The Ames City Council passed a plan Tuesday to pave Southeast 16th Street.

The road now services an estimated 1,000 vehicles each day. It is expected to see 5,900 vehicles by 2030 if it is paved. If left as gravel, the road’s traffic would be reduced to 800 vehicles each day, Ames City Manager Steve Schainker said.

The plan asked the city to contribute $1.5 million and the surrounding property owners to provide $3 million.

To provide this funding, the South Duff Avenue Improvement Project and the Arterial Street Rehabilitation Program would be postponed past the council’s five-year plan. These projects were designed to improve pedestrian walkways, including sidewalks, sewers and intakes.

Schainker stressed the importance of paving this road, given that an extension of the Des Moines Area Community College is planned.

Councilman Riad Mahayni suggested that the council wait to develop the street until the area was developed.

“Being an entryway to Ames, we have to be quite careful about the design of that area,” Mahayni said.

Councilman Russ Cross recommended the council allow this project for the 2005-06 plan, eliminate the South Duff Avenue Improvement Project and postpone the Arterial Street Rehabilitation Program past the five-year plan.

He stressed that with a traffic increase because of DMACC, a paved road would be necessary. The motion passed unanimously.

Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco also thanked the Government of the Student Body for its goodwill gesture of $500 toward the April 5 special election.

“It wasn’t necessary, but we’ll spend it wisely,” Tedesco said.

Tony Borich, senior in community and regional planning, was introduced as the ex-officio student council liaison of the City Council.

Borich said he looked forward to working with the council on the “one community” plan.

City Council members said they were happy to have Borich join the council, and they hope he is an active participant and can bring a student perspective.

“You will find the wheels move a little more slowly than [Government of the Student Body],” Tedesco said.

Cross said great student involvement in such things as Stash the Trash made the outcome of it more successful.

In the public forum, Dave Massarini, Ames postmaster, spoke on behalf of the Welch Avenue Post Office Station, 210 Welch Ave.

He said the building was too small and offered three solutions: lease the other half of the building, lease a new building or build a new one in West Ames.

Ames residents have 15 days to submit comments. Contact information to make comments is available at the post office.