The Ames City Council heard public input on the 2025-2030 capital improvements plan (CIP) during their meeting Tuesday evening.
On Jan. 21, the council reviewed the plan during a special meeting work session.
A group of five volunteers from the Ames Animal Shelter attended and spoke about the importance of the relocation of the animal shelter.
“Funding for the homeless is extremely important, but that shouldn’t negate the need to care for the animals that we’ve been entrusted to,” Twyla Anderson, a regular volunteer at the shelter, said. “Their lives are important also, and we can and should have compassion for both those groups.”
The CEO of Discover Ames, Kevin Bourke, was also present to comment on the CIP and focused on the need for an additional recreation center.
“I just wanted to reiterate the need for a recreation center in the community,” Bourke said. “Even though it’s not in this current plan, we would love to be able to see a feasibility study, at least, to start working towards what our needs are for a recreation center.”
Additional measures
The council voted unanimously to establish two city of Ames climate action grant programs with an allocation of up to $70,000 overall.
The program encourages local organizations and students to work on projects reducing carbon emissions and sustainability.
There are two grant types:
- Community Climate Grants – Up to $10,000 for businesses and nonprofits to fund projects like solar panel installations, energy efficiency upgrades, waste reduction efforts and public EV charging stations. A 20% cost match is required.
- Youth Mini-Grants – Up to $500 for students (grades 12 and below) to lead sustainability projects with an educational or community outreach component.
“This kind of program that is very thoughtfully crafted and tailored, that gives us the flexibility to try something that we think is valuable to consider,” Ward 2 Rep. Tim Gartin said. “The idea that legislators in Des Moines would tell us in Ames how to spend dollars like this to represent what we’ve spent hours and hours gauging public input on our climate priorities. I want to suggest that this actually makes the case for home rule. This kind of innovation makes the case for why we would want cities to innovate.”
The council also unanimously approved applying as a host site for Green Iowa AmeriCorps, bringing two members to support energy audits, weatherization and sustainability outreach.
Green Iowa AmeriCorps is a state-wide service program based at the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education, which helps Iowa communities with energy efficiency, sustainability and revitalization through audits, education and volunteer work.
Additionally, the downtown facade grant program now includes funding for rear and side facades facing public rights-of-way. It also introduces a new maintenance grant for roofs, exterior walls and foundations of contributing historic buildings.
City budget meetings are slated to begin next Tuesday and end Feb. 11.
