The commission charged with studying city-university relations used their sixth meeting Monday to brainstorm ideas to assess and improve conditions in Ames.

The Commission on Improving Relations Among Iowa State University Students, the University, the City of Ames, and the Ames Community split into two discussion groups shortly after beginning the meeting.

One group posed questions to ask the community to assess the current situation. One of the first questions posed by commission co-chairman Bob Kindred, assistant city manager, was, “What is a community?”

Commission members were quick to distinguish communities in Ames and discussed issues associated with the divisions.

“Those who feel [like a] part of the ISU community may not feel part of Ames,” said Doug Gentile, assistant professor of psychology.

Toward the end of the group’s discussion time, student-community relations became the focus of conversation.

“Is there really a relationship problem in this community?” ISU Police Capt. Gene Deisinger said. “I’m not really sure there is.”

Other commission members didn’t agree.

“I’m not sure students have accepted their responsibility in this community,” said Patrick Hultman, graduate student in political science.

Ann Kinzel, executive officer for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said zoning issues are to blame for community divisions.

“Our problem is not the students; it’s land use,” Kinzel said.

The other discussion group focused on things that would improve the city of Ames.

The group discussed entertainment, jobs, business, housing and ways to educate citizens about Ames.

Joyce Durlam, co-owner of Durlam and Durlam, 226 Main St., reminded her group that CyRide was an idea conceived by ISU students.

“These things are taken for granted because they’ve been here so long,” Durlam said.

After the two groups got back together, Dan Rice, academic adviser for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, reminded the commission of Ames’ value.

“We have unique things here. We don’t have to be a little Des Moines or Iowa City,” Rice said. “We need to be true to ourselves.”

A public forum to discuss questions the commission has for the community may occur as soon as late September, but no date was set. The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 20.