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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Joint Meeting of the Ames City Council and Ames Human Relations Commission 08/21/2018MINUTES OF THE JOINT MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AND AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION AND SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA AUGUST 21, 2018 JOINT MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AND AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION The Joint Meeting of the Ames City Council and Ames Human Relations Commission was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 6:00 p.m. on the 21st day of August, 2018, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law. City Council Members Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, David Martin, and Chris Nelson were present. Ex officio Member Allie Hoskins was also present. Representing the Ames Human Relations Commission (AHRC) were Wayne Clinton, Joel Hochstein, and Liming Pals. Mayor Haila said Council invited representatives from Iowa State University (ISU) and the Ames Community School District to the meeting. Reg Chenn Stewart, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at ISU introduced himself and two colleagues, Nicci Port and Adrienne Lyles, also of ISU Diversity and Inclusion. Assistant City Manager Brian Phillips said two members of the Commission recently resigned due to personal commitments. He explained that the AHRC Annual Report was presented to City Council on May 8, 2018 and Council decided to have a dedicated meeting to discuss the Commission and its work. Mr. Phillips said this workshop is an opportunity to discuss the Commission as it relates to the community. Mr. Gartin asked how long each member has served. Mr. Clinton said he has served three months this term, and another term 26 years ago. Mr. Clinton said a lot has changed in how the Commission operates and he sees this as a good opportunity to get a clear vision from the Council regarding the Commission. Mr. Hochstein said he has been a member for almost two years and during this time he has wondered about the Commission’s purpose, and would like to have some questions answered. Ms. Pals said she has been a member for four months. Mayor Haila asked Mr. Phillips to begin the discussion on the purpose of the Ames Human Relations Commission (AHRC). Mr. Phillips said state law requires cities over 29,000 residents to have a civil rights commission or human rights commission. Mr. Phillips said the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) handles complaints against individuals or organizations that have been accused of discrimination. He said the City of Ames has a process built into Chapter 14 of the Municipal Code that outlines the protected classes, but it does not provide detail about the procedures of investigating a complaint. Mr. Phillips told the Council that in addition to the Ames Human Relations Commission Members, there are also Investigative and Conciliation Officers and Hearing Officers. He said the investigative and conciliation officers are required to find facts and report to hearing officers, who are required to be educated in law and determine if there was probable cause of discrimination. Mr. Phillips said in the last few years there have not been many formal complaints filed through the City Manager’s Office. Since 1994, the City has had an agreement with ICRC that’s renewed each year where the local commission acts as an intake office for complaints. He said as an intake office, staff in the City Manager’s Office assists individuals in finding the appropriate forms and submitting them to ICRC. Mr. Phillips said in the past 3-4 years that’s been the primary method of working with discrimination cases since the state has the resources to handle the complaints. Mayor Haila said no additional nominations have been made for Investigative and Conciliation Officers and Hearing Officers because those officers have not been actively meeting for some time. He said it is not required by law to have those additional officers. He said input is needed from City Council. Mr. Phillips said the agreement with ICRC formalizes the process that has been in place since about 1994 where if local officers are not available, the case is referred to the state. In the recent past all complaints have been sent to state because of the low number of inquiries locally. He said there are about 3-4 times per year that he has assisted someone with filing a discrimination report with ICRC. Mr. Phillips said there are 26 local commissions in Iowa and 12 of them send complaints directly to ICRC. He said state law requires a commission but doesn’t require local investigation. If a case is investigated by the state it will be investigated according to state law, but if a case is investigated locally, stricter guidelines could be enforced than the state law. If the City desired to enforce stricter laws, there would need to be an investment in the training, process, and appointing those positions and then management of that process. He said there are tradeoffs with either scenario. Mayor Haila asked for an example. Ms. Port said state law recognizes gender identity but does not recognize gender expression. Mr. Martin said an ordinance would need to be created if the City desired to add protections. The group concurred. Ames Community School District (ACSD) Superintendent Jenny Risner, ACSD Human Resources Director Lisa Negus, and ACSD Director of Student Services Anthony Jones entered the meeting. Mr. Clinton wondered if the number of local complaints is so low because people don’t believe complaints are locally investigated. He said he frequently hears of incidents that could discrimination but those events are not brought forth for investigation. He said it’s great there is a low number of cases, but he’s concerned there are feelings and attitudes out there making people reluctant to come forward and if so, he wonders the community could be educated on the resources available. Mr. Clinton said part of the goal is education and outreach. Ms. Corrieri said when she was on the Commission there was an anonymous bias incident form for situations that were not going to result in a formal complaint, but could be used for reporting and tracking reasons. She said there were technological issues with the form so it was discontinued. She said from her experience on the Commission, it’s very difficult for local volunteers without special training to effectively investigate complex cases. She said for those not comfortable filing official reports, maybe another reporting mechanism could be used. Mr. Phillips said he will look into the form. Ms. Corrieri said the things that came in were good for starting discussions with retail establishments, neighbors, etc. Mr. Hochstein asked for an example. Ms. Corrieri said there was a form submitted regarding an offensive lawn ornament, and a commission member was able to talk with the homeowner to educate them on the reasons the ornament was offensive. She said the form was more of a way to foster conversation instead of being a formal reporting mechanism. Mr. Gartin asked about the number of complaints investigated by the state in the last five years. Mr. Phillips said about 24 cases per year are reported to the state for the Ames area. Mr. Gartin said that is a higher number than he expected, and said if this was taken on locally it would be quite a task. Mr. Phillips said if the complaint comes to the City first, there would be an idea of the case being 2 filed, but if not then the City wouldn’t know about the case until the report comes out. Mr. Gartin said it would be helpful to know the areas of concern for Ames. Mr. Hochstein said the 2017 Annual Report included five cases based on housing, three on race, one on physical disability and one on mental disability. He said the rest were based on employment on the basis of age, color, religion and disability. Mr. Gartin said these numbers show the need for the Commission even if the Commission does not investigate locally. He said he hopes the Council can provide direction for the AHRC. Mayor Haila asked if Council would like the cases to continue to be referred to ICRC. He also asked if, as the City become aware of them, AHRC could be proactive through education and advocacy. Mayor Haila said if the officer positions remain in place that is fine, but he doesn’t want to waste time if the group will not meet. He said if Council wants to make some changes, Council could look at eliminating the Hearing Officers and the Investigative and Conciliation Officers. Mr. Phillips said the officers don’t meet regularly. Ms. Corrieri said if a complaint is received, a commission member and an officer would be assigned to investigate. Mr. Phillips said of the four officers, only one has been called upon to work on a case in the last two years. Mr. Martin said Council can’t expect everyone to know where to go if a complaint needs reported, and asked if the person can start with the City of Ames. Mr. Phillips said if an incident is reported, City staff would assist the customer in getting the report with ICRC started. Mr. Martin said if the information does not deem a full investigation, it would still be nice to know what happened for informational purposes. Mr. Phillips said that discussion couldn’t take place with the Commission regarding the case if the investigation isn’t local. It was discussed that the Commission would still be accessible to the community for education and working through some of these issues. Mayor Haila said the Council doesn’t want to avoid complaints, but rather make sure the complaints are investigated in the best possible way. Mr. Hochstein said he prefers a local investigatory option because the City could go above and beyond what the state law requires. He said that the person working on the investigation would need to be someone that has been trained, and he feels that’s a lot to ask of a volunteer. Mr. Clinton asked if that person would need to be tied to City staff, or be someone that has some understanding of the legal process and wants to work with AHRC to address the complaint. He said that he likes that idea, but not sure it’s doable. Mayor Haila asked Mr. Stewart for input. Mr. Stewart said he itemized four things: 1) The Campus Climate Survey is complete and it reports on peoples’ experiences living in Ames. Mr. Gartin asked if there was anything from that survey he could share. Mr. Stewart said the respondents are affiliated with ISU, and are reflecting the conversations being had tonight regarding those that don’t feel accepted and those that want to belong in a community. He said the work that is being done cannot completely be framed in the negative. 2) He said he reviewed the mission of the Commission before the meeting. He said the Commission has been functioning since 1974 and needs updated for a more contemporary set of conversations, of which the investigative work can be a component. Mr. Stewart said ISU has separated advocacy, which consists of programming and forward thinking, and compliance and investigative work. Both teams work in the same space but the responsibilities are purposefully separated. Mr. Stewart said AHRC is moving toward compliance but the 3 discussions are being had about advocacy, so that is a conversation that needs to be had, as those are done differently. 3) Over the past year and a half ISU has implemented the Campus Climate Response Team to receive information on incidents and behaviors. The information received is dispatched out to support units on campus. Mr. Stewart said he would be glad to share more information about this team and how it works. Mr. Stewart said he hopes the conversation moves toward the affirmative in building an inclusive community and using AHRC to do that instead of focusing on investigative work, as he doesn’t believe local investigators should be tasked with that responsibility from a liability standpoint. Ms. Betcher said she’s not comfortable with volunteers doing the investigations because they are well-meaning, but not an experts. Discussion ensued on doing the investigations locally. Mr. Gartin asked about level of expertise. Ms. Betcher said the effectiveness of someone with training is different than the focus and ability of someone doing it without training. She said those that are well-meaning are not the most effective. ISU Associate Director of Equal Opportunity Adrienne Lyles said in her role she does conduct investigations of faculty, staff, and students. She said expertise is very important. Ms. Lyles said she is also an attorney, and it is very important that the investigators know what questions to ask, who to ask the questions of, and how to assess the landscape. She said implicit bias plays a very important role as well as trust, reciprocity, and knowledge of different types of bias. Ms. Lyles said it’s a laborious endeavor to conduct an impartial investigation. ACSD Human Resources Director Lisa Negus said implicit bias is a big part of investigations, and there is a great need for problem solving and conversations that can prevent situations from escalating. Ms. Negus said she has conducted two formal investigations that were very in depth and time consuming, and conducting a similar investigation would be very challenging with many relationships throughout the community. She said the ACSD Board policy is significantly outdated and will be updated in the near future. Current policy states that a local administrator will do the beginning investigative work, but she doesn’t believe that is the best scenario, but rather having a person not so close to the area for investigative work would be best. Ms. Negus said she works mainly with staff, and there is a very strong need for feeling safe and confidence that they will not be retaliated against. Mayor Haila asked about the investigation she performed. Ms. Negus said she closely coached an administrator through the process. Council Member Beatty-Hansen said until the law does go above and beyond the state’s, it seems cleaner to send cases to the ICRC. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Gartin, to adopt a procedure to refer complaints to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, and amend the ordinance to eliminate the Ames Human Relations Commission Hearing Officers and Investigative and Conciliation Officers. Mr. Martin said if in the future the Ordinance would need amended to go beyond state laws, those officers could then be appointed. Mr. Hochstein said if there’s potential to bring those officers back, maybe they shouldn’t be eliminated. Mr. Martin said it makes sense to eliminate the officers 4 because the positions are empty and because of the conversation on expertise being very important for the investigations. Mr. Hochstein said that reappointment of those positions would be done when and if the City of Ames wants to go above and beyond the state’s protected classes. Mr. Martin concurred. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion approved unanimously. Ms. Beatty-Hansen asked for thoughts on the mission statement being outdated. Mr. Hochstein said the ordinance is old, and asked what concepts the Council believes a 2018 vision for this Commission would look like. Ms. Betcher asked Commission members how they would wish to be involved and said the Commission should be charged with investigating how a modern commission operates. Ms. Beatty-Hansen said education and advocacy are what she believes should be the focus of the Commission when investigations are no longer a part. Council Member Gartin said it starts with a period of listening and processing information such as the Campus Climate Survey as discussed by Mr. Stewart. He said Commission members and Council need to listen to the people and see where the concerns are. He said he recently learned at a NAACP event that a student from Georgia felt so alone and lost here and when he asked what would make a difference, a conversation was started about host families connecting with students a couple times a month. He said he’d like to explore things like that with AHRC. Mr. Clinton said he prides himself in being in tune with others, and every time he learns from others’ experiences, he realizes how much he doesn’t know. He said he is very comfortable with having opportunities to help others, as he is invested in this community. Mayor Haila said the charge to AHRC the next few months is to meet with other entities to get information, process it, and look into making changes to the ordinance. He said the Chamber is hosting a meeting on October 31 at 7:30 p.m. to build on conversations in the community. Ms. Betcher said a recommendation received at the National Leagues of Cities on racial equity was that communities establish an Equity Action Plan. She said examples are available, and the Commission could look at those to see what is available. Ms. Betcher also suggested more events should take the City to campus. She said that AHRC should assess what the next action should be, and hopes that ideas arise out of the research. Mr. Gartin said special credit needs given to the Ames Police Department in their work toward what it means to be racially sensitive. He also said several of the area churches are very involved in racial relations. Ms. Betcher asked about the event Mr. Clinton attended. It was discussed that Race: The Power of an Illusion was a documentary shown on PBS. Ms. Betcher said it promotes very good discussion. Mayor Haila asked if Council would want to give a period of time for the Commission to reach out and do some research. Mr. Hochstein asked about the Commission serving as an advisory to the Council. He said he’s curious how it would work best to serve in that capacity. Ms. Betcher said the Commission is doing 5 it the right way by providing updates and reaching out. Discussion ensued on scorecards that have been provided in the past. It was discussed that the Municipal Equality Index score is discussed periodically. Mr. Hochstein asked if those scores are helpful to the Council. It was discussed that the Council believes those scores are helpful to see when the Commission receives them. Mr. Gartin said he is more concerned about the Campus Climate Survey because that is getting the pulse of the people that are here. Mr. Hochstein said local surveys will be mirror the national conversations. Mr. Gartin said he feels like a lot of people would be surprised by what is learned through local surveys and conversations. Mr. Hochstein said in addition to students, he’d like to know about community members’ experiences in Ames. Mayor Haila said there are many ways to gather information on the community. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Gartin, that AHRC review data available including the Campus Climate Survey, Municipal Equality Indexes, and other available data; interact with ISU, ACSD, and any others well-positioned to give input on diversity, inclusion, and equity in the community in order to recommend action items and changes to the Ordinance. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion carried unanimously. Ms. Betcher said she hopes the synergy sensed on campus and in the community will push the community forward in a positive way. Mr. Gartin said he was thrilled to see that ACSD received the distinction of #1 in the state, and Ames High School #1 in the state. COMMISSION/ COUNCIL COMMENTS: AHRC Member Clinton said including the different partners was valuable, and communication is key to changing minds and getting responsiveness. Council Member Betcher said at the City Council retreat they learned that Ames Pridefest is coming up. She said showing up and being present at events for solidarity is a good thing. Pridefest will be September 29, 2018 on Douglas Avenue. Council Member Gartin thanked everyone for coming. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Nelson to adjourn at 7:27 p.m. SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING The Special Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 7:33 p.m. on the 21st day of August, 2018, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue. Council Members Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, David Martin, and Chris Nelson were present. Ex officio Member Allie Hoskins was also present. 6 Mayor Haila said Municipal Engineer Tracy Warner would present and questions could follow. WORKSHOP ON WATERSHED MANAGEMENT: Ms. Warner desired to recognize the work that Assistant City Manager Bob Kindred has done with watersheds over the years. Ms. Warner introduced Prairie Rivers of Iowa Watershed Coordinator Kayla Bergman and Prairie Rivers of Iowa Executive Director Penny Brown Huber, as well as Water and Pollution Control Director John Dunn and Water and Pollution Control Assistant Director Christina Murphy. Ms. Warner told the Council that in 2012 the City was a founding member of the 28E agreement that established the Squaw Creek Watershed Management Authority to reduce riverine flooding, improve water quality, and educate residents. She said in 2006 a stream assessment was completed, then flooding occurred in 2008 and 2010, and then stream conditions were again reviewed in 2011 to account for additional erosion. Ms. Warner said to increase stream health similar approaches are used to both stabilize streambanks and reduce nutrient loads, and said increased stream health leads to stabilized conveyance and habitats. Ms. Bergman told the Council that Prairie Rivers of Iowa works on a few projects statewide, and one of those is the watersheds program. Ms. Bergman showed a map of the watersheds in Iowa, and showed the Skunk River Watershed that empties into the Mississippi River in Burlington, Iowa. She said the watersheds that Prairie Rivers of Iowa is working on are the Squaw Creek Watershed and the Headwaters of the South Skunk River Watershed, which comes through Ames and create the beginning of the Skunk River Watershed. Ms. Bergman reviewed the history of the work, and said Prairie Rivers of Iowa was appointed the Watershed Management Agent by Story County Supervisors in Spring 2018. Ms. Bergman said a 41% reduction in Nitrogen and a 29% reduction in Phosphorus are the goals in Iowa. She reviewed work that has been done in the Squaw Creek Watershed including cover crops, no-till and strip-till, and denitrifying bioreactors. She said there are 16 sub-watersheds coming into the Squaw Creek Watershed. Ms. Beatty-Hansen asked how long bioreactors last. Ms. Bergman said about 15 years. Water quality monitoring numbers were shown for nitrate, phosphorus, and E. coli. Mr. Gartin asked about the E. coli numbers. Discussion ensued. Ms. Betcher asked if the high levels are due in part to the flooding. Ms. Bergman concurred. Ms. Bergman said education and outreach to the general community is very important and publications, videos, social media, mailings, and events are all part of the outreach. Ms. Bergman said Prairie Rivers of Iowa will continue to implement practices and education in the Squaw Creek Watershed, work directly with a subgroup of landowners, work on the management plan for Headwaters of South Skunk River Watershed, utilize the recently published Story County Watershed Assessment, and continue to bring strong local and national partners to our work in the South Skunk River Watershed. Water and Pollution Control Director John Dunn said the purpose of the Nutrient Reduction Feasibility Study is to determine the most appropriate, cost-effective means of meeting the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy’s goals for Point Source. He said the goal for the Point Source program is a 45% reduction in the total number of pounds of Nitrogen and Phosphorus exiting the state in 7 rivers and streams. He said the DNR has implemented a technology-based standard based on biological nutrient removal. Mr. Dunn said the Water Pollution Control Facility currently removes 684 pounds of Total Nitrogen and 47 pounds of Total Phosphorus. To meet the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, the Facility would need to remove an additional 541 pounds of Total Nitrogen and 136 pounds of Total Phosphorus. Mr. Dunn said there’s no way the facility can meet the entire goal for the watershed itself, but is a very important piece. He said the system in place is very good at removing the nutrients that it’s built to remove but not as good at removing the other nutrients. Mr. Dunn said the focus of the study is to develop alternatives that demonstrate commitment and intent to ultimately achieve the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy including: 1) identify opportunities to optimize the nutrient removal performance of the existing facility, 2) seek watershed-based options as a means to demonstrate our commitment, but only where they “make sense” by providing some other ancillary benefit in addition to nutrient removal, and 3) defer major construction of an alternative nutrient removal technology until a future plant expansion is required. Mr. Dunn said staff has been working with Prairie Rivers of Iowa to identify potential locations for agricultural best management practices including cover crops, bioreactors, and grassed waterways. Mr. Dunn said an area focused on to get the most out of watershed-based options is the Nutrient Reduction Exchange, which accepts any projects that were done after the Nutrient Reduction Strategy was adopted in January of 2013. He said these practices can be used as an offset when facilities go over the allowable rate. This Exchange was developed by the Iowa League of Cities, and will be given to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He said as long as projects have a nutrient removal component, they may be used as credit even if that wasn’t the original intent of the project. Mr. Dunn said Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, and Ames are partnering in this initiative to seek credit for work done in the watershed. Mr. Dunn said the time line for the Nutrient Reduction Feasibility Study includes continued workshops through the fall, a stakeholder open house in October, a Council workshop in November for an update and recommendation, and then the outcome will be reflected in CIP presented in January. Ms. Warner reviewed projects included in the Capital Improvements Plan for watershed improvements. She reviewed projects that have been done in conjunction with requirements. She also reviewed improvements made including the City Hall parking lot project, stream restoration and stabilization, and the stormwater erosion control project north of Carr Park that should be complete before winter. Ms. Warner discussed the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit that currently runs through 2019 and the renewal application that will be submitted in October. She also discussed the cost share programs implemented through the Public Works Department including rain gardens, rain barrels, native landscape, soil quality restoration, composters, and the Trees Forever Iowa event. 8 Ms. Beatty-Hansen asked why the City contributes more phosphorus than rural areas. Mr. Dunn said soaps and detergents contribute a large amount of phosphorus. Ms. Beatty-Hansen discussed possible education regarding soaps and detergents. Ms. Warner said fertilizer is a large contributor for streams, and education continues on that. Mr. Gartin referenced the requirement in conservation subdivisions on fertilizers. Ms. Beatty-Hansen asked when a new Water Pollution Control Facility would be needed. Mr. Dunn said at the rate of growth as seen in the past, a new facility will be needed in about 15-20 years, but if a large industrial customer is added, that would shorten the estimate. Mr. Martin asked about replacing technology at the current facility. Mr. Dunn said new technology would provide well for the previous requirements in addition to the new requirements. Ms. Betcher asked how the City is using the Story County Watershed Assessment. Ms. Warner said on August 27, 2018 a new stormwater resource analyst will be starting, and then that report will be reviewed and priorities will be made. Ms. Betcher said Council received a report from the City Manager on the farmland the City owns and the sustainable farming practices being done there. One of the suggestions Council had is that any farmland rented from the City would need buffer strips or cover crops. Mr. Gartin said he believes the Council asked City Attorney Mark Lambert to look into that. Mr. Dunn said in the lease for the 70+ acres owned along I-35 it is stated that cover crops must be installed by the tenant. Mr. Schainker said a memo was sent to Council regarding that request. Mr. Gartin said Council asked Mr. Lambert to add information on a buffer strip. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to receive a memo from staff on the contract language in place for farm land rental agreements regarding requirements for best land management practices for the watershed. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Gartin referenced the E. coli levels shown during the presentation. He said he is not comfortable with the rates so far over the limit. It was noted that the heavy rain attributed to the increased levels. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to receive a memo regarding the E. coli levels including trendlines and suggestions on what can be done. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Gartin said Council put in place a monitoring protocol to check Ada Hayden every other year for water quality, and wonders if that is a sufficient sampling frequency. Mr. Gartin said he’s very skeptical that people north of Ada Hayden are not following the fertilizer requirements. Ms. Bergman said that once every other year is not sufficient information to share with public because it is one small snapshot. Mr. Dunn said every 5-7 years, the water is monitored for two years and within those two years multiple tests are done at different depths in different places and tests are performed to monitor several nutrients to get a big picture of the health of the lake. Mr. Dunn said this was set up to draw correlations relating to development, and if development continues to increase, a more frequent schedule would be needed. Ms. Beatty-Hansen asked what will happen if the request by Ames, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids isn’t approved. Mr. Dunn said some communities have been told to try again by submitting another 9 proposal. Ms. Warner asked how often City Council would like updated about watershed activities and progress. Mr. Gartin said he suggests an update once per year and in a meeting format. Ms. Betcher said she would like to know how the City of Ames fits into the Story County watershed before a year goes by. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Gartin, that Council be updated once annually, at minimum, at a Council meeting on watershed activities. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion carried unanimously. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, that staff provide a written report on how Ames fits into the Story County Watershed Assessment and what the City’s action steps will be by the end of 2018. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion carried unanimously. Ms. Warner asked about City representation on the two Watershed Management Authority boards. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Martin, to appoint a Council member to the Squaw Creek Watershed Management Authority and the Headwaters of South Skunk River Watershed Authority, and name Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen as the first Council member to serve. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion approved unanimously. Mayor Haila asked about the red tide in the Gulf of Mexico. He said millions of fish have died, and wondered the reason. Mr. Dunn said hypoxia, or low oxygen levels, is to blame. DISPOSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL: Ms. Betcher said an email from Ames Main Street Cindy Hicks was received regarding funding for a Smithsonian traveling exhibit. It was discussed that this item will be added to the Consent section of the August 28, 2018 Council Agenda. Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen to place this item on the consent portion of the agenda for August 28, 2018. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion carried unanimously. COUNCIL COMMENTS: Ms. Beatty-Hansen said Welcome Fest will be at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 22 at the ISU Memorial Union. Mr. Gartin welcomed ISU students back to Ames. Ms. Hoskins said she’s excited to be back in Ames. CLOSED SESSION: 10 Mr. Gartin asked City Attorney Mark Lambert if the City Council had a legal reason for going into Closed Session. Mr. Lambert replied in the affirmative. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to hold a Closed Session as provided by Section 20.17(3), Code of Iowa, to discuss collective bargaining strategy. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. The Council entered into Closed Session at 8:37 p.m. and returned to Regular Session at 9:01 p.m. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Beatty-Hansen to adjourn at 9:01 p.m. 11