Weekly Update: 12/8/19

This week I’ve been very remiss in replying to messages due to some sort of virus which has kept me trapped in a spot between “Lord, take me now!” and “Lord, if you get me outta this I promise I’ll be a better person!”… for the past 4-5 days. Apologies.

FYI…

South Seattle College is having a College Campus Tour on December 19th at 2pm. Speaking as a graduate of what used to be referred to as ‘trade-school’, I cannot urge you enough to attend this if you or your kids are thinking about one of their career-based programs. https://www.westsideseattle.com/calendar/south-seattle-college-campus-tour-dec-19

This Week

Tuesday is Salmon Counting (more below) and the last Port Of Seattle Meeting of the year. This meeting will concern a couple of things: First the Port is going ahead with design work on the SAMP, which is what caused Des Moines to withdraw from the StART. So the expansion is really happening. It’s no longer off in the future. The other thing to be discussed is also worrying: the airlines have been experimenting with facial recognition software, ostensibly to improve ‘security’. But this is also a fabulous way for them to improve the speed of getting customers through security (albeit with that pesky issue of eliminating one of the last shreds of personal privacy). My fear is that everyone is so desperate to get through lines faster that they simply won’t care. But we definitely should, not least because the more passengers they can move through security, the more planes they can move over our heads.  http://meetings.portseattle.org/index.php?option=com_meetings&view=meeting&Itemid=358&id=1878&active=agenda

Wednesday I’ll be crashing a Des Moines Marina Association meeting. 😀 Also on Wednesday there is a Normandy Park Community Neighbors–that’s Melissa Petrini’s group working on issues of local crime and homelessness which I’ve mentioned before. There’s no speaker this month, but I encourage everyone to attend because it’s an idea I believe in. Building a strong base of people in Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac, Kent, etc. is what it’s going to take to get some real attention at the County/State level on these issues. In other words, if I can show my City Council that there are fifty people in Des Moines who will show up for these issues, it makes it a lot easier to get legislation passed. You are the key. 7PM. 801 SW 174th St. Normandy Park.

Ongoing, I’m having all sorts of meetings with various current and former business owners trying to educate myself as to what it will take to really make Des Moines a ‘destination’. Most of this discussion is on the down-low for now, but so far I’m encouraged in one sense: I don’t think I over-promised during the campaign. There’s this constant fear one has (or should have) that one’s campaign promises are simply impossible. Regardless of how hard you dig, as a candidate there’s a lot you cannot know. Now that I’ve won a lot more people are willing to speak candidly and that is a great help. More details to follow.

Last Week

Fast Ferry

If you haven’t already, I urge everyone to watch last week’s City Council Meeting presentation on the proposed Fast Ferry. This is a big deal, it already looks like a done deal, and frankly I’m not sure how I feel about it. I look forward to hearing your feedback, for sure. http://hostedevents.invintus.com/wa-desmoines/player.html?clientID=5345544549&eventID=2019121000

Counting Salmon

I always list my weekly ‘Salmon Counting’ with Saltwater State Park and Trout Unlimited. It’s not an ‘official city’ kinda deal, but I mention it because of my broader concerns about this place. As I keep saying, I view everything in Des Moines along a 25 year timeline. And the environment is a very practical part of that. How many people will want to engage in ‘eco-tourism’ or come here for a weekend get-away if the water quality continues to deteriorate?

Frankly, the news ain’t great. The counts at McSorley Creek have been exactly one live salmon in seven weeks. There were forty two all last year. Down from hundreds five years ago and thousands twenty years ago.

And that’s just one piece of the puzzle. There’s the shoreline and then the greater Sound of Poverty Bay and Three Tree. Also not having a good time in many spots.

The problem is that a lot of the big issues that Des Moines faces long-term are problems that Cities were just not designed to cope with. We usually leave things like ‘Puget Sound’ (and airports!) to Counties and States and Fed and lots and lots of other agencies. But there are times when those other agencies are simply not getting it done. If not, then what? Do we just say, “Sorry, not my job. Moving on…”?

Not to sound all high-falootin’ but again, looking forward twenty five years, it’s part of my public trust to do whatever it takes to protect this place so that in 2045, Des Moines–including all the waters, will be cleaner and safer than now.