HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 01/17/2014MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA JAN UARY 17, 2014
The Ames City Council met in special session at 3:40 p.m. on the 17 day of January, 2014, inth
the Parks and Recreation Activity Room, 1500 Gateway Hills Park Drive, pursuant to law with
Mayor Ann Campbell, Council Members Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, Matthew
Goodman, Chris Nelson, and Peter Orazem; and ex officio Member Alexandria Harvey present.
City Manager Steve Schainker, Assistant City Managers Bob Kindred and Melissa Mundt, City
Attorney Judy Parks, and City Clerk Diane Voss were also in attendance.
CITY COUNCIL GOAL-SETTING WORKSHOP. Facilitator Donna Gilligan noted that this
was a continuation of the goal-setting workshops held on January 4 and 11, 2014. She
reviewed the list of objectives established at the January 11 workshop with the priority
ranking each had received. Council Member Betcher noted that the Council members might
not have been consistent in their rankings for the projects that were in progress. Some felt
those should receive a higher rank and some felt that, since they were in the works, they
should be ranked lower.
City Manager Schainker gave a summary of the six goals, objectives, and specific tasks. He
also identified which department would be responsible for working on the tasks.
Discussion ensued on each goal, objective, and tasks.
GOAL:PROMOTE A SENSE OF ONE COMMUNITY
Objective:Review “One Community” Report to identify action steps to improve
community involvement and integration
Task 1:Share the Report with the City Council
Task 2:Staff will prepare a report summarizing actions taken
Task 3:Council discussion to give direction if further actions are
desired
Objective:Develop a process for neighborhood engagement to proactively
address community issues
Task 1:Staff report regarding existing processes (policies, code,
and practices) for public engagement, as well as research
regarding how other cities approach community issues
Task 2:Council discussion to give direction if further actions are
desired
Objective:Work with the Ames Community School District to identify mutual
goals
Task 1:Schedule a joint workshop between Ames City Council and
School Board to discuss goals
GOAL:STRENGTHEN DOWNTOWN & CAMPUSTOWN
Objective:Develop a facade grant program for Campustown
Task 1:Appropriate funding for FY 2014/15
Task 2:The planning staff will work with Campustown Action
Association to define program goals
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Task 3:Retain consultant to assist staff in developing possible
program guidelines and eligibility criteria
Task 4:Planning staff will wor k with Campustown Action
Association to develop final recommendations to City
Council regarding pilot facade projects
Task 5:Create tax abatement program that supports investment in
existing buildings in conjunction with the facade program
Objective:Consult with Main Street Iowa (IEDA) regarding Downtown
betterment and funding
Task 1:The City manager will personally meet with representatives
of Main Street Iowa to discuss funding opportunities
Task 2:The City Manager will provide a written report regarding
the outcome of the discussion
Discussion occurred regarding changes to the first objective and tasks for the Goal pertaining
to sustainability efforts.
GOAL:EXPAND SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS
Objective:Research what other cities are doing to promote sustainability
Task 1:Staff report regarding existing processes
Task 2:Incorporate into the City’s Sustainability Coordinator
contract an assignment to research what other communities
are doing to consider “environmental impacts” in policies
Objective:Build energy efficiency strategy into transportation planning
Task 1:Retain a consultant to develop the Long-Range
Transportation Plan (1 Quarter 2014)st
Task 2:Council formally incorporates energy efficiency as a goal
of the Long Range Transportation Plan (2 Quarter 2014)nd
Task 3:Staff and consultant will engage the public to identify
specific projects that will achieve the energy efficiency
goal (3 Quarter 2014)rd
Task 4:Council approves the proposed projects in the Long-Range
Transportation Plan (4 Quarter 2014)th
Objective:Explore options for parking standards that improve storm water
management
Task 1:Hold a workshop regarding the post-construction storm
water ordinance, which includes discussion related to
parking lots (1 Quarter 2014)st
Task 2:The Planning Director will develop options regarding
possible modifications to the parking lot requirements
(spaces and landscaping)
Task 3:Staff will meet with developers, commercial owners, and
other interested parties to receive feedback regarding
proposed options
Task 4:Council discussion to select desired option(s) for
implementation
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GOAL:EXPAND SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS (Continued)
Objective:Develop a greenbelt trail plan
Task 1:Retain a consul tant to develop the Long-Range
Transportation Plan (1 Quarter 2014)st
Task 2:Staff will present to Council the existing trail plan(s)
Task 3:Council formally incorporates the goal(s) of a greenbelt
trail system in the Long-Range Transportation Plan (2nd
Quarter 2014)
Task 4:Staff and consultant will engage the public to identify
specific projects that will achieve the greenbelt trail system
goal(s) (3 Quarter 2014)rd
Task 5:Council gives direction regarding greenbelt trail projects to
be incorporated into the Long-Range Transportation Plan
(4 Quarter 2014)th
GOAL:ADDRESS HOUSING NEEDS
Objective:Explore ways to encourage the availability of all types of housing
Task 1:Provide an overview of existing housing stock by value,
zoning codes, and land availability (staff will provide that
data)
Objective:Investigate ways to increase availability of affordable housing (income
levels, housing prices, rental rates, rental, ownership)
Task 1:City Council will provide options for definition of
“affordable housing” after which the City Council will
select the definition for this objective
Task 2:Staff will provide creative strategies to generate affordable
housing
Objective:Reevaluate building and zoning codes to determine if changes should
be made to improve the existing housing stock at a lower cost
Task 1:Staff will provide an analysis regarding impact of existing
codes on the owners’ ability to renovate or expand existing
housing (rental and owner-occupied)
Task 2:Staff will meet with developers, builders, realtors, and
AMOS to solicit their input and suggestions
Task 3:Council discussion to give direction if further actions are
desired
Ex officio Member Alexandria Harvey told the City Council that discussions had occurred at
Iowa State University (ISU) Government of the Student Body (GSB) meetings regarding the
need for a Tenant/Landlord Service. The Council then concurred to add the following
Objective.
Objective:Explore, with the GSB, ISU, and Ames Rental Association, the
creation of a Tenant/Landlord Service, including education and
complaint and conflict resolution
Task 1:Respond to future proposal of the GSB that it host a
dialogue among ISU, ARA, GSB, and City Council
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Ex officio Member Harvey proposed that the GSB create an action plan to bring to the City
Council.
GOAL:STRENGTHEN HUMAN SERVICES
Objective:Increase the accountability of funded services
Task 1:Staff report regarding current accountability mechanisms in
the ASSET process
Task 2:City Council will raise the issue of accountability at the
ASSET Joint Funders’ meeting and will request that
ASSET funders direct their administrative staffs to develop
recommendations for improving accountability (1 Quarterst
2014)
Objective:Proactively engage with the ASSET funders in understanding the
needs in the community (including mental health and youth needs)
Task 1:Staff will provide a report to the City Council regarding the
most recent (2010) Story County Community Health Needs
Assessment (1 Quarter 2014)st
Task 2:Staff will provide Council with a written overview
summarizing what a Youth Master Plan is (1 Quarterst
2014)
Task 3:City Council will review the most recent Story County
Community Health Needs Assessment, including mental
health and youth needs, and determine if the assessment
tool is adequate
Task 4:City Council will communicate suggestions to improve the
assessment tool to the ASSET funders
GOAL:PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Objective:Review and update the economic development policy
Task 1:Staff will provide City Council with a report outlining the
existing economic development policy and tax abatement
incentive programs
Objective:Pursue the Industrial Park opportunity
City Manager Schainker noted that the first thing to be done would be to work on
completing the Research Park.
Task 1:Staff will provide a report outlining the issues (rural water,
transportation, annexation, Urban Fringe planning,
financing, utilities)
Task 2:Staff will attempt to negotiate with Central Iowa Rural
Water Association to resolve rural water issue
Task 3:Staff will finalize conceptual design plan for new park
Task 4:The City Council will approve funding strategy for new
industrial park
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Objective:Examine the LUPP for relevancy and effectiveness
Task 1:Appropriate funding for LUPP consulting assistance in
City Budget (1 Quarter 2014)st
Task 2:Planning Director will review the existing LUPP and Urban
Fringe Plan with the City Council in a workshop setting
Task 3:After completing Task 2, if the Council determines that
elements of the LUPP are no longer relevant or effective,
then the City Council will be asked to determine the scope
for either updating or totally rewriting the LUPP
Task 4:The Council will retain a consultant to work with staff to
develop a community-wide process to accomplish the
scope identified in Task 3
Objective:Develop a brand communication plan
Task 1:Public Relations Officer will present report regarding the
accomplishments of the joint Communications Team to
date
Task 2:Expand Communications Team by adding ISU Research
Park, industrial, retail, and human services representatives
to better reflect the community segments
Task 3:The Communications Team will incorporate the
Sesquicentennial message (“Ames: A Smart Choice for 150
Years”) and connect community history in all marketing
endeavors
Task 4:Each Team member intends to work within its organization
to promote the community vision and present a unified
voice for Ames
Objective:Identify characteristics of the type of community that supports ISU’s
technology transfer efforts
Task 1:Mayor and City Manager will ask ISU leadership how the
City can support ISU’s efforts
Facilitator Donna Gilligan noted that the goal is that the objectives and tasks will be
accomplished in two years; however, what she was hearing from the discussions of those
present was that, in reality, all may not be completed in that time period. Assistant
Manager Bob Kindred pointed out that there are many tasks that had already been
assigned to staff. He added that the tasks being created from this goal-setting process did
not include those or the ones that will be assigned in the future.
COMMENTS: Mayor Campbell explained the performance assessment of the City Manager
and City Attorney, which is conducted annually. She said that Council Members Goodman and
Nelson had agreed to take the lead on those evaluations.
The Mayor advised that the National League of Cities Conference would be held in Washington,
DC, in early March. If a Council Member is interested in attending, he/she should contact the
Mayor’s Secretary Jill Ripperger, to get registered for the Conference.
All Council members were encouraged by Mayor Campbell to attend the NAACP Banquet
which is scheduled to occur on February 7.
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ADJOURNMENT: The Special Meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m.
_____________________________________________________________________
Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ann H. Campbell, Mayor