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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - August 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 AUGUST 2025 MONTHLY PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS ELECTRIC EUROAB: The Electric Utility Operations Review and Advisory Board (EUORAB) met on August 20 to discuss several projects being carried out within Electric Services. Topics included rate changes to the Large/Industrial Time of Use Interruptible program, Council - approved changes to the Solar Net Metering program, the new thermal generation project, a Gas Turbine 1 update, and an Ash Pond update. Heat Pump Contractor Summit: The City has partnered with the Midwest Heating and Cooling Collaborative to organize a free contractor summit focused on air -source heat pumps. The event will be from 8:00 a .m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 8, at the Scheman Building, Room 004 (1805 Center Drive). Breakfast and lunch will be provided. The summit is free and will include information about heat pump sizing and selection, load calculations, available and upcoming rebates and incentives, and more. Ideal attendees include installers and service technicians, as well as local business managers and owners. Registration is required and can be completed by visiting: bit.ly/4fVAd7J. Large/Industrial Time of Use Interruptible Program: Working closely with Ames Electric’s large customers, staff is proposing slight modifications to the interruptible program that will benefit participants. EUORAB has reviewed the modifications and is sending them to City Council with its recommendation to approve the changes. Solar Net Metering Program: Changes to the Net Metering program were approved at the August 12 City Council meeting. These changes increase rebates for customer- owned solar installation from $100/kW to $500/kW. Installing solar on a home or business before the end of the year would allow the installation to take advantage of both the increased rebates and the federal tax incentives that will be discontinued at the end of the year. Thermal Generation Project: At the August 12 City Council meeting, the existing Power Plant Coal Yard was approved as the preferred site for the new electric generation units. Council has asked staff to consider exterior building enhancements in the design. Staff is working with the selected design engineer on final contract and scope language. 2 FIRE Fire Station #1 Concrete Repairs: Highlighting the City's Total City Perspective, Public Works crews worked with Fire Department staff at Fire Station #1 to address some concrete spalling issues in the station’s front drive. Recognizing the expensive cost of concrete replacement, the two departments came up with a plan to address specific issues along joint lines in the concrete that would extend the life of the concrete, slow future spalling, and improve safety. Public Works crews cut out the failing joint areas, compacted the base below and replaced it with new concrete. Public Works and Fire Department crews worked together to plan the work in a way that would not interrupt or slow Fire Department responses and did not take away from other concrete work projects around town. This Total City Perspective approach saved money, improved safety, and allowed the Fire Department to stay in service throughout the project. A special thank you to Justin Clausen and his team for the exceptional customer service and outstanding work! 3 LIBRARY Great Reads from Great Places : As the Iowa Center for the Book, Ames Public Library will host several events featuring Iowa’s 2025 Great Reads from Great Places selections: “América del Norte” by Nicolás Medina Mora and “Hard Hat Hank and the Sky-High Solution” by Charlotte Gunnufson and Illustrated by Brian Biggs. • Watch the National Book Festival Livestream: Saturday, September 6, 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Ames Public Library’s Rotary Room or Online • América del Norte Book Discussion: Monday, September 15, at 7:00 p.m., Library’s Rotary Room or Online via Zoom • Great Reads Virtual Author Event with Nicolás Medina Mora: Monday, September 29, at 7:00 p.m., Library’s Rotary Room, or Online via Zoom • Great Reads Author Event with Charlotte Gunnufson : Wednesday, October 8, at 10:00 a.m., Library’s Storytime Room These free events are made possible by the generous support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Library will also send two staff members to represent the Iowa Center for the Book at the Library of Congress’ 2025 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., on September 6. Outreach to ISU: As the school year begins, Ames Public Library staff is reaching out to Iowa State University (ISU) students and faculty at a variety of events to spread awareness of the services the Library provides. Staff attended several events on campus welcoming students and families; held a special event during Cyclone Welcome Weekend to introduce students to the Library building ; and have even more outreach events coming up in September. Library staff also use the weekly Bookmobile stop on ISU ca mpus to make new connections and introduce the ISU community to Ames Public Library’s collections. 4 Summer Wrap Up: Summer has officially ended at Ames Public Library. • This year’s summer reading challenge had amazing participation, with 3,432 readers logging over 7 million minutes of reading! • The Library served over 5,000 lunches for the 2025 Free Summer Meals for Kids and Teens program. Special thanks to Chevron Renewable Energy Group, Mary Greeley Medical Center, the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation, and APL - Youth volunteers for making this program possible! 5 PARKS & RECREATION Ada Hayden Heritage Park Path Replacement Project : Caliber Concrete, Adair, Iowa, started the Ada Hayden Heritage Park Path Replacement Project on August 11. The project includes replacing the 10-foot asphalt path with a 12-foot concrete path. The project also includes replacing the path extensions to Edgewater Circle, Fletcher/ Stonebrooke Road, and the Harrison Road parking lot. The existing path has been milled and the contractor is grading and compacting the asphalt millings to be used as the sub - base. Concrete will start to be laid in September. The project is expected to be completed by late October. Aquatics: Furman Aquatic Center hosted the Third Annual Duck Derby on Saturday, August 2. A total of 444 rubber ducks were sold, raising $3,520 for the Ames Parks and Recreation Scholarship Fund. This year’s event featured 50 prizes—the most ever awarded—valued at more than $1,600. Thank you to all the local businesses that donated prizes, and a special thank-you to Mucky Duck Pub, our Mighty Duck Sponsor! Auditorium: Work continues on the Auditorium HVAC replacement project as crews begin assembling the new primary air handler. In July, a hole was cut in the rear Auditorium wall to remove the original main air handling unit and steam coils. A large scaffolding system was then erected, allowing the contractor to lift pieces of the new air handler into the mechanical room. Thus far , five of nine pieces have been placed, and assembly is underway. The remaining pieces will be lifted into place soon and the scaffolding and temporary plywood floor covering will be removed. Crews will then complete final assembly, including necessary plumbing and ductwork connections. 6 Once the unit is assembled, the back wall of the Auditorium will be enclosed and repainted to match the original surface. Additional improvements include the installation of air baffles to allow airflow on stage, as well as new control systems that will gi ve staff better control over the HVAC system. Startup of the new air handler is scheduled for September. Project completion is expected in October, following the sealing and painting of all wall and floor penetrations and a final deep cleaning of the Auditorium. Brookside Park 100th Birthday Celebration: Brookside Park will mark its 100th birthday with a community celebration from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, September 13, featuring family-friendly activities, informational tables, historical displays, and free treats. Visitors can enjoy ice cream, cake, Ames water, and view an electric vehicle display with a chance to test drive. Activities will be held at various locations throughout the park. A brief program will begin at 11 a.m. near the Hickory Shelter, followed by a ribbon -cutting ceremony with the Ames Kiwanis to unveil a new fire department -themed playground. Speakers will include Ames Mayor John Haila and Iowa State University President W endy Wintersteen. The event is free and open to the public. 7 Brookside Park Playground: Staff started removing the playground adjacent Hickory Shelter on the north side of Brookside Park in preparation for a new fire station/truck themed playground. The playground will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Brookside Park, with the celebration taking place on September 13, 2025. The Ames Noon Kiwanis donated $75,000 to the playground purchase. Pictured below are renderings of the new playground equipment. 8 Community Center: Thanks to a generous donation from Dawn McDonald Memorial, the old drinking fountains and spittoons in the Community Center gymnasium from the 1990 renovation have been demolished and replaced with modern drinking fountains and bottle fillers. Because of the extensive demolition required to remove the old plumbing, the surrounding walls were reinforced and new tile was installed behind the fountains. The existing block footing was also removed and replaced with level wood flooring to improve accessibility for patrons using mobility devices. Both the north and south drinking fountains were replaced as part of the project. A commemorative plaque will be installed above the fountains in recognition of the donation. 9 Emma McCarthy Lee Park Pickleball Shel ter: Staff completed the installation of the concrete shelter footings and slab for the new shelter that will be installed adjacent the pickleball courts at Emma McCarthy Lee Park. Staff will complete the construction of the shelter in early September. The funding for the structure was donated by the Ames Pickleball Club. Homewood Golf Course: As of August 24, 2025, Homewood Golf Course has had 18,975 rounds played. By that date last year, Homewood had 18,972 rounds played. Homewood opened on March 11 in 2024 and on March 28 in 2025. Youth Day was held August 3, and youth played free with a paying customer. A total of 15 youth took advantage of the promotion. The Men’s Golf League ended Monday, August 25. A total of 20 teams — 40 participants — played each week. Pictured (left to right): 2025 Men's League winners – Al Sandvick and Ed Chick; 2025 Sixty Forward winners – Paul Hinderaker and Rick Ertz. The table below shows the current clubhouse rental hours and revenue amounts compared to the same time frame last fiscal year. July 1, 2024 – August 24, 2024 July 1, 2025 – August 24, 2025 Paid Event Hours 30.25 18 Revenue from Paid Events $3,176.25 $1,890.00 Non-Paid Event Hours 6.5 23 Mosquito Spraying: Staff started mosquito fogging in mid-July and fogging has continued on a weekly basis in various parks throughout Ames. The City contracts with 10 Iowa State University Department of Entomology to monitor mosquito activity throughout the community. Staff will continue to fog park locations until the end of September or unless mosquito counts drop significantly before the end of September. Park Maintenance Shop Expansion Project : Staff conducted a preconstruction meeting with representatives from King Construction for the Park Maintenance Shop Expansion Project that will include the construction of a new cold storage building, renovation of the breakroom of the primary maintenance buildi ng, and relocation of the bulk water station. The Water and Pollution Control Department is funding the relocation of the bulk water station. The project is expected to start the first week of September and be completed by the end of January 2026 . Splash Pad at Daley Park: TK Concrete, Pella, Iowa, is planning to start the Daley Park Splash Pad Project in September. The project includes constructing a splash pad with approximately 35 play components, two shelters, benches, outdoor showers, and a mechanical building. The project is to be completed by June 1, 2026. The renderi ng below depicts the types of equipment that will be installed. Wellness: Free fitness classes were held at the Community Center and the Sixty Forward Center August 18–23, with approximately 274 people attending at the Community Center and 91 at the Sixty Forward Center. Participants also donated nonperishable food items to the local food bank. 11 Staff spoke to the Golden K Kiwanis on Thursday, August 21, about the wellness opportunities available at both the Community Center and the Sixty Forward Center. The fall session of fitness classes began at both locations on Monday, Aug. 25.