External Articles

Articles from around the area, including re-prints from various newspapers (provided under Fair-Use provision.) These are information only, which means that many, Many, MANY of these do not represent my point of view. (Seriously, they don’t.) I just want you to know what’s out there being discussed by electeds that concern Des Moines.

City approves master plan for Des Moines Creek Business Park

March 11, 2014October 8, 2024

by Jack Mayne The Port of Seattle Commission is expected to approve the final contract for long-term ground leasing of the 89-acre Des Moines Creek Business Park site this month. The Des Moines City Council approved the Panattoni Development Company’s proposed Master Plan of the property on Feb. 20 (see our story here). “There is going to be hundreds

Local politics, in all its drama and glory, alive and well at North Hill Forum

October 10, 2013March 17, 2023

Original link here Story & Photos by Justin Bennett “That’s not true, it wasn’t…” “I believe I have seven minutes – is there a problem with that?” “There is not a problem but you are stating something that is cynicism.” “He can lie any way he wants.” “Okay, well if that’s the case let me please continue.” Local politics in

Port of Seattle selects Developer for 87-acre Des Moines Creek Business Park

August 15, 2013October 8, 2024

The Port of Seattle announced this week that it has selected a developer for the Des Moines Creek Business Park project – Panattoni Development Company, Inc., a privately-held real estate development firm headquartered in Newport Beach, California. The firm was chosen from a field of four proposers to develop approximately 87 acres of Des Moines

With ‘EB-5’ designation at last, work to begin on Artemis Hotel soon

July 22, 2013March 18, 2023

Albert Sze, left, with Mayor Dave Kaplan and Council Member Bob Sheckler by Ralph Nichols Work on the long-anticipated $45 million Artemis Hotel in Des Moines – beginning with staging, ground clearing, and excavation for construction – is now expected to start by Aug. 1. It has been two years this week since ground was broken

Pre-Construction work for luxury Artemis Hotel in Des Moines to begin Monday

May 20, 2013March 18, 2023

by Ralph Nichols Almost two years after ground breaking for the $45 million Artemis Hotel in Des Moines, pre-construction work is set to begin Monday (May 20) with demolition of existing buildings at the construction site. The eight-floor, 238-room luxury hotel will include Des Moines’ first convention center, a banquet room that can accommodate 300 guests,

Des Moines City Council appoints Jeremy Nutting to open seat

May 10, 2013March 16, 2023

Story & Photos by Justin Bennett At about 7:20 p.m. Thursday night (May 2), Jeremy Nutting was appointed and sworn in as the newest member of the Des Moines City Council, filling the position recently vacated by Dan Caldwell. Jeremy and his wife Yvonne Nutting own and operate Down & Out Demolition, LLC (http://www.downandoutdemolition.com/) out of their

Letter To The Editor – Lament for a Grocery Store

May 8, 2013March 16, 2023

Moving to Des Moines many years ago was a multi-level attraction to my wife, Marianne and I as we travelled into the little Cape Cod like village on the sound. We arrived quite by accident trying to wend our way to Tacoma and had no idea that a city named “Des Moines” even existed outside

UPDATE: Artemis Hotel Project Making Progress Again

February 21, 2013March 18, 2023

The City of Des Moines announced this week that permit applications have been received from the Yareton Investment Fund for the luxury Artemis Hotel project, to be built on Pacific Highway South. The development is the result of a trip by former Mayor Bob Sheckler, who met investor contacts while on an outreach trip to China (read

Letter to the Editor – Feel Cape Cod, then say something nice about our Council

April 9, 2012March 16, 2023

Dear Editor, For many years now Des Moines has been “My Cape Cod” and every day it seemed farther away until just recently. Our city council has finally seen the resemblance and need for something to ignite a tourist attraction in the form of a “Cape Cod on the Sound” theme. I am all for

Des Moines City Manager Says City is Open for Business

April 4, 2012March 17, 2023

by Jack Mayne Des Moines has long been considered unfriendly to developers and to those just wanting to remodel and redevelop their own properties. People seeking city permits were often confronted with a set of difficult to understand regulations and with little help negotiating them. Not any more. A shrinking tax base and some new members of

Ongoing Stuff

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.