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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - September 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 SEPTEMBER 2025 MONTHLY PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS ELECTRIC Retail Solar: With the recent implementation of changes to the retail solar program, staff has observed an increase in new solar installations. Since June 1, five new projects have become operational and nine new projects are in the queue. 2 FIRE Annual Fire Station Open House: The Ames Fire Department will host its annual Fire Station Open House from 8:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 11, at Fire Station No. 1, 1300 Burnett Avenue. The event is free and open to the public. A sensory-friendly hour from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. will provide a calm, welcoming environment for individuals with sensory sensitivities. Visitors can tour fire trucks, watch safety demonstrations, spray a fire hose, play fire safety games, and meet Freddie the fire truck and Sparky the dog. This year’s theme for Fire Prevention Week is “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home!” In addition to the Open House, Ames firefighters will visit local elementary schools throughout October, delivering safety lessons and hosting a second-grade coloring contest. The winner will receive an Ames Fire Department t-shirt and a ride to school on a fire truck. Fire Station No. 2 Relocation: The City of Ames is moving forward with plans to relocate Fire Station No. 2 from its current location on Welch Avenue to a new site along State Avenue. The project is designed to enhance community safety with a modern, efficient facility, improve emergency response times, and support redevelopment in Campustown. The new station will be built on Iowa State University property, south of Baker Subdivision and College Creek. This ongoing collaboration between the City of Ames and Iowa State 3 University shares project costs, strengthens fire protection for both the university and the city, and reinforces a long-standing public safety partnership. Funding for the new fire station will require a bond referendum and voter approval. The bond referendum will appear on the ballot on Tuesday, November 4. Learn more about the project at https://www.cityofames.org/FireStation. 4 LIBRARY 12 to Try Reading Challenge: A new 12 to Try Reading Challenge for adults has begun! To complete the year-long challenge, participants read a book from each of the 12 challenge categories by August 31, 2026. Find out more or sign up at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/12toTry. Annual Author Fair: Ames Public Library’s annual Author Fair was held in September with almost 30 authors participating. Over 140 visitors stopped in to meet local authors, buy their books, and learn about local literary organizations. EcoVision Event at the Library: On September 27, Ames Public Library hosted EcoVision featuring local organizations focused on sustainability. The event was planned and implemented by EcoTips, an initiative formed by Ames High School students to minimize waste generated in scientific laboratories at Iowa State University. EcoTips is a recipient of a City of Ames Community Climate Youth Mini-Grant. Representing Iowa at National Book Festival: Ames Public Library staff members traveled to the Library of Congress’ annual National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. to represent Iowa and the Iowa Center for the Book. Over 4,000 people visited the table to learn about Iowa’s 2025 picks for Great Reads from Great Places: Nicolás Medina Mora’s “América del Norte” and Charlotte Gunnufson’s "Hard Hat Hank and the Sky High Solution" (illustrated by Brian Biggs). The festival bookstore sold out of both books! 5 In September, Ames Public Library hosted a book discussion and a virtual author visit featuring Nicolás Medina Mora. On October 8, Charlotte Gunnufson will be present for a special event for families at 10:00 a.m. 6 PARKS & RECREATION Ada Hayden Heritage Park Path Replacement Project: Caliber Concrete of Adair, Iowa, started pouring concrete in mid-September for this project. Connecting paths from Edgewater Court, Stonebrooke Road, Fletcher Boulevard, and Harrison Parking Lot have all been poured. Crews began pouring sections of the loop trail the last week of September and can pour 800 to 1,000 linear feet of trail per day, weather permitting. The project is expected to be completed by late October. Auditorium HVAC Replacement: The auditorium HVAC installation is in its final stage. The back wall of the auditorium has been sealed, and the new air handler is fully assembled. The contractor is completing the final electrical, steam, and refrigerant hookups. Once the hookups and controls are finished, the system will undergo extensive testing and balancing. Since the summer is over, additional adjustments may be needed in the spring and summer when air conditioning is back in use. The crew is also installing new diffusers to improve airflow for performers onstage. Auditorium Sound System Replacement: Bids submitted for the auditorium sound system equipment came in under the estimated budget. Sound Productions, based in Texas, was awarded a contract to provide equipment for the project. As components arrive over the next several months, staff will install the new pieces after removing the old equipment. Additionally, bids were solicited for the installation of electrical components and AV panels in strategic locations. This phase will allow staff to eliminate large amounts of cables currently running through the auditorium seating area (shown in pictures below). These 7 bids were about double the estimated budget. Funding for the project is $175,000 which is enough to cover the sound system equipment ($87,300) and the electrical installation ($58,830). Brookside Park 100th Birthday Celebration: Brookside Park celebrated its 100th birthday with a community celebration on Sept. 13. The event featured family -friendly activities, informational tables, historical displays, and free treats. Visitors enjoyed ice cream, cake, Ames water, and an electric vehicle display. A brief program was held near the Hickory Shelter, followed by a ribbon -cutting ceremony with the Ames Noon Kiwanis to unveil the new fire station/truck themed playground. Speakers included Ames Mayor John Haila and Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen. 8 Emma McCarthy Lee Park Pickleball Shelter: Staff completed the construction of a 12-by-20-foot shelter and concrete pad adjacent the pickleball courts at Emma McCarthy Lee Park. The Ames Pickleball Club donated the funds for the shelter. See the photo below of the completed project: Homewood Golf Course: As of September 28, 2025, Homewood Golf Course has had 22,872 rounds played. By that date last year, Homewood had 23,030 rounds played. Homewood opened on March 11 in 2024 and on March 28 in 2025. The table below shows the current clubhouse rental hours and revenue amounts compared to the same time frame last fiscal year. July 1, 2024 – September 24, 2024 July 1, 2025 – September 24, 2025 Paid Event Hours 36.25 27 Revenue from Paid Events $3,806.25 $2,835.00 Non-Paid Event Hours 19 32.5 Park Maintenance Shop Expansion Project: King Construction of Iowa Falls, Iowa, has mobilized a construction trailer and staff for this project. The utility subcontractor installed the water main and poured the concrete pad for the relocation of the bulk water station. The bulk water station is currently shut down for approximately three months. The grading subcontractor has also started grading the area for the new cold storage building and hopes to begin digging footings soon. King Construction has begun demolition of the breakroom in the main Park Shop as part of the break room renovation. The project is expected to be completed by the end of January 2026. 9 Playground Updates: Staff completed annual playground inspections in early September. One member of the Park Maintenance staff is a certified playground safety inspector and annually inspects the over 40 playground structures within the park system. The new playground structures at Christofferson Park and Patio Homes West Park are scheduled to be installed starting the week of October 6. Staff will then complete the installation of the engineered wood fiber surfacing, concrete border, and final grading and seeding. The work will be completed by the end of October. Restroom and Drinking Fountain Winterization: Staff will start preparing restrooms and drinking fountains for the winter months by shutting off water starting mid to late October, depending on the weather. The last day to rent a shelter for the 2025 season is October 15. Splash Pad at Daley Park: Staff met with representatives from TK Concrete and Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS) regarding the construction scheduling of the Daley Park Splash Pad. TK Concrete is responsible for grading, utility installation, and concrete. CRS is responsible for installing the equipment and play features for the splash pad. TK Concrete had planned to start grading in September; however, there has been a delay with the utility subcontractor. The plan going forward is to have all rough grading, underground utilities installed, and the mechanical building concrete slab installed before winter. All splash pad equipment and concrete work will be completed in the spring with the project being completed by June 1, 2026. The rendering below depicts the types of equipment that will be installed. 10 Wellness: Staff made a presentation to the P.E.O. about the Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center on Tuesday, September 16. September classes and onboarding had the following registrations: Program Registrations West Coast Swing 25 Yoga Basics 7 Sixty Forward Center Onboarding 40 11 PLANNING & HOUSING Downtown Vision Implementation Updates: City of Ames applied for a federal planning grant in September to assess the feasibility of constructing a new multi -modal parking ramp in the CBD lot adjacent to Clark Avenue. Notice of award of grants is anticipated in January 2026. The Downtown Implementation Committee, consisting primarily of Ames Main Street representatives supported by City staff, has met three times to review the short -term implementation steps of the Downtown Vision. Additional meetings are planned this fall with the goal of making recommendations of Ames Main Street and City priorities to the City Council in November. Harrison Road Workforce Housing: In May, the City Council approved a land purchase option agreement with a developer for construction of 12 workforce housing units at the intersection of Welbeck and Harrison. The developer was awarded state workforce housing tax credits for the project in September. The developer will now proceed with the project by applying for a PUD rezoning and preliminary plat for 12 ownership homes. Staff estimates that the project will be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission in November and the City Council in December. Notice of public hearings will be provided to the surrounding neighborhood. Mary Greeley Medical Center Zoning Text Amendment Request: In July, City Council reviewed a request related to constructing a new training center on Mary Greely Medical Center (MGMC) property to allow for reduced setbacks adjacent to residential property and to allow for townhomes along Kellogg. City Council agreed to initiation of a text amendment process that allowed for a reduced side setback to 20 feet abutting residential properties and to allow for townhomes. Since that time, MGMC representatives have notified staff that they are putting the text amendment process on hold as they revisit the design of the training facility. MGMC may proceed with a project later this winter, but the specific timeline is unknown at this time. 12 POLICE 6th Street Multi-Modal Improvements: In early October, work will begin on multi-modal roadway improvements along 6th Street just north of City Hall. The project will move the sidewalk on the north side of City Hall to better accommodate all users. In addition, the project will add approximately six parking spaces for better parking for Police vehicles. Other improvements include moving some lighting, benches, and burying a downspout to keep water from running across the sidewalk. The project has an anticipated completion date of October 31. 13 WATER & POLLUTION CONTROL Fluoridation of Drinking Water: In Ames, the addition of fluoride to drinking water began on February 6, 1957, following a petition by the Ames Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). By 1963, the number of Iowa cities fluoridating had grown to 45, and in 2023 the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) recognized 96 Iowa water utilities, including Ames, for maintaining “optimally fluoridated water.” Ames source water contains approximately 0.35 parts per million (ppm) of naturally occurring fluoride. The Water Plant supplements that with additional fluoride to achieve the US CDC’s “optimal dose” of between 0.6 and 0.8 ppm. When the new Water Plant came online, the fluoride was fed as a powdered Sodium Fluorosilicate. Operationally, staff has spent a tremendous amount of time over the past eight years maintaining that feed system, and at times has been unable to add the supplemental fluoride. The powder form is abrasive causing excessive wear on the pumps, and was slow to dissolve, causing it to plug in the piping. With the concurrence of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Water Plant conducted a pilot test earlier this spring using a liquid hydrofluorosilicic acid. That pilot test was very successful, and the operators were able to achieve stable fluoride concentrations that met the US CDC goal. Before proceeding with the installation of a permanent liquid fluoride feed system, staff would like to ask the City Council to reaffirm its commitment to the practice of community water fluoridation. Soon, staff will provide the City Council with a non-agenda memo that describes the history of fluoridation in Ames, the proposed approach for continuing fluoridation, and a range of policy decisions to consider. North River Valley Well Field: Work is nearing completion on the construction of two new wells. These wells will provide a combination of replacement capacity for other wells that are no longer usable due to PFAS levels or that may be impacted by future developments, as well as an increase in the overall source water capacity for the drinking water system. Work currently ongoing includes painting of the well heads, placing road stone on the access drive, seeding, and fencing. Start -up is being delayed due to an extended delivery date for an electrical distribution switch. The switch will allow the new wells to be powered from the Water Plant, including being backed up by the Plant’s emergency standby generator. 14 PFAS Class-Action Lawsuit: Earlier in 2025, staff submitted a claim in the multi-district class action lawsuit related to contamination of source water from Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), commonly used as a fire retardant. The defendants in the class action suit include 3M, DuPont, Tyco, and BASF. The Ames Water Plant was forced to stop using its Well #17 due to elevated PFAS concentrations found in the surrounding ground water. Through a voluntary settlement, a total of between $12.75 and $14.75 billion dollars will be awarded to drinking water utilities who have been impacted by per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals”). The largest dollar amount is associated with the claims involving 3M. The City has been notified that it will receive $2.94 million in total from Phase I of the 3M settlement, with the initial $1.93 million payable this fiscal year, and the balance to be paid over the next nine years. The City still has a pending “Special Needs” claim in the amount of $2.78 million in the 3M case. That amount represents the City’s costs to test for PFAS through August of 2024, plus the cost to replace the quantity of water that Well 17 produced. The Special Claims have not yet been allocated or awarded. It is likely that the City will be awarded only a portion of the total Special Needs claim. Additionally, smaller settlements are anticipated from the other three defendants in the class action. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a motion on September 11, 2025, to rescind portions of its PFAS drinking water standards that were initially adopted last summer. EPA is withdrawing three individual PFAS standards as well as an unusual regulation based on a combination of four specific PFAS compounds. The drinking wate r standards governing PFOA and PFOS are not being withdrawn; although they are still the subject of a petition for judicial review by the drinking water industry over concern s that the US EPA did not follow the procedural requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act when promulgating the rules. Technical Services Complex Renovation: In early September, ten responses were received for architectural services associated with a planned renovation of the Technical Services Complex (TSC). Constructed in 1993, this building houses the Water Meter and Laboratory Services Divisions. An eleventh proposal was received after the deadline for responses and was not considered. The scope of work involves upgrades to the mechanical and lighting systems, the possible reconfiguration of selected workspaces, addition of an elevator to the building, and an overall refresh of carpeting, tiles, walls, and ceilings. Staff anticipates bringing a 15 recommended design contract to the City Council for award in early October. Triennial Lead and Copper Testing Underway: Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the City is required to conduct highly specialized testing for lead and copper in customers’ homes. While this testing has been in place since the early 1990s, the lead contamination in Flint, MI, has increased public awareness of the issue. Residents at 171 addresses were invited to take part in the sampling, based on the type of plumbing in their homes. In early September, the Water & Pollution Control Department picked up water samples from more than 30 homes. The customers had to follow very specific instructions that are designed to maximize the ability to detect lead that may leach from the plumbing inside their homes. The water had to sit stagnant for at least six hours, meaning there could be no showers, no laundry, no toilet flushing, and no handwashing. Because Ames’ water chemistry is carefully controlled and monitored, the City has a perfect record of meeting the requirements of the rule. The monitoring frequency was briefly increased when the new treatment plant was started until it could be confirmed that there were no changes in the water chemistry. Now, the intensive city-wide monitoring occurs on a three-year cycle. Customers (both the property owners and the residents of the properties) whose homes are believed to contain lead plumbing receive a notice annually from the City to explain the steps they can take to help protect themselves from lead contamination. A new state law that went into effect on July 1, 2025, now requires the disclosure of lead plumbing at the time of sale. Lead service lines encountered during water main replacement projects continue to be replaced by the City with compliant materials, slowly reducing the number of lead service lines in use over time. Information about how the City protects against lead contamination in drinking water can be found on the website at www.CityofAmes.org/lead. WPC Facility Nutrient Reduction Modifications Status: Work on the new Administration Building is nearing completion. Plumbing and mechanical system start -up wrapped at the end of September, and commissioning of the systems is underway. Staff will be making the move into the new building during the month of October, w ith a target date of October 27 to have completely vacated the old building. Work is continuing on the new grit building, new electrical building, the addition to the sludge pumping building, and 16 the site piping for the new aeration basins that will be constructed once the old admin building is demolished. As of the end of August, the project was 40% complete, based on the payment applications. The current schedule anticipates substantial completion in late October 2026.