Ames staff urge narrow changes to nuisance code after year of complaint-driven enforcement

City staff told the Ames City Council on Aug. 5 that a year and a half of enforcing the city’s consolidated nuisance ordinance has generated steady complaint volumes and exposed gaps the city may want to close. Staff presented data compiled from 2023 through 2025 and identified a dozen topics the mayor had asked them to review, including how to handle vermin and infestations, outdoor storage and accumulated items, overgrown vegetation, junked vehicles, items in the public right-of-way, recreational vehicles parked more than 72 hours, vacant and abandoned structures, and ways to help homeowners who cannot afford large abatements. Staff said the ordinance is working in many respects because a consistent fee structure and a compiled complaint log make public education and case tracking easier. But they said about 20% of complaints since the ordinance took effect are the two provisions added in the recodification: dangerous trees and grass-height rules. The department’s presentation also emphasized that current enforcement is complaint-driven: staff do not proactively inspect neighborhoods but respond to requests received via the city’s AIMS mobile system or direct calls. On vermin, staff said earlier attempts to include a ‘‘conditions that harbor vermin’’ clause failed because neighbors disagreed about what counts as a habitat versus a nuisance. Staff shared photos of a vacant property where animal-control officers confirmed raccoons inside the building; they said the municipality can only evaluate hazards visible from the public way and cannot enter private property except with permission or a warrant. Staff asked whether council wants to pursue…