HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 03/16/1993MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA MARCH 16, 1993
The Ames City Council met in special session at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers in the City
Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Curtis presiding and the following Council
Members present: Brown, Campbell, Hertz, Hoffman, Parks, and Wirth.
ELECTRIC REVENUE REFUNDING BONDS: Motion by Parks, Second by Hoffman, to adopt
RESOLUTION NO. 93-91 to fix a date of meeting at which it is proposed to take action for the
issuance of not to exceed $23,500,000 Electric Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 1993, and
authorizing the City Manager and City Finance Director to set the terms and the date for the sale of
such bonds and to provide for the advertisement thereof.
David Dirks, Evensen Dodge, Inc., reviewed the pre-sale analysis distributed to Council and
explained the proposed refunding of the City's outstanding Electric Revenue Bonds, Series 1978,
for the purpose of achieving interest rate savings by reducing future debt service payments. He said
the bonds had originally been sold at a 6.35% interest rate, and said they were proposing replacing
them with bonds at a rate of 5.20% to 5.40%. He said the net savings to the utility would be
$1,300,000 in actual savings and $953,000 in present value savings.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these minutes.
CONTINUATION OF 2/23/93 HEARING ON WATER AND WASTEWATER TECHNICAL
SERVICES COMPLEX (WATER METER TESTING LABORATORY): Mayor Curtis
declared the hearing re-opened.
Water Department Director Tom Neumann reviewed the seven bids received on this project, noting
that each submittal included a base bid and deduction for several alternatives. He said because all
bids were above the architect's estimate, staff had wanted extra time to evaluate the proposals. He
said the two lowest base bids were submitted by Sande Construction and Supply Company of
Humboldt, Iowa, and Barton-Douglas, Inc. of Des Moines. He reviewed staff's analysis of those two
bidders and the combination of bid alternates. He said the only alternative staff recommended
accepting was the deletion of the fire protection sprinkler system from the building.
Council Member Hertz questioned the cost overrun of $194,835 from the initial estimate. Dick
Roseland, Roseland Architects, said the primary reason was an underestimate of the mechanical
system for the laboratory portion of the project, and explained the sophisticated system required.
There being no one further wishing to testify, the public hearing was declared closed.
Motion by Campbell, Second by Hertz, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 93-92 finally approving plans
and specifications and awarding a contract for the Water and Wastewater Technical Services
Complex (Water Meter Testing Laboratory Project) to Sande Construction and Supply in the amount
of $1,043,174, with alternative #2, the deletion of the fire protection sprinkler system in the building.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these minutes.
WORKSHOP ON RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO LOCAL CONSTRUCTION CODES:
City Manager Steve Schainker introduced Jeff Pearson, the City's newly-appointed Building
Official.
Assistant City Manager Bob Kindred said since Council approved the adoption of local construction
codes in September of 1992, Interim Building, Electrical, and Plumbing Code Boards have been
meeting to review the previous changes and to incorporate the 1990 and 1991 Uniform Code updates
into the City's local codes. He said the purpose of this worksession was to present the
recommendations of those interim boards to Council for approval.
Mr. Pearson introduced the interim board members.
ORDINANCE ADOPTING REVISIONS TO THE CITY'S BUILDING CODE: Bill
Bossenberger, Chair of the Interim Building Code Board of Appeals, reviewed the Board's
recommended changes to Chapter 5 of the Municipal Code, the Building Code, noting the greatest
portion of these were simple "housekeeping," i.e., changing of dates and clarifying wording. He said
one recommended administrative change was the establishment of a separate Mechanical Board with
members expert in areas of heating, ventilating, air conditioning, etc.
Mr. Bossenberger explained a recommendation for an exemption from contractor registration for
non-permit work. He said the Board was also recommending that proof of general liability of
$500,000 coverage be required in lieu of contractors' commercial liability insurance for an owner
working on his/her own property.
Mr. Bossenberger said each of the Interim Boards would be recommending an interchange of
members to serve as ex officio members of other boards in order to enhance communication between
the boards.
Motion by Brown, Second by Wirth, to pass on first reading an Ordinance to amend Chapter 5 of
the Municipal Code to adopt certain revisions to the City of Ames Building Code.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
ORDINANCE ADOPTING REVISIONS TO THE CITY'S FIRE CODE: Mr. Bossenberger
reviewed recommended changes to Chapter 8 of the Municipal Code, the Fire Code, noting most of
these were primarily housekeeping changes.
Motion by Hoffman, Second by Parks, to pass on first reading an Ordinance to amend Chapter 8 of
the Municipal Code to adopt certain revisions to the City of Ames Fire Code.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
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ORDINANCE ADOPTING REVISIONS TO THE CITY'S MECHANICAL CODE: Mr.
Bossenberger reviewed recommended changes to Chapter 32 of the Municipal Code, the Mechanical
Code.
Motion by Hertz, Second by Parks, to pass on first reading an Ordinance to amend Chapter 32 of
the Municipal Code to adopt certain revisions to the City of Ames Mechanical Code.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
ORDINANCE ADOPTING REVISIONS TO THE CITY'S ELECTRICAL CODE: Jon Diller
reviewed the recommendations from the Interim Electrical Code Board of Appeals. He noted
changes to the registration section, including the addition of a classification of "Master Electrician."
Motion by Parks, Second by Hoffman, to pass on first reading an Ordinance to amend Chapter 7 of
the Municipal Code to adopt certain revisions to the City of Ames Electrical Code.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
ORDINANCE ADOPTING REVISIONS TO THE CITY'S PLUMBING CODE: Mark Speck
reviewed recommendations from the Interim Plumbing Code Board of Appeals. He said in addition
to adopting the Uniform Plumbing Code and the State Code, many of the changes were due to a
requirement that the State Health Department Plumbing Code be adopted.
Mr. Speck noted in Section 21.401, regarding creation of Board of Plumbing Examiners and
Appeals, staff had recommended a change that would allow one appointee to be either a Master or
Journeyman Plumber or an individual with professional teaching experience or study in engineering
of plumbing systems. He said the Interim Board disagreed with that recommendation from staff.
There was discussion regarding whether there should be an opportunity to appoint an academician
to this Board in the future.
Mr. Bossenberger said he felt the variety of background and experience on the Interim Building
Code Board had been beneficial in reviewing this Code. He said they strongly recommended that
the Mayor have the opportunity to appoint an academician in the future, if that individual were the
best choice for the opening.
Mr. Speck noted an amendment under Section 21.303 to allow for an ex officio member to the
Building Code Board of Appeals.
Motion by Parks, Second by Brown, to pass on first reading an Ordinance to amend Chapter 21 of
the Municipal Code to adopt certain revisions to the City of Ames Plumbing Code, including staff's
recommendation on Section 21.401 to allow the Mayor the flexibility to appoint someone who is
not a Master or Journeyman Plumber to the Plumbing Code Board of Appeals, and with the
amendment as noted under Section 21.303.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
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Mayor Curtis thanked all interim board members for their hard work on these recommendations.
He said their persistence and expertise were greatly appreciated. He noted he soon would be making
his recommendations to Council regarding appointments to various boards and commissions, and
said he was recommending the interim board members be reappointed to the permanent boards.
COMMENTS: Council Member Wirth inquired about a letter from the Historic Preservation
Commission requesting to have input in the Depot renovation. Mayor Curtis recommended that the
proposal be sent to the Commission when it was prepared for their review and recommendations.
Motion by Wirth, Second by Brown, that the Historic Preservation Commission be sent the last
packet of information that was sent to the developers, so the Commission is kept apprised of the
background work done by staff.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
Council Member Hertz inquired about a letter received from the Story County Attorney regarding
a request for a tax compromise. Mayor Curtis requested that this item be placed on the agenda for
Council's next regular meeting of March 23, 1993.
Council Member Campbell said she appreciated the City Clerk's response to her previous question
about the cost of publishing minutes. She asked if the League of Iowa Municipalities has ever
addressed the issue of the publication requirement, and asked that Mayor Curtis raise the issue at
the next League Board meeting. There was discussion regarding whether newspaper publication of
Council meeting minutes was still the citizens' primary source of information, as it was in past years.
There was discussion regarding possible dates for a special meeting for the purpose of selling the
electric revenue refunding bonds. Mr. Schainker asked Council to tentatively consider 3:00 p.m.
on Friday, March 26, if that was the date chosen for the bond sale. He noted however, that the date
would not be officially set until the March 23 meeting.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:33 p.m.
_______________________________ __________________________________
Sandra L. Ryan, City Clerk Larry R. Curtis, Mayor
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