Good summer evening from the Ames City Council,, Trent Rice at your service.  A handful of issues on the agenda this evening. 

The council will set a public hearing on the sale of $65 million in bonds to pay for an expansion of Mary Greeley Medical Center.  Also, the council will consider a new city logo that was suggested as part of the visioning project.  City staff will offer a report on the estimated costs to extend infrastructure east of Interstate 35--remember, this was work that was to be paid for by Tennessee mall deveoper James "Bucky" Wolford.  That went away when his land was foreclosed upon.  We'll also keep an eye on a police department report on the ongoing urban deer management program.

7:35PM:  The council sets September 13th as a public hearing for the sale of the MGMC bonds.

7:50PM:  Welcome to our first speed bump of the evening.  A protracted discussion of the city's twice annual "free days" at the Resource Recovery Plant.

8:05PM:  The council's getting a look a new logo designs for the city.  Public Relations Officer Susan Gwiasda says the city, convention and visiors bureau and chamber of commerce would use the same logo with different colors.  My sense, is that this is like asking seven different to pick out wallpaper.  At-Large Council Member Matthew Goodman suggests getting the public's input.  To me, that's like asking 56,000 people to pick out wallpaper. 

8:20PM:  The council's considering using a public input meeting to get input on the logo, with a report back to the council in two weeks.  No, I did not just make that up. 

8:30PM:  The tail is now wagging the dog on this logo issue.

8:40PM:  Ultimately, the council asked staff to put out a news release on the proposed logo, put it on the city's website, and consider any public input in a meeting in two weeks.

9:40PM:  Another speed bump as the council attempts to reinvent the wheel on the urban deer hunting ordinance.

10:10PM:  The council's now hearing from Ames Police Chief Chuck Cychosz on possible increasing parking fines.  He says in ISU football game days the cost to park in an ISU grass lot is $20, while an illegal parking ticket is $10.  He says people seem to be willing to take the hit and pay the ticket.