The Ames City Council will discuss how to fund infrastructure improvements for the ISU Research Park and the Ames Municipal Airport at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the Ames City Council Chambers.

The city will fund the project through a General Obligation bond and a RISE grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation. 

The city will begin work on the projects before the bonds are issues and plans to reimburse the organizations providing the bonds.

City Council can pass a reimbursement resolution that details plans to reimburse for the bonds within 60 days after beginning construction work in order to keep the project tax-free.

The city plans to reimburse the $926,100 for the ISU Research Park and the $700,000 for the Ames Municipal Airport project.

The City Council will also discuss the additional information they gathered from the Ames Bicycle Coalition about a possible roundabout on Airport Road and University Avenue.

At the initial Jan. 15 meeting, the Ames Bicycle Coalition was concerned about the speed, layout and interaction between bikers and pedestrians and bikers and vehicles.

During the discussion, members of the Ames Bicycle Coalition asked about extending on-street bike facilities east on Airport Road from University and adding facilities north on University from Airport Road. They also asked about adding a bike path connection west along Oakwood Road to State Avenue and paving the current gravel path from Airport Road north to Grand Avenue.

Members of the Coalition said bike-only facilities on these roads will provide safer commutes for bikers and drivers because of the high speeds bikers can travel.

The Council will consider a financial property tax abatement for Barilla, an Italian pasta company that has a production plant in Ames.

In January, the Council approved an endorsement for an application for assistance to the Iowa Economic Development Authority for Barilla, an Italian pasta company that has a production plant in Ames.

Barilla is expanding its facility to add storage and a production line for gluten-free pasta products, a project that will cost more than $26 million.

The property tax abatement Barilla will be eligible for is $3,336,000.