/tmp/041420CouncilMinutes-html.html

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

AMES, IOWA

APRIL 14, 2020

CALL TO ORDER:

Mayor John Haila called the Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council,

which was being held electronically, to order at 6:03 p.m. with the following Council members
participating: Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, Rachel Junck,
and David Martin and

Ex officio

Member Devyn Leeson.

Mayor 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

. The Mayor then provided how the

public could participate in the meeting via internet or by phone.

The Mayor also noted that the Council was working off an Amended Agenda. The additional items
were:
1.

Proclamation for Arbor Day, April 24, 2020.

Under Consent - Item 17, Resolution approving timeline extension for the preparation of the
Annual Action Plan and continuing the hearing from May 12, 2020, to a date uncertain and
âbâ Motion directing staff to request a timeline extension from the Department of Housing
and Urban Development to submit the 2020-21 proposed Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG)/HOME Programsâ Annual Action Plan

Under Consent - Item 27: Resolution approving Electric Facilities Agreement between the
City of Ames and UT Lynn Ave LLC, owner of the University Apartments at 111 Lynn
Avenue

PROCLAMATION FOR âARBOR DAY,â APRIL 24, 2020:

Mayor Haila proclaimed April 24,

2020, as âArbor Day.â He encouraged residents to plant a tree, mulch existing trees, and protect the
trees and woodlands by becoming good stewards of the land.

CONSENT AGENDA:

Council Member Gartin requested to pull, due to conflicts of interest, Item

No.8: Resolution approving appointment of Chad Schneider to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Item No. 18: Resolution setting April 28, 2020, as the date of public hearing regarding partially vacating the Remote Parking Easement for 901 N. 4th Street.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda.
1.

Motion approving payment of claims

Motion approving Minutes of Regular Meeting held March 24, 2020

Motion approving certification of Civil Service applicants

Motion approving Report of Change Orders for March 16 - 31, 2020

Motion approving new 12-month Class E Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Tobacco
Outlet Plus #530

Motion approving renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits, and Liquor
Licenses:

Item No.

Special Class C Liquor License with Sunday Sales - Smokin Oak Wood-Fired Pizza,
2420 Lincoln Way

Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - Brick City Grill,
2704 Stange Road

Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege, Outdoor Service, and Sunday Sales
- Cyclone Experience Network - Hilton Coliseum, 1705 Center Drive

Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege, Outdoor Service, and Sunday Sales
- Perfect Games Inc., 1320 Dickinson Avenue

Special Class C Liquor License with Class B Native Wine Permit - SZECHUAN
HOUSE, 3605 Lincoln Way, pending dram

Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege, Outdoor Service, and Sunday Sales
- Provisions Lot F, 2400 North Loop Drive

RESOLUTION NO. 20- 150 approving and adopting Supplement No. 2020-2 to

Municipal

Code

RESOLUTION NO. 20-152 authorizing Finance Director to make plan sponsor elections to
the City of Ames Deferred Compensation and Utility Retirement Plans to implement CARES
Act provisions for participant distributions and loans

RESOLUTION NO. 20-153 approving the appointment of Geoff Huff, Commander, as the
Chief of Police Alternate to the Story County 911 Service Board

10.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-154 supporting the submittal of an application from Amcor Rigid
Packaging requesting economic development assistance from the Iowa Economic
Development Authority with no local match requirement

11.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-155 approving the purchase of 2020 Neighborhood Art sculptures,
as recommended by the Public Art Commission

12.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-156 approving artist agreements for 2020/21 Ames Annual Outdoor
Sculpture Exhibition

13.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-157 approving Addendum No. 1 the Professional Services
Agreement with Bolton & Menk, Inc., of Ames, Iowa in the amount of $4,620 regarding the
Airport Electrical Vault and Lighting Project

14.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-158 approving request to modify Cityâs FY 2019/20 ASSET
Contract with Salvation Army to transfer $270.10 in funds from Bill Payer Program to Food
Pantry

15.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-159 approving request to modify Cityâs FY 2019/20 ASSET
Contract with Emergency Residence Project to transfer $6,569.31 in funds from Service
Coordination to Emergency Shelter services

16.

2020-21 Proposed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)/HOME Programsâ
Annual Action Plan:
a.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-160 approving timeline extension for the preparation of the
Annual Action Plan and continuing the hearing from May 12, 2020, to a date
uncertain

Motion directing staff to request a timeline extension from the Department of
Housing and Urban Development to submit the 2020-21 proposed Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG)/HOME Programsâ Annual Action Plan

17.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-162 approving Professional Services Agreement for Construction
Administration and Inspections Services with HR Green of Johnston, Iowa regarding South
Grand Avenue Extension project in the amount not-to-exceed $457,250

18.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-163 approving preliminary plans and specifications for 2019/20 Multi-Modal Roadway Improvements (30th Street & Duff Avenue Restriping); setting May

6, 2020 as bid due date and May 12, 2020 as date of public hearing

19.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-164 waiving Purchasing Policies and approving a sole source
purchase of GRIDSMART Traffic Intersection Camera Systems from General Traffic
Controls of Spencer, Iowa, in an amount not to exceed $271,825

20.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-165 awarding contract to Shor-Line of Kansas City, Kansas for
purchase and installation of stainless steel dog kennels at the Animal Shelter in the amount
of $60,116

21.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-166 awarding contract to HBK Engineering of Iowa City, Iowa, for
utility locating services in an amount not to exceed $161,500 (to be reimbursed by MetroNet)

22.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-167 awarding a contract to Manattâs of Ames, Iowa, for the
Ames/ISU Ice Arena Parking Lot Renovations Project in the amount of $65,878

23.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-168 approving contract and bond for Fuel Forwarding Pump House
Fire Protection Upgrade Bid

24.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-169 approving contract and bond for East Highway 30 Force Main
Improvements

25.

University Apartments - Electric Service Replacement:
a.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-185 approving Electric Facilities Agreement between the
City of Ames and UT Lynn Ave LLC, owner of the University Apartments at 111
Lynn Avenue

RESOLUTION NO. 20-170 approving contract and bond for University Apartments -
Electric Service Replacement

26.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-171 approving contract and bond for 2019/20 Collector Street
Pavement Improvements (Bloomington Road from Grand Avenue to Hoover Avenue)

27.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-172 approving contract and bond for Campustown Public
Improvements (Welch Avenue from Lincoln Way to Knapp Street)

28.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-173 approving Change Order No. 1 to Brookside Park Restroom
Contract for installing Normal Hollow Metal Doors in lieu of Flood Proof Doors and
installing Earth Formed Footings in lieu of Spread Footings for a total cost reduction of
($50,000)

29.

South Grand Avenue Extension Tree-Clearing:
a.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-174 approving Change Order No. 1 with Weiss Tree Service
Inc., of Nevada, Iowa in the amount of $8,000

RESOLUTION NO. 20-175 accepting completion

30.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-176 approving renewal of contract with RESCO of Ankeny, Iowa,
for the purchase of transformers in accordance with unit prices

31.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-177 approving Change Order No. 3 for additional Non-Asbestos
Insulation and Related Services by HTH Companies, Inc., in the amount of $102,000 (based
on time and materials)

32.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-178 approving Change Order No. 1 for additional Scaffolding and
Related Services by HTH Companies, Inc., in the amount of 108,000 (based on time and
materials)

33.

Power Plant Steam Turbine #7 Parts:
a.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-179 approving Change Order No. 11 with Argo TurboServe
Corporation of Rutherford, New Jersey in the amount of ($11,013.82)

RESOLUTION NO. 20-180 accepting completion of project by Argo TurboServe
Corporation of Rutherford, New Jersey

34.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-181 approving Plat of Survey for an unaddressed parcel in rural Story County near 260th Avenue and Interstate 35 (known as Parcel #1019300210)

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

APPOINTMENT OF CHAD SCHNEIDER TO THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT:

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-151 approving the
appointment of Chad Schneider to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
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 Minute.

SETTING APRIL 28, 2020, AS THE DATE OF PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING
PARTIALLY VACATING THE REMOTE PARKING EASEMENT FOR 901 N. 4

STREET:

Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-161

setting April 28, 2020, as the date of public hearing regarding partially vacating the Remote Parking Easement for 901 N. 4th Street.

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 Minute.

PUBLIC FORUM:

** Merlin Pfannkuch, 1424 Kellogg Avenue, Ames, stated he wanted to talk about

the sidewalks on 14th and 15

were added to the plans way too late. The resurfacing project was in the Capital Improvements Plan
for the last four years, but Public Works didnât start talking to the neighborhood about sidewalks
until Thanksgiving 2019. He explained that everything regarding the sidewalks had been rushed.
Mr. Pfannkuch stated his previous recommendation was to have the project be delayed a year or
having the sidewalks removed from the plans is still a good idea. He commented that the haste has
been exacerbated by the casual approach by the Council in regards to the sidewalks. Mr. Pfannkuch
mentioned that he watched the February 25, 2020, City Council meeting again and was shocked by
the casualness of the Council. He wanted to know how the neighbors could overcome this obstacle
when the contract is due to be approved on May 12, 2020. He asked if City Manager Steve Schainker
could clarify what the City Policy is on sidewalks. The Complete Streets Plan should be looked at
for guidance as it calls for each project to be examined holistically for a variety of reasons.
Connectivity is one of the factors along with the effect on the neighborhood. Mr. Pfannkuch wanted

to know where the disposition to approve sidewalks came from. He commented that he had invited
the entire Council to come tour the neighborhood and only Council Member Betcher, Mayor Haila,
and Mr. Schainker had done so. He wanted to know why the rest of the Council had not visited the
site. He asked the Council to please give the neighborhood a fair shake, as it is very important to
them, and felt having the sidewalks would scar their neighborhood with only an illusory benefit.

PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR WHEELOCK CORNER SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 1499
SOUTH DAYTON AVENUE:

Planner Julie Gould stated that the proposed Wheelock Corner

Subdivision is a 16.47-acre development on the northwest corner to the intersection at SE 16th Street

and South Dayton Avenue. She noted that the area has several layers of zoning. The site is zoned Highway-Oriented Commercial (HOC), and has the Southeast Gateway Overlay District designation. The site is relatively flat, although approximately 3.6-acres is located within the Environmental Sustainability Overlay. Ms. Gould noted that the proposed Preliminary Plat will yield six developable lots that range from .75-acres to 4.70-acres. Isaac Newton Drive will be a new street, that goes through the site, providing a connection between SE 16th Street and South Dayton Avenue.

Direct access to SE 16th and South Dayton Avenue will be prohibited.

The City is in the process of planning for street improvements at the intersection of South Dayton Avenue and SE 16th Street. Ms. Gould pointed out that along the southern boundary of the proposed

plat, there is a 0.45-acre parcel owned by Story County; this will remain under the ownership of Story County, but the applicant will landscape the lot and maintain the area as part of the development. She mentioned that the water and sewer will extend along the Isaac Newton Drive right-of-way from an existing off-site main on the south side of SE 16th Street. Five-foot sidewalks

are being proposed along the frontage of Isaac Newton Drive on both sides of the right-of-way. A
five-foot sidewalk will also be installed along South Dayton Drive. A private drive already exists
from the Theisenâs site south to connect with South Dayton Avenue and that will remain and connect
with Isaac Newton Drive. A sidewalk crossing will be installed to the north of the intersection to
allow pedestrians to safely cross the frontage drive.

Planner Gould pointed out that the entire site is located in the Flood Plain. The western portion of
Lots 2 and 3 is located within the floodway. The rest of the site is located within the Floodway
Fringe. Development within the Floodway Fringe is allowed provided that buildings are elevated
or flood proofed to three feet above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). In this case, no development
is proposed in the Floodway, other than the storm water facility. An Environmental Assessment
Report is required as part of the Preliminary Plat approval as the storm water detention basin for the
development contained within the Preliminary Plat is to be located in the Environmentally Sensitive
Overlay District (O-E). Ms. Gould noted that the Environmental Assessment Report is a supplement
to the Cityâs Flood Plain regulations and must show that the project will protect designated natural
resource areas through a natural resource inventory and mitigate any negative effects on the
floodway, or negative effects on the development as a result of locating improvements in the
designated area. The Environmental Assessment report was completed by Impact 7G on behalf of
the developer.

Planner Gould mentioned that this was presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission and it was
stressed by the Commission that the wooded area should be preserved. The applicant did move the
extent of the grading outside the dripline of the trees.

Staff is recommending approval with the requirement that the applicant obtain a Conservation
Preservation Easement.

Mayor Haila asked about the body of water that is west of the Theisenâs building. Planner Gould
explained that is a detention pond that exists in the area and some of the new site will drain north
to this detention pond, but the majority will drain west to the new detention pond that will be graded
just south of the oak woodland forested area. Mayor Haila inquired if the current detention pond was
not sized adequately enough to handle the new proposed developable area. Ms. Gould stated that was
correct; that is why a new one will need to be created.

Council Member Gartin stated that it was his understanding that there are plans in the Capital Improvement Plan for a bike trail on the west side of Dayton Avenue He wanted to know if a bike trail would be put in that would be the same size as the one on SE 16th Street. Ms. Gould stated that

the one on SE 16th street is already there and this proposal is to put a five-foot sidewalk along Dayton

Drive. Council Member Gartin asked for clarification on the size of the sidewalk on SE 16th Street.

Planner Gould commented that the existing path on SE 16th Street is a shared use eight-foot path.

Also, Mr. Gartin wanted to know why they wouldnât maintain the eight-foot path along Dayton.
Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann explained that the shared use path system is routed
on the east side of Dayton and there is currently not a requirement to have shared use paths on both
sides of arterial streets so the default was install a five-foot sidewalk on the west side of Dayton and
keep the shared use path on the east side. Council Member Gartin asked if staff knew what the
timeframe would be to install the shared use path on the east side of Dayton. Director Diekmann
commented that part of it would go in with the hotel, but would need to look at what the deferral
language is to the north of the hotel as he believes it had been deferred since the lot had not been
developed yet. Mr. Diekmann stated that he will look into that further and will respond outside of
the meeting.

Council Member Betcher stated that the Environmental Assessment mentioned an old stream
channel that was attached to the old forested wetlands. She was wondering where that was located
on one of the maps that was shown. Ms. Betcher stated the report states ânon-forested wetlands
within the investigation area generally consist of closed depressions within an old stream channel.
The channel no longer conveys water, but does provide a catchment for rainwater and flood basin
during high-flow events of the South Skunk River.â Planner Gould commented that she would guess
it was the blue lines that she displayed on the map overhead that were described as wetlands. Council
Member Betcher mentioned that is what she was confused about as the report said it was non-
forested wetlands and the blue lines shown were all in a forested area. Ms. Gould stated she is not
sure where that was located on the map.

Council Member Martin questioned the drainage on a construction project like this one. He noted

that the Council had received several inquiries from residents about the drainage properties that are
relevant when building in the Flood Plain. Mr. Martin noted that the City has the requirement to
build three feet above the base flood elevation. He wanted to know if there were other measures that
apply to development in the Flood Plain that are different than the storm water mitigation that would
be required. Ms. Gould stated that there are not any other requirements than the standard. Director
Diekmann mentioned that the hierarchy of the general Storm Water Management Ordinance
(Chapter 5B) applies the same whether it is in the Flood Plain or outside of the Flood Plain. The only
regulations that are different in the Flood Plain are the protection measures of the property, (i.e:
buildings) and they have to be raised above the base flood elevation. There are also specific permits
that disturb the Flood Plain and silt canât be added to the floodway to change the base flood
elevation. Mr. Gartin questioned if it was safe to say that the storm water requirements are intended
to compensate for the disturbance of the land in order to ensure that once the land is developed it
doesnât have worse drainage problems than before. Mr. Diekmann stated that was correct.

Justin Dodge, Hunziker Companies, 105 S. 16th Street, stated he is available to answer any questions.

He noted that in regards to staffâs recommendation for the easement beyond the grading plan, they will definitely agree to obtain the easement. Council Member Gartin stated that there are very few cut-outs along the paths on South 16th . He asked Mr. Dodge if the construction would continue to

allow visibility along the new road. Mr. Dodge stated that the engineers took care of the visibility,
and it met the Cityâs standards for Isaac Newton Drive. He noted that this project is working in
conjunction with the Cityâs project to add a turn lane on Dayton.

Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Martin, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-182 approving the
Preliminary Plat for the Wheelock Corner Subdivision location at 1499 South Dayton Avenue,
subject to approval of a Flood Plain Permit by the City of Ames and other affected agencies and with
the condition that the applicant provide a Conservation Easement prior to Final Plat approval related
to preservation of oak woodlands that were identified in the inventory.
Roll

Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby

made a portion of these Minutes.

CONTRACT WITH UNITED PUBLIC SAFETY OF FORT WASHINGTON,
PENNSYLVANIA, FOR PARKING ENFORCEMENT HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE:

Council Member Martin mentioned that this item is a cloud-based system. He asked what would
happen if the provider vanishes or goes bankrupt; would the City be able to institute another local
system while dealing with the problem. Chief Charles Cychosz stated that the database is redundant
and backed-up. In a disaster recovery plan, staff makes its best assessment of the business and the
ability of the contractor before offering a contract. There is always some fear of a contractor
vanishing. Chief Cychosz noted that the City is not providing an off-line storage of the data with
this model. There may be some vulnerability; the City tried to safe-guard against this, but with a
cloud-based system, it will always be a concern.

Council Member Martin commented that the staff report mentioned graduated payments and
commented that this would be sufficient to allow staff to issue a warning on a first-time ticket for

appropriate occasions. Chief Cychosz noted that was correct as the software allows real-time parking
to the database that allows for a graduated fine structure, multiple warnings, and more versatility to
the ordinance approach.

Council Member Martin inquired if it was known how many of the parking tickets are currently paid
on-line. Chief Cychosz commented that it was about 40%. He noted that there is an on-line surcharge
proposed by the vendor and this appears to be a common approach in the industry. Citizens can still
drop off payments in the drop box or mail in their payment to avoid the surcharge.

Council Member Betcher asked Chief Cychosz about the susceptibility of the system to the types of
hacks that the City has had with the current parking system. Chief Cychosz mentioned that staff was
very concerned about that when reviewing different vendors and have had the Information
Technology staff reviewing the security of each model proposed. United Public Safety has a
management platform that is hosted through Microsoft as your government cloud. In their research,
all of the contemporary standards are being met. Staff scrutinized the security thoroughly and it was
noted that United Public Safety had never had a security breach on its platform.

Mayor Haila asked Chief Cychosz if there was another option for citizens to avoid paying the
convenience fee. Chief Cychosz explained that citizens can put their payment in the mail, walk it into
City Hall, or drop it in the drop box outside City Hall. Mayor Haila inquired if a citizen was to go
on-line to make a payment, would the website show a notification about what other payment options
were available to avoid the fee. Chief Cychosz mentioned that he was not sure, but would look into
seeing if they could add the language to the platform. He noted that the information about payment
options will be available on the citation.

Council Member Gartin mentioned that the spread on the bids was enormous. He wanted to know
why there was such a big difference between the companies bids. Chief Cychosz explained that the
two highest bidders, Cardinal and T2, are industry leaders. Cardinal and T2 run parking systems in
major metropolitan areas and thousands of citations are issued every day. Those two companies are
large scale vendors and were not a good fit for the City of Ames. In the parking world, the City of
Ames is very simple, the penalties are few, and the money going through the system is limited. The
smaller companies were a better fit per Chief Cychosz.

Mayor Haila asked the members of the public for

Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-183 awarding a contract
to United Public Safety of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, for parking enforcement hardware and
software.
Roll

Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby

made a portion of these Minutes.

DIRECTION TO STAFF REGARDING FUTURE WORKSHOPS:

City Manager Steve

Schainker stated that City Council had directed staff to put together a list of workshops for the rest

of the year. The major use of the workshops would be for the Ames Plan 2040, but there are a few
others on the list.

Mayor Haila mentioned that there has been some hesitation by some of the Council members
regarding being able to do a good job of discussing, reviewing the materials ahead of time, and being
able to make major decisions in an unnatural format. He asked to know how materials are going to
be distributed to the Council.

Planning & Housing Director Kelly Diekmann stated that this week will be different from the other
Workshop dates as the Council is making a decision about whether to have a City Council meeting
next week or not. The materials for next week have been limited due to the first time holding a
Workshop via Zoom. He noted that he will be giving the Council the full City map; that staff is not
asking the Council to make any decisions on April 21, but it will be a time for the Council to ask
staff questions. Director Diekmann explained that the Council will then provide more direction to
staff on the Ames Plan 2040 at the April 28, City Council meeting. The goal with the Workshops
is to have the materials to the Council about a week before the meeting in order to allow time for
everyone to review the materials and prepare any questions. Director Diekmann commented that he
had spoken with RDG about Zoom meetings, and it was mentioned that long Zoom meetings do not
work well. RDG is comfortable with the schedule of planned workshops. He noted that on the
schedule starting July 21, 2020, staff is hoping that things will be back to normal and they will be
able to have a workshop to obtain input from surrounding residents regarding the proposed multi-
family housing on the south side of 321 State Avenue. City Manager Schainker pointed out that there
were two dates that were left âto be determinedâ on the schedule to allow some flexibility for the
Council.

Mayor Haila stated that one of the things the Council highly values is the public being able to
provide input. He asked Director Diekmann if a lot of public input were anticipated on the draft land
use map. Mr. Diekmann stated that the discussions of the principles had mainly been for the
Councilâs benefit. He explained that the next three workshops are the consultant and planning team
working with the Council to work on a draft map. Once that has been finalized, it will be available
for public comment. Director Diekmann commented that the way he proposed the workshop
schedule is the quickest turn around time that staff could do, and if the Council is uncomfortable
with the schedule, to let him know so he could look at changing dates.

Mayor Haila asked the Council if they were comfortable with the schedule as presented. Council
Member Betcher stated that she is comfortable with the schedule. Council Member Martin stated he
had some reservations, but is willing to give it a try and see how things go. Mayor Haila stated that
he appreciates the Council wanting to move forward and realized that they may have to put the
brakes on some of it if input is not being beneficial.

Mr. Diekmann stated that the first three workshops were critical for him, but if the Council is not
satisfied by the June 16 Workshop with the way things are progressing, the rest of the scheduled year
will need to change.

Council Member Gartin stated that when the Council had its budget meeting, there was a substantial
number of people from the arts community that expressed interest in getting more involved in the
community and having the Council make some time for input. He mentioned that he would not
recommend altering the schedule at all for the Ames Plan 2040, but wondered if the Council
meetings were to be shorter in length, perhaps there was a way to allow an hour or so to be set aside
for the arts. Mr. Gartin noted that they are not going to hear from the arts groups until September
2020, and that seemed like a long time away. Mayor Haila inquired if Mr. Gartin meant to use the
Zoom meeting or wait until the City can have regular meetings again. Council Member Gartin
explained that he had not thought that far ahead. Mr. Gartin mentioned that the Council has no idea
where they are going to be from a budget perspective, and if the Arts are wanting to come before the
Council to ask for a higher dollar commitment, the Council would not be able to answer that. It was
noted that if the Arts in Ames Workshop was in September 2020, that would be enough time for the
arts to ask for monetary items before planning the next budget season. He commented that there may
be things that are non-budget-oriented that could be done for the arts in Ames. Mayor Haila
mentioned that he had met with Brian Phillips and Mike Sutzberger, and Mr. Sutzberger had lined
up a few people to come and speak at the Arts in Ames Workshop. The Mayor explained he would
note that the Council could move up that workshop if possible. Mr. Gartin explained that the budget
is going to be a big driver, and the Council wonât know the full implications of how the COVID-19
pandemic will affect the tax revenue and expenditures.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to approve the proposed workshop schedule as presented.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared unanimously.

HEARING ON 2020 PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS - MIDDLE SCHOOL TURNAROUND
PROJECT:

The Mayor opened the public hearing and closed it after there was no one wishing to

speak.

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Betcher, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-184 approving the final
plans and specifications and awarding a contract to Jensen Builders Ltd., of Des Moines, Iowa, in
the amount of $139,700.
Roll

Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby

made a portion of these Minutes.

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

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by

Betcher, to pass on second reading an ordinance to change the street name and speed limits for
University Boulevard in the Burgason Annexation Area.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

ORDINANCE REZONING 207 S. TELLER AVENUE FROM AGRICULTURAL âAâ TO
GOVERNMENTAL/AIRPORT DISTRICT âS-GAâ:

Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by

Martin, to pass on second reading an ordinance rezoning 207 S. Teller Avenue from Agricultural
âAâ to Governmental/Airport District âS-GA.â

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

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

MUNICIPAL

CODE

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to pass on second reading an ordinance

regarding amendments 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 INCREASING THE WATER RATES BY 2% AND SEWER RATES BY 5%,
EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2020:

Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Martin, to pass on third

reading and adopt ORDINANCE NO. 4408 increasing the water rates by 2% and sewer rates by 5%,
effective July 1, 2020.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Ordinance declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.

DISPOSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL:

Mayor Haila explained that the first

item is a letter from Ames Main Street for a request for a one-time payment in the amount of
$21,922.72 for Downtown beautification efforts as outlined in the FY 2020/21 Outside Funding
Requests.

Council Member Betcher mentioned that this request is going to be similar to other requests that the
Council will be considering from Human Service agencies and from other Outside Funders. She
recommended to hold onto this request and deal with all the requests at one time.

Council Member Gartin commented that the Council needs to presume that they are going to be
facing budget shortfalls and wouldnât want to make a decision on this while in isolation.

Council Member Martin noted that it would be more sensible to decline the request now and have
Ames Main Street bring it back to the Council at a later time. Mr. Martin stated that given what the
City is expecting with the impact to the budget, just going through the Outside Funding Budget
cycle, and presuming there will be pressing needs from the ASSET agencies, it seems misleading
to leave this in the collection with the other requests that the Council will get. Council Member
Betcher commented that she doesnât agree with that. She stated that the Council may see other
Outside Funding requests, and she feels it is a policy question as to how the Council will deal with
all of the requests. Ms. Betcher felt the Council could respond to the Chamber now and suggest that
if they wanted to do something before the Council has the policy discussion, Ames Main Street could
revisit its current contract with the City. She noted that the Chamber may have some events that
were not occurring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it may be possible to shift funds within the
contract.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to put the request from Ames Main Street in with the
Councilâs discussion of Human Services Funding and other Outside Funding request that come in

on the April 28, 2020, City Council meeting.

City Manager Steve Schainker mentioned that he believed Assistant City Manager Deb Schildroth
sent out a survey to all the agencies. Ms. Schildroth explained that the survey was sent out, and she
expected to have responses back by April 15, 2020. Staff will then go through the information with
the ASSET Admin team. The plan right now is to have the information and options before the City
Council at the meeting on April 28, 2020. Council Member Betcher commented that she is trying
to think of a date to put on her motion to bring the request back to Council and inquired if staff had
heard from any Outside Funders. Assistant City Manager Brian Phillips stated that they had
consulted with the other outside agencies to identify if there are programs that wonât be able to be
completed or have had to cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Phillips commented that staff
could provide all the information to the Council at the next City Council meeting.

Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

Mayor Haila mentioned that the next request is an email from Norm and Vicky Marty requesting to
initiate an Ames Urban Fringe Plan Amendment to accommodate their home business. City Manager
Schainker recommended the Council request a memo from the Planning & Housing Director if the
Council wants to move ahead at all.
Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Corrieri, to ask for a memo from the Planning & Housing
Department.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

The next item was a memo from Planning & Housing Director Kelly Diekmann regarding a revised
response to the request from Bishop Farms/Martin Marietta for a change to the Ames Urban Fringe
Plan. Mr. Schainker explained that Mr. Diekmann already provided a memo on what staff is
recommending and that the Council is being asked if they would like staff to proceed with the
process or not. Mayor Haila asked Mr. Diekmann if the request would take a lot of staff time.
Director Diekmann stated it would be minor.

Moved by Gartin, seconded by Betcher, to refer to staff to start the process to amend the Ames Urban
Fringe Plan for Bishop Farms/Martin Marietta.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

The last item was a memo from Assistant City Manager Deb Schildroth that gave information about
the FY 2019/20 City funding allocations to ASSET agencies in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
City Manager Schainker stated this was information only; Ms. Schildroth was providing the Council
a heads up about what will be coming at the next City Council meeting in regards to funding due to
the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained that the timing of this information is important as the
agencies need to know how they are going to finish their budgets. Mr. Schainker commented that
he will prepare a memo for the Council showing the shortfall in the budget for the remainder of the
year and commented that the local option tax will be down significantly. He noted that some
agencies will ask for the amount that was promised and not additional money.

COUNCIL COMMENTS:

Council Member Betcher stated she was going to be participating in a

conference call with representatives from the International Town and Gown Association, the United
States Conference of Mayors, the North American Counties Organization, and the Institute of Cost
and Management Accountants (ICMA) as chair of the Universities Communities Council to discuss
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college town communities when so many students have
left. They will also be discussing the impact on the 2020 Census. The organizations will discuss what
kind of strategies might be deployed to lobby for additional funding in the next Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act package.

Council Member Gartin wanted to highlight the Library and Parks and Recreation departments for
continuing to look at innovative ways to give information. He commented that he loved the creativity
of the Ames staff.

Council Member Junck echoed what Council Member Gartin said and encouraged everyone to stay
home and to wear masks to keep everyone in the community safe.

Council Member Corrieri voiced the same thank you as the rest of the Council.

Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Junck, to request a memo from staff on what could be done
to either utilize the current community gardens better or increase the community garden space.

Council Member Beatty-Hansen explained that when thinking of a timeline for this project, she
realized it is too late to get another garden plot in the ground for this year, but maybe staff could give
some ideas on how to maximize the utilization of what is currently available and then gives some
ideas for subsequent years.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

Council Member Martin stated he wanted to speak about Item 21: Approving a sole source purchase
of GRIDSMART Traffic Intersection Camera Systems from General Traffic Controls of Spencer,
Iowa, in an amount not to exceed $271,825. Mr. Martin commented that this was a really cool system
idea for him. Traffic cameras suspended over intersections would give a fish-eye lens view of what
is happening in the intersection. That information would then get transferred to software that makes
real-time traffic decisions. Council Member Martin wanted to point out that the traffic cameras will
not be used for automatic ticket writing and were not intended to pick up video for automated face
recognition. The camera is for the traffic purposes only. He noted that the camera does record video,
and in the test phase there is potential that the video may be retained beyond the period it is needed
to make instantaneous decisions about traffic. Mr. Gartin wanted to make sure that as new
technology is being rolled out to the City it will be used for the intended purposes.

Moved by Martin, seconded by Junck, to ask staff to provide a memo describing the Cityâs policy
for video retention and how it would apply to the new Traffic Intersection Camera System.

Council Member Martin mentioned that he understands that the City is willing to make some of the

traffic data available for research purposes and noted this was a great thing for the City to do. He is
interested in making sure the City is aware of the privacy implications of the video and making sure
everything is done properly.

Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared unanimously.

Mayor Haila stated he wanted to echo what had already been said by the Council that City staff is
outstanding and the partnerships in the community and communication are second to none. He is
impressed with the commitment that the Medical Center, Iowa State University, the School District,
the County, and Story County Management have given to the area. Mayor Haila mentioned that there
is not a shelter in place order, but encouraged everyone to stay home, and the social isolating is
working.

ADJOURNMENT:

Moved by Beatty-Hansen to adjourn the meeting at 7:31 p.m.

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Amy L. Colwell, Deputy City Clerk

John A. Haila, Mayor

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Diane R. Voss, City Clerk