Latest news with #AmesCityCouncil
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's how Ames and Story County plan to combat a 20 percent rise in homelessness since 2020
A recent study has revealed that homelessness has risen in Story County by 20 percent in the last five years. Representatives from the City of Ames and Story County are collaborating to develop a plan that will better support the growing unhoused community, which may include expanding emergency shelters, establishing a task force, and building mixed-use housing. The Ames City Council and the Story County Board of Supervisors hired the consulting firm Analytic Insight, tasked with analyzing local data to recommend ways to assist the homeless population. More: Searching for a consultant: Ames pledges $12,000 to help curb rise in homelessness The firm presented a Homeless Action Plan to the community on April 28. The plan includes three fiscal years of recommended actions Ames and Story County could take. No official action was taken on the plan since the presentation was not made at a regular meeting. Copies of the report are available on the City of Ames website. More: A May Day rally and food drive is taking over Bandshell Park in Ames. What you need to know: According to data Analytic Insight collected, homelessness in Story County has increased by 20 percent since 2020. Within Story County, Ames has the highest percentage of residents living under the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) at almost 25 percent, or one in four. More: Building trust, connecting services: How Ames' HOST program is helping the unhoused community There are 62 crisis center beds available for single people and four for families in the Two Rivers Region, which includes Boone, Greene, Hardin, Marshall, and Story counties. The data said 105 beds are needed for local individuals and 15 for families. Rapid rehousing, support that helps limit residents from being unhoused, can serve 18 single people and nine families, though 181 individuals and 25 families are in need. Analytic's data also indicated that there are only 40 permanent supportive housing units available when 76 are needed. Five actions were recommended during the April 28 meeting that could be implemented within the first year. The first was continuing to support on-the-ground service provider partnerships, like the Homeless Outreach and Support Team (HOST), made up of local service providers that assess and consult with homeless individuals on a weekly basis. Supporting the existing agencies and expanding their reach will be helpful to the community, President of Analytic Insight Amy Flowers said. She also recommended building a peer navigator program, where someone who has or is actively experiencing homelessness can serve as the bridge between providers and reluctant residents. 'They offer lived insight, they can be empathetic, and they can offer real-time guidance where the shelters are, where to find health care or get mental health services,' Flowers said. 'Their presence has also been shown to reduce conflict and help promote long-term stabilization.' More: Ames nonprofit, The Romero House, provides homeless with friendship and essential services Flowers said they encourage expanding a partnership with IowaWORKS Mobile Workforce Center job fairs, increasing emergency shelter capacity, and establishing a case manager housed in General Assistance with Story County. It could cost as much as $261,360 if all actions are approved and take place in a single one, according to the proposed plan. Flowers recommended creating a task force in year two that would establish a community vision and develop policy recommendations. 'I see this task force as being essentially a policy body; responding to emerging issues, communicating with the public and making sure they're informed,' Flowers said. Some Ames residents attending the presentation indicated they would like the task force to be a year-one priority instead, and with an emphasis on members who have experienced homelessness. Flowers said both requests could be possible. The county and Ames were encouraged to provide all-weather daytime refuge to better prepare for the range of Midwest weather. More: Ames doesn't have a homeless shelter. How does the city support the unhoused? Because a high percentage of Story County renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, Flowers said it's also important to align with or supplement local funding for emergency housing. "It puts people in somewhat of a danger zone of housing insecurity or instability," Flowers said. "It's important to make sure there's local funding available for someone who might need a month or two of reprieve from rent to address another need like a medical bill." The proposed year two budget is estimated at $73,500, with the bulk going towards daytime refuge. Year three of the action play would be the most costly, but would likely also have the biggest impact. The third year will be used to plan, fund, and build mixed-use permanent supportive and affordable housing. About 20 to 30 units of permanent supportive housing were recommended, along with 30 to 40 units of affordable housing and 30 to 40 units of senior affordable housing. The estimated budget for such a project ranged from $26 million to $35 million. Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@ This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: What's included in the joint Ames, Story County homeless action plan?
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ada Hayden trail expected to close for 2 months. When does the $1.2M project begin?
A beloved shared-use trail in Ames may be completely closed for five to six weeks this fall while it undergoes a $1 million makeover. The Ames Parks and Recreation department is planning to replace Ada Hayden Heritage Park's 10-foot-wide asphalt trail with an expanded 12-foot-wide concrete path. The concrete surface will reduce the trail's long-term maintenance, and a wider trail will provide more space for users. More: The Ada Hayden trail is expanding in Ames. What to know about the $1.4M project In a special meeting on Tuesday, April 15, the Ames City Council agreed to close the trail completely during construction. The trail makeover is estimated to cost about $1.2 million, leaving about $111,400 of a surplus. The 'Upland Trail' will not be paved and will remain mostly open throughout the project, Parks and Recreation Keith Abraham said. More: ISU aims to encourage sense of 'civic duty' with new Center for Cyclone Civics. What to know: The current asphalt trail has issues with cracking, edges breaking off and tree roots growing through the path. Its width is also not meeting the needs of users. Concrete is more durable than asphalt as it is a harder material, and it's estimated to last over 30 years. More: No more 'bug love' What to know about Iowa State University eliminating its Insect Zoo Concrete is also a more cost-effective option: Because of its longevity, the long-term maintenance costs will be reduced. The overlays needed on the current asphalt path have cost over $50,000, which will be necessary with concrete. City staff said they understand concrete is not the best surface for runners, but feel it is the best surface for a majority of users. The city council has set aside $1.4 million to replace and widen Ada Hayden's trail The base bid will include the loop around both lakes and the trail section from the Harrison Parking Lot to the main trail. The repaving of the Edgewater Court, Fletcher, and Stone Brooke connectors will be bid as an alternate. More: Ames, Boone County featured in 'RV There Yet?' Here's how to watch the national premiere: Closing the entire trail was estimated to be the most cost-effective option with a base bid of $1.1 million. The project can also be completed in five to six weeks, whereas phased construction could take up to nine weeks, according to city staff. Even though the entire trail will close at the start of construction, city staff will speak with the yet-to-be-named contractor about possibly opening a section of the trail before the project is complete. Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@ This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: When and for how long is the Ada Hayden trail closing in Ames?
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ames considers restricting e-bikes, e-scooters from downtown and Campustown sidewalks
New restrictions may be rolling toward the biking community. The City of Ames is considering drafting an ordinance that regulates the use of electric bicycles and "personal transportation" devices within city limits, with a specific focus on Ada Hayden. A potential micromobility ordinance was discussed at Tuesday's regular Ames City Council meeting. No ordinance has been drafted yet, though the council did ponder what areas should be off limits, potential speed limits and exceptions. The term micromobility refers to all small, lightweight vehicles powered by individual use, which includes electric and non-electric bicycles, scooters and skateboards. Assistant City Manager Pa Goldbeck said the term can vary, and the city defines a mobility device as "under 150 pounds, can be equipped with an electric motor and travels less than 20 miles an hour." Personal transportation devices are power-assisted devices such as e-bikes, electric scooters, and electric skateboards. The council is considering a ban on personal or electric transportation devices in areas where bicycles are already not allowed, with the exception of city parks. A 20-mile-per-hour speed limit will also be considered. City staff has been studying other micromobility ordinances since October and, on Tuesday, provided the council with examples from other cities. The staff recommends biking and personal transportation devices be allowed on shared-use paths, sidewalks and on streets in designated bike lanes. They would not be allowed in designated pedestrian-only areas, and where only pedestrians and mobility devices for persons with disabilities are allowed. More: Construction of the new indoor aquatic center in Ames is progressing. When will it open? The Ames Municipal Code has a chapter addressing bicycles, tricycles or unicycles, but it does not specifically address electric-assisted bicycles, tricycles, unicycles or other power-assisted devices. The code states that all traffic laws apply to bicycles on the roadway and maximum speed must be "reasonable and prudent." Riding on roadways, sidewalks, and bicycle paths is generally permitted except in specified areas like downtown and Campustown. The city does not require a license or permit for bikes, e-bikes or other e-vehicles. More: I-35 exit 102 near Huxley and Cambridge is closing for construction. Find out when: Bicycles and personal transportation devices are typically allowed on multi-use paths, sidewalks and roadways. When both roadway and path are available, cities differ on their preference for which is used − Ankeny prefers the roadway, Cedar Rapids opts for the path and in Des Moines and Iowa City, either can be used. Restrictions are typically in downtown areas or pedestrian-heavy districts. Most cities, like Des Moines, Iowa City and Cedar Falls, identify specific locations where riding is prohibited. Some cities require bikes or e-vehicles to be licensed, permitted or registered. Cedar Falls requires registration of bicycles for a fee of $2 and Cedar Rapids also requires a $5 registration fee. The council is considering expanding Ames' current ordinance to include personal transportation devices. The current ordinance restricts riding on sidewalks in the following areas: Main Street from Duff Avenue to Clark Avenue. Lincoln Way on the south side thereof from Stanton Avenue to Hayward Avenue. Hayward Avenue on the east side thereof from Lincoln Way to Hunt Street; and Welch Avenue from Lincoln Way to Knapp Street. Riding bicycles on the street is also prohibited on Grand Avenue between Lincoln Way and 30th Street. More: Will city council approve Nevada Flats after denying a rezoning change in February? The council also discussed if they'd prefer to allow personal electronic transportation devices in the same city parks that bicycles are allowed in. Ward 2 Rep. Tim Gartin was cautious about allowing personal electric transportation devices in parks, particularly in Ada Hayden Heritage Park, noting that bicycle and scooter traffic could deter pedestrians from using the shared-use path that travels around the outer banks of the lake. "I worry about devices chasing current pedestrians off Ada Hayden," Gartin said. "It can easily happen and then it becomes a problem." Ward 1 Rep. Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen was in favor of extending all the regulations for bicycles. "You could damage a pedestrian just as much on a pedal-only bicycle as you could on rollerblades or a one-wheeled device," Beatty-Hansen said. "So if we're going to allow bicycles at (parks like) Ada Hayden, I don't know that it's fair to other devices." Parks and Recreation Director Keith Abraham said residents have told him they don't go to Ada Hayden because of bicycle and e-bike traffic. He encouraged the council to take pedestrian safety into account. "Safety should be what really drives what we're doing," Abraham said. "You're always going to have that segment of the population that is going to go faster than the speed limit, going to do something that they're not supposed to do. "We're going to have to look at how do we put things in place that keep people safe, and I think some of our parks, it may mean that some places aren't safe to be used." The Parks and Recreation Department will review the parks' rules and be asked to weigh in at a future council meeting. City staff will proceed by drafting an ordinance with the council's direction, which will be put on a future council agenda. Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@ This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Does Ames allow e-bikes and e-scooters within city limits?
