Changes to electric rates

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

The Ames City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall.   The regular 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.

• 29. Presentation on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) annual update.
  This annual update gives a rundown of what the City's DEI Coordinator (Casandra Eames) has accomplished in the past year (hint, it was a LOT), and additional goals and tasks for the next year. Some highlights from the past year include networking with other Iowa and regional DEI Coordinators, assisting with planning for the annual "Building Inclusive Organizations" Symposium, forming an ADA Committee for the City and beginning an ADA audit of City buildings (and getting up to speed on the recent Parks & Rec Department department-level ADA audit), working with the HR Department to understand the City's current recruitment techniques, assisting the Ames Human Relations Commission with their substantial tasks and goals, and working with ISU to improve student access and belonging in Ames, just to name a few. In the coming year, Eames also aims to propose a plan for community-wide inclusion efforts.
  
  
• 30. Changes to electric rates to adopt revenue-neutral rate adjustments to better align with cost-of-service study recommendations, to add optional Time-of-Use rates, and to adjust the Large Customer Interruptible Option bill credits.
  These items were introduced and discussed at our June 18th workshop, and now they are back on the agenda for implementation. The Electric Department is proposing a rate adjustment that wouldn't increase overall revenue, but rather would shift the amount paid by each class of user (residential, industrial, commercial). The residential rate adjustment proposal is -1% in the first year, while commerical and industrial would increase slightly. Also, the City hopes to introduce an optional Time-of-Use rate system, where customers who sign up may be offered better rates in the late evenings and early mornings, as it is cheaper to procure energy at non-peak times.
  
  
• 31. Request to Initiate Zoning Text Amendment to allow Social Service Uses within the O-SFC (Single Family Conservation Overlay) Zoning District .
  This request came to Council from the Romero House, a non-profit organization that purchased the property at 709 Clark Ave. in 2020, and uses it for free meals and services such as laundry, showers, and providing food and winter clothing to those in need. They have also purchased the property at 702 Clark, and are proposing that staff reside at 702 while services are provided at 709. This does not fit the standard household living use zoning of the area, so staff have proposed a special-use permit process for requests of this type in these zoning districts.
  
  
• 32. Steven L. Schainker Plaza Ice Skating Ribbon Status Report.
  As many people have observed and noted, progress has stalled on the Steven L. Schainker Plaza. This staff report explains that the concrete for the ice ribbon was poured in a way that all parties agree is unacceptable. Due to all the infrastructure under the concrete, tearing it out and re-pouring is a complicated, costly, and time-consuming proposal. The Contractor, Henkel Construction out of Mason City, IA, is instead suggesting a series of coatings of products from Euclid Chemical that would even out rough surfaces, gaps, and pitting, and have a cement-like finish and look. When a test patch was attempted, though, the applicators had difficulty, and were not able to produce an acceptable finish. Euclid won't guarantee their product given our unique (ice rink) conditions, but Henkel is still promoting it as a solution to the unacceptable concrete work. Council is being asked to hire a third-party concrete expert who could advise on the feasibility of a coating vs. re-pouring the concrete. 
  
  
• 33. Hearing on Major Site Development Plan For Dunkin' Donuts at 209 Lincoln Way.
  The old Burger King building (vacant) on Lincoln Way is proposed to be redeveloped as a Dunkin' Donuts, and this Major Site Plan has a few items requiring Council approval, such as the drive-through setback, a sidewalk waiver, and a reduction in parking spots required.
  
  
• 34. Hearing on Water Pollution Control Facility Nutrient Reduction Modifications Phase 1.
  This is a huge $ item for the City, and this staff report indicates it is about to get even more expensive. When bids were put out for this project, our engineer's estimate was just under $45 million. The most favorable bid came back around $10 million higher than that. As a reminder, this is because of Gulf-hypoxia, caused by massive amounts of nutrients (nitrates and phosphorus) that flow from farm fields to rivers to the Gulf of Mexico, killing massive amounts of marine life as bacteria feed on the nutrients, consume all the oxygen, and suffocate everything else. Cities, as point sources for testing and regulation, are bearing the financial burden of this upstream pollution. 

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.

• Geothermal cost analysis.
• Martin Historical Pier.
• COA Programs.
• Rental practice by Property MgmtCo.
• Request for text amendment to Municipal Code Chapter29.
• Bicycle safety.
• Housing on WelbeckDrive.
  

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