[Mayor Yoshiko Grace Matsui]
Good evening, everybody. I wanted to stop by and meet you in your official capacity at your first planning commission meeting. It must be very exciting to get those 18 inches of height at the dais, looking down at all of us at the table. I think that’s probably the biggest perk you’re going to get.
Regardless — there are no real perks that come with it — I want to thank you, because your time is one of the most valuable things we all have, and you are choosing to contribute that to the city of Des Moines and to our future. Thank you very much, from the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of the residents of Des Moines.
The second thing you’ll be lending all of us is your little gray cells — the deep thoughts about what the future of Des Moines needs to be, and how we can set the table: roll out a checkered tablecloth, pull out the best china, some sterling silverware, and make sure the table is set for the next stage of our city code and zoning code.
One of the things I want to charge you with is to really sharpen your pencils and ask: what do we need here in order to progress? Many of you have heard that residents have choices. They can go to Lake Stevens, they can go to Gig Harbor, they can go to Everett. Why should they choose Des Moines? Why should businesses come to Des Moines? I want us to look sharply at what we can do to encourage folks to put us at the top of their list — to come here, raise a family, open a business, or make great use of the land we have.
You will get some coaching and direction from our staff about the character of your conversations with staff and with the city council. There are many things that come with this new role in terms of your responsibility — not only to the public, but to residents, to staff, and to the electeds. It is a different hat to put on.
I will say: Rebecca will be asking virtual strangers to elect your chair and your vice chair. But again, thank you so much for your time. I know this is going to be a big lift, and I appreciate in advance what you will do to modernize our zoning and make it easy for folks to come in. We talked a lot about you — the hypothetical you — at our strategic planning retreat, and folks on the council are very excited to have you here. We all agreed: we need to set the table so that more residents and more businesses come to Des Moines. Thank you very much. I’ll pass it to Rebecca.
[Rebecca Deming, Community Development Director]
Thank you, Mayor. I wanted to make sure we do introductions. I know you did a brief introduction at a council meeting, but I also wanted my staff to introduce themselves. After we go around, we’ll take about a 10-minute recess and go to the conference room — I put out snacks and water so everyone can meet each other before we get to item three, the selection of chair and vice chair.
I’ll start so I’m not putting anyone on the spot. I’m Rebecca Deming, the Community Development Director. I’ve been here about a year and a half. Prior to that, I worked for North Bend for a couple of years as Community and Economic Development Director. I’ve been in local government about 20 years. I have a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s in urban and regional planning. I sit on multiple regional boards and committees — I have a hard time saying no when someone asks me to get involved. I’ll pass it on.
[Danielle Anderson]
Hi, I’m Danielle Anderson. I’ve lived in Des Moines officially for about four years, though I bought my grandparents’ house, so I’ve been around the neighborhood basically my whole life. It’s actually the third time I’ve lived in this house. I have an architecture degree from the University of Washington and run a small solo residential architecture practice out of my house — additions and renovations all over the Puget Sound area. I spend a lot of time in municipal codes, which is a big reason I’m here. I’m invested in this city. I see so much potential in Des Moines and I want to be part of it.
[Traci Buxton]
Hi, I’m Traci Buxton. I used to be the mayor, and now I’m the president of the brand new Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. We’re excited to have this body in place so we can see more clearly where the city is solidly moving forward — in a written manner, in a vocal manner — with a whole group of people getting around one voice, one vision, one plan. That will help us help our businesses, and I think the business voice will be able to be funneled to this table through our work. I’m really excited to have that synergy working together.
[Chuck Coleman]
Good afternoon. Chuck Coleman — licensed architect, two degrees in architecture, graduate and undergraduate from Clemson University. I practiced architecture for the first six years of my career; I was one of the architects on the Seafirst Financial Center in downtown Seattle. I’ve moved around the country quite a bit and jumped to the real estate developer side for many years, working for high-end developers on projects across the US and overseas. My background is very diversified. I moved to Des Moines about 10 years ago — my wife’s family were founding family of Kent. She grew up right in Redondo. As a little girl she walked down 281st by herself at three or four years old to play on the beach. Her dream was to come back home, and since I don’t have family anywhere else, they kind of adopted me. Des Moines is a great city. It has tremendous potential — it’s a diamond in the rough. Location, location, location. I believe in making a place better when you leave than when you found it. That’s why I’m here.
[Michelle Curry]
I’m Michelle Curry. I’m born and raised here in Des Moines — just like my dad, I grew up in the house he grew up in. I am tired of hearing about the diamond in the rough. I feel like the team is here. I feel like the city management and the council — there’s a lot of momentum right now, and I’m a don’t-talk-about-it-be-about-it kind of person. I thought it would be awesome to jump in and try to move this place forward — for the first time, literally, in my whole life. I’m a small business owner. I own The Print Place here in Des Moines on 7th with my partner Todd. For business reasons, we’d love to see the downtown core grow. We support so many of the businesses here, and I feel like when we do well, everyone does well. If we can magnify that, it would be amazing. I believe in the potential and I’m excited to be here.
[Barton DeLacy]
Good evening. I’m Barton DeLacy. I’ve been a permanent resident of Des Moines for about six years. My wife’s family also helped found Kent, and they had a place in what was once West Kent — down in the Woodmont area, now part of Des Moines. We’re living in a house her grandparents moved to in the ’40s. This is home. I’m originally from Oregon. I went to Linfield University in Salem, always thought I’d go into law and politics, had a year of law school, then took a right turn into real estate valuation. I went back to Portland State and got a master’s in urban planning, ran my own firm in Portland for many years. I served on the planning commission in Lake Oswego for a couple of terms in the ’90s, so this is a nice bookend to my career.
I’m a subject matter expert — I do a lot of litigation support in valuation. As an appraiser, I’m trained to be objective, impartial, and unbiased. My rule of thumb: if somebody tells me they really liked the appraisal I did, I want to take it back — because I must have done something wrong. Market value is when one side thinks they got robbed and the other thinks they gave it away. Planning is part of how I approach problems. I’m also a Counselor of Real Estate — a national organization you have to be invited into. Through that, I’ve had the opportunity to work in almost every metropolitan area around the country. I’ve been coming up here to Des Moines for 45 years since I courted my wife, and I’ve seen it change. I know it’s had better days. I’m really hopeful that with the new management and leadership we have in the city, we can make a real difference. So pleased and honored to be here. Thank you.
[Colleen Gantz]
Hi, I’m Colleen Gantz. I’ve lived here in Des Moines for about eight years. My husband and I raised four kids in the south end of Puget Sound. We lived in West Seattle for a while, then South Bellevue, then hightailed it back to the west side as fast as possible when we discovered this gem. We can’t believe we didn’t know about it sooner — and now even better, with light rail two miles down the road. Our adult children visit all the time and consider it their second home.
I became really interested in the planning commission the minute I heard about it. I’m a co-owner of a women-owned communications and community engagement firm based in downtown Seattle, with offices in Portland, San Diego, and the Mid-Atlantic. We focus on meaningful and inclusive community engagement. I’m really intrigued with the population here in Des Moines and getting more voices heard in the public process. Before that, 10 years at an engineering firm called Parametrics, where I did a lot of their marketing but really learned the infrastructure world. Before that, Holy Names Academy on Capitol Hill. Even though I originally moved here from San Diego to attend the University of Washington, I consider myself a longtime resident of this area. Thrilled to be serving. Thank you.
[Nicole Gunkle]
Hi, everyone. I’m Nicole Gunkle. I think I’m the newest Des Moines resident in this group — I’ve been here a year and a half, and in Seattle for five years before that. My background is economic development; I’ve worked for a couple of state agencies in their economic development departments, and that’s my training and education as well. I live in the Marina district, so I see the downtown a lot more than others in different parts of the city. I’d like to see more here, and I’d love to be part of how we get there. Thank you.
[Laura Techico, Planning and Development Services Manager]
Good evening. I’m Laura Techico, the Planning and Development Services Manager. I have a master’s in natural resource management and started my planning career in environmental permitting with the DOT, then with a private consulting firm. I started here with the city 21 years ago this month. I’ve held six of the seven planning titles here, worked my way up. I’m still here because I love it. The people and the staff are great. In my 21 years, I think the last year or two things are really starting to kick over — we’re starting to do a lot of the projects we’ve been talking about since I started. It’s an exciting time.
[Jason Woycke, Senior Planner]
Hi, everyone. Jason Woycke, senior planner. I’ve been here 10 years now — can’t believe it. I went back to school to get my master’s in urban planning after 10 years in construction. One of the things I really enjoy is managing permitting for large projects. Lately I’ve been working on the business park, the next development on the Wesley campus, Pacific Middle School, and now the Modera apartments and commercial space down in south Des Moines next to Redondo Square Shopping Center.
[Peyton Murphy, Land Planner]
Hi, I’m Peyton Murphy, land planner. I’ve been with the city about two and a half years. Before that, I was with Cowlitz County in southwest Washington as an environmental planner. I’m a certified floodplain manager and I really enjoy the environmental side of land use planning. One of the things I love about this city is its uniqueness — having the waterfront while also having significant development opportunities in the downtown and along Pacific Highway. It’s been a great place to work, and I’m really looking forward to what this commission is going to do as a team to make the city even better.
[Alicia Jacobs, Land Use Planner]
Good evening. I’m Alicia Jacobs, land use planner one for the city. I have a bachelor’s and master’s in art history and somehow made my way to urban planning — I’ll be finishing my master’s in urban planning at UW by the end of the year. I’ve been here almost three years. I work on a range of things, but my favorite is the long-range planning projects. I think we have a really unique opportunity to do something special with this city, and those are the things I most enjoy working on.
[10-minute recess]
Item 3 — Selection of Chair and Vice Chair
[Rebecca Deming]
I’ll accept nominations for chair for the 2026–2027 term.
[Commissioner] I’d like to nominate Barton DeLacy.
[Rebecca Deming] Barton, do you accept?
[Barton DeLacy] If elected, I would serve. Yes.
[Rebecca Deming] Any other nominations? All in favor of Barton DeLacy as chair, raise your right hand. Thank you. Barton, you will be chair.
Nominations for vice chair?
[Commissioner] I’ll nominate Colleen Gantz.
[Rebecca Deming] Colleen, do you accept?
[Colleen Gantz] Yes, I do.
[Rebecca Deming] Any other nominations? All in favor of Colleen as vice chair, raise your right hand. Thank you.
Barton, do you feel comfortable taking over now, or would you like me to continue?
[Barton DeLacy] Why don’t you continue for now.
[Rebecca Deming] No problem.
Item 4 — Future Meeting Times
[Rebecca Deming]
The commission needs to establish a regularly scheduled monthly meeting time. We’ll plan on canceling if there are no agenda items or no quorum. Based on the poll and the calendar, it looked like the first or second Tuesday of the month at 6:00 PM works for most of you.
[Traci Buxton] I’d prefer the first Tuesday. The chamber has a couple of things on the second Tuesday, but we’ll be flexible and subservient to the planning commission.
[Commissioner] Motion: I move that we schedule planning commission meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00 PM.
[Commissioner] Second.
[Rebecca Deming] All in favor? Unanimous. That makes the next meeting May 5th at 6:00 PM.
[Laughter about Cinco de Mayo]
Item 5 — Planning Commission Training
[Rebecca Deming]
We have required training scheduled for April 27th at 5:00 PM — a study session, not a regular meeting. It’s called the Short Course in Local Planning, put on by the Washington Department of Commerce. It covers the required training, including an overview of land use planning laws, comprehensive planning under the Growth Management Act, the roles of the planning commission versus council versus staff, and the mandatory Open Public Meetings Act and Public Records Act training. They ask for three hours but say it never takes that long. Our legal department will give the presentation on the legal components.
We’ll also work on a budget amendment so there are funds for any additional online training you’d like to pursue. If you can’t make the in-person session, there are online options through Commerce as well.
[Barton DeLacy] At the state level, are there requirements we need to be observant of?
[Rebecca Deming] Yes — that’ll all be covered in the class.
[Commissioner] What are the rules about informal conversations among commissioners? If I wanted to grab coffee with a colleague — are there limits we need to be mindful of?
[Rebecca Deming] We’ll get into all of that on the 27th with legal. That’s the best time to ask.
Item 6 — 2026 Work Plan
[Rebecca Deming]
We put together a list of items planned for the commission this year. Some items are scheduled; others are pending — we know they’re coming but don’t yet know when. We’ll be looking at different chapters of the zoning code throughout the year. Items include the bylaws, tree code, legislation regarding conversion of existing buildings, the critical area ordinance, a development agreement ordinance, and any special projects assigned by council. This is a living document and we’ll adjust as things come up.
[Barton DeLacy] How many Type 4 submittals have come through since you’ve been here?
[Rebecca Deming] Honestly, not many. Most of what’s come through in the last year and a half has been legislative code amendments — tree mitigation, required code updates. That’s really been it. The planning commission will be doing more long-range planning work.
[Commissioner] Motion to approve the work plan.
[Commissioner] Second.
[Rebecca Deming] All in favor? Unanimous.
Item 7 — Bylaws
[Rebecca Deming]
Staff is recommending the planning commission operate under a set of bylaws — internal rules of order covering meeting structure and process. Payton did research on bylaws from other jurisdictions.
[Peyton Murphy] We looked at Burien, SeaTac, and Federal Way. They’re all very similar. It’s really about finding what you like, what you don’t like, and giving us direction. We’ll come back at the next meeting with a draft based on your input.
[Barton DeLacy] Traci — you’ve been running meetings longer than most of us. Any recommendations on what works or what doesn’t?
[Traci Buxton] What I’d normally do is narrow it down to a preferred model first — say, Burien or Federal Way — and then go article by article. Article one: does everyone like that? Article two: does everyone like that? That’s how I’d organize the conversation. The bylaws from these cities are all pretty solid — they have to be lawful to have been adopted.
[Commissioner] I should also mention that a new ordinance was passed here last week governing some committee meetings, so some things you might have wanted to weigh in on were already established by the council — for example, the rules around absences. But things like agenda order and public comment time — two minutes or three minutes — those are still yours to decide.
[Barton DeLacy] On public comment: when we start having public hearings, how does that work?
[Rebecca Deming] The public hearing would be on a specific agenda item, not the whole meeting. There could be other items on the agenda that aren’t public hearings. We do expect to have an item on the May agenda, so yes, public hearings will begin next month.
For the bylaws: my suggestion is we put them back in the packet for May 5th. You’ll have time to read through them after training and come back with specific likes and dislikes. We’ll draft something in June based on your direction, and you can keep refining it until you’re ready to adopt.
[Commissioner] I like that — we’ll have had training by then, which will answer a lot of questions.
Adjournment
[Commissioner] Motion to adjourn.
[Rebecca Deming] All in favor? Unanimous. We’re adjourned.
1This is a machine-generated transcript generated on the fly by Google/Youtube/AI. Accuracy totally not guaranteed. Provided only as a convenience and to help people with disabilities. Caveat lector!