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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - February 4, 2026, Special Meeting of the Ames City Council, Extended Minutes1 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA FEBRUARY 5, 2026 The Special Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 5:14 p.m. on the 5th day of February, 2026, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law. Present were Council Members Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, Rachel Junck, and Anita Rollins. Ex officio Emily Boland was also present. Council Member Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen joined the meeting electronically. FY 2026/27 BUDGET PROPOSALS: Transit Director Barbara Neal presented the proposed operating budget for Transit activities, which had been approved by the Ames Transit Agency Board of Trustees at its December meeting, alongside Assistant Director of Operations Christine Crippen, Assistant Director of Fleet and Facilities James Rendall, and Administrative Analyst Rob Jennings. Director Neal explained that the operating budget for CyRide dedicates dollars to supporting and expanding its ridership while also working to connect people to their communities through safe and efficient transportation. Supporting the workforce was another top priority, with efforts concentrated on attracting, hiring, and retaining employees. Ridership figures remained strong, with the anticipation of transporting more than five million riders this year, translating into an average of about 30,000 passengers daily. Director Neal highlighted that the highest single-day ridership hit 34,670 rides. She noted that ridership played a pivotal role in operations, as it was linked to receiving more than $2.4 million in grant funding. For the upcoming fiscal year, CyRide was requesting an increase of 3.5% from the City, which was countered by a slight decrease in the transit tax levy to approximately 59 cents per thousand of taxable value. In the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) presented at a previous meeting, Director Neal outlined essential purchases planned over the next five years. An emphasis was placed on securing federal and state funding, as it was a requirement by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to keep equipment in good repair. These efforts would help lessen the financial load on funding local partners, including the City. Director Neal showcased current CIP updates, which included the replacement of seven diesel buses with five battery electric buses and two 60-foot articulated buses, enhancing the battery electric bus fleet to seven and articulated bus fleet to ten. These upgraded buses had been delivered, with expectations of being added to service soon. In addition, Director Neal shared that grant funding was received for replacing eight 40 - foot diesel buses, aiming for reduced emissions, lower operational costs, and increased fleet reliability over the long term. The delivery schedule projects four buses to arrive in 2025/2026, with the remaining in 2026/2027. Director Neal noted that CyRide had similarly secured a discretionary grant intended for completing fire safety upgrades at its facility, which included enhancements like sprinkler system upgrades, increased water capacity, and installation of fire-rated doors to minimize risks associated with new vehicle 2 technologies. The B100 Pilot Project was set to continue with five buses now running on 100% biodiesel throughout the year. Director Neal observed that the planned facility expansion would make room for the conversion of an additional 20 vehicles to B100, facilitating emission reduction while leveraging the existing fleet and assisting Iowa’s biofuels industry. On the technological front, improvements remained a top focus, promoting tools that would make service access more convenient, such as schedules and locations providing real-time updates. Director Neal highlighted that increased ease in access to services was further supported by the upcoming redesign of the CyRide website to streamline finding information and planning trips for riders. Along with moving forward in modernization and maintenance planning of their fleet, CyRide was prioritizing ongoing operational needs to accommodate anticipated increases in electricity demand as more battery electric buses launch into regular service. Alongside these improvements, Director Neal shared that the Dial-a-Ride service continued its growth trajectory, projecting around 16,500 passengers. This paratransit service was tailored for community clients unable to use standard route services, aiding in enhancing independence and participation in community activities. Director Neal observed that service relied on partnership delivery with Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) to maintain a cost-effective model. The City Council Members inquired into topics including the cost per passenger for the Dial-a-Ride feature and battery renewal plans. Director Neal expounded that Dial-a-Ride expenses were rising despite increasing rider figures mainly because the charter service vehicles typically accommodate about three passengers per revenue hour versus the average 30-50 passengers carried per revenue hour on fixed-route buses. Addressing concerns for electric bus battery life span and renewal, Assistant Director Rendell supplemented with information on the anticipated battery cost of $200,000 each, predicting a service life of between six to eight years. The batteries came with a guarantee to maintain 80% of the initial power capacity by the sixth year. He emphasized that CyRide put a reserve fund in place for battery electric bus procurement and, moving forward, seeks to stagger bus acquisitions to avoid a simultaneous financial burden when it comes time for battery replacements. Council Member Gartin voiced concerns about potential changes to the federal funding formulas that currently favor Ames. While Director Neal acknowledged such concerns, she assured the City Council that CyRide's funding sources have remained quite stable through numerous funding cycles, with specific note of the Small Transit Intensive Cities (STIC) initiative that has received consistent bipartisan endorsement due to its recognition of high-performing transit systems. The presentations shifted to Assistant City Managers Brian Phillips and Pa Vang Goldbeck with a review of activities and major projects for the City Council and City 3 Manager’s Office. Assistant City Manager Phillips noted that the City Council recently recommitted to its existing values and identified changes to goals and tasks for the next two-year period during a goal-setting retreat two weeks prior. These goals would be brought for final approval at the next Regular City Council meeting. Assistant City Manager Phillips highlighted several recognition events the City Council participated in during the year, including ribbon cuttings for the Ada Hayden Heritage Park Path Replacement Project, Carr Park Agility Course, and Brookside Park fire truck themed playground. He also mentioned the 35th anniversary of the conversion of the building at 515 Clark Avenue into City Hall, and the addition of Podujeva, Kosovo, as a new partner city. An overview of major projects for the City Manager's Office was presented by Assistant City Manager Phillips. These included the Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus (R3C) alongside a curbside residential recycling program, the relocation of Fire Station No. 2, the Animal Shelter relocation project, and The Linc development. The Office was also involved in projects related to the Ames Energy Center and the implementation of a guiding vision for Downtown Ames. Assistant City Manager Goldbeck added information about the county-wide action plan, which aims to address homelessness, noting a community report presentation planned for the coming month. She highlighted creative efforts in engaging underrepresented community members and also recognized the activities of the boards and commissions staffed by the Office. Community Engagement activities were then reviewed by Assistant City Manager Goldbeck. She noted that most staff time was currently dedicated to implementing the Department of Justice’s ruling concerning digital accessibility. City Clerk Renee Hall followed with activities for the City Clerk’s Office. She provided a year in review video that highlighted the accomplishments of staff, which included the migration of over 20,000 public documents to a customer-facing product to support transparent governance. She emphasized the Division staff served as an administrative backbone to City operations, focusing on accuracy and responsiveness. She then turned the presentation over to Communications and Outreach Manager Susan Gwiasda. Manager Gwiasda explained that her team worked to brand a positive City identity, with Ames being recognized as a premier provider of municipal services and a vibrant, progressive university community. She shared a sizzle reel highlighting various projects undertaken by her team, emphasizing their focus on branding, graphic design, website management, video production, media relations, recognition events, and active social media engagement. Recent tools and initiatives included the intuitive, mobile-friendly, and ADA-compliant City of Ames website that was launched in April, the GovDelivery e-notification system that allowed residents to sign up for specific topics, as well as ongoing podcasting efforts 4 supported by the Mayor. The team also fostered community partnerships with local organizations like 60Forward, Iowa State University, Mary Greeley Medical Center, and Ames Community School District, and employed traditional outreach methods, such as posters and tabling at events. The City Council Members expressed appreciation for the Division's engaging social media presence and its role in supporting Council Connect outreach events. Manager Gwiasda then turned it back over Assistant City Manager Goldbeck who presented the Sustainability activities. Assistant City Manager Goldbeck highlighted that related activities were spearheaded by Sustainability Coordinator Nolan Sagan. His achievements included applying for numerous grants, launching the City Climate Action Grants program, and conducting a feasibility study on energy upgrade on -bill financing program. The City also became a host site for Green Iowa AmeriCorps members who carry out weatherization services for homes. She shared that Sustainability Coordinator Sagan continued to work on expanding EV charging stations, augmenting the electric fleet, and implementing B100 biodiesel, as well as involvement in curbside recycling education efforts. The Legal Services proposal was next, which was reviewed by City Attorney Mark Lambert. He announced his upcoming retirement and recent staffing changes before he presented the budget allocations. He emphasized that personnel services were the most significant contributing factor to the budget. Human Resources (HR) Director Bethany Ballou then presented the proposed HR operating budget, highlighting the Department’s efforts in the areas of recruitment, training, employee development, and employee relations. In the last fiscal year, HR worked with departments on 188 recruitments, received 4,730 applications, hired 325 people from outside the organization, and promoted 25 internally. The depar tment offers numerous training opportunities, including customer service training, skill -building in Microsoft Office, and specialized topics. Director Ballou announced that the Department was implementing a new human resources information and management system, which was expected to be fully operational by summer. The system would improve data management, increase efficiency, and streamline processes for employee data, onboarding, time and attendance, scheduling, and performance management. Council Member Gartin inquired if there was a benchmark to reflect employee retention, expressing that it was a strength of the program, as demonstrated during employee appreciation events. Director Ballou agreed that showcasing retention could be valuable and would consider incorporating it. Risk Manager Bill Walton continued with an overview of the Risk Management proposed budget. He reported that the City has a workforce that prioritizes safety, which keeps workers' compensation claims down. Most claims were medical -only, with very few lost- time claims. The City conducted over 130 safety training sessions in the last fiscal year . Manager Walton shared that the trainings were tailored to each department's specific 5 needs, with subject matter experts, such as Iowa State troopers for winter driving safety, nurses for first aid, entomologists for insect identification, and Department of Transportation (DOT) compliance officers for load securement, presenting at the respective trainings. Manager Walton then highlighted that despite natural disasters across the country, the property insurance market was softening, and the City expects premiums to decrease slightly even with new buildings. He noted that liability rates would see a modest increase and recognized that the City secured a two-year guaranteed rate for excess workers' compensation insurance. Council Member Gartin mentioned the importance of benchmarks to compare risk management outcomes with peer communities to appreciate the success story fully. Manager Walton acknowledged the value of benchmarks and promised to seek them from the third-party administrator for future reference. HR Officer II Krista Hammer followed with review of the Health Insurance proposal. She discussed insurance premiums and claims as well as expected expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year. She shared that the City had consistently kept health insurance premium increases below 10%, which fell below Wellmark's book of business rates. For 2026-27, staff was targeting an 8% increase for the fourth consecutive year. HR Officer Hammer emphasized that the largest portion of insurance expenditures, nearly 82%, was allocated to claims, with smaller percentages allocated to excess insurance, other health insurance, health promotions, and administration. Health Promotions Coordinator Kacie Schumann concluded with Health Promotion activities. She discussed successful initiatives, which included pop-up events where staff set up tables with health-related information and healthy snacks. She noted that pop-up events reached employees who had never previously engaged with the Health Promotion program. The program also offered family vaccine clinics on a Saturday, making it easier for employees' family members to participate with kid -friendly options and comfort from Penny, the crisis canine. Coordinator Schumann detailed plans to expand health assessments by adding hand grip strength testing, which research shows correlates with chronic disease risk. She shared that this benefit would complement the existing annual health screenings that include blood panels, blood pressure, and body composition measurements. Council Member Betcher inquired about the success of the toilet talk initiative. Coordinator Schumann confirmed its popularity and mentioned that employees are enthusiastic about new toilet talks being posted. Council Member Gartin asked if any preventative strength training was provided to help employees avoid injuries, especially those in physically demanding roles. Coordinator Schumann mentioned that she had conducted injury prevention workshops and provided therabands for employees to use for strengthening exercises. 6 Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann was next discussing Planning Services. He provided an overview, which encompassed current planning, long-range and policy planning, and shared support services. He noted that the Department was responsible for supporting three boards and commissions: the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment, and Historic Preservation Commission. The various types of applications processed by the Department were described by Director Diekmann. The annual division of work among different activity types was illustrated through a pie chart, with site development plans making up the largest segment. He noted that site development plans were generally handled administratively to expedite the development process, unlike many metro areas where City Council approval was typically required for these plans. Moving into housing development, Director Diekmann noted a consistent trend in single- family home production over the past three years. Interestingly, all homes completed last year were detached. Additionally, the previous year saw only 46 new lots being platted, but projections for the coming year estimate around 200, partly due to decreased interest rates improving housing affordability and development incentives that were approved by the City Council. As for upcoming projects, six residential development projects with incentives or development agreements were expected. Director Diekmann shared that also on the horizon were potential annexations in West Ames and Boone County. Additionally, expected infill projects were planned. Director Diekmann also addressed plans for long-range initiatives including the support of the Downtown Visioning project, completion of ADA compliance for the website, and the imminent update of both the zoning ordinance and subdivision code. A comprehensive scope of work was planned to be proposed to the City Council in the spring. Director Diekmann noted that the unified development code project indicated promising pathways ahead, offering anticipatory timelines, outreach plans, and steering committee expectations. Council Member Gartin prompted a discussion about the efficiency and success facilitated by Plan 2040, recognizing its role in simplifying the strategic decision-making threshold for the City Council. Director Diekmann noted that this robust framework was anticipated to guide similar forthcoming zoning ordinance updates, simplifying adaptive changes and reducing future immediate amendments. The dialogue traversed to more inquiries, including the Downtown Visioning project, where Director Diekmann presented collaboration between the Planning Department and the City Manager’s Office. Council Member Betcher inquired about when information regarding downtown feasibility parking study availability could be expected. Director Diekmann remained optimistic, acknowledging that decisions have been made , yet pending announcements delayed precise timelines. 7 Director Diekmann then covered activities for Administrative Support Services. He shared that the team was key to customer service before handing it over to Housing Coordinator Vanessa Baker-Latimer for Housing activities. Council Member Beatty-Hansen left the meeting at 6:52 p.m. Coordinator Baker-Latimer reported that Ames is receiving its 21st allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds since becoming an entitlement community in 2004. She noted that funding levels had varied over the years, and staff strove to utilize the funds to create affordable housing projects efficiently. Notable achievements for the Division over the last fiscal year included the completion of a neighborhood pocket park in the Baker subdivision, equipped with a shelter, sidewalks, and water fountains, and frequently utilized by neighborhood residents. Additionally, significant infrastructure improvements, such as water main enhancements along N. Russell Avenue in Census Tract 10, were also completed. In terms of ongoing projects, Coordinator Baker-Latimer highlighted marketing strategies and requests for proposals to sell remaining lots in the Baker subdivision. Concurrently, water main improvements for S. Russell Avenue and S. Riverside Drive were noted to be in progress. In response to an inquiry from Council Member Betcher, Coordinator Baker- Latimer noted that a Phase 1 archaeological study for State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) compliance was complete. The study would simplify the approval process for future endeavors in Census Tract 10 due to pre-approved documentation. She also acknowledged the annual action plan submission deadline, emphasized the target submission on or before May 17, 2026, and acknowledged potential timing impacts if federal funding delays occur similarly to previous years. Coordinator Baker-Latimer then presented on the HOME Program, which provided funds for non-luxury affordable housing through rehabilitation, down payment assistance, tenant-based rental assistance, and construction. She highlighted that this was the eighth allocation of HOME funds received and reported good news that HUD waived the program's 25% match requirement for current projects. The program requires 50% of funds to be set aside for a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), though staff was able to withdraw $300,000 from these funds to help with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) project. Current HOME activities included partnering with a builder to construct two new homes in the Baker subdivision using remaining affordable housing lots, developing a tenant - based rental assistance program similar to Section 8, and monitoring the eight HOME - funded units at the completed Town Homes of Creekside development. Finally, Coordinator Baker-Latimer explained the Division received American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds in 2021 for HOME/ARP and staff were working to determine the best way to utilize this money. Additionally, staff applied for non-congregate sheltering funds 8 to help homeless persons, which requires individuals to have their own facilities, bathrooms, and bedrooms. She expected to kick off the project later this calendar year. City Manager Steve Schainker emphasized the importance of the City's budget as a financial plan and service plan, highlighting the hard work, innovation, and continuous improvement demonstrated by City departments in delivering municipal services. He reflected on the City's commitment to limiting increases in user fees and utility fees while achieving its mission. COUNCIL COMMENTS: The Mayor and City Council members expressed appreciation for the detailed presentations from each Department, acknowledging the transparency and commitment to excellence in public service delivery. There was also a mention of upcoming retirements, including City Attorney Mark Lambert, as significant transitions for the City. Ex officio Boland announced March 24, 2026, would be her last Regular Meeting with the City Council. Mayor Haila raised the topic of the potential parklet program along Main Street. He referenced a meeting with Executive Director of Ames Main Street Travis Toliver regarding a $10,000 funding request for the program. Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to place consideration of a parklet program for the Downtown on the Tuesday, February 10, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting agenda. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Ex officio Boland left the meeting at 7:21 p.m. CLOSED SESSION: Mayor Haila asked Attorney Lambert if there was a legal reason to go into Closed Session. Attorney Lambert replied in the affirmative, citing Section 21.5(1)(c), Code of Iowa, to discuss matters presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent. Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Junck, to go into Closed Session at 7:21 p.m. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. The City Council reconvened in Regular Session at 8:08 p.m. Moved by Junck, seconded by Corrieri, to direct staff to proceed as discussed in Closed Session. Vote on Motion: 4-1. Voting Aye: Betcher, Corrieri, Junck, and Rollins. Voting Nay: Gartin. Motion declared carried. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to adjourn the meeting at 8:08 p.m. Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. 9 _______________________________ _______________________________ Carly M. Watson, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor _______________________________ Renee Hall, City Clerk