HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 12/02/1991MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA DECEMBER 2, 1991
The Ames City Council met in special session at 12:00 noon on Monday, December 2, 1991, in the
City Council Chambers of 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.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss issues of importance to the City of Ames with local
legislators. Representatives Johnie Hammond and Bill Bernau were in attendance. Mayor Curtis
asked for the legislators' help in amending Section 384.96 of the State Code which requires bid
letting for projects if the total cost of a public improvement is over $25,000, even when the City's
portion of that cost is less than that amount. This requirement presently causes developers some
hardship since it may result in delays and higher costs for projects.
Paul Wiegand, Public Works Director, explained the need for legislative action in order to have the
Department of Natural Resources accept waste to energy, the process used at the Ames Resource
Recovery Plant, as a means of meeting the state's goals to minimize waste. He pointed out that this
could be accomplished by changing the definition of recycling or by "grandfathering" the Ames
Resource Recovery System. He explained that the intent of long range planning between Story,
Boone, and Greene Counties is to be able to continue to use the Resource Recovery Plant in Ames
and the landfill in Boone County to provide facilities that will create a system of environmentally
sound solid waste disposal.
Mayor Curtis and Bob Bourne, Transit Director, described the detrimental effect on the City's streets
and bus system that will occur if monies from the Road Use Tax Fund are diverted from that fund
to help solve the State's budget problems. Representative Hammond stated her belief that the
legislature will try to protect public transportation. It was agreed that infrastructure repair will have
to be curtailed in Ames or taxes will have to be raised to prevent a decrease in services if funds are
diverted from the Road Use Tax Fund.
George Lawson, Library Director, urged the legislators to prevent a discontinuance of regional
libraries which has been suggested by a State committee. He said that the regional libraries provide
excellent service to local systems and allow for local input into the State library system.
Mayor Curtis informed the legislators that railroad interests have requested that their employees be
allowed to report license numbers of cars that have crossed railroad tracks in disobedience of control
devices.
Mayor Curtis also asked the legislators to consider decoupling the value of agricultural land from
residential property for tax purposes. He said that the rollback that results from this coupling shifts
the property tax burden in cities from residential properties to commercial and industrial properties.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 1:20 p.m.
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Nancy Dionigi, City Clerk Larry R. Curtis, Mayor