The Ames City Council is taking initiatives to increase the efficiency and quality of the city’s internet.

Motions were passed at their meeting Tuesday night to gather information for a possible feasibility study, and also for the city to explore further initiatives with local internet providers.

Future solutions to this issue could include partnering with private internet providers to improve performance, or even introducing a public option into the marketplace.

More than 70 Ames residents crowded into the council chambers for the meeting. Staff had to take a break to bring in extra chairs so everyone could be seated. Most showed up to voice their displeasure at their internet quality, and some even called for the city to provide a public internet utility option.

The council also unanimously authorized the use of eminent domain, if necessary, for a utilities project in east Ames. The project seeks to acquire permanent and temporary use from 12 different Ames property owners. So far only five have complied.

“Eminent domain has a lot of negative stigma,” said Ward Two Rep. Tim Gartin. “It’s been used to do some questionable things, but this is a situation where it is for improving public utility. Staff is pursuing other deals, and it’s only to be used if things don’t go as planned.”

Staff also said that eminent domain would help speed along the process so the project wouldn’t experience any further delays.

The city has two main internet providers, MediaCom and CenturyLink. City of Ames staff cited a study with more than 700 local respondents, most of them voicing displeasure about their internet service.

While 700 respondents doesn’t make for statistically significant data, it does show an extremely heightened public interest in this policy.

“We have trouble getting more than seven people to participate in our surveys,” Gartin said.

Community members showed strong interests in a public utility internet option, the likes of which have been adopted in Cedar Falls, Pella, Davenport and other Iowa cities.

“Internet is a facet in every part of our lives, that’s not hyperbole,” said Caleb Keller, a resident on Truman Place. “Think about how many times you’ve used it today.”

Keller and many others believe adding a public option would immediately motivate private companies to lower their costs and improve their services.

“The bottom line goal of the Ames municipality would not be to increase money for shareholders,” Keller said, “it would be to get internet to as many people as possible. The for profit model doesn’t seem to be offering the best services to the people of Ames.”

Beau Hicks, the area director for MediaCom, also made an appearance for public opinion, and encouraged the city to not pursue the public option.

“As a taxpayer, I don’t think that if I’m upset with the price of milk the government should interfere with Hyvee or Fareway,” Hicks said. “There’s a lot of moving pieces here. “We ran 16 trouble calls with the people in Ames alone today. We’re here to work with whoever we can to improve things.”

Hicks also provided information about a MediaCom initiative to offer lower-priced internet to certain low-income families. The package is cheaper, but is slower than their typical plan.

“If you qualify for free lunch, you can get this internet,” Hicks said. “It’s not enough to 4k stream movies on Netflix, but it’s good enough for sending emails and for kids to get their homework done.”

The Council thanked Hicks for making an appearance, but Ward Three Rep. David Martin said that MediaCom and CenturyLink hadn’t been compliant with City of Ames staff, who have been gathering internet research since June.

“You say you would work with the city [to improve internet service], but when staff requested you for information you didn’t comply,” Martin said. “They requested information months ago, and you sent us information today. You sent it to the council and not the staff, and I couldn’t understand it.”

Martin displayed the information to the audience. It consisted of a black-and-white map of Ames with different portions colored in red. Hicks explained that the red portions, which covered most of the city’s area, marked regions MediaCom could provide internet access. Staff later said that this wasn’t the kind of information they requested back in June.

City Manager Steve Schainker said that a feasibility study could be quite costly for the City of Ames.

“[It] could cost us as much as $150,000 dollars,” Schainker said. “I envision it costing more in the $100,000 range, but this is speculative.”

Per the Council’s motion, city staff will begin gathering research to put a price tag on the feasibility study. They’re also pursuing efficiency measures that local providers can take, and they’re studying how other Iowa cities have overcome this issue already.

“Internet problems are everywhere,” said Brian Woerth, chairman of the Ames Community Internet Initiative. “There are issues on every street in Ames.”

The organization was founded less than a year ago and is determined to improve the quality of internet across the city. The members who spoke at the meeting voiced support for a public option.

“Some people have great internet, some people have average internet,” Woerth said. “It’s across a spectrum and has been a problem for years. We have the potential to lower the costs and provide wider service. It would be a great project for the city of Ames.”