Here is a page from the current Capital Improvements Plan (CIP), for the ‘Marina Steps’. The CIP is the ‘bible’ for a City. It’s what the City uses to budget projects throughout Des Moines. Transportation, Parks, Marina, Storm drains, you name it. This is one of those things we are legally required to review and … Continue reading “Marina Combo Platter…”
Transparency
City Currents Spring 2023 – Less politics, more cooperation, please
Categories Economic Development, Marina, TransparencyLeave a comment on City Currents Spring 2023 – Less politics, more cooperation, pleaseA response to the Mayor’s recent editorial in the City Currents Magazine where he again uses that forum to make the case for his policy preferences. I reject using public money to promote a political agenda. He goes on to scold the public for not being more supportive of the City’s Marina and economic development plans.
I offer some notes on how our downtown got to where it is and some practical suggestions for improving the downtown and Marina without spending millions of dollars.
Ad Hoc Rules of Procedure Meeting #3 Post-game
Categories TransparencyLeave a comment on Ad Hoc Rules of Procedure Meeting #3 Post-gameThe third Ad Hoc Rules of Procedure meeting was, in some ways, the most chilling yet. It began with an argument over recording the meeting and went downhill from there. I strongly urge people to listen to 20:00 where the City Attorney uses a recent Supreme Court case to argue that the Council has an unlimited right to censure a member for basically any reason it chooses–including displaying any form of ‘dissent’ following the meeting or any form of ‘criticism’ of staff’. Though the term ‘staff’ was left undefined. There was also a lengthy discussion on ‘hats’. As the kids say, “Mask off.”
Ad Hoc Rules of Procedure Committee Meeting #3 Pre-game
Categories TransparencyLeave a comment on Ad Hoc Rules of Procedure Committee Meeting #3 Pre-gameMy thoughts on the draft version of our new Council Protocol Manual (previously known as our Rules of Procedure.) There will be a meeting of the Ad Hoc Rules committee on Thursday March 23 at 3:30PM and I strongly urge you to attend.
Dear people of WA: The case for another voter-enacted open government law
March 10, 2023 at 2:03 pm Updated March 10, 2023 at 3:03 pm By Kate Riley Times editorial page editor Just over 50 years ago, Washington voters approved Initiative 276, which demonstrated the citizenry’s righteous desire to keep tabs on their elected officials. With that vote, the state Public Records Act established the right of the … Continue reading “Dear people of WA: The case for another voter-enacted open government law”
Evil and irresponsible actions
Categories Engagement, TransparencyLeave a comment on Evil and irresponsible actionsHard Fork
Categories TransparencyLeave a comment on Hard ForkSB 5199 testimony before State House Ways and Means Committee (Local Journalism)
Categories Events, TransparencyI testified today at the Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing on SB5199, a bill to provide funding for Local Journalism co-sponsored by our own Senator Karen Keiser. You can read more on the issue here… https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/promising-proposals-in-wa-legislature-aim-to-help-journalism-crisis/
Censure statements from the dais
Categories Transparency1 Comment on Censure statements from the daisThese are the two statements I made during the 2 Feb City Council Meeting on ‘censure’. I wrote them like this to conform to our current ‘four minutes at a time’ format.
The first makes clear that there is no merit to the accusation and discusses the complete overreaction by the Council and government as a tool of bullying and intimidation.
The second discusses how tricky it is to push back against such an allegation and how this form of attack is just one instance of a pattern of deceptive government that must be changed.
McBride-Cohen, Parcel A RFQ, ENA refund