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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 08/31/1995 OFFICIAL MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA AUGUST 31, 1995 The Ames City Council met in special session at 12:00 p.m. on the 31st day of August, 1995, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Pro Tem John Parks presiding and the following Council Members present: Campbell, Hoffman, Parks, Tedesco, and Wirth. Mayor Curtis and Coun. Brown were absent. Mayor Pro Tem Parks noted an item concerning approval of a RISE grant application for ISU Research Park Road, Phase II, had been withdrawn from today's agenda. ORDINANCE AMENDING PARKING REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS:Motion by Hoffman, Second by Tedesco, to pass on first reading an ordinance amending parking regulations for construction projects. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Motion by Campbell, Second by Tedesco, to suspend the rules required for the adoption of an ordinance. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Motion by Tedesco, Second by Wirth, to pass on second and third readings and adopt ORDINANCE NO. 3343 amending parking regulations for construction projects. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Ordinance declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. WAIVER OF PARKING REGULATIONS FOR DOWNTOWN AREA SANITARY RELIEF LINE PROJECT: Motion by Tedesco, Second by Hoffman, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 95-380 waiving parking regulations for the Downtown Area Sanitary Relief Line Project. Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. APPROVAL OF OUTDOOR SERVICE AREA FOR JOHNNY ORR'S SPORTS GRILLE: Motion by Tedesco, Second by Hoffman, to approve application for outdoor service area for Johnny Orr's Sports Grille, 1206 South Duff. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. COMMENTS AND FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: Coun. Wirth said she has received comments that children have been playing on equipment and around the construction areas of the Downtown Area Sanitary Relief Line project. She said parents should be aware of the need to keep children away from streets that are closed and fenced off for construction work. She said she's also learned large tree roots have been inadvertently cut during the course of the project. Motion by Wirth, Second by Hoffman, to request a report from Staff at one of the September Council meetings on the following: 1. The City's current policy regarding minimizing damage to trees when construction work is being done in the parkway; 2) Why current policies, procedures and standards were not included in the contract for this project, and what is being done to ensure this information is included in contracts for future projects; and 3) A policy for protecting trees and minimizing damage when other agencies or utilities are working in the parkway. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Coun. Tedesco questioned whether it might be more convenient for citizens if Council adopted a policy granting the City Manager administrative power to supersede parking regulations when construction projects are ongoing. Coun. Wirth said Staff may not be comfortable making a decision to supersede regulations for a long period of time. City Manager Steve Schainker suggested Council first wait to see if the new ordinance effectively takes care of the problem. He said this issue could be returned to Council if a future problem occurs because the Council is unable to convene to waive regulations in conjunction with a specific construction project. He said it was sometimes necessary to weigh responsiveness versus due process. Coun. Parks said Staff should not be afraid to ask the Council for more latitude on this issue. Coun. Hoffman said she has received a number of calls regarding the proposed removal of the Downtown ash trees, and people were wondering whether a public hearing would be held on this issue. Public Works Director Paul Wiegand said the notice posted on the trees targeted for removal stated there would be a 15-day public comment period, and if comments were received, a public hearing would be held during the September 12 Council meeting. City Clerk Sandra Ryan said letters and phone calls regarding the proposed tree removal had been received in the City Clerk's Office, and a legal notice of public hearing was to be published in The Daily Tribune on September 5. Coun. Tedesco asked that the letters received thus far be distributed to Council prior to the hearing, as he had not received any calls or letters on this issue. Coun. Parks said he had not received any either. Mr. Wiegand said removal of the trees was currently planned for December '95 or January '96, as the Council had previously selected the Winter/Spring removal option. Coun. Wirth said she had received a suggestion that if the Downtown trees are removed, a good section of the stumps be left to be carved into public art. Coun. Parks said he had received comments from Campustown merchants regarding a pizza restaurant that was attaching advertising signs to utility poles in the Campustown area. Assistant to the City Manager Sheila Lundt noted Staff had sent a letter to the establishment, notifying them of the City's ordinance prohibiting signs on public property. Coun. Parks said he had called the establishment and wanted to ensure the signs were removed. Coun. Campbell said she had received concerns that there was presently no City ordinance prohibiting complete paving of backyards, and said the result was a drainage problem as well as an aesthetic one. City Attorney John Klaus said whereas a paved front yard might be considered as a parking lot, he knew of no ordinance that would prohibit paving a backyard. Coun. Wirth suggested the Council might include this issue in the Code review process in conjunction with the LUPP update, and Coun. Campbell agreed. Coun. Parks cautioned that any ordinance adopted not be too restrictive as there were currently regulations regarding parking on other than hard surfaces. Motion by Campbell, Second by Tedesco, to ask Staff to research the possibility of an ordinance prohibiting people from paving their backyards. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 12:15 p.m. Sandra L. Ryan, City Clerk Larry R. Curtis, Mayor