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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - September 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 SEPTEMBER 2026 MONTHLY PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS LIBRARY Great Reads from Great Places: Jill Esbaum, author of Iowa’s 2026 Great Reads from Great Places selection for children, visited Ames for a special event on a rainy Saturday in September. Despite the drizzle, families enjoyed trucks, tractors, and a petting zoo in front of the Library, and more fun activities inside! Jill Esbaum talked about her book, “It’s Corn Picking Time,” and signed copies. Free copies were provided to 50 participants thanks to a generous donation from Chevron. Next month, we will hear from Denise Williams, author of Iowa’s 2026 Great Reads from Great Places selection for adults. Mark your calendar for an evening with Denise Williams Tuesday, October 13, at 6:30 p.m. Opioid Overdose Education: On Saturday, October 17, Community and Family Resources will present Opioid Overdose Education & Narcan Training at the Library from 9:30-11 a.m. Participants can learn signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose, the science behind Narcan, and how to administer Narcan. A free box of Narcan will be available for each participant. (Register in advance to guarantee receiving yours at the event.) 2 Voting Assistance: Ames Public Library celebrated National Voter Registration Day by hosting the non-partisan League of Women Voters of Ames and Story County. League members helped library visitors check their voter registration status and complete the registration process. The Library will host satellite voting Saturdays, October 24 and 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information, including important dates and deadlines for absentee voting, are available at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/learn-explore/civics-center/voting. 3 ELECTRIC Prime Time Power Program: Since 2007, Electric Services, through cooperation with many of its customers, has participated in the Prime Time Power Program. Under this program, customers volunteered to allow the utility to control air conditioners during peak days in order to reduce electric system demand. Under this program, customers received a $5/month credit on their bills during the four summer months. This summer, the control system for this equipment suffered a major failure. Staff is currently investigating the cost to replace the nearly 20-year-old system. Even without a working Prime Time Power system, the utility will continue to give customers the remaining $5/month bill credit for the remainder of the summer season. For the FY 2027/28 summer season and beyond, the monthly credits will be discontinued until a replacement system is selected and becomes operational. 4 PARKS AND RECREATION Aquatics: Furman Aquatic Center closed for the season on September 7, wrapping up a fantastic summer. Below are several highlights for the 2026 summer season: • There were 108 swimming days • Open swim was partially impacted on nine days and on five days open swim was moved to Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center because of weather • Attendance for 2026 was 93,093, which is the highest over the last four years Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center opened for in-school hours on September 8, and there has been a steady flow of visitors enjoying lap swimming, water walking, open swim, and Aqua Fitness classes. Fall swimming lessons began September 15 with 85 swimmers enrolled in the session. It is exciting to see so many swimmers continuing to build their skills and confidence in the water. Lifeguards recently completed their first fall in-service training at Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center. The training keeps their skills sharp, knowledge strong, and teamwork even stronger. Lifeguards train hard and are dedicated to ensuring they are prep ared to respond confidently and effectively in any situation, just as they did throughout the summer at Furman Aquatic Center. Bandshell Remodeling: As part of the remodeling and renovation of the changing rooms inside the bandshell at Bandshell Park, local contractor Iowa Home Crafters constructed custom cabinets to provide storage for speakers and other equipment. Adding a unique connection to the City’s parks history, the cabinets were crafted from wood milled from an ash tree removed from North River Valley Park because of emerald ash borer. The tree was harvested on February 12, 2020. More than six years later, in May 2026, the lumber was transformed into new cabinets, giving the tree a renewed purpose in another Ames park. 5 Daley Park Splash Pad: Staff received approval from the State of Iowa to proceed with the construction of the Daley Park Splash Pad, 340 Wilder Boulevard. Recently, staff met with the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) to discuss the project. Staff discussed concerns with some of the requirement’s DIAL was requesting because the City proceeded with the project based on information that was provided by the State in January 2025. Staff at DIAL has changed since 2025 and the current staff did not know the history of communication with the City. Staff is meeting with the contractor to determine a construction timeline in order for the project to be completed for the 2027 season. Furman Aquatic Center: Furman Aquatic Center closed for the season on September 7. Staff has drained all three basins and is in the process of completing winterization procedures. Homewood Golf Course: As of September 22, 2026, Homewood Golf Course has had 20,515 rounds of golf played. During the same time frame last year, there were 22,872 rounds played. Homewood opened on March 28 in 2025 and on March 30 in 2026. Weather conditions have significantly affected Homewood’s rounds this year. 6 Below is information related to the Homewood Clubhouse rentals: July 1, 2025 – September 22, 2025 July 1, 2026 – September 22, 2026 Paid Event Hours 27 23.25 Revenue from Paid Events $2,835 $2,441 Non-Paid Event Hours 32.50 21.75 Playground Safety Inspections: Staff has been completing annual playground inspections since late August on the 40+ playground (structures and swings) locations that are in the parks. The process includes evaluating every slide, deck, post, swing, and associated hardware to ensure safety for the users. If deficiencies are identified, they are fixed on the spot or parts are ordered. Steven L. Schainker Plaza: Steven L. Schainker Plaza closed for the 2026 season on August 31, in order for Henkel Construction to remove and replace the ice-skating ribbon. Henkel started removing the concrete on September 1. Persistent rain in September has delayed the planned concrete pour date from October 19 to early November. Once poured, the concrete requires at least 28 days to cure. Construction crews have worked weekends when possible, to avoid any additional delays. 7 WATER & POLLUTION CONTROL Grant Funding for Water Plant Equipment Upgrades: Staff is happy to share that the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to the Water Plant to defray the cost of some fluoride equipment replacement. The equipment will allow the use of fluoride in liquid form instead of as a powder, making it easier to maintain consistent fluoride feed rates and reduce the frequency of operator attention and repair. The grant essentially covers 100% of the equipment costs for the change. New Lime Slaker Project is Ready to Proceed: At the first Council meeting in October, staff will present a professional services agreement for the design of a third lime slaker at the Water Plant. The Water Plant uses a lime softening treatment process to reduce the hardness of the groundwater source. The slakers convert the pebble lime delivered to the plant into a liquid slurry that can be pumped into the treatment basins. The third slaker was part of the original plant design but was deferred to help lower the initial cost of the plant construction. The slaker will sit between the two lime storage silos, increasing the redundancy of the lime feed system. New Wellfield Project Closeout: Staff is preparing to close out the North River Valley Wellfield project. Design work for this project began back in 2013. There were many delays and hiccups along the way, including: having to rebid the project three times; major changes by the State Historic Preservation Office requirements after work had begun; and having one of the three well sites turn out to be an unproductive formation. In the end, the two wells that were constructed have a substantially hi gher yield than expected, and the City also received nearly $1 million in loan forgiveness from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. WPC Nutrient Reduction Modifications: Major concrete work continues on the new aeration basins. The west basin is essentially complete and has passed a leak test. The “H piers” in the first photo below have been pulled and backfill process around the completed portions has begun. The heavy rain over the past several weeks has slowed progress as mud and silt repeatedly wash down into excavation and the work area needs to be repeatedly dewatered. 8 There have been numerous plant shutdowns to allow the new electrical switchgear to be installed. These outages require the untreated wastewater to back up in the 4.1-mile-long interceptor sewer. The timing must be carefully scheduled around the weather to ensure that flow can be returned to the plant before there is an overflow from an upstream manhole. This has slowed progress on the project. The contractor is currently projecting start-up in mid-November, several months ahead of the April 1, 2027, substantial completion date in the contract.