally see, but since it requires Council approval to change the zoning, this is just an understanding of how development would proceed if they approve the applicant’s request. Mr. Diekmann said there are 24 to 26 parking spaces on the DGC compliant plan versus 28 on the other plan, but that one isn’t necessarily Code compliant yet. Ms. Betcher asked if the City would lose a drive-thru in the block where Starbucks currently is if they relocate to the site in question or if a drive-thru would still be available. Mr. Diekmann said the closing of that Starbucks would not preclude another drive-thru in that space. Mayor Haila opened the public hearing. Applicant Chuck Winkleblack, Hunziker Companies, 105 S. 16th Street, Ames, said the big thing with the DGC plan that was not discussed was that the plan doesn’t have convenient safe access for customers to get from the vehicle to the building. The blank walls on the building would be the focal point at the street corner, and the front door with the patio would not be ideal for one of the busiest streets in town. He showed an example of what the street could potentially look like if Starbucks doesn’t move and an example of what could be if Starbucks does move. He said Starbucks has stated they are not interested in moving if the layout doesn’t make sense for business. Rick Thompson, 414 South Duff Suite 104, Ames, said he and his wife own property on the south side of Lincoln Way. They were not fans of the rezoning along with many other property owners. He said he thinks it’s only fair, if the City is willing to rezone this property for the applicant’s livelihood, that Council would also rezone his properties back to HOC when it’s time to redevelop them or just do it now and give the option to other properties to go back to HOC also if they want to. Joe Rippetoe, 1317 Kinyon Circle, Ames, said he wrote Council a letter last week and urged Council 16 to reject the rezoning request. The creation of the DGC was a step in the right direction of eliminating or reducing drive-thrus. Approving this proposal would set back all the progress already made. More drive-thrus are poorly designed and are a menace to traffic by foot, bike, and vehicle. None of the drawings presented tonight are very safe. He said there isn’t enough room to have a drive-thru at this location. Drive-thrus should be used very limitedly. Other communities have banned new drive-thrus city-wide. Dan Culhane, President and Chief Executive Offer of the Ames Chamber of Commerce, said the population needs the rezoning. His argument is similar to his support of the Healthy Life Center. He doesn’t believe the project that is planned for east of this corner will help bring more people to Ames. He said 20,000 people work in Ames and live outside of Ames. Ames is a job center, but people choose to live elsewhere. The green space in the proposed layout tonight might convince someone to move to downtown. This doesn’t necessarily solve their problems, but it would be an improvement in the community. This isn’t about a coffee shop; it’s about bigger ideas to attract people to the community and to engage citizens and promote people moving to Ames. Dan Oh, 3327 Goldenrod Circle, Ames, asked Council to think about the transformation that can start in the downtown area if this is allowed to move forward. Mayor Haila closed the public hearing after no one else came forward to speak. Council Member Betcher said this is problematic as she was the only Council member who voted not to expand the area for DGC, so she could be consistent in her vote. However the Council convinced her that there is a vision for the entire area, so now she doesn’t know how she is going to vote. Ms. Beatty-Hansen said she liked having this corner and the next one down be DGC, and she doesn’t love that they just did it and are already turning back on their decision. She said she sees the big picture and the unique and timely opportunity to get the development to the east going. She said the transformational opportunity is worth the compromise. By moving this one drive-thru to the west, they will be reducing most of the curb cuts for the next few blocks to the east. There is a greater cost in not moving now and losing the opportunity to get into the Downtown Gateway concept. Council Member Corrieri said the potential loss is far greater than the difficult decision to be made at this meeting. This is not the last time they will make a decision that is in conflict with a previous decision. She said flexibility and compromise are necessary to work towards the bigger picture that she thinks they are all on the same page with. City Council Member Martin said it’s bigger than DGC required, but the process of how they got there is baffling. March 2018 was the last time Council heard anything official about this project. Tonight there are new diagrams from a new project altogether. He said he doesn’t understand how the Council can faithfully evaluate that material in the context of being asked to do a rezone on a corner so that a property owner who does not own this property can move their tenant in to this 17 property because they say they will. To him, it’s not connected enough. Ms. Betcher said Rick Thompson’s questions were interesting. If someone else comes to ask for rezoning, would the Council not consider their request, or does the Council admit that it is willing to take those requests and deal with them at face value. It seems odd that the Council is carving out this one parcel. Council Member Corrieri said there was discussion on whether this parcel maybe shouldn’t have been included in the first place. Ms. Beatty- Hansen said the issue tonight is the tip of the iceberg compared to the next likely decision needed. Mayor Haila said the developers have spent over a year trying to work with Starbucks, and if they can get a clear swap of land, they can move one direction or it could present a different issue. It’s clearing a path to allow Council’s vision for the Lincoln Way corridor. If it’s not rezoned, it is not known what’s going to happen to the east. Ms. Beatty-Hansen said she could be supportive of this for a compromise because of the potential for the development. Mr. Gartin said this is a critical vote for Ames. He said he will have a difficult time getting the plaza idea out of his mind. If they don’t embrace this, they will drive by and think about what could’ve been, and he thinks Council would look back with deep regret if they didn’t go forward with this compromise. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Corrieri, to approve Alternative No. 1, thereby approving a rezone from Downtown Gateway Commercial to Highway-Oriented Commercial with a Master Plan to allow for Office, Retail, and Restaurant Recreation Entertainment Trade uses with a single point of access from Lincoln Way as well as a single access from Gilchrist, with a general site layout as shown on the Master Plan, subject to approval of a Zoning Agreement and Master Plan Exhibit being prepared prior to third reading, until proof, in the form of written agreement, is provided to the City that Starbucks will relocate to 507 Lincoln Way. Mr. Martin said he is less concerned about maintaining a rigid consistency with previous motions than with the material brought before Council and the timing; all they have is a rezoning request on the corner property. Roll Call Vote: 4-1-1. Voting aye: Betcher, Gartin, Beatty-Hansen, Corrieri. Voting nay: Martin. Abstaining: Nelson. Motion declared carried. HEARING ON 415 STANTON AVENUE CONTRACT REZONING AGREEMENT (CONTINUED FROM AUGUST 27, 2019 AND SEPTEMBER 10, 2019): Mayor Haila said Council needs to continue this hearing due to all signatures not being received from the applicable property owners. Moved by Nelson, seconded by Corrieri, to continue the hearing to October 8, 2019. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 13 (RENTAL CODE) TO ADD RENT ABATEMENT 18 AS AN ENFORCEMENT TOOL: Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to approve second passage of an ordinance amending Chapter 13 (Rental Code) to add rent abatement as an enforcement tool, to add one-year Letter of Compliance prohibition as an enforcement tool, and to freeze the bedroom counts for all properties in the Near Campus Neighborhoods to what would have been allowed on January 1, 2018. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ORDINANCE ON PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ZONING CODE RELATED TO BICYCLE PARKING INCENTIVES IN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS: Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Gartin, to approve second passage of an Ordinance on a proposed amendment to the Zoning Code related to bicycle parking incentives in commercial and industrial areas. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PARKING REGULATIONS FOR SCENIC VALLEY SUBDIVISION, FOURTH ADDITION: Moved by Nelson, seconded by Corrieri, to approve third passage and adoption of ORDINANCE NO. 4392 establishing parking regulations for Scenic Valley Subdivision, Fourth Addition. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Ordinance declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. AMES PLAN 2040: Council Member Corrieri said she has felt disjointed in the way this was discussed. She said her expectation was that it was going to be very facilitated and it has felt more scattered so she doesn’t have a good sense of what has been done up to this point. Planning and Housing Director Diekmann said that it was the opinion of staff and the consultants is that Section 3 is the most critical as it should help bring together an agreement with Council and an understanding back to staff and the consultants that they are on a predictable course over the next five months. Sections 1 and 2 are also important, but an understanding needs to be reached at this meeting so Council understands what staff and the consultants are doing next and to make sure staff and the consultants understand what Council wants. Mayor Haila said he was under the impression that the consultants were responsible to provide a schedule rather than Council telling the consultants what should be done; he doesn’t know what the finished product looks like yet. He said they expected more from the consultants for direction on where they are going. He said it was helpful bringing up the Champaign, Illinois, plan as he can see where they are headed, but he can’t see where Ames is going yet. Mr. Haila said Council needs help so time isn’t wasted. It’s not Council’s place to change the order on the topics, that’s the consultant’s role. He needs to know where they are going and what steps are recommended to get there. Council Member Betcher said she thought Council was acting as the steering committee, but she still isn’t sure where all the roads are. Ms. Corrieri said she agrees Council should be driving it more, but it’s such a big concept and nobody on Council is an expert, so there is a need for more facilitation. 19 RDG Consultant Marty Shukert said a planning process is started by gathering existing information and putting that together in a packet of information which has been done. There’s a process that involves a significant amount of community input and communication, which has also been done. Then is the process of examining what the guiding elements of a comprehensive plan and distribution of uses are that determine which way the community grows. Alternative scenarios have been developed and worked through in a productive meeting, and they have looked in more detail at in-fill sites. This will come together in the October meeting, which will present a cohesive concept to look at; it will tie together transportation, land use, growth, and in-fill development producing a level of cohesion that Council wants and expects. Then the work breaks out into specific sections of the plan which includes policies, programs, and projects for the different systems. Mr. Shukert said Council sees snap shots at various times that are relatively short and it seems scattered, but it’s not scattered to the consultants. Within the next month, Council will see how this all comes together. He said this part of the process is not usually done by a City Council in a formal City Council setting. Mr. Diekmann said if Council has questions about next steps and content, they need to all agree tonight. Mayor Haila said he feels like the Champaign, Illinois, concept has three main groupings: Introduction, Vision and Guiding Principles, and Future Land Use. He asked if Council will see these kind of categories also. He asked for an example to give Council an idea of where the pieces fit in for a finished project. Cory Scott, Consultant with RDG, said they need to provide some clarity on demonstration projects. He said each city’s plan is different; each one has a structure that is born out of discussions with its staff and City Council. Mayor Haila asked if the consultants are going to extract out of the data and comments received to help Council come up with the Vision and Guiding Principles portion for each category. Mr. Diekmann said the way Mayor Haila described the Champaign plan is why the comprehensive plan was pitched in the first place; it helps put every project together in a complete package so everyone can understand why things are happening across the community. Ms. Betcher said she thought Council was looking for more than a Land Use Plan, but in the Champaign, Illinois, plan it says “fundamentally this is a land use plan.” She said she is not sure how to understand the statement as she anticipated that the core of the plan would not be based on land use. Director Diekmann said the core issue is where the City is going to put 15,000 people in the next 20 years because it’s not possible with the current city limits. The purpose is finding out what the emphasis of the plan is. Staff and the consultants will give Council exact things to respond to formed off public input. Mr. Nelson asked if there is going to be one page for each of the priority topics that includes background, issues, vision, and actions for Council approval or feedback. Mr. Diekmann said if this is the style Council wants, they need to know so they can start working on a completed product. Council Member Beatty-Hansen said the attempt at a broad vision statement looks good except she would like a community-wide environment vision statement added. Mr. Diekmann said they can add in environment to the statement and they will make sure to look through that lens as they work 20 through the other topics as well. Ms. Betcher said she feels like they are missing the equity and inclusion component that is in the priorities and the diverse housing opportunities idea. It seems like there is a principal of creating equity, or social justice through some of these things, but she doesn’t know how that gets put in without spelling it out in a vision of some kind. Mr. Diekmann said Council needs to focus on the priorities listed in Section 3 as that’s where the details come in. Ms. Betcher said they are hearing feedback from other people who have read the staff reports and they don’t see what they want to see in it. Mr. Diekmann said Section 3 is the list of priorities; if it’s not on the list, it’s not viewed as a priority at this time. Ms. Beatty-Hansen clarified that if anything that Council views as a priority is missing from the list, they need to add it tonight. Council Member Gartin asked how this list is different than any other city the size of Ames. He asked how it is a reflection of Ames as a unique city. Mr. Diekmann said it will be applied to Ames with tangible results that are Ames-specific like architectural style, neighborhoods, and things that people in Ames are interested in. It’s not that Ames has unique issues; it’s just how they relate to Ames. Mr. Martin said they need to make sure that the City’s interests are reflected in these points. Mr. Diekmann explained that it’s the details that make it unique. It’s not asking if Ames wants parks because everyone wants parks; it’s asking how many and the cost that comes along with it. Mr. Shukert said it is a very integrated process. A park issue also has implications for transportation, infrastructure, environment, equity, and other areas. Mr. Diekmann said he wants to make sure the topics are usable and valuable as details are developed for them. Mr. Scott said if they are following the Champaign, Illinois, model, they would come back to Council with a draft model with background issues, serviceability, visions and principles, and actions. Ms. Betcher explained that she thought Council wanted everything else to drive the land use, not land use to drive everything else. Mayor Haila asked how infrastructure investments are planned if there are multiple potential growth areas. Mr. Scott said there would be tiered levels. Tier 1 could be everything with existing structure. Tier 2 maybe is just on the fringe and might need serviceability improvements. Director Diekmann said that, while the flexibility with the tiers will make sense to a lot of people, flexibility in a large bubble that says we need to go somewhere is not what is needed. A growth diagram for commercial and density of housing will be a more complete vision. Not every development is defined, but some idea of what should be there in 20 years is good for defining neighborhoods. Ex Officio Member Leeson asked if the any type of development plan is going to be planned around projections from the University. Mr. Diekmann said the projected growth is not dependent on enrollment changes in the University. Mr. Leeson said he has been hearing concerns with some development areas being too far from the University or too far from other amenities. He said the people he has talked to said they really valued making sure there is affordable housing, access to amenities, and environmental concerns. He asked what has been done to reach students for input as he has had a hard time getting students to communicate. Mr. Diekmann said they got input from the 21 open house boards and the online survey. Mr. Leeson said he has heard a lot of interest in reinvesting in current areas, not expanding outwards. Mayor Haila opened public input. Mary Richards, 720 Kellogg, Ames, urged Council to take into account the community’s carbon footprint and how to reduce it, rather than allowing it to expand in this planning process. She said the environment needs to be the main issue; adding more sidewalks and electric charging stations will encourage the use of non-carbon producing transportation. Other options include easing the restrictions on placing solar panels on private homes, requiring all new buildings to be carbon neutral, and planting more trees. Mayor Haila closed public input after no one else wished to speak. Council Member Martin said the last time growth areas were discussed, Council didn’t come up with any information about different carbon footprints with the different development areas. Mr. Diekmann said the traffic model will be a big component to calculate the differences in the carbon footprints. Ms. Beatty-Hansen said that the Champaign, Illinois, format was the perfect length. Ms. Corrieri agreed. Ms. Corrieri verified that Council will be provided specific elements of the different areas first and then Council will be able to react to that version. Mr. Gartin agreed. Mr. Scott said that the October, November, and December schedules really should stay where they are, but the January and February schedules can be rearranged to address the more important subjects. Mr. Nelson said the order on the list for monthly topics is acceptable as is. Mayor Haila asked Mr. Diekmann to schedule separate meetings for the Ames 2040 discussions, rather than during City Council meetings. DISPOSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL: Memo from Damion Pregitzer, Traffic Engineer dated September 16, 2019 regarding status update on Lincoln Way Pedestrian Safety Project: Mayor Haila advised Council that this memo was just providing information, and no action is needed. Letter from Metronet dated September 20, 2019, regarding interest in the potential acquisition of property located at 1420 Lincoln Way: Moved by Martin, seconded by Corrieri, to refer to staff for a memo. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Letter from Sigler dated September 20, 2019, regarding interest in purchasing the property located at 3100 S Riverside Drive and buying out of the remainder of the current lease: Moved by Nelson, seconded by Corrieri, to refer to staff for a memo. Vote on Motion: 5-0-1. Voting aye: Betcher, Martin, Nelson, Beatty-Hansen, Corrieri. Voting nay: 22 Gartin. CLOSED SESSION: Council Member Gartin asked City Attorney Mark Lambert if there was a legal reason to go into Closed Session. Mr. Lambert replied in the affirmative, citing Code of Iowa Section 20.17(3) to discuss collective bargaining strategy. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Martin, to go into Closed Session under Section 20.17(3), Code of Iowa, to discuss collective bargaining strategy. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. The Council went into Closed Session at 10:04 p.m. and returned to Regular Session at 10:18 p.m. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Corrieri, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 19-520 approving a Memorandum of Agreement with IUOE Local 234 to modify the skill-based pay plan for Blue Collar. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Beatty-Hansen to adjourn the meeting at 10:20 p.m. ______________________________________ _____________________________________ Rachel E. Knutsen, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor 23