The Ames City Council passed a resolution approving the feasibility of the Human Services Campus on Tuesday night.

The passing of the resolution demonstrated the City Council’s support for the Human Services Campus project, but members said they need to see more feasibility through financial backing. Story County of United Way has loaned its support of the project, pledging to test feasibility and to secure possible financial backers.

Matthew Goodman, city council member, expressed a little hesitation when it comes to the council giving a proposed $30,000 to the project when no single service entity has signed a commitment of intent letter. The council has already given $18,000 in support of the project.

“I am showing support for the project, but I am concerned about giving more money to something we don’t understand our role in yet,” he said.

There are many factors still undecided when it comes to finding a permanent home for Ames’ human services organizations, said Sheila Lundt, assistant city manager. The proposed site is the First Evangelical Free Church, 2008 24th St., but no commitment can be obtained from the sellers until the organizations commit to moving in.

Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc., the Ames Community Preschool, the Richmond Center and Heartland Senior Services are all running out of space and are falling behind on repairs, she said. MICA, an agency that serves low-income families through a variety of services, is going to pass its capacity to serve after July 1, she said.

“We are going to have to speed the process up,” she said. “We want to hit the ground running.”

On Wednesday, Lundt said she would be meeting with the individual organizations, letting them know the March 1 deadline of commitment has been moved up to February 26.

Although the resolution approving the professional services project with the RDG/Rudi Lee Dreyer architectural firm was passed, the fate of the project still depends on obtaining a Special Use Permit to rezone the property the building is on.