The Des Moines City Council meeting on Thursday night, July 25, 2024 was marked by passionate public input and critical decisions about the city’s future.
Residents voiced pleas to preserve local history, address public safety concerns, and protect the environment.
Meanwhile, councilmembers grappled with financial challenges and the city’s role in emerging technologies.
Key decisions were also made regarding marina development and infrastructure improvements, shaping the future of Des Moines.
Public Comments
Several members of the public wore green to show their support for the preservation of the historic Masonic Home. They said the grand 1926 building is akin to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and should be treasured by the city as an iconic landmark. One speaker said the city should consider selling its other properties to buy the Masonic Home. Currently, the property is owned by a major developer who has, according to commenters, remained silent about plans for the property.
Another commenter said that the recent police presence has really helped the Redondo community to stay quieter at night. However, she said that even with the new speed cameras, drivers are still using the street for racing. Later in the meeting, Deputy Mayor Harry Steinmetz mentioned that in the first 30 days of sending out speeding tickets, the Redondo traffic cameras have raised around $35,000. This money can be used for pedestrian safety improvements.
One commenter said that a planned business park along S. 216th would remove 800,000 square feet of vegetation, and would involve re-engineering local streams. She said this vegetation, which had been labeled “non-significant” by a SEPA environmental impact study, is home to owls, kingfishers, and many other types of wildlife. She said in light of the climate crisis, we need more trees, not more concrete.
Levy Lid Lift Q&A
Finance Director Jeff Friend and Interim City Manager Tim George provided clarity about an item being put to Des Moines voters on the Aug. 6 ballot. They said city hall has been receiving a lot of questions about this proposition, which if it passes will mean a one time, permanent property tax increase to go to a special fund for public safety. Without a levy lid lift, property taxes can only be raised by 1% per year, which is not enough to keep up with inflation.
It was mentioned that there was a similar levy lid lift in 2006, but there are differences between that lift and the one on the current ballot. The 2006 levy lid lift was more expensive to taxpayers, and since it was a temporary lid lift the officers had to be laid off once it expired. In addition, the revenue went into the general fund, so there was no transparency for how the money was utilized.
The money from this one-time, permanent levy lid lift would go into a special fund with full transparency for reporting funds usage. It would be used to retain the two patrol officers, one crime analyst, and a crisis response specialist who are all currently being paid for by expiring ARPA funds. In addition, there would be enough money to permanently hire four new patrol officers and one community service officer. If the proposition fails, the department will not be able to fill the additional positions and will lose the ARPA-funded staff.
Another topic that people had asked about is “scrubbing” the budget, removing all the excess, rather than asking for more money. City Manager George said that they have already reduced expenditures, managed vacancies to reduce staffing costs, and reduced the hiring pay range for the new city manager. They have committed to a balanced budget, and will continue to make spending cuts as they are able. He said the purpose of this levy lid lift is to add to public safety with funding that is insulated from general fund budget cuts.
For this proposed levy lid lift, properties worth $1,000,000 would pay an additional $600, while properties worth $600,000 would pay an additional $300 annually. The portion of total property taxes going to the city would still be below the portions going to schools, King County, and public services.
It was also mentioned that the Marina paid parking system is not funded by property tax dollars. It is paid for by users of the parking areas, as well as a one-time tax on developers of projects valued at $15,000,000 or more.
Floating Charging Station Grant Passes
Council voted 4–3 to approve a grant application for funding a floating electric quick-charging station at the marina. The totality of the project would be funded by grants, and built at no cost to the city beyond staff time. Councilmember JC Harris, who opposed the grant application, said this charging station is not a strategic part of the Marina Master Plan, and he thought there should be a demand study before undertaking the project. Councilmembers Gene Achziger and Yoshiko Grace-Matsui also voted against it, as it is untested and there is no guaranteed market for electric boat charging, and staff are already pushed to their full capacity.
Deputy Mayor Steinmetz said there is a huge advantage to being the first in the market for electric boat charging, and that the ferry project needs this to move forward. He also said the risk to the city is minimal since the charging station is funded by grants. Mayor Traci Buxton said that a yes vote now just means the city is keeping its options open, since council will vote on this again once the grant funding is received, before work is begun. San Francisco is a few steps ahead of Des Moines, and will have a zero-emission ferry fleet by the year 2030.
Marina Steps Project Passes
Councilmembers Gene Achziger and JC Harris voted “No” on the latest iteration of the Marina Steps Project, but it passed by a 5–2 vote. Achziger said there should be another presentation to the public, in order to know if this is what they really want to do. Harris moved to have the spray park feature removed from the plan, but did not get support.
In response to Mayor Buxton, who asked why parts of the project hadn’t been included before now, City Manager George said most features had indeed been included in the plan previously. He said the only things that changed in this amendment are removing overhead power lines, which will be moved underground, and adding a crosswalk. He said they had heard loud and clear from the public that these were the features they wanted. In addition, the meandering path that will run adjacent to the stairs is required for ADA access.
Video
Watch full video of the meeting here.
