An extra chair will be placed around the Ames City Council’s table to accommodate Mike Banasiak, president-elect of the Government of the Student Body and the newest member of the council.

The city will adopt a resolution appointing Banasiak as an ex officio member. Even though he can’t vote on city ordinances, Banasiak said he is excited about the influence he’ll have at his first meeting as council member.

Banasiak said Mayor Ted Tedesco will focus on teaching him the process of the city council.

“My first meeting will be more of an orientation than anything else,” Banasiak said. “But the visibility of a student at the meeting will definitely have [an] impact.”

Council member Sharon Wirth expressed enthusiasm for Banasiak’s admission to the council. “We look forward to [Banasiak] being at the meetings,” she said. “We’ll get more input from students and this will facilitate more communication between the city and the university.”

At Tuesday night’s meeting, the council will consider approving a $10,000 grant to the Ames Skate Park to design a mosaic for the park. If passed, the mosaic will be designed by a collaboration between Concetta Morales, a professional artist, and 30 Ames and ISU students.

If the resolution passes, the project will begin in July 2003 and conclude in May or June 2004. Selection of local youth as collaborators will occur before July 1.

Morales will engage the students in order to generate visual ideas about skateboard subculture’s language, mannerisms, interests and music.

The goal of the mosaic is to “increase the community’s awareness of public art and provide educational opportunities,” said the Ames Public Art Commission. “The ‘hands-on’ experience will provide an educational opportunity and engage [the] city’s youth, broadening the sense of ownership of the [skate park].”

The city also plans for the reconstruction of deteriorating roads that serve as Cy Ride routes. According to a council action form, because the streets were originally designed for light traffic, accelerated deterioration of the pavement is now occurring. The city plans to add asphalt to these streets to accommodate the student-packed buses by allotting $540,000 to the construction costs.