HomeMy WebLinkAboutA016 - Resolution approving enhanced penalties for nuisance party violations for Cyclone Welcome Weekend beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 21 and ending at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 23, 2026ITEM #:21
DATE:04-14-26
DEPT:POLICE
SUBJECT:ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR NUISANCE PARTY VIOLATIONS AUGUST
21-23, 2026
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
On July 29, 2022, the City Council approved an ordinance to allow for enhanced
penalties for nuisance parties when authorized by City Council. The resolution that
authorizes the enhanced penalties must designate specific dates and times subject to the
enhanced penalties.
This request is to approve a resolution authorizing the use of enhanced penalties for
nuisance parties beginning at 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 21, 2026, and ending at 4:00
a.m. Sunday, August 23, 2026. These dates correspond with the weekend before Iowa
State University classes begin.
In the past several years, the Saturday before classes begin has been associated with an
increase in alcohol consumption, illegal parking, nuisance parties, and other high-risk
activities.
This phenomenon began many years ago when alcohol was prohibited in fraternities and
sororities during the week leading up to the start of classes. The prohibition ended at 8:00
A.M. on the Saturday before classes began. At 8:01 A.M. (801-day) some students chose to
begin drinking.
In the late 2010s, these behaviors on the Saturday before classes began to grow beyond a
small segment of the ISU population. The date has increasingly become a destination for
people from outside Ames and is no longer limited to ISU students. Complaints from residents
in the area have also grown.
In 2021, City leadership, ISU leadership, and both the Ames and ISU Police Departments
began to discuss ways to refocus the event in a way to reduce harm, reduce noise complaints,
reduce parking complaints, etc. The unofficial event of 801-day is being transitioned to an
official ISU event, Cyclone Welcome Weekend. The University has created several activities
to take the focus off alcohol use and overuse and steer activities towards community events
and safer alternatives.
An additional strategy resulting from these discussions was a focus on nuisance party
enforcement. The Police Department has seen an increase in party sizes on this day,
estimating some parties of 400-500 people at private residences. Many of these parties
include underage drinking, fights, noise above what is allowed by the noise ordinance, public
intoxication, spilling onto neighboring property, public urination, and other inappropriate
activities. These behaviors are grounds for citation under the City’s nuisance party ordinance,
which may be cited as either a municipal infraction or a simple misdemeanor.
1
Currently, the fine for a first violation of the ordinance is $100, and $200 for second and
subsequent violations. It is believed this fine structure is an insufficient deterrent to nuisance
parties on the Saturday before classes. The new ordinance, passed on July 29, 2022,
allows for enhanced penalties for nuisance party violations of $650 for a first offense
and $855 for each repeat offense on dates and times approved by resolution by City
Council.
The enhanced fine structure for nuisance party violations has been utilized for Cyclone
Welcome Weekend in previous years and staff noticed some reduction in large parties.
Three citations were written in 2022, five in 2023, seven in 2024 and eight in 2025 for the
enhanced penalty Nuisance Party Violation. Staff saw an increase in cooperation with
landlords and property management staff, which helped in ending some larger parties.
Staff believes the strategies utilized over the past several years have begun to help reduce the
size and scale of the event as well as discouraging people from coming from out of town. Total
calls for service were up along with citations in 2025 but much of this is likely due to the Iowa
State Football game broadcast on that Saturday from Dublin, Ireland.
Cyclone Welcome Weekend is several months away which provides ample time to notify the
community of the enhanced penalties for nuisance party violations. Staff will take the following
steps to notify the public about the new ordinance:
The Police Department will target messaging in the University Impacted Area in August
to extent staffing levels allow with an emphasis on problem houses from past years.
An email outlining the changes to the ordinance will be sent to property managers and
owners, with a request to forward the message to tenants. A similar email will be sent to
neighborhood associations.
Both the City and University will publicize the changes in press releases and social
media accounts.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Authorize the enhanced penalties for nuisance party violations ($650 for a first offense
and $855 for each repeat offense) beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Friday August 21 and
ending at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 23, 2026.
2. Authorize the enhanced penalties for nuisance party violations as described in
Alternative 1, but modify the times and/or dates.
3. Do not authorize enhanced penalties for nuisance party violations.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The increase of risky behaviors surrounding large parties during what has become
known as 801-day has been troubling. These large parties are disruptive to
neighborhoods and have been increasing for several years. The City and University
have worked very hard over the past few years to create an event to welcome students
2
to Ames (Cyclone Welcome Weekend) and to turn the unofficial event into a planned
event with better alternatives to consumption of alcohol and risky behaviors.
Increasing the fines for nuisance parties at designated times provides another tool for
City staff in deterring the disruptive behaviors that have become associated with this
weekend. In addition, this strategy was utilized for Cyclone Welcome Weekend the last
several years and staff noticed some reduction in large parties as well as fewer people
coming in from out of town. Three citations were written in 2022, five in 2023, seven in
2024 and eight in 2025 for the enhanced penalty Nuisance Party Violation. Therefore, it is
the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, as
noted above.
3