As Ames’ recently-inaugurated mayor Ann Campbell begins her new job, she said she is confident the city and students can work together to improve the community environment.

Campbell was sworn into office Jan. 3 and convened her first meeting of the Ames City Council on Tuesday.

“There’s a long way to go in terms of making an effective community that is working together,” she said. “But I am very pleased with the baby steps we are making so far.”

She said most of January and February will be reserved for intensive budget hearings and, in early March, the council will introduce its new strategic plan.

Campbell said she is staying out of the keg ordinance debate, opting to leave it up to the Story County Board of Supervisors to decide. The ordinance is up for consideration during the supervisors’ next meeting, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at Ames City Hall.

She also said last week, she and the council started their service with an all-day retreat designed to familiarize themselves with the other city departments.

Campbell said her former stint on the council will help, but it ended four years ago, and a lot has changed since then.

“I think we all need to feel our way together as a new council and look at the issues brought forth as being important to the community,” Campbell said.

She said she is glad the mall issue was resolved by the last council because of the division it caused.

“I would hope that we could move on beyond that issue since it has been a very emotional one that has frankly slowed down the wheels of many other things going on in the city for the last two or three years,” she said.

Two new members to the council with ties to Iowa State said they were pleased to have Campbell as mayor.

Ryan Doll, who recently graduated from Iowa State and represents the 3rd Ward, said he felt Campbell has a good knowledge of Ames and cares deeply about the community. He said students and the community have a good chance of coming together.

“We need to try to find ways to encourage student groups and neighborhood groups to work together,” he said. “There is a lot of the same types of groups on campus and the community.”

Dan Rice, an academic adviser in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who represents the 1st Ward, said he has gotten to know Campbell quite well by working together on different commissions around the city. He said they served together recently on a Veishea commission intended to improve relations with the community.

“We disagree on things, but we respectably disagree,” he said. “But we also agree on some things and I think she will be a great mayor.”

Rice added that Campbell has lived near campus for several years, which has given her an opportunity to connect with students.

“She has been a resident south of campus for many years, and I think she accepts the student viewpoint very well,” he said.