At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the Ames City Council discussed the Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus, Jordison Concrete Inc., gender identity and property taxes. 

Resource, Recovery and Recycling Campus 

The city estimated a bidding cost of $16.8 million for the Resource, Recovery, and Recycling Campus (R3C). However, in the competitive bidding process, the city received a bid of $19.6 million, $2.79 million more than initially budgeted for. 

City staff reviewed 41 potential reductions from the project and will reduce 20 modifications. These adjustments lower the cost of the project by $1.56 million. The city will continue to review five more potential modifications. 

“The modifications to this project, we believe, will not meaningfully detract from our ability to operate the facility. A lot of these different components that we are talking about modifying or eliminating relate to aesthetic items or they’re duplicated,” Brian Phillips, assistant city manager, said. 

The city additionally rearranged the budget to free up $263,643 and reduced the construction manager fee to reflect the minimization of the project at large. Additionally, the city determined that the project will generate $687,077 more in revenue than initially anticipated. After crunching the numbers, the project does have a balanced budget once again. 

Jordison Concrete Inc. 

The city contracted Henkel Construction to build and develop the Schainker Plaza. Henkel Construction sub-contracted Jordison Construction to lay the concrete.

The work of Jordison failed to result in safe and high-quality concrete. As a result, the council considered labeling Jordison a non-responsible bidder for the next three years. 

Under the direction of the city of Ames attorney, Mark Lambert, the city council motioned to approve Jordison Construction’s request to withdraw their bid for the contract on the resource recovery project. The city will now contract the second-lowest bidder from the competitive bidding process for the resource recovery project. 

The attorney for Jordison Construction, Billy Mallory, referenced Iowa Code 26.16. This code states that a “governmental entity shall not by ordinance, rule, or any other action relating to contracts for public improvements for which competitive bids are required by this chapter impose any requirement that directly or indirectly restricts potential bidders to any predetermined class of bidders defined by experience on similar projects, size of company, union membership, or any other criteria.” 

Gender identity 

In light of Governor Kim Reynolds signing into law Senate File 579, the city of Ames can no longer define gender identity as a protected class in Municipal Code 14. 

“My recommendation is to not repeal the ordinance yet, to take a wait-and-see attitude,” Lambert said. 

Property taxes

At 5:15 p.m., the council held a public hearing to discuss the suggested property taxes for fiscal year 26/27. No Ames residents addressed the council during the public hearing. Another public hearing will take place April 14.

For more information on the Ames City Council meetings visit the webpage.