The Des Moines City Council convened on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Councilmembers addressed the deteriorating condition of Washington State roads, the disappointing demise of a bill aimed at reviving the Mosquito Fleet, and the search for applicants to serve on a new Aviation Advisory Committee.
Lively debate also ensued regarding the approval of the annual 4th of July drone show, while the council engaged in further discussion and a presentation on mandated updates to the city’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) policy.
Additionally, the meeting saw a vote to partner with the MaST Center Aquarium to promote public education about the unique sixgill shark population in the area, and a brief mention of a planned local ‘Hands Off’ rally.
Council Reports
Councilmember Matt Mahoney – who recently announced that he’s not running for re-election – shared that a recent study showed nearly 20% of Washington State roads are no longer in drivable condition. He said that everybody wants good roads, but no one wants to pay for them. However, he mentioned that the costs of road construction projects are only going up, and these same projects will require more money the longer they are put off.
Deputy Mayor Harry Steinmetz reported that unfortunately the Mosquito Fleet house bill died, so there won’t be state funds for reviving the passenger ferry system at this time. He also mentioned that King County is going to have several property tax levies on coming ballots. Steinmetz worried that voters will have levy fatigue, and tire of increasing property taxes to fund public endeavors.
Applicants Sought For Airport Committee
The new Aviation Advisory Committee is seeking members. The advisory committee will have four to five members, who will provide input and recommendations to the council on airport-related matters. Interested applicants can find out more and apply at the above link.
4th Of July Drone Show Approved
Councilmember JC Harris said he was against the city doing another 4th of July drone show. He argued that the Des Moines drone shows the last two years have not reduced the noise or illegal fireworks usage. Deputy Mayor Steinmetz countered that noise in fact was greatly reduced by using the much quieter drones. In addition there were much lower pollution levels for both the air and water. He and Mayor Traci Buxton both said they have received a ton of positive feedback from the community.
As for paying for the drone production, the money comes out of the city’s “tourism bucket”. This money can only be spent on things like advertising or other city festivals. It could not be used to hire an animal control officer, as some have suggested, since animal control comes out of the public safety fund. Councilmember Harris argued that there needs to be metrics for anything the city is spending money on, and that there are more meaningful ways to spend tourism dollars. The 2025 4th of July drone show passed in a 6–1 vote.
Accessory Dwelling Units Presentation
Council heard another presentation and then discussed potential updates to the city’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) policy. The codes must be updated by June 30 to be in compliance with House Bill 1337.
There are still some details up for debate, but once the changes are finalized every homeowner, regardless of lot size, will be allowed two ADUs. Builders will still have to meet requirements for property line setbacks, as well as height regulations. Des Moines will stick to its current minimum ADU size of 350 square feet, but increase the maximum to either 1,000 or 1,200 square feet. ADUs can be attached or detached, and can be individually owned like a condo, or rented out by a single owner.
In keeping with state mandates, there will be no parking requirements if the property is located within ½ mile of a major public transit stop. Outside of the public transit zones, the council will decide in an upcoming meeting whether to require a parking stall for every ADU unit, just the first unit, just the second unit, or not at all. Councilmember Yoshiko Grace Matsui said that taking away parking requirements is better for the environment, as it reduces the need for tons of concrete, as well as being key to creating a more walkable city. Councilmembers Mahoney and Jeremy Nutting shared concerns about creating even more crowding along the public right-of-way, if builders aren’t required to provide some off-street parking.
Concerns over utility capacity were addressed as well. Utility service providers are aware of the expected increase in population, and they aren’t worried about meeting those needs. Each time a unit is built, utility capacity for that property will be checked as a matter of course.
Sixgill Shark Capital Of The World
Council voted 6–1 to authorize Surface Water Management to partner with the MaST Center Aquarium to support public education around the sixgill shark. The proposal originally included giving 6th Avenue the commemorative name “Sixgill Shark Avenue”, but Council voted to take that off the table for now. They decided to wait and see if enthusiasm for the rare shark continues before dedicating a street to the species.
There will be a small event at the MaST Center on July 6 in celebration of the opportunity, currently available nowhere else in the world – for divers to swim with the sixgill shark. These sharks normally live in very deep water, and therefore very little is known about them.
Rally For Democracy On Saturday, April 19
Several councilmembers attended the April 5th “Hands Off” rally at Big Catch Plaza. They said hundreds of people showed up to the event, which was part of a nationwide Day of Protest. There will be a repeat of the peaceful protest on Saturday, April 19, from 1–2 p.m.
