The Ames City Council voted Tuesday night to explore the idea of changing the water rate structure in the city of Ames.

The council was first presented with a presentational workshop by John R. Dunn, Ames director of water and pollution control, on a possible new water rate structure for the city. It is not a rate increase, Dunn said, but only options that can be explored in lieu of expanding the water treatment plant in 2012 or 2013.

The main point of this proposed water rate increase is to enforce water conservation, as statistics show that water usage spike in the summer months. According to Dunn’s findings, summer water usage in 2006 increased by 15 percent on peak monthly average, up from a 4 percent increase in 2005. Conservation, Dunn said, is the main point of the proposed water rate structure.

“We are trying to enforce [the idea] that there is no such thing as free water,” Dunn said.

Dunn proposed that the best new rate structure would be based on a seasonal rate, where customers would see higher bills in the summer per gallons used; a gallon in the summer would cost $1.95 per hundred cubic feet versus $1.40 per cubic feet in the winter.

“We are trying to protect against higher water usage in the summer. That is what we are trying to do here,” said Steve Schainker, Ames city manager.

The council moved unanimously that staff be relegated to explore the water rate structure further, with reservations in regard to certain classes of customers, namely residential, commercial and industrial.

The council was then given a presentation by Clint Petersen, Ames fire chief, and David Brown, building official of the Ames Inspection Division, on updating the dangerous buildings ordinance.

The presentation centered around the time it takes from when a formal complaint is lodged by a citizen about a certain property that may be in violation of the fire code to the end result, which either ends with complete compliance by the citizen to fix the complaint or demolition of the property.

The council was presented with examples of buildings in violation of the building code, how long it took to from the time a complaint was lodged, and to the final end date, which ranged from six months to seven years.

The council approved a motion to direct staff to improve the dangerous building ordinance, with councilman Matthew Goodman voting against it. He said an expedited process doesn’t necessarily serve citizens better, with regard to poverty stricken people who cannot pay to sue the city, which would be a new provision in the updated ordinance.

“I do not support having those buildings in our city, but we have to find the right tools to expedite the process but still be sympathetic to the citizens,” Goodman said.

The council agreed that these structures were not good for the city, but the city should use the utmost care to help the citizens in need.

“We are trying to be very sympathetic when dealing with property owners,” Petersen said.

The council also approved to the close the street and metered parking spaces on Chamberlain Street between Welch Avenue and Stanton Avenue from noon to 9 p.m. and approved a waiver of fees for electricity for the “Welcome to Ames” event on Aug. 24.