Some bits of business…

Call To Action: Port Packages!

The Governor’s proposed budget cuts the $1 million in funding that was secured last for fixing failed port packages, which were meant to insulate homes from airport noise but have deteriorated over time. Please mail key these legislators and let them know how important this funding is for our communities.

Call To Action: Save State Funding for Port Package Updates! – Sea-Tac Noise.Info

ADUs

Good article in Seattle Times on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). We’re redoing our zoning and building codes this year so if you’re interested, please let me know how we can help you make yours come true.

City Currents

There’s a new Spring 2025 City Currents Magazine. I collect the PDFs, which are easier for me to read, but also fun to look back at to see where the City has been.

City Currents Magazines

City Manager Stuff

City Manager’s Report February 28, 2025

No recipe, but a reminder of the most excellent…

Indoor Tot Time!

This Week

Monday

SAO Audit Exit Conference. The State reports the results of its 2023 audit of our books.

Thursday

Finance Committee (Cancelled)

Wasn’t my idea. But you know I got yer back on some numbers, anyhoo. 🙂 February Sales Tax Report

I generally don’t follow month to month stuff like this, but if you haven’t seen it before, this is a good thing to browse to get a sense of the money we bring in from various businesses.

Public Safety Committee

Public Safety_Emergency Management Committee – 06 Mar 2025 – Agenda – Pdf No detail. But several items you should check out…

• Substation Closure
• BWC Upgrades And Grant
• 2023 Vs. 2024 Crime Statistics
• South King Fire 2024 Statistics

Study Session

Study Session – 06 Mar 2025 – Agenda – Pdf These are some biggee items and I have some (cough) concerns. 😀

Discussion on Developing a Strategic Plan. Examples from Other Cities

• • Shoreline Vision 2029
  • Bothell Road Map 2017-2018
  • Cedar Park City Council Strategic Goals 2024-2026 Performance Dashboard
  • Renton Business Plan 2024-2029 Goals
  • Issaquah Strategic Plan 2024 Update & Performance Dashboard
  • Richland Strategic Plan & Dashboard 2024-2026
  • Sugar Land, TX Strategic Action Plan 2025-2027

Discussion on City Council Committees and Appointive Committees.

This is really two discussions that should be separate.

• • The end of Standing Council Committees in favour of a more ‘Burien’ style approach. Spoiler alert: I had no idea this was being proposed.
  • Revisions to all the appointive (resident) committees

The packet lays out some valid problems with Current Council Committees: There is a ton of redundancy for both the Council and staff.

Recommended Changes to Council Committees:

• Modify the monthly Study Session (first Thursday) to begin at 5:00 PM. The first hour would act as a “Council of the Whole” where all Councilmembers receive staff reports on items typically handled by committees.
• Standing Council Committees would only meet when an issue requires more detailed discussion.

Appointive Committees

The City currently has seven citizen advisory committees, with plans to add two more (Airport Committee and Planning Commission). Again, there are valid problems: Infrequent meetings. Lack of agenda items.  Unclear roles. Underutilization. Heavy staff workload. All true.

Recommended Changes:

• No changes to: Citizens Advisory Council, Civil Service Commission, Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, Police Advisory Committee
• Merge the Arts Commission, Human Services Advisory Board, and Senior Services Advisory Board into a new Community Enrichment Board. Existing members with unexpired terms would be offered positions on the new board.

Executive Session: Performance of a Public Employee RCW 42.30.110(1)(G) –30 Minutes

This is the second of a two-parter review of Ms. Caffrey’s first three months. Last week was 45 minutes of – I have no idea. But this one will be with Ms. Caffrey.

Last Week

Wednesday: StART (Agenda). The highlight was a report on the Port’s SIRRPP survey of Port Packages. As expected, it was a sham, claiming that none of the homes they tested seem to merit an update. Of course, they hand-picked 30 out of 9,400 for testing. Follow Sea-Tac Noise.Info (STNI) for coverage – and contact STNI, if you have bad sound insulation.

Thursday: Municipal Facilities Committee (cancelled)

Thursday: Economic Development – 27 Feb 2025 – Agenda

Economic Development Committee Meeting 02/27/2025

Highlights:

• Charm Factor. This is a beautify the downtown idea – it specifically mentions using decorative screens to cover ‘the Pit’ and the Des Moines Yacht Club boat storage on MVD and getting it done in time for FIFA 2026. Councilmember Nutting raised some concerns. In fact, he really went to town, so I urge you to watch just for that. 😀 We disagree on those reasons, but I too am concerned. His concerns seemed to be more about ‘money’. Fair point. Mine are more about strategy. We have this nasty tendency to promote trial ideas, which either waste a lot of money or turn into permanent features – whether they make sense or not. We use the plucky small town volunteerism as a substitute for doing something long term. Frankly, it’s the reason a trial project like the Quarterdeck can end up becoming the centrepiece of the entire waterfront. I am suspicious of anything ‘Let’s try something!’ because once it gets in? You ain’t never gettin’ rid of it.
• Woodmont Development. The City has received interest from a developer on the area that (in ancient times) was called ‘Rosie’s Diner’, but was last referred to as ‘Oh no, the drug rehab clinic!’. A primary reason I want the planning commission re-instated was to prevent that sort of blindsiding from recurring. In this case, I think the City will be able to daylight the developer’s proposal in a way the public will find acceptable, but it still puts the onus on one public hearing to obtain public engagement.
• Sound Code?: This topic was moved onto the next meeting. Call me what you will, but this indicated where the committee’s priorities are.

City Council Meeting Recap

Shortest. Meeting. Ever. 🙂 No public comment. No items of business beyond a short consent agenda. I picked the right meeting to telephone in sick. 🙂

Parenthetically, my first phone-in meeting was not a great experience, tech-wise. Ironically, I was able to Zoom in for the private Executive Session and that went great. Lesson learned? Let’s move City Council into the North Conference Room where all the plumbing works! 😀

City Council Regular Meeting – 27 Feb 2025 – Agenda Highlights:

City Manager presentation on Flag Triangle

• Apparently, we got no bites from the three expected bidders. But there is still time. Our DPW says he’s still aiming for a Memorial Day (May 26) completion and that the all-in cost will be $376k – a lot less than previously mentioned.  I will not hold it against anyone if we don’t make that date and I’m still going with the previous estimate of $472k because:
  • I love that can-do spirit (seriously)
  • It’s local government. 🙂

Consent Agenda

There was an item to approve a grant to put a solar roof on the Senio… er… ‘Activity Center’. Woo hoo! If I had been IRL I would’ve put forward an item to see if we can’t redo the awning while we’re at it. The place was never ‘just’ the Senior Center. It’s the Des Moines Activity Center, not in name, but in terms of mission. It’s time to have that consistent brand throughout the City.

Executive Session

ES is supposed to be subject to the cone of silence. But again, again, the law requires us to mention the legal purpose. And whenever we do a ‘review of a public employee’ that means ‘City Manager’.

The following Executive Session was twice as long and it was the first of two evaluations of our new City Manager.

Some bills passing through Olympia

As I wrote last week, this is lawmakin’ season in Olympia and there were/are a ton of bills that will affect us. Most of the goofy ones (redesigning the State flag) die the quick deaths they deserve, but many do not. And in the ones that affect us there is a recurring theme, which I keep bringing up: overspending. When the State was ‘flush’ (ie. last year?) it overspends. Then this year it’s cut, Cut, CUT! Sound familiar? 😀 What I object to is that it is cities which always seem to take it in the neck. And, ironically, it’s often the most ‘progressive’ lawmakers that are the worst in that regard.  We’re given all kinds of mandates (most of which are great ideas, btw) but no money to pay for them. Or we’re offered the fabulous opportunity of taxing our residents without a vote in various ways. What we’re almost never offered is, you know, State money.

• HB1334 Almost every city, including Des Moines, officially supports giving City Councils the ability to raise property taxes up to 3% without a public vote. But don’t hate the playa, hate the game. Over time the State and County have reduced the amount of money they share with cities like Des Moines and keep more of it for their own needs and especially education. All worthy endeavours. However, as with housing, one could also see a system which kicks back more of existing State and County money to cities like Des Moines. But since that will never happen, cities like Des Moines are left to try anything they can to raise taxes — including this. Desperate times, and so on… Speaking as one person, I do not support these bills. I think most voters find anything like this (including the 2023 bonds) a bit sneaky. People like to have a vote. They like to be sold.
• SB5757 would take 50% of the speed camera revenue back to the State. Ouch. If this does not thrill you, click that link and comment. 🙂 Ironically, it was proposed by a Spokane representative whose city benefits from them. His objection – and he has support, is this: It’s a fugazi. All these automated speed enforcement cameras are supposed to be about ‘safety’ but they’re really about cash. He’s not wrong, of course. Every agency testifying against spoke about the hole it would cut in local budgets. No one spoke about how it would devastate public safety. We’ve had the Redondo cams for a year and frankly, if we knew this might be a possibility, I’m not sure we would have bent over backwards to installe them. It is about the money.
• SB7575 is one of two bills that would enable the City to increase our local sales tax .1 cent without a vote specifically for the purpose of increasing public safety. It also allows the County to add a similar tax. Normally, I would not be thrilled for the same reasons I always give: I try to avoid tax increases without giving voters a choice. But this one has a twist. If the law passes and we change our ordinance before the County does? They have to credit us back the amount with no out of pocket to you, the voter. 🙂
• HB1923 the Mosquito Fleet bill, ie. Passenger Ferries. In a win-win, the bill passed out of committee. But it was amended to remove the portion I objected to – ie. the possibility of dinky cities (like Des Moines) of creating their own ferry district. One of the speakers said, quite sensibly, he was getting a bit tired of offering cities more ways to tax themselves. Agreed! The thing I keep trying to say is this: Everyone wants a ferry. We never had to ‘sell’ anything. Let the people who actually need it, and can afford it, pay for it. When we’re ready, our great location will bring the ferry world to us.

The next ‘key date’ on all this is around March 12th when the Governor weighs in with his response to all these items. WA is somewhat unique in that we give the Guvernator a line-item veto. That power kinda acts as a check on legislation. Who wants to put in all the work to pass a bill the Governor can de-fang with a stroke of a pen?

Some bits of business…

Police Dept. Policy memo on immigration

I strongly endorse the policy, the statement, and the measured tone of this statement.

February 4, 2025 DMPD Policy on Immigration

Passenger Ferry Article in Seattle Times

Despite a fairly exaggerated headline, this Seattle Times article provides a very realistic state of electric passenger ferries in Puget Sound. I grew up using ferries in Ireland. Big fan. However, I’ve been opposed to using Des Moines tax dollars since we began doing so five years ago. We wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars and it is still insane. While trying to strike a hopeful tone it also completely validates all my concerns. This thing is nowhere near ready for prime time. There is mention of Artemis (the vendor who visited Des Moines last year, but zero mentions of Des Moines – despite the Council approving a $1,000,000 grant for a ferry battery to attract service. What?

On a semi-related note: Eviation, the top local contender for creating passenger-electric aviation, just went belly up. Eviation has been holding on via squillions in State and Federal funding. It’s exactly like the fake news of ‘second airport’ as the path to ‘quiet skies’.

Both passenger ferries and electric aircraft may be wonderful things some day. But for the present they are simply greenwashing. Small cities like Des Moines have no business putting stock in either of them.

City Manager Stuff

City Manager’s Report February 14, 2025

In addition to a quasi-Greek Chicken Noodle Soup recipe there’s this:

After each of the past three Council meetings I’ve walked out needing a shower because the information was so biased — which inevitably led the discussion towards a bunch of blather, including many (sorry) plainly incorrect comments from my colleagues. As Michael Matthias used to say, “He who controls the agenda controls the meeting.”

However, Ms. Caffrey’s follow-up reports generally provide a more straightforward result, which is fine, but it’s also starting to give me whiplash.

This Week

Monday: Presidents Day. Hope you got the day off, although I’m betting most of you did not. Legally-speaking it’s still Washington’s Birthday, which is good because I’m starting to think there are only 2-3 presidents a majority of Americans will ever think of again in a positive light.

Tuesday/Wednesday: I will be testifying on behalf of two airport bills, including Senator Orwall’s SB5682 in the Environment Committee Tuesday @ 1:30PM and Rep. Sharlett Mena’s HB1303 in Appropriations on Wednesday.

Wednesday/Thursday: I will be in Olympia for Association of Washington Cities Action Days. Why? ¹For the continuing education credits, dude!

Last Week

Tuesday: Port of Seattle Commission (Agenda). The most important issue is the one that did not get mentioned. The Port has already completed its SIRRPP survey, ie. Port Package Updates. As expected, it was a sham, claiming that none of the homes they tested merit an update. Of course, they hand-picked 30 out of 9,400 for testing. Follow Sea-Tac Noise.Info (STNI) for coverage – and contact STNI, if you have bad sound insulation.

Wednesday: Olympia for lobbying on airport bills. Coverage from Sea-Tac Noise.Info

Thursday: Transportation Committee (Cancelled)

Thursday: Environment Committee – 13 Feb 2025 – Agenda – Pdf Highlight: Capital Improvements Plan update (projects paid for using the Surface Water Enterprise Fund) and the Estuary Project update. As with last month, although you will also see the same consultants in the main meeting, I strongly encourage you to watch this video which contains a much more detailed explanation of changes coming to the Beach Park area over the next decade. This will be a big deal and pretty exciting stuff for salmon, the park and all our residents. And best of all? So far, it is 100% grant funded. None of your taxes. 🙂

February 13, 2025 City Council Meeting Recap

Regular Meeting – 13 Feb 2025 – Agenda – Updated

Public Comment

There was only one, concerning the discussion on dry stack from the long time secretary of the now defunct Des Moines Marina Association (DMMA) Bill Linscott. His argument seemed similar to one made by DMMA a few years ago: Dry stack is a very good thing, but it should be held off until the next round of dock replacements — which are scheduled for at least five years out. Their desire was to provide a ‘first-call’ opportunity for their existing slip holders whenever that happened.

City Manager Presentations

• King County Metro South Link Connections Mobility Project. Long story short: during COVID, Metro shut down several (primarily east/west) routes in Des Moines. This presentation describes some new routes, which do not thrill most of us because they continue to focus on north/south and not ‘the last mile’. And this begs a real question: ‘haves/have nots’. As I often say, I am extremely fortunate. I live near the 635 Shuttle which takes me right to Angle Lake and then bam I’m at a Sounders Game or downtown. But the east/west ‘last mile’ the City needs is south of Kent Des Moines Road. The 635 did not happen until after Angle Lake opened. My hope is that, once the Kent Des Moines Station opens, it will help us get an analogous east/west coverage.
  PS… I’ve had this ongoing back and forth with Metro over their dashboard. It’s not just our City I spar with over ‘data’. 😀 A lot of these ‘dashboards’ look super-cool, but don’t provide the information you actually want. And then they look at you like you’re being ungrateful. 😀 You cannot guilt me! In this case, they make is super-easy to look at ridership on the main routes – but not the smaller routes – the ones residents need to get to the main routes. 🙂
• Des Moines Creek Estuary Project (see environment committee meeting above.)
• Black History Month Proclamation (more on this soon.)
• Field House Playground Equipment Upgrade Project Agreement. The Giant Slide Of Doom (which I love, btw) has been complete since last year. However, it’s been kept locked up over safety concerns! Outrageous. 😀 Sorry. That leaked out. However, in a move I am told is both prudent and practical, the City is adding some sort of hand hold/tow rope along the sides to make it safer and easier to get back up the hill — OK, I didn’t think about that – and Reason #327 why ³I am not a parks director. :)But the only question you have is: “When will my child be able to brave the Giant Slide Of Doom?” What with all the concerns over safety, the question of actually having fun was not exactly emphasised. But the contract completion date seems to be June 30, 2025. 🙂

Discussions

I’m calling this section of the meeting ‘discussions’ because for whatever reason, we’re not so much conducting ‘business’ as just sorta, you know, ‘discussing’ things more. It’s bad and you should not want it.

boat launch or Dry Stack?

As with the last meeting, apparently the Mayor and/or Deputy Mayor were caught off guard by the presentation. I’m struggling with that since the Mayor is in charge of agenda setting and because we were presented with a draft two days before the meeting. If they were surprised, as the originator of the topic, imagine mine. 😀

Background: I’ve been trying to get the City to replace the small boat launch, which was declared unsafe in 2022, because every marina needs some form of small boat launching system. One important use case (but not the only one) is called Dry Stack which I explain here. And as the explainer says, Dry Stack was supposed to replace the Dry Sheds as early as 1999.

But instead of simply discussing replacing the boat launch, a manageable task, somebody decided we could not have that discussion without also discussing the much, Much, MUCH larger topic of dry stack facility. I call bad faith on the City. It’s like someone saying “We can’t decide on building a stop light, unless we’re ready to commit to building a shopping mall across the street ten years from now.” It’s ridiculous. As I said from the dais, this will be at least the eleventh ‘study’ the City has done since 1999. The entire discussion was designed to fail.

Two new commissions

The Council moved forward (with ‘head nods’) to have the City Planner take on two new Commissions.

Apparently we’re calling them both commissions. I’m honestly not sure if it makes any difference, but a ‘commission’ usually has some authority/decision making, whilst an advisory ‘committee’ does not.

Anyhoo… the Airport whatever will take off (see what I did there?) around March, whilst the Planning Commission process is planned (see what I did there again?) for the end of the year. The practical scheduling is that the City Planner came on board just in time to complete our State mandated Comprehensive Plan.

For me, there really is no rush with the Airport whatever you call it. The work they could do, really won’t be helpful until next year. One bill going through Olympia might.

But the SAMP is happening right now. If you truly wanna do something meaningful about the noise, pollution and economic harms from the airport? Please subscribe to STNI. And participate in the Burien Airport Committee. Turn that into a shared committee that works for both cities.Des Moines City re-establishes an airport committee. Sort of. – Sea-Tac Noise.Info

But a planning commission can provide some form of nexus for concerns residents have about everything ‘planning’, including what we now refer to as ‘municipal facilities’ – ie. the Marina, Redondo, etc. Whether it is part of the official mandate of the PPC, residents should have visibility on all planning across the City; not some artificial boundary between City-owned and public/commercials. Residents, potential residents, realtors and developers need one place they can go and see our vision over the next twenty years. (Like the one that included a very profitable Dry Stack system in 1999. 🙂 )

New Items For Consideration

Councilmember Mahoney proposed that the City do something in concert with the Highline MAST center to help make Des Moines the Six Gill Shark Capital of the World. They want to draw attention to the fact that Six Gill Sharks are endangered in Puget Sound. Setting aside the logic of promoting a place with almost no Six Gill Sharks as the Six Gill Shark Capital of the World, I have no objection – so long as it’s a relatively zero cost campaign. 🙂

However, if ⁵my cousins were here, they would tell you that these animals are nice, but probably only about 85% as good as Seven Gill Sharks. 😀

¹JK

²Seriously. That phrase was used at the last meeting.

³But still batting two for two in not killing small children on play equipment! 🙂 In my defense, I did not feel quite as stressed about the design as-is because it seems identical to the other two working slides – which are very safe. (Having three slides is tres cool, btw).

⁴What gets on my last nerve is that the Parcel A proposal was 2022. And yet many people, including our own staff, seem to be unware of its existence!

5Although Six Gill Sharks were common where we fished, to my knowledge there are no Seven Gill Sharks in Ireland. That’s just my family’s sense of humour.

Some bits of business…

City Manager Stuff

City Manager’s Report February 7, 2025

No recipe. Just a piccie of some kid being forced to shred paper. However, this is, hands down, the best Des Moines City Manager report since about 2012. Not. Kidding. I highly recommend you read it carefully. It is far from perfect. However…

• It even-handedly presented the current status of ‘the bond projects’ which you would not get by watching the last meeting, or by reading the mayor’s, or anyone else’s social media. Well done.
• Also, getting into the weeds, this version is a better ‘piece’ as they say in the print biz. In addition to the useful content, the graphics, typography, presentation, are all improving. I can see these letters moving towards a consistent and usable template for our City’s digital presence. To be clear: Ms. Caffrey is neither a brand or logo or communication specialist. But one thing you don’t want is ‘design by committee’ and this is a good interim step. In my opinion, the longer she works this, the more she gets to know the City, the likelier these pieces will get to where we need to be — organically.

This Week

Tuesday: Port of Seattle Commission (Agenda)

Wednesday: Olympia for lobbying on airport bills.

Thursday: Environment Committee – 13 Feb 2025 – Agenda – Pdf Highlight: Estuary Project update.

Thursday: City Council Regular Meeting – 13 Feb 2025 – Agenda – Pdf

Meeting Highlights:

City Managers Presentations King County Metro South Link Connections Mobility Project Engineering, Presentation on The Last Mile, Des Moines Creek Estuary Project

Black History Month Proclamation
Barnes Creek Trail – South 240th Street Consultant Contract
Senior Center Roof Contract Amendment
Field House Playground Equipment Upgrade Project Agreement

Boat launch: In the packet it’s listed as ‘sling’ launch, which was extremely unfortunate. I don’t have to tell all you ¹master boaters out there that there are many types of launch systems. A ‘sling’ being the common term for the dual system the City removed in 2008. That is not what we’re talking about. Anyhoo, the Council will consider rebuilding something on the spot of the current small boat launch, which was flagged for review in 2018, then removed from service in 2022. I have proposed a different type, which is necessary for a dry stack system. Yes, it’s complicated. Hopefully all will be explained next week — including the fiscal urgency.

Last Week

Wednesday: King County Flood Control District (Agenda)

Thursday:  Finance Committee – 06 Feb 2025 – Agenda

Highlights:

We established our planning calendar. I asked that we put a specific Marina Plan of Finance in there. Kinda like this. A funny thing about our Marina. In 2023 dollars, the equipment that needs upgrades is over $81,000,000 and we have no way to pay for it. And yet, your Council does not see that info. (A tiny detail for the five people who watch. 😀 I always ask staff to consider time. They often stare. 😀 But I’m always considering ‘load balance’. I have no idea what people have on their plates, so it’s easier to ask for a block of time or a date rather than “Sure we can fit that in there. Somewhere.” 😀

We also discussed Ordinance 1561 – the ‘one-time money fund’. In 2012, the Council wanted the City to start setting aside a portion of the taxes from large projects (over $15,000,000) in a separate account. This is not the same thing as the general reserve we need for operations and emergencies. Part of it was to discipline the City not to depend on one time money, ie. unpredictable revenue. Part of it was to be able to save for some special items (‘wants’). I highly endorse this conceptually. However, we’ve never been able to enforce the discipline because, as I’ve quoted my father-in-law so many times…

You have to have money in order to save money.

As I said, Ordinance 1561 was always a great concept. But if we knew all along we wouldn’t have the money to follow such a policy, maybe that shoulda given more people a clue as to our finances. 😀 Anyhoo…

The committee voted to have the City research ways to improve the ordinance. The dollar amount will likely shift. I also asked the City to reconsider the purpose. As you’ve likely heard, the Marina, as well as a number of other City facilities will require a crap ton of money in the near future. So, the purpose of this fund might shift more to like ‘saving for retirement’ (ie. needs rather than wants.)

Thursday: Public Safety Public Safety_Emergency Management Committee – 06 Feb 2025 – Agenda

First meeting of year: Planning Calendar, Code enforcement update. Apparently Code Enforcement Officer Kory Batterman is out for surgery and should be back soon.

Council Meeting Recap

Thursday: Study Session – 06 Feb 2025 – Agenda – Updated

Public Comment

There were actually two sets of public comment. A very good move by Mayor Buxton. A bajillion people showed up to support rebuilding the Redondo Fishing Pier. Zero people showed up in support of Marina Steps. The Mayor noticed this as well. We agree that this is in no way a stastistically value analysis… but not on much else as to the events of the meeting. 😀

Four Options

This was a heated discussion. It was also unbelievably complicated. I want to apologise in advance for ‘vagueness’. There are a lot of loose ends that will be tied up (hopefully) at the February 13 meeting. I have already read a few compliments to both the City and the Mayor for the meeting and before even trying to explain what happened I will say that this praise is misplaced.

That said, you don’t care about that. All you care about is Redondo Fishing Pier or Marina Steps, right? 😀 The Council voted, as expected to try to have it both ways. The majority voted, 4-3, to spend $100,000 to redesign the Marina Steps in a process called ‘Value Engineering’. This week’s cover image kinda says it all. “Take away the sprinkles”. We also voted to spend the lion’s share of the money to prioritise the Redondo Fishing Pier — which may (or may not) begin construction this year. But that is the current top priority of the Council. If the Marina Steps design (minus the ‘sprinkles’) fits whatever money is left? It moves forward. If not? I guess there are more food-themed discussions ahead.

I voted against everything in a vain attempt to get the Council to pay attention to the fact that the Marina still needs $81,000,000 by 2040 for repairs. One tool to pay for at least some of it, without going to the taxpayers, is called ‘dry stack’. The Council will discuss that, this Thursday, which is another reason I did not want any of this discussed until the 13th.

Sound confused? I get it!

But watch this Thursday February 13 at 6:00pm. Things can only get clearer. 😀

Circling back to the Fishing Pier. Apparently, the piccie of the deck is not as I depicted last week! It will, instead be ‘see through’ across the entire width. The Director of Public Works has promised to bring a sample of the deck material to show us what it actually looks (and feels) like. 🙂

Planning Commission

The Council moved forward (with ‘head nods’) to have the City bring back an ordinance to re-establish a planning commission 5-2? (With head nods, who can tell, right?) Thanks to everyone who showed up and wrote in support!

Again: it should never have gone away. However, the packet narrative was entirely accurate, if somewhat limited in options. A planning commission is no panacea. But it can provide some form of nexus for concerns residents have about everything ‘planning’, including what we now refer to as ‘municipal facilities’ – ie. the Marina, Redondo, etc. The residents show have visibility on all planning across the City; not some artificial boundary between City-owned and public/commercials. Residents, potential residents, realtors and developers need one place they can go and see our vision over the next twenty years.

What I never want to hear again is someone screaming “If I had known (x) was coming I never would have moved/opened a business here!”

Airport Committee

In the worst decision of the night nobody stuck around for, the Council voted 6-1 to create an airport advisory committee with literally five seconds before time ran out. 😀 What could possibly go wrong?

Having this on the same agenda, after three hours, with a Council that struggles to stay awake past 8:45 was part of the terrible.

But Sea-Tac Noise.Info has full coverage here.

I would much prefer that interested residents help create a joint committee with Burien – the city we share interests with when it comes to Sea-Tac Airport.

If you truly wanna do something meaningful about the airport? Please subscribe to STNI. And participate in the Burien Airport Committee. Turn that into a shared committee that works for both cities.Des Moines City re-establishes an airport committee. Sort of. – Sea-Tac Noise.Info

Some bits of business…

Unusual weather we’re having, ain’t it?

By the time you read this DPW crews will have already been up for hours spreading truckloads of deicer, sand, and ¹opium poppies just like this. All to keep you sleeepy… er… safe. It is a very challenging job. But in my time here, this is one of those core functions our City has always seemed to do particularly well. It’s especially notable because it’s not like this happens every day. However they do it, this is a very good thing considering that even a sixteenth of an inch of snow can be enough to turn half the town into a bumper car lot.

Snow Plow Information

Contest

I had only one entry. But since there were no right or wrong answers, everyone’s a winner! The prize? A gift card to Iris and Peony, which just opened! (I keep tellin’ ya – the prizes are cool. And with Valentines Day coming? You really should be making more of an effort. 😀 )

The contest was “…watch the last Economic Development Committee Meeting and write at least two sentences on how different the last Econo it was..”

Two things I was hoping someone would notice were:

• New City Manager Caffrey mentions performing an economic analysis of the revenue potential for various land uses! Gobsmacked was I.
• New City Manager Caffrey (I’ll stop saying ‘new’ as soon as residents stop saying it 😀 ) suggested that the ongoing revenue potential of residential (non-commercial) property tax is not great. Also gobsmacking. For her! 😀

This has tremendous implications. We all want this City to have the money to provide great services. But for a very long time, I’ve honestly struggled to understand how much money we need for various tasks. We’re not unique in that way. But most, smaller cities here don’t aspire to be ‘the premier waterfront destination in Puget Sound’, either. Despite those pretensions, we’re a ‘bedroom community’ which does not make enough from the bedrooms to pay the bills. As such we need to know what the real income potential of this six square miles really is. Sooner would be better. 🙂 Anyone who expresses a desire to quantify these things, like a for-realz management system, makes my heart swell three sizes. And inspired a contest. 🙂

Highline School Board Director Opening

One other thing while I’m on a roll (tax roll, get it?) Last week I bemoaned the resignation of HSD Directors Hagos and Petrini. If you want to ‘blame’ someone for high taxes, schools have got to start being in that mix. They get far more of your taxes, and in fact, over fifty percent of the State budget.

I’m not saying you are not taxed to death. What I’m saying is that you should hold every taxing authority to account – not just in terms of dollars, but in terms of quality.

Last year, you told us to try and provide more value for money. Message received. But we must have good schools here to be a great city and currently, by any metric, we do not. And to fix that, we will need a School Board that demands the same improvements you expect of us. Please apply for the open Position #5 on the Highline School Board now!

City Manager Stuff

City Manager’s Report January 31, 2025 What, no recipe? However, some good information on Animal Control.

No Comment

Speaking of which, I want to reiterate something I said last week. I like when the City gets ahead of information because people freak out. Especially about animals. This banner image from the Waterland Blog says one thing while the article headline says “City of Des Moines reduces animal control services amid budget constraints.” One is accurate. The other is not. Which one do you think people wig out over? The City has not ‘canceled’ animal control services. Yes, they are reduced – temporarily. Not ideal. But not ‘canceled’. What I find frustrating is that the WB seems to have stopped accepting comments on their articles – so how does one correct errors like this?

This Week

Wednesday: King County Flood Control District (Agenda)

Thursday:  Finance Committee – 06 Feb 2025 – Agenda Highlight: Ordinance 1561 (rescinding limits on using one-time money

Thursday: Public Safety Public Safety_Emergency Management Committee – 06 Feb 2025 – Agenda First meeting of year: Planning Calendar, Code enforcement update

Thursday: Study Session – 06 Feb 2025 – Agenda – Pdf Highlights:

1. Marina Steps/Redondo Fishing Pier financing
2. Airport Committee
3. Planning Commission

Is that all? 😀

February 6 by the numbers…

#1 Marina Steps

The City’s recommendation is to spend another $100k on a Value Engineer process. Essentially, you pay someone to fit the project to your budget – either by finding efficiencies or scaling back the ‘nice-to-haves’ in order to preserve (or perhaps even improve) the core product. The dream of such an exercise produces a diamond even more valuable than the original… er… rock. 😀 (Sorry. I’m trying.)

To paraphrase what I wrote the (new) City Manager…

The preferred option is to spend another $100,000 of public money on a train going in the wrong direction?

…which I’m sure she appreciated. 😀

To her credit, she’s a far better sport than previous management. I’m just particularly snippy today because before her arrival when I asked super-nicely if we could evaluate the project in separate pieces, I was told over and over and over…

“But nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo”

That’s my John Belushi voice.

This is not Ms. Caffrey’s fault. VE is a responsible option. Here’s another

1. Put aside a small amount of money into the boat launch, during the current permit window, so we can move forward with a dry stack boat storage system. Every other Marina has had one for a long time. In fact, it’s the only new money maker in the entire master plan and it’s been on the board for 25 years. That is the baseline for my support on anything in this discussion. Marina. Redondo. Anything. If we cannot set aside even small amounts of money to do what other businesses already do, and generate revenue to reduce future dock replacement costs, and thus protect the future of the Marina? We should all resign.

2. Assuming there is support  among my colleagues, I’m open to setting aside sufficient moneys to do the Redondo Fishing Pier in 2025. (This week’s cover image is from a 2023 presentation called ³Des Moines: Journey To Our Future which is the last overview of all this stuff I could find.) I have not pressed for several reasons, not least of which is that the Council majority has repeatedly prioritised the Steps. However, even if there were such agreement, nothing is that simple. Say it again: the City may not make the 2025 ‘fish window’. The bid process will take time. So, we could vote for that, make the fish window, and still find higher costs in a couple of months. Or, not make the fish window, plan on 2026, and costs will likely again change. And as if that weren’t enough variables, maybe it’s nothing, but this week’s headlines are filled with jazz about tariffs and immigration and general economic uncertainty.

3. The current design does not kill me, but I have always supported some form of connectivity between 223rd and the Marina Floor. But I want that as part of a holistic design that integrates the Marina, Dry Stack, the 223 Green Streets and the Estuary (Beach Park.) All. One. Thing.

Whatever the Council decides, my hope is that all my colleagues (and you, dear reader) understand that all four of those projects must happen at some point. Apart from design, stop stressing about sequencing and start focusing on not wasting money. We bought these bonds. This stuff is like water in the desert. It’s too precious to waste. So rather than fighting about what goes when, let’s use the money we have to get whatever done as efficiently as possible.

This is the same problem we ran into last week — an ongoing lack of compromise. There is a compromise path on almost every issue — including the toughest ones. I just put one up for one of my least fave issues.

Apart from everything else, what may make everyone even more stubborn is the notion, “If we don’t get this done now, it’ll never happen!” It’s a reasonable fear. I just watched my hope for Barnes Creek Trail — something I assumed was happening for a decade — evaporate in six days. It hurts.

Planning Commission: Yes

At least a partial solution is a Public Planning Commission. It should never have gone away. However, the packet narrative is entirely accurate as to some of the weaknesses of what we had. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, “A planning commission, sir. If you can keep it.”

A planning commission is no panacea. My main interest is in having some form of digital presence, which I’m calling ‘Virtual City'(tm) where residents, potential residents, realtors and developers can go and see what we have planned.

What I never want to hear again is someone screaming “If I had known (x) was coming I never would have moved here!”

Re-instating the PPC will help prevent that. And my hope is that it might also reassure electeds that when we decide on a ‘vision’ it has a good chance of coming to fruition — even if that cannot not happen while they are still in office.

Circling back to the Fishing Pier. I’m pretty sure that Journey To Our Future image of the Fishing Pier deck is wrong. IIRC, this is the current design. See how the floor is no longer 100% ‘see through’? Although the salmon love it, a surprising number of humans hate it. Gives ’em vertigo. We went through multiple re-designs to get this split design so that people have an opaque section. I’m just putting this out there to demonstrate that these things really do change.

#3 Airport Committee: Meh

I would much prefer that interested residents help create a joint committee with Burien – the city we share interests with when it comes to Sea-Tac Airport.

This brings up this constant narrative of ‘talking out of both sides of your mouth’. Why on earth would you be against an airport committee, Mr. Airport Guy? For the same reason I was against having a special meeting of the City Council to discuss FIFA. Because I actually know something about the subject. 🙂 (Who said I can’t be brief? 🙂 )

I am ‘the airport guy’. However, I was not consulted on this proposal. And it is terrible, which is unsurprising having been proposed and written by the most pro-Port people on the Council. I know how much some of you want to do ‘something’ about the airport. Me too. It’s the reason I ran for office in 2019. But this is not it. That may sound snippy, but we need to stop treating this like a participation prize where everyone who wants to be involved is a winner. There are right answers and wrong answers. We tried this in 2018-2019 and it was a disaster.

I ran for office, literally, to change this approach, after decades of insincerity. The incumbent I ran against was a Port employee, members of the last airport committee opposed me, and a recent mayor now works for the Port as their lobbyist to us. In 2022 the current mayor and last mayor went to the Port of Seattle and offered up Des Moines Creek West with both hands. We are infested.

Like StART, a failure of a group advocated for by the last airport committee, this new committee must be seen as greenwashing; a bad faith attempt to continue to prevent positive change. That is no reflection on any community members who may want to participate. As with StART, people sign up with the best of intentions. But this is a bigger game and we cannot allow ourselves to continue to be used like this.

The only reason we don’t get anywhere with the airport is that they have people who work these issues continuously over many years and we have… well… moi. 🙂

If you truly wanna do something meaningful about the airport? Please subscribe to STNI. And participate in the Burien Airport Committee. Turn that into a shared committee that works for both cities.

Last Week

Tuesday: Port of Seattle Commission (Agenda). The Port did not keep its promise to report back on the SIRRPP (Port Packages). However, they signed an international tourism marketing agreement that will gin up more flights.  A last minute amendment by Commissioner Mohamed to limit the agreement to not promoting additional operations failed. Boo. 🙁

Wednesday: Highline Forum (Materials) All the cities shared their various legislative agenda re. the airport. Spoiler alert: the only City with anything even remotely useful SAMP-wise? Des Moines. 🙂

City Council Recap

Thursday: 6:00pm    Study Session – 30 Jan 2025 – Agenda – Updated

Executive Session

We discussed real estate having nothing to do with the WSDOT Surplus. The City Attorney provided a useful detail. A City cannot have an ES on a piece of property unless it would jeopardise the sale price. In the case of the WSDOT parcel, they already gave us the price. 😀

Public Comment

Several public comments, all on the 216th Surplus. And at the risk of pandering, one of the commenters, who is undergoing cancer treatment, spoke up. Ladeez and Germs, when someone demonstrates that kind of courage, attention must be paid.

216/Barnes Creek Surplus

The Council voted 4-3 not to pursue acquiring this property. Therefore, WSDOT will offer it at fair market value to the adjoining property owner. If that doesn’t work, it will go for auction. As I wrote above, this was yet another case of no compromise.

I actually agree with my colleagues who said they supported more housing. Much of the property along 216th is zoned for apartments and town homes and that is as it should be. However, this one swath is unique.

But frankly, the real arguments seemed based more on revenue than housing, and by that I mean one-time money. My concern is that so many people long for a world of economic development here that is impossible; the car dealership that will never come, the ferry that brings in tens of thousands of paying customers, a in this case a land where construction returns every few years like migratory birds. In case you hadn’t noticed? Our geese don’t bother migrating anymore! 😀 We must find a new revenue path. One that does not hide NIMBYism behind ‘open space’ and one that does not mistake one-time money for money we can actually depend on.

I also stand by something else: I know the City tried, but significant information was not revealed until during the meeting, including: the width of the existing Barnes Creek Trail and the intended use of the forested area south of the parcel in question. (Yes, it’s currently indicated as ‘Public Facility’. So what? So was this parcel until 2023.)

FIFA

This was originally the only item on the agenda. Last week I wrote “…my first thought was, for the first time in five years, I should try to book an evening dentist appointment.” Ironically, I left the meeting about fifteen minutes into this item, but not for a minty-fresh cleaning. I left because I cannot look at that big screen for long periods. The City knows this. I bring a special tablet reader when I know there will be presentations. I had no idea what to expect. For some reason, Cm Grace-Matsui seemed aware it was a webinar and also split. Anyhoo, I went home and watched it, mostly in real time. It was a bit odd. Sorta like what ²life will be like when I’m done being on the Council.

Special meetings are a unique authority of the Mayor and should only be called for under truly extraordinary circumstances.

I am a pretty big footb… er… ‘soccer’ fan.  But I misunderstood the purpose. I assumed it was to discuss promotional opportunities during the 2025 and 2026 World Cup events. But the discussion I heard did not go there. Apparently, neither my colleagues or the City were expecting revenue. The first question that came up, and the majority of the discussion, seemed to concern the possibility of public safety threats from tourism. Wow.

But fwiw, https://www.lumenfield.com/fifa-world-cup/2025-fifa-world-club-cup-seattle is pretty fantastic – three of the best clubs in the world will be in Seattle and seats are available. Paris St. Germain (France), Atletico Madrid (Spain), Botafogo (Brazil).

Bord Fáilte

It’s been a while, but if memory serves, didn’t the Seahawks actually win something a while back? I wonder if anyone recalls a flood of oval-sports-ball hooliganism back then? I do not. But just to be safe, we definitely shouldn’t let that happen again!

How can you promote Des Moines as ‘the premier waterfront destination…’ if, when we have chances to promote, we immediately think in terms of defense? That’s not rhetorical. It’s a real question. If we did get a ferry, do we really think every person coming off the dock would be someone’s gran bringing cookies over from Kitsap? 😀 Tourism is a mindset that welcomes all.

Fun fact of the week: In Ireland, the tourism agency is called Bord Fáilte. The Irish word fáilte literally means ‘welcome’. Ireland created a great tourism program not because we’re such swell guys (newsflash: a lot more of us are like moi than those ahppy people in the deodorant soap commercials.) We did it because we really needed the money! The government worked really hard to foster that sense of welcoming. Do we have a similar desire? Because more than a ferry or any building project, that is what it would take to be ‘the premier waterfront destination…’ It’s a mindset.

¹jk

²Except that I will likely never watch another public meeting in my natural born life. 😀

³That was not the title of a Moody Blues record. Close, though. 🙂

Some bits of business…

City Manager Stuff

City Manager’s Report January 24, 2025

This week features our ‘new’ logo. 😀

It also highlights an award for our harbormaster so glowing I needed sunblock to read it. 😀 But it’s also kinda true. The Des Moines Marina has had any number of challenges over the years, but customer service generally hasn’t been one. Some people don’t enjoy my little joke, but a Marina is essentially a floating parking lot for Lamborghinis. It’s a high touch biz. Anyone who has spent time at more than like two marinas will tell you that the customer service experience is not the same. And most marinas are not responsible for the front yard maintenance of an equally particular residential community. So, there’s that. We take all this for granted and we should not.

This Week

Tuesday: Port of Seattle Commission (Agenda) . Not much for us. The Commission was supposed to get a report on the SIRRPP (Port Packages) in January. But they didn’t say which January. 😀

Thursday: 6:00pm Study Session – 30 Jan 2025 – Agenda – Pdf Originally there was one item and one word. ‘FIFA’. And my first thought was, for the first time in five years, I should try to book an evening dentist appointment. 😀 But fwiw, https://www.lumenfield.com/fifa-world-cup/2025-fifa-world-club-cup-seattle is pretty fantastic – three of the best teams in the world will be in Seattle and seats are available.

And then a second item was added which does matter. I am absolutely furious. And you should be too because, regardless of the merits, this is yet another BLIND SIDE!

The item in question is one more piece of WSDOT surplus property from what was going to be SR-509 20 years ago. It triggers me because the same stretch of land across the street is Des Moines Creek West. Cues scary music. Dunh, dunh, dunnnnnnnnnnnnh!

This whole item is misleading and disrespectful and it begins with the image in the packet – more of that ‘leading the witness’ business. When you’re presented information in this narrow manner, someone is basically leading you to make a decision. But to me this is like a doctor making a health recommendation from one x-ray without regard for the entire body.

WSDOT first contacted the City last October, asking for $5.350,000 for what looks like less than six acres. They would prefer an answer by January 31st. But this is the first the Council has heard about it?

Here is the current Barnes Creek Trail 216th – 220th segment, which runs parallel to much of the surplus parcel. This woodland is what the community expects for the area.

• 

• 

It’s one piece of a puzzle; a trail that was planned to go from at least Des Moines Elementary to Kent Des Moines Road through the center of Des Moines, hook up with the Des Moines Creek Trail to 200th and finally to the entire King County Lake To Sound Trail system. That was supposed to be the dream.

Start here. See how it’s right next to the Barnes Creek Trail segment?

Now step back. It’s easier to see the ‘swath’ of forest where SR-509 was gonna go. That’s Barnes Creek.

Now step back to the original ‘plan’ – a trail heading south to Kent Des Moines Road. That‘s the Barnes Creek Trail.

The ‘dream’ has never been fully fleshed out. But in some way, it’s meant to provide an amenity every bit as amazing for the center of Des Moines as the Marina or Redondo are along the water – frankly, a much larger swath of families. Where are we at? Those four blocks from 216th to 220th, which may now be at risk. Every other aspect is undetermined.

WSDOT is working on another piece, from 220th south – but it’s their show.

Des Moines Creek West is a hope and a prayer. Des Moines Creek Business Park has been a complete disaster.

What absolutely infuriates me is that this is yet another ginned up “we gotta decide!” moment that the Council should not have to decide now. WSDOT surplus offerings take years to prepare. It is being presented with a one-day deadline, none of this context, and no other options — not even an easement to acknowledge preservation of the trail because the City is just presuming the outcome. One shouldn’t have to ask these questions. They should be in there. We’ve known for years all these surpluses are coming and we should have had a policy in place a decade ago concerning the entire trail.

The City will argue that we can’t afford it. True. We’ve blown our wad on so many other things. But we should at least try. This is the kind of project that has historically been funded by State and County grants. If you have the time. It is the lack of time that is the real problem.

However, I’ll close with something micro-positive. In the last decade, WSDOT offered us the same opportunity wrt the north side of the street (ie. Des Moines Creek West.) The City Manager of that time simply did not respond – thus handing it over to the Port of Seattle. So, I guess even presenting this to the Council means were now ‘more transparent’? Woo hoo.

Reason #327 why we need a public planning commission. And an election. Every meeting I keep trying to say ‘slow down’. And every meeting, it’s just Pow, Pow, Pow.

Saying you can’t stop the train is the strategy to keep the train going in exactly the same direction it’s been going for a very long time.

Last Week

Monday: Martin Luther King Day at Northwest African American Museum. I always try to recommend a book and this year it’s Death of a King, the best short volume on MLK’s real philosophy; not the made-up ‘saint’ he has seemed to become.

Tuesday: Burien Airport Committee (agenda) Our City Council seems hell bent on re-creating a new airport committee in Des Moines. I encourage interested residents to show up for BAC meetings (third Wednesday every month 6:00PM) to see what such a thing can (and cannot) do for us. I favour creating a joint committee; rather than separate groups, because frankly, we’re much stronger as a shared voice. But again, the lack of strategy here is the strategy. We haven’t wanted to do anything meaningful on the airport for over a decade.

Wednesday: ZEV Car Share Ribbon Cutting at the Marina. Sign up for a membership here: Zev Co-Op.

Wednesday 2:30pm Highline Forum (at Sea-Tac Airport)

Thursday: I testified at the State Environment Committee on behalf of HB1303. The CURB Act is the most important piece of environmental legislation you haven’t heard of. When/if passed into law, it will require developers of mega-projects (like Sea-Tac Airport) to provide an enhanced environmental impact statement – specifically to address community impacts. It’s exactly what was missing in the SAMP Draft EA.

Thursday 4:00pm Municipal Facilities Committee – 23 Jan 2025 – Agenda

Their first meeting of the year, so mostly planning calendar, but an interesting update on the Flag Triangle.

Thursday 5:00pm Economic Development – 23 Jan 2025 – Agenda

Their first meeting of the year, so mainly planning calendar. It is so fundamentally different from EDC meetings from the last regime it is Must-See-TV. And despite my above screed on Barnes Creek, I want to acknowledge the wonderful potential I heard. Truly. That’s the problem I’m currently having with the new regime. It swings so hard back and forth between terrible and wonderful it’s making me seasick. And I fished for a living. 😀

But in fact, it was so hopeful?

City Council Meeting Recap

Thursday 6:00pm Regular Meeting – 23 Jan 2025 – Agenda – Updated

Public Comment

Last week I (cough) ‘challenged’ Redondonites to show up if you care about the Fishing Pier. And you sure did! There is nothing like a land use decision to concentrate the mind. 😀 But still, I say the same thing: Public. Planning. Commission. As with all land use decisions, you shouldn’t have to get worked up.

A number of people walked out in a huff for not being able to provide public comment.  As I often say when it comes to your City government, you’re often looking in the wrong direction. It is not unheard of for governments to time-limit public comment on huge issues with dozens of commenters. But in this case, there were maybe a dozen commenters. Frankly, there was plenty of time to accommodate all commenters.

Said it before, say it again, what is abnormal about our meetings is the 9:00PM hard stop. For a variety of reasons, a super-majority of the Council are becoming increasingly averse to ‘long’ meetings. So, the Mayor’s goal seemed to be to finish the meeting early enough to accommodate a follow-on Executive Session (private meeting) and still get outta Dodge by 9:00PM. That is new and worrying trend. In the past, it was just assumed that if a meeting went long, it went long. If a Cm needed to leave? No one’s stoppin’ ya, pal! 😀

The social norms, the expectations of what this job means keep slipping. We need to end the culture of the hard stop.

City Manager presentations

Animal Control Update: A crisp 3 minutes on life (mostly) post-Burien Cares. So far, the news is as good as can be expected. The Waterland Blog originally got a couple of details wrong in their coverage (apparently corrected) but it was enough time to create the usual social media frenzy.

We’ve lost a drop-off service for stray pets, which is troubling – especially with reductions of service @ RASKC. But we do have coverage for serious issues. It’s not nothing. And this is where we are for now.

At the risk of sounding defensive, when people scream “the council doesn’t care” about issues like Animal Control it gets on my last nerve. We are seven very different people. Or haven’t you noticed by now? 😀

In the case of Animal Control, I vigorously opposed outsourcing ACO services and have never voted for any reduction in service levels. I worked me arse off on that. But the Chief of Police at that time wanted to outsource ACO hard — telling the Council, with zero evidence, of an expected $300,000 cost savings! I got nowhere because I had no backup. When we vote on certain things (like Redondo), it packs the house for public comment — and the Council usually listens. That’s backup. However, when that ACO thing happened, only one person showed up. And sadly they chose not to provide public comment! No backup. Frankly, girlfriend, that’s how you lose ACO services. The Council responds when people show up and speak their mind.

Legislative Issue Update on HB1380 I want to express my admiration for our lobbyist for not making more out of this than it is, but HB1380 concerns the right of people to sleep in public places and without fixes it is worrying in its scope of ambition. I am not freaking out because I want to note that it has strong sponsorship in all area legislative districts. So IMO the correct move is to try to fix it rather than to scream into the void and lose any chance of compromise.

New Business

Transportation Impact Fee Reduction For Early Learning Facilities.

Being the child hater I am, I voted no.  I felt it was a $95,000 discount for a single use case and for an unfunded mandate. The State law which made such discounts possible was meant to incentivise developers. Fine. But in this case we were offering a retroactive discount to a project already in the works.

The City provided numbers as to relative costs in other cities – and even without the discount we were squarely in the middle. But that isn’t the issue. It should also have provided a comparison of efficacy. If other cities already have a discount? We should be able to see how many new projects have opened or are likely to open as a result of that discount.

Contrary to the City’s presentation, the developer felt our fees were exorbitant writ large. But the City already has generalised incentives in the toolbox. My skepticism has to do with past projects that provided big incentives with too little return. This discussion was about encouraging Early Learning Centers.

The public told us no new taxes. Fine. That makes it incumbent on the City Council to be frugal and ask for evidence, even on very well-intentioned programs.

If the State wants to promote Early Learning Centers? Fine. Give us the $95,000, not a guilt trip. 🙂

City Logo Discussion

In the toughest budget environment in years, we’ve already ‘invested’ 10 Gs  on a Mission Statement. So why wouldn’t we do the same on a new logo and branding discussion?

In a Hail Mary effort to avoid wasting an hour and tens of thousands of dollars, I asked the Director of Public Works for the number of signs in town that already have the little green/red sailboat. I blindsided him and I apologise. I was thinking if we had even a vague idea how much it would cost to re-set every sign in town to a new logo, it would incentivise the gang to simply go with that. My wag guess is that there must be at least a few thousand. And my other wag guess is that four-colour signs probably cost $2o0. Do the math.

Additionally, have you walked around our city recently and seen how much dough we’ve already spent in the last decade on stuff like ‘the gateways’ at 216th and KDM? People just love image and branding.

Frankly, I could care less. A true re-brand costs a fortune. And I’d rather do nothing than waste one more centavo.

And I disagree with my colleagues. A city is not a ‘brand’. It’s a place. For me, ‘the brand’ was always the places. I like the current flag for one thing: 1889. As much as anything I used to feel like that was ‘the brand’. When I moved here it had more interesting ‘stuff’ per square foot than any surrounding area. It didn’t need too much new stuff. It just needed to preserve and refresh what it had and build from there. So much for that notion. 😀

Redondo Fishing Pier Replacement Project

I (sorta) owe the DPW a second apology. I asked him to confirm on camera something the contract is fairly clear on: that this contract was only structural. I just needed him to say that it would not change the look because you have no idea how many revisions that deck went through to get salmon-approval. 😀 This is the last rendering I remember. The majority of the deck is see-through, which salmon apparently really need.

I also got my little speechifyin’ in here. As much as I value the Redondo Fishing Pier, I am slightly queasy about any vote that has to be done tonight. Or else! I know some of my colleagues often feel the same, but it’s like the learning center thing. Passion often trumps consistent discipline.

There are these competing energies: strategic planning vs. gettin’ shit done! Spending $11,000,000 and doing the docks should be more than enough initiative for one year. We may end up doing three : Docks, Redondo Fishing Pier, Marina Steps. For me, it’s too much. Oh, and we have the 24th Ave mess to clean up.

My only disagreement with some of my colleagues is that the Redondo Fishing Pier is not a revenue driver. That is not what a park is. There was a time when Redondo was a revenue driver. Here it is. Get it? Everything you see as fishing pier, MAST Center, Salty’s was built on very old piers for a revenue driver that is never coming back – at least, not that kind of revenue. And all of it costs a fortune both to build and to maintain.

I want the City to slow down. Not stop. Slow down. Do one major project a year. Not three. If we do all this stuff, it’s riskier and it can’t be undone. And right now, a lot of it is not being thought of strategically. People want the Pier? Groovy. But the area is changing We’ve seen Salty’s close. And there are likely other big changes coming. If I were Emperor Shaddam IV, I would make it clear to residents that we are doing something – in the 2026 fish window. But since we have to pay a ton of money for re-design work anyway, we should take a breath and consider how the project might be improved to fit the changing waterfront.

This is worrying

I had planned to finish up my rant… er… dissertation… on Marina planning, but as you can see, stuff happens. At the last Highline School District Board Meeting, two of the five directors resigned, including our own District #5 Director Azeb Hagos. Imagine if three our Council resigned in one night. It says something.

I cannot speak for either of them. But Ms. Petrini’s statement speaks for itself and I urge you to watch it.

In May of 2022, I asked, nagged, wheedled, cajoled, pleaded, and begged Azeb Hagos to apply for a vacancy on the Highline School Board. And when she got appointed, I thought it might be the biggest accomplishment in my (cough) public service.

Thirty years ago the schools here were pretty good. Objectively, they haven’t been for a very long time. It is my belief that our city cannot thrive without quality schools. And both women focused on the basics – which in itself was controversial. Coming from Ireland, which is not exactly wealthy, but does have a superior education system, this drives me crazy.

I’ve heard some jabs about them as ‘quitters’, which is insulting and always comes from people who did not know them or tend to make jokes like “You couldn’t pay me enough to deal with that kind of shit show! Haw, haw, haw.” Exactly.

If it were possible, school board is an even more thankless job than City Council. The meetings are loooooooooooooong, at odd hours, pay so low it wouldn’t even cover child care costs, and filled with hours of platitudes rather than actual policy. What’s more, I think some people might find them lonely. Almost no one watches. Voters in Des Moines have no idea what is going on at HSD — most reflexively support bond issues based on the lovely flyers — as do I — because it seems like the right thing to do, not based on much knowledge of the circumstances.

I do not believe we can improve our schools without creating a space for voices like theirs in leadership. I also believet their resignations have implications for cities like Des Moines. If people of their quality, do not feel supported, the people who should run for office will simply choose not to. Or at best, will not serve with the passion necessary to take us where we need to go.

I wish I had been following more closely. I wish I could have been more encouraging. But that is what people who run for office and want to effect change need: Support. Encouragement.

It should not be this hard.

I salute borh women for their exemplary service and I sure hope their talents find outlets somewhere else. Soon. 🙂

Some bits of business…

City Manager Stuff

City Manager’s Report January 17, 2025 This week’s recipe involves a fancy event potatoes and duck fat recipe – apparently from her husband’s people in ‘the big town’ (Dublin). Sound delish. However, I just priced duck fat. I guess I’ll be stickin’ with cál ceannann. 🙁 (As tasty as it looks, let me tell ya. 😀 )

Save Redondo Pier Petition

I wandered around Redondo this weekend and noticed a sign ‘Save Our  Pier’. The Council has also received inquiries from our State reps who helped provide prox. $2.5M grants to help the rebuild several years ago – and understandably want to know what’s holding up progress. 😀

My advice to all concerned residents is, as always: Public. Planning. Commission. I dunno how many times to SCREAM this because at this point, it’s not the City that isn’t listening. It’s you. Every time you get upset about a Woodmont Recovery Clinic, Masonic Home, Van Gasken House, bad apartment complex, Des Moines Creek West, Marina Hotel, Marina Steps, Redondo Fishing Pier, Downtown, etc., etc., etc… you’re really screaming about a lack of overall public strategy. And the longer we go without a planning commission, the longer the City Council will keep making ad hoc decisions. This is not a difficult concept to understand. If you don’t have a ‘public plan’, there are no controls. Instead of waiting until the next emergency, just insist on re-instating the planning commission we had in 2012.

On Thursday, we’ll vote for a re-design. The packet says that it’s already funded. OK, fine. But it’s also an extra $200k to re-design the project to account for the increased overall costs. Just like the Marina Steps, we’re paying more to figure out how to build something less than what the Council originally voted for.

At our February 13 meeting, the Council will consider those Marina Steps. And one of the options mentioned on January 13 was, indeed, to pull the bond money allocated for Redondo over to plug the cost overrun in the Marina Steps. Or? It could go the other way – move money from the Steps to Redondo. Without a plan; without a planning commission, these are both possibilities.

But here’s the thing: either choice is yet another ad hoc decision, a response to immediate events, rather than following an actual plan.

One of the trust building issues I have with our new staff, has been what seems to be a private support for a planning commission. Every other city has one of course. Great! But no one has mentioned it publicly and I’ve been asked to be patient. So, it’s quite possible that the City Council will move forward with all the worst possibilities re. the Marina, Redondo, etc. And then set up a planning commission. Ta da!

That’s the lived experience people have had here. It’s why people have become so cynical.

To end on a hopeful note: I’ve seen the Council change direction many times. But only when the public gets angry. Said it before, say it again, and the rest of the Council hates to hear it, but the very few times the public shows it actually means business? The impossible instantly becomes very possible.

So, WRT ‘Redondo’, the fishing pier is in play not only because there’s no ‘plan’. It’s also up in the air because the Council sees no consensus among residents.

In my opinion, the area should be a vibrant community space. More than one venue like Salty’s should be humming and there should be beach amenities to serve the hundreds of families who live in the south end of town. But tracking people who actually show up at City Council meetings? The only message we hear is “we want quiet!” 😀 I don’t know what to do with the mixed messages.

To my mind, the waterfront blessings we’ve been given must be exploited for the full benefit of all Des Moines residents. If that’s really going to be our ‘mission’ it’s the right policy and the right finance. Average people need places to enjoy the entirety of our waterfront and spend money doing so.

So, if there is a constituency that wants to Save The Pier? Very cool. Hope to see you on Thursday! That at least tells me there is a constituency that values more activity in Redondo; something I strongly support.

This Week

Monday: Martin Luther King Day at Northwest African American Museum. I always try to recommend a book and this year it’s Death of a King, the best short volume on MLK’s real philosophy; not the made-up ‘saint’ he has seemed to become.

Tuesday: Burien Airport Committee (agenda) Our City Council seems hell bent on re-creating a new airport committee here. I encourage interested residents to show up for the BAC to see what such a thing can (and cannot) do for us. I favour creating a joint committee; rather than separate groups, because frankly, we’re strongly as a shared voice.

Wednesday: ZEV Car Share Ribbon Cutting. There’s been this green electric car near the Harbormaster’s building for several months. It’s an electric car you can take for a few hours up to a week using a phone app. You sign up for a membership you get a fairly low rate. Zev Co-Op. Here is a coupon for your first ride.

Wednesday 2:30pm Highline Forum (at Sea-Tac Airport)

Thursday: Olympia I will be testifying in support of HB1303-2024
HB1303, aka the CURB Act is the most important piece of environmental legislation you haven’t heard of. When/if passed into law, it will require developers of mega-projects (like Sea-Tac Airport) to provide an enhanced environmental impact statement – specifically to address community impacts. It’s exactly what was missing in the SAMP Draft EA.

Please  Sign in pro to support HB1303 before Thursday January 23, 2025 8:00AM for HB1303-2025 (CURB act)

Thursday 4:00pm Municipal Facilities Committee – 23 Jan 2025 – Agenda Their first meeting of the year, so mainly planning calendar.

Thursday 5:00pm Economic Development – 23 Jan 2025 – Agenda Their first meeting of the year, so mainly planning calendar.

Thursday 6:00pm City Council Regular Meeting – 23 Jan 2025 – Agenda Highlights:

• • Transportation Impact Fee Reduction For Early Learning Facilities. I will vote no. It’s simply a developer discount. Does nothing to help parents or children.
  • City Logo Discussion. In the toughest budget environment in years, we’ve already wast… er… invested 10 Gs  on a Mission Statement. So why wouldn’t we do the same on a new logo. Newsflash: I think our current flag is just fine. 🙂
  • Redondo Fishing Pier Replacement Project. See above.

As is often the case, what’s a little weird are the items on Consent, including the award of the L,M,N dock replacement. That warrants mention because (apparently) the low responsive bid came in under budget, which means that at least one aspect of Marina Redevelopment we can all agree on will be able to start this year.

And then there are three City Manager presentations

1. 1. Middle Housing Open House Update (see above)
   2. Animal Control Update (life post-Burien Cares contract?)
   3. Legislative Issue Update

The legislative update will likely include a homelessness protection bill by Mia Gregerson. Frankly, these are the kinds of things drive me nuts; on both sides. Everyone tends to freak out, establish a hard position, and then get nowhere. Rep. Gregerson is rarely seen in Des Moines, which is a shame. Before going to the State House she was Mayor in SeaTac. She knows a lot about the airport, has seniority in the House, and we could sure use everyone’s help on many issues. But unfortunately, this bill does go too far and I wish she’d consulted with us beforehand.

But… just being real here girlfriend. I could say exactly the same for many State and Federal legislators. If you feel unheard by your electeds? The line forms at the rear. 😀

Last Week

Tuesday: Meeting with UWDEOHS. They did a paper last autumn that improves on the work they’ve done, not only to demonstrate the dangers of ultrafine particles, but also to show that they can distinguish between the source of those UFPs. Normally I provide links to papers like this, but this one is pretty dry (unless you enjoy reading about the improvements in Positive Matrix Factorisation V5, versus PFM V4.)

This is the easy part: In 2025 Des Moines has a chance to obtain the first fixed-site air quality monitor in the area – something we’ve needed for decades. That will go a long way to closing the remaining gaps in the science – and make regulation of aviation pollution possible. That’s the part you care about.

Tuesday: Port of Seattle Commission.  Their first meeting of the year. Unlike us, the agenda is fairly light. The only thing of potential interest to us is a renewal of their 30-year agreement with Midway Sewer. Said before, say it again, everything that runs off the plateau, water, sewer, storm water, is something the City of Des Moines needs to keep an occasional eye on.

Wednesday: Regional Transit Committee. First meeting of the year. RTC’s job is to provide recommendations to the full King County Council which governs Metro. A lot of the discussion concerned the death of bus driver Sean Yim. Safety is a big deal in every meeting. As a big user and proponent of transit, this puts me in an awkward position.

Unlike most people who will read this, I actually use local transit. From where I live, getting to Seattle and Tacoma is safe, friendly, inexpensive, and the only major problem is that not enough people use it.

So at these meetings, it’s hard to pivot from the sad but extremely rare “Services for Mr. Kim will be…” to mundane topics such as “How do we get more Orca Cards into the hands of Des Moines residents?” But that’s the challenge.

I’m part of this because as great as Metro is for me in the north central neighbourhood, that’s how much it sucks in other areas of Des Moines. Obtaining ‘last mile’ service for the rest of Des Moines – particularly the south end and Highline College is pretty important. What good is having a Light Rail if people can’t get to/from it in Des Moines?

Wednesday: Middle Housing Community meeting 5:30 – 7:30pm Senior Activity Center 2045 216th St.

The staff conducts these open houses and there is always a certain amount of ‘process frustration’. The people who show up are interested in immediate changes to zoning. But the meeting is really a listening session. The people who should be at these meetings, the people who need middle housing never show up. I don’t know what to do about it other than to attempt to be a proxy for residents who call me all the time looking for affordable places to live.

Thursday: I met with Director of Public Works Mike Slevin and Surface Water Manager Tyler Beekley to ask a couple of questions re. the Environment Committee – 09 Jan 2025 the Council reviewed last week.

When I saw the rendering for the proposed public replacement, it reminded me of a previous set of design ideas from 2008. Interesting, no?

More on this next week.