Stange roadway improvements, infill housing opportunity, and rebranding to Ames Animal Services

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)

MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

This Ames City Council meeting is at 6:00 at City Hall. The council meeting agenda includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 11. Resolution approving a Lease Agreement between the City and Iowa State University (ISU) for ISU Land Adjacent Moore Memorial Park.
  This potential 20-year land lease would allow nearly 30 acres to be converted to prairie and maintained by the City.
  
  
• 12. Resolution approving an Easement Agreement between the City and Iowa State University (ISU) to place a bridge and future shared use path on ISU Property.
  This item would allow for a future pedestrian bridge and path from Moore Memorial Park to the west side of Ioway Creek, connecting to Scholl and Ontario Roads.
  
  
• 29. 2023/24 Multi-Modal Roadway Improvements (Somerset Improvements - Stange Road)
  Council saw this item before, but allowed extra time for feedback to be collected from property owners in the affected area. 
  
  
  
  
• 31. Request to amend Development Agreement to Change Paving of Cedar Lane to Aurora Avenue
  Some time ago, Council agreed to cost-share in the paving of Cedar Lane, but is now being asked to switch our financial commitment instead to the paving of Aurora Avenue, to better facilitate housing development in the affected area. 
  
  
• 32. Staff Report on 608 Burnett Zoning Text Amendments and Incentive Request.  (see google map)
  Council has been asked to consider a potential infill project at 608 Burnett Avenue. In order to facilitate the request, the developer is asking for a few changes to the Neighborhood Commercial zoning as well as a financial incentive that is different from the typical Downtown incentive structure.
  On a related note, you can see the communications to Council from Ames Post Master (as seen in the Council Packet Summary at the end of this week's newsletter)
  
  
• 33. Ames Animal Services Update.
  Along with the new facility as described in the staff report, the department formerly known as Ames Animal Control is rebranding to Ames Animal Services. This better reflects the work of a department that offers a number of services such as vaccination clinics, microchipping, and education beyond the traditional concept of animal "control". 
  
  
• 35. Hearing on a Revocable Lease Option with Ames Greenfield Development, LLC to develop, install, and operate solar facilities on approximately 165 acres located on portions of the following properties at the Ames Municipal Airport.
  This item is being introduced, but Council is being asked to wait until our special meeting on the 19th to make any final decisions on this lease option.

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially. This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action.

Council Packet Summary

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

South Campus Redirection Area

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)

MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

This Ames City Council meeting is at 6:00 at City Hall. The council meeting agenda includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 38. Summary of The Irons Subdivision Sewer Extension Alternatives.
  A number of years ago, Council agreed to allow certain elements of the Irons development in exchange for a future promise of annexation. As a result of annexation into Ames, it is typical to require the upgrade of certain utilities like sewer. The residents have communicated their concerns about the requirement to hook into sewer, so Council asked staff to outline some options for sewer hookup arrangements.
• 39. Resolution approving Preliminary Plat for the Auburn Trail Subdivision.
  The map below shows the subject property, located mostly to the west of Hyde Avenue, to the west of Ada Hayden. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-0 to approve recommendation. 
  
  
  
• 40. Selection of a developer's proposal for the purchase of single-family market-rate lots in the Baker Subdivision.
  Two developers submitted proposals for the Baker Subdivision market-rate lots. Staff scored applications and are reporting back that Keystone scored higher with the criteria used.
  
  
• 41. South Campus Redirection Area Staff Report. 
  This is an area outlined as a "Redirection Area" in Ames Plan2040. This could potentially involve increased building height standards or reduced parking standards to spur higher density residential redevelopment, and staff are outlining several degrees of change that Council could consider.
  
  
  
• 42. 2025/26 Asphalt Street Pavement Improvements - Sidewalk Infill along Delaware Avenue. 
  As the City completes street reconstructions, it is a goal of ours to fill in missing sidewalk infrastructure. This section of Delaware does not have a complete sidewalk from North Dakota so the proposal is to fill in the missing sidewalk along the west side of Delaware Ave.
  
  
• 44. First reading of an ordinance amending Chapter 28 of the Municipal Code Section 28.201 to increase water rates by 3.5% and Section 28.304 to increase sanitary sewer rates by 5.5% for charges to be billed on or after July 1, 2026.
  This concept of a rate increase was introduced to Council by staff as part of our regular budgeting process. 
  
  

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially. This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action.

Council Packet Summary

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

New Electric Generation and Solar Updates

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)

MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

This Ames City Council meeting is at 6:00 at City Hall. The council meeting agenda includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 2. New Thermal Generation Project Update.
  The City's Electric Utility provides electricity to just under 30K customers across the city including residential, small and large commercial, and industrial users. The Electric Utility is required to maintain enough generation capacity to meet its peak need, which is currently 166.3 MW. Failure to maintain that generation capacity costs quite a lot of money, and it is only estimated to get more expensive in future years. We are currently only short by a little bit of capacity, but a few factors make new generation high priority. First, our current equipment is old, and has been worn down by the burning of RDF. (This is one of the reasons the City is moving to a new waste disposal strategy.) Unit 7 is nearing the end of its lifespan, and so new thermal generation is needed in the near future. Secondly, energy use is only expected to increase, meaning new peaks and new requirements for capacity. An initial rough estimate for a new production facility was $84 million, but a more recent more accurate estimate suggests this project might cost closer to $190 million. Staff outline how a project like this might be financed, including a combination of savings from dropping RDF and small annual rate increases.
  
  
• 3.Solar Energy Project at Ames Municipal Airport.
  In addition to additional thermal generation, the City is considering a PPA (power purchase agreement) with a company that would potentially build a solar array on land near the airport. In order to lock in incentives before they expire, the company in question needs to meet certain deadlines by summer. Staff are asking Council to weigh in before proceeding with negotiations. 

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

Planning Division Workplan

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)

MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

This Ames City Council meeting is at 6:00 at City Hall. The council meeting agenda includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 15. Resolution setting April 28, 2026, as date of Public Hearing on a long-term lease with Xenia Rural Water District for portions of 900 S 500th Avenue (Mortensen and County Line Water Tower parcel).
  This is the draft of an agreement that will be on the April 28th agenda. This proposal would increase the amount of water that Xenia buys from the City of Ames. Included in the proposal is a long-term lease to allow Xenia to build a booster pump station on the parcel which is the site of the Mortensen/County Line water tower.
  
  
• 30. Hearing on City of Ames Budget.
  This hearing on the budget is required by State law. Council will vote on approval of the Adjusted '25/'26 Budget and Proposed '26/'27 Budget. The proposed City levy will be $10.27, and is estimated to generate $39,881,096 for the Fiscal Year 2026/2027.
  
  
• 34. Resolution approving $1,500 for the Ames: A Glimpse Inside Event 
  The "Glimpse Inside" event allows for public viewing of some homes, businesses, and institutional buildings with a goal of educating the public about the history of Ames and the value of historic preservation. Council is being asked to approve the allocation of $1,500 for this event, and choose the source for funding. (Last year, the funding was allocated from the Historic Preservation Commission's budget.
  
  
• 37. Planning Division Workplan.
  This is a regular update that Council receives from the Planning Department, including projects that are in the works, proposed (by staff or others), or on the horizon. Council is being asked to prioritize these projects to provide direction to Planning staff.

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

City Attorney job description and hiring timeline

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

CALL TO ORDER: 5:15 p.m.

• 1. Public Hearing regarding Proposed Property Tax Levy for Fiscal Year July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027.
  This required public hearing is for input related to our tax levy. The attached document describes the school, city, and county tax rates. The City of Ames levy will be 10.27 for general (non-ag) properties, down slightly from last year's levy of 10.30. The City's total levy of 10.27 goes towards a few different levies, including the general levy, transit levy, and debt service levy. This year, both the general and transit levies will see a small decrease (to land at 6.26 and .59 respectively), while the debt service levy is up slightly from 3.32 to 3.42.

MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

This Ames City Council meeting is at 6:00 at City Hall. The council meeting agenda includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 39. Discussion on City Attorney job description and hiring timeline (tabled from March 10, 2026, meeting).
  Copied from the last meeting: The current City Attorney has announced his upcoming retirement. Since this is one of two positions hired and overseen by the City Council (the other being the City Manager), Council is receiving a report from the HR Director about the City's process for filling this position. The application will be available starting on May 1st, with interviews and the selection process hopefully yielding a final candidate by the end of summer.
  
  
• 40.Staff Report on Ironwood Estates request for woodlot restoration of Iowa DOT Property.
  This staff report is in response to a request from the Ironwood Estates Homeowners Association to replant vegetation as a buffer between their properties and Hwy 30. Brush (mostly invasive) had been cleared for needed electrical work, and the neighbors are requesting the City seek grant funding to replant native vegetation in its place.
  
  
• 41. Resolution approving the expansion and/or establishment of Park Boundaries.
  This resolution would bring any greenways and other unspecified natural areas which are City property and right-of-way into the Parks system. Currently, these areas are public property but are not specifically governed by municipal code. 
  
  
• 42. Resolution approving staining or receiving a credit for the Precast Concrete Panels of the Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center.
  This agenda item relates to the appearance of the concrete panels adorning the outside of the Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center. The concrete panels were supposed to have a uniform color of gray, but instead appear somewhat blotchy. Council is being asked to decide if we should attempt to stain them, or leave them as they are and take a credit of $52,000. 
  
  
• 45. Award of contracts for Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus.
  At our last meeting, Council delayed the award of bids for the R3C to give staff more time to investigate some of the bid amounts compared to the estimates.

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially. This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action.

Council Packet Summary

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

Creating Tax Increment Financing Districts within the Downtown Reinvestment District Urban Renewal Area

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)

MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

This Ames City Council meeting is at 6:00 at City Hall. The council meeting agenda includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 32. Discussion on City Attorney job description and hiring timeline.
  The current City Attorney has announced his upcoming retirement. Since this is one of two positions hired and overseen by the City Council (the other being the City Manager), Council is receiving a report from the HR Director about the City's process for filling this position. The application will be available starting on May 1st, with interviews and the selection process hopefully yielding a final candidate by the end of summer.
  
  
• 33. Discussion on letter to legislators regarding HF 2541.
  Council recently referred a request to submit an opinion on HF 2541 (a proposed law that would limit Municipalities from establishing any civil rights protections beyond the State's). Since the City is not a registered lobbyist, we can't submit any formal stance to the Legislature, but we could send our representative a letter, as was done recently by the City of Urbandale. (This letter is attached to the staff report as an example.)
  
  
• 34. Residential Curbside Recycling Program.
  This proposed program is the result of years of thought and evaluation. Once it became clear that our current system of waste diversion through incineration was no longer sustainable (neither environmentally nor economically), a new method of waste diversion is needed. (You can see a whimsical AI-assisted video I made about the topic HERE, if you are so inclined.) In order to meet our waste-diversion needs (as required by the State), we have been working toward a new R3C (Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus) and Curbside Recycling Program. Staff estimate a monthly cost of $7.75 per household to add recycling service for all single-family homes and apartments with 4 or fewer units. Council is being asked to approve a five-year contract with Aspen to perform this service in Ames.
  
  
• 36. Resolution approving Climate Action Grant Program updates with an allocation of up to $150,000.
  In addition to the existing community grant (up to $10k) for businesses/non-profits/groups and youth mini-grant (up to $500) programs, staff are recommending a residential owner-occupied sustainability grant program. This program would support LMI (low-to-moderate income) households who invest in solar panels or whole-home heat pump systems by providing up to 30% of the funding. 
  
  
• 42. Staff Report regarding Device Delivery Seller Permits.
  The State passed legislation in 2024 that allows cities to restrict the sale of glass and metal pipes (corn cob pipes are still ok for snowman decorating purposes). Council is being asked if we intend to restrict these types of sales. There is a $1500 non-refundable fee for applying for this permit, so if Council does intend to deny these permit applications it would be more considerate to let the businesses know that ahead of time, thus saving them the $1500 application fee.
  
  
• 45. Hearing on Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus.
  Bids are in for the R3C, but costs came in higher than the estimated $16.8 million that Council was presented with in January. Since the bids came in at $19.6 million, staff are requesting more time to meet with the bidders to clarify cost estimates and negotiate project elements to reduce or modify.
  
  
• 49.Hearing on Rezoning of Property located at 1323 Northwestern Avenue from Residential Low Density (RL) to Government/Airport District (S-GA) with a Master Plan
  The subject property was purchased by the Ames School District, and they are requesting a change of zoning from RL (low-density residential) to S-GA, which would allow a wider range of school-related uses with only administrative approval rather than going through the Zoning Board of Adjustments. The School District plans to renovate the existing three buildings and potentially add two more. 
  
  
  
  
  
• 50. First reading of ordinance to amend the Municipal Code of the City of Ames, Iowa by enacting a new Section 24.21 thereof, for the purpose of creating Tax Increment Financing Districts within the Downtown Reinvestment District Urban Renewal Area.
  Council is being asked to approve two TIF districts in the area of the Linc development. These districts would then allow the use of TIF as an incentive in this area. Establishing the districts is the first step, and does not yet commit the City to any specific funding arrangement for the Linc. (That would come later as part of a development agreement, which Council has not yet seen.)
  
  

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially. This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action.

Council Packet Summary

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

City Budget Hearings Feb 3, 4th and 5th

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)

MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

This Ames City Council budget hearings for 2026-27 budget year are on Feb 3rd, 4th and 5th starting at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall. 

• February 3rd agenda.
• February 4th agenda.
• February 5th agenda.
  

You can follow along in the draft program  budget 2026-27 as each city department gives it presentation. 

Typical Ames property tax payer's funds are distributed this way:

You might find the State of Iowa's property tax dashboard informative. 

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1