The Ames City Council will reconvene at 7 p.m. Feb. 24 in the City Council Chambers. Among a plethora of resolutions and hearings, the council will discuss the 2015 Resident Satisfaction Survey.

The survey is an annual ballot given out to Ames residents, with the help of the Iowa State University Institute for Design Research and Outreach, to help gauge where the public is standing on certain issues. 

In a press release from Susan Gwiasda, the public relations officer for the city of Ames, survey questions have included “Campustown, Campustown parking ramp … support of city-sponsored wi-fi,” and “support to offer fare-free CyRide to all riders.”

Other city issues such as flood plain development, city entryways and aquatic centers have been on the survey.

This year, representatives from the ISU Research Park have asked to put some of their own questions on the survey. In the press release, it said “topics suggested are fairly specific and may not be applicable to the vast majority of survey recipients.”

Consultants at Iowa State University will come up with the final questions on the survey. The council will be discussing input on the issues and policies “where public feedback would be helpful to you.”

Numerous water and electrical services hearings will also be on the agenda for the council. The city received bids from five different engineering companies, which would like to take on the project.

S.M. Hentges & Sons Inc. of Jordan, Minn., was the lowest bidder at $3,197,273.15. The authorized budget for the new water treatment plant is $5,530,000. The council will decide whether they accept the report of all five bids, accept the bid from S.M. Hentges & Sons Inc. or award the contract to another company at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Steve Schainker, city manager of Ames, is recommending the council holds off on accepting a bid while his office does background checks on all the companies. Schainker is recommending the council only accepts the report with all five bids.