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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - January 2026 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 JANUARY 2026 MONTHLY PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS FIRE Clarifying Rental Occupancy Limits: Staff has encountered a lot of confusion regarding occupancy standards, especially in Near Campus Neighborhoods where the maximum number of occupants is capped. People have purchased homes expecting to be able to rent it to a certain number of occupants and then learned through the inspection process that the maximum occupancy is lower than expected. The financial impact of reduced occupancy can be a deciding factor when choosing to purchase a property. The Property Maintenance Appeal Board (PMAB) has heard several appeals from those affected by the occupancy freeze in Near Campus Neighborhoods. It directed staff to work with the Assessor to provide more consistent information regarding bedroom counts. Unfortunately, the Assessor’s method for bedroom count s does not align with the Rental Code and cannot always be used to determine occupancy. This understandably causes confusion for customers. Until now, there has not been a clear way for a buyer to determine occupancy except to call the Inspections office. Inspections staff recently worked with GIS staff and the Assessor’s Office to create a link on Beacon to help identify occupancy standards for each property. When the link is clicked, a map will open that will focus directly on the property and list the maximum allowed number of occupants in the Near Campus Neighborhoods. It includes a link to the website that explains the ordinance and provides maps of each neighborhood. Properties outside of the Near Campus Neighborhoods will be provided with a link to the rental code that lists the standards for occupancy. The map is searchable and color coded for ease of use. Staff hopes that this tool will provide clear standards for customers so they can make informed decisions. Staff has reached out to the Central Iowa Board of Realtors to make it aware of the new tool and plans to present it to the PMAB during the February meeting. Pictured right is what a customer sees when they do a property search on Beacon. 2 Pictured below is the information that will pop up when a customer clicks on the Rental Occupancy Standards link. When a customer clicks on the "View Rental Occupancy Standard s" button, it takes them to the Inspections webpage on Rental Occupancy Standards. 3 The Near Campus Rental Occupancy Standards tool will also indicate if a property is not subject to near-campus occupancy limits. Pictured below is a map of the four neighborhoods that are subject to the near -campus occupancy limits. 4 LIBRARY Dementia Caregiver Support Group : Ames Public Library (APL) has added a monthly support group for caregivers of people with dementia. Held on the 4 th Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m, the Dementia Caregiver Support Group is a meetup to share the challenges of caregiving as well as tips and tools. The next event on February 26 will focus on the stages and changes of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Fun for Adults: Storytimes and family crafts are fantastic, but adults need fun too! Two new monthly programs at the Library aim to give adults a chance to build community and enjoy an evening outside of the house. • “Bored? Games!” is a new meetup on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 6:30- 8:30 p.m. Participants can bring board games or play games provided by the Library with other adults. All experience levels are welcome. • “That’s Fun” is a different event on the 2nd Wednesday of each from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The new series kicked off on January 14 with a puzzle competition. The next “That’s Fun” on February 11 will be a ‘90s TV Trivia Night. Green Iowa Events at the Library: Green Iowa Americorps staff have been presenting great programs for the public at Ames Public Library! Nathaniel presented a talk about the Conservation Corp on January 24. DiMaucia Phanfil shared stories and hands-on activities at Storybook S.T.E.M. for families January 16 and will be back for more February 27 and March 20. Historic Card Catalog at the Library: See a piece of American and literary history at Ames Public Library! As the Iowa Center for the Book, APL has the honor of displaying a card catalog that was used in the Library of Congress. Instead of holding hundreds of index cards, the wooden drawers now display interesting resources anyone can access from the Library of Congress. Stop by and see it near the Rotary Room on the second floor. 5 PARKS & RECREATION Adult Programs & Activities: The third duckpin bowling league began January 21 at the Sixty Forward Center with 18 participants. Daley Park Splash Pad Project: TK Concrete, Pella, Iowa, completed installation of the utilities and the concrete footings for the maintenance building that will accompany the splash pad at Daley Park. Later this winter, staff will construct the structure that will house the filters, disinfection equipment, pumps, and pipe manifold for the splash pad. TK Concrete will begin grading the site for the splash pad in April, with completion of the splash pad by June 1, 2026. DNR Grants: The City of Ames received two grants from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A $30,000 Iowa Tree Planting Grant will fund the planting of approximately 80 trees in a neighborhood this spring and support a seasonal watering position in 2026. A $5,000 grant from the Wildlife Diversity Habitat Management Program will be used to purchase portable water tank/pump units for use during prescribed fires, an important tool for managing and maintaining native prairie ecosystems. Homewood Golf Course: Homewood Clubhouse card leagues started mid-January. The euchre league has 12 participants, morning cribbage has 20 participants, and evening cribbage has 11 participants. Homewood Golf Course Hole Nine Improvements : Staff received notice that Con- Struct is planning to start the improvements on hole nine in early February. The project includes removal of the pedestrian bridge and installing a new crossing that will include a culvert and a concrete path for golf carts and golfers that are walking. Al so included as part of the project is the stabilization along the banks of the ravine that bisects hole nine . Park Boundaries: There are several locations where public property is adjacent parks or greenways. Staff is reviewing these areas to determine if it makes sense to expand park boundaries or designate greenways to include these areas. The Parks and Recreation Rules and Ordinances would then be used to manage these spaces. This will be discussed with the Parks and Recreation Commission at its February meeting and be presented to City Council at a future meeting. Park Maintenance Facility Expansion Project: King Construction, Iowa Falls, Iowa, is continuing to make progress on the Park Maintenance Facility Expansion Project. The break room renovation in the main park shop is almost complete, with only the HVAC system and the lighting to be completed. King Construction has completed the walls, roof, and garage doors for the new cold storage facility. Yet to be completed is the firebreak 6 wall, new electrical service, and the ventilation system. The project is scheduled to be complete by mid-February. Tree Inspections: Staff is continuing to make progress on winter pruning of trees in the right of ways and the parks. To date, staff has inspected and completed necessary pruning work on 1,100 trees. Parks that have been inspected and pruned include Lloyd Kurtz, Franklin, Gateway Hills, O’Neil, Calhoun, Old Town, and Emma McCarthy Lee. Wellness: Free drop-in fitness classes were held over the holiday break at the Community Center and the Sixty Forward Center. Participants were encouraged to donate one or two cans of nonperishable food for the local food bank. Below is a photo of the food collected. Two free classes, Mobility and Stretch, were offered in January to determine whether the class should be added to the group fitness schedule. Both classes had strong attendance, with 20 participants at the Community Center and 15 at the Sixty Forward Center. The class will be added to the group fitness schedule beginning Feb. 18 for a four- week session. A new session of classes began in January with the number of registrations shown below: Program Registrations Community Center Group Fitness 460 Sixty Forward Group Fitness 198 Virtual 34 Beginner Line Dance 13 West Coast Swing 11 Yoga Basics 7 Taekwondo 106 Sixty Forward Center Onboarding – Dec. 18 Sixty Forward Center Onboarding – Jan. 27 7 PLANNING & HOUSING Ames Community School District Ames Center Rezoning : The School District has applied for rezoning for the Ames Center site at Northwestern and 13 th Street to Government Zoning (S-GA). The site is permitted for a school within a residential zoning district per a prior Special Use Permit. However, the School District would like to add other administrative and service functions to the site in addition to tradition al school functions that would not necessarily be permitted in a residential zone. If the rezoning is approved, changes to the site would be administratively reviewed rather than reviewed by the Zoning Board of Adjustment with a public hearing. The rezoning request will likely go to the City Council on March 10. Irons Subdivision Sewer Extension : Staff provided cost estimates in December to property owners within the Irons and the Ames Golf and Country Club for two sewer extension options. Costs were estimated between $900,000 and $1,400,000 depending on the options. About 12 people attended an informational meeting in January. Staff answered questions about timing and construction options. The people in att endance said many residents would not be back until spring and there would likely be no formal response until May. Staff intends to provide the City Council an update on the issue in March. At that time, staff will also confirm City Council’s direction to begin the annexation process. Annexation and planning for a sewer extension are not linked together. Updates on Downtown Vision Implementation : The Parklet subcommittee held a business interest meeting for the planned pilot program of creating two parklets on Main Street. The original concept was for a business to utilize a parklet to extend its dining and service area. The group is also considering a proposal to have general seating areas as parklets. Staff is reviewing insurance, alcohol, and design requirements with the group. A formal proposal may be presented to the City Council in March. The Sip-N-Stroll subcommittee has approached Main Street businesses about the concept of a Sip-N-Stroll ordinance which would allow people to consume alcohol off - premises on public sidewalks or streets for certain special events. This differs from events now where there is one defined vendor and a delineated service area. This model allows for bars and restaurants to serve drinks to people that are not consumed on site. The City Council would need to adopt a new ordinance for thi s to occur. A tentative goal would be to have the City Council address the concept by the beginning of June 2026. Staff is awaiting notice from the US Department of Transportation regarding award of a planning grant to evaluate the feasibility of construction of a Downtown parking garage and changes to the overall parking system. The award announcement could take plac e at any time in the next few months. 8 WATER & POLLUTION CONTROL Administration Division Staffing : The Water & Pollution Control (W&PC) Administration Division saw some eagerly anticipated additions join the team in January. Tina Burns started on January 19 as Principal Clerk and Kristin Stein started on January 26 as Environmental Engineer I. Interviews have been completed for the new Control Systems Specialist, and the position is anticipated to be filled in February. With that hire, the Department will have 100% of its permanent full-time positions filled! North River Valley Well Field Nearing Completion : After a lengthy construction process, two new wells in North River Valley Park are nearing completion. Security measures have been added at each well to reduce the likelihood of vandalism or tampering. There are only a few control details remaining to be resolve d before the wells can be placed into service. Each of the wells is capable of producing 1.5 million gallons per day of ground water. The wells were tested twice (once prior to construction, and again after the production wells were drilled) and found to have no detectible PFAS compounds or any other pollutant of concern. Like all of the wells in the system, there was no detectible nitrate in the water. Ordinance Revision to Facilitate Advanced Metering Infrastructure : With the conversion of electric and water meters to the Aclara remote reading system, a minor revision to Chapter 28 is needed. The change will require new construction to include a 9 cable run from the water meter location (usually in the basement) to within three feet of the electric meter on the outside of the property. Prior to an ordinance being brought to the City Council, staff will provide advance notice to plumbers and contractors through direct mailings and an informational open house event. Other outreach methods are being developed as well. Presentation Season: The City Council has established a goal of “Communication and Engagement with the Public.” Over the next several weeks, W&PC Director John Dunn will be participating in multiple presentations to a wide variety of audiences. • Presenting at two different virtual training events for water and wastewater operators in Iowa on “Preparing Front Line Staff to Transition Into Leadership Roles.” • Presenting at two different regional training events for the Iowa Section -American Water Works Association on “Applied Ethics for Field Staff in the Water Industry.” • Presenting to the Central Iowa REALTORS on the new lead service line disclosure law that went into effect on January 1 of this year. • Presenting to an Iowa State University (ISU) graduate engineering seminar on the Water Pollution Control Facility Nutrient Reduction Modifications. • Presenting to an ISU capstone course on the Watershed-based Nutrient Reduction Modifications. Additionally, multiple staff will be involved with events such as the “Understanding your Utility Bill” outreach, ISU Sustainapalooza, and an open house -style informational event with plumbers and Ames-area homebuilders to share the requirements of the pro posed meter ordinance update described above. Wholesale Agreement with Xenia Rural Water: Staff is finalizing an amendment to the existing wholesale agreement with Xenia Rural Water. The amendment will increase the maximum daily quantity of water sold to Xenia from 250,000 gallons to 500,000 gallons. As a part of the agreement, Xenia has agreed to mo dified terms for a service territory buyout for Hayden’s Preserve and Auburn Trails, which should improve the economic viability of these developments. Once the language of the amendment is finalized, it will be brought to the City Council for approval. WPCF Nutrient Reduction Modifications – Phase 1 Progress: The past month has seen major changes to the Water Pollution Control Facility with the demolition of the old Administration Building and the first steps towards constructing the new aeration basins. The first of two major concrete pours took place on January 1 5, with 55 concrete trucks and two concrete pumpers required to complete floor panels 1 and 3. A total of 870 cubic yards of concrete were poured without issue thanks to a well-orchestrated plan completed by staff from several groups working together. Startup of the new grit removal system is expected at the end of March. One surprising piece of good news is that the projected ship date for some key switchgear components was accelerated by four months. Overall, 10 the work was 56% complete (based on invoiced dollars) at the end of calendar year 2025. The contractor is projecting a substantial completion date of October 23, 2026. Staff was also pleased to learn that the project will be receiving a $500,000 grant from the Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Financial Assistance Program (WTFAP). This state funding through the Iowa Finance Authority gives priority to: • Projects whose completion will provide significant improvement to water quality in the watershed. • Communities employing alternative wastewater treatment technology pursuant to Iowa Code 455B.199C. • Communities employing technology to address the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. This grant award will be applied as a reduction in the State Revolving Fund loan principal, which will lower the annual debt service payments on the loan. Pictured below are the concrete pour for the first two floor panels of the new aeration basins and the piping installation in the lower level addition to the Sludge Pumping Building.