Ames Iowa Councilperson Jim Popken

The council meeting starts at 7:00.

Items of interest on this agenda include:

• Item 15 --  Richmond Center Resolution approving/motion denying emergency service.  The Richmond Center has been in financial difficulties. The Richmond Center is a local nonprofit that supplies needed mental health services in our community. Story County has approved $48,000, and United Way approved $44,500. $45,000 has been requested of the city. The Richmond Center is suppling needed mental health services to our community. These moneys will allow for a continuation of services for their clients. That is, with funding, mental health services will continue until Community and Family Resources (CRF) is able to take over that function. After reading the staff's report this special funding request appears to be justified. Ames needs these services. However the longterm delivery of these services is in jeopardy without increased federal and state support.

This council meeting starts at 6:30. An update on the status of the Richmond Center will be first. The Richmond Center has been in financial difficulties. The Richmond Center a local nonprofit that supplies needed mental health services in our community. This item was a late addition to the agenda.

There is not alot on this agenda:

• Item 17 --   Coal and Coal Delivery Services.  This item is for coal delivery services to Ames from Wyoming (where the low sulfur coal is). Currently the city gets the coal delivered through Alliant Energy-Williams Bulk Transfer location. This requires the coal to be is trucked 36 miles from Williams to Ames. The staff reports includes the delivery options of Willams and a new one called Central Iowa Terminal (CIT). CIT is proposed to be built south west of Nevada (more west than south). There has been opposition to this project expressed by neighbors in the area. This proposed facility would only be 9 miles from Ames. This would likely be cheaper and more fuel efficient (transportation fuel) for Ames. See the pluses and minuses in the staff report.

 Jim Popken

City Council At Large

Hello All

This council meeting starts at 7:00. There are several items of interest on the agenda including:

Hello All

This council meeting starts at 7:00. There are several items of interest on the agenda including:

Hello All

Ames Community Conversations on Diversity 

The Community Conversations on Diversity Committee invites Ames residents to help in Building a Stronger Ames – Including Me!   

New residents to Ames report that it is often difficult to get to know people.  Long-time residents of Ames sometimes feel uncertain about the new faces they see in the community.  They wonder what is bringing these new residents to Ames.  Some residents feel judged by their appearance or behaviors before they feel people make an effort to get to know them. 

The goal of Building a Stronger Ames – Including Me! is to bring diverse individuals together to talk with other residents they would not likely meet otherwise, and to discuss their sense of belonging in Ames.  The program seeks to give residents an opportunity to define the problems associated with welcoming new members to our community, and to find ways to solve them. Residents will meet in groups of eight to 12 people during October and early November to share their experiences, listen to one another, and build the kind of trust that is necessary for long-term change.  The groups will be led by trained facilitators.   

Building a Stronger Ames – Including Me! is an initiative of the Community Conversations on Diversity Committee.  This local team of citizen volunteers has worked for several months to design the program.  It is modeled after successful dialogue programs in other communities.   The program is supported by the City of Ames, Ames Rotary, and Iowa State University Extension. 

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The City of Ames is sponsoring  "Ames, Be Cool". Conserving natural resources and helping the environment are great goals, but sometimes it’s hard to know what to do.  As the City of Ames continues to promote its EcoSmart programming and reduce its own carbon footprint, here’s an opportunity to learn more about how Ames residents can help. As part of the Ames City Council’s goals to promote environmental sustainability, the City of Ames, along with the Ames Community School District, is sponsoring "Ames, Be Cool," an educational forum from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, September 27.  Lunch is provided at no charge. See more info about  "Ames, Be Cool".
 
This council meeting starts at 5:30. The agenda includes:

Hello all

This council meeting has one item on the agenda that will generate significant discussion. This item is to change the LUPP to allow growth to the north. North being defined as the land to the north and west of Ada Haydan. See the map below.

The council has been dealing with this subject for the last 3 months or so (see my April 1st comments and my May 12th comments). At the May 12th meeting the council, on a simple motion, directed the staff to draft a change to the LUPP to include the north. The vote was 3 to 3 with the Mayor breaking the tie. I voted against the inclusion of the northern land at that time. The change has come back to the council and is in the form of a resolution. The Mayor is not allowed to break a tie when the council is voting on a resolution.

 This action would allow homes to be built around the edge of Ada Hayden Park to the north and west.

There is a light summer agenda for the city council meeting this week. A more interesting meeting may be at the county level (Ames citizens are also citizens of Story County). I recieved a:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC WORKSESSION
STORY COUNTY
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
Lincoln Highway Special Corridor Study Story County, lowa

This is a development plan for the land bounded by Highway 30 and the first road north of the old Lincoln Highway in Story County (see map, Ames is located on the far left). The final draft of plan  looks interesting. I have not completely read it all yet. I will try to attend the public meeting on Monday.

The Ames City Council regular meeting starts at 7:00. Tuesday's agenda includes:

The regular meeting starts at 7:00. Tuesday's agenda includes: