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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - July 2025 Monthly Project Highlights Contact the City Manager's Office at 515-239-5101 515 Clark Avenue, Ames, IA 50010 Report compiled by Jeramy Neefus, Principal Clerk City Manager's Office JULY 2025 MONTHLY PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS ELECTRIC Electric Vehicle Charging: Staff has identified grant funding that may be able to support Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the Downtown area. Staff is exploring possible locations and plans to apply for the competitive grant by the deadline of August 1. If the grant is awarded, staff will bring acceptance of the grant funding to the City Council for approval at that time. Extreme Heat: Despite temperature in the 90s, staff does not expect problems in the electric grid that would prevent the City from meeting all electric demands made by the heat. Still, customers are reminded to conserve energy between the hours of 3:00-7:00 p.m. on the hottest days when energy consumption is at its highest. New Thermal Generation: Following a presentation by the Electric Services Department at the July 22 City Council meeting, staff has been looking at alternative sites for new generation. Criteria for preferred sites include: a large, high pressure gas line in the vicinity; 161 kV transmission; access to a City of Ames substation; 10 or more acres of land available; and a location away from the Downtown area and from urban residential. 2 LIBRARY Calling Local Authors – and Readers!: Ames Public Library's annual Author Fair is coming up on Saturday, September 20, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. Authors can apply to sell books at the Author Fair by completing the form at www.AmesPL.org/AuthorFair. Applications are due by August 25. This festive event is a great way for readers to meet local writers and find hidden gems! Pub Fiction: The Ames Public Library Friends Foundation is gearing up for the annual Pub Fiction literary-themed pub crawl and fundraiser. This year’s event will be Thursday, August 14. Dress like a favorite book character (optional) and visit participating Downtown Ames businesses, all with different themes and exclusive drink specials for participants! Literary costumes are encouraged but not required. Purchase tickets and find out more at https://bit.ly/PubFiction2025. All funds raised help support Ames Public Library programs and collections. Summer Meals, Summer Reading, and 12 to Try End in August: August marks the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year in Ames. That means that several Library programs will come to an end: • Free Summer Meals for Kids & Teens end August 15. These lunches are available to youth 18 years and younger for free 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. Meals for adults accompanying youth are $4.50. • “Level Up at Your Library” Summer Reading Challenge ends August 24. The deadline to log reading and pick up prizes is 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 24. • “12 to Try” year-long reading challenge for adults ends August 31. A new year-long challenge will begin September 1! 3 PARKS & RECREATION Ada Hayden Heritage Park Path Replacement Project: Staff conducted a preconstruction meeting with Caliber Concrete, Adair, Iowa, and WHKS Inc., Ames, Iowa. The plan includes removing and replacing the ten-foot-wide asphalt path and installing a twelve-foot-wide concrete path. The project also includes removal and replacement of path connections to Edgewater Court, Fletcher Avenue, and Stonebrooke Road. The project is planned to start the week of August 11, 2025. Once construction has started, the contractor has ten weeks to complete the project. Agility Course at Carr Park: Staff held a ribbon cutting for the Carr Park Agility Course, 1704 Meadowlane Avenue, on July 10. Many positive comments were received about the addition of the shelter and agility equipment. Below is a picture of the event. Ames/ISU Ice Arena: From June 16-20, the Ames/ISU Ice Arena had the privilege of hosting the USA Hockey Bantam Camp. This event welcomed approximately 108 athletes in the 14U age group from Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa. Players selected from this camp may advance to the USA Hockey National Player Development Camps. The camp provided an excellent opportunity for players to enhance their skills, receive expert coaching, and build friendships with fellow hockey enthusiasts from the region. In conjunction with the player camp, a referee development camp was also held for the central region. The Ames/ISU Ice Arena underwent significant renovations in May. Improvements included replacing the old vinyl logos and lines on the ice with freshly painted markings, giving the surface a sleek, updated appearance. A new radiant heating system was also installed to improve comfort for guests and participants during their time at the arena. These upgrades have enhanced both the aesthetics and the overall customer experience. 4 The Ames/ISU Ice Arena hosted the Iowa Games on July 12. This multi-sport festival celebrates the spirit of competition and athletic achievement among Iowans. The figure skating competition ran from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., showcasing remarkable talent, dedication, and perseverance from skaters across the state. Participants of all ages competed in various categories, impressing judges and spectators alike with their artistry and technical skills. The Iowa Games are known for fostering community engagement and sportsmanship, and this year was no exception. Reflecting on the past month, staff at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena is thrilled with the positive outcomes. Staff extends its sincere gratitude to the athletes, coaches and attendees who participated at these memorable events. The team remains committed to providing exceptional opportunities for sports and recreation in the community. Aquatics: An all-day celebration was held on Friday, July 11, to mark the halfway point of summer. The event featured a bounce house, but unfortunately it was rained out for about three hours and followed by cool temperatures for the rest of the day. A Princess and Pirate Party was held on Saturday, July 12, with a total attendance of 15 people. The Story County Theater Group volunteered as pirates and performed a short show for the kids. It was a great event, though the weather did not cooperate. 5 Emma McCarthy Lee Park Pickleball Shelter: Staff started grading the site adjacent the pickleball courts at Emma McCarthy Lee Park for a shelter to accommodate users of the courts and park. The Ames Pickleball Club donated almost $17,000 to the construction of the shelter, which is expected to be completed by the middle of August. Homewood Golf Course: As of July 22, 2025, Homewood Golf Course has had 14,577 rounds played. By that date last year, Homewood had 14,586 rounds played. Homewood opened on March 11 in 2024 and on March 28 in 2025. Homewood Golf Course recorded three hole-in-ones on hole 9 in the past three weeks. Congratulations to Brandon Lee, Chelsey Ray, and Sam De Penning! On Father’s Day, June 15, fathers played free with a paying customer. A total of 20 fathers took advantage of the promotion. 6 Homewood Golf Course hosted an Iowa Junior PGA tournament on Monday, June 30, with 52 youth participants. Teams came from Nevada, Ankeny, and Ames. The table below shows the current clubhouse rental hours and revenue amounts compared to the same time frame last fiscal year. July 1, 2024 – July 22, 2024 July 1, 2025 – July 22, 2025 Paid Event Hours 11 8 Revenue from Paid Events $1,155.00 $840.00 Non-Paid Event Hours 0 4.5 Splash Pad at Daley Park: Staff conducted a preconstruction meeting with Snyder & Associates, TK Concrete, and Commercial Recreation Specialists regarding the construction of a splash pad in Daley Park. The project is scheduled to start in late August or early September, weather dependent. The project is expected to be completed by June 1, 2026. The rendering below depicts the types of equipment that will be installed. Recreation: The summer has had impressive participation numbers across programs. Many more opportunities are available now for registration on the website, including volleyball, soccer, dance, gymnastics, Start Smart, Kiddie Kickers, basketball, Miracle League, adult softball, adult sand volleyball, and adult indoor volleyball. 7 Program Number of Participants/Teams Lacrosse 10 participants Sand Volleyball Clinic 38 participants Youth Tennis (June Session) 55 participants Adult Tennis (June Session) 8 participants STEM Camp: Pets Palooza 10 participants Summer Camp 184 participants Dance and Gymnastics 127 participants Miracle League 67 participants Teeball and Start Smart 90 participants Adult Softball 27 teams Adult Sand Volleyball 50 teams Adult Soccer 7 teams Ultimate Frisbee 4 teams Pickleball 28 teams Wellness: The second summer session of all fitness classes began Monday, June 30, at the Community Center and the Sixty Forward Center. There were 306 registrations at the Community Center and 93 at the Sixty Forward Center. In addition, there were 20 virtual registrations. July onboarding and classes had the following registrations: Program Registrations Total Aqua Conditioning 75 Deep Water Aqua 38 Sixty Forward Center Onboarding 23 8 WAER & POLLUTION CONTROL Ames Drinking Water Not Impacted by Nitrates: Because of challenges being faced by other central Iowa utilities, the Ames Water Plant has received a number of inquiries from customers wondering if Ames water has high nitrates and if a lawn watering ban might be necessary here this summer. The answer to both questions is “no.” Nitrate levels in Ames are so low that typical laboratory techniques are not able to even detect them. Because of that, Ames has no need to restrict water use. The message is the same as always: please be smart in using water outdoors. Ensure that sprinkler heads are aimed at the areas intended to be irrigated. Remember to water in the early morning when it can be taken up by plants before the afternoon winds and temperatures steal the water by evaporation. And always keep in mind that a healthy lawn only needs one inch of water per week – including what falls from the sky. There has been a lot of that this summer! Customers with questions can find multiple drinking water resources, including the annual Consumer Confidence Report, on the City’s website at www.CityofAmes.org/Water. Customers are always welcome to call 515-239-5150 and speak with a staff member. North River Valley Well Field Project: Construction of the first well was completed earlier this summer, and the second well is nearly complete. The project originally included three wells, each designed around an anticipated capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute. One of the well locations turned out to be unable to support that volume and will be deleted from the project by change order. However, the other two wells have turned out to be very productive, yielding as much as 1,800 gallons per minute with only a slight drawdown to the water table elevation. That means that the well field could still yield the same overall quantity of water despite only adding two wells. The timeline to complete the project is dependent upon a unique step-up electrical transformer. It was delivered to the project site in July, but failed an initial performance test. The contractor and manufacturer are working to resolve the problem. It is possible that if the 9 problem with the transformer can be quickly resolved in the field, the wells could be in service by October. Nutrient Reduction Modification – Phase I Project: Progress on the $55 million treatment modification continues on schedule with very few issues. Much of the early focus has been on completing the new Administration Building. The old administration building will then be demolished to make room for the new aeration basins. Those basins will be the “work horses” of the modified treatment process that will ultimately achieve a 67% reduction in the nitrogen level leaving the facility and a 75% reduction in the phosphorus discharge. Other parts of the treatment modifications are well underway. The addition to the Sludge Pumping Building has been constructed, as has the new Electrical Service building. The new Grit Handling building is underway, and the modifications to the existing Solids Contact Basins have begun. In the next few months, construction activities will transition as building construction wraps up and treatment equipment installation begins. Overall, the project is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2026. Pictured is installation of casework in the new Process Control Laboratory. Technical Services Complex Renovation: During August, a Request for Proposals for architectural services will be issued for the renovation of the Technical Services Complex (TSC), which houses the Water Meter Division on the first floor and the Laboratory Services Division on the second floor. The building was constructed in 1989, and while structurally sound, the interior finishes (carpets, ceilings, and wall coverings) are worn and damaged and need to be replaced. The project will also incorporate the recommendations of the energy audit that was recently completed as part of the review of all City facilities, with improved lighting, HVAC efficiency, and window replacement being notable recommendations from the evaluation. The building ranked in the 23rd percentile of energy efficiency compared to other peer buildings that the audit team benchmarked against, making it a good candidate for reducing energy use through retrofits.