Des Moines City Council Regular Meeting - August 27, 2026

The Des Moines City Council held its regular meeting on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 21630 11th Avenue S, Suite C. Mayor Yoshiko Grace Matsui presided, and all seven councilmembers were present: Deputy Mayor Gene Achziger and Councilmembers Pierre Blosse, Robyn Desimone, JC Harris, Jeremy Nutting, and Harry Steinmetz. There was no additional correspondence and no regional committee report. The meeting adjourned at 8:07 p.m.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Susan Aigner opposed Flock cameras.
• Christie A, a long-term Des Moines resident and 20-year Highline teacher, urged the Council to end the Flock contract and cover/remove the cameras. She called them mass surveillance, said they take away Fourth Amendment privacy rights with no opt-out, and cited 233,215 vehicles recorded in 30 days, 951 hot-list items compared with 428 in July, and 40 searches in the last 30 days. She said ending the contract would save the city about $36,000 and raised concerns about Flock data being used to track immigrants.
• Judy Grande opposed Flock cameras.
• Bonita Reister, a Des Moines resident, opposed Flock cameras, citing reports of misidentified license plates causing police stops, a domestic-violence suspect obtaining Flock data, and arguing the city was prioritizing potential camera revenue over public safety.

City Manager Report / Presentations

• Legislative update from Senator Tina Orwall: Senator Orwall said airport mitigation is her top priority for the next legislative session. She cited UW and Department of Health findings that ultrafine particles from aircraft cross the blood-brain barrier and are linked to asthma, heart disease, and preterm labor, and said Des Moines has the highest rate of children going to emergency departments for asthma, with the landing path mirroring those high rates. She noted HEPA purifiers remove about 70% of ultrafine particles. She proposed pursuing stable funding such as aviation fuel taxes or landing fees, bringing in $5-$15 million per year for impacted communities, making the Port subject to the HEAL Act, and possibly creating an airport community bill of rights. She also discussed a human-trafficking bill holding hotels accountable, a copper/fiber theft bill, workforce housing near the Kent/Des Moines station at 80-100% AMI, a welcome and healing center for immigrants, B&O tax reform, an AI law preventing AI from denying health care, removing some oncology pre-authorizations, and Saltwater State Park ADA trail restoration. In discussion, Councilmember Desimone asked the state to help cities provide services and to lift the 1% property tax cap; Senator Orwall agreed cities need more state revenue support.
• Des Moines Historical Society: A representative introduced the society, founded in 1978, and said he and his wife are funding an executive director for at least two years to move the museum forward. New Executive Director VJ Koacki (the transcript also spells the surname Kopacky/Kopatsky) said she wants the museum to become a community gathering place, has more than quadrupled open hours to Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, noon-4 p.m., and wants to expand exhibits, programs, and collections care.
• 2026 2nd Quarter Financial Report: Finance Director Jeff Friend reported that general fund revenues exceeded budget by 1.4% and expenditures were 2% over budget. Operating income totaled $690,596, but Friend called it a mirage because only 11 payrolls rather than 12 were recorded through June; the general fund is on track to break even. He reported that King County found a classification issue on business park parcels, meaning the city had been receiving the property tax it was owed, with no lump-sum back payment coming. One-time sales tax and B&O tax revenues have already exceeded annual budgets. Public safety sales tax collections were about $181,000 through June, on track for the $450,000 annual budget. Public defender costs totaled a little over $187,000 through June and are trending above historic levels. Regular sales tax was about $25,000 below the same period last year; red light camera and Redondo speed camera revenues are significantly below budget, except for a July speed-camera spike; and real estate excise tax is gradually declining, though a $110 million warehouse sale in January boosted this year's receipts. In response to questions, Friend said B&O tax receipts were up 186% due to improved collections, public defender costs are the fastest-growing item in the public safety sales tax fund, and the property tax shortfall likely relates to delinquencies and the Wesley dispute.
• Community Enrichment Services fall/winter preview: Program Supervisor Kyle Ehlers previewed fall/winter 2026 programming. Summer camp served up to 120 kids per day, Monday-Friday. Upcoming events include spooky family nights, holiday karaoke, the annual Halloween costume swap, breakfast with Santa, a holiday tree lighting renamed Winter Waterland on Friday, December 4, and the Burning Boat Festival. New/recurring programs include taekwondo, RC plane open gym, pickleball instruction, youth soccer and basketball, cooking/STEM classes, and senior programs including hot lunch averaging 30-50 people per day.

Consent Calendar

• Approved vouchers totaling $2,441,125.04, including EFT vendor payments #14011-#14094 for $725,033.46, wires #3389-#3410 for $1,020,303.20, accounts payable checks #167669-#167703 for $133,800.84, voided checks totaling ($350.00), payroll checks for $19,225.29, payroll advice for $543,067.25, and off-cycle payroll adjustments of ($72.49) and $72.49.
• Approved minutes from the July 9, 2026 Regular Meeting, July 30, 2026 Leadership Workshop, and August 6, 2026 Committee of the Whole and Study Session.
• Passed Draft Ordinance 26-059 (Judge Pro Tem Compensation) to second reading.
• Approved the Interlocal Agreement with Highline Water District for the 2026 North Hill AC Water Main Replacement Project and authorized the City Manager to sign it.
• Approved the Hemstad Consulting contract extension and authorized the City Manager to sign it.
• Confirmed Philip Mendoza to the Citizens Advisory Board as the Business representative, effective immediately, with an expiration date of June 30, 2027.
• Approved the Marina Steps Innovative Stormwater Bioretention Testing grant amendment with the Puget Sound National Estuary Program in the amended amount of $548,386.00, and approved Psomas Task Assignment 2025-016 Amendment #2 for testing/reporting in the amount not to exceed $263,323.07.
• Approved the Joint Trench Utility Agreement with Comcast for the Barnes Creek Trail Project.
• Councilmember JC Harris pulled Item 8, the Groundwater Remediation Consultant Contract, for discussion. Councilmember Harris asked when the remediation will end; staff said progress includes decommissioning most testing wells and only one of more than 15 wells remains out of compliance. The Council then approved Item 8's two motions 7-0: a WSP USA, Inc. consultant contract for the Public Works Yard Ground Water Remediation Project for $119,356.00, and direction to Administration to submit a 2026 self-insurance fund budget amendment for the contract.

Discussion Items

Capital Improvements Plan (2027-2032): Finance Director Jeff Friend presented the proposed CIP, which contains 76 projects totaling $220,393,000. Funding consists of $166,222,000 in secured funding, $49,072,000 in unsecured grants, and $5,097,000 in unidentified funding. There are 58 fully funded projects, 14 partially funded projects, and 4 unfunded projects. Planned expenditures are approximately $36.5 million in 2026, $15.5 million in 2027, and $23.4 million in 2028. Staff said future CIPs will be organized by high, medium, or low priority based on need, legal obligation, and consistency with adopted plans. Councilmember Nutting supported the priority approach; Councilmember Desimone asked for a time-frame component; Councilmember Blosse asked for better visibility into grant applications; Councilmember Harris criticized the consolidated priority list, saying stormwater and transportation are funded differently and should remain separate. City Manager Caffrey said the prioritization would not replace approved TIP/plans and is meant as a snapshot. The Council adopted Resolution 26-098 by a 7-0 vote.

Development Agreement Ordinance (Draft Ordinance 26-030): Community Development Director Rebecca Deming presented the first reading of an ordinance establishing development agreements under RCW 36.70B. The ordinance would require development agreements to specify uses, densities, building sizes, design standards, parking, affordable housing provisions, parks/open space, impact fees, phasing, and site/concept plans. Departures from standards would need an offsetting benefit of equal or greater value determined by the city. The maximum term would be 20 years, with no administrative minor modifications allowed for landscaping reductions, setback reductions, height increases, access changes, or increased adverse impacts; building, environmental, and surface water codes could not be modified through a development agreement. Deming said the Planning Commission held a public hearing on July 7 and reviewed other jurisdictions before recommending the 20-year cap. Councilmember Steinmetz asked for second-reading additions to include explicit city authority to revoke agreements for noncompliance after notice/cure and to require approval before an agreement transfers to another entity. Councilmember Harris moved to remand the ordinance to a study session; the motion received no second. Councilmember Desimone said the item felt premature. The mayor confirmed that at least three councilmembers wanted the two amendments prepared for second reading. The motion to pass Draft Ordinance 26-030 to second reading passed 6-1, with Councilmember Harris opposed.

New Agenda Items: Mayor Matsui requested that a discussion of the 223rd Street Project be placed on the September 24, 2026 agenda. She indicated option B would be considered, while option C would no longer be available in the same way and the associated water quality grant would expire.

Councilmember Reports & Announcements

• Councilmember Blosse gave no report.
• Councilmember Steinmetz praised summer events, the night market, and concerts.
• Councilmember Harris discussed the Citizens Advisory Board and urged outreach to the Hispanic community, suggesting events at St. Phil as a gathering place.
• Councilmember Desimone gave no report.
• Councilmember Nutting and Deputy Mayor Achziger promoted the Poverty Bay Blues and Brews Festival at Des Moines Beach Park.
• Mayor Matsui highlighted the recent budget town hall, including a visual display of 37 special fund buckets, previewed budget outreach materials, and thanked the Arts Commission, Public Works, and Surface Water Management departments.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the consent calendar (Items 1-7 and 9) 7-0 and separately approved Item 8's two motions 7-0.
• Adopted Resolution 26-098 approving the 2027-2032 Capital Improvements Plan 7-0.
• Passed Draft Ordinance 26-030 to a second reading 6-1, with Councilmember Harris opposed; second-reading language will include revocation/cure and transfer-approval amendments.
• Scheduled the 223rd Street Project discussion for September 24, 2026.
• The next meeting is September 3, 2026, a Committee of the Whole and Study Session joint with the Planning Commission.