Police departments facing ‘historic crisis’ in finding, keeping officers should make changes: DOJ report

Story by Bart Jansen, USA TODAY •6h WASHINGTON – Police departments are grappling with “an historic crisis in recruiting and retaining” officers because of a tight labor market during the pandemic and community frustrations, the Justice Department said, recommending a series of policy changes Tuesday to find and keep officers. The recommendations came in response to a survey of 182 police

Transparency

ARPA 2021 – 2023

September 24, 2023November 27, 2023

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A brief history of the American Rescue Plan Act in Des Moines, aka ARPA, aka 'Federal COVID grant to cities', aka 'Christmas in July', aka 'that JoeBidenMoney', was/is a 2021 bill which gave prox. $9,000,000 to the City of Des Moines....

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Children, External Articles

Education, Highline Schools, HSD, Stuart Jenner

Newly Released 2022-23 Highline Schools Performance Data Is Disappointing

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By Stuart Jenner It is commonly believed K12 students had significant learning losses as a result of Covid. How is the recovery going in Highline, other nearby districts, and in the state as a whole? The newest test data has discouraging news. Just released on the Washington State Report Card in the past week by the Office of

Sound Transit to pay city of Kent $1.75M due to light rail delay

September 15, 2023September 22, 2023

External Articles, Transportation

City of Kent, Kent Reporter, Sound Transit

Sound Transit will pay the city of Kent an additional $1.75 million over two years to extend a staffing agreement because of the delay to open a light rail line in 2026 rather than 2024. The City Council approved the amendment to the contract on Sept. 5. The city and Sound Transit approved a development

Kent City Council candidates all favor hiring more police officers

September 11, 2023September 22, 2023

External Articles, Public Safety

Kent Reporter

By Steve Hunter Monday, September 11, 2023 3:58pm If the words of six Kent City Council candidates are an accurate indication, voters might be voting on higher taxes next year to pay for more police officers. The six candidates for three council positions agreed during a Sept. 7 Kent Chamber of Commerce forum that more Kent

Engagement, Neighborhoods

Neighbourhoods and the Community Survey

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The City is running a Community Survey which you should definitely fill out. And a few words about neighbourhoods. Seven? Nine? Twenty three? Or... Print out the form and create your own adventure! :D...

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Nine Neighborhoods Map – from Resolution No. 1458

Airport, Neighborhoods

Rezone on 216th? Too Much Noise

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Last year, the Council voted for a six month (which turned into a 12 month) emergency moratorium on permitting in an area along 216th. We were not told why. But apparently the City has already prepared a Draft Ordinance with suggested zoning changes. As part of the legal process, the City is required to send

As Washington’s ferry fleet ages, why aren’t we building new boats?

August 23, 2023August 29, 2023

External Articles, Transparency

Ferry, Washington State, WSDOT

By David Kroman Seattle Times staff reporter The 2019 kickoff of Washington state’s hybrid-electric ferry program couldn’t have been more jubilant. Gov. Jay Inslee, standing inside Vigor Shipyards on Harbor Island, promised a green “revolution” that would begin right there, at the mouth of the Duwamish River, and cascade across industries around the globe. By his side

SR 509 Completion Project – Summer 2023 Update

August 7, 2023August 7, 2023

External Articles, Transportation

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SR 509 Completion Project – Summer 2023 Update Pacific Northwest summers are unrivaled. It’s the time of the year when we get outside, bask in the sun’s warm rays, and check off some major construction milestones. This season, the SR 509 Completion Project team is continuing to perform major construction activities that will bring multi-modal

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.