HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - February 5, 2026, Special Meeting of the Ames City Council
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SUMMARY OF 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 alongside Assistant Director of
Operations Christine Crippen, Assistant Director of Fleet and Facilities James Rendall,
and Administrative Analyst Rob Jennings. She highlighted that the next budget year was
focused on continuing work to increase the large ridership base through modernizing the
fleet and making upgrades to customer-facing tools.
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
Manager’s Office. Assistant City Manager Goldbeck then presented on Community
Engagement activities, noting 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 then turned the presentation over to Communications and
Outreach Manager Susan Gwiasda.
The Communications and Outreach Division presentation included the activities for
branding, graphics, newsletters, website, media releases, video production, podcasting,
legacy media, and social media as well as recognition events and the annual resident
satisfaction survey. She noted that the mission of the team was to brand a positive City
identity and she shared a sizzle reel highlighting that before Assistant City Manager Vang
Goldbeck presented the Sustainability activities. She stated that staff time was being
dedicated to administering grants, expanding electric vehicle charging stations, and
robust education and outreach.
The Legal Services proposal was next, which was reviewed by City Attorney Mark
Lambert. He presented the budget allocations, noting that personnel services were the
most significant contributing factor to the budget. Human Resources Director Bethany
Ballou then presented the Human Resources proposed budget, highlighting the number
of recruitments launched and applications received over the last year.
Risk Manager Bill Walton continued with an overview of the Risk Management proposed
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budget. He emphasized the dedication to being a safety-first work force and highlighted
the number of safety training sessions hosted within the last year. Human Resources
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. Health Promotions Coordinator Kacie Schumann concluded with
the Health Promotion activities. The activities included programs that were designed to
promote wellness and healthy lifestyles as well as provide partic ipants with access to
preventative screenings and vaccinations.
Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann was next discussing Planning Services.
He reviewed current, long range, and policy planning activities, highlighting the next steps
in the Zoning Ordinance/Subdivision Code Update. He then covered activities for
Administrative Support Services before transitioning to Housing activities.
Council Member Beatty-Hansen left the meeting at 6:52 p.m.
The City-Wide Housing Programs, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME
Program, and CARES/HOME/ARP comprised the Housing activities. Housing
Coordinator Vanessa Baker-Latimer reviewed the dollar allocations and noted significant
projects for each program.
The Members of the City Council engaged with City staff during each section of the
presentation to gather clarifications on specific issues and inquire about status updates
for current projects.
COUNCIL COMMENTS: The Mayor and Council Members thanked staff for the time and
efforts dedicated to preparing the proposed budget. Comments were also shared on
various events attended, upcoming meetings, community events, and items of interest .
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
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Session.
Vote on Motion: 4-1, Gartin dissenting. 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.
_______________________________ _______________________________
Carly M. Watson, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor
_______________________________
Renee Hall, City Clerk