HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 06/21/1994MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA JUNE 21, 1994
The Ames City Council met in special session at 7:00 p.m., June 21, 1994, in Conference Room 235
in the City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Curtis presiding and the following
Council Members present: Parks, Brown, Hoffman, Tedesco, Wirth, and Campbell.
RURAL WATER/URBAN FRINGE DEVELOPMENT: Mr. Brian O'Connell and Mr. Paul
Wiegand presented to the Council discussion on Rural Water Urban Fringe Development.
Council was informed a decision did not need to be made on this issue tonight as the
presentation was for their information.
Mr. O'Connell presented a series of overheads explaining terms used for discussion purposes.
Rural water districts (with the form of infrastructure they provide) are located within the fringe
area of a growing city. These districts can create additional challenges to cities as they expand.
A map was distributed outlining Ames urban fringe areas.
The City of Ames has experienced urban fringe development. Residents are attracted to the
fringe area because of greater freedom in building regulation options and the City of Ames has
goods, services and other attractions not available in nearby communities. Areas along the
Skunk River and Squaw Creek present attractive locations for urban fringe development. Some
of the areas developed in the fringe area are: Deer Run, Ferguson Subdivision, Hickory Hills,
Squaw Valley, and others. With the arrival of rural water infrastructure, the likelihood of further
urban fringe development becomes increasingly likely.
The land use study has projected a population of about 65,000 people in the next 15-20 years.
This would equal about 17,000 "new" residents. If the assumption is made that there are 4 units
per acre and 2.5 people per unit, the area the City needs to grow by is 1,700 acres. The current
two mile area totals over 50,000 acres.
However, as the City grows into the fringe area, some of the problems the City can be faced with
are: haphazard development caused by poorly planned street right-of-ways or none at all,
placement of structures on the property, proliferation of septic tanks that create problems to
aquifers through overloading of soils, lack of maintenance to public and quasi-public roads,
planned storm water facilities and drainage, fire hydrants and inadequate water pressure for fire
protection, and incompatible land uses. The owners of structures who build in the fringe area
often experience extreme difficulty as annexation occurs in trying to obtain adequate right-of-
way, water and sanitary sewer easements, and surface water drainage easements.
The City's policies addressing urban fringe development prohibit utility service outside corporate
boundaries and subdivision regulations require full urban infrastructure development for any
subdivision within two miles of the corporate limits. These regulations were established to
minimize development. The intent was to strongly encourage annexation prior to development.
To date, only Squaw Valley South Subdivision has been required to install some urban
infrastructure. All other rural subdivisions have been low in lot numbers and have had urban
infrastructure requirements waived.
A request was received from Central Iowa Water Association to provide water to a mobile home
park at Dayton Road. Rural residents have a need for more and better water. Central Iowa
Water now has facilities in a two mile area east of I-35 proposing to serve a specific area north
of E-29/Dayton Road. Central Iowa Rural Water Association has filed a request to extend its
service within the northeast quadrant of the two-mile limit. Xenia's immediate interest is Squaw
Valley and the adjacent rural subdivisions. Xenia has made a request for service on the west
edge of Ames as far as the sale of water is concerned.
The cost to extend municipal water lines to rural areas is estimated to be $185,000 per mile
($35/foot x 5,280 feet). The cost to construct two miles would have a 28-year payback assuming
there were no maintenance costs. Once area expansion occurred, the payback period would be
cut considerably. The City could develop its own system in the two-mile area, however, without
a full evaluation of production, distribution, maintenance, and financing, it is not recommended.
The City could partner with rural water districts by selling water to them and working with them
on distribution improvements. It may be possible and in the City's best interest to look at "over-
building" the rural system up to urban standards along major feeder lines. At this time, however,
it does not appear economically feasible to pursue having the City Water Utility serve the
proposed areas as requested by Central Iowa Water Association.
Mr. Schainker stated that at this time, the City is not in a position to commit to providing
service.
Council Member Tedesco: Do we provide Service to NADL? Mr. Wiegand stated yes.
Council Member Hoffman: Seems this situation is similar to the Rural Electrification Program
where so many loans and grants are provided it is almost impossible for the City to be
competitive. Mr. Schainker: There is a requirement that if the City would commit, they would
have to pay the cost.
Council Member Parks: Does the Water Association of District pay the cost to bring the service
to the City limits - or do we pay that cost? Mr. Wiegand: No, they pay for extension costs.
Mayor Curtis: Rural Electric has been very successful. The area has been designated and the
standards are uniform. Rural water is not operated under same standards. We need to look at
efforts made to increase the standards for rural water service.
Mr. Wiegand: The objective is to supply a potable water for domestic and agricultural use.
There are different goals involved and fire protection is not one of those goals.
Mayor Curtis: If there is a concentration in Squaw Valley, etc., why shouldn't there be a
standard established in the parameters of providing service to the rural areas that does have an
element of the fire protection issue.
Mr. Wiegand: that may be an issue where a legislative change is needed.
Mr. Schainker: We are asking that Council hold firm to the existing subdivision policy.
Mayor Curtis: This is a constant conflict that exists wherever a fringe area occurs.
Mr. Wiegand: There are policy alternatives to look at, and one obviously is - no change. That
means that we would not provide service outside the incorporated areas of the community as far
as water and sewer and any request from a Water association or District to provide service
within the two mile limits would be allowed. We would then be faced with the buy-out or
interrelationship between fire and domestic service as we annexed the area in the future. The
next alternative would be a City of Ames Rural Water Utility...one area would be full service.
We would state that we are serving that area and make the structure investments. No analysis
has been done, but it appears the City cannot be competitive when only domestic services are
provided. If fire services were provided, the City could be equally competitive. We could
provide the selling or marketing of water and have an agreement that would include some joint
piping, etc., that would be of urban infrastructure size. Another alternative would be land use
regulations. With subdivision regulations, we could state regardless of size, regardless of the
type of development, we would require urban infrastructure be installed in any subdivision that
occurs within the two mile limit. The County's zoning control comes to the corporate
boundaries. The City does not have zoning control in the two mile fringe. Discussion with the
County Zoning staff revealed different expectations. They see developments in moderate
density as good. We feel it is important to reach an understanding of concepts and goals in order
to work with this issue. The last alternative would be annexation. This would move the problem
out two miles.
Council Member Tedesco: Why would we not be competitive? Mr. Wiegand: We could, but
Water Associations or Districts get financing at very low rates.
Council Member Parks: How much excess capacity do we currently have? Mr. Phil Propes:
We can treat 12 million gallons a day and the average is about 6.5 million gallons a day on a
yearly basis. We are at about 75% of capacit y. Raw water capacity is greater than the treated
capacity.
Discussion was held regarding projected usages of raw water, treated water and capacities
needed for expansion.
Mr. Schainker stated that the two water associations have provided the City with agreements
from other communities which discuss capacity improvements, buying into the physical facilities
that are present and future capacity improvements.
Council Member Tedesco: Are there any areas in the two mile fringe that will not get offers of
water from the rural systems? Mr. Wiegand stated that if there was a specific need for water and
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a willingness to pay the price, the rural water systems would request the ability to serve those
areas.
Council Member Parks: Who is responsible for subject inspections? Mr. Wiegand stated the
Council is responsible.
Mr. O'Connell: Reiterated that they are not asking Council to make any decision at this point.
Would like the Council to explore ideas and changes in land use policies and regulations and
feels it is time to revisit our thinking.
Mr. Wiegand feels that at this point, the City should not provide service to the requested areas
as it is not possible in the given time frame. However, feels that it is appropriate that staff work
with Central Iowa Water Association and Xenia Water to come together with an understanding
for the sale of water and the joint partnering of systems in the two mile area.
Council Member Campbell: What about Boone County? Mr. O'Connell stated Boone County
will eventually see zoning as a need.
City Attorney Klaus: Where there is no County zoning, the City can control within two miles
of the limit. You would have to appoint someone from the area, of which you have zoning
control, to the Board of Adjustment and to the Planning and Zoning Commission and those
persons would have full membership.
Mr. Schainker stated the land use policy plan is being worked on so infrastructure decisions need
to be made now. Urban fringe development has positive elements, but many problems can arise
and we need to make the correct decisions by July 12.
Mayor Curtis: Rural water is being heavily funded by Farmer's Home Administration. The
National League is lobbying very heavily against those appropriations because of the outcry
from urban areas.
Mr. Bob Kindred: A cost benefit for serving some of the heavily developed areas close to the
City should be done. The general policy that has been discussed concerns rural areas. But, those
areas that are here already should be considered.
Mr. Schainker stated it should be a case-by-case analysis. They are not making a blanket
statement now because of one request.
Mr. Wiegand pointed out that land close or immediately adjacent to the City should not be
developed unless annexed by the City.
Mayor Curtis: With the service policy and the land use regulations, it seems we will see a
termination of urban fringe development.
COMMENTS: Council Member Hoffman: All cross streets on Lincoln Way have signs except
Elwood. Can a street sign be put up? Mr. Wiegand replied that they are building a new
intersection and a sign will go up this summer.
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Council Member Hoffman: Received a letter about the noise coming from the rock concerts.
She understands that the City has no control over University land, but is there anything that
could be done. Mr. Schainker replied no. That issue would need to be discussed with the
promoter.
Council Member Tedesco: Several people have told him because of Mr. Wiegand's willingness
to put in extra time and work in a timely fashion, the material he produced was very instrumental
to the group going to Washington, DC to acquire funds.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 8:37 p.m.
_________________________________ ______________________________
Jill Ripperger, Acting City Clerk Larry R. Curtis, Mayor
_________________________________
Ginger Jones, Recording Secretary
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