Correction: This article was updated Sept. 26 to clarify the dismissal of claims by Ames Mayor John Haila

The Ames City Council heard concerns about the lack of event security from an Ames Pridefest volunteer during Tuesday’s meeting.

The volunteer, Maddy Nasuti, alleged that the council failed to provide security at the event, voicing concern that the FBI and Homeland Security have stated that there is a general terror threat across the nation regarding LGBTQ events.

According to Nasuti, the event was given, “no security precautions.”

“We saw no police walkthroughs, there were no physical barriers, there was nothing,” Nasuti said.

Nasuti further added that if a situation had happened that day, the city would be liable for failing to protect the event. Disappointed by the city’s response to these claims, Nasuti said that if Ames can’t bother to protect event’s with at-risk populations, they should not have them at all.

“If you don’t want to prioritize safety with the Iowa Police, then the thing is, you need to say no,” Nasuti said. “Everyone thinks it can’t happen here, but it can.”

Ames Mayor John Haila said there were no security threats and that the Council, “takes security extremely seriously.” Haila also invited Ames Police Chief Geoff Huff to council chambers, who told the council that organizers of the event had not asked for heightened security and that a police walkthrough of the area had happened prior to the event.

Haila further stated that, although there is always a chance a bad actor could cause a situation to happen, there were no known threats in the area and police were minutes or seconds away.

Fleet/Facilities

The council has also approved the installation of a new HVAC system in the Ames City Auditorium that provides heating in the winter. The project had previously been bid on twice and rejected due to costs being significantly higher than expected. 

However, the cost of the project was raised with each new bid. According to the action report, the auditorium is also in great need of a system replacement after 85 years with the same system.

“The existing equipment is becoming increasingly unreliable and could jeopardize the ability to rent the city auditorium during times of extreme hot and cold temperatures,” the report stated. “It is highly likely that rebidding the project for a fourth time will result in an even higher cost to the city.”

The replacement is estimated to cost $1,430,000, with a large portion being new pipes that don’t use natural gas. 

Despite the steep cost, team members still feel that this is the right approach as the new system moves away from natural gas and lessens the amount of electricity needed to operate the building during winter. The project will also use funds from the Council Priorates Capital fund, totaling $332,081.

The council also approved a contract with Karl Ford of Story City for two new 2025 Ford F150 Lightning crew crew cab pickups. 

One pickup will be used to repair and maintain street signs, traffic signals, pavement markings and traffic signals. The other will be used by the fire department as a support vehicle. Each vehicle costs $43,466, for a total of $86,932. 

Parks and Recreation

The council approved plans to construct a mini-pitch soccer court at Lloyd Kurtz Park. The project will be bid on next month. Staff estimates the court to be installed by May 31.

Planning and Housing

The council waived infrastructure requirements for the Dayton Ridge Subdivision located in Rural Story County, allowing the formation of a major subdivision in the area.

Hearings

A major site development plan has been approved which allowed for the expansion of a pond at 1205 and 1399 S. Dayton Ave. This comes after concerns that the pond would cause flooding, which the owner of the pond has assured will not be an issue. 

Approval has been granted to raise the city budget to $114 million. The council agrees that the increased budget will help the city carry forward projects and monitor budgeting. While addressing the council, Corey Goodenow, the director of finance for the city, assured citizens that this budget change will have no effect on any taxation. 

“So we just reinforced with the taxpayers, not one additional dollar is being spent,” Haila said.

The council also enacted a plan to keep sidewalks safe during the winter if homeowners fail to remove snow from their sidewalk. The resolution ensures that the city removes ice and snow after a 24 hour notice to the homeowner, and homeowners can be charged for the removal.

Additionally, a plan has been put in place to repair damaged sidewalks throughout the city when unsafe walking conditions are brought to the city’s attention. These measures are put in place to guarantee the safety of pedestrians walking the streets of Ames.