Ames’ mayor and three incumbent city council members are running to keep their seats in the Nov. 4 election.
Ames Mayor John Haila is running for a third mayoral term, while Ward 1 Rep. Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Ward 3 Rep. Gloria Betcher and at-large Rep. Amber Corrieri are each hoping to secure a fourth term on the Ames City Council.
All four candidates are running unopposed.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Early voting begins Oct. 15 and lasts through Nov. 3. The last day to submit a request for a mailed ballot is Oct. 20.
Ames voters can find their voting precincts and candidate information on Story County’s website.
The Ames Tribune sent out questionnaires to each of the local candidates. Here are their responses:
John Haila, mayor
Name: John A. Haila
Age: 71
Office I am seeking: Mayor, City of Ames
Hometown: Born Chicago, lived in several cities across the country prior to attending Iowa State University in 1972.
Current town of residence: Ames
Education: BA Architecture, Iowa State University
Occupation: Retired
Political experience and civic activities: Currently serving second term as Ames mayor. I represent Ames on multiple local boards in my capacity as mayor.
Why are you running for this seat?
There are several upcoming community impacting decisions plus quite a few city projects and initiatives that I want to continue working with council to accomplish.
What will your goals and priorities for Ames be if elected?
Successful completion and commencement of operation of major city projects including phase one of the power plant, solid waste transfer station, Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center and Schainker Plaza; begin implementation of the Downtown Ames Guiding Vision; continue working on ways to encourage and/or facilitate increasing housing stock; strengthen relationships with local partners including Iowa State University, Ames Community School District, Story County Board of Supervisors and many other local entities that strive to make Ames a more welcoming and vibrant community.
How do you think the City of Ames should address the rising homeless population in Ames? Are there any items on the accepted Homeless Action Plan you would push the city to take?
The city is actively providing funding and staff to reach out to those who are experiencing homelessness, seeking to understand individual and/or family needs and connecting them to available services and resources. Continue to support, and through ASSET provide funding, to our local human service partners. Some of the Homeless Action Plan recommendations are currently being implemented while others require evaluation to determine if they are practical to utilize in Ames.
How do you think the new resource recovery center may help the city meet its climate action goals? And are there any other items you’d like the city to adopt to meet the goals in its Climate Action Plan?
We will further reduce our carbon footprint by burning less garbage, although that will be offset in part by increased transportation of municipal solid waste to the Carroll landfill. The new center will offer expanded yard waste, food waste and recycling options.
Council is including some of the CAP initiatives in several new city funded/owned building projects and contracted for energy audits/evaluations of all city facilities to be completed. Post completion of the aforementioned, and after a few years of operation, evaluation of their efficiency and cost/benefit ratio should be conducted prior to the city undertaking any new CAP initiatives.
If the city does build a new power plant, what do you think should happen to the current plant? Do you know if it will be demolished or repurposed?
The new power plant will be built in several phases to minimize the impact on customer electric rates. One of the two boilers in the existing power plant will need to remain in operation for another 10-15 years due to phase one of the new power plant only providing a portion of the required power generation. Once the remaining existing boiler is retired a comprehensive feasibility study should be performed to determine if the power plant is suitable for repurposing. No decision has been made, nor money budgeted, to repurpose or demolish the current plant.
How would you like to see Ames expand its infrastructure in the future? Is there an area you’d like to see the city develop other than the Linc?
We need to continue to expand north/northwest, west and southeast consistent with the Ames 2040 Plan. East 13th St. east of I-35 and Downtown along, and north, of Main Street offer outstanding opportunities for additional development/redevelopment in addition to the Linc.
Have you been pleased with the city’s budgets over the past four years? Why or why not? Are there any changes you would like to see the city adopt in future budgets in terms of conserving or spending money?
Yes. City staff, under the leadership of the city manager and finance director offices, have worked tirelessly to minimize budget increases that impact property taxes. Staff and council are committed to fiscal stewardship of tax dollars while continuing to provide exceptional service at a reasonable cost. I would like to see increased investment in community amenities and infrastructure to support new development and redevelopment in Ames.
Ames City Council
(Three candidates for three seats)
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Ward 1
Name: Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Age: 43
Office I am seeking: City Council, Ward 1
Hometown: Emmetsburg, Iowa
Current town of residence: Ames
Education: MA in Political Science, ISU
Occupation: Grocer
Political experience and civic activities: I have served on the Ames City Council for 10 years now; eight years as an At-Large Representative, and more recently two years as the Ward 1 representative. Prior to my service on Council, I was on the ACVB (now Discover Ames) Board of Directors, and had served on the Ames Human Relation Commission.
Why are you running for this seat?
I currently serve, and am running for reelection because I have found my experience on Council to be valuable and fulfilling.
What will your goals and priorities for Ames be if elected?
My goals and priorities will continue to be what they have been; I will continue to work towards making Ames a welcoming and vibrant community that values people and celebrates our commitment to nature.
How do you think the City of Ames should address the rising homeless population in Ames? Are there any items on the accepted Homeless Action Plan you would push the city to take?
As experiencing homelessness (and being on the brink of it) continues to rise nationally and in Iowa, this is an issue with no clear end in sight. The Homelessness Action Plan calls for us to help service providers better coordinate their services, improve prevention of homelessness though our rental/utility assistance programs, and better bolster our offerings of shelter, temporary housing, and affordable housing. At the same time, we need to consider how to improve access to mental health care and drug addiction services so we can be both compassionate and also gently insist people use those services if necessary.
How do you think the new resource recovery center may help the city meet its climate action goals? And are there any other items you’d like the city to adopt to meet the goals in its Climate Action Plan?
The new R3C will allow us to maintain the capacity for electrical generation through traditional fossil fuel (natural gas) methods, but won’t tie us to the constant burning of natural gas in the same way that burning our refuse did. It will also open up opportunities to recycle those materials which have value, such as glass, metals, cardboard, and certain types of plastic. (Not all plastic has value as a recyclable material.) This will be beneficial for our carbon footprint, but also makes economic sense.
If the city does build a new power plant, what do you think should happen to the current plant? Do you know if it will be demolished or repurposed?
I imagine it would be very hard to retrofit anything useful into the current power plant, but we haven’t delved into that too deeply, so I would keep my options open at this time.
How would you like to see Ames expand its infrastructure in the future? Is there an area you’d like to see the city develop other than the Linc?
I like projects that build density along pre-existing roads, paths, and transit corridors. We are continuing to look at parts of town that might be redeveloped to add density where it makes sense. One such area that we have looked at in the past as a “redevelopment area” would be the Knapp and Hunt Street areas.
Have you been pleased with the city’s budgets over the past four years? Why or why not? Are there any changes you would like to see the city adopt in future budgets in terms of conserving or spending money?
Ames has historically done a GREAT job with fiscal responsibility. The most challenging thing in the past few years relating to the budget has been the changes coming from the State Legislature. We barely have time to adjust before they move the target again, which leads to a sense of volatility and uncertainty that is unhealthy for any municipality.
Gloria Betcher, Ward 3
Name: Gloria Betcher
Age: 62
Office I am seeking: Ward 3 City Council Representative, Ames City Council
Hometown: Red Wing, Minnesota
Current town of residence: Ames, Iowa
Education: BA St. Olaf College, MA and PhD University of Minnesota
Occupation: Teaching Professor of English at Iowa State University
Political experience and civic activities:
I’m in my 12th year on the Ames City Council and currently serve on the Ames Regional Economic Alliance Board; previously I served on the Board/Executive Board of Discover Ames, the Ames Historic Preservation Commission, and the Board of the South Campus Area Neighborhood Association. I volunteer for the Octagon Art Festival, the Ames History Museum Benefit Committee, the Ames/Story County Juneteenth Planning Committee, the NAACP, and recently, to staff the education trailer during the visit of the Wall That Heals to Nevada.
Why are you running for this seat?
I love Ames and am committed to making our great community even better. One way to do that is to follow through on the many initiatives that the Council and the City of Ames have begun in the last few years or are planning in the next four years.
What will your goals and priorities for Ames be if elected?
As always, my priorities will be improving engagement with our residents and enacting policies and incentives that strengthen our neighborhoods, including Campustown and Downtown, and enhance quality of life.
How do you think the City of Ames should address the rising homeless population in Ames? Are there any items on the accepted Homeless Action Plan you would push the city to take?
Homelessness is a growing problem across the nation. Ames can learn from the successes and failures of other municipalities which strategies might be the most effective to try here. We have started to assess what other cities are doing and considering how those strategies might be modified to work in Ames. The HOST team formed in the last year is on the right track and could be expanded. It reaches out to unhoused residents, putting them in touch with wrap-around services, and facilitating access to shelter, food and other necessities. That’s a good start and may pave the way for a future peer navigator program.
How do you think the new resource recovery center may help the city meet its climate action goals? And are there any other items you’d like the city to adopt to meet the goals in its Climate Action Plan?
Development of the Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus will help us meet our climate action goals by allowing us to move away from producing energy with refuse derived fuel. This will cut powerplant emissions, ensure more consistent handling and sorting of waste, and allow us to explore ways to facilitate the recycling of materials from our partner communities, thus helping to reduce the carbon footprint countywide. The ongoing shifting of the city fleet to EVs, hybrids and biodiesel vehicles, exploring more opportunities for green or blue roofs on City buildings, creating more greenspace on city property to reduce heat islands and planting more trees would all incrementally further our goals.
If the city does build a new power plant, what do you think should happen to the current plant? Do you know if it will be demolished or repurposed?
I think that we should consider repurposing the power plant facility. Constructing new buildings from the ground up is getting ever more expensive. Obviously, we would need to assess what condition the facility is in 10+ years from now when we anticipate its closure. Disused power plants around the world have been repurposed into apartments, shops, recreation facilities, restaurants, museums, and art galleries. The potential for reuse is tremendous, but we would need to assess whether to sell the property or keep it based on our community needs and the development of downtown.
How would you like to see Ames expand its infrastructure in the future? Is there an area you’d like to see the city develop other than the Linc?
I’d like to see us get more involved in the transformation of Campustown. We need more mom-and-pop shops, interesting restaurants and funky entertainment venues in Campustown to fill vacant lots and empty properties and to make the area a vital commercial zone that’s pedestrian-friendly and attractive to more non-student residents of Ames. Students are significant to our economy, but the seasonal nature of an economy based on students who leave town for breaks and the summer presents a challenge for business owners. The relocation of Fire Station #2 from a prime corner of Welch Avenue, which will be on the Noember ballot, could open a prime commercial spot and act as a catalyst for reinvestment and revitalization.
Have you been pleased with the city’s budgets over the past four years? Why or why not? Are there any changes you would like to see the city adopt in future budgets in terms of conserving or spending money?
City staff does a remarkable job of helping us to balance our budget by cutting costs through creative problem-solving and carefully assessing the timing of projects to make our tax dollars stretch. With the State Legislature whittling away the ability of municipalities to tax at levels needed to maintain infrastructure, public services and amenities, the fact that we have not had to make drastic cuts yet is a minor miracle. I don’t have any specific changes in mind at this point, primarily because I have no idea what the Legislature will cut next. I am confident that we will change our strategies as required to avoid being swamped.
Amber Corrieri, at-large
Name: Amber Corrieri
Age: 45
Office I am seeking: Ames City Council, at-large
Hometown: Ankeny
Current town of residence: Ames
Education: B.A. Business Administration, Simpson College
Occupation: Chief Operating Officer, Mainstream Living
Political experience and civic activities: Ames City Council (three terms), Story County Housing Trust Board of Directors (past president), Iowa Alliance for Boys and Girls Clubs (past president), Ames Education Foundation Board of Directors, Rotary Club of Ames.
Why are you running for this seat?
I have had the honor of serving the residents of Ames for nearly 12 years and am proud of the investments we’ve made that have had a positive impact on city services. Several important projects are in progress and on the horizon and I believe that there is a benefit to having continuity on the council to carry out those plans. There are some areas where we’ve fallen behind our peer communities, I want to see us devote our attention to in the next four years. This includes downtown redevelopment, making significant progress in mitigating barriers to downtown housing and efforts to build an indoor recreation center.
What will your goals and priorities for Ames be if elected?
I’m committed to advancing the goals outlined in our Downtown Guiding Vision in a significant way over the next four years. My focus will be on helping to facilitate development of housing, supporting public improvements like the redesign of Main Street and Tom Evans Plaza, and working towards completion of a parking facility. Additionally, Ames is still desperately in need of an indoor/outdoor recreation center that can provide year-round space for recreation programs, fitness and social activities, youth sports and enrichment, and community gathering.
How do you think the City of Ames should address the rising homeless population in Ames? Are there any items on the accepted Homeless Action Plan you would push the city to take?
This is a challenging issue for many communities across the country and is even more worrisome given the continued increase in the cost of living. We need strong community providers that can operate sustainable services in emergency housing, rapid rehousing and comprehensive behavioral health services such as home-based habilitation. These are challenges themselves because of an uncertain funding environment due to cuts in Medicaid and other state and federal programs that support these efforts. Additionally, many providers lack adequate staffing to be able to successfully deliver these kinds of services. I support all of the items on the Homeless Action Plan, but we simply cannot do it alone. Although the city has strong partners in the county, United Way, and Mary Greeley, our entire system to support unhoused individuals especially those with disabilities or behavioral health needs is underfunded and understaffed.
How do you think the new resource recovery center may help the city meet its climate action goals? And are there any other items you’d like the city to adopt to meet the goals in its Climate Action Plan?
The Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus (R3C) will allow us to better divert waste from the landfills by focusing on recycling and minimizing overall waste. Beyond the R3C, I believe we should prioritize areas where we can make tangible progress while being mindful of our budgetary constraints: expansion of incentive and rebate programs and retrofitting municipal buildings are two goals where I see the greatest opportunity. As a city, we can lead through strategic investments, community education, and making sustainable choices easy and affordable options for residents and businesses.
If the city does build a new power plant, what do you think should happen to the current plant? Do you know if it will be demolished or repurposed?
Not answered
How would you like to see Ames expand its infrastructure in the future? Is there an area you’d like to see the city develop other than the Linc?
While I’ve already touched on my goal to focus on downtown development, we have significant potential throughout the city. Our infill project in north Ames demonstrates how we can strategically utilize vacant lots, and I hope we can leverage our partnership with the Alliance to identify additional sites for similar development. On E. 13th Street, there are commercial opportunities, and I would like to see us move forward with removing the stipulations tied to the old agreement so we can work more collaboratively with the property owner to finally advance development on the site.
Have you been pleased with the city’s budgets over the past four years? Why or why not? Are there any changes you would like to see the city adopt in future budgets in terms of conserving or spending money?
During my time on council, I believe we’ve been consistent in fiscal responsibility thanks to the hard work of city staff under the leadership of our City Manager. We’ve been able to maintain one of the lowest levies in the state while providing strong city services and making investments in infrastructure. However, we face challenges with the state legislature’s ongoing effort to reduce property taxes and being able to balance changes in state law with addressing the needs of a growing community. Going forward, I’d like to see us work more closely with community stakeholders to be more proactive in planning for growth and development.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: We asked Ames mayoral, city council candidates questions. Here are their answers:
Reporting by Celia Brocker, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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