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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 02/15/2011M INU TES OF THE SPECIAL M EETING OF TH E AM ES CITY CO UNCIL AM ES, IOW A FEBRU AR Y 15, 2011 T he Ames City Council met in special session at 7:00 p.m. on the 15 day of February, 20 11 , in the Cityth Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Ann Campbell presiding an d the following Co un cil M emb ers presen t: Goo dman, Larso n, Mah ayni, Oraze m, and W ach a. Ex officio Member England was also present. Council Member Davis arrive d at 8:58 p.m. REQ UEST FRO M AM ES CHAM BER O F COMMERCE FO R A M ES REPRESENTATIVE(S) TO A TTEND FED ERAL LEGISLATIVE VISIT SCHED ULED M ARCH 30 - APRIL 1, 2011: Ames C hamber of Commerce Pre siden t and CEO Dan Culhane ad dressed the Ames City Council concerning the annual Chamber legislative visit to Washington, DC scheduled March 30 - April 1, 2011. Mr. Culhane said that the annual trips to meet w ith elected officials and key agencies that may be able to help with projects in Ames are very important. City Manager Steve Schainker said the National League of C ities (NLC ) conference will be two weeks previous to this trip, and said that sometimes it works out that these trips coincide, but not always. Coun cil Member Larson suggested that a couple Council members go on the Chamber trip, which is a more focused trip than the NLC trip. M oved by Goodman, seconded by Wacha, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 11-054 approving that the City sen d Steve Schainker and up to two Cou ncil members on the annual Ch amber of Commerce trip to Washington, DC. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a po rtion of these M inutes. INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIE HARPER FROM BRAND ENDEAVOR: May or Camp bell introduced Christie Harper of Brand Endeavor. Ms. Harper shared some background on visioning and the process that is currently underway. She described a brand as a promise which must be delivered upon consistently with every interaction. M s. Harper said a brand must include emotion, differentiation, and relevance, and is something that is created and managed, not a naturally occuring phen omenon. M s. Harper described the phases of this endeavor and the steps involved with each phase. Mayor Campbell desc ribed how Brand Endeavor w as selected as a c onsultant to work with A mes in accordance with the Council’s goal of creating and promoting a community vision. NEIGH BO RHO O D SUM M IT: M ayor Campbell welcomed the attendees to the Neighborhood Summit, gave an overview of the Summit agenda, and introduced Pub lic Relations O fficer Susan Gwiasda. Ms. Gw iasda gave an upd ate on w ays the City communica tes with neigh bo rs. She said participation of neighbors and residents is very important to the City. Ms. Gwiasda discussed City Side, the publication issued with City utility bills, and its use to promote public events and helpful information to residents and neighborhoods. She also discussed Neighborhood News, a quarterly publication directed towards neighborhoods and neighborhood associations, which reaches 2,400 mem bers of active neighborhood associations. A n ema il list is also active, which is used to distribu te Neighborhood News. M s. Gwiasda told the group that the City is in the process of developing a new website that will have new avenues for the dissemination of information to residents and neighbors, including options for e-notifications on different topics, of which each resident will be able to choose depending on what is relevant or interesting to them. She said the City’s Facebook page is very active, and that Twitter is being used for immediate upd ates. 2 Catherine Scott, 1510 R oo sevelt Ave nu e, Ames, asked if the names on current email lists will still receive information once the new web is launched. Ms. Gw iasda said the names will be moved over and continue to receive information. Ken Kruempel, 2519 Timberland Road, Ames, said he prefers to get information by email, so he can forw ard the information to relevant neigh bo rs. Dylis M orris, 535 Forest Glen Street, Ames, suggested an option o n the new web to select “no paper co rresponde nce.” M ayor Campbell introduced Planner Jeff Benson and Neighborhoo d Intern Barbara Kloth. Mr. Benson showed the City web site with the In Your Neighborhood menu item selected, and the links to neighborhood programs and information. M r. Benson introduced Barbara Kloth, w ho reviewed the Neighborhood Association Annual Report. Ms. Kloth said that out of the 40 associations, 37 replies were received. She told the Coun cil that out of the 37 replies, 22 of the associations were active, and 15 were inactive to varying degrees. Ms. Kloth described an active Neighborhood Association as one that has social events and meetings, as well as communication and organization by listservs or neighborhood newsletters. M s. Kloth review ed recommendation s by C ity staff, w hich include the continued support by the City Council of active associations, working with somewhat inactive associations to encourage participation and two-way communication, and removing completely inactive associations from the list since one or two neighbors in an association cannot speak for an entire neighborhood. M s. K loth discussed the Ames Repair & Care Volunteer Program currently in operation, which is a partnership between the City of Ames and the Volunteer Center of Story C ounty. She said the purpose of the program is to p rov ide assistance to those who w ou ld not otherwise be able to maintain their residences due to age, disability, or lack of financial resources. Ms. Kloth said volunteers currently con sist of individuals, families, clubs, neighbo rs, and a business. Mr. Benson said that cu rrently, 8 residen ts are receiving help with snow remova l. M r. Ben son said different aspects of the pro gram will be empha sized in the future, and that staff is av ailable to assist neighborhoods with coord inating projects. Council Member Wacha asked if an inactive neighborhood association could become active at any point. Mr. Benson said yes, the neigh bo rho od could resume activities at any time. Dylis Morris, 535 Forest Glen Street, Ames, said there is a home in her neighborhood that is getting worse eve ry year because the ow ner has moved. M r. Benson said if the ne ighbo rho od wanted to he lp, and the ow ner was willing, an effort cou ld be organized to clean up the property. Craig Riecken, 1006 Stafford Avenue, Ames, of the Willson-Beardshear Neighborhood Association, asked what business was part of Ames Repair & Care. M s. Kloth said it was Iowa Home Consulting. M r. Riecken aske d if the determination of an active association w as based on ly on returned surv eys. M s. Kloth said there was a large effort to co ntact people by phone as well. M ayo r Campbell introduc ed Neighbo rho od Inspector, Natalie H errington. Ms. Herrington described he r position, which w as adde d to the Inspections Division three years ag o by the City Cou ncil to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods. She said she coordinates efforts with the Community Resource Officer and Safe N eighborhoods Team. M s. Herring ton showed statistics from 20 10 , with a total of 394 cases processed and only one citation issued. Ms. Herrington said most citizens are 3 willing to w ork with the City, and appreciate the type of community Ames is. M s. H errington sho wed pictures of properties that were impro ved as a result of working with prope rty ow ners. T he issues that w ere discussed included garbage, outdo or storage , noxiou s weeds, dangerous buildings, furniture and appliances, junk vehicles, tall grass, parking issues, illegal structures, and signs. Ms. Herrington describ ed the issues, and how she w ork ed with prop erty managers and owners to improve the situations. She said graffiti and abandoned properties will be focused on in the futu re. Dylis Morris, 535 Forest Glen Street, Ames, said there is a property in her neighborhood where the owner has moved, and cannot sell the property for the listed price. Ms. Morris said the owner is not investing any money into the property to keep it up. Ms. Herrington said there is a gap between da ng erous buildings and situation s such as this. Counc il M ember Orazem ask ed about prope rty taxes. Ms. Herrington said property taxes are usually paid in these instances. M s. Betcher asked how long neig hbo rs should wait before contac ting Inspections with issues. M s. Herrington said to call her rig ht aw ay so that the Departmen t can be o n top of the se situation s. W ith repeat offenders, it is espe cially helpful. M ayor Campbell introduced Police Chief Chuck Cychosz. Chief Cychosz said building relationships with Neighborhood Associations and neighbors is very important to the Police Department. He asked for information and priorities, so that the Police Department can help solve problems. Chief Cychosz said that members of the Police D epartment can meet w ith neigh bo rs to review citations, crimes, and calls made within a neighborhood. Commander Geoff Huff discussed the Safe Neighborhoods Team. He said the program has two officers committed to it, and two more w ill be assigned to it very soon. He told the group that Sergeant Howard Snider is also part of the team, and that the team is devoted to problem solving and bu ilding relationships. Commander Huff described a recent cluster of burglaries that involved unlocked apartments, and ho w the Po lice Department work ed with residents to get the message out, an d educate them on how not to become a victim. Lieutenant Tom Shelton discussed the Crime Free Housing program that the Police Department ad ministers. Lieutenant Shelton said the progra m consists of ed ucation on how to screen app lican ts, an overview by an attorney , a security walkthrough, and a social time for tenants an d ma nagers to discuss the program. H e said the Dep artment has certified about 80 property ow ners in Ames, rep resen ting about 40 complexes. Community Resource Officer Brad Baker said he is a contact for community outreach and ne ighbo rho od com plaints, and can provide da ta to neighbo rs. Debbie Lee, 214 S. Maple Avenue, Ames, said her neighborhood has been meeting with the Police Department for seven years, and has found it to be very positive and helpful. She thanked them for their patience. Ms. Lee described a rash of burglaries in her neighborhood in June, and said that the Police Department was very responsive. She said the acts of only one or two people can really affect the feeling of an entire neighborhood. A represen tative of the W illson Beard shear N eighborhood Association asked if there are cu rrently any block watch programs. Chief Cychosz said the Department has not launched one yet, but one co uld be started in a neighb orh oo d if there is interest. Gloria Betcher, 531 Hayward Avenue, Ames, asked if the Safe Neighborhoods Team replaced the Party Response Team. Chief Cychosz said that the Safe Neighborhoods Team is a much-enhanced 4 Party Respon se Team that also responds to additional neighborhood conc erns. Pat Brown, 3229 W est Street, Ames, thanked all staff for the work that is being done. She said it is he r hope that the community c an stabilize diversity in neigh bo rho od s, no t create two co mmu nities. M s. Brown said Sustainable Neighbo rho od s is work ing on a report to be presented. Joanne Olson, 3817 C olu mb ine A venue, Ames, said that residents in the Bloomington Heigh ts neighborhood are very concerned that traffic to the new Rose Prairie development will be running up Hyde Avenue. Ms. Olson said she hopes that speed bumps and stop signs will be added. She expressed concern that there is no north-south street that goes all the way through, and asked that the City plan in advance for future growth and related traffic. M s. Olson submitted a Bloomington Heights N eighborhood Report to Counc il members. A representative of Hayes Avenue, Ames, said he was concerned about the amount of traffic on Hayes Ave nu e. Gloria Betcher, 5 31 H ayw ard A venu e, Ames, asked the Council to keep their eyes on what is happening in the South Campus Area Neighborhood (SCAN) neighborhood. Dylis Morris, 535 Forest Glen Street, Ames, won dered about the funds for repairing the roads. Mr. Sc hainker said the major portion of funds comes from property taxes, and is leveraged by federal funds when possible. He described the long range plan in place to evaluate the deterioration of streets. M r. Schainker said that G rand Avenue would be repaired by the state, and said that some roa ds are institutional roads. H e said that road use tax dollars are distribu ted based on the census, an d with the grow ing popu lation , Ames will receive more fun ds. A W illson B eard shear Neighborhood Association representative asked if the City would ever designate street park ing for residents only. Mr. Schainker said some cities do that, but it has ad ministrative costs an d fees associated with it. He said when that option was rev iew ed in the past, the negatives outweighed the positives. Mr. Schainker said that time of day regulations could be ad ded. Co un cil M emb er Dav is arrived at 8:58 p.m. A representative of the Kate Mitchell neighborhood said that the school is what brings her neighborhood together. She said that the school is essentially their neighborhood association and their gathering place. She said neighbo rhood schools are very important, and won dered if more funds could be used to keep neighborhood schools. Council M ember Wacha said that much time was spent on the Rental Housing Code last year and wondered if any neighborhood representatives had any comments regarding the Rental Housing Code. Gloria Betcher, 531 Hayward Avenue, Ames said she was thrilled with the outcome of recent code changes. Another neighborhood representative appreciated the Council’s work on the Rental Housing Code, and thanked staff for the many neighborhood improvement programs and publications that are in place, which have been very helpful to his association. A representative of the Kate M itchell neighbo rhood asked about having historical buildings as gathering places in neighborhoods. Gloria Betcher, Chair of the Historical Preservation Commission (HPC) said that the HPC cannot declare any school building a local landmark, which is a means of using a local bu ilding as a com munity center. If neighb orh oo ds w ould like to nominate the ir schools, they must make an impression on the school board that the residents see the school as a value to the ne ighbo rho od . Then, the grou p would work w ith the Planning department. 5 T he meeting recessed at 9:10 p.m. and reconven ed at 9:16 p.m. REPORT FROM THE GOVER NM ENT OF THE STUDENT BODY REGARDING LA NDLORD/TEN AN T W EB SER VICE: Mayor Campbell introduced ex officio Council Member and GSB Cabinet Member Matt England. Mr. England told the Council that a landlord/tenant mediation service is a priority of the G overnment of the Student Body (GSB). M r. England said that Student Legal Services is not able to take this on as GSB wants it to exist. He explained that GSB desires this service to be something that is staffed by a person, which was figured to cost around $130,000 per year. He said that, since GSB is unable to fund such a position, a website option is now be ing considered. Mr. England introduced GSB Treasurer Kathryn Benton. Ms. Benton said GS B is very excited about the possible website, which would include information for students including landlord obligations and tenant responsibilities, contact information for signing up for utilities, and other helpful links. She showed the Council a mock website, and the search ability it would have. She showed how it wou ld compare apartments in a side-by-side format and show the property on a map in relation to the ISU campus. M r. England said a web site like this must be mutually beneficial to students and landlords. H e said the Iow a State D aily has a similar website, bu t it doe s not con tain very much information. M s. Benton said a partnership with the Iowa State Daily is being pursued as an option to making this website happen. M r. Sch ainker a sk ed if there wou ld be a place on the w ebsite for renters to post comments. M s. Benton said that a star system would be used so tenants could rate pro perties and landlords. Discussion ensued reg arding the fundin g and cost of such a website. Council M ember W acha said that a website like this could be a great equalizer of all pro perty ow ners. Cou ncil M ember Orazem said buy-in from the Student Affairs Office at ISU would be very worthw hile. He also said that rating landlords would be useful. M r. Schainker asked about making some of the educational tools such as a tenant tutorial required before advancing through the site. Council M ember Goodman said the education piece is what wou ld attract the customer. Council Member Orazem said the original concept was too focused on the legal aspect, but that the website co uld provide information for the vast majority. Council Member M ahayni suggested some ene rgy tow ard internation al students. M r. England said he had discussed this site with a member of the International Student Council, who showed much suppo rt. CO M M ENTS: Moved by Larson and seconded by Goodman to refer to staff the letter from Jody M cCask ey regardin g the Safly Estate acreage site and farmland sp lit in Boone County. Vote on M otion: 6-0. Motion carried unanimously. M oved by Orazem and seconded by M ahayni to refer to staff the letter from Steve and Barb O’Rourke requesting the Council waive the application of its subdivision standards for a proposed subdivision. Vote on M otion: 6-0. Motion carried unanimously. 6 Council Member Davis said he attended the ISU Sports Complex forum earlier in the evening, and that residents were well-represented. He told the group that another forum will be scheduled in the future. ADJOU RNM ENT: The meeting adjourned at 9:50 p.m. _______________________________________________________________________ Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ann H. Campbell, Mayor ___________________________________ Erin Thompson, Recording Secretary