Some bits of business…
City Manager Stuff
City Manager Report February 23, 2024
No sports this week. However with regard to the Redondo Speed Cameras? “The projected date for this completion is March 31, which would enable us to begin the 30-day warning period shortly thereafter.”
Not to be ‘that guy’. Even though I am that guy. I was on record in 2022, “Oh, this thing will definitely be ready by summer. Summer 2024.” 😀
King County K9 Memorial
As part of my tour of the King County Emergency Management Center a couple of weeks ago, I came across this memorial to K9 Service Dogs which I found surprisingly moving. Because it’s a secure facility I had to get permission before releasing these piccies. Here’s a K9 Memorial brochure they gave me which describes the Memorial.
Advanced CML
I was awarded the Association of Washington Cities Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership. Prizes include a new Pontiac! Not really. If you get elected, your city will likely pay for you to take all sorts of what amounts to continuing education courses. This means I’ve taken 60 credits.
There are tons of classes going on all the time. And… almost no electeds take them… for various reasons. But mainly because we don’t have to. It’s just assumed that, by the power of getting more votes than the other guy, you now know everything you need to know, or will via (cough) ‘on the job training’. Which is not true.
That probably sounded a bit snippy. But there is an ongoing discussion as to the greater workload for Cms (true) and the fact that very few people run for office… and what to do about it.
But something needs to be done. The job is getting more complex. One’s popularity and schmoozability skills will always matter–especially in a city that wants to think of itself as ‘small’. But more and more you also have to put in a good deal of study time in order to make the right decisions.
This Week
Monday: Meeting with Finance Director. I’ve been pre-selling a particular concept, which rhymes with Mid-Drift, for five years. We need more police. Full. Stop. And this is a way there.
Tuesday 12:00pm: Port of Seattle Commission. An Order to implement a Port Package Update program, will be voted on. Hooray!
Wednesday 5:00pm: Sea-Tac Airport Roundtable (StART) (Agenda) New year, two new members. And for the first time in a long time, both actually live in Des Moines. 🙂
Last Week
Monday/Tuesday: Back to Olympia for SB5955 (the Port Package update bill). Read coverage and learn how you can help at Sea-Tac Noise.Info
Wednesday 3:00pm Regional Transit Committee
New Chair Mosqueda asked everyone to provide some of their ‘goals’ and I was very pleased to hear that we all have similar issues. Safety on buses comes up. And most of us, especially our neighbours in Federal Way talk about that LAST MILE. Getting the same kind of connectivity people along 216th enjoy with the Shuttle Bus to the Light Rail. We desperately need that now with the new Light Rail Station coming, to connect people to the college and down to the Marina.
Thursday 5:00pm Municipal Facilities Committee. (Agenda) This was their second meeting of the year. But again they did not choose a chair due to the absence of one member (Cm Nutting). Some comments on two items below.
Thursday 6:00pm Regular Meeting – 22 Feb 2024 Frankly, it was another fairly blank agenda. Recap below.
Friday: Back to Olympia for SB5955 (the Port Package update bill). Coverage of the hearing from Sea-Tac Noise.Info
Municipal Facilities Committee Meeting Highlights
There were two important items added after the agenda was originally set and I’ve made my displeasure known.
Wesley Pedestrian Skybridge signage
For those of you who enjoy re-hashing previous fights, this is a primary reason why I voted against it back in February 2021. Namely, I was concerned that it might become over-branded and people passing by might think they were entering the town of Wesley.
216th is one of the main gateways to the City and I believe it should not carry any private branding. I also think that there should be nothing this architecturally significant which does not follow a consistent City of Des Moinesc design guideline.
Regardless, the final project is different enough from what the Council voted on in that 2021 packet (I don’t recall light effects being discussed three years ago) that people concerned about other highly visible projects (eg. the Marina Steps) should take notice.
Flag Triangle at 216th and Marine View Drive
This is of particular interest to Veterans of course. I was pleased to see that the Des Moines Memorial Drive Preservation Association had been consulted. They were meant to be kinda the ‘guardians’ of DMMD.
It’s not my committee, but it is my feeling that the Triangle should be enhanced for ceremonial purposes rather than designed for routine use. It’s simply too busy with traffic to encourage the public to hang out.
Regardless of your take on these projects, I’m never thrilled when items get added to the agenda at the last minute–and that the public does not get to preview those materials.
You are always welcome to attend Committee meetings, or you can watch on 21 or the City’s Youtube channel.
February 22, 2024 City Council Meeting Recap
Public Comment
As has become the norm, comments were excellent. But I think it’s time for a periodic PSA…
Public Comment is not (and should not) be a dialogue. Understand that, as much as you may want to engage with the Council, trust me, many are the times, all of us really want to answer your questions. I mean really. 😀 There is one, very rare exception–when the Council wants to ask you a question.
A small part of this policy (which is universal, it ain’t just Des Moines) has to do with time. There often isn’t enough. But the far bigger issue is impartiality. We simply cannot be seen to be playing favourities with any individual, group or even an issue. This is something I take extremely seriously.
One commenter pleaded for the Council to hire a communications consultant. But also noted that we could have simply made some common-sense changes to the web site years ago. Exactly. But since I’m not gonna attempt to dialogue with commenters, I couldn’t mention that I proposed exactly that four years ago, dude! 😀
I kill me.
But it’s no joke. The inability to have a dialogue can appear deeply frustrating to residents. I get it. As unsatisfying as it will sound, we (or at least I) really do hear you.
I told you so…
One other thing. I occasionally get grief from people about saying ‘I told you so’ as I will do several times in this article–just to be even more annoying than usual. Point taken.
But… I also want people to know who is who. I wish that commenter could know, walking up to the podium, that not only was the Council aware of the issue, but also that at least a couple of us have been trying to get this done. If you constantly think all seven of us are the same (and indifferent) we can never get to electeds that do care about what you care about.
Presentations
Backpack Brigade
Back Pack Brigade is a free weekend lunch program for kids. This is one of the non-profits the City supports through the Human Services Advisory Committee and it’s always a joy to hear founder Nichelle Hilton because she just radiates enthusiasm.
Land Stewardship Partnership
Port of Seattle Land Stewardship Partnership presentation. This initiative states the Port’s environmental values on land it controls. Since the Port controls a sizeable chunk of Des Moines (eg. the Des Moines Creek Business Park–including the upcoming Phase V near the Barnes Creek Trail on 216th, this should be interesting. Anyone interested in tree canopy and the future of animal habitat should attend.
I pushed back a little bit on the presenter on a couple of points.
- The Port uses an Equity Index to evaluate what to prioritise. I strongly agree with this approach.
- The Port’s system is not a 4-1 replacement program. It is a 4-1 credit program. You can get a ‘credit’ for removing ivy. Or for keeping an existing tree. In theory, I also agree with this.
- But, the Port’s policies only apply to land they operate. Properties they lease, which includes all of Des Moines Creek Business Park are subject to the City of Des Moines.
- Finally, their Stewardship Plan is not a ‘contract’. For example, along 200th Street there is a significant ‘forest’ buffer which heads north to the runway. The Port has plans to do significant reclamation work in that area. Great. However a future Port Commission could vote at any time to re-purpose that land for use with airport operations. In fact, the Port voted not to do that in 2015. But they already have several drafts where that land would indeed be turned into asphalt. Not a fan.
Anyhoo, I had hopes that their Land Stewardship Plan might become something of a model for us. Or that it might be something of a ‘positive influencer’ for Des Moines. We shall see.
Consent Agenda
2In what I consider an admirable form of self-restraint I avoided pulling the item on Copy Machine Replacement. 🙂
Hearts And Minds Fund
The only item of business-business was what to do with the $4,400-ish remaining in the Hearts and Minds fund, which was dissolved during our last meeting.
I generally do not 1rat people out. But I said the following to my colleagues and staff, “If we spend more than two minutes on this, I will not be happy. So I am prepared to vote ‘Yes’ on whatever anyone proposes that does not involve a strip club.”
It took longer than two minutes. But a compromise was reached which does not involve adult entertainment. $2,000 to Dollars For Scholars (what we traditionally do to honour fallen police officer Steven J. Underwood) and the balance to the Human Services Advisory Committee. Since the HSAC evaluates more than 30 grants every year (including the above Backpack Brigade) that seems fine to me. 🙂
But since the thing did take more than two minutes, a word about everyone’s fave topic: parliamentary procedure! During the discussion Cm Grace Matsui seemed to imply that we’re not always 100% consistent regarding parliamentary procedure. 😀
Believe it or not, I try not pointing out things like this. Over the past four years we had other things to beat on. And did we ever. 😀 But it was also pointless becaus the vibe was so ‘we have the votes so screw procedure’ that ‘parliamentary procedure’ was the least of our problems.
I really do care about consistency. It takes courage to raise these kinds of issues. Perhaps the fact that her concern was taken seriously is a positive sign. So now, a word about friendly amendments…
When you make a motion, you need at least one other member to support the idea (a ‘second’) or your idea is not discussed. ie. it ‘dies for lack of a second’.
If you’re the kind of nerd who researches this crap, you’ll soon find that there is also something called a ‘friendly’ amendment’, which sounds fine because how could something ‘friendly’ hurt anyone? 😀
Unfortunately, there is no general agreement on what that means. I know what most of my colleagues think it means. But (sorry) over the years I’m about 100% sure we have not been consistent as to our own use of the term and for that reason alone it’s gotta go.
New versions of Robert’s Rules Of Order have abandoned the concept entirely and so should we. It’s not in our own Protocol Manual and if it ain’t there, we should salute smartly and do as General Roberts orders.
An amendment is an amendment is an amendment. Any time an idea (a motion) is changed, you should take a vote to make sure the group agrees.
Executive Session
There was a 30 minute ES, which is so secret I can’t even tell ya what it was about except to say that it continues a fairly unbroken streak of either useless, expensive, and/or just plain unpleasant private meetings. That probably sounds snarky, but think about this: How does one explain (let alone rein in) a poor process when one literally cannot talk about it? My current approach is simply to say ‘this is a problem’. So that next year I can once again say ‘I told ya so.’
I kill me. 🙂
1Divulge private conversations 🙂 Apparently, I played Guys And Dolls one too many times. 🙂
2Did you know that colour copies cost almost ten times what black and white copies cost? And did you know that there is software that will gently nudge everyone in your company to print in black and white unless they hit a box? And did you also know that this will save your company thousands of dollars every year? When people ask me what I used to do? That was one week. It’s a living. 😀