Many bits of business…
I’m forgoing the ‘Last Week’ section in favour of several non-linear items which really do matter. (And also because I can’t seem to recall doing anything notable last week. 😮 😀 )
Future Agendas
Future Agendas is the closest thing the City currently has to a calendar of upcoming City Council topics. It’s not dynamic, ie. you have to click it every time you want to see a new version. And it’s not always accurate. But until we develop a genuine calendar, this can be very useful if there is a particular issue you don’t want to miss.
Water District 54 Newsletter
Water District 54 Newsletter #28 September 2024
Ribbon Cuttings
The DPW chalked up two wins this week.
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New College Way entrance looking west to roundabout 
New College Way road looking east to Pacific Highway. Restaurants and student housing on left. 🙂 Highline College–the new west entrance at 236th St. off of Pacific Highway is now open, with a nifty roundabout to boot! So although the Link Light Rail is delayed until 2026, this new road will not only make it easier to get to the College, it’s also gonna make it easier to get from the College to businesses like Just Poké (yum!) It probably seems like ‘ho hum’ to you, but ease of access can make or break small businesses!
Cecil Powell Park (250th Street and 13th Ave) has reopened! It’s surprising that such a small park could take THREE HUNDRED AND NINE YEARS to complete. 😀 But I showed up a couple of days early to find it open and business was already BOOMING! Pent-up demand. 🙂 My current theory that lots of small parks like this are better investments than continuing to add more stuff to the already established ones.
A very short Power Trip
I got a call from a resident about a crane along the Zenith shoreline. People see anything untoward, and it arouses ‘concern’. So if you’re me, you’ll wander around, not see a crane. But by then someone sees me and then they ask about the crane. And then the hunt goes on! 😀
FWIW, atm, I think the crane in question was Puget Sound Energy–they have an LUA permit to do some test holes. They’re only a few feet deep, which does not sound like a huge deal. But it’s good to ask what they’re looking for. 🙂 Anyhoo… there are power and telco cables running all over the place under Puget Sound, including this one from PSE which runs from Zenith to Vashon Island, dating back to the 1950’s (How did you think electricity got to all these places? 😀 )
City Manager Stuff
City Manager’s Report September 20, 2024
Tim George mentioned a couple of things I completely spaced on, including the International Coastal Cleanup, which I could not attend this year.
But as nice as his efforts are, it kinda points out a problem we both have: timeliness. He does his report on Friday. I generally do mine on Sunday. Frequently that doesn’t give residents enough time to learn about ‘stuff’. Hopefully with the new City Manager we can get a better City Calendar next year. 🙂
I also want to point out his pessimism over the Mariners, which he wrote off after the All-Star game. As of this writing, *this could finally be their year!
*Yeah, right. 😀
SR-509 Stage 2
The virtual open house for SR-509 Stage 2 is open. Check it out. If yer short on time, here is a direct link to the info most Des Moines residents will want to see: SR 509/24th Avenue South to South 188th Street – I live in, work in, or travel through Des Moines, SeaTac, and southern Burien
If you have questions or concerns about construction at any time, you can contact their 24-hour hotline, 206-225-0674, or SR509Construction@wsdot.wa.gov.
The SAMP
The Sustainable Area Master Plan (aka ‘the SAMP’ is starting. To be specific, on October 21, the 45 day official review process will begin. What is the SAMP? It’s the environmental review for the airport’s next major expansion–which has already begun and will increase flight operations as much in the next ten years as they have in the last ten years. If you’re concerned about Des Moines Creek West? That’s actually a (tiny) part of the SAMP. How can the airport grow that much without a new runway and why should you care? Our friends at Sea-Tac Noise.Info created this two minute explainer to answer those very questions.
So on October 21, a 45 day clock starts ticking. The City will have 45 days to provide official comment on an $8 billion process that the Port has been working on since 2012. We are about as prepared as those people near 216th who woke up one day and found out they had 30 days notice on Des Moines Creek West. If you have thoughts on how to get the City engaged? Please call me. (206) 878-0578. That’s not a joke.
This Week
Tuesday: Port of Seattle Commission (Agenda).
Thursday 4:00pm Municipal Facilities Committee Agenda Highlights:
- RENTAL FACILITY DISCOUNT RESOLUTION Staff will provide an estimate on the cost of the Rental Facility Discount Program (Resolution 1281 Attached) and provide a recommendation for 2025 and beyond.
- MARINA PAID PARKING FINANCIAL UPDATES Staff will provide an update to the committee on Beach Park and Marina paid parking revenues from implementation on June 3rd 2024
Thursday 5:00pm Economic Development Committee Agenda Highlights:
- COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE (CHAPTER 7: HOUSING
ELEMENT)- Staff will provide an overview of Chapter 7 of the Des Moines
Comprehensive Plan along with proposed amendments for discussion
and input by the Committee. - Des Moines Housing Housing Needs Assessment
- Staff will provide an overview of Chapter 7 of the Des Moines
Thursday: City Council Regular Meeting – 26 Sep 2024 Agenda Highlights:
Consent Agenda
- CREATING A PUBLIC SAFETY LEVY FUND Draft Ordinance No. 24-077 establishing a Special Revenue Fund in chapter 3.51 DMMC entitled “Public Safety Revenue Fund.
- LODGING TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPOINTMENT Confirm the Mayoral appointment of Mackenzie Meyers (new owner of the Quarterdeck) to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee effective immediately.
- RESOLUTION OPPOSING INITIATIVE MEASURE NO. 2117 Adopt Draft Resolution No. 24-080 in opposition to ballot initiative measure 2117 concerning carbon tax credit trading on the November 5, 2024 general election ballot.
Old Business
We’ll vote (again) on Tract C, a teeny service road which is part of Des Moines Creek West. Previous coverage here and at Sea-Tac Noise.Info.
People against the development of Des Moines Creek West have been labeled as ‘spreading misinformation’. The City claims that the issue is a settled affair, it’s a dinky little road that means little to the overall project, everything is perfectly legal, and we’re getting a check for $690,000.
Well first of all, any resident is going to get some facts wrong on any complex issue. That is not ‘misinformation‘. In fact, this piddly strip of road alone is unbelievably complicated. It would take 20 minutes to explain all the land swaps involved in the area known as ‘Des Moines Creek Business Park’. The entire swath of properties, from 24th Ave to about 15th Ave and 216th south to 200th has been part of a ‘grand bargain’ between the Port, Des Moines, SeaTac, WSDOT, and the Federal government to boot, going back decades.
But the fact that the Port is willing to pay us $690,000 for a 24′ wide strip of nothing, with an appraised value of under $20,000, should give you a clue as to the true value of the property.
What went wrong, in my opinion, is that the City of Des Moines started down a development path with the Port and WSDOT. It was supposed to create a ton of wealth for us. And rather than having an easy to follow web page “Here is what we are doing, and here is what we are planning to do next…” they just kept at it in private. I don’t think it was nefarious. Wee lost the Planning Commission in 2012 (due to previous ‘budget cuts’). And once that was gone the City saw no reason to keep these issues out in front of the public.
After twelve years of this experiment–being the only city in the region without a planning commission–the results are in. It’s a failure. Every project the City has engaged in since it went away has been fraught. The public constantly feels like they have no idea what is going on and has no input into the planning process.
Des Moines Creek West alone, is the reason to restore the Planning Commission. These are decades long developments. It’s simply unfair and unconscionable for the City to know years ahead of time about Des Moines Creek West, and then one day, pound a 30 day public notice sign into the ground and call it good.
More than that, regardless of how this vote, or the October 18 hearing, go, there will be many more votes involved in this project. Restoring the planning commission needs to be Job #1 if you want to preserve any portion of the area.
New Business
- RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF PROPOSITION 1, PUBLIC SAFETY LEVY LID LIFT Staff Presentation
The tax levy is Miss Information and her All-Girl Orchestra. Frankly, I’ve heard some bad faith arguments on all sides. But good luck trying to get anyone to dial back on the rhetoric–or have a real debate. People just want to win.
As you may recall, the vote to place the tax levy on the ballot in August was split 4-3. It will be interesting to see if any of my colleagues changes their mind.
If I were cynical, I would chalk up this week’s resolution to this: it gives the administration yet another reason to do a 20 minute sales presentation on camera. They have found an excuse to put our Finance Director out front at almost every meeting over the past three months. I genuinely feel for the guy.
Pro Tip: Whenever anyone says “This Is An Informational Presentation” they are selling something. Not saying there’s anything wrong with that. Just saying it’s a sales presentation.
I’m also chalking up some of this to desperation. Part of my original support for the levy lid lift was based on a number of (now) broken commitments. With each new one, I feel that much better about my decision to oppose the ballot initiative.
- There were ‘promises’ not to place the item on ballot unless we could achieve unanimity.
- Then there was the ‘promise’ not to place it on both the August and November ballot; ie. “If the voters say ‘No’ in August, we’ll move on.”
- Given the divided vote, there was also agreement not to put forward a resolution in support of such a ballot initiative. Since such a resolution did not happen in August. Since the November ballot initiative is identical to the August version, I see no reason to change my vote.
I saw not one but two op/eds in the Waterland Blog last week, one from Traci Buxton, which she had every right to do as an individual. And one from the Police Chief, which I thought was inappropriate.
The article made a number of points I would disagree with but, hey, those are her First Amendment rights. However, it had two real flaws that should be noted. One small, the other larger.
First the title. She claimed to be writing on her own behalf, but both the headline, and her signature read Mayor Buxton. That implies she was attempting to speak as ‘Mayor’ which is not appropriate.
She also stated as fact that a levy lid lift would not be proposed again for 2025 should the November ballot initiative fail. She had no right to say such a thing. There is absolutely nothing precluding the Council from bringing back a tax levy in Spring 2025. I’m not saying it’s a good idea, or even likely, but she has no authority to say that. That was not a simple mistake. For years we’ve been slowly turning our ‘weak mayor’ system into one where people think that ‘Mayor’ means something it does not.
- ADOPTION OF 2025 – 2030 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN Staff Presentation.
As I wrote last week, the CIP are all the projects we are actually budgeting money for. So policy nerds should take a gander at this to find out what and when, as opposed to hopes and dreams.
She’s back!
As you may have noticed, you’re being re-introduced to Miss Information–a clingy broad I could not get away from in my first four years. Not a week would go by without a colleague or someone from the administration mentioning me and her in the same sentence. And not in a good way. 😀
After my last election, I thought she had relocated some place warmer (as so many residents of our residents of a certain age are wont to do. 😀 ) But this never-ending tax levy business seems to have brought her out of retirement. Big time.
Now, I’m now hearing this noxious word used for all sorts of things. Again. And not just referring to me!
Look, girlfriend. When people say ‘misinformation’ they aren’t politely saying, “Oh, you must be mistaken, sir.” It’s often a passive aggressive way to suggest that someone doesn’t know what they’re talking about or is just plain lying. And it’s worse than that. The word often connotes a disease you’re trying to infect more people with.
(You’re spreading misinformation!)
If I never again hear the word ‘misinformation’ in Des Moines, it’ll be too soon.
It may be too late for America writ large. But at least in Des Moines? It’s not. Just because we disagree, does not mean someone is ‘spreading misinformation’. If you think someone is mistaken? Say so. Then provide your evidence. And maybe we all dial back on words like ‘misinformation’ for a while. Things are already tense enough.
As always, informative and clarifying. Thank you. Particularly, re info about proposed tax levy and contradictions re use of the title “Mayor “.
Thank you. I’m always glad when people notice this. In the past, in nearby cities with Council-Manager-Government, the role of Mayor was almost totally symbolic. Since the 2000’s, every new mayor here has been trying to obtain more and more authority–to act like a Strong Mayor (Kent, Seattle, etc.) And since most of the public thinks ‘the mayor’ of Des Moines is the same as ‘the mayor’ of Kent, they’re able to get away with it.
This tax levy really feels pushed down our throats! I have nothing but respect for our police/fire/EMS but when the police chief responds informing the potential loss of positions that is a scare tactic. It might be true, it might not be true, the truth is somewhere in the middle. The fact of the matter is that the council has wasted dollars on pet projects such as the ferry, the marina stairs. What should be considered is supporting small business, encouraging more new businesses into our city helping to encourage as a destination city, not a commuter shortcut. If the city had to balance a checkbook like all citizens money would be spent wiser. I saw a report that not watering planters would save $40,000 a year not that is one huge water bill, I can’t be the only one that thinks that is outrageous. The levy should be charged not only homeowners but every resident who has an address in Des Moines. Don’t punish just business and homeowners.