The city of Ames will dip into a special savings fund to close the gap to help build the new animal shelter.
The Ames City Council approved a $6 million contract to turn a former day care center at 2715 Dayton Ave. into a new animal shelter. The city will use up to $562,500 from the council’s priorities capital fund to pay the extra cost.
HPC LLC of Ames made the lowest bid at $5.5 million, nearly $59,000 more than the city’s construction budget.
Seven extra features were approved at the Tuesday council meeting, adding just under $500,000 to the contract. The extras include shade covers for dog runs, more parking, outdoor signs and a “catio,” a screened outdoor space where cats can enjoy fresh air.
Finding ways to save: City staff and the builder looked for ways to cut costs without making the building less useful. They agreed on cheaper light fixtures, siding, heating and cooling equipment and building methods.
Those changes saved $113,900 and were approved by the council. Staff expect more cuts to bring total savings to about $150,000.
Even with those savings, construction is expected to cost about $6.1 million. That includes $250,000 set aside for surprise costs. It leaves the project $658,000 short.
Donors and interest help: Interest earned on donated money will cover $95,354. The special city fund will cover the rest. The special fund holds about $6.2 million, and any money not used will be returned.
“The fund is used to provide one-time money for capital improvements in the city,” said City Manager Steven Schainker.
The whole project, including land and design, will cost nearly $8.4 million. Donors gave more than $4.5 million.
Ames electric bills will increase
The council approved an ordinance to raise electric rates for homes and businesses by about 2.5%. For homes, the monthly service charge will rise from $14.46 to $14.82.
The price for each unit of electricity will also go up. In summer, it will climb from 11.18 cents to 11.46 cents. In winter, it will rise from 9.06 cents to 9.29 cents. That means a home using 800 units of electricity in a winter month will pay about $2.20 more.
The new rates will apply once the ordinance is published.
Businesses pay more too: Businesses will also see higher bills. The monthly charge for small businesses will grow from $20.81 to $21.33.
Large factories will pay $1,144 a month in service charges, up from $1,116.
Charging stations for electric vehicles will see their monthly charge rise from $250 to $256.25.
Other business
- Withdraw from recycling: The council passed an ordinance that allows homeowners to withdraw from the curbside recycling program they say they cannot easily use. Aspen, the company that collects recycling, already picks up in some alleys. Those homes will still pay the fee. The council passed the ordinance in one meeting instead of three so it takes effect sooner.
- Closed session: The council went into closed session to discuss collective bargaining strategy and purchase of real estate.
- Next: The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be 6 p.m. Nov. 10 at Ames City Hall.
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