In discussions that balanced regional advocacy with the granular details of local identity, the Des Moines Committee of the Whole & Study Sessions took place on Thursday, May 7, 2026, to chart a course through transit, trees, and long-term strategy.
The meetings centered on three pivotal fronts: a unified council effort to protect the Boeing Access Road light rail stop from looming Sound Transit budget cuts, a long-overdue discussion on establishing a municipal tree code to safeguard the city’s canopy, and the refinement of a new Strategic Plan aimed at solidifying Des Moines as a “premier waterfront community.”
Whether debating developer fees or the grammatical nuances of “the” Puget Sound, the council focused on ensuring the city remains both accessible and environmentally resilient as it defines its future.
Letters Regarding Sound Transit Cuts
Deputy Mayor Gene Achziger will be sending a letter to Sound Transit emphasizing how important the Boeing Access Road light rail stop will be to Des Moines commuters. He said this stop has been a part of the light rail plan since its inception, but that Sound Transit is exploring ways to cut expenses as it faces a serious budget shortfall. Along with plans to defer this stop, they are considering eliminating stations in Ballard, West Seattle, Tacoma, and more.
Deputy Mayor Achziger said Sound Transit is being inundated with letters already, from the many cities and neighborhoods being affected by these planned cuts, and he doesn’t know that receiving a letter from the council will make any difference. However, he did get unanimous support for a letter signed by every member of the council requesting that they proceed with constructing this light rail stop as promised.
Crafting A Tree Code
As it stands, Des Moines has very little in the way of protections for existing trees, unless those trees are in critical areas, and essentially no penalty for violating what little protections exist. The vast majority of the city’s tree canopy is on private land, and with little to no restriction on tree removal, these trees live or die at the whim of owners and developers. Permits are not required unless a developer is clearing over 2,000 square feet of land.
While councilmembers expressed reluctance to limit what anyone can do with their private property, they did mostly agree that developers should be required to do replacement plantings, or pay a fee in lieu of replacement, when trees are removed. Neighboring cities like Burien use revenue from these fees to fund community tree giveaways, which this council seemed to support. Mayor Yoshiko Grace Matsui said that Des Moines is currently out of step with area cities, who are more actively protecting their tree canopies. Staff will return to a future council meeting with more specifics on potential tree retention regulations.
Creating A Strategic Plan
Des Moines hired consulting group Raftelis to draft a Strategic Plan for the city, which can be found at this link. The plan includes the following vision statement: “The Premier Waterfront Community on the Puget Sound”. While councilmembers JC Harris & Pierre Blosse agreed the second “the” should be stricken from the statement, as no one uses it when talking about Puget Sound, they dropped their argument when councilmember Harry Steinmetz said it was grammatically incorrect not to say “the” before Puget Sound. Readers are welcome to weigh in on which version sounds correct.
The “purpose” of the city was given as: “Des Moines is committed to maintaining a safe, sustainable environment while ensuring a high quality of life for all to live, work, and play.” Organizational values for city staff were listed as: Teamwork, Customer Service, Safety, Responsibility, and Integrity. Specific strategies were given for increasing and enhancing economic vitality, financial stability, public safety, an engaged & thriving community, the natural & built environment, and organizational excellence.
This draft plan will come back to the council in June, after some reduction of jargon and revisions for clarity. There will be a council retreat in early fall to discuss implementation of the finalized strategic plan. Once created, the city will translate this into an action plan for the staff. Conversation with the council on how the plan is being followed will happen annually.
Video
Below is full, raw video of this meeting:
