From community celebrations to complex legal challenges, the Des Moines City Council meeting on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, highlighted a city balancing its local identity with regional pressures.
The session covered a popular proposal to honor the local sixgill shark at Redondo Beach, the successful revival of youth scholarships through the Burning Boat Festival, and the launch of a hyper-local Chamber of Commerce.
However, the mood shifted as the council heard a heated debate over Flock camera surveillance, and a significant budgetary strain caused by a sharp increase in public defense costs.
Sixgill Shark Avenue
During public comments the council was asked to approve giving a local road the commemorative name Sixgill Shark Avenue in honor of the famous shark. Last year when this was also under consideration, Sixth Avenue was being considered for the rename. However, the request today was to instead give Redondo Way South the commemorative name. This way divers and other beachgoers would see and appreciate the name as they enjoyed the Redondo waterfront.
Another commenter said he was speaking on behalf of the entire Redondo Beach community, and that the nearly 300 people he represents are in full support of this new street name. He said they are also looking forward to the second annual “Shark In The Park” festival. The council will discuss the name change at a coming meeting. For more info on this unique shark, visit the MaST Center here.
Flock Camera Concerns
Two public commenters expressed heartfelt concerns with the way they believe Flock cameras have been abused to target the immigrant population. One said that just recently 11 men were kidnapped by ICE on Pacific Highway South. Real concerns were shared, over both data security and the lives of families in the community.
However, another speaker said anyone opposed to the cameras should learn more about them. She had learned from Police Chief Ted Boe that the system is very secure, only accessible by law enforcement and not routinely shared with outside agencies. The data is completely deleted after 30 days, unless it is part of an investigation. The system, she said, can save time and lives. She added that Chief Boe had demonstrated how the cameras only pick up license plate data, not images of the driver or passengers. Boe had told her that the camera system has been utilized to help return many stolen vehicles, as well as resolving other crimes.
New Chamber Of Commerce
Former Mayor Traci Buxton spoke during public comments as well, sharing that a new Chamber of Commerce is being created. This organization will provide hyper-local support to businesses in this vibrant community. Buxton asked for city support, welcoming a representative from the city with a seat in the Chamber.
Funds Raised For Youth Scholarships
This year’s Burning Boat Festival had more than 500 attendees, with 114 of those being children. This was appropriate because the festival raised exactly $15,000 to support the Parks & Recreation Youth Scholarship fund, which had run dry. City Manager Katherine Caffrey said that the city will now be reviving its scholarship program.
Public Defense Costs Skyrocket
Washington is one of only four states that do not fund public defense statewide, and legislators recently passed an “unfunded mandate” that is making public defense even more expensive. The mandate limits the number of cases a public defender can take. In addition there is a public defender shortage across the state, creating a scarcity of supply that drives up cost. Since the state does not pay for public defense, this is something cities are required to provide. Des Moines typically sees around 38 public defense cases a month, or 456 per year.
Des Moines has contracted with the law firm Stewart MacNichols Harmell (SMH) for its public defenders since 2021. In July 2025, SMH opted to terminate their contract with the city. This was because they make much more money per case from the other cities they serve. SMH agreed to provide services on a month to month basis until a new contract was secured. However, when the city issued a Request for Proposals to find a new law firm, SMH was the only firm to submit a proposal– and it was for a much higher price than Des Moines is used to paying.
The proposal from SMH will increase the cost of public defense from $550 per case to $750 per case the first year, and then to $1,000 per case the second year. They will now be charging Des Moines the same as they charge other cities. This will cost the city $180,000 more than expected for 2026, and then an additional $115,000 in 2027. The funds could be pulled from the new public safety sales tax, but this would mean likely losing the ability to hire an additional officer as planned. The city’s new contingency fund of $50,000 could also go towards this new cost, or staff could potentially be reduced from another department.
The council unanimously approved the contract with SMH, with the understanding that if a more affordable firm is found, the city will be allowed to break their contract early. Legislative efforts are also underway to ask the state for help with this situation, which is affecting many cities.
Video
Below is full, raw video of this meeting:
