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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council 11/26/2019MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA NOVEMBER 26, 2019 The Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 6:00 p.m. on November 26, 2019, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law. Present were Council Members Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, David Martin, and Chris Nelson. Council Member Gloria Betcher was absent. Ex officio Member Devyn Leeson was also absent. PROCLAMATION FOR “SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY”: November 30, 2019, was proclaimed as “Small Business Saturday” by Mayor Haila. Chamber of Commerce Director Drew Kamp accepted the Proclamation. Mayor Haila announced a correction to Item No. 17: the contract for Flexible Spending Account Administration begins January 1, 2020, not July 1, 2020, and the amount should be $10,895, not $10,395. CONSENT AGENDA: Moved by Nelson, seconded by Corrieri, to approve the following items, with the corrections noted to Item No. 17, on the Consent Agenda: 2. Motion approving payment of claims 3. Motion approving Minutes of Regular Meeting held November 12, 2019 4. Motion approving Report of Contract Change Orders for November 1 - 15, 2019 5. Motion setting Conference Board meeting dates for January 14, 2020, and February 25, 2020 6. Motion approving renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits, and Liquor Licenses: a. Class C Beer Permit with Class B Native Wine and Sunday Sales - Swift Stop #8, 705 24th Street b. Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Time Out - Ames, 120 Kellogg c. Class C Liquor License with Catering, Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - Café, The, 2616 Northridge Parkway d. Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - Aunt Maude's, 543-547 Main Street e. Class C Liquor License with Catering, Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - Thumbs Bar, 2816 West Street - Pending Dram Shop f. Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - Tip Top Lounge, 201 E. Lincoln Way - Pending Dram Shop 7. RESOLUTION NO. 19-589 accepting Abstract of Votes for November 5, 2019, Regular City Election 8. RESOLUTION NO. 19-590 authorizing Ames Public Library to increase two Library Assistant positions in the Youth Department to 0.75 FTE 9. RESOLUTION NO. 19-591 approving 2019 Urban Renewal Report and appropriating the payment of a rebate of incremental taxes for the Campustown and Barilla TIF Districts 10. RESOLUTION NO. 19-592 setting December 10, 2019, as date of public hearing for vacation of Water Main Easement along north edge of Collaboration Place right-of-way from Plaza Loop to South Riverside Drive 11. RESOLUTION NO. 19-593 approving Encroachment Permit for a sign at 108 Hayward Avenue 12. Asset Management Agreement/Pipeline Services for Power Plant: a. RESOLUTION NO. 19-594 approving renewal of AMA Transaction Confirmation Agreement and Transaction Confirmation Agreement with BP Canada Energy Marketing Corp., of Omaha, Nebraska, through September 30, 2020, in an amount not to exceed $30,000 b. RESOLUTION NO. 19-595 authorizing an amount not to exceed $270,000 for the purchase of additional natural gas plus delivery as needed to manage the day-to-day fuel needs of the Power Plant through September 30, 2020 13. RESOLUTION NO. 19-596 approving preliminary plans and specifications for 2020 HVAC Project for CyRide; setting January 7, 2020, as bid due date and January 14, 2020, as date of public hearing 14. RESOLUTION NO. 19-597 approving preliminary plans and specifications for Durham Bandshell Lighting & Electrical Upgrades; setting January 7, 2020, as bid due date and January 14, 2020, as date of award 15. RESOLUTION NO. 19-598 approving preliminary plans and specifications for 2019/2020 Pavement Restoration Program (Slurry Seal); setting December 11, 2019, as bid due date and December 17, 2019, as date of award 16. RESOLUTION NO. 19-599 approving preliminary plans and specifications for Fuel Forwarding Building Fire Protection Upgrade; setting January 15, 2020, as bid due date and January 28, 2020, as date of award 17. RESOLUTION NO. 19-600 awarding a contract to TASC of Madison, Wisconsin, for Flexible Spending Account Administration beginning January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2023, in an amount of $10,895/year 18. Vendor Management and Electronic Bidding Software for Purchasing Department: a. RESOLUTION NO. 19-601 waiving the Purchasing Policy threshold for cooperative contracts and utilizing Iowa State University’s Pricing Agreement b. RESOLUTION NO. 19-602 awarding a five-year agreement to IONWave Technologies, Inc., of Springfield, Missouri, for Vendor Management and Electronic Bidding System Software in the amount of $58,625 19. RESOLUTION NO. 19-603 awarding contract to Diamond Oil of Des Moines, Iowa, for CyRide fuel purchases and delivery from January 1, 2020, until June 30, 2020, in an amount not to exceed $515,625 20. RESOLUTION NO. 19-604 awarding contract to EZ-Liner of Orange City, Iowa, for purchase of paint striping truck for Public Works in the amount of $144,015 ($140,070 base bid and $3,945 changeable message board) 21. RESOLUTION NO. 19-605 approving contract and bond for Inis Grove Park Restrooms Project 22. RESOLUTION NO. 19-606 approving Change Order No. 2 in the amount of $50,000 to Professional Services Agreement with BrownWinick of Des Moines, Iowa, for legal services rendered regarding service territory Ruling from the Iowa Utilities Board 23. RESOLUTION NO. 19-607 approving Change Order No. 3 with General Electric International of Omaha, Nebraska, for additional testing of Unit 7 Generator Exciter in the amount of $40,000 24. RESOLUTION NO. 19-608 approving Change Order No. 6 with HPI, Inc., of Ames, Iowa, for IMD Startup Support for Unit 7 Steam Turbine in the amount of $18,600.75 25. RESOLUTION NO. 19-609 approving Change Order No. 6 with SCS Engineers, of Clive, Iowa, 2 for Engineering and Related Services to comply with EPA Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR Standards) for Steam Electric Plant’s ash impoundment in the amount of $57,025 26. RESOLUTION NO. 19-610 accepting partial completion of public improvements and reducing security for South Fork Subdivision, 4th Addition (Wrap-up) 27. RESOLUTION NO. 19-611 approving partial completion of public improvements and reducing security being held for Hayden’s Crossing, 2nd Addition 28. RESOLUTION NO. 19-612 accepting completion of Water Pollution Control Facility Primary Clarifier Drive Replacement Project 29. RESOLUTION NO. 19-613 approving Plat of Survey for 2130 McCarthy Road, with Stipulation A 30. RESOLUTION NO. 19-614 approving Plat of Survey for 728, 728 rear, 734, and 808 E. Lincoln Way 31. RESOLUTION NO. 19-615 approving Plat of Survey for 1307, 1329, and 1405 South Dayton Place Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolutions/Motions declared adopted/approved unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor Haila opened Public Forum. Deanna Kizer, 3919 Dawes Drive, Ames, asked Council to address the excessive use of traffic signs and curb painting along Dawes Drive. She said she does not want a “No Parking” sign in her front yard as parking has never been an issue there. Ms. Kizer also expressed concern about curb painting. She reviewed her list of concerns about the changes the construction of the new bike path has caused to her property and neighborhood. Kristina Brekke, 203 Campus Avenue, Huxley, owner of Bomber Fireworks, asked Council to consider changing the use allowed in the DRC zone to allow outdoor fireworks sales in retail locations. She said the North Grand Mall is working hard to keep shoppers in Ames and she believes having the fireworks sales at the Mall would broaden the commerce since the surrounding communities don’t have fireworks sales. Allison Brundy, 3125 Maplewood Rd, Ames, thanked the City for the response letter to the Climate Action Team. Mayor Haila closed Public Forum after no one else came forward to speak. EAST INDUSTRIAL UTILITY CONNECTION FEES: Municipal Engineer Tracy Warner explained that once bids are received, the City will establish the connection district for all of the development, however, clarification is needed for the residential units. Some lots have a residential homestead that is part of the farmable land; some parcels could have over 1300 frontage feet and some over 460 feet. When land was annexed north of town, they encountered the same thing with the Pre-Annexation Agreement. Staff is recommending to approve a similar agreement for the East Industrial annexation. 3 Josh Boersma, 4626 E. Lincoln Way, Ames, said he had written a letter with his concerns about the utility connection fees. He said he believes that Option 1 of the Council Action Form is a better course of action than the way it is currently set up, otherwise residents are being treated like developers. Don Jensen, 4321 E. Lincoln Way, Ames, stated that when the easement was finalized a year ago, he asked the City engineers how much it would cost to sign on, and they wouldn’t commit to anything. He expressed concern about the cost of hooking up to water and sewer and asked to hook up to City services at a reduced cost. After no one else wished to speak, Mayor Haila closed public comment. Ms. Warner clarified that there is no requirement for property owners to stop using wells or rural water, but if the septic systems need maintenance, the Iowa Code says they need to connect if they are within 200 feet of the sanitary public system. Mayor Haila asked if a property owner could run one line and serve two buildings on a property. Ms. Warner suggested Council clarify that it is allowed to have one tap serve multiple buildings for existing parcels. She said she would need to double check whether the 200-foot measurement is from the building or from the property line to the main, but it is usually measured from the building. Ms. Warner said the City is working towards February bid requests for water and sanitary sewer. This would be an opportunity for residents to work with the contractor and hire someone themselves to connect once the trench is open. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Martin, to approve Alternative 1, setting a connection fee using similar language as the Pre-Annexation Agreements for residential properties along Grant (Hyde) Avenue for homesteads in the East Industrial Area Utilities project area. Using this language, with the current rate of $20/LF, residential properties could make a one-time connection using the 80 lineal foot width for the connection fee calculation. If the land is further subdivided for development, additional connection fees using the connection district fees would be required for the larger developed parcel. Council Member Chris Nelson asked if a separate motion was needed to address the clarifications that Mayor Haila discussed. Ms. Warner confirmed that a separate motion would be needed. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Moved by Nelson, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to clarify that multiple buildings may be served by one water or sewer tap on the same parcel. Council Member Gartin said he isn’t sure if he’s ready to vote on this yet. Ms. Warner suggested clarifying whether it applies it to existing buildings now; future buildings would pay the connection fees unless they ask City Council for a waiver. Council Member Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen said if staff is saying it’s ok to make a motion now, she doesn’t want to ask them to come back with a 4 memo that says the same thing. Council Member Martin asked how the process is currently communicated to the public. Ms. Warner said this is a policy, not an ordinance, and the information is communicated to the public when they call to arrange the connections. Vote on Motion: 3-2 Voting aye: Nelson, Beatty-Hansen, Corrieri. Voting nay: Gartin, Martin. Motion declared carried. MAINSTREAM LIVING REQUEST TO PURCHASE PROPERTY AT 1417 DOUGLAS AVENUE: Housing Coordinator Vanessa Baker-Latimer reviewed the memo from staff regarding the request from Mainstream Living and the options that staff defined to address the affordable housing needs and the sale of the lot: Option 1 is to sell the property to Mainstream Living based on its request; Option 2 is to make it eligible to any non-profit; Option 3 is to put the house on the market to any interested buyer for affordable housing purposes in the future. Mayor Haila opened public input. David Boeke, 1418 Douglas, Ames, said he lives across the street from the property discussed. He commented that he is interested in Option 3 because he has offered to buy the property multiple times and wants to put in a single-family home. Mr. Gartin asked Mr. Boeke if he sees any down sides to Option 1. Mr. Boeke said he doesn’t know who Mainstream Living is, so he doesn’t know how it will affect the neighborhood. Mayor Haila closed public input after no one else came forward to speak. Ms. Baker-Latimer said the City negotiated to purchase the property for just over $11,000 plus the costs incurred to remove asbestos and the anticipated cost of demolition. She said they may have additional closing costs and possibly snow removal fees as well. Mayor Haila stated the total cost would probably be around $36,000. Ms. Baker-Latimer advised that another neighborhood property owner sent an email saying she was interested in purchasing the property as well. She said Mainstream Living is one of the largest providers in Central Iowa for residential and community services to individuals with disabilities, and they intend to build a home for their clients that would function just like a single-family property. Council Member Nelson asked what the overhead and schedule would be if Council requested a Request for Proposals. Ms. Baker-Latimer said they would have to solicit proposals with a deadline date and then go with the lowest bidder and have a public hearing. Mr. Nelson asked if the potential profit differences among the options would be significant. Ms. Baker-Latimer said between Options 1 and 2, there isn’t typically any profit; it would be sold at cost. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Nelson to approve Option 1: to sell the property to Mainstream Living as requested, for approximately $36,000 (including purchase, asbestos removal, demolition, and closing costs). The final cost will be determined after the contract is completed for the demolition work and all closing costs are known. 5 Council Member Gartin asked if cities have to go through a process to dispose of real estate assets, to make sure they aren’t selling to friends for a deal. He asked if selling to Mainstream Living violates anything legally. City Attorney Mark Lambert referenced the Iowa Code that says a city can dispose of property to a non-profit. It can be given away to another governmental entity, but not to a non-profit or another person. He said it’s ok for the City to choose a specific buyer and sell it to them. Soliciting bids is an option as well. Mayor Haila reminded the Council members to be consistent with their goals to meet the needs for Low to Moderate Income (LMI) Housing. Ms. Baker-Latimer noted that a public hearing would still need to be held to dispose of the property to Mainstream Living, and the City would need approval of an agreement. Vote on Motion: 4-0-1. Voting aye: Martin, Gartin, Nelson, Beatty-Hansen. Voting nay: None. Abstaining: Corrieri. Motion declared carried. Mayor Haila announced that he made a technical error and needed a motion to adopt a resolution for Item No. 32(a). EAST INDUSTRIAL UTILITY CONNECTION FEES: Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Nelson, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 19-616 setting a connection fee using similar language as the Pre- Annexation Agreements for residential properties along Grant (Hyde) Avenue for homesteads. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. LETTER FROM U.S. BOARD OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES REQUESTING AN OPINION ABOUT A PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE NAME OF SQUAW CREEK: Mayor Haila reviewed the four options provided by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names: (1) Approve the proposed name Story Creek; (2) Reject the proposed name; (3) Take alternative action; (4) Let the U.S. Board of Geographic Names render a decision without the City’s recommendation. He asked if Council was interested in the last option as it would make a short order of the conversation. Council Members Gartin and Beatty-Hansen commented that they would like to hear public comment. Mayor Haila opened public comment. Tasida Barfoot, 4404 Toronto Street, #4, Ames, stated she drives over the Creek in question every day and seeing the sign makes her cringe. She said she’s not just here because the sign makes her cringe; there is a long-standing epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women - over 6,000 currently. She advised indigenous women face a rate of violence that is ten times that of the rate of women in the general population and a large part of the reason is because there are names such as the ones used at that Creek to refer to indigenous women in a very racialized and sexualized tone. Ms. Barfoot acknowledged that changing this name will not solve the problem, but racism comes after oppression. Racism justifies oppression and makes people blind to it. To end the oppression, 6 the first step is to call out racism and stop it when it is seen. She noted that the current name is racist to her, and asked Council to recommend to the Board to change the name of the Creek. Piper Wall, 912 Clark Avenue, Ames, mentioned before this came up, she had no idea that “squaw” was an offensive term, but it took almost no time searching to find that out. She is in favor of changing the name, but she does not like the suggestion of Story Creek as it does not start or end, nor is it completely contained, in Story County. She suggested Kit, as a small skunk, since it feeds into the Skunk River, but also suggested checking with First Nation’s People for a suitable alternative. Javier Miranda, 2905 Oakland Street, Ames, alleged there have been death threats on friends of his who are Lakota people and students at Iowa State University. These threats were made against them on the basis of them being indigenous. He said the name for this Creek is demeaning, dehumanizing, and it perpetuates subjugation that has real material instances beyond the name of a Creek. This Creek should be renamed out of respect for native people and out of respect for missing and murdered indigenous women. Mr. Miranda recommended a name to honor indigenous people or to acknowledge the role that people have in this ecosystem. Renaming a creek is not repatriation of this land, it is not indigenous sovereignty, but it is a necessary step for honoring these people and for some degree of reconciliation. Linda Murken, 17185 George Washington Carver Avenue, Gilbert, said she serves on the Board of Supervisors who were contacted by the Board of Geographic Names along with two other counties, the City of Ames, and Franklin Township trustees. She commented that this was first discussed last Tuesday at the Story County Board. One thing that people suggested was to talk to tribal leaders. She contacted the state archaeologist office and found that the archaeologist does have a position that the Creek should be renamed. The archaeologist provided a list of emails in the Midwest who are Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. She sent an email out to all 60+ email addresses and received about 20 responses back. The Tribal Historic Preservation Officers are unanimous in that they feel this name should be changed but did not find any consensus necessarily on the name. Maria Pearson, whose Indian name was Running Moccasin, did live in Ames and has national recognition and there are laws that exist now because of her work. Fawn Stubben, who was an Iowa State Student who worked to rename the Creek, was another suggestion. Other names were Meskwaki Creek; Iowa Creek, because the Iowa tribe did live in Central Iowa; Little Deer Creek; Cady Creek after the former Chief Justice, but they did find out that a person has to be deceased five years before having a geographic place named after them; and Hinage, pronounced “in-ah-gay”, which is Iowa for woman. Ms. Murken expressed concerns with Hinage as she didn’t think it would necessarily get spelled or pronounced properly. She didn’t see much support for Story Creek. Mayor Haila closed public comment after no one else came forward. Mr. Nelson asked how to move forward if they decide they want to look at options. Mayor Haila advised no time line was established by the Board of Geographic Names. He suggested getting feedback from local Native American representatives out of respect for their heritage. 7 Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Corrieri, to respond to the Board that Council is interested in changing the name of Squaw Creek and they need to know a deadline to come up with alternative names, eliminating Story Creek. Mr. Gartin requested to defer to the process of coming up with a name. Ms. Beatty-Hansen said the feedback seems pretty unanimous that Story Creek is not desired. She asked if Mayor Haila could work with the Board of Supervisors to communicate with the Native Historic Officers to whittle down the list of suggestions and present Council with a few options. Mayor Haila suggested they give two or three names to the Board as acceptable options. Ms. Murken said the Board of Geographic Names meets monthly and they didn’t seem like they were in a hurry, but they did say they would like to hear from all the entities. Mr. Gartin said he wanted to acknowledge the work that people did to provide their input. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Nelson, to direct the Mayor to work with the Board of Supervisors to come up with suggestions for alternate names. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. VACATION OF PUBLIC WALKWAY EASEMENTS AT 3802 AND 3806 MARIGOLD DRIVE: Mayor Haila opened the public hearing. After no one came forward, he closed the public hearing. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Martin, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 19-617 approving vacation of Public Walkway Easements at 3802 and 3806 Marigold Drive. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. ORDINANCE REGULATING MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENTS: Assistant City Manager Brian Phillips advised Council that this is the revised version containing four changes that Council directed staff to make from the prior meeting. Those involve changes to the photo display requirement, the purpose statement, adjustments to whether the manager requirement applied to sole proprietorship, and whether the manager name and title needed to be displayed near the photos and licenses or in the customer areas since there may not be a separate customer area. There is a process in the Ordinance to hold a hearing if someone appeals their penalty, but it doesn’t specify the time frame for that to happen. City Attorney Mark Lambert drafted language to include a hearing to be held within ten business days or it could be extended beyond that with agreement from both parties to ensure timely hearings. According to Mr. Lambert, the ordinance currently states the time to appeal is within seven days of the date of placarding. Mr. Gartin reminded Council they had talked about being cognizant of having too short of an appeal period as it doesn’t allow time for the parties to seek legal counsel and that Council tried to have a consistent 30-day appeal period. He asked if there was a downside to the City that they wouldn’t want to give a resident 30 days. Mr. Lambert said there is no harm in giving them 8 30 days, but it is in the business’s best interest to appeal quickly as the business will be shut down immediately. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Nelson, to amend the Ordinance Subsection 10 that the period of appeal be amended from seven days to 30 days. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Moved by Martin, seconded by Gartin, to amend Section 8(a) to provide that the hearing shall be convened within ten business days unless both parties agree to an extension of the deadline. Mr. Lambert corrected Mr. Martin, saying it should be Section 10(a), not 8(a). Moved by Martin, seconded by Gartin, to make a friendly amendment to amend his previous motion to amend Section 10(a) not 8(a). Vote on Motion, as amended: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Mayor Haila opened public comment. After no one came forward, he closed public comment. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Nelson, to approve first passage of ordinance regulating massage establishments, as amended. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ORDINANCE REZONING WITH MASTER PLAN PROPERTY LOCATED AT 507 LINCOLN WAY FROM DOWNTOWN GATEWAY COMMERCIAL (DGC) TO HIGHWAY-ORIENTED COMMERCIAL (HOC): Council Member Nelson announced that he will be abstaining from this discussion due to a conflict of interest, which was consistent with all other discussions of this property. Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann reviewed Council’s request to have proof in a written agreement about Starbucks relocating to this site. The applicant provided a letter of intent, which is a non-binding real estate document. Mr. Diekmann advised Council that they need to decide if the letter of intent is sufficient for their request or if they will require a binding agreement. Mayor Haila opened public comment. He closed public comment after nobody came forward to speak. Council Member Gartin asked for a recommendation from staff. Mr. Diekmann advised there isn’t much in the agreement besides the dates, store size, and location. Council Member Martin expressed concern about the Council not seeing the plans for the proposed development. Mayor Haila asked if they are straying too far from the topic. Mr. Lambert explained that Council is trying to decide if they should proceed with third reading, so it’s fine to have the discussion to lead up to making the decision. Chuck Winkleblack, 105 S 16th Street, Hunziker Companies, commented that the project has been 9 bounced around due to a lack of communication and commitment from the owner of Starbucks because of a language barrier. There are two different groups working on the project. All of the property will be under contract or owned by one developer or a group that controls all the property. Then they will meet with City staff prior to coming to Council. He said they can’t move forward until City Council has approved the request. According to Mr. Diekmann, City staff has been working with Argent to negotiate the project which has been ever-evolving and nothing has been concrete enough to bring anything back to Council. There is no full formal proposal on the site which is why Council hasn’t seen any plans. Mr. Winkleblack said the general concept has been shared with staff. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to approve third reading. Mr. Martin commented that he wanted people to understand that Council isn’t just approving this because something might happen, but because this has been a well-developed plan. Vote on Motion: 4-0-1. Voting aye: Martin, Gartin, Beatty-Hansen, Corrieri. Voting nay: None. Abstaining due to a Conflict of Interest: Nelson. Motion declared carried. DISPOSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL: Memo from Staff dated November 22, 2019, Regarding Response to Climate Action Team Letter: Moved by Gartin, seconded by Nelson, to make this memo be part of the goal-setting retreat. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Memo from Joel Hochstein, Chair, Ames Human Relations Commission dated November 21, 2019, Regarding Annual Goal Setting Retreat: Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Martin, to make this memo part of the goal-setting retreat. Mr. Gartin cautioned that there is a lot in the memo and it would take up an entire goal setting. He asked if they should add the items to an agenda and discuss them in a City Council meeting. Mayor Haila said there are broader items that would be appropriate to be brought to Council in goal setting. Mr. Gartin expressed concern over specific policies and that Council would not have the background to be able to cover everything. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Letter from Nathaniel Shea from Tanck, Inc. dated November 22, 2019, Regarding Request for a Text Amendment to Section 29.809(3) Opening Between Buildings: Planning and Housing Director Diekmann explained that this is about redeveloping property in Campustown on the 2500 block of Lincoln Way. This standard applies to the middle of the block, and Mr. Shea would like Council to initiate a text amendment to change it so that they don’t have to provide a space in the middle of the block. He noted that this standard has not been applied consistently. Council Member Gartin asked if this is an isolated topic or if there is a broader value to have a 10 conversation about. Mr. Diekmann advised it’s an issue that came out of the Campustown Zoning creation. It’s been resolved in different ways in different blocks, and it might be worth reviewing to change it going forward. He said it is not a planning standard. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Nelson for a memo from staff. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Letter from Harold Pike dated November 19, 2019, Regarding Combine 2 Lots on Duff Avenue for a Future Client: Mr. Nelson advised Council that this is not an issue at this point. Email from Norman Burns dated November 14, 2019, Regarding Yard Waste Disposal: Assistant City Manager Brian Phillips commented that a voucher was offered to be used on one of several days so this has been resolved as well. Mr. Phillips asked Council Member Nelson to forward the memo to Public Works Director John Joiner to respond to the email. COUNCIL COMMENTS: Council Member Martin recalled a session at the Iowa League of Cities that recommended municipalities adopt an ordinance if a council member fails to vote or refuses to vote. Moved by Martin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, requested a memo from the City Attorney on suggestions for wording on an Ordinance. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Mr. Gartin encouraged residents in Ward 4 to vote next Tuesday, December 3, at the Ward 4 Run- Off Election. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Gartin, for a memo from staff regarding the fireworks request at North Grand Mall. Vote on Motion: 4-1. Voting aye: Martin, Gartin, Nelson, Beatty-Hansen. Voting nay: Corrieri. Motion declared carried. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Martin, to refer to staff to respond about the quantity of “No Parking” signs and median painting along Dawes Drive. Mr. Gartin clarified that staff is to respond explaining why actions were taken. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Mayor Haila congratulated Mary Greeley Medical Center on being the first organization in Iowa to receive the Malcolm Baldrige Award for Excellence. He also reminded the Council Members that there are several work sessions coming up: December 4 (Ames 2040); Regular Council meetings on December 10 & December 17; and a work session on December 19th (Ames 2040). ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Nelson to adjourn the meeting at 7:54 p.m. 11 ___________________________________ ____________________________________ Rachel E. Knutsen, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor 12