HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Council Action Form dated February 24, 2026ITEM #:10
DATE:02-24-26
DEPT:ADMIN
SUBJECT:REQUESTS FROM AMES MAIN STREET FOR 515 DAY ON MAY 15, 2026
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
Ames Main Street (AMS) plans to host “515 Day” on Friday, May 15, 2026. This event was
implemented by Ames Main Street in 2021 with the intention of celebrating area code 515
through a variety of activities, such as 515-themed specials in businesses and giveaways to
attract individuals to Downtown Ames.
The activities include a beer garden, live music on Douglas Avenue, and a family activity zone
on Douglas Avenue. The events are free to attend. Organizers expect up to 1,000 people to
participate in the activities. To facilitate the activities, Ames Main Street requests the following
for May 15:
Closures of 5th Street from Burnett Avenue through Douglas Avenue, Kellogg Avenue
from Main Street to 5th Street, and Douglas Avenue from Main Street to 5th Street.
Use of City electrical outlets and waiver of fees for electricity (estimated loss to Electric
Fund of $5).
A blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit and a blanket Vending License for Downtown to
allow stores to display and sell merchandise and for food truck vendors. A waiver of the
Vending License fee is requested ($50 loss to City Clerk’s Office).
Local authority approval for a 5-Day (May 14-18, 2026) Special Class C Retail Alcohol
License with Outdoor Service for Thirsty Pigs (515 Day Ames), 215 5th Street
Organizers will have trained volunteers to check IDs and staff the event area. Wristbands will
be provided to those of legal age to consume alcohol. Ames Main Street staff and volunteers
will monitor the crowd and staff the road closures.
REQUEST FOR SUSPENSION OF ENFORCEMENT OF MUNICIPAL CODE 17.16:
Organizers are again this year requesting the ability to allow patrons of all ages to be within
the alcohol service area. This requires the City Council to suspend enforcement of Section
17.16 of the Municipal Code, which prohibits minors from being on the premises of an
establishment where the primary sales are of alcoholic beverages. In 2025, City staff
provided a detailed analysis of the rationale for why, in this specific event, City staff
was supportive of the request. The City Council approved the 2025 request and the
event occurred with no issues observed by City staff. Therefore, staff is again
recommending approval. The analysis of the 2025 request remains applicable, and is
provided below for the Council's reference:
Section 17.16 of the Municipal Code makes a distinction between alcohol-licensed premises
that function more like a restaurant, with food sales making up the majority of the sales, and
premises that function as a bar, where alcohol sales are a majority of the business. For the
former, minors may be in the premises without a legal-age adult. For the latter, minors are not
permitted without a legal-age adult accompanying them. The Police Department relies on
1
business records of transactions to make the determination regarding whether minors would
be allowed or not under the ordinance's criteria.
Event organizers have requested suspension of Municipal Code 17.16 to allow for event
attendees to carry their beverages throughout the event space. Typically for events of this
type, since the license holder sells the alcohol and separate vendors sell food and other items,
and since no historical pattern of sales can be evaluated for intermittent events, the alcohol
sales have been treated like a bar--a designated alcohol consumption area has been created
using fencing, and those allowed in must either be 21 years of age or older, or (if the
organizers wish) a minor child accompanied by their legal-age parent or guardian.
Ames Main Street has requested the ability to license the entire event area as the premises
for the event and not be required to fence a separate beer garden area. This would allow
attendees of all ages to move freely throughout the event area. Ames Main Street has entered
into an agreement with Thirsty Pigs, of Madrid, IA, to host alcohol at the event. An alcohol
license has been applied for by Thirsty Pigs and is currently awaiting local authority approval
by the City Council.
The City has had a long history of requiring alcohol consumption for special events to occur in
a designated area without intermingling of legal age adults and minors. The concern from staff
has historically been the challenges observed with minors being able to obtain alcohol in
establishments that advertise or operate like a bar, but where just enough food sales occur to
qualify for minors to be allowed on the premises.
Staff discussed these issues with Ames Main Street and has developed a list of the
specific circumstances for the proposed event that the Council could consider to justify
allowing a suspension of Section 17.16 in this instance. It should be emphasized that
other events in the future, with circumstances outside of these described below, are
not likely to receive staff support to allow minors on the premises. The circumstances
related to this event that may justify the requested suspension of enforcement of
Section 17.16 include:
1. The event includes entertainment and activities that are the focus of the event (alcohol
consumption is incidental to the event).
2. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be offered in a meaningful variety. No distilled
spirits are involved.
3. The event is non-ticketed, intended to be family-friendly, and includes promotional
materials that suggest it as a family event.
4. It is organized by a locally established entity, with a track record of hosting events
successfully and with an interest in continuing to do so.
5. The event will conclude by 8:00 p.m., placing the event entirely during daylight hours.
6. The event area is in a portion of the Downtown that does not contain a significant
number of other alcohol-licensed establishments, minimizing the need to manage the
area between licensed premises to ensure alcohol does not travel from one premises to
another.
Activities will require the closure of 83 metered parking spaces for 8 metered hours,
resulting in a loss of approximately $332 to the Parking Fund. Organizers have
requested that this amount be waived by the City Council. The Council's policy
regarding the closure of metered parking in an area less than an entire business district
2
is to consider the waiver of such fees on a case-by-case basis.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Ames Main Street will send email notifications to Downtown businesses in the event
area. Additionally, Ames Main Street staff will canvas the area to visit with the
businesses in person, explaining the event location and handing out informational
posters.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Approve the requests for 515 Day as described above, including the requested waivers
of fees, and the 5-Day (May 14-18, 2026) Special Class C Retail Alcohol License with
Outdoor Service for Thirsty Pigs (515 Day Ames), 215 5th Street.
2. Approve the requests as indicated above, but require reimbursement for the blanket
Vending License, electricity use, and lost parking meter revenue.
3. Approve the requests as indicated above, but deny waiver of Municipal Code 17.16 for
the event area.
4. Deny the requests.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
515 Day provides an opportunity to attract visitors to Downtown Ames. The events include
family friendly activities and promotions that support local businesses. Given the small dollar
amount and number of parking spaces involved, staff believes it is reasonable to waive
the parking fees for this event, along with the other requested fee waivers.
Ames Main Street is a well-established local entity that has successfully hosted many
events with alcohol components in Downtown . With future event approvals subject to
City staff review, the organization has considerable incentive to ensure a safe, well-run
event. Additionally, City staff maintains documentation of any issues or concerns
observed and refers to it for any future requests from the organization. Staff believes
that the factors listed in the report above, along with the track record in 2025 where the
event occurred with no issues, make a case to support a waiver of enforcement of
Section 17.16 of the Municipal Code. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City
Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1 as described above.
ATTACHMENT(S):
05.15 515 Days LOS.pdf
515 Days Application.pdf
515 Days - Map.pdf
3
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.
January 21, 2026
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 6th annual 515 Day event on Friday, May 15, 2026 in
Downtown Ames.
This year, we have decided to host the event on one day and combine many of the elements
of last year’s event into a single day from 4p-8p.
Specific information about the event can be found on the included Special Event Application.
Additionally, we request the following:
• May 15
o Street Closures : 5th St from Burnett Ave through Douglas Ave, Kellogg Ave
from Main St to 5th St, Douglas St from Main St to 5th St
o Waiver of fees for: electric use in the event boundary, blanket vendor permit in
the event boundary, Temporary Obstruction Permit for the event boundary,
and the parking meter fees on the closed streets
o Suspension of enforcement of ordinance 17.16, minors on certain premises.
We would require minors to be present with an adult.
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 celebrating 515 Day!
Sincerely,
Travis Toliver
Executive Director
Ames Main Street
4
5
515 Day - New Location proposal 2026
Legend
Alcohol boundary
Food truck
parking
Family Zone
Barricade
Information tent
Stage
Por table toilets
Alcohol sales
6