AMES — Campustown’s future and CyTown’s potential impact on local businesses drew discussion as the Iowa State Student Government and the Ames City Council gathered for a joint meeting Wednesday.
Mayor John Haila, Student Body President Brody Kuhuse and Trey Anderson, StuGov’s ex officio representative to the council, emphasized the ongoing relationship between students and city officials and the value of discussing shared concerns.
The meeting gave student representatives an opportunity to ask city leaders about Campustown improvements, rental housing requirements, public safety and bicycle infrastructure. Council members also encouraged students to provide input to the council and mayor.
Campustown improvements
Council member Gloria Betcher questioned CyTown’s progress while discussing how the university development could affect Campustown businesses.
“If CyTown ever gets built, I think we’re going to have some problems,” Betcher said. “But so far, there hasn’t been much built there and we can’t really react to something that doesn’t exist yet.”
Responding to a question about competition between the two areas, Betcher said the impact would depend on which businesses will be located in CyTown. Service businesses might have little effect on Campustown, while entertainment venues could create greater competition.
“But at this point, it’s anybody’s guess what’s going in there,” Betcher said.
Betcher also called for a broader plan to guide Campustown improvements, rather than pursuing individual projects based on available funding or immediate concerns.
“I think Campustown needs that kind of overarching plan so that we can put the money into the things that are building the plan,” Betcher said.
Off-campus Senator Grant Pautsch, an urban planning major, raised concerns about development costs pricing out small businesses and suggested allowing more flexibility in the scale of redevelopment.
Betcher emphasized that improving Campustown would also require university involvement.
“We need to have the university continually injecting life and vitality into Campustown, and we as a city need to provide support from our end,” Betcher said.
Housing requirements
Pautsch urged city officials to reconsider rental occupancy requirements, saying the restrictions can prevent students from lowering housing costs by adding roommates.
Pautsch described contacting the city about adding a fifth roommate to his four-bedroom duplex. Despite what he described as adequate space and parking, he said city staff told him only four people could live there.
“That would have decreased my rent by like 50 bucks a month,” Pautsch said.
He asked officials to consider different living arrangements, including students living with partners, when evaluating housing requirements.
Council member Tim Gartin said the city must balance students’ interest in affordable housing with the effects additional occupants can have on surrounding neighborhoods, including more cars and noise. He suggested bringing a city housing official to a future joint meeting to explain existing requirements.
Gartin also encouraged students to submit specific proposals directly to the council.
“You can go on the city council website, and you can send us an email and say ‘I have an idea,’” Gartin said. “Now, we may not go along with it, but hopefully somebody will tell you why. But at least it starts a conversation.”
Public safety
Iowa State Associate Vice President for Public Safety and Police Chief Michael Newton and Ames Police Chief Geoff Huff discussed how their departments coordinate investigations and share information involving students.
Ames police handle investigations at fraternity and sorority houses, while Iowa State may have notification obligations under the Clery Act for certain crimes reported at those properties. The chiefs also highlighted their communication following a recent fraternity incident.
“We had an accident that happened at a fraternity not that long ago, and we put out a press release,” Huff said. “We notified ISU of what we knew about that incident as well. So it can get kind of complicated in those situations, and that’s the benefit of us working closely together, is that we communicate a lot.”
Newton said the departments’ shared records system helps Iowa State stay informed about incidents that may require campus notifications.
“Because we share a system and because we work so closely together, we know about these things that happen,” Newton said. “And once the institution knows, we have an obligation to be involved and do the notifications.”
The chiefs also discussed mental health services, substance use diversion programs, police transparency, crime mapping, partnerships with Iowa State researchers, the Mary Greeley Alternative Response for Community Health (ARCH) Program and student internship opportunities.
Bicycle infrastructure
Students asked city officials about safer bicycle routes, gaps in existing bike lanes and parking options outside businesses.
Officials highlighted efforts to expand shared-use paths and update the city’s bicycle map while balancing cyclists’ needs with vehicle traffic. Students also suggested incentives for businesses to install bike racks.
Discussion included connecting Ames to regional trails, though officials said land acquisition remains an obstacle to expanding routes beyond the city.