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Home My WebLink AboutA012 - Requests from Ames Main Street for Small Business Saturday on November 28, 2026ITEM #:14 DATE:12-16-25 DEPT:ADMIN SUBJECT:REQUESTS FROM AMES MAIN STREET FOR SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY COUNCIL ACTION FORM BACKGROUND: Ames Main Street (AMS) has submitted requests for Small Business Saturday on November 28, 2026. To facilitate the event, organizers are requesting a blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit and suspension of parking regulations and enforcement for the Downtown and Campustown Areas from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 28, 2026 ($2,468.25 estimated loss to the Parking Fund). In order to provide continued support to small businesses during the holiday season, AMS has requested extending the blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit and suspension of parking regulations and enforcement in Downtown and Campustown to include December 5, December 12, December 19, and December 26, 2026 (additional $9,873.00 estimated loss to the parking fund). In February 2020, the City Council adopted the following policy regarding metered parking waivers: Metered parking fees will not be waived for special events. Any event organizers intending to provide free parking or to close metered parking spaces must reimburse the City’s Parking Fund for the lost revenue. The City Council may consider waivers to this policy on a case-by-case basis for parking spaces that are obstructed by the event area (not for area-wide free parking). City staff is preparing the FY 2026/27 budget and anticipates including $16,000 in the Hotel/Motel Tax Fund to support parking waivers. However, the budget will not be finalized and adopted formally by the City Council for several more months. Therefore, the approval of the transfer of funding is conditional upon the Council adopting a budget with sufficient funding to complete the transfer. It should be noted that the City Council has approved the waiver and reimbursement of lost meter revenue for this event in previous years. ALTERNATIVES: 1. Approve the requests for Small Business Saturday on November 28, 2026 and all Saturdays throughout the month of December, as requested by Ames Main Street, including the waiver of fee, and transfer of a total of $12,341.25 from the Hotel/Motel Tax Fund to the Parking Fund (on the condition that sufficient funds are allocated in the FY 2026/27 City Budget). 2. Deny the requests. 1 CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION: Small Business Saturday is an annual event for the Downtown. The event includes an extension of the free parking to the Campustown area as well. This event aims to attract people to Downtown and Campustown and promotes shopping locally to kick off the holiday shopping season. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, as noted above. ATTACHMENT(S): Small Business Weekend Application.pdf LOS Additional Free Parking Requests.pdf 2 Travis Toliver, IOM Executive Director travis@amesalliance.com 304 Main Street, Ames, IA 50010 |515.233.3472 |DowntownAmes.org Ames Main Street advances and promotes Downtown Ames as the heart of the Ames community. October 30, 2025 Mayor and City Council City of Ames 515 Clark Ave Ames, IA 50010 Dear Mayor Haila and Members of the Ames City Council, Ames Main Street is planning to hold the annual Small Business Weekend in Downtown Ames and Campustown on November 27 through November 30, 2026. Specific information about the event can be found on the included Special Event Application. Additionally, we request a Temporary Obstruction Permit and a waiver of fees for free parking in City of Ames meters throughout the Downtown Ames District and Campustown Business District on Saturday, November 28, 2026. By bringing residents to Downtown Ames for attractions such as this, Ames Main Street is able to fulfill its mission as a Main Street Iowa community and create an economically vibrant downtown with unique living, dining, and entertainment experiences. Thank you for your consideration of this request and continued support of Ames Main Street. We look forward to seeing you shopping in Downtown Ames! Sincerely, Travis Toliver Executive Director Ames Main Street 3 1 For Office Use Only Documents Received Date: ____________________ ___ Completed Application ___ Fireworks Application ($25 fee) ___ Insurance Certificate ___ Public Safety & Event Management Plan ___ Site Plan/Route Map ($25 fee) (Road Race) ___ Vendor List ($50 fee/each) ___ Parking fees Special Events Meeting Date ____________________ Time ____________________ Room ___________________ Documents Sent: ___ Alcohol License ABD ________________ ___ Fireworks Permit ___ Road Race Permit ___ TOP ___sĞŶĚŝŶŐ Permit ___ Other ________________ Departments Included ___ City Manager: Brian Phillips and Tasheik Kerr ___ CyRide: Jenny Bethurem or Rob Holm ___ Electric: Mark Imhoff ___ Fire: Jason Ziph or Rich Higgins ___ Parks & Rec: Craig Kaufman or Joshua Thompson ___ Public Works: Brad Becker or Dave Cole ___ Police:dŽŵ^ŚĞůƚŽŶ or DŝŬĞƌŬŽǀŝĐŚ ___ Water:,ĞŝĚŝ WĞƚĞƌƐĞŶ ___ Risk Management: Bill Walton CAA:^ĂƌĂŚǀŽƌƐŬǇ D^:^ĂƌĂŚǀŽƌƐŬǇ ISU: Events Authorization Committee City Council Meeting Date _____________________ ___ Added to Agenda with CAF Approved Y N Reminder Date ____________ SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION Applications received less than thirty (30) days before the event may not be processed by the City in time for the event and will automatically be denied. Each application is viewed as a new event regardless of previous occasions. Event Name Location/Address Region (Select one or more) $PHVMain Street (Downtown) Campustown District Iowa State University Property City Parks Other (please explain) Please note that events occurring in the Downtown, Campustown, in City parks, or on ISU property require prior approvals. A letter of support will be required from CAA if the event occurs in Campustown or from $PHV0DLQ6WUHHW if the event occurs in Downtown. Please contact the appropriate office well in advance: Downtown -$PHV0DLQ6WUHHW: (515) 23- &ampustown Action Association: (515)- ISU - Events Authorization Committee: (515) 294-1437 GLUHFWRU@amesdowntown.org VDUDKG#DPHVFKDPEHUFRP eventauthorization@iastate.edu TIMELINE Detailed Description of Event Activities (written overview of event and what’s going to happen) Event Ends Date Time M T W R F Sa Su Teardown Complete Date Time M T W R F Sa Su Event Category Concert/Performance Farmer/Outdoor Market Other (please explain) Athletic/Recreation Exhibits/Misc. Festival/Celebration Parade/Procession/March Rain Date Rain Location Yes No Is this an annual event? If yes, how many years? Setup Date Time M T W R F Sa Su Event Starts Date Time M T W R F Sa Su Žƌ<ĞǀŝŶ'ƌŝĞƐ Small Business Weekend Downtown Ames and Campustown ✔ ✔ 11/27/2026 11/30/2026 Small Business Weekend is an annual event during which businesses will offer sales, promotions, and discounts. Weather permitting, businesses may set up on the sidewalk immediately in front of their store front. Shoppers should also be drawn to the free parking for Small Business Saturday ✔ 4 2 CONTACTS State Zip Code Cell Phone Cell Phone Sponsor/Applicant Name Address City Daytime Phone E-mail Alternate Contact Name Daytime Phone E-mail ATTENDANCE Anticipated Daily Attendance Yes No Is this event open to the public? Is your event being held in conjunction with another event (e.g.Farmers' Market, 4th of July, etc.)? If yes, please list: ORGANIZATION STATUS/PROCEEDS For-Profit Bona Fide Tax Exempt Nonprofit Yes No Are patron admission, entry, or participant fees required? If yes, please describe and provide amounts: Are vendor or other fees required? If yes, please provide amounts: Percentage of net proceeds going towards fundraising % Percentage of net proceeds going towards for-profit entity % SECURITY Ames Police Department 24 hour non-emergency phone number: 515-239-5133 Please complete the course at https://www.crowdmanagers.com/training for crowd management training. Yes No Have you hired a professional security company to develop and manage your event’s security plan? If yes, please fill out the following information: Security Organization State Zip Phone Address City Email Sarah Hurley, Downtown Ames 304 Main Street Ames Iowa 50010 515-232-2310 319-930-2276 sarah@amesalliance.com Travis Toliver 515-232-2310 701-200-3871 travis@amesalliance.com 1,000 ✔ 5 Travis Toliver, IOM Executive Director travis@amesalliance.com 304 Main Street, Ames, IA 50010 | 515.233.3472 | DowntownAmes.org Ames Main Street advances and promotes Downtown Ames as the heart of the Ames community. December 10, 2025 Mayor and City Council City of Ames 515 Clark Ave Ames, IA 50010 Dear Mayor Haila and Members of the Ames City Council, Ames Main Street is planning to hold the annual Small Business Weekend in Downtown Ames and Campustown on November 27 through November 30, 2026. Specific information about the event can be found on the included Special Event Application. Additionally, we request a Temporary Obstruction Permit and a waiver of fees for free parking in City of Ames meters throughout the Downtown Ames and Campustown Business Districts on the following Saturdays, November 28, December 5, 12, 19, 26, 2026. Our data and feedback from businesses show that these Saturdays are not only crucial sales days during one of the busiest times of the year for retailers but also helps to drive a significant number of consumers/visitors to these shopping districts from throughout the greater Ames area when parking is free. By bringing residents to Downtown Ames for attractions such as this, Ames Main Street can fulfill its mission as a Main Street Iowa community and create an economically vibrant downtown with unique living, dining, and entertainment experiences. Thank you for your consideration of this request and continued support of Ames Main Street. We look forward to seeing you shopping in Downtown Ames! Sincerely, Travis Toliver Executive Director Ames Main Street 6