Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Downtown Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ames council accepts downtown guiding vision, asks Ames Main Street to lead implementation task force
Summary
The Ames City Council unanimously accepted a downtown guiding vision and asked Ames Main Street to convene a stakeholder task force to prioritize near-term actions and return recommendations to the council.
The Ames City Council voted to accept a downtown guiding vision and asked Ames Main Street to convene an implementation task force to prioritize short-term actions and report back to the city.
City staff described the guiding vision as a nonbinding set of ideas and possible action steps created by downtown stakeholders and Ames Main Street. Staff said the document is intended as a menu of options rather than a rigid blueprint and noted the city could adopt policies or funding for individual projects if it chose to pursue them.
The council discussed three ways to pursue implementation: (1) a joint task force of city staff, downtown stakeholders and an elected official; (2) separate implementation by the city and Ames Main Street; or (3) Ames Main Street prioritizing tasks and returning recommendations to the city. City legal staff noted that a task force convened by the council could qualify as a formal advisory board under state law, requiring agendas, minutes and public notice.
Ellen Grimm, speaking for Ames Main Street and also as a downtown business owner, urged the council to accept the vision and said downtown ‘‘fosters creativity, entrepreneurship, and above all, community.’’ Travis Tolliver of Ames Main Street said the organization expects to keep city council informed with periodic updates and that the task force would include downtown stakeholders and city staff.
Council members said they supported acceptance of the document and the proposal to have Ames Main Street lead a task force to prioritize ‘‘low-hanging fruit’’ and other near-term steps. The council’s motion accepted the guiding vision and directed Ames Main Street to begin convening a task force to prioritize initial steps; the motion carried.
The council and staff noted that the plan includes a list of short-term actions and a related CIP attachment that identifies projects already planned by the city (for example, Sixth Street reconstruction in two years), which could help prioritize items that should be advanced sooner.
Council members and staff emphasized the vision is advisory and that any specific project would require additional public input, funding decisions and formal council approval.
Votes at a glance: The council voted to accept the guiding vision and directed Ames Main Street to convene a task force; the motion carried on a roll call vote (recorded as carried).
