HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 01/06/1992MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA JANUARY 6, 1992
The Ames City Council met in joint session with the Hospital Board of Trustees at 7:00 p.m. on
January 6, 1992, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with
Mayor Curtis presiding and the following members present: Brown, Campbell, Hertz, Hoffman,
Parks, and Wirth. Members of the Hospital Board present were: Clem, Dasher, Flynn, Halliburton,
and Patterson.
MARY GREELEY MEDICAL CENTER MASTER PLAN: Jeff Stevenson, President of Mary
Greeley Medical Center, presented an overview of the hospital's Master Plan. He said that they
are presently seeking approval of the Master Site Plan and Developer's Agreement and will
return for approval of the issuance of bonds at a later date. Dennis Lanz, architect with Hammel
Green and Abrahamson in Minneapolis, presented details of the study of expansion needs that
his firm completed for the hospital. He stated that the hospital's needs for expansion, projected
to the year 2000, are in the areas of parking, ICU, surgery/CSS, Materials Management, Nursing
Bed Reallocation, dialysis, and Cardiac Cath. Lab. Mr. Lanz indicated that if the hospital is
allowed to proceed with their plans in the near future, the first addition will be ready for
occupancy in 1994. They plan to expand to the south of 11th street with the addition of a
parking ramp and an enhanced entrance to the hospital. The proposed parking ramp will initially
be two bays, three levels high with a set back of 88 feet from the sidewalk on the south side.
The second ramp expansion will include a third bay built on the south side with a 30 foot setback
from the sidewalk. An additional three levels could eventually be added, which would result in
a capacity of 1,270 vehicles. Additions to the western and northern sides of the hospital would
be added after the addition of the parking ramp and hospital entrance. In the future, an addition
might be built on Doran Clinic and two outpatient clinics might be built in the southwest corner
of the block south of 11th Street and west of Douglas. Mr. Lanz pointed out that the additions
could come in a variety of sequences depending on how growth occurs. Norm Riis and Brad
Heemstra, Construction Managers from Story Construction, discussed construction costs and
phasing of the project. Doug Kell, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, reported on the
cost and financing of the project. He said that bonds would need to be issued in the amount of
$24 million. Kay Janes, with Peat/Marwick, gave a financial forecast of this proposed project
and pronounced it very affordable. Steve Farmer, an investment banker with John Nuveen and
Company, provided an overview of the bond proceedings.
Mr. Stevenson informed the Council that they would be ready for Council approval of the site
plan and developer's agreement by the latter part of January. He asked when the Council could
meet on this matter and what additional information they would need. Council Member Brown
stated that before approval is given, she would like some guarantees that all principal and
interest payments on the bonds will be covered, possibly by insurance, and she wondered how
this bond issue will affect the City's bonding capacity. She also asked how this proposed
expansion addresses the needs for affordable health care for the citizens of Ames. She expressed
her concern about providing adequate buffering for the neighborhood near the hospital and she
encouraged the hospital to explore further the idea of off-site employee parking with a shuttle
provided. Council Member Hertz questioned the need for the hospital to establish ancillary
clinics. Council Member Wirth objected to approving this plan if the clinics proposed for the
southwest corner of the proposed Master Plan are included, since that area is not zoned for
Hospital-Medical use. Mr. Stevenson pointed out that the hospital does not intend to build any
clinics soon, but since it is a possibility for the future they wanted to inform the Council of that.
Council Member Parks expressed his pleasure with the plan and recognized the work that went
into it. Council Member Campbell pointed out that the southwest corner of the proposed site
plan is designated for Hospital-Medical use on the Land Use Policy Plan Map.
City Manager Schainker informed the Council that they need to be prepared to help the Hospital
Board accomplish this plan if they approve it, even to the point of condemnation of land if
needed. He suggested that when the plan is brought back to the Council, that a red circle be
placed around the southwest corner, excluding that area from the discussion of the Master Plan
at this time. Mayor Curtis asked how the citizens of Ames would be affected if the hospital is
not expanded. The Hospital Board indicated that doctors would gradually cease to use the
crowded and outdated hospital and people would be forced to seek health care in Des Moines
at a greater cost.
When Mr. Stevenson asked for a summary of any remaining problems, consensus was that the
stumbling blocks in the plan were the buffer on the south side of the parking ramp and use of the
southwest corner, which it was agreed should be taken out of the plan at this time and dealt with
separately. When Mr. Stevenson asked the Council if they could meet on this issue prior to their
next regular meeting on January 28, 1992, he was told that the Council would set the date to take
action on the Master Plan at their meeting on January 7, 1992.
COMMENTS:: There were no comments.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 10:05 p.m.
_____________________________________ ______________________________________
Nancy Dionigi, City Clerk Larry R. Curtis, Mayor