MINUTES OF THE JOINT MEETING OF THE AMES HUMAN RELATIONS

COMMISSION AND AMES CITY COUNCIL, REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES

AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (AAMPO)

TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE, AND

REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

AMES, IOWA

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

JOINT MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AND

AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION

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, 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.

CALL TO ORDER:

The Joint Meeting of the Ames City Council and Ames Human Relations

Commission was called to order by Mayor John Haila at 6:00 p.m. on the 8th day of September,

2020, in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law. In addition
to the Mayor, City Council Members Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, Rachel Junck,
and David Martin were present along with

Ex officio

Member Nicole Whitlock. Council Member

Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen was absent. Representing the Ames Human Relations Commission
(AHRC) were Madesh Samanu, Jahmai Fisher, Wayne Clinton, and Jill Crosser.

PRESENTATION OF 2019 ANNUAL REPORT:

Assistant City Manager Deb Schildroth

stated that she was pleased to have all the Human Relations Commission members available to
review the 2019 Annual Report. She noted that this Report is normally given in the spring, but it
was pushed back a few months due to the pandemic.

Jill Crosser, AHRC Chairperson, pointed out that on the first page of the Report it states
AHRC’s purpose, which is to “implement the provision of the Iowa Civil Rights Act and to
further provide for the general welfare of persons in the City of Ames, Iowa, by prohibiting
certain discriminatory practices, and to establish a commission for the investigation of
complaints of discrimination; and to undertake projects of education to prevent discrimination;
and to establish procedures for the conciliation of such complaints, and to enforce the provision
hereof.”

Ms. Crosser highlighted a few activities that were completed by the AHRC in 2019. The
Commission continued its partnership with Inclusive Ames and the Chamber while working on
the Symposium on Building Inclusive Organizations. She noted that AHRC’s previous chair Joel
Hochstein did a lot of the planning each week for with the Chamber for the Symposium and
helped at the event. Two annual awards were given out, and the “A Home for Everyone” Award
was given to Cassandra Kramer and the “Humanitarian” Award was given to Janet Hopper. Ms.
Crosser mentioned that the AHRC reviews discrimination cases in partnership with the Iowa
Civil Rights Commission (ICRC). Most of the claims that came through in 2019 fell under
employment-related concerns and housing. Similar to 2018's Report, race was one of biggest
complaints. It was noted that this year the Committee had noticed some retaliation. Ms. Crosser
explained that in the 2020 Annual Report, it will show that towards the end of 2019, the AHRC

put together some focus groups, but it still has some work to do.

Commission Member Wayne Clinton mentioned that the Council has a copy of what the
Commission had submitted, and Ms. Crosser covered the highlights. He noted that they are
already into 2020 and are continuing to expand outreach and communication to the citizens of
Ames and explain who they are and what they do. Mr. Clinton mentioned, from his experience, it
is always a major challenge to increase awareness of what any Commission or Board does. He is
thrilled with the leadership of Ms. Crosser.

Council Member Betcher stated that she was excited to see the Strategic Plan. One of the things
she noticed that might need to be adjusted is the way the role of the Commission seems to be
crossing over to what the Public Information Officer Susan Gwiasda does, and those items
would be releasing news, updating the website, etc. Ms. Crosser stated they have been working
with Ms. Gwiasda and one of their goals was to get the Commission name out, as there are
currently not a lot of events or opportunities to do so. The Commission is trying to increase its
social media usage. They will be showing a video later in the presentation that the Commission
worked on with the City of Ames regarding discrimination, the Coronavirus, and the Chinese
population. There will be some

Facebook

posts introducing the Commission members. The

Commission will also be going through the website to make recommendations and make sure
there are different languages available for the complaint process as currently there is only
English and Spanish available. Council Member Betcher commented that she is looking forward
to seeing all the new changes

One thing that stood out to Council Member Betcher in the Strategic Plan was Objective No. 3
which states “HRC will identify opportunities for obtaining information related to community
member perceptions and experience,” and the Council has been trying to improve its outreach
and input especially from under-represented populations. Ms. Betcher wanted to let the AHRC
Commission know that the Council recently approved a partnership with the Community and
Regional Planning program at ISU. The City Manager and Ms. Betcher have been working with
a class that is being taught in Community and Regional Planning (CRP), and they are working
on some strategies to improve community outreach and targeted outreach. This may be
something that AHRC could play a role in at some point. Ms. Crosser commented that the
Commission did take out some of the more specific language in the Strategic Plan, and gave it
more of an overview to be able to go outside of what was already in the Plan, and ISU is a
partner.

Mayor Haila mentioned that under Advocacy it states, “The Commission will undertake
activities to discover, conduct analysis on, and circumvent instances that may lead to prohibited
discrimination so that the community can be warned and assist in preventing it.” He wanted to
know how that would be undertaken and accomplished. Ms. Crosser explained that originally it
was a “watchdog” goal and the Commission spent a lot of time with that word and didn’t feel
they were “watchdogs” they felt they were more gatherers of information and advocates of
change. The Commission worked together to try and reword what a “watchdog” really was, and
the language quoted by Mayor Haila is what the Commission came up with. She mentioned that

2

through the focus group work they had been doing and other strategies they were working on,
the Commission felt that by compiling information by interviewing people in the community and
different outreach opportunities, they would work with other partners in the community to see
what the Commission can do to make a change. Mr. Clinton explained that one of the challenges
is how the Commission can be more effective in partnering with the City Administration as
another conduit. He noted that generally people are unsure of how to get their ideas across and
who to communicate with. The Commission wants to be a bridge and work with the Council and
other departments to help citizens. He commented that if you look at the Commission, there is an
extreme diversity of people and they will continue to reach out to members of the community.

Mayor Haila stated that he liked Objective 2 under the Strategic Goal B that states that the “HRC
will partner with City and Community members to learn about discrimination and how to
decrease the risk.” The first bullet explains that the HRC will partner with community employers
and human resource specialists to identify concerns and opportunities,” and wanted to know how
the Commission was going to work to accomplish that. Ms. Crosser explained the Commission
has not really gotten to that section yet and how they want to implement it, but through the
Symposium they will be able to connect and see what has changed since last year. What business
partners are seeing and hearing from diversity and inclusion teams is that through partnerships
with ISU and different community leaders, they will be able to get people to the resources they
need.

Council Member Gartin commented that the Council is about to do a lot of work in thinking
about policing and matters of race and the community. They don’t have a direct avenue with
HRC, but would like to invite the Commission to watch carefully, as the Commission will have
an area of interest in the discussion. Mr. Gartin commented that he would welcome the
Commission’s input.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to accept the 2019 Annual Report and the Strategic Plan.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

A video was shown that will be published on

YouTube

which showed the Human Relations

Commission Statement regarding the Ames Asian Community and COVID-19. Ms. Crosser
stated that once the video is posted, Liming Pals will also translate it in Chinese.

COMMISSION COMMENTS:

Mayor Haila advised that Liming Pals will be leaving the

Ames Human Relations Commission and thanked her for her commitment to the Commission.

ADJOURNMENT:

The Joint Meeting of the Ames City Council and the Ames Human

Relations Commission adjourned at 6:28 p.m.

AMES AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (AAMPO)

TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING

CALL TO ORDER:

The Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO)

3

Transportation Policy Committee meeting, which was being held electronically, was called to order by Ames Mayor and voting member John Haila at 6:29 p.m. on the 8th day of September,

2020. Other voting members brought into the meeting were: 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; Lauris Olson, Story County Supervisor; Bill Zinnel, Boone County
Supervisor. Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Council Member; Jacob Schrader, Transit Board; and Jon
Popp, Mayor of Gilbert, were absent.

REVIEW OF SCORED PROJECT RANKING AND FUNDING SUMMARY FOR THE
2045 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN:

Traffic Engineer Damion Pregitzer

gave a quick overview of what will be presented. He explained that tonight’s meeting is one of
the final steps in the Plan development before they present the Draft Plan to the Policy
Committee. The scoring and fiscal constraints will be shown.

Brian Ray with HDR recalled that a presentation of the draft alternatives was given a couple
months ago; they have made some changes based on the feedback received. He will be going
over the analysis, the draft constrained plan, and what the next steps will be.

As discussed at the last meeting, Long-Range Transportation Plans are required by the federal
government based on the Ames area being a metropolitan planning organization. As part of the
regulations a Performance-Based Planning Approach must be done. Mr. Ray mentioned that they
had worked with the public in order to identify the goals and objectives for the Ames area along
with using some of the federal requirements. With that information, they were able to develop
performance measures. Those performance measures help the analysis of potential projects to be
included in the Long-Range Transportation Plan. Performance measures are also used to help set
up System Performance Goals, which the Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
(AAMPO) is required to submit on an annual basis. Different performance measures were used
to analyze the different alternatives. Some of the performance measures were used for roadway
alternatives and some were for bicycle and pedestrian alternatives. He noted that some of the
performance measures were qualitative and some were quantitative, but those two analyses are
combined to develop a project score to determine which projects score high, medium, or low
priorities.

Mr. Ray displayed the Roadway Project scoring results, which were put into three tiers: high,
medium, and low. He emphasized that just because a project scores high doesn’t mean the
project met all the objectives; there could be projects that scored as medium that are still
valuable projects, but may not check every box. They used the tiers in order to identify projects
that would be included in the Constrained Plan. There were 54 different roadway projects that
were scored. The same process was used for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Project Scoring Results.
Mr. Ray explained that on the scoring results, the CR refers to crossing projects, OFF means off-
street projects, and ON means on-street projects. He noted that some of the OFF and ON may be
one or the other or both.

Mr. Ray stated that the next step was to develop the anticipated funding levels. A requirement

4

for an AAMPO is to develop what the anticipating funding will be over the next 25 years. They
looked at federal, state, and local funding sources. They developed the following time periods:
Current Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that is from 2021-2024, Short-term is 2025-
2029, Mid-Term is 2030-2037, and the Long-Term is 2038-2045. As the levels are developed,
they have to look at how the funds are being spent; this was done by looking back on historical
funding, how much goes into system preservation, and system improvement projects. Mr. Ray
pointed out that under the Roadway projections, the time periods have three areas of funding.
There is formula-based funds, discretionary funds, and local funds. A breakdown was done for
the bicycle and pedestrian projects as well. In order to develop the Constrained Plan, multiple
criteria were used to identify which project should be in the Plan. HDR applied project scoring,
current issues/future issues, anticipated growth in the near future, project timing coordination,
and project costs. An Illustrative Plan will be included (this is not considered part of the MPO
Plan), to show projects beyond the fiscally constrained plan, but are still a priority to the
community. A table was shown for the Draft Roadway Plan showing the short-term, mid-term,
and long-term plans along with the costs. Mr. Ray pointed out that the potential funding is an
estimation and would be changed based on available funding. He then showed the Draft
Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan for short-term, mid-term, and long-term. The MPO staff had worked a
lot with the Ames Bicycle Coalition to find the biggest needs in the City of Ames. Mr. Ray
presented a draft Transit Plan for the short; mid; and long-term. He noted that all the projects are
rolling stock and facilities/stations improvements.

The next steps will be to collect any comments on the Draft Constrained Plan and then develop
the Draft Plan to be presented on September 22, 2020, to the Policy Committee. It will also go
out for public review. HDR will collect comments from the public and the Policy Committee and
then finalize the Draft Plan, which will be presented to the Policy Committee on October 27,
2020, for final approval.

Mayor Haila questioned why, on the Bicycle & Pedestrian Improvement Funding Summary, the
local funds amount showed $0. He thought that the Council spent about $1 to $3 million per year
on bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Mr. Pregitzer explained that the funding for the rest of
the term goes back to more averages. The first line is what gets programmed into the MPO’s
TIP, which means only the local dollars will be matched with federal aid. He mentioned that
$96,000 doesn’t go very far so what they do with MPO funds to make it more efficient is to pool
the funds. The current TIP has the funding pooled to do one of the bike projects as a federal
project.

Mayor Haila noted that on the Draft Roadway map, on Dayton Road, there is a blue line that goes from S. 16th Street to Lincoln Way, but there is no project number assigned to that line. Mr.

Ray explained that is project 40, which is 16th Street, Grand Avenue, and Dayton Avenue Traffic

Signals.

The Mayor mentioned there is a lot of congestion along GW Carver going north. The Cameron
School Road and the GW Carver intersection had previously been discussed and the Ames 2040
Plan shows some potential growth in the area. He was surprised to see that nothing is scheduled

5

to be worked on in that area. Mr. Ray explained that on the project scoring it was rated a medium
tier, and further discussion was had, and it was determined that the area would be more of a
developer-driven project. Mr. Pregitzer stated that projects No. 3 and No. 43 would be
developer-driven and another north intersection project No. 2 rated really high and is included in
the plan. They may need to closely monitor project No. 1, and if the City grows as anticipated, a
traffic impact study would be done, which could trigger a project. Project No. 1 is not shown
because of what the Plan’s growth shows, but that doesn’t mean that a development, large
annexation, or something else that could come in may change that. Story County Supervisor
Lauris Olson explained that her problem with that explanation is that they are talking about the
area being developer-driven. Project No. 3 along Cameron School Road is already developed
and the only development available would be on the southeast side. She is concerned that in not
putting this area in the Plan, the area could be missed. Ms. Olson stated that as far as the County
is concerned, they appreciate the area being looked into, but what is shown is not realistic. Mr.
Ray stated when HDR did its analysis, the needs far exceeded the funding available for the
Long-Range Transportation Plan. It is a balance and there are a lot of intersections that have
scored high, and have a lot of congestion and expected to get worse. It was explained that is why
they are presenting the information tonight to see if some projects need to be added to the
Constrained Plan. Mayor Haila asked for help understanding the criteria that make it more
objective than subjective to arrive at a prioritization. Mr. Ray explained that when they did the
analysis, they looked at all the different scoring criteria. On the qualitative side, they look at
areas that currently have congestion, and from their analysis, that area did not show any current
congestion. The areas that were showing current congestion received higher scoring because that
congestion could be addressed. Other areas that received higher scoring were projects that were
on the National Highway System. The National Highway System is of high importance to the IA
DOT. Mayor Haila inquired if traffic counts were done and asked how they analyzed the volume
of traffic. Mr. Ray stated that the IA DOT has an extensive traffic count program that they
utilized, and they also have a travel demand model that was used to project the year 2045 traffic
volumes.

Ms. Olson wanted to know about the financial numbers. She wanted to know if the total amounts
were just what the City of Ames is anticipated to receive from the various sources, or if it
includes money that Story County may have to actually contribute to some of the projects. Mr.
Ray commented that it includes a combination, but the majority of it would be from the City of
Ames. Ms. Olson mentioned that they need to look at a couple areas and see if there is anything
this Plan could do to address their concern.

The Mayor asked what the next steps would be and what they are looking for from the
Committee. Mr. Pregitzer stated they are requesting feedback from the Committee. As a
Technical Committee, they have already made comments and given them to HDR. He wanted to
know if the Policy Committee was comfortable with the overall grouping of projects that were
shown. It was pointed out that when talking about roadway projects or bike projects, the plans
tend to emphasize the investment on the core of metropolitan areas, where there is the
accumulation of traffic and congestion. If there is anything in the Plan as far as the projects that
are going to be funded that the Policy Committee has a strong opinion on, they would like to

6

know about it now. Changing or moving the fiscal constraint of the Plan is very complicated to
do and get approved by the DOT and the Federal Highway. Mr. Pregitzer commented that they
worked closely with Planning staff and the Ames Plan 2040 Commission. He is hoping that the
timing of the projects shown will match up with how they are anticipating the fringes of the
region will grow. When the Draft Plan is presented, it will include all the details about the public
involvement and the process of development. Public Works Director John Joiner pointed out that
it is easy to confuse MPO projects with a longer-term CIP process. It is a planning tool to look at
where the federal dollars should be spent.

Mayor Haila mentioned that the Council hasn’t had a conversation yet about the road diet, and Project No. 19 shows a road diet from four lanes to three lanes. He noted that the project could be a conversation within itself. He wanted to know if the project on 13th and Grand Avenue

scored higher because it was a state project. Mr. Ray commented that the 13th and Grand Avenue

project scored high due to being a state roadway, congestion, and the amount of it being a safety
issue. Mayor Haila stated that the area will have a lot of public input and inquired if some
properties were going to be removed to widen the road. Mr. Pregitzer stated that there have been
issues in the past, but by taking a more complete streets approach, a more content sensitive
approach for design would be beneficial. He noted that Project Nos. 16 and 13 would have to go
through an extensive planning phase and design phase before any construction would be done.
Mayor Haila wanted to know if Project No. 16 wasn’t able to move forward would the money be
lost or would it be available for a different project. Mr. Pregitzer stated that the funds would
never leave the account and would go to another project

Ms. Olson stated she had a question about Project No. 22, which lists that Story County may be a
potential sponsor. She wanted to know why as that area is all City property. Mr. Pregitzer stated
it was a typo and they will get it fixed.

Boone County Supervisor Bill Zinnel asked how the scoring was done. Traffic Engineer
Pregitzer stated that the consultant took the scoring criteria that is a combination of the national
performance measures and feedback from the public input process. The raw scoring was done by
the consultant and its team, and then the Technical Committee reviewed the projects to make
sure it met the needs of the City.

Council Member Gartin questioned why the recommendation for a road diet on Lincoln Way
from four lanes to three lanes would be beneficial when they are trying to increase economic
activity on those roads. He felt it would be counterintuitive to go from four to three lanes when
there is potential growth to that area. Mr. Pregitzer explained that the road diet is from Gilchrist
Street to Duff Avenue, and the thought process was that if the area did become a heavy
commercial area that a four-lane undivided road with a bunch of turning traffic has a lot of safety
issues and effectively operates no differently than a three-lane road. He noted that another thing
that could become a benefit would be to reconstruct the street to have three lanes of traffic and
have additional space in the right-of-way to provide street or pedestrian scaping. Mayor Haila
stated that the area is also Highway 69 and asked if the IA DOT would approve a road diet. Mr.
Pregitzer stated that would have to be part of the design and justification process.

7

Council Member Gartin stated he appreciated the fact that they received input and guidance from
the Ames Bicycle Coalition, but it seemed as if there could be a couple of different fundamental
ways to prioritize the way in which they work on the bike trail system. He spends a lot of time
on the trails and there are some unconnected parts. Mr. Gartin mentioned that one approach
could be they want to connect the recreational areas, could prioritize the trail system for
commuting, or look at how to get students to Iowa State University. He wanted to know how to
take the three different types of approaches and build them into a strategy. Mr. Pregitzer pointed
out that on the bicycle and pedestrian scoring map, the red lines show a lot of the recreational
connections and potentially the Iowa trail system. Part of the reason that those were not part of
the Plan was due to his comment made earlier about not federalizing all projects. Traffic
Engineer Pregitzer stated that they could still make the park connections, but would likely do
those trails with local money. They want to be able to accommodate all users.

Council Member Betcher mentioned that she had a question regarding the Bicycle & Pedestrian
Plan. She stated that on Project No. 30, which is the Avenue bike boulevard that connects the
stub that is currently there to Lincoln Way, it is listed as a mid-term project. Ms. Betcher
mentioned that the City has had that stub of the bike boulevard on Ash Avenue for several years;
was done as a trial project. She wanted to know if the City has accessed the trail and if it is
something that bikers appreciate and use. Some of the residents in the Ash area have been
concerned about the vehicle speed in the area. Mr. Pregitzer stated that bike boulevard was done
in response to the athletic fields that were done as part of ISU, and as far as he has heard, it has
been a positive route if you are on the route. The difficulty is getting in and out of that section,
and there are accessibility enhancement funds in the CIP to build a better connection on the
south end by Mortensen Parkway. It would have to build a crossing on the north end. Mr.
Pregitzer mentioned that speed etc., will need to be something else that they will have to study
before they finalize any designs.

Mr. Pregitzer said to email him with any other concerns or questions.

POLICY COMMITTEE COMMENTS:

Ms. Olson thanked Brian Ray and Damion Pregitzer

for their hard work.

ADJOURNMENT:

Moved by Gartin, to adjourn the AAMPO Transportation Policy Committee

meeting at 7:35 p.m.

REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

CALL TO ORDER:

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

which was being held electronically, to order at 7:37 p.m. with the following Council members
present: Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin, Rachel Junck, and David Martin.

Ex

officio

Member Nicole Whitlock was also present. Council Member Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen

was absent.

CONSENT AGENDA:

Mayor Haila stated that staff had requested to pull Item No. 14, the

contract and bond for Unit 8 Crane Renovation due to staff not receiving the contract and bond.

8

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

Motion approving payment of claims

2.

Motion approving Minutes of Regular Meetings of August 18, 2020, and August 25, 2020

3.

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

4.

Motion approving certification of Civil Service applicants

5.

Motion authorizing Mayor to send Letter of Support for Main Street to pursue funding through a Main Street Challenge Grant for 412 Burnett and 330-5th Street

6.

Motion approving 5-day (September 15 - September 20) Class C Liquor License - Gateway
Hotel & Conference Center, 2100 Green Hills Drive

7.

Motion approving renewal of the following Beer Permits, Wine Permits, and Liquor
Licenses:
a. Class E Liquor License with Class B Wine Permit, Class C Beer Permit (Carryout Beer),

and Sunday Sales - Kum & Go #0217, 3111 S. Duff Avenue

b. Class C Liquor License with Catering Privilege and Sunday Sales - Hy-Vee #1

Clubroom, 3800 West Lincoln Way

c. Class B Liquor License with Outdoor Service and Sunday Sales - The Love Club, 4625

Reliable Street

d. Class E Liquor License with Class B Wine Permit, Class C Beer Permit (Carryout Beer),

and Sunday Sales - Southgate Expresse, 110 Airport Road

e. Class C Liquor License with Class B Native Wine Permit, Outdoor Service, and Sunday

Sales - AJ’s Ultra Lounge, 2401 Chamberlain Street

8.

Motion approving Water Quality Grant Application through the State Revolving Fund
sponsored project for refund of interest for use for future storm water improvements and
designating Municipal Engineer Tracy (Warner) Peterson as the authorized representative

9.

RESOLUTION NO. 20-477 accepting the report of the Rapid Need Purchases for repairs to
the 161 KV tie line for Electric Services

10. RESOLUTION NO. 20-478 awarding contract for On-Call Architectural and Engineering

Services to ASK Studio of Des Moines, Iowa, for a period of two years, with hourly rates
between $50-$150 depending on the staff member, and annual renewal options for up to
three additional years for Cy-Ride

11. RESOLUTION NO. 20-479 awarding contract for 15kV 1/0 Stranded Aluminum for

Electric Services to Wesco Distribution, of Des Moines, Iowa, in the amount of $80,892.00
(inclusive of Iowa sales tax)

12. RESOLUTION NO. 20-480 approving contract for Fiber Optic Cable Installation for the

Solar Farm to Communication Innovators, of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, in the amount of $52,900

13. RESOLUTION NO. 20-481 awarding for Unit 8 Precipitator Roof Replacement to Henkel

Construction Company, of Mason City, Iowa, in the amount of $487,784 (inclusive of Iowa
sales tax)

14. RESOLUTION NO. 20-482 approving contract and bond for 2020/21 Seal Coat Program

(Franklin Avenue)

15. RESOLUTION NO. 20-483 approving contract and bond for 2020/21 Seal Coat Program

(East 8th Street)

16. RESOLUTION NO. 20-484 approving contract and bond for 2020/21 Right-of-Way

Restoration (Standard Vegetation)

9

17. RESOLUTION NO. 20-485 approving contract and bond for 2020/21 Right-of-Way

Restoration (Native Vegetation)

18. RESOLUTION NO. 20-486 approving contract and bond for 2018/19 Storm Water Facility

Rehabilitation (Little Bluestem)

19. RESOLUTION NO. 20-487 approving contract and bond for 2020/21 Traffic Signal

Program (S. Duff & S. 5th Street)

20. RESOLUTION NO. 20-488 approving contract and bond for 2019/20 Multi-Modal

Roadway Improvements (13th Street & Clark Avenue)

21. RESOLUTION NO. 20-489 approving contract and bond for Baker Subdivision

Improvements

22. RESOLUTION NO. 20-490 approving contract and bond for 2019/20 Multi-Modal

Roadway Improvements (Mortensen Road, West of South Dakota Avenue)

23. RESOLUTION NO. 20-491 approving Plat of Survey for Bishop Farms at 831 E. Riverside 24. RESOLUTION NO. 20-492 approving Final Plat for Northridge Heights Subdivision, 19th Addition

25. RESOLUTION NO. 20-493 approving partial completion of public improvements and

reducing required security for Quarry Estates, 2nd Addition

26. RESOLUTION NO. 20-494 approving partial completion of public improvements and

reducing required security for Quarry Estates, 4th Addition

Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motions/Resolutions declared carried/adopted unanimously, signed by the
Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes.

PUBLIC FORUM:

Mayor Haila opened Public Forum. No one requested to speak, so he closed

Public Forum.

STAFF REPORT ON DELINQUENT UTILITY ACCOUNTS RELATED TO COVID-19:

City Manager Steve Schainker explained that a plan was laid out regarding communicating with
utility customers on the status of delinquent utility accounts. The Council had approved staff’s
recommendation and gave permission to move ahead. Mr. Schainker mentioned that he had put a
hold on the delinquent accounts until the Housing Coordinator Vanessa Baker-Latimer and her
staff were prepared to administer the new CDBG funds. They were going to start implementing
the process of attempting to recover funds for past-due accounts, but staff was notified that there
was some doubts that the City would be able to use the CDBG funds to help pay back past-due
utility bills. He reminded the Council that the City was told to utilize the funds before any rules
were in place. Due to the new information, the City is going to ask for an appeal or a waiver and
is not sure how long it will take. The amount of delinquent utility bills has grown to
approximately $750,000. City Manager Schainker stated his recommendation was to move ahead
in resuming the disconnection process as previously approved. Any utility customer who
contacts the City and applies for the funds, their account will be placed on hold until they hear
further. The hope is that the citizens who don’t qualify for the program will make their payments
or work with the City and set up a payment plan. If the Council delays this action, the Low-
Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) rules will allow qualifying customers to delay
utility payment until April 2021, thereby further increasing the magnitude of the outstanding
bills.

10

Council Member Junck asked if the City would shut off a person’s electricity or if they would be
able to get assistance if that person is out of work and unable to pay their bill. Ms. Baker-
Latimer stated that the funds are for COVID-related events; if they can prove they lost their job
or their wages were cut back, they should be eligible to receive assistance under the guidelines.

Council Member Betcher wanted to clarify that the issue with the HUD rules applies only to the
utility accounts, because the City of Ames is a Municipal Utility and would not apply to the
rental and homeowners relief programs. Ms. Baker-Latimer stated that a city that operates a
municipal utility cannot distribute these funds to customers to be used to pay for utilities
operated by the city administering the grant. She stated the City has asked for a waiver in order
to allow the City to use the funds during COVID only. In talking with the professionals in the
field there are only 240 municipally owned utilities in the country. Ms. Baker-Latimer explained
that the guideline was buried so deep that the field office was not even aware of the guideline.
Mr. Schainker stated that the mortgage and rental assistance would not be affected. Ms. Baker-
Latimer explained that the City cannot pay the property taxes on a mortgage.

Mayor Haila mentioned that they do have a relationship with Senator Joni Ernst’s office and
Senator Grassley’s office and if the Council wants him, a motion could be made to have him
reach out to the Senators to see what they could do to help. Mr. Schainker explained that Ms.
Baker-Latimer would be happy to join in on a phone call with them.

Council Member Betcher asked if any of the customers who were in the arrears have contacted
Ms. Baker-Latimer. Ms. Baker-Latimer stated that there have been four customers who are
getting help with their rent, and Alliant gas bill. She stated that when speaking with the field
office they didn’t think the City would be approved for a waiver. Ms. Betcher asked if they
knew how many people were not qualified for the program, but had been in contact with the City
to set up payment arrangements. Mr. Schainker explained memos were previously sent out
reminding customers of their balances, but they do not currently have that information available.

Mr. Schainker stated notices will go out in the next couple of days stating the City does not want
to shut their electricity off, but they need to contact the City to set up a payment plan or apply for
assistance. The Finance Department will try to reach out at least three times to see if there is
something that the City could do, but if there is no response, they will proceed to shut off the
electricity. Mr. Schainker explained he may come back to the Council regarding two groups.
Mayor Haila asked when the moratorium would kick in. Mr. Schainker stated that if it doesn't
start soon, they would not be able to shut people’s electricity off starting in November due to the
colder weather; the City wants to help before the bill keeps growing.

Council Member Martin stated that they were looking at $400,000 in delinquency and wanted to
know if there are a number of delinquent accounts. Mr. Schainker stated he is not sure of the
current number.

Council Member Gartin stated that in July, the unemployment rate was 2.9 and there was a

11

significant decrease to 8%. Things are getting better, but there is still financial stress. There are
substantial resources available.

Moved by Gartin, seconded by Martin, to ask the Mayor to reach out on behalf of the Council to
the various sources of authority to advocate on the City’s behalf.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

STAFF REPORT REGARDING SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION FOR BRICKTOWNE
DEVELOPMENT:

Planning and Housing Director Kelly Diekmann explained they are

following up from the Council’s request to table Mr. Jensen’s request to waive the sidewalk
requirement for the Bricktowne Development. The main issue is the condition of a ditch along
the frontage on the southern part of the property as well as a vacant commercial lot on the north
side of the property. In the Agreement there was a requirement to construct a sidewalk. There
were a couple of stipulations in the Agreement: one was to have the sidewalk completed within a
year of construction of Highway 69; the Highway 69 project was deemed completed in the fall of
2019. Mr. Diekmann stated the deferral of the sidewalk was until October of this year. Mr.
Jensen is asking for a waiver because of the ditch and the inability to install the sidewalk in the
ditch, which has been limited by the DOT. Staff has reviewed the ditch further per Council’s
request to see what it would cost to enclose the ditch. Due to the conveyance of the ditch a storm
sewer would need to be built and would cost over $400,000. Mr. Diekmann stated that, in the
Staff Report, there were a few other examples given of other areas of town that had similar
circumstances. Staff supports Option 3, which is to have the developer complete their sidewalk
improvement requirements per City standards.

Mayor Haila noted that when reviewing the other examples in the Staff Report it shows that
easements were granted. Mr. Diekmann stated with all the other examples they had been
working administratively with the applicant to find a solution that worked best for them. He
noted that the majority of the applicants had found it easiest to have an easement on their
property and place a sidewalk through it. When this happens, they obtain a Sidewalk Easement,
which has the language that the public has the right to walk over the sidewalk just like the right-
of-way. The developer is responsible for maintaining the sidewalk, and the benefit to the
developer is the City would measure setbacks from the property line; this way they don’t use
front-yard setbacks. In Mr. Jensen’s case, the developer meets or exceeds the setback
requirements, but it would be the lowest cost option.

Council Member Gartin mentioned that if the sidewalk was offset from Highway 69, it would be
safer. He wanted to know why this sidewalk was being placed so close to the road. Mr.
Diekmann stated he would defer to the Public Works Department as the original plan did meet
the SUDAS separation requirement, but now the DOT is requesting more shoulder room next to
the path. Mr. Gartin stated it was brought up at the last meeting that if the sidewalk was placed
adjacent to the ditch, it might be a problem in regards to the stability of the bank. Director
Diekmann explained that if the developer proposed to move the sidewalk to a different area, staff
would be happy to work with them.

12

Council Member Gartin wanted to know about the sidewalk in front of the cemetery, asking to
know the timing of that project. Mr. Diekmann mentioned they tried to anticipate the other
project at the time of the Developer's Agreement and had hoped that Bricktowne would complete
the gap as part of their sidewalk. The language in the Agreement stated that it would have only
been necessitated if a right-of-way would have been dedicated in time to build a sidewalk; this
has not happened and Mr. Jensen is not obligated to do so. The area is currently not
programmed into the CIP. Public Works Director John Joiner explained that it would be staff
responsibility to program the project into a CIP, but that has not been done. Staff would need to
look at the area in the context of other projects that need to be completed. Unfortunately, the
time frame is undetermined at this time.

Mayor Haila opened public comment and closed it when no one spoke up.

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Martin, to approve Option 3, which states to have the developer
complete their sidewalk improvement requirements per City standards.

Council Member Gartin stated that he will support this motion because at the end of the day the
cost is going to be the same. The difference is the City will be asking for an easement where they
would not have before. He commented that it would be a small thing to justify.

Council Member Betcher stated she will support Option 3, but her main concern was that the
citizens in Teagarden have voiced their concerns about the ditch and the drainage on the east
side of Highway 69. She is hoping as the sidewalk is constructed, staff will continue to monitor
the drainage in the area.

Mr. Diekmann stated that they will work with the developer about the decision made tonight.

Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

REQUEST OF VERBIO TO ANNEX TO THE CITY OF NEVADA:

Planning and Housing

Director Kelly Diekmann stated that the request to Annex Verbio to the City of Nevada is a two-
part request. The first part is to allow the City of Nevada to annex a piece of property on the west
side of 590th. He pointed out that there is currently an Agreement with the City of Nevada that
they would not annex west of 590th Street. The City of Nevada is proposing to extend the
Agreement for another ten years if the City of Ames will allow the Verbio property to be
annexed to Nevada. Staff supports the request for annexation. The piece of land in question does
not affect the Ames 2040 Plan. The proposal by Verbio is to use the property as a rail loading
loop for their own property on the south side of the tracks. Director Diekmann stated that the
ten-year extension would be a great benefit to the City.

Council Member Gartin mentioned that he had concerns about this request. He noted the
property is a 100-acre site. Mr. Gartin asked to see a map that shows the area in relation to the
East Industrial Area. Director Diekmann showed the East Industrial Area and where the potential
growth is for the Ames Plan 2040 in relation to the Verbio property. Council Member Gartin

13

stated that they should err on the side of caution on giving up the rights to have control of this
land. He noted that the land may not have a specific need at this time, but as a 100-acre property,
he is not recommending the City release the property.

Mayor Haila inquired where the growth would go in correlation to the railroad tracks if there
was industrial growth in the area within the next 20 to 30 years. Mr. Diekmann stated that it is
interesting as they were not aware of rail access on the north side of the tracks; this may have
been discussed by Verbio and Union Pacific. They looked at the employment base and it would
be along the north side of the tracks with housing to the north. The core industrial would be on
the south side next to Highway 30. The sewer is planned to run south and any growth to the
south would be beneficial. In the Verbio request, its water needs would be really low.

Council Member Gartin stated he is supportive of Verbio and excited for the project, but the City
doesn’t know who is going to own the property in the long term. He noted part of the reason he
wanted to have the City maintain control of the property is so the City can set the building
standards, and the use of the property is consistent with the growth of Ames. Mr. Gartin wanted
to know what is driving the annexation for development. City Manager Schainker stated this was
a piece of land that fit Verbio’s need next to the railroad. Mr. Gartin wanted to know if the
project could move forward without annexation. Mr. Diekmann stated he doesn’t believe it could
as the property would need a rezoning, and the Fringe Plan would preclude the county from
rezoning the property. The property is currently zoned as Agricultural.

Council Member Betcher stated that there is an opportunity to extend the Agreement for another
ten years on the moratorium and she wanted to know if the Agreement extension would still be
on the table if the City refused their request. Mr. Schainker mentioned that question was never
asked, and he is not sure what their reply would be. Ms. Betcher thought it would be valuable to
have the extended Agreement, especially since staff had indicated that it doesn't seem that this
piece of property would be valuable to the City.

Council Member Martin stated he is hesitant to assume too much about people's interests, but it
does make sense to him that Verbio would want to have both parts of its properties in the same
city. He noted it seemed like a reasonable request as the area is not in the City’s immediate
plans.

Council Member Corrieri stated she doesn’t see any reason not to support the request as her
conclusions are similar to Council Member Betcher’s.

Council Member Junck stated she agreed with what had already been said; she is supportive of
staff's recommendation.

City Manager Schainker explained that the next step would be for staff to put together a new
Agreement with the new boundaries, which would come back to the Council for final approval.

Council Member Gartin mentioned that a ten-year horizon is nothing in the life of a city. They

14

are talking about defining the boundaries of the community. He feels that part of the reason why
they have the train wreck of transportation north of Ames is because a prior Council said the
City would never grow north, but the City has. Mr. Gartin stated that the fact that the Council
doesn’t foresee what development will happen in the area is not the issue. The issue is where is
this land is in proximity to the growth of the City. This is a 100-acre parcel that is going to be
annexed to the City of Nevada without knowing what the City’s cost would be if the City wanted
to annex the property and provide services. That information is not available tonight and Mr.
Gartin felt the Council was making a major decision for the City, and he is stunned by the
gravity of the decision since the Council lacks the information that they have to make it.

Mayor Haila opened public comment. He closed it when no one came forward.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to approve Alternative 1, which states to direct staff to
prepare an Amendment to the Annexation Moratorium Agreement to allow Verbio to annex to
Nevada and extend the Agreement until 2030.
Vote on Motion: 4-1. Voting Aye: Betcher, Corrieri, Junck, Martin. Voting Nay: Gartin.
Motion declared carried.

PRIVATE WATER MAIN AGREEMENT BETWEEN HARVESTER LAND
HOLDINGS, LC, AND DICKSON AND LUANN JENSEN FOR USES ON THE SEVEN
EXISTING LOTS:

Public Works Director John Joiner explained that the area in question is on

South Duff Avenue on the southern edge of the City limits, between Highway 69 and South
Duff, and the Airport. This Agreement would initially provide a rural water main that would
provide service to three homes and seven lots. In 2018, this request was initially brought forward
and then subsequently twice pulled from an agenda.

Council Member Martin mentioned that the proposed service would serve up to seven lots, and
he thought he had read somewhere that it was going to be a temporary main and would be eight
inches. Mr. Martin wanted to know if that big of a water main was needed for only seven lots.
Director Joiner stated that the eight-inch main is the standard size for anywhere that would be
developed in town. It is larger than what is needed for serving seven lots, but he is not sure of the
intent of the developer. Mr. Joiner stated that the developer is following SUDAS.

Public input was opened by Mayor Haila and closed when no one spoke.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Corrieri, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-495 approving a
private Water Main Agreement between Harvester Land Holdings, LC, and Dickson and Luann
Jensen for uses on the seven existing lots, thus denying the Xenia Rural Water Service request.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.

Mayor Haila recessed at 8:34 p.m. and reconvened at 8:40 p.m.

HEARING ON THE DOMANI PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2200 OAKWOOD ROAD:

15

Planner Benjamin Campbell explained that the property owner Pinnacle Properties Ames, LLC,
is requesting the rezoning of a parcel comprising of 23.784 acres. The parcel is addressed as
2200 Oakwood Road. It also has frontage along street stubs for Suncrest Drive and Cottonwood
Road (in two places). The site was annexed to the City in 2019 and is zoned Agricultural (A).
The applicant is requesting rezoning it to Planned Residence District (F-PRD) with a Residential
Low Density (RL) base zone to allow for a single-family residential development with mostly
zero-lot-line homes. There will be 63 residential lots: 51 zero-lot-line lots and 12 custom-built
sites at the south end. The proposed plan also includes a resident clubhouse with swimming pool,
five common area outlots, and one subdivision sign outlot at the corner of Oakwood Road and
Green Hills Drive. The land for Domani is currently primarily used as a farm field, with a small
amount as farm yard, adjacent to an old farmhouse on Oakwood Road. The City’s Christofferson
Park abuts the property along most of the development’s eastern edge. The western edge is
primarily bordered by single-family homes developed as part of the Suncrest Subdivision during
2002-2006. Several of the abutting properties along the western edge of the site have extended
their rear-yard use onto the subject property.

The development of Domani will be broken into three phases. The first phase will include the
northern part of the property, plus several drainage outlots. It will also include a temporary sales
trailer at the east side of the property, at the end of the current street stub for Cottonwood Road.
This structure will serve as the sales office for the development until the clubhouse is
constructed, which will then serve as the sales office. The second phase of development will
complete the zero-lot-line homes and the final phase will be the 12 custom home lots. The
Clubhouse is required through a proposed condition to be under construction prior to
development and construction of homes in the 2nd phase and completed prior to initiation of
construction of homes in the 3rd phase.

Council Member Betcher stated when she was looking at the phasing map, she questioned the
timing of the road construction along with the location of the sales trailer as it seems the road
will not be completed and is unsure of how anyone would get to the sales trailer. Mr. Campbell
stated the developer wanted the sales trailer to be available right away, and believes they wanted
it off of Cottonwood as it would be on an existing street. Ms. Betcher commented that the sales
trailer is more important to be set up for accessibility as opposed to the developed part of Phase
1. Mr. Campbell believed that was correct.

Mr. Arneson stated he is available for questions. He wanted to respond to Council Member
Betcher’s question about the sales trailer. He explained that the sales trailer is ADA compliant
and there will be a ramp and an ADA bathroom. They will need to connect to electricity and
water, so he felt the least disruptive location would be on Cottonwood. He wanted to be
respectful to the people who lived on the Suncrest side.

Mayor Haila wanted to know if all the paved roads would be developed at the same time. Mr.
Arneson stated he was not intending to take Cottonwood at the same time. The first half
developed would be 51 homes, and the second and third phase are fed by the same completion of
Cottonwood. He does not see many developers opening at the same time. Mayor Haila asked if

16

there is a tentative schedule for Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3. Mr. Arneson would like to see
each addition to open up 12 months apart, but it will depend on sales.

Council Member Gartin explained that this is an exciting project and wanted to know how this
project correlates with the Ames Complete Streets program and how the bicycle infrastructure
included in the Subdivision. Mr. Arneson explained they are trying to create a better way for
people in the existing neighborhoods to get across, but the most important part is the Tedesco
Park and the bike trail in the area. On the northern end, they tried to make an interesting area to
traverse from the new neighborhood, around a pond, and over to the new path.

Council Member Betcher stated that she noticed in the Powerpoint that most of the houses would
be slab on grade and wanted to know if there would be basements. Mr. Arneson stated that 50%
of the lots in the Subdivision could accommodate a basement. The national rate for basements is
only 4%. There are solutions for putting a free-standing storm shelter in.

Mayor Haila wanted to know what the thin blue line was on the map from Outlot C to the east.
Mr. Campbell stated that line would indicate where drainage work would be done. The applicant
has worked with the Parks and Recreation Department on drainage. Mr. Arneson stated he would
defer that question to Greg Broussard with Bolton and Menck. Mr. Broussard explained that the
thin blue strip is some regrading work along the existing channel in the park and along Wessex
to help improve water control. They are still working on the final plan with the Parks and
Recreation Department and what type of seeding they want.

Mayor Haila mentioned that he had read that with the increased improvements, additional
development could happen upstream. He inquired where upstream would be. Mr. Broussard
stated upstream is about 130 acres of drainage area coming to their site to the west. There are
some existing low-lying areas south of Cottonwood that they are improving to make sure their
site can handle the water flowing through the site. Mayor Haila inquired about the Ringgenberg
farm. Mr. Broussard stated they are not doing any storm water management for them, but
providing a path for the existing and any future water to their site.

Council Member Betcher stated that the concern from citizens is about the storm water along
Cottonwood. She likes the idea about helping with some of the storm water issues and
appreciates the increased water transfer that this project allows.

Mayor Haila asked if there were walk-out basements along the south side of Cottonwood Drive.
Mr. Broussard stated that there are; they worked with several of the property owners and were
able to get survey shots of their finished basement and to compare to existing elevations. They
will be lowering the 100-year water level by 1.8 feet due to the pipe they are putting in.

Mayor Haila stated that over the last eight years water has flowed over Cedar Lane twice.
There's a lot of water through the area, and he wanted to make any developer aware of potential
problems.

17

Council Member Betcher asked what the price points were for the homes as they looked very
nice. Mr. Arneson is looking to start selling at $350,000. This is a new development for the City
of Ames, but not a new concept.

Mayor Haila opened the public hearing.

** Diana Ripple, 3002 White Oak, Ames, stated she appreciated Mr. Arneson’s comments and the
development. She explained she lives at the southeast corner of Suncrest and White Oak. Her
concern with the development, as proposed, is the disparity it creates, especially with Lots 23
and 36 that are off Suncrest. There is an eight-foot setback between the structure and the
property line for those two lots. Ms. Ripple believed the development would be really nice, but
she would like the developer to consider a reconfiguration so those homes along White Oak are
treated equitably as opposed to having two homes that have eight-foot setbacks and all the other
homes having at least 60-foot setbacks.

Council Member Gartin mentioned that he wasn’t quite sure what Ms. Ripple’s concerns were.
Mr. Diekmann stated that what she is asking for is to not have a home lot exist in their rear
yards. In order to accommodate the level of setbacks that Ms. Ripple is asking, the developer
would need to lose two lots or reconfigure the Subdivision. Mr. Gartin asked if something is
being done differently with this Subdivision as opposed to other subdivisions in Ames. Mr.
Diekmann stated from a zoning compliance perspective what the Council is seeing is 100%
consistent with City Subdivision Standards. Mr. Diekmann pointed out that Ms. Ripple would
like open space similar to the other lots. Council Member Betcher asked if the Lots 23 and 36 are
the zero-lot-line. Mr. Diekmann stated the homes meet the eight-foot setback that is expected of
any home regardless if a zero lot line or not.

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Gartin, to pass on first reading an Ordinance rezoning the
property generally located at 2200 Oakwood Road from Agricultural (A) to Planned Residence
District (F-PRD).
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

Mr. Diekmann stated that the Council had spoken before about small lots and this is a great
project for staff to look at with the developer that is market driven. Everyone will learn from this
project within the next couple of years. This request fits in with the Council Goals.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Gartin, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-496 approving the
Major Site Development Plan for the property generally located at 2200 Oakwood Road,
allowing for the construction of single-family residential development comprised of 63
residential lots.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Gartin, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-497 approving the
Preliminary Plat for 2200 Oakwood Road.

18

Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.

HEARING ON 2017/18 MAIN STREET PAVERS (CLARK TO BURNETT):

City Manager

Schainker stated this project is good news for the City and recommended going with Alternative
B, which is a little more expensive, but is the curved design that was preferred.

The Mayor opened public comment. It was closed when there was no one wishing to speak.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 20-498 approving the final
plans and specifications and awarding a contract to Pillar, Inc., of Huxley, Iowa, in the amount
of $175,408.46.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolution 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 request was an email from Jim Pease, Board of Directors, Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage
Park, to acquire Rose Prairie land as an expansion to Ada Hayden Heritage Park.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Junck, to have staff provide a memo.

Council Member Gartin wanted to know if the Council was interested in turning 170 acres into a
park. Council Member Betcher explained she would like to know what the pros and cons would
be from a staff perspective, and that is why she asked for a memo.

Vote on Motion. 3-2. Voting Aye: Betcher, Junck, Martin. Voting Nay: Gartin, Corrieri.
Motion declared carried.

The second item was a memo from Brian Phillips, Assistant City Manager, providing an update
on Metronet service in the Ironwood and Kingman neighborhoods. The memo was informational
only.

Council Member Martin wanted to take a moment to thank Mr. Phillips for following up on the
Council’s request as it is wonderful to see the City working with MetroNet to potentially bring
the service to the neighborhoods.

Mayor Haila explained that the last item was a memo from Deb Schildroth, Assistant City
Manager, regarding resources from local business groups to help support a gift card promotion
related to the Mask Ordinance.

Council Member Corrieri stated that Mr. Jensen’s offer to the City was incredibly generous, but
when thinking about the practicality of making this work, she has more and more concerns. She
is not sure how such a program could be implemented or how the gift cards could be audited and
tracked. Ms. Corrieri mentioned she would like to know what the rest of Council thinks about

19

asking staff to no longer pursue the gift card option, and if Mr. Jensen still wants to donate
money, it could be used to purchase masks or Mr. Jensen could be asked to work with the
Chamber instead of having the City be the coordinator of the process.

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Betcher, to ask the staff to no longer pursue and to politely
decline the donation and thank Mr. Jensen for the donation.

Council Member Betcher thought it would be appropriate to have something like the gift cards to
be pursued by private organizations, and she really appreciated Mr. Jensen’s offer.

Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

COUNCIL COMMENTS:

Council Member Gartin explained that he had asked staff a couple

times to look into a problem intersection. There is a railroad crossing on 24th Street and Hayes.

On the north side there is a continuous sidewalk, but there is no crossing for pedestrians. If you
are walking along the sidewalk, you will have to walk out into the street because there is
nowhere to walk. The railroad company has been unresponsive to the Council’s previous
requests. Mr. Gartin mentioned this is a safety issue. He noted he would be happy to have the
City pay to have this area fixed.

Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to ask staff to make a further effort to reach out to the
railroad to begin conversations again to complete a sidewalk in the area.

Mayor Haila wanted to know if the problem was on the north or south side of the road. Mr.
Gartin commented that the south side of the road is fine; it is just the north side. It looks like the
project was never finished.

Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

Council Member Betcher stated she is happy that the Council will be doing the ITGA training
tomorrow and Thursday. She also pointed out that an email was received about the definition of
face coverings. It may not be clear that face covering includes face shields. In education efforts,
she believes they have focused on masks and not the alternatives. She hopes this will be defined
more. Ms. Betcher has been working with the National League of Cities University Communities
Council on advocating for accurate census counts for college towns, which has gone largely
unheard since March. She had heard that at the end of August the Office of the Inspector General
had put out a memo stating that it is likely that there will be an inaccurate count of college
students in college towns. She is not sure how this will be accounted for going forward in the
latest COVID discussions, but is hoping there will be some relief.

ADJOURNMENT:

Moved by Corrieri to adjourn the meeting at 9:40 p.m.

__________________________________

____________________________________

Amy L. Colwell, Deputy City Clerk

John A. Haila, Mayor

20

21