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Home My WebLink About~Master - Packet of Communications to Council dated October 10, 2025 City Office 515.239.5105 main 515 Clark Ave. P.O. Box 811 515.239.5142 fax Ames, IA 50010 www.CityofAmes.org MEMO To: Mayor and City Council From: Jeramy Neefus, Principal Clerk, City Manager’s Office Date: October 10, 2025 Subject: Packet of Communications to Council Listed below are the communications to the City Council known to staff as of October 10, 2025: 1. Minerva Cord, JT Logistics Chief Innovation Officer, and Jamie Cord, JT Logistics President and CEO – September 24, 2025 RE: Request for Reductions and Deferrals Related to Landscaping Requirements 2. Keith Abraham, Parks and Recreation Director – October 10, 2025 RE: Response to Email from Jamie Beyer about Emerald Ash Borer Treatments 1 Hall, Renee From:Hall, Renee Sent:Thursday, September 25, 2025 8:28 AM To:Hall, Renee Subject:FW: JT Logistics - Ames Construction Project Attachments:JT Logistics - Ames Construction Project.pdf From: Minerva Cord <minerva.cord@jtlogistics.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2025 3:08 PM To: Haila, John <john.haila@cityofames.org>; City Council and Mayor <mayorcouncil@amescitycouncil.org> Cc: Jamie Cord <jamie@jtlogistics.com> Subject: JT Logistics - Ames Construction Project [External Email] Dear Mayor Haila, I wanted to extend my sincere thanks for attending the groundbreaking event for JT Logistics. Your support and presence meant a lot to our team, and it was fantastic to share this special moment with you. We are very excited about the future of this project and the great opportunity to work closely with the City of Ames. We greatly value our partnership and look forward to strengthening our relationship as we move forward. Dear City Council Members, I have attached a letter for your review and consideration. Please feel free to share any feedback or suggestions you might have. We're always eager to hear your thoughts and make any necessary improvements. Thanks once again for your support and for being such an important part of this journey with us. Best regards, Minerva Cord 2 Minerva Cord Chief Innovation Officer 3811 Dixon St Des Moines, IA 50313 Mobile: (515) 339-5658 minerva.cord@jtlogistics.com www.jtlogistics.com MEMO Parks and Recreation 515.239.5350 main 515 Clark Ave., P.O. Box 811 515.239.5355 fax Ames, IA 50010 www.CityOfAmes.org To: Mayor and City Council From: Keith Abraham, Parks and Recreation Director Date: October 10, 2025 Subject: Response to Jamie Beyer Email “Treating Ash Trees for Emerald Ash Borer with Neonicotinoids” The Mayor, City Council, and staff received an email, Attachment A, from Jamie Beyer regarding the City treating ash trees for Emerald Ash Borers with Neonicotinoid Insecticides. Staff appreciate Mr. Beyer’s concern for trees and pollinators. However, there is a need to respond to several of the statements made in the email. In 2014, City Council adopted the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Response Plan. The plan outlines a phased removal and replacement of approximately 2,300 ash trees on City property over a 20-year period. The goal was to extend the environmental, social, and economic benefits of city owned ash trees, and to increase the diversity of the urban forest, while being fiscally responsible to our citizens. Part of the plan includes chemical treatment of mature ash trees to extend their lives until an orderly replacement can occur. The Council specifically approved trunk injection as the treatment for City owned ash trees. Staff contracts to complete the treatments (trunk injection) of select ash trees every three years to control Emerald Ash Borers. The chemical that has been used for trunk injections is Emamectin Benzoate. Mr. Beyer’s email states:  “Emamectin Benzoate is a Neonicotinoid class insecticide” City Response: Emamectin Benzoate is not a Neonicotinoid class insecticide. It is an Abamectin class insecticide. Abamectin class insecticides are harmful to insects (pollinators) when they come in direct contact with the chemical. However, the approved method employed on City trees is trunk injection. The chemical doesn’t come in contact with pollinators and only affects the borers (larvae) feeding on the cambium of the tree.  “Chemical is in the leaves for up to 7 years”. City Response: Leaves that have fallen from treated ash trees contain negligible amounts of Emamectin Benzoate, as the half-life of the chemical is approximately one day, when exposed to sunlight. Abamectin class insecticides break down very quickly when exposed to sunlight. There is no need to collect the leaves and send them to a landfill.  “The City treated the trees to spread out the cost of tree removal over a longer period of time.” City Response: The above statement is correct but is only part of the reason for treating ash trees. The other reasons are to extend the social, environmental, and economic benefits of trees. Trees help with storm water uptake; they increase property values; they are environmentally friendly; help reduce utility costs; and many more benefits. Additionally, there were some neighborhoods with high concentrations of ash trees. By treating some of these trees, staff were able to remove and replace trees in a systematic way which allowed newly planted trees to grow for several years before additional ash trees were removed. City of Ames staff and contractors that manage the urban forest within City owned property take great care in ensuring the most up-to-date methods are used to maintain and diversify the urban forest within Ames. Also, chemicals used on City maintained vegetation (turf, trees, landscape plants, etc.) are only one of the tools used to ensure viability and are used sparingly. Staff reviews and applies methods like proper plant selection, soil health improvements, pruning, moisture management, and others to ensure vegetation and other organisms thrive within City maintained property. Also, there was a time when neonicotinoids were applied on highly maintained turf within the park system to control white grubs. However, over the last few years, staff has utilized other methods to control white grubs on highly maintained turf areas. Since 2023, staff have not applied any Neonicotinoid class insecticides on City property. If you have questions or would like additional information, please let me know.