HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council 12/13/2005MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA DECEMBER 13, 2005
The regular meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor Ted Tedesco at 6:00
p.m. on December 13, 2005, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue. Present
from the Ames City Council were Cross, Goodhue, Goodman, Mahayni, Vegge, and Wirth.
CLOSED SESSION: Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Cross, to hold a closed session, as
provided for in Sections 21.5(1)(I) and 21.9, Code of Iowa, to discuss candidates for position
of City Attorney.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
Moved by Goodman, seconded by Cross, to reconvene in Regular Session.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
The meeting recessed at 6:27 p.m. and reconvened at 6:30 p.m.
Tony Borich, ex-officio member, arrived at 6:30 p.m.
Mayor Tedesco advised that Items No. 8, 34, and 38 had been pulled from this Agenda.
Moved by Mahayni, seconded by Cross, to direct the Mayor to extend an offer of employment
to Doug Marek for the position of City Attorney with a starting salary of $116,000/year, to be
frozen until June 30, 2007, and be adjusted July 1 of each year thereafter after a review by the
City Council (a six-month review will be performed, although no increase will be received); four
weeks of vacation/year; all benefits that are provided to Department Heads; COBRA premium
during transition will be paid by the City of Ames; residency must be within the City of Ames;
with the offer conditional on the successful completion of a physical examination and
background check, and if accepted, the start date to be mutually determined by the applicant and
the City.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
ASSET PRIORITIES: Assistant City Manager Sheila Lundt explained that the City Council had
requested additional information from the other participating ASSET funders. She introduced
Jane Halliburton, who was representing the Story County Board of Supervisors.
Ms. Halliburton pointed out that each of the five funders provides funding in the manner that is
best for that particular agency and determines its own priorities. She explained that the County,
since 1999, had relied on residential property taxes, instead of Local Option Tax revenue, to
fund ASSET. Ms. Halliburton described the results of the residential rollback on property taxes.
She showed a graph depicting the funding for human service agencies. For the upcoming fiscal
year, Story County will be allocating $395,500 of General Fund Property Tax revenues to
ASSET; this is slightly more than a 3% increase.
Deb Schildroth, liaison to ASSET, broke down Story County’s contributions to ASSET by fund
(General Basic, General Relief, Mental Health, Public Health, and Juvenile Court) since
FiscalYear (FY) 2000.
Ms. Schildroth identified Story County’s priorities for 2006/07 as services for the safety, health,
and well-being of children; the development and maintenance of self-sufficient competencies
and services that will help individuals obtain affordable housing and transportation to remain
in the work force and in their own homes; the needs for individuals to access appropriate
medical services in order to allow them to live in their own homes, rather than institutional-
based care; and, coordination and communication among funding streams. Additionally, the
County supports directing dollars to services that will help prevent situations from requiring
more costly services. Ms. Schildroth indicated that those priorities were not in any specific
order; however, there is an emphasis on prevention and early intervention activities in each area.
Ms. Lundt advised that the Government of the Student Body (GSB) is hoping to make a 1%
increase in their allocation to ASSET. GSB’s priorities were services that provide tangible
benefits to students; childcare services, with specific emphasis on infant and toddler care;
substance abuse prevention and treatment, both group and individual care; legal services not
provided by Student Legal Services; services that foster diversity and multi-cultural
understanding; and services that are an indirect benefit to students, including, but not limited to,
various community services.
The City’s ASSET volunteers, Brad Nordmeyer, Jim Pearson, Dorothy Sally, and Rob Wiese,
were introduced. Ms. Lundt explained that the current priorities are: an emphasis on assistance
to low- and moderate-income families; meeting basic needs; crisis intervention; prevention; and
information and referral. She stated that since these priorities were set last year, the City had
been involved in a County-wide needs assessment effort. After conducting a lengthy survey and
focus group effort, the Story County Community Coalition recommended three areas of
emphasis: transportation, mental health, and heart health. Ms. Lundt advised that City staff was
currently serving on the Coalition subcommittee working on County-wide transportation issues.
She recommended that transportation be monitored for a year to ascertain the need. With the
exception of heart health, Ms. Lundt said that ASSET is already including those types of
agencies in the funding.
It was also stated by Ms. Lundt that one human service agency had made a request for funding
from several of the funders, including the City, to establish a program to provide technical
assistance, coordination of services, promotion, communications, and educational resources for
an “Ames Character Education Initiative.” This request does not readily fit any of the City’s
current priorities for ASSET, and staff needs guidance from the City Council on whether to
include that in the City’s priorities.
Volunteer Jim Pearson advised that the City’s first four priorities somewhat overlap, are fairly
clear-cut, and provide, for the most part, the most direction to the ASSET panel in making a
determination as to which agencies get funded. Outcomes (documenting services and to whom)
must be provided by the agencies. Ms. Lundt described the process followed by ASSET
volunteers to determine which agencies will receive funding and in what amounts.
“Information and referral” was explained by Ms. Lundt. After a short discussion, Ms. Lundt
indicated that it was not overly important to continue to include “information and referral” as
a priority.
Moved by Cross, seconded by Vegge, to list the City Council’s priorities as Items 1 - 4 (an
emphasis on assistance to low- and moderate-income families; meeting basic needs; crisis
intervention; and prevention), deleting 5 (information and referral), and adding transportation.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
RECOGNITION OF DAVID MAAHS: Mayor Tedesco presented a “Key to the City” to David
Maahs, who had served as Executive Director of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and
Economic Development Commission for nearly ten years. Mr. Maahs had recently accepted a
position in Des Moines.
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CONSENT AGENDA: Moved by Vegge, seconded by Mahayni, to pull, for separate discussion,
Item #7g relating to the renewal of the liquor license for Es Tas, 120 Welch Avenue.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
Moved by Wirth, seconded by Goodhue, to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda:
1. Motion approving payment of claims
2. Motion approving minutes of the special meeting of November 21 and regular meeting of
November 22, 2005
3. Conference Board:
a. Motion setting December 20, 2005, for Special Meeting
b. Motion setting January 24 and February 28, 2006, for Regular Meetings
4.Motion approving renewal of the following beer permits and liquor licenses:
a. Class C Liquor - Aunt Maude’s, 547 Main Street
b. Class C Liquor & Outdoor Service Area - The Café, 2616 Northridge Parkway
c. Class C Beer - Casey’s General Store #2298, 428 Lincoln Way
d. Class C Liquor - Cazador Mexican Restaurant, 3605 Lincoln Way
e. Class C Beer - Char’s, 3100 S Duff Avenue
f. Class E Liquor, B Wine & C Beer - Cub Foods, 3121 Grand Avenue
g. Class C Liquor - O’Malley & McGee’s Mexican Café, 716 S. Duff Avenue
h. Class C Liquor - Tip Top Lounge, 201 E. Lincoln Way
5. Motion revoking an encroachment permit for lighted sign over public right-of-way at The Asylum,
111 Welch Avenue, for failure to provide insurance coverage as per the written agreement
6. Motion continuing to allow ash trees on Street Tree Plans and directing staff to require a diversity
of tree species in future subdivisions
7. RESOLUTION NO. 05-475 approving Commission On The Arts (COTA) Spring Mini-Grants
8. RESOLUTION NO. 05-476 approving appointment of Caleb Mathews to fill vacancy on the
Library Board of Trustees
9. RESOLUTION NO. 05-477 approving appointment of Council Member Steve Goodhue to Mini
Board
10. RESOLUTION NO. 05-478 approving designation of City representatives to Central Iowa
Regional Transportation Planning Alliance (CIRTPA)
11. RESOLUTION NO. 05-479 authorizing temporary staffing increase for Fleet Services
12. RESOLUTION NO. 05-480 approving a two-year extension of the audit contract with EideBailly
LLP to provide auditing services through fiscal year ending June 30, 2007
13. RESOLUTION NO. 05-481 setting date of public hearing for December 20, 2005, regarding a
lease with Sprint Spectrum, L.P., for installation of cellular antenna on Bloomington Road Water
Tower
14. RESOLUTION NO. 05-482 approving revision to Sustainable Neighborhood Program Guidelines
15. RESOLUTION NO. 05-483 approving agreement with the owner of the property at 1911
Bloomington Road to conduct a training burn to raze the house
16. RESOLUTION NO. 05-484 approving Supplement to Software License and Services Agreement
with SunGard HTE, Inc., for software, installation, and services in the amount of $14,264.00
17. Fleet Replacement Program - Police Patrol Cars:
a. RESOLUTION NO. 05-485 approving contract with Pat Clemens of Boone, Iowa, for three
2006 Chevrolet Impalas at a cost of $57,135
b. RESOLUTION NO. 05-486 approving contract with Dewey Ford of Ankeny, Iowa, for one
2006 Ford Crown VIC at $20,898
18. RESOLUTION NO. 05-487 approving Minor Final Plat for Western Hills Subdivision
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolutions declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and
hereby made a portion of these minutes.
RENEWAL OF LIQUOR LICENSE FOR ES TAS, 120 WELCH AVENUE: Moved by
Goodhue, seconded by Cross, to approve the renewal of the Class C Liquor License for Es Tas,
120 Welch Avenue, for a six-month period.
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Moved by Mahayni, seconded by Wirth, to amend the motion to include the requirement for
training (through Ames Police Department) of the employees of that establishment.
Vote on Amendment: 5-0-1. Voting aye: Cross, Goodhue, Mahayni, Vegge, Wirth. Voting nay:
None. Abstaining: Goodman. Motion declared carried.
Vote on Motion, as Amended: 5-0-1. Voting aye: Cross, Goodhue, Mahayni, Vegge, Wirth.
Voting nay: None. Abstaining: Goodman. Motion declared carried.
PUBLIC FORUM: No one wished to speak at this time.
ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PARKING REGULATIONS ON SEDWICK DRIVE AND
STOCKBURY STREET: Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Wirth, to pass on first reading
an ordinance prohibiting parking at all times on the north side of Sedwick Drive and on the north
side of Stockbury Street.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE TOWN CENTER WEST URBAN REVITALIZATION
AREA: Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Cross, to pass on second reading an ordinance
establishing the Town Center West Urban Revitalization Area.
Roll Call Vote: 5-1. Voting aye: Cross, Goodhue, Mahayni, Vegge, Cross. Voting nay:
Goodman. Motion declared carried.
ORDINANCE MAKING A ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT TO ALLOW A DECREASE IN
PARKING REQUIREMENTS IN THE INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE DISTRICT:
Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Vegge, to pass on second reading an ordinance making a
zoning text amendment to allow a decrease in parking requirements in the Industrial Warehouse
District.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PARKING REGULATIONS ON STANGE ROAD AND
OXFORD AVENUE: Moved by Cross, seconded by Vegge, to pass on second reading an
ordinance establishing parking regulations on Stange Road and Oxford Avenue.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
ORDINANCE REZONING PROPERTY LOCATED NORTHEAST AND SOUTHEAST OF
INTERSTATE 35 AND EAST 13TH STREET INTERCHANGE: Mayor Tedesco brought the
Council’s attention to a letter from Attorney Tyler Murray Smith, representing Advocates for
Responsible Urban Design, Inc., received today and placed around the dais. The Mayor advised
that he had checked with the City Attorney, and Mr. Klaus had indicated that there were no
issues of substance contained in the letter and Council could proceed.
Council Member Wirth voiced her opinion that, although the “mall issue” was a big issue for this
community, it was not an issue that would make or break the community; she would like the City
to now move on to other issues.
Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Vegge, to pass on third reading and adopt ORDINANCE NO.
3862 rezoning property located northeast and southeast of Interstate 35 and East 13th Street
Interchange from “A” (Agricultural) and “PI” (Planned Industrial) to “PRC” (Planned Regional
Commercial) and “O-GNE” (Northeast Gateway Overlay District).
Roll Call Vote: 4-2. Voting aye: Cross, Goodhue, Mahayni, Vegge. Voting nay: Goodman,
Wirth. Ordinance declared adopted, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these
minutes.
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ORDINANCE REZONING PROPERTY LOCATED AT 534 SOUTH DUFF AVENUE:
Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Cross, to pass on third reading and adopt ORDINANCE NO.
3863 rezoning property at 534 South Duff Avenue from “A” (Agricultural) to “HOC” (Highway-
Oriented Commercial) [Wal-Mart].
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Ordinance declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these minutes.
ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING NO-PARKING REGULATIONS ON NORTHWESTERN
AVENUE: Moved by Wirth, seconded by Vegge, to pass on third reading and adopt ORDINANCE
NO. 3864 establishing no-parking regulations along the east side of Northwestern Avenue from
13th Street to 615 feet north.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Ordinance declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and
hereby made a portion of these minutes.
REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR VETERAN’S MEMORIAL: Brian Anderson and Herman
Quirmbach, Co-Chairs for the Ames Veteran’s Memorial Committee, were present. Mr.
Quirmbach stated that they appreciated the City’s willingness to provide a site for the Memorial.
They are now asking for financial support. According to Mr. Quirmbach, there are a lot of
veterans who may not have the finances to participate in the fund-raiser, and it is appropriate for
the City to provide funding in their stead. Mr. Quirmbach said that he felt it was somewhat
inappropriate to ask veterans to provide funding for their own memorial; the community should
help fund this endeavor to thank the veterans for their service to our country.
Mr. Anderson stated that as of November 28, 2005, funds and pledges totaling $120,000 had
been received. Mr. Quirmbach stated that he had reason to believe that the State Historical
Society grant applied for would not be received.
Council Member Goodman asked to know the value of the land where the Memorial will be
built. Mr. Quirmbach pointed out that the land was not deeded to the Committee; the City will
retain ownership of the land, and the Memorial will be donated to the City.
Council Member Mahayni said that when veterans are being discussed, they should not be
referred to as “them,” but rather as “us.” He felt that all members of the community had been
impacted by veterans.
Although Ms. Wirth feels that this is a very worthwhile project, she is concerned about the
amount of funds being requested. She pointed out that the public had not provided input into
this project.
Mayor Tedesco suggested that the Council consider approving funding on a matching-fund
basis. He explained that there were issues involved regarding bidding protocol when this level
of City funding was involved. City Attorney John Klaus advised that building and construction
projects in amounts equal to or exceeding $25,000 must be competitively bid.
Council Member Goodman indicated his concern that the size/scope of the project was decided
before support for the project was verified. Mr. Quirmbach reviewed the efforts of the
Committee to ascertain enthusiasm and support for the project. Mr. Goodman asked if the
Committee had considered scaling-back the project. According to Mr. Quirmbach, the feedback
from the community indicated that the project should be expanded; however, the Committee
continues to look at the elements of the project.
Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Cross, to refer this request to be considered at budget time,
taking into consideration the bidding processes and funding options.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
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REQUEST FOR FUNDING FROM ISU GOVERNMENT OF THE STUDENT BODY FOR
CAMPUSTOWN STUDY: This item was pulled by representatives of the Design College.
Council Member Mahayni left the meeting at 8:00 p.m.
HEARING ON POWER PLANT UNIT NO. 8 CONDENSER TUBES REPLACEMENT
PROJECT: The hearing was opened by Mayor Tedesco. He closed same after no one came
forward to speak.
Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Vegge, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 05-488 approving final
plans and specifications and awarding a contract to TEi Struthers Services of Royersford, PA,
in the amount of $442,806.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these minutes.
HEARING ON AMENDMENTS TO SOUTH LINCOLN URBAN REVITALIZATION AREA
PLAN: Mayor Tedesco opened the public hearing. The hearing was closed after no one wished to
speak.
Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Vegge, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 05-489 approving an
amendment to the South Lincoln Urban Revitalization Plan to add optional eligibility criteria
for projects that provide commercial space within a “Key Redevelopment Site” in the South
Lincoln Urban Revitalization Area and reduce the minimum square footage required to 1,500
square feet.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these minutes.
Moved by Goodman to reconsider Item No. 32.
Motion died for lack of a second.
HEARING ON ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT TO ESTABLISH
PROVISIONS FOR “ADULT CABARETS” IN CERTAIN ZONING DISTRICTS: The
Mayor opened the hearing.
A letter from George Stagg, Associate Pastor of the Oakwood Road Church, was placed around
the dais indicating support for the Council’s effort to restrict “sex-as-entertainment”
establishments as much as legally possible.
Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Wirth, to table this item until the second regular meeting in
January 2006.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN CENTRAL IOWA POWER
COOPERATIVE AND THE CITY OF AMES: This item was pulled by staff.
UNIVERSITY-IMPACTED AREA: Assistant City Manager Bob Kindred gave a chronological
review of this issue. He summarized the four remaining issues: open-space requirement;
building step-back above a certain height; usage of certain materials; and, an Architectural
Review Committee. Mr. Kindred named the eight members of the Staff Advisory Committee.
He said that the Committee had met on December 1, 2005, to better understand each others’
viewpoints and to find agreement on the four issues. The Committee generally agreed on a
specific guideline for each issue, agreed that three of the four guidelines should be applied by
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an Architectural Review Committee, and agreed that the City should provide a financial
incentive for following the guidelines for open space and building materials. Mr. Kindred then
detailed the Committee’s Recommended Guidelines.
Planner Jeff Benson presented the staff’s comments on each of the four issues. Regarding the
open space requirement, City Manager Schainker advised that another issue to be addressed
would be the quality and extent of open space improvements required to qualify for the
incentive.
Council Member Goodman stated that he wanted to see a reasonable attempt to preserve scale
along Lincoln Way (on the two blocks between Hayward and Stanton) and the two blocks of
Welch Avenue. Council Member Wirth agreed, stating that she felt the character of Campustown
would be lost if the building height step-back requirement being recommended by staff and the
Committee were approved.
Pertaining to the material requirement, Mr. Schainker indicated that Fox Engineering had been
asked to help quantify the cost benefit of the City’s existing incentive criteria matrix.
Jim Murdock, 1510 Roosevelt Avenue, Ames, a member of the Staff Advisory Committee, felt
that dropping the open-space requirement, as suggested by staff, would not be acceptable to the
majority of the Committee members. He urged the City Council to consider including some type
of open-space requirement.
John Lott, 823 Douglas Avenue, Ames, also a member of the Staff Advisory Committee, offered
additional comments on the proposed requirements, stating that each would be very hard to
mandate. He also advised that the purpose of an Architectural Review Committee would be to
make recommendations to, but not take any decision-making power away from, the City
Council.
Matt Randall, 420 South 17th Street, Ames, advised that setback is key when setting parking
requirements. He was opposed to creating an Architectural Review Committee as it would be
another level of bureaucracy.
Gloria Betcher, 531 Hayward, Ames, representing the Historic Preservation Commission, stated
that the Commission’s concern about compatibility of new development with existing had been
addressed in the recommendations for material requirement. She said the Commission’s main
concern was for the core area (along Lincoln Way and Welch Avenue). The step-back
recommendation is of great concern in that particular area of Campustown.
Catherine Scott, 1510 Roosevelt, Ames, made an analogy between author Christopher
Alexander’s patterns of transition and the transition between a street and a building; it should
be comfortable.
Holly Fuchs, 806 Brookridge, Ames, described the frightening feeling she had when
approaching a tall wall of a brick building while walking in Campustown.
Moved by Goodman, seconded by Wirth, that the City include public open space in future
developments as a priority in the UIA Plan, but not include abatement for private open space;
that brick be a primary material, as specified in the staff’s recommendations, and that the other
abatements still be in place; that there be the opportunity (in the Code) to come before the City
Council if the developer finds the brick requirement incompatible with existing materials; and
that the UIA Plan include a 15-foot setback for buildings 30 feet in height or more, on Lincoln
Way, from Hayward to Stanton, and on Welch Avenue, from Lincoln Way to Chamberlain.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
Cathy Brown, 2309 Hayes Avenue, Ames, asked if the Council understood that, if the 30-foot
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height with a 15-foot setback requirement were set, it would be for buildings up to 115 feet. She
felt that a 15-foot setback on a very tall building would be almost negligible.
The meeting recessed at 9:30 p.m. and reconvened at 9:35 p.m.
URBAN REVITALIZATION AREA FOR BEACH/SUNSET/GRAY: John Lott, 823 Douglas,
Ames, representing property owner Jon Chester, advised that the site in question is underutilized.
He explained that the total current assessed value of all of the properties is $1,244,204, with total
property tax revenue of $37,650. The estimated value of the new condominium building is
$2,764,000 with future tax revenue of $64,775. Mr. Lott advised that all eight residential
buildings and two garages would ultimately be demolished.
Gloria Betcher, 531 Hayward Avenue, Ames, said that the Council had asked the applicant to
meet with the Historic Preservation Commission prior to demolition of the buildings on the site
in question. Mr. Chester and Mr. Lott did meet with the Commission. The Commission
members realized that they had no authority to prevent the buildings from being demolished, but
did want to ensure that the new buildings would be compatible with the area. Ms. Betcher
advised that the Historic Preservation Commission supported this project, both Phases 1 and 2,
and the creation of an Urban Revitalization Area for the portion of the block bounded by Gray
Avenue, Sunset Street, and Beach Avenue.
Council Member Goodman pointed out that every project would qualify as an urban
revitalization area under the underutilized criterion once the existing buildings were torn down.
He does not believe that this project meets the eligibility criteria based on the matrix.
Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Wirth, to approve the application, determining that the
Request for Designation of an Urban Revitalization Area for a portion of the block bounded by
Gray Avenue, Sunset Street, and Beach Avenue – Phases I and II – meets the criteria for
eligibility.
Vote on Motion: 4-1. Voting aye: Cross, Goodhue, Vegge, Wirth. Voting nay: Goodman.
Motion declared carried.
Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Cross, to direct staff to prepare an Urban Revitalization Plan.
Vote on Motion: 4-1. Voting aye: Cross, Goodhue, Vegge, Wirth. Voting nay: Goodman.
Motion declared carried.
Moved by Goodhue, seconded by Wirth, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 05-490 setting the date
of public hearing for January 24, 2006.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and
hereby made a portion of these minutes.
PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY PROGRAM: Public Works Director John Joiner described the
location of the safe routes. Staff is recommending that missing segments of arterial street
sidewalks and bike paths in association with the school safe route plans be addressed first. The
estimated cost of the sidewalks associated with safe school routes is approximately $538,000;
staff is recommending that these locations be entirely funded by the City through Local Option
Sales Tax and federal grants over a three-year period. Mr. Joiner explained that Shared Use
Paths that are part of the Safe Routes to School plans are shown within the first year of the
Program and proposed to be funded from Local Option Sales Tax and MPO/STP funds in the
amount of $150,000 and $80,000, respectively. The Shared Use Path System program is
traditionally funded by the City without cost to the adjacent property owners.
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City Manager Schainker pointed out that complete City funding of the first phase of construction
could create pressure to fully fund future phases of construction that is estimated to be $2.6
million. After completion of these initial segments, the remaining locations would then be
brought before Council for further prioritization and establishing funding methods. He also
pointed out that, although the City is assuming the cost of construction, some citizens will
complain about the ongoing maintenance.
Council Member Goodman read an e-mail message that he had received from a citizen. That
citizen was upset that she had been made to construct and then maintain a sidewalk in front of
her property. The City, in 1958, required her to construct the sidewalk because her residence
was close to Fellows Elementary. Mr. Goodman said he felt that it was unfair for the City to
now assume payment for the construction of sidewalks when other property owners have had
to pay for the construction of sidewalks on their property. He did not agree with “85% of Ames
residents paying for sidewalks for 15% of the residents.”. Mr. Goodman would like to see a
compromise. He also pointed out that this does not provide for the construction of sidewalks
on major thoroughfares. The people needing the sidewalks more than likely are not the property
owners.
Council Member Cross said that he felt the sidewalks selected for this Program were different
than those described in the e-mail message; they are more public-purpose and broader
community facilities than a neighborhood sidewalk. Mr. Goodman said that the sidewalk
referred to in the e-mail was by a school. Mr. Cross said that the sidewalks designated in the
proposed Program are on major arterials.
Council Member Goodman said he hoped that this was not the end of discussion on this
Program; it is still not producing a safe way to get “from Best Buy to Target;” on major
thoroughfares, there are still no sidewalks.
Moved by Wirth, seconded by Goodhue, to accept the Pedestrian Walkway Program with
priority given to School Safe Routes and funding totally by the City, as the first phase of the
Program.
Council Member Goodhue pointed out that, if approved at this meeting, the Council would be
moving forward the recommendation to the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP); the next decision
point would be at the CIP discussion.
Moved by Cross, seconded by Vegge, to amend the motion to remove the Grand Avenue
segment from 2707 Luther to 30th Street.
David Edsall, 1232 Carroll Avenue, Ames, stated that if approved, this plan, depending on how
it would move forward, would put a financial hardship on him, as well as others. He asked for
an explanation of Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III; he wanted to know where his street would fall
in this plan. Mr. Joiner advised that his street would not be in Phase I of this plan. Mr. Schainker
pointed out that at this time, the City was only talking about Phase I, with no commitment past
that at this time. Mr. Edsall asked for an explanation of the second phase, to which Mr.
Schainker replied that there was no second phase or third phase. If there is a Phase II and
residents are asked to fund any portion, Mr. Edsall would like the City Council to revisit the
issue and make sure that there is proper representation from every member of the community
who is going to be affected. He stated that the committee that was put together to study this
issue and provide a report to the Council included one person who lived on an arterial street.
Mr. Edsall said that he did not hear about this issue until he got a letter in the mail stating that
a committee had been put together, came up with a plan, and arrived at a decision.
Dan Shaffer, 3224 Ross Road, Ames, said that he was a member of the Committee. Personally,
he recommended to the City Council to continue pursuing transportation on all levels, including
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pedestrian. He pointed out that the City is pursuing automobile routes, which is an extremely
expensive endeavor; the amounts being invested for pedestrian routes is minuscule in
comparison, and it needs to move forward.
Tom Scott, 415 Westwood, Ames, expressed dismay over the process. He said that it was the
Council’s fault that there was poor turnout for the recent election because citizens have the
feeling that their points of view do not matter; the Council is going to do it anyway. Mr. Scott
pointed out that at a meeting where approximately 80 people spoke on the Sidewalk Program,
only five or six people indicated that they wanted sidewalks. To him, that indicated that the
constituency desiring this project is very small, and the City should tell those people who were
going to get sidewalks that they need to pay for and maintain them. He felt that the “well had
been poisoned;” they don’t trust the process. He would like the program to be dropped. Mr.
Scott said there were a lot of people who felt that this process had not been handled fairly and
in a good public way.
Council Member Cross stated that the City Council “killed” the matrix, identified 2100+ blocks
of City streets that didn’t have sidewalks, and scaled it back; this Program is minuscule to what
was originally proposed because the City Council listened to people. Mr. Scott pointed out that
City staff told the residents different things, and people don’t trust the process now.
Vote on Amendment: 4-1. Voting aye: Cross, Goodhue, Vegge, Wirth. Voting nay: Goodman.
Motion declared carried.
Vote on Motion, as amended: 4-1. Voting aye: Cross, Goodhue, Vegge, Wirth. Voting nay:
Goodman. Motion declared carried.
WATER PLANT SECURITY SYSTEMS: This item was pulled by staff.
COMMENTS: Moved by Wirth, seconded by Goodhue, to refer to staff the letter from Fox
Engineering regarding Birdhaven Subdivision; request for assistance from the Place (College
of Design); and directing staff to schedule a joint meeting with the Planning and Zoning
Commission to discuss the creation of zoning provisions for commercial developments as
Planned Unit Developments.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
ADJOURNMENT: 10:30 p.m.
___________________________________ ____________________________________
Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ted Tedesco, Mayor
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