The Des Moines City Council meeting on Thursday night, Jan. 23, 2025 tackled a range of important community issues, from the long-awaited Redondo Fishing Pier rebuild to significant changes in animal control services due to budget constraints.

The meeting also addressed development fees for new daycare facilities and initiated a discussion on selecting a single official city logo. 

Redondo Fishing Pier Redesign

So many community members signed up to speak during this busy meeting that speaking time was reduced to two-minutes per person, down from the usual three. The great majority of commenters asked Council to prioritize replacing the Redondo fishing pier, which has been closed since 2019 due to safety concerns. They said the closed pier is a blight on the community, and children growing up in Redondo don’t remember a time when it was a thriving, usable feature of the waterfront. One speaker presented a petition with over 1,700 signatures of people wanting to see construction begin on this long-awaited pier.

There are funds and grants available for this dock replacement. However, when the project went out for bidding last year the bids came in way above estimates, and the project was put on hold. At this meeting, Council voted to approve a redesign that will reduce the cost, while maintaining the basic design features already chosen.

Council agreed unanimously to get this project redesigned as soon as possible, so the bidding process and construction can take place. It was mentioned that designers are unlikely to get everything done in time for the rebuild to take place during 2025’s “fish window”, when marine construction is allowed, but it definitely could happen during the 2026 window.

Animal Control Services Minimized

Due to big budget cuts, the city has updated its contract with Burien CARES for animal control services. Previously, the $100,000/year contract provided 24/7 support for lost or problem animals. As Chief Ted Boe explained in his presentation, the city originally decided to drop the contract altogether, but he pushed to reduce service with CARES in order to keep animal control from unduly burdening the police.

The new contract, for $20,000/year, will still cover dog bite issues and other dangerous animals. In addition, CARES will still provide shelter for animals involved in police investigations. They will no longer be a place where community members can call in or drop off strays or lost pets. 

Chief Boe said informative flyers will be distributed and available online explaining the resources that are still out there for finding families of lost pets. He added that the Des Moines Police do have a chip scanner which can be used to identify lost pets–a service that all veterinary offices also provide for free.

Development Fees Reduced For New Daycare Facilities

The state now allows municipalities to reduce Transportation Impact Fees by up to 80% in order to promote the development of new Early Learning Facilities. A few surrounding cities have reduced their fees by the maximum allowed. In a chart comparing the different fees charged to the development of these facilities in surrounding cities, Des Moines landed in the middle.

Council approved a 1-year retroactive, 50% exemption of these fees. This 1-year retroaction benefits one specific daycare development in Des Moines, which Councilmember JC Harris said sounded suspiciously like a “class of one” situation. It was explained that the facility in question, rather than delaying construction, went ahead with development with the understanding that the development fees would be retroactively reduced.

Official City Logo Discussion

Des Moines has around 17 official city logo designs that have been used at different times and in various contexts. Council discussed having one simple, official city logo that would be used on all signs and flyers going forward. No additional cost should come with implementing the new logo, as the plan would be to gradually replace anything with an old logo only after it needs replacing anyway.

Councilmember Matt Mahoney argued that it’s too soon to choose a logo, because the city needs to go through a rebranding process before a proper logo can be determined, but other councilmembers felt there was no need to wait. City Manager Katherine Caffrey explained that the city is currently contracting with designers at a low cost. Designers can come back at a future meeting with some different options, based on Council preferences. 

Mellow DeTray is a Seattle native who has spent the last 16 years raising her family in Burien. She has volunteered at many local establishments over the years, including the Burien Library, Burien Actors Theatre, and Hot Feet Fitness. After working for 10 years at Burien Community Center, she moved on to teaching fitness classes and to work the front desk of a Burien yoga studio. For many years Mellow kept a moderately popular cooking & lifestyle blog, and she had a brief stint in political journalism during a local election. Clear and informative writing has always been a side hobby of Mellow’s and she looks forward to bringing you unbiased coverage of City Council meetings.