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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - August 2026 Monthly Project HighlightsContact the City Manager's Office at 515-239-5101 515 Clark Avenue, Ames, IA 50010 Report compiled by Allie Warrenburg, Principal Clerk City Manager's Office AUGUST 2026 MONTHLY PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS LIBRARY Summer Wraps Up: Another exciting summer has come to a close at Ames Public Library. The Summer Reading Challenge had almost 3,400 participants who read over 5 MILLION minutes! SUN Meals at Ames Public Library, in partnership with the United States Food and Nutrition Service, was as busy as ever, with over 4,000 lunches served. Local teens provided over 1,700 hours of volunteer power to assist with SUN Meals, special projects, events, and more through the Library's summer APL-Youth Volunteer program. Supporting Local Creators: This fall, the Library will host several events to support local authors and filmmakers. The Octagon Center for the Arts' inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival will be held at the Library Sunday, September 27, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Details are at https://amesdocfilmfest.com. The Library is also gearing up for the annual Author Fair, which will be held Saturday, November 7. Local Iowa authors can apply to participate by October 10 at www.AmesPL.org/AuthorFair. Be sure to check the calendar for upcoming author events with Ryan T. Pozzi and Great Reads from Great Places authors Jill Esbaum and Denise Williams. Welcome Cyclones!: Ames Public Library has begun its annual outreach efforts to connect Iowa State University students with resources. During Cyclone Welcome Weekend, 285 people dropped in to the welcome event and 162 signed up for a library card! Ames Public Library also participates in several welcome events on campus in addition to offering special activities and giveaways at the weekly Bookmobile stop near Kildee Hall. These are great opportunities to invite students to events like Speed Friending (September 13), That's Fun (2nd Monday of each month), International Community Meetup (3rd Tuesday of each month), and many more in addition to raising awareness about the Library's services and resources. What's With the Dots?: Ames Public Library is partnering with several organizations to protect birds in our area with new window treatments. A pattern of dots on the outside of the windows helps birds recognize the windows as a barrier and not something to fly through. The treatment is being added to windows around the Library’s atrium and courtyard, as well as the corner in the Youth Services area. Thank you to CoolVu of Des Moines, Feather Friendly Bird Collision Deterrent Markers, Wild Birds Unlimited of Ames, and Big Bluestem Audubon Society for making this project possible. 2 PARKS AND RECREATION Aquatics: The final session of summer swimming lessons at Fitch Indoor Aquatic Center ended on July 30 with a total of 211 participants. Daley Park Splash Pad Project: Staff resubmitted information to the State of Iowa in early August for the Daley Park Splash Pad in order to be approved for construction. Staff expects to receive approval for construction in the near future. Once approved, the contractor will have until May 15, 2027, to complete the project. Staff is currently in the process of completing the mechanical building, which will house the pumps, controllers, filters, and other necessary mechanical equipment. Duck Derby: The Fourth Annual Scholarship Duck Derby was held at Furman Aquatic Center on August 12, bringing the community together for an exciting fundraiser benefiting the Ames Parks & Recreation’s Scholarship Fund. A record 1,267 ducks raced through the lazy river as spectators cheered them on. The event raised more than $8,000, making it the most successful Duck Derby to date. Prizes included a $500 cash prize sponsored by The Mucky Duck Pub, a kayak from CrawDaddy Outdoors, a mountain bike from Bike World, and more. Funds raised help provide financial assistance to individuals and families so they can participate in Ames Parks & Recreation programs. The event was made possible through strong community participation and support from sponsors, including presenting sponsor The Mucky Duck Pub, as well as CrawDaddy Outdoors, Duck Worth Wearing Ames, Bike World, and First National Bank 247. 3 The Duck Derby continues to grow as a community tradition while raising funds to make recreation more accessible to local families. Homewood Golf Course: As of August 24, 2026, Homewood Golf Course has had 17,839 round of golf played. During the same time frame last year, there were 18,795 rounds played. Homewood opened on March 28 in 2025 and on March 30 in 2026. Below is information related to the HomeWood Clubhouse Rentals: July 1, 2025 – August 24, 2025 July 1, 2026 – August 24, 2026 Paid Event Hours 18 17.75 Revenue from Paid Events $1,890.00 $1,863.75 Non-Paid Event Hours 23 14 Homewood hosted a Youth Day on August 2 where youth played free with a paying customer. A total of 18 youth took advantage of the free golf. Several Golf Leagues ended recently including the Men’s League (Jake Veenstra and Ricardo Castrodad) and the Sixty Forward League (Paul Hinderaker and Rick Ertz). 4 Homewood Golf Course Hole Nine Crossing Project: Con Struct, of Ames, Iowa, will be completing the final portions of the Hole Nine Crossing project in early November. The last items to be done include pouring the concrete path over the crossing and completing final grading and seeding once the course closes. Homewood Golf Course Parking Project: As a result of the Hole Nine Crossing project, the golf course driveway has sustained considerable damage to the asphalt surface. This project will replace the asphalt drive with concrete, increase the number of parking spaces from 55 to 81, and manage stormwater. Staff is working with Public Works to develop plans and specifications which will be distributed for bid in the near future. The goal is to start the project later this year in preparation for the 2027 season. Fall Youth Soccer Prep: The fall Youth Soccer Program has been moved from North River Valley Park (NRV) to Brookside Park to allow staff to conduct needed turf maintenance at NRV. Turf maintenance, including broadleaf weed spraying, core aeration, and overseeding, will be completed to allow the NRV fields to rest in order to provide improved playing conditions for future seasons. Forestry: Multiple storms in July and early August caused downed branches and trees in park spaces and the right of way resulting in cleanup efforts that continued through mid-August. Staff completed 15 tree removals and 25 SeeClickFix requests. Staff also partnered with Public Works to remove downed trees and limbs from several creek locations across Ames. Steven L. Schainker Plaza Project: At the end of the day on August 31, the Steven L. Schainker Plaza, including the spray pad, restrooms, etc., will close for the season to allow Henkel Construction, of Ames, Iowa, to remove and replace the ice-skating ribbon beginning September 1. The ice ribbon is planned to be completed by November 15 so it can open to the public for the winter season. Ice skate rentals will be offered at various times throughout the week; however, individuals can use their own ice skates as well. 5 WATER & POLLUTION CONTROL Capital Improvements Plan Implementation: Numerous Capital Improvement Plan projects for the Department are moving into the construction phase. A Notice to Bidders has been issued to implement a “split treatment modification” to the Water Plant. Bids for a major HVAC renovation of the Technical Services Complex (home to the Water Meter and Laboratory Services Divisions) will be solicited in September. A transition from powdered fluoride to liquid fluoride is also moving forward. Staff has submitted a grant application to Delta Dental that will hopefully defray a significant portion of the cost of that change. A new variable frequency drive is being added to a pump at the Water Plant. A new arc flash evaluation is being performed for the Water Plant and remote pump stations. A preventative maintenance project at the Old High Service Pump Station will address corrosion on pipe fittings as well as recoating portions of the piping. Cyber Security in the News: In August, headlines around the nation told stories of coordinated cyber-attacks on water infrastructure. Staff participated in numerous briefings from state and federal agencies to learn the details of these incidents. All of the recommended countermeasures in those briefings were things that both the Water Plant and Water Pollution Control Facility had already implemented. Water & Pollution Control (W&PC) staff continues to stay coordinated with Story County Emergency Management and has offered technical resources to other water utilities in the county. Focus on Values and Mission: In August, the entire W&PC Department spent time together talking about the City’s Excellence Through People Values and how those values look and sound in the context of the departmental mission. There was also time set aside to talk specifically about the “trust agreement” City staff has with its customers, “excellence,” “positive attitude,” “leadership,” and “honesty and integrity.” Part of the excellence conversation included a competition where teams raced to build the tallest free-standing water tower capable of holding eight ounces of water for at least 30 seconds, using random supplies like straws, paper clips, bandages, and push pins. The height of the winning water tower was 34.75”. 6 NPDES Permit Renewal Application Submitted: Discharge permits for wastewater facilities cannot be for longer than five years under federal law. The current permit for the Water Pollution Control Facility was issued on February 28, 2022, and will expire early next year. Staff has completed a permit renewal application and submitted it to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for approval. Nutrient Reduction Modification Progress: Work on phase 1 of the nutrient modifications at the Water Pollution Control Facility slowed slightly during July and August due to the frequent heavy rains. Despite that, the contractor’s work remains well ahead of the contract deadlines. Start-up of the new activated sludge process is anticipated by the end of the calendar year. In the past month, work has required multiple complete shutdowns of the plant. This requires water to be backed up in the 66” diameter interceptor sewer. It is a nerve-wracking experience for the plant staff, especially on those days when the entire electrical system is powered down to allow new switchgear to be installed.