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Mayor breaks tie vote so council can renew discussion on tax abatements on Southeast 16th

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New request for tax abatement for Deery Brothers leads to another discussion about creating urban revitalization area

 

By Lauris Olson
AmesNewsOnline

(May 22, 2012 – 11:15 p.m.) Tax abatements for land along a stretch of Southeast 16th Street between Dayton and Duff avenues are a possibility again.

The Ames City Council declined to create a list of criteria for the abatements on April 10 on a 3 to 3 vote.  But council member Jami Larson asked tonight that the criteria come before the council again after it became clear that a second tax abatement proposal by Deery Brothers automotive was also headed for a 3 to 3 defeat.

Railroad will close Duff Avenue north of Lincoln Way for repairs

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By Susan Gwiasda

City of Ames

 

(May 22, 2012 – 3 p.m. ) The Union Pacific railroad has scheduled a replacement of the Duff Avenue railroad crossing the week of June 4-9. The City of Ames will close Duff Avenue from south of the Main Street intersection to beyond N.E. Third Street during this time to facilitate the repairs.

City manager concerned that library renovation project bank account still short $600,000

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Correction - The conceptual plans for the renovation will NOT be discussed May 24.

Current estimate puts Ames Public Library renovation and expansion $110,600 under budget
 

By Lauris Olson

AmesNewsOnline

 

(May 21, 2012 – 2:45 p.m.) Ames’ city manager wants to know how much the library has in the bank to pay for the library renovations before the city signs any more contracts on the project.

 

“Before we can make a recommendation to the City Council on future financial commitments using this funding source, we need to fully inform them of the status of pledges,” Schainker wrote in a May 15 memo to Weeks. Weeks shared the memo with the library’s board of trustees at their May 17 meeting.

 

“This information is critical because once the City Council has made a financial commitment to the project, they must be honored, even if monies from all the pledges are not received. Currently, no alternative sources of funding have been identified or approved for use by the City Council.”