By Gene Balk / FYI Guy Seattle Times columnist If you’re a King County homeowner, it’s likely your home’s assessed value fell in 2024. Nearly everywhere in the county, assessed values dropped from last year. But you may be surprised to find your property tax didn’t go down nearly as much as you may have … Continue reading “Why some King County home values dropped while taxes on them rose”

March 9, 2006 Minutes

Video: https://youtu.be/vOmNJMuriY8

Marina Steps Community Meeting Post Game

February 13, 2024February 22, 2024

Marina1 Comment

Slides, video and links to more information on the Marina Steps project following the Beach Park presentation. Plus some (very) initial thoughts.

Marina Steps Community Meeting

February 13, 2024February 12, 2024

Events, External Articles, Marina

Draft EIS Public Meeting: Zenith Properties Building Demolition Application

January 31, 2024January 24, 2024

Events, External Articles, Neighborhoods, TransparencyMasonic Home

Please join us for a virtual public meeting during the public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Zenith Properties Building Demolition Application. The virtual meeting will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (or when the last comment is received). You can learn more about Zenith Properties … Continue reading “Draft EIS Public Meeting: Zenith Properties Building Demolition Application”

220-unit affordable housing complex coming to Kent on West Hill

January 29, 2024January 29, 2024

External Articles, TransportationAffordable Housing, Kent Reporter

Kent Multicultural Village could be open in 2027 next to light rail station By Steve Hunter Monday, January 29, 2024 4:15pm NEWS A proposed Kent Multicultural Village will change the landscape in the next few years of the West Hill along Pacific Highway South and the light rail route. The estimated $120 million project is expected … Continue reading “220-unit affordable housing complex coming to Kent on West Hill”

Experts are watching these six key indicators for Seattle’s economy in 2024

January 19, 2024January 28, 2024

Economic Development, External ArticlesPuget Sound Business Journal

Here are the metrics these nine economists and analysts are paying attention to as 2024 gets underway. By Neetish Basnet – Data reporter, Puget Sound Business Journal What difference a year can make. Fears of recession were widespread this time last year. But, while it’s still early days, the economy seems to have unstuck itself from the … Continue reading “Experts are watching these six key indicators for Seattle’s economy in 2024”

Recycling 101: What to know about sorting in King County

January 5, 2024April 18, 2024

Environment, External ArticlesRecycling, Seattle Times

By Melissa Davis and Josh Farley Seattle Times Opinion columnists Editor’s note: Got questions about recycling that fresh-fruit packaging or envelopes with plastic windows? We’ve got answers. Times editorial board members and Opinion columnists Melissa Davis and Josh Farley made a malodorous examination of what happens to King County’s recyclables. They both grew up with bottle … Continue reading “Recycling 101: What to know about sorting in King County”

As tree species face decline, ‘assisted migration’ gains popularity in Pacific Northwest

December 30, 2023December 30, 2023

Environment, External ArticlesAssociated Press, Climate, Seattle Times, trees

By NATHAN GILLES and Columbia Insight The Associated Press PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) — As native trees in the Pacific Northwest die off due to climate changes, the U.S. Forest Service, Portland, Oregon and citizen groups around Puget Sound are turning to a deceptively simple climate adaptation strategy called “assisted migration.” As the world’s climate warms, … Continue reading “As tree species face decline, ‘assisted migration’ gains popularity in Pacific Northwest”

Home-schoolers dismantled state oversight. Now they fear pushback

December 28, 2023December 30, 2023

Children, External ArticlesEducation, Home-schooling, Washington Post

HOME-SCHOOL NATION Home-schoolers dismantled state oversight. Now they fear pushback. Some states are considering new regulations amid efforts by school-choice advocates to give home-school families taxpayer funding By Peter Jamison and Laura Meckler December 28, 2023 at 7:00 a.m. EST Ohio state Rep. Marilyn John (R) co-sponsored a school-choice bill that would have given public money … Continue reading “Home-schoolers dismantled state oversight. Now they fear pushback”

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. And, And, AND, you can also get free rapid tests here and at KCLS Libraries!

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 you have a Port Package 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.

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.