The Des Moines City Council meeting on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 included public comment on recent flooding, a request that the city flag be redesigned, followed by announcements about the return of the Senior Sweetheart Dance and the launch of a new car-sharing co-op.
Council also discussed updates on several key projects, including the Marina Steps and Des Moines Creek Estuary restoration, and approved new fees for public records requests to offset processing costs.
Finally, the council scheduled a study session to discuss the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Public Comments: Flooding & Flags
Several speakers thanked the city for a quick response to the flooding issues that accompanied the recent king tide. They appreciated the speedy response, which they said was imperative in helping avoid extensive water damage.
One speaker argued that the city’s flag should be redesigned. He said that flag experts have a few rules on what generally makes for a good flag. It should be a simple, memorable image, and it should have no words. It should not say the name of the city, as the Des Moines flag currently does. He also mentioned that city code currently prohibits private citizens from flying the city flag, which is a missed branding opportunity.
Sweetheart Dance Returns
City Manager Katherine Caffrey announced that the Des Moines Activity Center will be bringing back the Valentine’s Day Senior Dance, after a few years’ hiatus. Tickets are $15, and can be reserved in advance – click this link for more details.
New Car Sharing Co-op
Council heard a presentation on a new car-share business, which now has a hub in the Des Moines marina. ZEV Co-op is a company that utilizes zero-emission electric vehicles for hourly or daily rental. Co-op membership costs a one-time $500 fee, but grants members the ability to book a vehicle up to a week in advance. In addition, member rates are $8/hour or $64/day, compared to twice that for non-members. They also have a low income rate, for those who qualify.
This could be a great option for people who occasionally need the use of a vehicle, and want to avoid a gas car. Deputy Mayor Harry Steinmetz encouraged ZEV to install hubs in other parts of town, where people were more likely to not be able to afford vehicle ownership. There is a planned ribbon cutting for this new business on Jan. 22, 2025.
New Public Records Request Fees Approved
According to the presentation, in 2024 city staff spent over 1,400 hours processing public records requests. In order to make the cost of these requests less of a burden on taxpayers, Council unanimously approved instituting fees for records requests. These fees are not a revenue source, but merely an attempt to recoup some of the costs associated with providing these records. Records will still be provided at no cost if they are part of legal discovery, but insurance companies and private citizens, which make up the bulk of requests, will pay a fee based on the actual cost of their request.
Marina Steps Project Update
Council heard an update on the current state of the Marina Steps Project. After the project only received two bids–both of which were millions of dollars over the engineer’s estimate–Council voted to reject the bids. Now, it is likely the Steps Project will need to be slightly redesigned to reduce costs, hopefully without losing the original intent of making the Steps into something that will draw visitors and bring joy to many. This discussion will return to a future meeting once more of the details are sussed out.
Des Moines Creek Estuary Project Update
This project is part of a large regional initiative for salmon habitat recovery, and thus will be eligible for grant funding. It takes into account levels of recent flooding at the Des Moines Beach Park. The old bulkhead along the park, including stairs into the water, were damaged during the recent king tide. This project could replace the bulkhead with a more natural, habitat-friendly beach.
The meadow would need to be raised by two feet to keep it from being claimed by each high tide, and eventually becoming an intertidal marsh. Because the meadow is used for city events and rentals, there is strong interest in preserving it for future community use. Staff will present more on this project at a future meeting – details can be found here.
Study Session On FIFA
With the globally popular World Cup coming to this region in 2026, Council has scheduled a special Study Session to specifically talk about the implications and possibilities for Des Moines. The meeting will be on Jan. 30, 2025.
