The Ames City Council rejected an ISU student religious group’s proposal to hold a barbecue.

The Rock, a group composed of Stonebrook Community Church members, were denied a permit to hold a block party to welcome students back to campus because of the number of people that were going to be invited.

Tim Borseth, advisor of The Rock, said the group understands the council’s reasoning for denying the block party, but they wanted to invite all ISU students.

“Their rationale was pretty clear,” he said. “They were concerned the noise level would be disruptive [and] disturb the neighbors, and because our block party was larger than a typical community block party.”

City council member Sharon Wirth said there were concerns the block party would cause excessive noise and traffic problems.

“We do encourage block parties to encourage strengthening neighborhoods, but they were going to give out invitations to people outside their neighborhood,” Wirth said.

City council member Judie Hoffman said the council was in support of the party in the past, but last year it was on campus, which she said was a more appropriate place.

“The feeling of the council was the party would attract more people than would be appropriate for low-density housing,” Hoffman said.

Borseth said there was a part of the city council meeting that did upset members of The Rock.

“We were troubled as to why they denied to have our situation be referred to their staff to find a different place to hold the event,” Borseth said. “And we are bewildered by their rationale to deny a reference to the staff.”

City council member Herman Quirmbach said he was impressed as to how serious the club members were and the fact that the event was to be alcohol-free was the one thing in the group’s favor.

“If those kids wants to sit down with the city staff, they will give them an appropriate venue and a time to hold the event,” he said.

Borseth said the group will go in front of a committee on Thursday to see if the event can be held on campus.

“We hope to win the university to our cause and hold it on campus,” he said.

During the meeting on Tuesday, July 24, the redistricting of city wards and precincts was also addressed.

Quirmbach said the new wards will have minor effects on students.

“The main change is the 1st ward expanding and the population in the old 1st ward was not growing fast enough,” he said.

He said Central Campus will now be unified, which will more than likely create a polling place on campus.

“[For the most part] the wards stayed where they were,” Quirmbach said. “The city planner and the planning committee did a good job.”

Wirth said she does not see the ward changes having a large effect.

“Probably in every ward there are slight variations,” Wirth said.

“That is being done as a result of the redistricting at the state level because of the 2000 Census and we are required to do the same.”

Hoffman said Ames is the last in a long line to receive the census information, after the federal and state government, but there are some rules in the changing of the wards.

“A precinct district cannot cross legislative boundaries,” Hoffman.