The Ames City Council voted 4–1 on Tuesday to place a $10,500,000 general obligation bond referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot to fund construction, furnishing and equipping of a replacement Fire Station No. 2 on Iowa State University property.

The resolution authorizes the city to enter a loan agreement and issue bonds not to exceed $10.5 million if voters approve the measure. Councilmember Wallace, Councilmember Coriari, Councilmember Zheng and Councilmember Petcher voted aye; Councilmember Gartner voted nay.

Council members and staff framed the proposal as a long‑term public‑safety investment, while several council members urged caution about added costs and tax implications. "We're talking about estimates of cost," said Steve, the fire chief, emphasizing that design and final pricing would follow if the referendum passes. Councilmember Tim said he would vote against putting the measure on the ballot because the addition of roughly $1.245 million for net‑zero upgrades made the project less likely to win the 60% approval the city requires. "I'm gonna vote against this, and I want to be really clear why," Tim said.

Why the project is on the ballot

City staff told the council the planned relocation would speed emergency response across the city, reduce traffic conflicts in the Campustown/Welch Avenue area and create redevelopment opportunities on the current Welch Avenue site. Staff said Iowa State has offered a site at no cost to the city under a long‑term lease; final lease terms and Board of Regents approval are required after the election.

Size, features and cost

Staff presented a conceptual design with about 12,925 square feet (reduced from an original program of 14,810 square feet through value engineering). The plan adds ADA‑compliant fixtures, a fourth apparatus bay sized for double‑depth storage, a sealed gear room and decontamination (decon) bathrooms as part of a carcinogen‑reduction plan, and an IT room separate from mechanical spaces. Staff said roughly $172,000 in existing fixtures and equipment could be moved to the new station, reducing FF&E costs; the project includes $88,000 for owner‑provided FF&E in the estimate.

The staff cost estimate shown to council totaled about $10.4 million for construction, owner costs and project management; the ballot amount is capped at $10.5 million to provide authorization flexibility. Council and staff repeatedly noted that figures are preliminary. "We're talking about estimates of cost," Steve said, and the chief and architect repeatedly cautioned that numbers could change during final design.

Net‑zero upgrade debate and contingencies

A principal concern during debate was a $1,245,000 package of "net‑zero ready" mechanical and electrical upgrades and geothermal work the council had directed be included in the concept. Ray Holiday, identified by staff as the principal for BRW Architects, and the city's presenters said BRW and its engineering partners priced the net‑zero items and considered the $1.245 million figure toward the high end of their estimate. Councilmember Gartner said the added cost and recent local experience with project cost variance made him unwilling to support the package at this time.

Several council members pressed staff on contingency planning. Council members asked whether the architect had included an estimate contingency or an owner's contingency in the building construction line; staff said the architect did not include an additional contingency at that conceptual phase and explained that if costs exceed the authorization council would need to trim scope or add funding. Staff recommended protecting an owner/construction contingency during construction rather than using design‑phase contingencies to cover overruns.

Tax impact and election procedure

City staff presented an estimate of tax impact if voters approve the bonds. Using current assessed values and many caveats, staff projected the city portion of property tax could increase by about $0.23 per $1,000 of taxable value — roughly $11 per $100,000 of assessed valuation — for the bond alone. Staff cautioned this is a projection and the overall tax change residents see will combine this bond cost with the city's ongoing budgetary increases; staff estimated the combined effect could approach 6% in a sample scenario.

Staff also outlined election notifications required by state law: the Story County auditor must mail notices to registered voters 10–20 days before the election, and the city must publish a second notice in the local newspaper 4–20 days before the election that includes the adopted resolution and the estimated tax impact per $100,000. Staff estimated mailing costs at roughly $21,000 and projected a net election expense (after budget adjustments and expected reimbursements) of about $26,000 to be paid from the general fund.

Site, lease and operations

Staff said the proposed site is on a 29‑acre parcel owned by Iowa State University at an address cited as 601 (staff described a southeast corner siting and a plan to occupy only a small portion of the larger parcel). Staff said Iowa State has proposed a long‑term lease (presented as a 52‑year lease with two years for construction), and that ISU leadership has indicated the university would reinvest its share of proceeds from any sale of the existing Welch Avenue station back into the new project. Final lease approval requires action by the Iowa Board of Regents and was expected to come after the November vote.

Outreach and information campaign

Susan, communications staff, described a rapid public‑education campaign aimed at citywide audiences with particular outreach to neighborhoods near the old and new sites and to niche audiences such as Iowa State students. "This is an education campaign, and everything we do is based on a foundation of getting information to residents," Susan said. Staff listed a landing page, social media, open houses tied to Fire Prevention Month and other traditional outreach tools. City staff emphasized that public education must avoid use of public funds to expressly advocate for passage; the city attorney read Iowa Code language confirming public employees' speech is not restricted but that public funds may not be used for express advocacy.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to authorize the mayor to sign a certificate of consistency (consent item): moved and seconded on the consent agenda; motion carried (no roll‑call recorded in the transcript).
- Resolution to submit to voters a general obligation bond not exceeding $10,500,000 to construct, furnish and equip a replacement Fire Station No. 2 (Nov. 4 ballot): motion passed on roll call 4–1 (Wallace, Coriari, Zheng and Petcher — aye; Gartner — nay).

Next steps and outlook

Staff recommended Council adopt the resolution placing the $10.5 million measure on the ballot (staff's Alternative 1). If authorized by voters, the city would proceed with final design, secure Board of Regents approval of the lease and move into construction and subsequent sale of the Welch Avenue property. Staff and council noted uncertainties remain on final design costs, contingency planning and how proceeds from the sale of the current station will be applied.

The council meeting record shows staff will continue public education in the weeks before the Nov. 4 election; staff said they will provide updated cost estimates and design details as they are finalized.