Articles about: Transparency - JC Harris For Des Moines, Washington

This document is subject to frequent changes…

Boy, is it ever. 😀 I wrote in my Weekly Update that the Futures Report was useless and I demonstrated this by posting a page from yesterday (11/06/2022.) And below are pages from the version updated 1today. And what I learned, today, is this: The Ferry Update that was scheduled for November 17 has been … Continue reading “This document is subject to frequent changes…”

My calendar? It’s wide open

Policy, Transparency1 Comment

This article has an important update today (11/07/2022) This a snapshot from our Future Agendas Report taken today. Every City has some form of official calendar like this. I’ve written about this issue before but it’s worth re-visiting because it’s not exactly getting better. First off, there are no meetings on November 10th. (They were moved … Continue reading “My calendar? It’s wide open”

What a difference a day makes

Environment, Marina, Transparency

Please watch the following video. This is one example of a tool which every and I do mean every architect and engineer and construction manager that has an internet connection, anywhere on planet earth uses every frickin’ day of their lives. This is something we budgeted for in the Marina Redevelopment process to improve engagement. … Continue reading “What a difference a day makes”

Ad Hoc Rules Committee #2 Post Game

Transparency1 Comment

The Courage of Integrity THE HIGHEST COURAGE IS TO DARE TO BE YOURSELF IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY. CHOOSING RIGHT OVER WRONG, ETHICS OVER CONVENIENCE, AND TRUTH OVER POPULARITY… THESE ARE THE CHOICES THAT MEASURE YOUR LIFE. TRAVEL THE PATH OF INTEGRITY, WITHOUT LOOKING BACK. FOR THERE IS NEVER A WRONG TIME TO DO THE … Continue reading “Ad Hoc Rules Committee #2 Post Game”

Ad Hoc Rules Committee #2 Notice

Transparency

Hard on the heels of the Marina Redevelopment meeting, comes another very important meeting you should attend. This meeting will be at the Police Station, not at City Hall. And it will not be recorded. An Ad Hoc Committee is a temporary committee which meets to accomplish a single purpose. This one was appointed arbitrarily by … Continue reading “Ad Hoc Rules Committee #2 Notice”

Marina Redevelopment Meeting Postgame

Marina, Transparency13 Comments

These are initial ramblings about the September 27 Community Meeting on Marina Redevelopment. I am 99% certain of what I’m saying and I will have more to offer as my thoughts sort of congeal. [09/28 AM] After some sleep I am 100% certain of what I wrote. Thanks for the initial support. I tried to … Continue reading “Marina Redevelopment Meeting Postgame”

Ad Hoc Rules Committee #1

Transparency3 Comments

Intro Fair warning: All is true, but I walked into this with a chip on my shoulder. Because: The meeting was held with the bare minimum 24 hours legal notice. At a non-standard location (Police Station) Was not recorded. Did not show up on my City Calendar like other committee meetings. There was nothing on … Continue reading “Ad Hoc Rules Committee #1”

An excerpt from the City of Sequim Rules of Procedure

Transparency1 Comment

This is an excerpt from the Rules of Procedure in Sequim, which is typical of many cities in Washington. I picked it simply because long-time Councilmember Bob Sheckler moved to Sequim and applied to be on their City Council so I became familiar with their system. Almost all Washington cities copy our RoP from a … Continue reading “An excerpt from the City of Sequim Rules of Procedure”

More fun with advisory… er… ‘listening’ groups…

Transparency1 Comment

Introduction In the ongoing silliness that makes residents’ eyes roll. But this actually matters. It’s one of a zillion examples where the Mayor uses the fact that most people have no idea how limited his authority is. He uses the title to take advantage of situations big and small–as has every mayor since i’ve lived … Continue reading “More fun with advisory… er… ‘listening’ groups…”

Sequim Council Operations Rules of Procedure 2021/01/04 (Article 5: Relations with city manager and staff)

CITY OF SEQUIM RESOLUTION NO. R2020-27 ARTICLE 5 – RELATIONS WITH CITY MANAGER & STAFF 5.1 Role of the City Manager. The City Manager has general supervision over the City’s administrative affairs. The Manager is directly accountable to the City Council for the execution of the Council’s policy directives, and for the administration and management … Continue reading "Sequim Council Operations Rules of Procedure 2021/01/04 (Article 5: Relations with city manager and staff)"

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.