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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE AMES AREA

METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE AND

REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

AMES, IOWA

MARCH 24, 2020

AMES AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (AAMPO)

TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING

Ames Mayor John Haila announced that it was impractical to hold an in-person AAMPO Council
meeting due to the Governor of Iowa declaring a public health emergency because of the COVID-19
pandemic. Therefore, limits have been placed on public gatherings, and this meeting is being held
as an electronic meeting as allowed by Section 21.8 of the

Iowa Code.

He also stated that if anyone

wished to provide input on any item, they should call 515-239-5214 or email

citycouncilmeetinginput@cityofames.org.

Mayor Haila advised that people could view the meeting

CALL TO ORDER:

The Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Ordinance (AAMPO) Transportation

Policy Committee meeting, which was being held telephonically, was called to order by Ames
Mayor and voting member John Haila at 6:00 p.m. on the 24th day of March, 2020, in the City
Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law. Other voting members brought
into the meeting were: Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, City of Ames; Gloria Betcher, City of Ames;
Amber Corrieri, City of Ames; Tim Gartin, City of Ames; Rachel Junck, City of Ames; David
Martin, City of Ames; Juan Bibiloni, Transit; Bill Zinnel, Boone County Supervisor; and Jon Popp,
Mayor of Gilbert. Lauris Olson, Story County Supervisor, was absent.

District Planner for IDOT Andy Loonan joined the meeting telephonically. Ames Public Works
Director John Joiner attended in person.

Mayor Haila asked Public Works Director John Joiner if he had anything to add or explain for items
1 through 5. Mr. Joiner indicated that he did not in that all five AAMPO items were standard
business-type items. He also commented that the Transit Board and AAMPO Technical Committee
had unanimously approved all five items. There were no comments made by the AAMPO Policy
Committee. Mayor Haila stated that he would, therefore, entertain one motion approving Items 1 -
5.

ANNUAL SELF-CERTIFICATION FOR FY 2021:

Moved by Bibiloni, seconded by Betcher,

to approve the Annual Self-Certification for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021.
Vote on Motion: 10-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

TRANSIT ASSET MANAGEMENT TARGETS:

Moved by Bibiloni, seconded by Betcher,

to approve the Transit Asset Management Targets.
Vote on Motion: 10-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

SET HEARING DATE REGARDING AMENDMENTS TO 2020-2023 TRANSPORTATION
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM:

Moved by Bibiloni, seconded by Betcher, to set May 26, 2020,

as the date of public hearing regarding the Amendments to the 2020-23 Transportation Improvement
Program.
Vote on Motion: 10-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

DRAFT FY 2021 TRANSPORTATION PLANNING WORK PROGRAM:

Moved by Bibiloni,

seconded by Betcher, to approve the Draft FY 2021 Transportation Planning Work Program and set
May 26, 2020, as date of public hearing.
Vote on Motion: 10-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

DESIGNATION OF AAMPO REPRESENTATIVES TO CENTRAL IOWA REGIONAL
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ALLIANCE FOR AMES AREA METROPOLITAN
PLANNING ORGANIZATION:

Moved by Bibiloni, seconded by Betcher, to adopt

RESOLUTION NO. 20-131 designating the following persons to serve as the representatives to the
Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance for the Ames Area Metropolitan Planning
Organization:

1. TPC Representative:

Kyle Thompson, Transportation Planner

2. TPC Alternate Representative:

Damion Pregitzer, Traffic Engineer

3. TTC Representative:

Kyle Thompson, Transportation Planner

4. TTC Alternate Representative:

Damion Pregitzer, Traffic Engineer

Vote on Motion: 10-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

POLICY COMMITTEE COMMENTS:

None of the members of the AAMPO Policy Committee

offered any comments.

ADJOURNMENT:

Moved by Bibiloni, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to adjourn the AAMPO

Transportation Policy Committee meeting at 6:03 p.m.
Vote on Motion: 10-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

Ames Mayor John Haila announced that it is impractical to hold an in-person Council meeting due
to the Governor of Iowa declaring a public health emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Therefore, limits have been placed on public gatherings, and this meeting is being held as an
electronic meeting as allowed by Section 21.8 of the

Iowa Code

. He also stated that if anyone

wished to provide input on any item, they should call 515-239-5214 or email

citycouncilmeetinginput@cityofames.org.

Mayor Haila advised that people could view the meeting

i n t h e f o l l o w i n g w a y s : h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / a m e s c h a n n e l 1 2 ,
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12, or on Mediacom Channel 12. It was noted that the Agenda
had been amended to reflect that information and to add an item to the City Council portion of the
meeting. The additional item was in regards to temporary revisions to the Employee Leave Policy.

CALL TO ORDER:

The Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council, which was being held

telephonically, was called to order by Mayor Haila at 6:04 p.m. on March 24, 2020, in the City
Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue. Council Members joining the meeting were
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, Rachel Junck, and David
Martin and

Ex officio

Member Devyn Leeson.

CONSENT AGENDA:

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to approve the following

items on the Consent Agenda:
1. Motion approving payment of claims
2. Motion approving Minutes of Special Meeting held March 4, 2020, Regular Meeting held March

10, 2020

3. Motion approving Report of Change Orders March 1 - 15, 2020
4.

Motion approving renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits, and Liquor Licenses:
a. Special Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Mongolian Buffet, 1620 S Kellogg Ave

#103 - pending dram shop

b. Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Dangerous Curves, 111 5th St.
c. Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Cinemark Movies 12, 1317 Buckeye Avenue -

pending dram shop

d. Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - Cornbred BBQ, 526 Main

Street Ste 106

e. Class B Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Radisson Ames, 2609 University Blvd

RESOLUTION NO. 20-132 approving ASSET Joint Funders Shared Priorities

6. RESOLUTION NO. 20-133 approving temporary street closure between South 3

and South 4th Streets for two calendar days (March 25 and 26, dependent on weather conditions) to facilitate the new water and sewer service installations at 308 S. Walnut Avenue

7. RESOLUTION NO. 20-134 approving Annual Certified Local Government (CLG) Report
8. RESOLUTION NO. 20-135 approving 2020 Comprehensive Plan Update for the Central Iowa

Waste Management Association

9. RESOLUTION NO. 20-136 approving contract with Center for Transportation and the

Environment of Atlanta, Georgia, for CyRide Battery Electric Bus Consulting Services in an
amount not to exceed $145,000

10. RESOLUTION NO. 20-137 approving Professional Services Agreement with WHKS & Co.,

for construction observation services for ISU Research Park Phase IV Project in an amount not
to exceed $253,800

11. RESOLUTION NO. 20-138 changing bid due date for Power Plant Maintenance Services

Contract from April 15, 2020 to May 13, 2020, and the date of hearing from April 28, 2020 to
May 26, 2020

12. RESOLUTION NO. 20-139 changing bid due date for Steam Turbine No. 8 Parts Procurement

from March 25, 2020 to April 29, 2020, and the date of hearing from April 14, 2020 to May 13,
2020

13. RESOLUTION NO. 20-140 approving contract and bond for Iowa State Research Park Phase

IV Road and Utility Improvement Project

14. RESOLUTION NO. 20-141 approving contract and bond for CyRide 2020 HVAC

Improvements Project

15. RESOLUTION NO. 20-142 approving Final Plat for Scenic Valley Subdivision, 5th Addition

Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolutions/Motions declared adopted/approved unanimously, signed by the
Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes.

PUBLIC FORUM:

Mayor Haila opened Public Forum, asking if anyone had called in or emailed

statements that they would like to have read. City Manager Steve Schainker stated that an email
had been received from Jan Flora

No Address Given, which stated, âDear Council: I think it is

important to continue to have City Council meetings. The need for general quarantine may last three
or four months or longer if we do not get the needed leadership at the national level. Therefore, I
think the Council should meet electronically at regular times. I would not suppress the citizen
comment period. Perhaps the Commissions could meet more on an as-needed basis. If there is an
important issue, it should be addressed. I plan to tune in to Channel 12 tonight when I am free at 7
p.m. Please take care of yourselves. A doctor from the University of Pennsylvania said in an OpEd
New York Times today the decisions implemented in the next couple weeks are critical in terms of
whether we have say 100,000 deaths in the United States or over 2,000,000. Sobering indeed. We
very much appreciate your work on behalf of the citizens of Ames.â

No other comments were received telephonically or via email, and Public Forum was closed.

HEARING ON MAJOR SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (MSDP) FOR 901 N. 4

STREET

(METRONET):

Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann explained that MetroNet is

requesting approval of a Major Site Development Plan to establish a Basic Utility use and construct a communications tower at 901 N. 4th Street.

Mr. Diekmann indicated that he would have three exhibits throughout his presentation of this item.
The first exhibit shown was a zoning map indicating the location of 901 N. 4th Street, which is a
commercially zoned property that abuts the railroad just south of the Wheatsfield property on the
north side. The second exhibit shown was the site plan. Director Diekmann highlighted that the
applicant is proposing to meet

Code

with paved access to the site. The applicant is planning for two

possible shelters or huts; the first stage would be to construct one and then have the ability to
construct a second one in the future, as needed.

It was further explained by Mr. Diekmann that the proposed facility will include an approximately
70-foot-tall communication tower that would be located in the center of the site. He noted that that
particular feature must also go to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for approval of the wireless
communications tower; if the City Council approves this request tonight, it will be before the Zoning
Board of Adjustment tomorrow.

According to Director Diekmann, the applicant has chosen to install a seven-foot closed slat wood
security fence around the entire yard area. The proposed fence is located inside the minimum
required building setbacks to allow a height greater than six feet. The applicant is required to meet
the landscaping standards for commercial development. There will be front-yard landscaping, which
is required for commercial areas. There will be grass outside of the fence, but within the fence, it

will be covered with crushed rock. The third exhibit shown was the proposed landscaping plan.

Mr. Diekmann noted staff had determined that the project would meet the criteria for approval as
a Major Site Development Plan, and staff is recommending its approval. It is compatible with the
commercial zone due to the mix of other types of light-industrial and warehouse uses that are around
it. The property in question also neighbors the railroad to the north. Director Diekmann commented
that the applicant was not present at this meeting; however, if the Council has questions, he could
contact the applicant.

According to Director Diekmann, no public comments were made at the Planning and Zoning
Commission meeting held March 18, 2020; the Commission had voted 4-0 to recommend that the
City Council approve the MSDP. In addition, staff has not received any comments regarding the
application. Mayor Haila stated that he thought there would be one person who would want to
comment when the hearing was open.

City Manager Steve Schainker announced that if there was anyone wishing to comment regarding
this project while the hearing was open, they could call in on 239-5214 or they could email at

citycouncilmeetinginput@cityofames.org.

Mayor Haila opened the public hearing.

The Mayor noted that it had been anticipated that Kori Heuss would want to comment. Mr. Diekmann noted that the City Council had previously received an email from Ms. Heuss requesting to modify a Remote Parking Easement over the subject property at 901 N. 4th Street. He had

responded to the Mayor and City Council members in a memo, stating that the Easement in question was approved by the City in 1992; however, no formal delineated parking spaces were ever constructed to directly implement the Easement. It is staffâs belief that the Easement will not inhibit the approval and/or construction of the facility at 901 N. 4th Street, but MetroNet would like to

remove the potential obligation to provide for remote parking to be assigned to 901 N. 4th Street.

According to Director Diekmann, Ms. Heuss had also requested that it be removed. Staff believes that the Remote Parking Easement could be modified to remove the 901 N. 4th Street property from

the Easement with no negative impacts on the Heuss Printing use; however, staff will need to review
the previously approved plans and history in greater detail before making a final recommendation.
Also, in his memo, Mr. Diekmann had suggested that a request to amend the Easement be placed
on the April 14, 2020, City Council Agenda. Assistant City Manager Deb Schildroth advised that
Ms. Heuss had called in stating her support for the proposal. Director Diekmann reiterated that a
comment had had been received from Kori Heuss indicated her support for the project, including
the Tower; and requesting that the project be allowed to move forward and have the Easement
removed.

No additional comments were emailed or phonedâin, and Mayor Haila declared the public hearing
closed.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-143 approving the Major
Site Development Plan for 901 N. 4th Street (MetroNet).
Roll Call Vote: 5-0-1. Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Junck, Martin. Voting nay:
None. Abstaining due to conflict of interest: Gartin. Resolution declared adopted, signed by the
Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes.

HEARING ON REZONING 207 S. TELLER AVENUE:

Director Diekmann explained the

request. He stated that this was a staff-initiated rezoning request.

The public hearing was opened by Mayor Haila. He asked if any comments had been received
telephonically or via email. City Manager Schainker replied that no comments or emails had been
received. The Mayor closed the hearing.

It was noted by Council Member Martin, and confirmed by Mayor Haila, that the public could send
in their comments by email for any remaining items on the Agenda now and they will be read in
when the specific item is discussed.

Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Corrieri, to pass on first reading an ordinance rezoning of
207 S. Teller Avenue from Agricultural âAâ to Government/Airport District âS-GA.â
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

HEARING ON UNIVERSITY APARTMENTS - ELECTRIC SERVICE REPLACEMENT:

Mayor Haila opened the public hearing. No comments were received telephonically or via email,
and the Mayor closed the Public Hearing.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-144 approving final plans
and specifications and awarding a contract to Jaspering Electric, Inc., of Ames, Iowa, in the amount
of $245,000.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.

HEARING ON BOILER TUBE SPRAY COATING & RELATED SERVICES & SUPPLY
CONTRACT:

The public hearing was opened by the Mayor and closed after no one emailed or

called in to comment.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Gartin, to accept the report of bids and delay award.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

HEARING ON UNIT 8 - PRECIPITATOR ROOF REPLACEMENT:

Mayor Haila opened the

public hearing. He closed same after there were no comments received telephonically or via email.

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Betcher, to accept the report of no bids and delay rebidding.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

HEARING ON EAST HIGHWAY 30 FORCE MAIN IMPROVEMENTS:

The public hearing

was opened by the Mayor. No one had called in to comment and no emails had been received
regarding this project, so the Mayor closed the hearing.

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-146 approving final plans
and specifications and awarding a contract to Synergy Contracting, LLC, of Bondurant, Iowa, in the
amount of $234,655.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.

HEARING ON 2019/20 ASPHALT STREET PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS (14th AND 15

The public hearing was opened by Mayor Haila. City Manager Schainker advised that

an email had been received from Merlin Pfannkuch, 1424 Kellogg Avenue, Ames. The email read,
âCan the sidewalks be dropped from the project at this point? Why or why not? This has been
handled by the City terribly poorly, and why should the neighborhood have the threat of sidewalks
hanging over their heads for a month to six weeks? With COVID-19, no one knows at this point
what construction will be able to be done anyway this summer. At this point, I donât want workers
ten feet from my house. P.S., How many are in Council Chambers? I can count six...take care of
yourselves and all of us.â

Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to continue the hearing until May 12, 2020.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to accept the report of bids and delay award.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

HEARING ON 2019/20 COLLECTOR STREET PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS
(BLOOMINGTON ROAD - GRAND AVENUE):

The public hearing was opened by Mayor

Haila. No emails or telephonic comments were received, and the Mayor closed the hearing.

Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-147 approving
final plans and specifications and awarding a contract to Manattâs Inc., of Ames, Iowa, in the
amount of $399,820.95.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.

HEARING ON CAMPUSTOWN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS (WELCH AVENUE):

Public

Works Director John Joiner noted that staff was recommending that the City Council adopt Alternate
2 along with the base bid. Alternate 2 would add in three tree trenches in lieu of three standard tree
grates. A tree trench is a storm water feature. Mr. Joiner showed a picture of what a tree trench
looks like, explained its components, and how it works to the benefit of the storm water system and
the plantings. He commented that a self-sustaining water system for the trees would be created by
using this design.

Council Member Beatty-Hansen asked if this would affect what could be used on the street, e.g., salt
or what would normally be used on the street, versus what the plants could handle. Director Joiner
replied that the plantings will be selected for their hardiness in this type of environment.

Council Member Betcher asked if this would help to reduce the ponding that now occurs at the base
of Welch Avenue during rain storms or whether that would be addressed with reconstruction of the
street. Mr. Joiner answered that it would be both; the tree trenches will allow for a great deal of
storage and also the redesign at the north end will help with the ponding situation.

Council Member Gartin asked, if this technique were successful, whether it could be used in other
parts of town. Director Joiner said they will be looking at this project as a pilot to see if the
technique would be beneficial on other projects.

Council Member Martin inquired if the tree trenches were included when the bid was first discussed
on February 25. In reply, Mr Joiner said that they were; however, the base bid replaced tree trenches
with tree grates, but Alternate 2 adds three tree trenches back in. Another question asked by Mr.
Martin was whether there were any planter boxes above the street level being planned. Director
Joiner replied that the term âplanter boxesâ is a bit misleading; it is at-grade tree grates. As a point
of clarification, Mr. Joiner confirmed that some grates and some tree trenches will be used.

Mayor Haila asked how the design is going to help protect against the erosion that has been
occurring. Director Joiner answered that that is the idea around the concrete curb edging that
surrounds the at-grade tree grates. A cross section of the tree trench was shown. The Mayor also
asked how deep the trench would be and whether someone could possibly fall into it. Mr. Joiner
stated that there would be no grate, and it will be filled with soil and plantings. No liability risks
have been noted by the consultant; however, if some are noted, the design will be reviewed by the
Cityâs Risk Manager. Staff would also look at what could be done to enhance safety.

Council Member Betcher said she could not really tell where the six-inch curb is in relation to the
street, but wondered if it could cause a tripping hazard. Director Joiner said that a six-inch curb is
not viewed as a tripping hazard as it is vertically enough to provide delineation. There is also a strip
between the tree trench boxes and the back of the curb that is approximately two feet wide, so they
wonât back up against the street curb.

Mayor Haila asked if the Campustown Action Association (CAA) had reviewed this, and if so, was
it supportive. Mr. Joiner stated that the CAA had reviewed the plans, but he was unsure if there had
been any conversation about the particular design feature.

Mayor Haila opened the public hearing. He closed the hearing after he was told no input had been
received via emails and no one had called in.

Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-148 authorizing
the transfer of $600,000 from the FY 2019/20 Concrete Pavement Improvement Program to the
Campustown Public Improvements Program.

Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.

Moved by Gartin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-149 approving final
plans and specifications and awarding a contract to Con-Struct, Inc., of Ames, Iowa, in the amount
of $2,081,067 for the base bid and $69,000 for Alternate 2.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.

HEARING ON PROPOSED ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT RELATING TO HIGH-
SCREEN LANDSCAPING CONTAINED IN SECTION 29.403(3)(F) OF THE MUNICIPAL
CODE :

The public hearing was opened by the Mayor. No one emailed or called in with any

comments, and the hearing was closed.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to pass on first reading an ordinance relating to
high-screen landscaping contained in Section 29.403(3)F) of the

Municipal Code

Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

ORDINANCE TO CHANGE STREET NAME AND SPEED LIMITS FOR UNIVERSITY
BOULEVARD IN THE BURGASON ANNEXATION AREA:

Mayor Haila asked if there had

been any input received telephonically or electronically on this item. None had been received.

Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Betcher, to pass on first reading an ordinance changing the
street name and speed limits for University Boulevard in the Burgason Annexation Area.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

ORDINANCE INCREASING WATER RATES AND SEWER RATES TO BE EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2020:

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Betcher, to pass on second reading an ordinance

increasing water rates by 2% and sewer rates by 5%, to be effective July 1, 2020.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

BOARD/COMMISSION MEETINGS UNDER THE COVID-19 EMERGENCY:

City Manager

Schainker said that, in these unusual times, the City Council needs to decide how to conduct future
City Council and Board/Commission meetings. He noted that staff had outlined some issues in the
Staff Report. Some may want to keep business moving and would want to continue Planning &
Zoning and Zoning Board of Adjustment meetings, but temporarily postpone others. Staff jerry-
rigged this City Council meeting to meet

Code

, but will be exploring the âZoomâ product and try

to perfect the process a little better for the Councilâs April 14th meeting. Mr. Schainker asked for

direction from the Mayor and City Council members in regards to future Council meetings. Even
if the Council members do want staff to try the âZoomâ technique, he also questioned whether they
wanted staff to try to postpone any issues that might draw a large crowd of interested people or be
controversial; although he is not sure how effective it will be to get the input over the Internet. Some
people wonât be able to use the Internet, and staff will try to develop something that allows for call-
in too. Mr. Schainker said that staff could try to defer or postpone as many of the larger issues, as

possible, or they could try to deal with all of them. Some would be workshops, specifically noting
that a big issue is the Ames Plan 2040. He asked if the Council wanted to try to deal with that
particular item with City staff, the consultants, and the public coming in remotely, or if they wanted
staff to hold off on those as much as possible. City Manager Schainker pointed out that this situation
might correct itself by May, but it might not. Any direction that the Council would give staff would
be helpful. Public hearings, of course, would still require an opportunity for public input.
Specifically, he asked if the Council wanted to continue Public Forum and public input even when
it was not a public hearing. It was noted that City Attorney Mark Lambert had provided an analysis
as to what is required and what is not required. It was pointed out that Mr. Lambert was attending
this meeting in person if the Mayor or City Council had any questions.

Mayor Haila said that the Council would be dealing with one issue at a time. Starting first with
Board/Commission meetings, he asked if the Council wanted to cancel any, all, or none of the future
meetings; and if so, which ones. Council Member Betcher asked if there were any concerns whether
any of the Board/Commission members would be able to join a meeting telephonically or via a
âZoomâ meeting or some other electronic means. She said that she did not believe that
Board/Commission meetings should be canceled, but if there are members who have accessibility
issues, that may mean that needs to be revisited or some other means for them to connect would need
to be supplied. City Manager Schainker answered that City staff had not received that kind of
feedback; however, have heard that the members are concerned about physically coming in to City
Hall, so it is believed that they would rather have the meeting electronically. Ms. Betcher
commented that it might be good to survey the Board/Commission members, asking them about their
phone accessibility or their electronic meeting accessibility. Mr. Schainker said that staff could do
that and possibly check with the Board Chairs to see if they wanted to provide a recommendation
to the Council as to whether the meetings should be continued.

Council Member Martin added that a lot of Ms. Betcherâs concerns could be resolved by delegating
that question to the Chair of each Board/Commission. The Chairperson can consult with their
members and decide whether to cancel their meetings if there were difficult circumstances.
However, if it is a Board/Commission like the Zoning Board of Adjustment or Planning & Zoning
Commission that cancellation of their meetings would interfere with sensitive schedules, the Council
might want to have some sort of heightened scrutiny on those cancellations. Council Member
Betcher commented that she agreed with that suggestion. Mr. Martin added that a video
conferencing class could perhaps be offered to those groups.

City Manager Schainker said staff had recommended that in-person meetings not be available, so
whatever the Council members decide to do with their meetings, the same technique would be made
available to the other Boards/Commissions if it is decided to continue to have those meetings.

Mayor Haila advised they would proceed on the basis that all Council members agree that
Board/Commission meetings should continue, as discussed.

Moving on to City Council meetings, the Mayor asked if all Council members agreed that Council
meetings would continue on their regular schedule except for workshops. Council Member Beatty-

Hansen asked why workshops could not continue, specifying just the learning types of them, as
electronic meetings. City Manager Schainker gave an example of an important workshop coming
up with the arts community. He said that it certainly could be done remotely; however, he is not sure
that there is a timeliness factor; if not, it could be slid a month or two. To him, a quality presentation
would be better if it was face-to-face. Ms. Beatty-Hansen said that she did not necessarily mean that
one or all of them, but she felt that there would be some where no one other than the Council
members would probably show up anyway, e.g., those where the City Council would just be learning
about a topic that they wanted to learn about for a while. Council Member Betcher stated that she
agreed with Ms. Beatty-Hansen; she did not see a good reason to cancel all of the workshops. She
noted that the Ames Plan 2040 workshops have not been heavily attended in the past, and more
people might actually tune in and be more enthusiastic if they could sit at home and watch. Ms.
Betcher said that she would be in favor of continuing the workshops that would not necessarily
benefit from face-to-face discussion.

Mayor Haila pointed out that the workshop on March 31 had already been postponed. He added that
some consultantsâ companies might not want them to travel and only attend remotely. It was noted
that the workshop on April 21 had also been postponed. City Manager Schainker said he would
check on that and confirm. He stated that staff now knows that the Council wants to continue with
the Ames Plan 2040 workshops and will try to schedule those in. Council Member Martin stated
that he did not want the Ames Plan 2040 workshops to continue. He said he realized that they all
want to get that Plan finished, but there is not appear to be a particular date/time pressure. It is his
feeling that the communication is better in a room than it would be over the best video platform.
So given the lack of time pressure on those meetings that tend to be more collaborative than
meetings where there is a series of resolutions and hearings, his preference would be to wait. Mr.
Martin pointed out that the next workshop that is on their schedule with a topic assigned is
scheduled for May 19; it is on the Ames Plan 2040. Given that the current City closure is through
May 15; during the current closure period, it is a moot point; however, if it goes beyond that closure
period and the City is still being afflicted, he will probably want to postpone more workshops at that
time. Council Members Beatty-Hansen and Betcher concurred.

Council Member Gartin said he believes that it is important to keep moving forward. He pointed out
that the Council will be deliberating on a lot of things in the future that are just as important as the
Ames Plan 2040, so it is important to keep the ball moving on that. Mr. Gartin clarified that if the
Council believes it can deliberate properly in the best interest of the City electronically over a video
format, it seemed to him that they could continue to work with the workshops as well. Continuing,
Mr. Gartin noted that, clearly there are a lot of things that will have to be pushed off due to the
COVID-19 emergency, but to the degree that some sort of normalcy can be maintained and projects
can continue to move forward, the City should try to do that.

Mayor Haila asked Council Member Corrieri for her comment. Ms. Corrieri said that on a pure
conference call, it is hard to deliberate; however, if that can be improved with a video conference
technique, she believes they should continue to move forward.

Council Member Junck agreed that the Council would deliberate best in person, but that it is also
important to keep the ball rolling. She issued her support for conducting workshops electronically.

Mayor Haila asked City Manager Schainker to discuss holding electronic workshops with Planning & Housing Director Diekmann to find out if the consultants are available on the 19th of April and

if it is practical to continue with the workshop on the Ames Plan 2040. The Mayor pointed out that the Council will next meet in Regular Session on the 12th , which will be via video conferencing. At

that time, they can evaluate to see if it is practical or not to have the workshop on the following week
using the video conferencing tecnhique. Mr. Schainker said he realized that the Council wants to
keep going with the Ames Plan 2040, so staff will lay out the rest of the scheduling now.

Council Member Martin said that the Council will have more experience with the video conference by that date. He pointed out that the May 19th workshop was scheduled to include the Tripp Street

South land use discussion in addition to the Ames 2040 Plan. In Mr. Martinâs opinion, the Tripp
Street item is a different topic and it is likely to have a completely different vibe than the Ames Plan
2040. Mayor Haila agreed that that topic will generate a lot of participation. It was, therefore,
suggested by Mr. Martin that those two topics be separated.

Mr. Schainker noted that he had now been asked to check on the availability of the Ames Plan 2040
consultants to attend a workshop to be held May 19. When that information is known, the Council
would make the decision at its meeting on May 12 whether the workshop would be held; however,
that did not give staff much time to prepare for the workshop. The Mayor added that he also wanted
Mr. Schainker to check with Planning & Housing Director Diekmann to see if he felt it was practical
to hold the Ames Plan 2040 workshop in a video format. City Manager Schainker said that he was
sure it could be done, but the Council needed to state whether they felt it would be appropriate and
an effective format. Mayor Haila noted that if the consultants were not available on May 19, it would
be a moot point.

City Manager Schainker asked for clarification on the discussion regarding Tripp Street South land
use, specifically, whether the Council wanted that to be done remotely if the City were still in a
âlock-downâ status. Council Member Betcher stated that she felt that meeting needed to be held
face-to-face to ensure that anyone who wanted to participate would be there interacting in person
with the City Council. She also believes that several people whom have indicated an interest in that
topic might fall into the vulnerable category for COVID-19.

Mayor Haila summarized that the workshop scheduled for April 19 should be held, subject to successful video conferencing for the Councilâs regular meeting on the 12th . Then, on the 19

Ames Plan 2040 would be done by itself. Then in May, it is scheduled to have the Ames Plan 2040
in concert with the Tripp Street South land use discussion; however, they could have the Ames Plan
2040 discussion and postpone the Tripp Street discussion until they can have a face-to-face
discussion in a workshop setting. Council Members Martin and Betcher stated that they believed
it was a good idea.

City Manager Schainker pointed out that a lot of staffâs work would then shift. He reminded the
Council members that they had wanted to make a decision on the Tripp Street South land use so that
housing could possibly get built. Council Member Gartin commented that the City often finds itself
having to keep in step with the schedule that Housing Coordinator Vanessa Baker-Latimer has
because of the nature of the federal funding. He said it would be helpful for City Manager Schainker
to touch base with Ms. Baker-Latimer to ensure that any changes in the schedule would not interfere
with the funding schedule.

Mr. Schainker indicated that he had a good idea of what the Council was directing, and he will
follow-up with the Council on a revised workshop schedule. He noted that there may be consultants
who, by their own policy, wonât be able to travel at this time. Mr. Schainker pointed out that first,
the City has to be stabilized in regards to the COVID-19 emergency. He believes that the Council
might get frustrated because projects will have to be slid back.

Regarding the issue of whether to continue Public Forum, Mr. Haila said that he would prefer to
continue to allow Public Forum. All Council members concurred that Public Forum should
continue.

City Manager Schainker noted that, legally, the City does not have to close the meetings physically.
He asked City Attorney Lambert to comment. Mr. Lambert said that it was not clear that the
Governorâs Order pertains to governmental bodies. However, he believes that the safe thing is to
assume that it does, which means limiting in-person access to ten or fewer people. City Manager
Schainker said he was not recommending that public input not be allowed; it would be just be done
remotely. The City Council concurred that they were supportive of the City Managerâs decision to
not allow in-person meetings as long as the City has a viable option to allow public comment. The
public will not be allowed to come in physically, but must be able to participate electronically in
offering public input. Mr. Schainker noted that the option also cannot be made available to only
those who have access to the Internet; whatever system is chosen to be used by the City for
electronic meetings also has to include a call-in option.

The Council also concurred that the staff should avoid putting complicated topics on the Agenda for
the time being; that decision on which ones that would be will be left to City Manager Schainker.

TEMPORARY REVISIONS TO EMPLOYEE LEAVE POLICY DUE TO COVID-19:

City

Manager introduced Human Resources Director Bethany Jorgenson, who put the Temporary Policy
together. Ms. Jorgenson explained that, on March 18, 2020, Congress approved a measure that
would both expand employeesâ access to paid sick leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic and expand
the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) specifically to families needing to care for children when
schools and daycares have been closed. She stated that the federal law must be adopted by
employers no later than April 2, 2020; however, the City is proposing a temporary amendment to
its current leave policy to provide some relief to employees who are impacted now by the COVID-
19 virus.

Ms. Jorgenson explained that the proposed temporary City Leave Policy meets or exceeds the
requirements of the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). It includes a
provision for a new form of paid leave called COVID-19 leave. Employees may be eligible to use
up to 80 hours total of the COVID-19 leave in any combination paid at their regular rate of pay; that
would be a temporary amendment to the Cityâs own personnel leave policies. The federal law
expires on December 31, 2020, and the Cityâs Policy would run through December 31, 2020, as
well, unless the federal law changes. If the federal law changes, the City would request to change
its Policy to mirror it. Ms. Jorgenson specified that this is a one-time offer of up to 80 hours that can
be used for a variety of different circumstances.

According to Director Jorgenson the leave would apply if:

1. An employee has been required or advised to quarantine by a medical provider or a county, state,

or federal agency, or who has been advised by a medical provider that they have confirmed or
presumptively confirmed COVID-19.

2. An employee is providing direct care for an individual required or advised to be quarantined by

a medical provider or a county, state, or federal agency, or an individual who has been advised
by a medical provider that they have confirmed or presumptively confirmed COVID-19.

According to Director Jorgenson, for Scenarios 1 and 2, the Human Resources Department has a
form that the employee would need to complete and provide information as to whom provided that
advice.

3. An employee caring for a child whose school or daycare has closed due to COVID-19, provided

there are not other work alternatives (i.e., work from home, work schedule modifications).

Ms. Jorgenson explained that Scenario 3 is a little bit different from the federal law. The federal law
stipulates that employees could be gone for up to 12 weeks to care for children whose schools or
daycares have been closed. The provision for pay in the federal law is that the first two weeks
would be unpaid leave and then the remaining weeks would be paid at 2/3 of the employeeâs regular
rate of pay. The Cityâs policy states that the first two weeks could be a reason to use up to 80 hours
of COVID-19 pay. The City would make that an option so the employee could receive their full
paycheck for those first two weeks, but any remaining hours that they may need to be home would
be paid at two-thirds their regular rate. Also, the employee could supplement that with any sick
leave, vacation leave, comp leave, or any sort of leave that they might have. Director Jorgenson said
that, with the Councilâs approval, that is what the City would like to offer to its employees.

Council Member Gartin inquired whether there had been any feedback from employees or any
representatives on this. Ms. Jorgenson answered that staff wanted to get Councilâs approval first.
Staff has had some conversation with the Executive Leadership group on this, but have not discussed
this with employees or Union groups. City Manager Schainker said they will have to notify the
Union groups and see what they do; he is not sure what will happen with all the cities. As far as
getting input, during a crisis, he said that sometimes staff needs to give answers to people as to what

is going to happen. The City waited on its policy long enough, waiting until the federal government
came through with theirs. He reiterated that the City is not negotiating with Unions about this, and
will have to see what they say about it. City Manager Schainker pointed out that the City is actually
giving better than what is required by the federal government, and management is trying to get
answers out to employees as soon as possible.

Mayor Haila asked if it was fair to say that all this was done to comply with federal law and the City
actually exceeds federal requirements in some situations. Mr. Schainker confirmed that was true;
the City tried to be more generous than the federal law requires. Staff is looking around to see what
other cities are doing, but hasnât been able to find much information. He is unsure whether Iowa
State has come out with its policy yet, and they have over 20,000 employees. A lot of other cities
have not gotten back to the City with what they are doing, so he is not sure if the City of Ames is
ahead of the curve or if others are just keeping quiet as to what they are doing. Therefore, he canât
tell the Council what the norm is or what the best practice seems to be at this time.

Mr. Schainker said, first, the City has to meet the federal law, and the City is trying to do a little bit
better. Mayor Haila noted that, by federal law, policies have to be adopted by April 2, 2020. City
Manager Schainker said that was true; however, he wants the City to get ahead of that and actually
be better than the federal law. He also asked that the Council approve the Cityâs temporary Leave
Policy effective yesterday, March 23, 2020. City Manager Schainker said he wants people to take
advantage of the new Policy as schools are closed and employees might have costs incurred for
childcare or had so stay home yesterday. He wants to implement the Cityâs Policy sooner than they
have to in fairness to City employees.

Council Member Gartin asked if Finance Director Duane Pitcher had reviewed the proposed Policy
as far as its fiscal implications on the Cityâs budget. As soon as possible, he would like to ensure that
they understand the fiscal implications of this. City Manager Schainker said that would be done.

Council Member Betcher said she sees two sections that require certification of an illness and the
need to stay home and quarantine. She is a bit confused by the need to provide the name of the
medical provider or agency which advised or required the employeeâs absence when everyone is
getting federal advice to stay home if you feel ill, and in some cases, communities are
recommending that people not go to their doctor unless they feel that they really have COVID-19
and not some other type of minor illness. Therefore, she is unsure what level of certification is being
required by the Cityâs Policy. Director Jorgenson said that was put on the form to basically ask
employees to self-certify. So, if the employee believes they are sick or think that they have COVID-
19, the City wants them to be calling their medical provider. There are several ways to do that: First
Nurse in Ames, their own medical provider, or a Doctor on Demand service, which is available with
the Cityâs health insurance, and a variety of other ways. All employees are asked to do is self-certify
that a medical provider has stated that they believe the illness could be COVID-19 and they have
advised them that they need to stay home or that they meet the criteria for self-isolation according
the CDC or Iowa Department of Public Health. The self-verification would show that the employee
had least reached out to a medical provider and are receiving some good advice from them.

Ms. Betcher commented that she did not see that in any of the information that had been provided
to the Council. She asked how employees were going to know how to self-certify. Ms. Jorgenson
responded that Human Resources has been sending out communication to employees and have it
posted in a variety of places where employees can see. It states whom to contact if someone thinks
they are ill and listing the different resources. In addition, the Cityâs health insurance provider has
been reaching out with similar information. So, employees have been told from a lot of different
places what to do; that will be reinforced as the Policy is rolled out to employees. Also, if Human
Resources receives a form that doesnât have any or enough information, they will contact the
employee and ask if they have reached out to a medical provider. Ms. Betcher asked if the
employees had been given the Amended Leave Policy that the Council members received in their
meeting packet. Ms. Jorgenson said that they will.

Council Member Betcher asked if there was a reason that information specifying how to self-certify
was not included in the actual written Policy. City Manager Schainker said they didnât want to send
anything out to employees until the Policy was approved by the City Council. Tomorrow, Ms.
Jorgenson will send an email out to all employees and include that information in the cover letter
or memo. Ms. Betcher expressed her concern that an employee could miss something that isnât
actually part of the Policy, and then when they need to use it, they wonât be able to find information
on what they need to do to meet the certification requirement.

Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-150 approving Alternative
No. 1, which was to approve the COVID-19 Leave Policy, as proposed.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.

DISPOSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL:

Mayor Haila referenced the request

from Brad Stumbo dated February 24, 2020, asking that the City initiate an Urban Fringe Plan
Amendment and Map Change for the Bishop Farms. The City Manager recommended that Council
request a memo from staff regarding the request.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to refer to staff for a memo.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

COUNCIL COMMENTS:

Council Member Betcher commented that she had never had so much

technology open before her at one time to participate in a meeting. She said that she was
participating in the meeting via her cell phone, watching the meeting on âYou Tube,â and has her
Council meeting packet open on her iPad. From her perspective, technology was working. Also, she
thanked City staff for all the work that they have put in so far and that they will be putting in on the
Cityâs COVID-19 response plan. She is very proud of everything that had been done to this point
and is confident that the City will continue doing things to the best of its ability going forward.

Council Member Gartin echoed Ms. Betcherâs comments. He stated that all residents need to heed
the pleas to be calm and to look for ways to serve; there will be many opportunities to serve. Mr.
Gartin believes that the community will get through this. He commented that he appreciates the
leadership that has been shown during this emergency.

Council Member Corrieri thanked City staff and all the partners who have been working with the
City to communicate with the public and distribute information in this ever-changing world. Ms.
Corrieri also extended her appreciation to the people who are considered essential workers who are
not often recognized. Those include people caring for the elderly in nursing homes, those who are
caring for the disabled in group homes, the mental health social workers, and everyone else on the
front lines helping the most vulnerable populations.

Council Member Martin acknowledged that there are a lot of people working behind the scenes
trying to manage this crisis whom they donât hear from at all. They are instrumental in making sure
that people know what is happening, so that weâre able to respond when they need to.

Following up on an item that was on this meetingâs Agenda, i.e., MetroNet Major Site Development
Plan, Mr. Martin noted that an email had been received from the owner of the property, Kori Heuss,
citing her concerns about their ability to proceed with the project given the presence of the Remote
Parking Easement. Although Ms. Heuss did not call in during the public hearing, he would like to
ask staff to reach out to Ms. Heuss to see if she is still interested in having the Parking Easement
topic put on a Council meeting agenda, and if so, to put it on a future agenda.

Moved by Martin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to ask staff to reach out to Ms. Heuss to see if she
is still interested in having the Remote Parking Easement topic put on a Council meeting agenda,
and if so, to put it on a future agenda.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

Council Member Beatty-Hansen reiterated thanks to everyone who is working to keep things
together right now. Although did not want any action to be taken tonight, Ms. Beatty-Hansen said
she would like to think about how the City might allow for more land to be dedicated to expanding
the community gardens in the future. She commented that the resiliency of the community is
impressive, but she would like people to think about building on that to make it even more resilient.

Mayor Haila thanked the City Manager on behalf of the City Council for all his work. He said that
people will never understand how much work Steve Schainker has put in so far regarding the
COVID-19 emergency. In response, Mr. Schainker recognized the work of Assistant City Managers
Brian Phillips and Deb Schildroth and the Executive Leadership Team. The Mayor also thanked
Human Resources Director Jorgenson for her work on the temporary Leave Policy. In addition, he
recognized the work of United Way, Iowa State University, Story County, all medical providers.
Story County Public Health, and Story County Emergency Management. Although they are often
taken for granted, Mayor Haila also wanted to recognize and thank all the people who work in the
grocery stores. Those people need to be thanked for their efforts; they allow citizens to get needed
supplies and food.

The Mayor stated that the Ames community is strong and resilient. He urged people to check in on
their neighbors, perhaps offer to do childcare, and be patient; it will be trying at times. The Mayor
asked the people remember food pantries and donate food and household supplies if they can. He
noted that social media can be a powerful source, and he asked people to look for ways to share

positive news and initiatives going on in the community.

The Mayor acknowledged that people had been emailing him asking about sheltering in place.
Mayor Haila stated that the Governor and medical experts have been very clear in strongly urging
people to follow the social distancing. The Governor also encourages people to stay at home as
much as they possibly can, and if people can work from home, they should do so. By taking that
advice seriously, the opportunity to minimize the social spread exists. Mayor Haila advised that the
City will continue to follow the Governorâs lead. He said that it is a considerably complex
consideration to even think about any kind of a shelter-in-place. Cities do not have access to data
or all the information that the Governor has available to her. Mayor Haila strongly encouraged
people to find the link to the Governorâs press conference that was held today, as it laid out what is
being done and all the factors that go into the decision-making process. He is confident that the
Governor and people at the State House have no interest in seeing the virus spread any more or any
faster than anyone else does. The Mayor reiterated that the City will continue to follow the
Governorâs lead. He encouraged people to be positive and to help those around them, and also do
whatever they can to support all the businesses, including the hospitality industry, in Ames now and
in the future. Although it can be very trying, Mayor Haila noted that this can be viewed as a great
opportunity to strengthen families and the community.

ADJOURNMENT:

Moved by Betcher to adjourn the meeting at 8:01 p.m.

___________________________________ ___________________________________
Diane R. Voss, City Clerk

John A. Haila, Mayor