AGO 2017 No. 5 – Aug 3 2017 Attorney General Bob Ferguson OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT—PUBLIC MEETINGS—CONFIDENTIALITY—ETHICS—MUNICIPALITIES—CRIMES—Whether Information Learned In An Executive Session Is Confidential 1. Information learned in a properly-convened executive session of a governing body of a public agency is generally confidential. 2. The disclosure by a municipal officer of information learned in
... continue reading.Policy
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.
... continue reading.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
... continue reading.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
... continue reading.Categories Taxes
Mayor lashes out at new SeaTac Councilmembers for lecturing city
Mayor lashes out at new SeaTac Councilmembers for lecturing city | The Waterland Blog Nov 13, 2015 | Business, Crime, Featured Stories, Headlines, Life, Politics, Video by Jack Mayne Two still unseated SeaTac City Council members went before the Des Moines City Council on Thursday night to tell its members to not believe its staff on advice about a proposed 16 percent utility tax
... continue reading.King County Interim Report On Ferry Expansion Options For Marine Division KPFF 07/01/2015
Study on expansion routes for Water Taxi. They are focused on a ferry as a true commuter option. Des Moines ranks at bottom on all axes. Commuter demand low. Revenue poor. Costs high. Multi-modal challenging. Parking inadequate. They question the need given the Light Rail and the fact that there is already a Metro Shuttle
Categories Economic Development, History
Highline Times: Des Moines council hires temporary economic development director
Des Moines council hires temporary economic development director Mon, 08/02/2010 After an impassioned discussion about Des Moines’ future and how best to utilize what little extra money the city has, a split City Council voted 4-2 to create a temporary full-time economic development manager position. Marion Yoshino, who has been volunteering on a downtown business
... continue reading.Categories Campaigning, History, Transparency
Competitive City Council Races (Part II)
1 Comment on Competitive City Council Races (Part II)As I wrote in Part I, we’ve had forty two City Council races or vacancies in the past twenty years, only seventeen competitive races and only thirty eight (38) candidates that may be called ‘competive’. And since many of them obtained office running unopposed or via appointment, the number of candidates who have been tested
... continue reading.