Good evening and welcome to another action packed live blog of the June 14th Ames City Council Meeting. Your faithful reporter Trent Rice at your service.
It's an early start for the council this evening as California-based marketing company Brand Endeavor makes a visioning presentation. Last time the company's Christie Harper was in town, she told the council that the "brand" for Ames should be "The Heartland's Leading Edge."
The other big issue for the council this evening will be a hearing on a request for McFarland Clinic to rezone land near the current clinic campus for a 22-thousand square foot support services and traning facility. Neighbors of the proposed site are concerned about what the new building will do to thier neighborhood. This issue promises to take up most of tonight's meeting.
6:40P: Brand Endevor's Christie Haper just used the phrase "logo-a-palooza" in giving the council some tips on putting the brand into effect. She wins.
7:05P: Getting ready to start the regular council meeting to begin. The room is full in anticipation of the McFarland discussion.
7:15P: Staff presentation on the McFarland LUPP change and rezone request begins...
7:30P: McFarland Clinic CEO Steve Koger is addressing council.
7:35: Koger says the 1215 Duff campus (the main clinic) should be preserved for clinical use, should maintain proximity to Mary Greeley Medical Center. Says information technology issue doesn't have to by adjoining, but should be nearby.
7:45P: Koger says McFarland only grows when it feels the need to grow, not on a whim.
7:50P: Koger says they don't have the building planned, no schematics drawn. That doesn't make sense to me...
7:55P: Public input begins. Mayor Ann Campbell says she has requests from 20 people. Methinks there will be more.
8:00P: McFarland really taking it on the chin from people in the neighborhood. Many accuse McFarland of engaging in land speculation, of not telling the truth about the conditon of houses that it bought and tore down--the area where the new building would go.
8:30P: Public is also concerned that other businesses will do what they're accusing McFarland of doing--buying up lots of residential property and asking for a zoning change. FWIW, I find myself putting a lot more stock in those appealing to the council who actually live in the area affected than those who don't--that's just me. Also, of the 13 people who've spoken so far, only one has spoken for the plan.
8:40P: At this point, I think this is about a 50/50 yes/no for the council...
8:50P: 17 people in, and we get another "yes" for McFarland. Seeing as it comes from the president of the Ames Economic Development Commission, you could kind of expect it. That's 15 "against'" 2 "for"...
8:55P: Another "against" speaker bangs Mayor Campbell's beak for having the temerity to ask people not to be redundant, and to limit their comments to five minutes. FWIW, everyone who's spoken against this plan has been, by their very nature, redundant.
9:00P: Just a quick observation here...all these people who are saying really hateful things about McFarland...where do you suppose they go to the doctor?
9:15P: Final member of the public just spoke. 22 people, 90 minutes of public commentary. Three people supported the McFarland plan.
9:15P: Council now making comments. 3rd Ward council member Jeremy Davis reminds crowd that despite all the strong commentary against the plan, he and other council members have had lots of e-mails supporting it.
9:25P: 4th Ward Council member Riad Mahayni makes motion to approve McFarland's plan as it sits. This will pass, At-Large member Matthew Goodman will vote no. Just a prediction...
9:35P: Passage is a sureity now. This was a tough one for 1st Ward council member Tom Wacha--this is all happening in his ward. It will be interesting to see how his "yes" vote will play out should he decidde to run for re-election.
9:45P: Two-and-a-half hours after it began, the council votes to approve the McFarland plan, Matthew Goodman casts the lone "no" vote.
It's an early start for the council this evening as California-based marketing company Brand Endeavor makes a visioning presentation. Last time the company's Christie Harper was in town, she told the council that the "brand" for Ames should be "The Heartland's Leading Edge."
The other big issue for the council this evening will be a hearing on a request for McFarland Clinic to rezone land near the current clinic campus for a 22-thousand square foot support services and traning facility. Neighbors of the proposed site are concerned about what the new building will do to thier neighborhood. This issue promises to take up most of tonight's meeting.
6:40P: Brand Endevor's Christie Haper just used the phrase "logo-a-palooza" in giving the council some tips on putting the brand into effect. She wins.
7:05P: Getting ready to start the regular council meeting to begin. The room is full in anticipation of the McFarland discussion.
7:15P: Staff presentation on the McFarland LUPP change and rezone request begins...
7:30P: McFarland Clinic CEO Steve Koger is addressing council.
7:35: Koger says the 1215 Duff campus (the main clinic) should be preserved for clinical use, should maintain proximity to Mary Greeley Medical Center. Says information technology issue doesn't have to by adjoining, but should be nearby.
7:45P: Koger says McFarland only grows when it feels the need to grow, not on a whim.
7:50P: Koger says they don't have the building planned, no schematics drawn. That doesn't make sense to me...
7:55P: Public input begins. Mayor Ann Campbell says she has requests from 20 people. Methinks there will be more.
8:00P: McFarland really taking it on the chin from people in the neighborhood. Many accuse McFarland of engaging in land speculation, of not telling the truth about the conditon of houses that it bought and tore down--the area where the new building would go.
8:30P: Public is also concerned that other businesses will do what they're accusing McFarland of doing--buying up lots of residential property and asking for a zoning change. FWIW, I find myself putting a lot more stock in those appealing to the council who actually live in the area affected than those who don't--that's just me. Also, of the 13 people who've spoken so far, only one has spoken for the plan.
8:40P: At this point, I think this is about a 50/50 yes/no for the council...
8:50P: 17 people in, and we get another "yes" for McFarland. Seeing as it comes from the president of the Ames Economic Development Commission, you could kind of expect it. That's 15 "against'" 2 "for"...
8:55P: Another "against" speaker bangs Mayor Campbell's beak for having the temerity to ask people not to be redundant, and to limit their comments to five minutes. FWIW, everyone who's spoken against this plan has been, by their very nature, redundant.
9:00P: Just a quick observation here...all these people who are saying really hateful things about McFarland...where do you suppose they go to the doctor?
9:15P: Final member of the public just spoke. 22 people, 90 minutes of public commentary. Three people supported the McFarland plan.
9:15P: Council now making comments. 3rd Ward council member Jeremy Davis reminds crowd that despite all the strong commentary against the plan, he and other council members have had lots of e-mails supporting it.
9:25P: 4th Ward Council member Riad Mahayni makes motion to approve McFarland's plan as it sits. This will pass, At-Large member Matthew Goodman will vote no. Just a prediction...
9:35P: Passage is a sureity now. This was a tough one for 1st Ward council member Tom Wacha--this is all happening in his ward. It will be interesting to see how his "yes" vote will play out should he decidde to run for re-election.
9:45P: Two-and-a-half hours after it began, the council votes to approve the McFarland plan, Matthew Goodman casts the lone "no" vote.
