Ames took a big step toward building a new facility to handle the city’s trash, recycling and yard waste. It comes with a price tag of more than $22 million.
The city council approved a borrowing plan at its Tuesday meeting to pay for the new Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus. City staff estimate construction will require about $22 million in loans.
To cover costs while the facility is being built, the city had planned to use short-term loans called bond anticipation notes. These temporary loans typically carry lower interest rates, which can save money during construction. However, bids for the notes came in too high. The council voted to approve a staff recommendation to proceed with selling bonds for the project.
The city expects all borrowing costs to be paid back with money the new facility earns from operations.
In other business
- Runway to close for months: The James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport’s main runway will shut down next year for about six months (April through October) as the city tears it out and rebuilds it from scratch at a total estimated cost of nearly $28 million. A second, shorter runway will also close from July through September in 2027 during intersection reconstruction. Work is expected to wrap up in 2028.
- Golf course, neighborhood on track to join city: The council directed staff to move forward with annexing the Ames Golf and Country Club and the Irons subdivision, whether all property owners want to or not. If the process stays on schedule, both would officially be inside city limits by January. A public hearing on the annexation is set for July 28.
- Repairs on hold: The council rejected the only bid submitted for the 2025-26 asphalt street repair program (Hillcrest Avenue, Ellis Street, Kentucky Avenue, Illinois Avenue, Indiana Avenue, Oklahoma Drive and Delaware Avenue). Manatts Inc. of Ames bid $4.83 million for the work while the city’s own cost estimate was $4.36 million. Staff will revise the plans and seek new bids. The project could go back out for bidding as soon as this fall.
- Kwik Star wants to double pumps: Kwik Star, which intends to build a new store at George Washington Carver Avenue and Cameron School Road, asked the city to raise the maximum number of vehicles that can be fueled at once at convenience stores in a special zoning district from 10 to 20, matching the company’s standard design for this type of location. Council members voted to eliminate the maximum limit of pumps. Kwik Star is now required to submit a special use permit application with a site plan to the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment.
- Closed session: The council voted to go into a closed session to discuss collective bargaining strategy.
- Next time: The next regularly scheduled meeting of the council is June 23 at 6 p.m. at Ames City Hall, 515 Clark Ave.
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