Des Moines Offers Nichols City Manager Position

City Council selects James Nichols out of a pool of four finalists for city manager Clara McMichael Tue, 08/02/2016 We need somebody who’s going to be a great communicator, and through all the interviews and reviewing background and looking at skills sets, Jim Nichols fits the leadership and the communications skills sets above all others,”

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Highline Times: Four Finalists for Des Moines City Manager

Des Moines in the process of choosing a new city manager Tue, 07/26/2016 by Clara McMichael On July 20, the city of Des Moines hosted a meet-and-greet so community members could meet with the four finalists that the city council has chosen to fill the position of city manager. The four finalists are Michael Matthias,

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120th anniversary message to the community from Publisher Frank Blethen

120th anniversary message to the community from Publisher Frank Blethen For Immediate Release — Jan. 22, 2016 Lindsay Taylor, Consumer Marketing Manager Welcome to Greater Seattle’s future of robust independent journalism and public service. A positive future few other cities in America will experience. Your Seattle Times is an anomaly in this era of dangerous

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LETTER: Des Moines Mayor Kaplan says utility tax is off Dec. 17 council agenda

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written by a Reader. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Waterland Blog nor its staff:] Based on conversations with fellow councilmembers and the public, I’ve pulled the utility tax issue off of the December 17th Des Moines City Council agenda. It will not

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Local group aims to save Normandy Park Police positions

By Michele Smith On November 3rd, 2015, residents of Normandy Park voted ‘no’ on a levy that would have continued funding for two Police Officer positions and a Records Specialist position. The levy failed by 283 votes and the layoffs will happen Jan. 1, 2016 in order for the city to balance the 2015-16 budget.

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MAYOR: State voters, Legislature have taken away much of Des Moines’ income

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a letter released Nov. 24, 2015 by Des Moines Mayor Dave Kaplan: State voters, Legislature have taken away much of Des Moines’ income by Mayor Dave Kaplan For the past several months, the City Council has been working to address our long-term financial issues through the 2016 budget process. In conjunction

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Small town turns to crowd-funding to save police officer jobs

NORMANDY PARK, Wash. – Why not? That’s what some residents of Normandy Park are saying after learning a group of fellow citizens has set up a GoFundMe page to prevent police department layoffs.The campaign was launched by grassroots group of citizens, business leaders and some elected officials as a way to make up for the

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Letter to the Waterland Blog by Mayor Dave Kaplan on 2016 Budget

State voters, Legislature have taken away much of Des Moines’ income by Mayor Dave Kaplan For the past several months, the City Council has been working to address our long-term financial issues through the 2016 budget process. In conjunction with our economic development efforts, which is the key to making the City financially sustainable in the

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City hired attorney will represent the city, not individual citizens, protestors told

by Jack Mayne People expecting an attorney hired by the Des Moines City Council to advise them of ways they can appeal in the Woodmont area drug and substance rehabilitation facility will be disappointed. “Any lawyer hired by the city will make decisions for the city and not the citizens of Des Moines,” Councilmember Bob Sheckler told

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Citizens object as Council considers cutting Parks Director, Harbormaster

by Jack Mayne Twenty-five people took more than an hour last Thursday night (Sept. 17) to tell the Des Moines City Council not to cut the jobs of the city’s Parks Director and Harbormaster, and to find money to keep these important, well respected department heads in their jobs. The changes were only proposed and none of

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