Ames City Council will meet Tuesday to present an update and work further on the Ames Plan 2040.

The Ames Plan was created in 2018 by the Ames City Council, who said it was necessary to construct in 2018, due to large changes in Ames’ population. The current Land Use Policy Plan was not expectant of such a large increase and is being updated to adapt to the urban development.

The meeting will focus on outreach to the Ames public to gather information and get understanding of the present attitude of the community concerning the plan. The meeting is meant to pinpoint problems and new ideas to ensure successful growth in the community within the next 20 years.

RDG Planning & Design, hired as the lead consultant for the project, will speak at the meeting. RDG will give a thorough presentation on the updates of the plan. They will be discussing the plan’s status on engagement with the public, current standing conditions, and predictions for the growth if the project.

Th council authorized a contract with RDG worth $250,000 in October 2018. RDG has since presented the council with a tentative timeline of the development of the project. The council expressed concerns on the timeline, proposing that the public would not have enough say in the development of the project.

RDG confirmed with the council that the timeline is tentative and is easily adjustable in order to meet with the community. RDG, along with the council, encourages Ames community involvement in the planning process.

The workshop is primarily to discuss the updates of the plan with the council. This is a time for the council and the community to ask questions and further discuss the operations of the project. No formal decisions are planned to be made during this meeting.