Des Moines City Manager’s Weekly Report for week ending Aug. 2, 2024
Election Day August 6
If you haven’t sent in your ballot yet, you still have time! This Tuesday, August 6, is Election Day. The City Council has placed Proposition #1 on the ballot to provide dedicated funding for public safety purposes and to avoid a reduction in services. More information on this ballot measure can be found here.
Youth Canoe Journey
After stopping in Des Moines, the Power Paddle to Puyallup Youth Canoe Journey 2024 reached its final destination on July 31, with more than 70 canoes coming ashore to the Puyallup Reservation in Tacoma.
Puyallup Tribal Council Members and Puyallup youth all took turns granting permission for canoes to come ashore. Protocol is happening now at the Tribe’s property at 3509 72nd Street East in Tacoma and will continue until Monday, Aug. 5.
Canoe Journeys began as a way to help heal youth, families, and communities. This year’s theme was “Our Youth are Sacred” – and the journey was intended to uplift and teach children the traditional ways of the Tribes and help put youth in leadership roles. More information on this event can be found here.
Pickleball Courts
Come up to the Field House and check out our fresh coat of paint! Courts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis (tennis pun absolutely INTENDED). We will be addressing the net issues as we continue our improvements, so stay tuned for more! For now, feel free to bring your own portable nets to utilize the new double pickleball courts on court 2 at the Field House.
Blues and Brews
The City of Des Moines is a proud sponsor of the annual Poverty Bay Blues and Brews festival on Saturday, August 24th at the Des Moines Beach Park.
Want to win TWO free tickets to the event? Here’s your chance!
To enter:
- Dine at a local restaurant.
- Post a friendly picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag the restaurant and City of Des Moines in your post.
- Share a short, positive review about your experience.
We’ll announce the lucky winner (or if we are feeling generous – winners!) weekly until the event. Good luck, and thank you for supporting your community! #BluesAndBrews #SupportDesMoines #SupportLocalEats
Department Spotlight and Cooperation
If you have met any of our staff, you know we run a lean operation but our employees work hard and have a ton of pride in what they do. This was on full display this week after City property was vandalized with graffiti.
“I saw our large Des Moines monument sign up at S 216th St and Pacific Hwy S had been heavily tagged with gang-type graffiti early in the week. I emailed it to Adam and Drew (Public Works staff) and it was removed within the same day. Unfortunately, two days later I saw it had been tagged yet again. Once again, I emailed it to Adam and Drew and it was promptly removed. Not only was it removed, they painted the entire structure to make it look like it had never happened.
“This quick, consistent clean-up is exactly how we advocate addressing chronic graffiti problems—making it look as though the graffiti never occurred. This prompt response and attention to detail are what set Des Moines apart from other cities. I have a close working relationship with Adam and his team, and their response last week, while impressive, did not surprise me. They are always eager to address issues throughout the City, and their dedication and partnership have a direct positive impact on crime and safety in our community.” – Kory Batterman, Code Enforcement Officer, DMPD
National Night Out
Tomorrow, Saturday, August 3rd, from 3pm-8pm at Midway Park, Port of Support and Pathwayz to Success are hosting a National Night Out celebration. Free food, live music, and games! Bring the whole fam! Details here.
Meetings of Interest
In addition to day-to-day administrative duties, this week was busy preparing initial budget projections for 2025-26. I had separate meetings with leadership from a number of City departments, including Emergency Management, Legal, Parks and Recreation, Communications, Marina, Court, Finance, and Human Resources. The Finance Director and Assistant City Manager also attended these meetings. I met with Mayor Buxton to discuss topics of interest to her. I met with Mayor Buxton and Deputy Mayor Steinmetz to prepare for the week’s City Council meeting. I participated in interviews for the City’s vacant Community Development Director position. Finally, I attended the City Council meeting on Thursday night as well as the Finance Committee meeting.
City Council Summary
The City Council met for a Study Session on Thursday, August 1. Highlights included a presentation from the Port of Seattle on their upcoming Part 150 Study and a Legislative Priorities update. The agenda and materials can be found here.
The Finance Committee also met on Thursday. The agenda and materials can be found in the link.
Next week, the Council will meet on Thursday, August 8 at 6pm for a Regular Meeting. The agenda and materials can be found here.
The Environment Committee will also meet on Thursday at 5pm. Agenda and materials can be found in the link.
Sports Update
WE MADE IT! Football is back. The NFL season officially kicked off last night with the Bears taking on the Texans in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Sure it was a meaningless pre-season game but this means we will now have professional football every weekend for the next 26 weeks in a row. If that isn’t a reason to celebrate I don’t know what is. The newly tooled Mariners come back home from a decent road trip to take on the best team in the National League for three games this weekend. The Phillies don’t come to town often so it will be a good series to watch, also maybe a World Series Preview? I don’t have enough space here to give the Olympics the coverage they deserve but briefly, Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles continue to inspire and represent to the world the best of what the United States have to offer. Our basketball teams are looking good and swimming will be wrapping up soon which means it will be track and field time. The Sounders take on Nexaca on Sunday at 7:30. Enjoy the sunshine!
Have a great weekend!
–Tim George
Interim City Manager
