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Council approves billboard lease, construction contract and multiple rezoning/ordinance items; easement actions split
Summary
On Jan. 13 the City Council approved a digital billboard lease with Lamar, awarded a $292,849.82 contract for the Story County Edge‑of‑Field project, approved an easement vacation at 400 Field Drive for the resource‑recovery campus, took second/third readings and adopted multiple zoning and code amendments, and tabled other easement vacations pending final plats.
The Ames City Council recorded several formal actions across public‑works, land‑use and code amendments during its Jan. 13 meeting.
Billboard lease: Council approved a lease with Lamar Advertising to place a digital billboard on part of the Billy Sunday property. Staff said the lease was revised to give Lamar a 150‑day window to clear and restore the site after lease termination (up from 90 days) and to ensure the company would reimburse city costs if the city had to remove the sign. The zoning ordinance requires a maximum size and an evening/nighttime nits standard; staff said Lamar agreed to a setting under 200 nits (about 180 nits) and verification of compliance will be required.
Construction contract: Council accepted bids and approved final plans, specifications and a contract award to Hands On Excavating, Radcliffe, Iowa, for the Story County Edge‑of‑Field project in the amount of $292,849.82.
Easements: Council approved vacation of an existing public‑utility easement at 400 Field Drive for the resource recovery and recycling campus. For several other proposed easement vacations (320 Southeast 2nd, 405 Southeast 3rd, 413 Southeast 3rd), staff reported ownership had not transferred and the council closed the hearings but took no action, deferring final decisions until a final plat and replacement easements are submitted.
Ordinances and rezoning: Council advanced and adopted multiple readings: a personal transportation‑device ordinance (second reading), rezoning at the Iowa State Research Park to Research Park Innovation District with a master plan, multiple rezoning approvals with master plans, a text amendment on landscaping rock mulch, and modifications to park‑use code. Most passed on recorded roll calls, with the meeting transcript recording ayes from council members during roll calls.
Disposition: The council also referred several communications and resident emails to staff for memos or further review and confirmed staff follow‑up on certain public‑forum concerns.
