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

• Item 33 -- Fareway north at Bloomington and Stange moves forward.
• Item 35 -- Resolution approving 3503 Lincoln Way as meeting the underutilized criteria of Urban Revitalization Area Commercial program matrix. This is in relation to the trailer park in west Ames (on North side of Lincoln Way east of McDonald's).  A developer is asking for city to consider a future tax abatement (Urban Revitalization) for this property.

  The trailer park is zoned commercial and residential. A trailer park is not an approved use for this area. Thus no new trailers can be moved on to the property, so the current trailers are in extreme disrepair (some are not habitable). I am conflicted on giving abatement. Removing this trailer park does nothing to improve the situation for the very low income citizens' need for housing. On the otherhand this housing is substandard and an eyesore. I suspect local law enforcement would like to see this area redeveloped also.

  The abatement would go to encouraging commercial development, not affordable housing development. There are several underutilized commercial properties in this area. I am not sure the city needs to tax abate this property to encourage more commercial here? Is the developer likely to go ahead with a project without any abatement (maybe)? There are more steps the council will need to take to approve tax abatement for this property. However if the council approves this action the train is certainly on it's way out of the station.
  
  If you have thoughts on this one let me know.

• Item 36 -- Motion accepting receipt of Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice Study in connection with the City’s CDBG Program. The actual report is available here. I have not yet read the complete report (bed time reading for tonight). I will be interested in its recommendations and will review the staff's recommendations in the context of the report.

That is it for now.

Jim Popken
City Council At Large

Disclaimer: My intent of this communication is to give you a heads up on items coming to the city council. I may state some of my impressions and leanings here. I will, however, try to avoid staking out a position on issues before the council meeting occurs. I feel that I should avoid committing to any positions until I have heard and considered all the public input at the council meeting before a vote.

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