#327 on the list of things I did not expect to have to deal with

Hello Des Moines,

At 1PM today the City Council received a ‘Significant Incident’ email from Chief Of Police Ken Thomas. These messages are typically two sentences describing an event that may attract public notice. We do not get detail because that is not our role. Today’s message informed us only that Councilmember Martinelli had been arrested on a charge of Domestic Violence and would be booked into the SCORE jail facility.For about two seconds, I thought that our email system might have been hacked. But when I realized this was for real I wrote an email asking for more information with the subject line: #327 on the list of things I did not expect to have to deal with in this job.
At 4:15PM I spoke by phone with City Attorney Tim George and he offered to explain details of the situation. However, I cut him off, saying that I wanted to know nothing that was not a matter of public record. He suggested I obtain the police report. I received it a few moments ago and it is 134 pages.We ended the conversation with my asking if Councilmember Martinelli’s partner was safe. He informed me that she had been provided with temporary housing and a no-contact order arranged by the City’s Domestic Violence Coordinator Rochelle Sems. Knowing that she had been provided for (and that the City has such a resource), was the one bit of good news in the conversation.
At 5:30PM my phone started ringing with calls from residents that the story had been picked up by the media. Apparently Mayor Matt Pina had already issued a statement calling for Councilmember Martinelli’s resignation.

My immediate reactions…

These charges are extremely serious and if proven true, heinous. I completely understand the Mayor’s desire to get out in front of the story because frankly, a Councilmember getting into trouble is far more common than we’d like to admit. Also, the public frequently takes any delay in response as some sign of insensitivity.

However I am not ready to call for Councilmember Martinelli’s resignation today. I still have reading to do and questions to ask. Mayor Pina is fully entitled to give his opinion as an individual, as are we all, but despite the carefully worded press release, the Council has not voted to speak on this as a body.

Every member of the City Council puts the City and its residents first. But Councilmember Martinelli still holds the same office we all do. I will not rush to judgment. And that should not be interpreted as my feelings regarding the allegations or the politics or the person. Rather it is out of respect for the office the people of Des Moines elected him to.

It has only been a few hours and already I am seeing attempts to politicize the situation. Trying to connect this event to any candidate or elected is absolutely disgusting and should be condemned the moment anyone tries it. That is not how politics should work. As I said when I ran for office: “We can do better, Des Moines.”

One last thing. Until last week, I had only met Councilmember Martinelli’s partner twice—and then only in passing. I phoned her after she had taken me to task for something I had written on social media. (I do that a lot. 😀 ) Her tone appeared to me to be that of any mildly harried young mother managing a fussy toddler. I heard nothing indicating anything serious might be going wrong. And that is not uncommon. And since this is a personal matter and I have no business assuming anything.

I have spoken directly about my family’s personal experience with domestic violence. There is no issue I could possibly take any more seriously. But I also take my office seriously and in this case, I ask for your patience.

Normally, I close each post with an offer to contact me with your thoughts. But this is one occasion where I hope you will understand if I do not do so.

It is my honour to serve Des Moines.

—JC

Get vaccinated! Yeah I know you’d like to forget about it, but there are new variants and the infection rate is climbing. Fortunately, there is an effective booster, which is recommended for people 65 and older and those who are immuno-compromised. It is available now, effective, free and you can get your appointment today here and here , including walk-Ins at SAFEWAY, Walgreen’s, Rite-Aid, SeaMar and Healthpoint.

Sign up for the King County Code Red Alert program. When you sign up for Code Red you’ll be notified immediately when there is a possible health threat. After the recent ‘Boil Water Notice’ I received just a few grouses that ‘it did not work’. I’m 99% certain that the problem is that you have to actually sign up for an account. Do It! There is this ‘guest’ option which is stupid and should not even be an option. Everyone who had an account in their system was notified. If you’re like me and signed up ten years ago (after the last notification), go to the site immediately and verify your account. Ten years is a long time for any computer system.
Check out the 223rd Green Street Project web site and take the 223rd Green Street Survey before December 11th!
Check out the Des Moines Marina Steps web site and take the Marina Steps Survey.
If you’re interested in any of our Kids or Senior activities, you can sign up here.
Learn more about our Comprehensive Plan and take the Housing Action Plan Survey.
Take the City Communication and Engagement Survey
Give blood! Schedule an appointment today. There is a CODE RED emergency shortage.
Masonic Home! There is a petition for those who are interested in historic preservation of the property. If you have questions, don’t contact me. Contact Barbara McMichael and Lloyd Lytle Jr
Community Service Officer Tonya Seaberry wants to hear from neighborhood groups interested in establishing block watch programs: Tseaberry@desmoineswa.gov or 206-878-3301.
City Of Des Moines Minor Home Repair Program: Low to moderate income households can get grants to do all sorts of necessary repairs. Email Tina Hickey (206) 870-6535.
Every home should have a Carbon Monoxide Detector–especially during the colder months! Full stop. If you need one but money is tight, South King County Fire And Rescue will get you one. Just call their Community Affairs Office at 253-946-7347.
And last, but not least: If your home has Port Package (sound insulation system) that is having issues, please go to SeatacNoise.Info

How to attend meetings and provide Public Comment

City Council Meetings are scheduled for Thursdays at 6:00PM at City Hall 21630 11th Avenue S., Suite #C Des Moines WA 98198. They can also be viewed live on Comcast Channel 21/321 or on the City’s YouTube channel. Committee Meetings are either at 4:00PM or 5:00PM, also on Thursdays.

You do not have to sign in to attend a meeting!
The sign-in sheet is only for people wishing to make a Public Comment.

There are three ways to provide Public Comment:

In person: Show up a few minutes before the meeting and sign the sheet. Public Comment is usually conducted at the beginning of the meeting.
By e-mail: All e-mails sent to citycouncil@desmoineswa.gov are considered public comment. They are instantly available to all members of the City Council and the City Clerk who includes them into the record of public comments at the next meeting.
By US Mail: Attn: City Clerk Office, 21630 11th Avenue S., Des Moines WA 98198 no later than 4:00 p.m. day of the meeting. Please provide us with your first and last name and the city in which you live.

All letters or e-mails requesting a specific action are referred by the City Clerk to the appropriate City department.

If you would like a follow up from me, personally please indicate that or call me (206) 878-0578.

The Clerk does not read e-mails to the Council in full; only the subject line. However, we do see them as soon as you send them. Your comments are added to the Agenda Packet available on the City web site following each meeting.

How to view public comments, correspondence and meeting materials

The City publishes a meeting agenda on the Friday (six days) before city council meetings. On the day after the meeting (Friday) the City updates that same file with all the slide presentations, the correspondence, and a list of the people who signed up to give public comment at the meeting. Currently, there is no button on the web site that says Show me the meeting comments for xx/xx/xxxx. You just have to know that this is the procedure. Below is a recipe to get you there.

Go to www.desmoineswa.gov
Once there, hover over Your Government and then click Council Meeting Center. (Or, you can skip Step #1 and just click on Council Meeting Center.)
Select the meeting date you’re interested in from the Schedule Of Meetings calendar.
Click on Regular Meeting for the meeting date you want. In this case, December 1, 2022.
Click the Agenda Packet link under “Print Verson”.
You can also select a meeting using the list near the top. You can also use the left and right arrows to select older meetings.
Once the agenda packet loads, there are two links we’re interested in:
- Correspondence to view all e-mails received by the City Council since the last meeting.
- Comments From The Public to view a list of the people who spoke in-person at the meeting.

My immediate reactions…

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