City Council - Regular Meeting

Uh February 23rd, 2026 city council meeting. Please take the role. Bosen here. Simonson. Boss here. Baron here. Westerard here. Vandalbomb here. Gotto here. We have a forum.

Next item is approving the agenda as presented and/or as amended. 4C has been withdrawn. Inspe inspections incomplete. 4 I added consideration of five-day class C liquor license for great caterers of Iowa at 1810 Army Post Road for Whitetails Unlimited on March 7th, 2026. 34 is withdrawn at the request of the submitter. 35 has been added. Council communication 26-072. 49 has been updated to speaker list. Move approval, your honor. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote.

Is it I can't remember the enter first. I was having trouble remembering. I know. Okay. Yeah, we're hitting you for our new voting. Okay. Okay. Okay. We got it now. Seven. Yes. I was feeling motion carried. The next item is approving consent agenda and those are items 3 through 41 and tonight uh item 24 bow and abstains. 31 Mandel Bomb is abstaining 35 Mandel Bomb wishes to speak. Move approval, your honor. Second.

And we also have someone wishing to speak on the consent agendas. Uh let's see. We will allow the public speaking to a consent item for three minutes each for a total of 15 minutes. Please state your name, address, or ward prior to providing your comments. I believe we had Carol Maher. Item 32, I believe you're speaking on.

Yes. Thank you, Mayor Bose, members of the city council. My name is Carol Maher and I live in downtown De Moines in Ward 3. Welcome to the neighborhood, Chief McTagger. Thank you. Really, dude, thank you. Namaste. Myself and fellow ACT act active transportation advocates cheered very, very loudly when we woke up on January 22nd and read about the targeted traffic enforcement efforts from the day before. Undercover officers has posed as pedestrians in the Drake University and Ingresol Avenue neighborhoods. These are locations of a recent pedestrian death and serious injury. During the sting, drivers were cited for failure to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk 22 times in only two hours. It's mindblowing how frequently it was happening. Sergeant Paul Perezic said in the register, "We're fortunate there aren't more people hit. If there were more officers available during the special enforcement time, Paris said there could have been at least four times as many citations. Paris said the effort is being wellreceived and that police will definitely do this again. Awesome. So, here we are today doing it again. Chief McTagard is asking for another $261,000 grant from the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau. Yes. Yes. Yes. Living and working downtown, you get to be a pedestrian a lot. And I love it. The noise, the smells, the hubbhub, interesting people. But as a vulnerable road user, you run through a quick checklist before you cross. Spidey sense on. Yes. Make eye contact with the

driver. Yes. Hope that they see you and yield. Check. But golly, several times a week. Actually, at this intersection right here tonight for me on my way here, I have to shout, put up my hand indicating for the driver to stop and point at the little white guy that indicates it's safe to cross. But it's not just me. It's moms with strollers, dudes walking their dogs, kids going to school, postal workers delivering the mail, city workers heading over to Blackat for some really great ice cream. We're not in a metal box weighing anywhere between two and 40 tons protected from the elements. We're out there in our skin or on days like this, maybe snow pants and a parka, but the math isn't in our favor. Two tons versus 130ish pounds doesn't bode well for us. Thank you for these traffic enforcement efforts. And if you need suggestions for especially difficult intersections, please let me know. Thank you.

Thank you. I believe we need to entertain. Do we have a motion? Move item 32, your honor. Second. Is there a second? Okay. Uh, please vote.

Seven. Yes. Motion carries. Next item. I don't think we voted on. Is that the whole consent agenda? Yeah. Okay. Right.

So, uh, we're moving to hearings. Item 42 on vacation of air rights within portions of East 16th Street and East Grand Avenue right ofway adjoining 1600 East Grand Avenue and conveyance of a permanent easement of airspace above city-owned property to Francisco J. Pleasant's living trust and Maria Aella Pena for $100. A is first consideration of ordinance above. B is final consideration of the ordinance above waiver requested by applicant requires six votes. Germaine comments from the general public. Two minute per person to speak. 10 minutes maximum. Is anyone wishing to speak? I see none, your honor. I move 42 A and B.

Second. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote.

Motion carries.

Seven. Yes. Next item is item 43 on East Locust Streetscape repair from De Moines River to East 7th Street. Resolution approving plans, specifications, form of contract documents, engineers estimate, receive and file bids and designating the lowest responsive responsible bidder as Inroads LLC Joseph J. Manette CEO for 1,590,789. Council communication number 26-052 A. Approval of contract and bond. General public may comment only to the plans, specifications, form of documents, engineers estimate, or low bidder designation. And those will be the only comments. Anyone wishing to speak to this.

Seeing none, your honor, I'll move item 43A. 43 and 43A. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote. Seven. Yes. Motion carries.

Next item is 44 on Glendel Abby Abbey exterior improvements resolution approving plans specifications form of contract documents engineers estimate and receive and file bids and designating lowest responsive responsible bidder as bystatemasonry inc. Chris Bellser, President $75,825. Council communication number 26-056 A's approving the contract and bond. Anyone wishing to speak to this? Seeing no one, your honor, um and with the note that uh for at least one of my constituents, I'm very happy to note that it came in about $300,000 under the estimate and should shore up that um that building for a long time to come. Uh I'll move 44 and 44A.

Second. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote.

Seven. Yes. Motion carries. Next time is 45 on Guthri Avenue Trail from Glen Brook Drive to Moss Drive. Resolution approving plans, specifications, form of contract documents, engineers estimate, receive and file bids and designating the lowest responsive responsible bidder as Caliber Concrete LLC Jason Martin owner for 259,2727. Council communication number 20- 26-054 A is the approval of contract and bond. Again, anyone wishing to speak to this?

Seeing none, I will move a second. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote. Seven. Yes.

Motion carries. Next item is 46 on Southeast Industrial Water Man, East Army Post Road and Southeast 45th Street. Resolution approving plans, specifications, form of contract, documents, engineers estimate, receive and file bids and designating the lowest responsive responsible bidder as Thorp Contracting LLC, Tommy Thorp, owner for 2,226,51516. Council communication number 26-053A is the approval of contract and bond. Again, anyone wishing to speak to this? Your honor, I see none and I feel like I might have won the lottery and the people of Ward 4 have won the lottery with this. I've sat here for 12 years

waiting for the water man waiting for water or sewer roads to come in so we can have some sensible development out there. and we finally got it. 12 years I might add, but thank you engineering Scott, your office, and I'm sure legal had stuff to do with this, but thank you very much. This is this is a big win for the Southeast Corridor. Um, I will move 46 and 46A. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote. Seven. Yes.

Motion carries. The next item is 47 on skywalk 2CA 2 C-2D and 2C-3C exterior impro improvements resolution approving plans specifications form of contract documents engineers estimate receive and file bids and designating the lowest responsive responsible bidder as Burkstrom Construction Inc. Tim Gorgus, President $391,500. Council Communication number 26-055A is approval of contract and bond. Anyone wishing to speak to this?

Seeing none, your honor, I'll move item 47 and 47A. Second. It's been moved and second to please vote. Motion carries. [laughter]

Next item is 35. Accepting proposal and authorizing contract with Crow 35 Auto Service Inc. for vehicle towing, storage, and auctioneering services. Council communication number 26-072 I believe council mandabun. Thank you your honor. You pulled this.

Um so since I've started on council I've regularly received complaints about towing practices in the city. And there's reason for this. Iowa has some of the weakest consumer protections around towing practices in the country. towings.com evaluates 15 key consumer protections related to towing. Iowa receives an F on their report card with only two of the 15 practices uh that are evaluated currently required in the state. That puts us among the worst states in the country at 47th for towing protections. Now, the way that this lack of consumer protection plays out has been well documented. Residents experience aggressive towing tactics, high storage costs. There are anecdotes about high fees to use credit cards, demands for cash payments, lack of access to personal property, including in some cases medicine. Cars are sold at auction after short notification periods, and in some cases, the towing company keeps a windfall from those sales. There are significant conflicts between residents and towing operators and Croto is a high volume call for service location with our police department. We should be working to fix these problems in whatever way that we can. Now, towing is a a necessary service that the city contracts for, but our contract should be a model of good towing practices. Where there is ambiguity in the law, we should interpret that ambiguity to be as protective of our residents as possible. I think we should have had a council work session to discuss our towing contract and how to incorporate incorporate consumer protections before

we issued an RFP, but we didn't. And that means that this towing contract is a missed opportunity to provide better protections to our residents. Now, I do want to acknowledge that there are some modest improvements in this contract, but I think they are a far cry from what we could and should be doing. The contract requires acceptance of credit cards, for example, but it does nothing to protect residents from exorbitant credit card fees. The contract does provide access to personal property, but the contract also shortens the time for auction for impounded vehicles than what is required under state law. The contract does have a zero drop fee and as part of this process I I learned about the police department policy and procedure on this and from my review I think that policy and procedure provides good guidance for ensuring that that zero drop cost happens. Uh and the contract also addresses it's not just impound vehicles but our police department calls for private toes to Cro uh as part of this contract. That is one of the services. So it's not just impoundment, it's also private towing. And we could have had greater protections for private towing but did not call out any of those protections here. And this highlights one of the the pieces that I've discussed with with the manager and uh a couple of my other colleagues that while we can do things in our contract, some of the biggest issues with towing are with private towing. Uh and those are where I think

some of the greatest concerns from the public lie. And I think the council should act on private towing as well. So I'm actually willing to vote for what I believe to be an imperfect towing contract if I have guarantees that the city will consider strong action to address private towing in a timely and transparent manner. If we as a council are not willing to make that commitment, then I'm not willing to vote for this contract. So, that is why I am uh going to make a motion to move item 35 with the following additions. and and I have a document that I prepared uh and I think council member Baron can help uh share it on the the projector, but I will pass this out so that council can see uh what my motion is. Um and so the first part of the additional motion uh is to h that the council will have a work session to discuss regulations on private towing before the end of March. Uh,

I'm gonna minim I'm gonna zoom out a little bit. Sorry. Y [clears throat] So, sorry, this thing's going fast. Okay.

So, so the first part of my motion is that the the council will have a work session to discuss regulations on private towing before the end of March. Uh and then as part of that, a draft of the ordinance in subp part B of the motion will be available for council at the work session as the basis of discussion. And so subp part B is that the council will have on a future agenda after the work session, but no later than the end of May, an ordinance to regulate private towing that includes all of the following provisions. And those provisions are are listed in in the motion. But a a highle summary, they identify what private towing is as opposed to and then distinguish between private towing and abandoned vehicles, which is what is regulated under state law currently. And then it addresses a number of key issues, things that we've incorporated into our contract and that should apply to private towing as well. things like form of payment, although we need to limit the fees with that, personal property access, drop fees, transparency of charges, proceeds for auction auction sales of privately towed vehicles. Those are all things that I suggest be addressed in a private tow ordinance. And then part C of my motion, this is the third part, uh is that council members may propose amendments to the draft ordinance to be considered on the council agenda with each amendment to be voted on separately. The city clerk will list the amendments and the sponsoring council member on the council agenda for consideration in the order in which the amendments are received after the work session with the exception that any strike after amendments be considered at the end of the amendment list.

So the purpose of my motion and the purpose of of doing this is to ensure that we as a council have robust, timely and transparent consideration of protections to address private towing and I want that discussion to to cover basic protections and for that to be the starting point of both a work session and our action as a legislative body. That's why I included specific provisions uh as as a draft ordinance. And I want to give both the council and the public the opportunity to understand proposals and weigh in with their own proposals. I recognize that there may be other practices that could or should be included in something like this and that the public has specific experiences that they're hoping for us to address. And I know that there are other stakeholders who may have some feedback as well. I want this to be a process where we get that feedback and get that in a transparent way. I also don't want to fall into the trap that happens with this council from time to time and that I think happened last time we had a work session on towing practices. I don't want the work session to be used to delay uh and kill any proposals or consideration of policy. That's why this motion asks for a specific guarantee of a future vote. Future vote doesn't mean that that's what is what passes, but it means that that is on the agenda for consideration and as as a starting point for a vote. Folks can propose amendments uh can can have further discussion, but it's key that we have that discussion in my mind.

And I recognize that this is different than the way we typically do things, but I think this issue warrants it. The public has wanted us to address towing practices in our community for a long time and it's time that we do so. So, I will make the motion uh to move item 35 with the fall with the items in the resolution that that I passed out uh to be included. Second. Mayor, I have since this is the time for discussion, I have a question with the city attorney. Do we even have the right to dictate to a private company how they conduct their business and private property?

Um, so the [clears throat] the problem as we sit here this evening and hearing this for the first time is Iowa code 364.1 makes clear that home rule authority does not include the ability to regulate civil relationships absent an independent city power. So we would have to have a an independent power. We we've not uh uh researched that yet as to see what might be an independent power to do the kind of regulation as a regulator as opposed to doing the um uh the provision that that is in the contract as a as a member in the marketplace. So, I would ask that we I would tell the council before I can answer you uh council member Simson as to whether or not uh there is some independent city power that would authorize regulation of the of the private civil relationships. We have we would have to look at that. For example, on the the uh our rental inspection code that comes about because there's an independent statute authorizing cities to to make that regulation as opposed to simply regulating the uh the relationships between the two. um the two private civil parties. So, we would we would have to uh look at that for you because I can't tell you tonight as we sit here whether or not there is some independent power that cities have to regulate that private civil relationship between two parties. Um

unless that's not what we're voting on tonight, right? We're we're voting on a a city towing contract that doesn't that that's not that has nothing to do I mean that yeah there's some great things in here and be happy to sit down with the workshop but that doesn't have anything to do with the contract that expires on March 1st. the contract that that expires. What what council member Mandelbomb's asking is for us to regulate other businesses where we've get the majority of the complaints from from people that are parking in parking lots that I I'll use myself for example. I had someone leave their truck in my parking lot without telling me anything on Thursday night with the snowstorm. No big deal. Left it there all night. wait until about 11 o'clock before I opened and before it was probably 10 o'clock when my snow plow came. I I had to get the truck moved. I had to plow the snow. Nobody told me whose truck I was. Nobody said anything. I had to call and get it towed immediately so I can get my lot plowed and get open for business on Friday. Now, you know when that guy finally showed up 7:30, over 24 hours later, hey, where's my truck at? Well, we didn't even know you left it here. We had no idea. So, that's what happens. I mean, I've had multiple stolen vehicles, you know, abandoned vehicles just dropped in the middle of my neighborhood in my parking lot that I mean, they got to go. I mean, I I have to conduct a business. And I know that is what's happening in some of these other parking lots. This contract that we're voting on, we haven't had any complaints. Is that correct, Chief? Uh, from the police department, or maybe can answer it. We've had no complaints about our particular contract with the city. That's my understanding. Is that correct

from staff about the way the contract? No. From the customers that is there formal complaints because what I've read on on on the things what's I'm not and they would have gotten resolved or we would have heard about them. Right. In in my understanding, the credit card fees I believe in our contract if they're towed for a city, they're not charged a credit card fee. Is that is that true or not? I'm not aware of that provision. Okay. Yeah. I don't think it is. Okay. So, we have on the table a motion and a second. If we vote on this, then we're voting on your requirements that we bring this as a work session. How do we vote on something that just got

Yeah. I just want to clarify. So, right. You're not If if we vote no, then we can bring for another. But if you vote yes, you vote yes on the contract and we vote yes to have an open discussion. No. No. Well, wait, Linda, I'll let you speak.

I'm just making clear for the public as well because this is an issue that I've heard about for the last three years since I first ran for this seat. And I look at it as a consumer protection question. And I know there's other folks that look at it as protection of the business owner, but there are folks out here that have been complaining about this that have look been looking for action. I think it's worthwhile for us to have a conversation. I think Josh has scripted out a good starting place to have that conversation. Voting yes on this only votes yes on the contract and having a work session and tells us what we're going to talk about. It doesn't bind us to what whatever happens after that. That's the open conversation I think people are expecting out of us. Well, I it it would have been really great if you two

like would have shared this document with us beforehand so we could have all had a discussion about it. But since you two are the only ones that probably seen it, I will never vote on something that I just looked at just now. So, I will be voting no for this. But I I do want to take up some of these things. I think there's some good stuff in here, but not tonight.

Well, we don't even know what's all in it. I just want to first point out that council meal, you know, the process on asking for a work session. I don't believe you ever did throughout this whole past year on on this. So, I appreciate doing a work session, but never came forward to ask for a work session on the towing. So, that's one issue. we get this right now at this time frame which I have no problem doing a work session after it but it shouldn't be a contingent to this vote I don't believe because we could have had more information than being handed at this council table there are two things we have the public contract then you have the private contract nobody likes to be towed we know that but we have put in some safeguards I know there's state legislation that we should be advocating that will actually help too but We can have a separate work session on this, but it shouldn't be a contingent to this vote being presented to us at this time. And I would think that when we say we will have a work session, we can get it scheduled. Don't know if it's all the time frame that you want by this time, by that time because there's a lot more that needs to be involved. if you want to bring

I'm happy to put this on on a on a workshop agenda, but it's not but but it's not it's not it's not part of this contract and and to to hold it hostage is part of the contract is that's well especially when you could have done it earlier. So anyway, there's been a motion and a second I would say let's vote on what's on the table right now. Yeah. [snorts]

Five. No. Two. Yes. Okay. Item 35. Second. I I think Scott, some of the some of the things that we have safeguarded, I think you should I think you should It's been moved and seconded. So Scott, so I think you should kind of talk to the public and tell them the things that we have put in place, the things that we did listen and for our contract that we did change because there's quite a few of them and those are the complaints that I think we all heard up here is some of the things that you changed. Sure. And actually, it might be easiest if we release the document uh that that spells some of that out uh with the contract instead of taking everybody's time here if that's okay. And direct.

Yeah. And not to go ahead

and but I want to start with the fact that uh the relationship is is strong enough that when we go to the vendor of choice and ask for for changes uh they find uh reasonable solutions with us. Is that a fair uh assumption? Because uh whether it be the way things can be paid for um or uh the the drop uh fees um we know that they want to keep working under this contract and are very accommodating uh to work with us to find solutions. So, it starts there and uh yeah, and I think what it's going to be easiest because we do have a lot of documentation.

How about how about you tell us the other company that bid on it that there was stories that said that they didn't meet Can can you can can we say that we can you explain to them that they didn't meet five of the criterias for the RFP and that's why they didn't get the contract and there's nothing Sure. And there there nothing other than that.

Sure. why staff recommended it. So I think part of that yeah is may comes forward is is for the public's sake to know that there was uh additional scrutiny with this contract as uh one of the other applicants did appeal the process and we went through that and uh came to the conclusion that uh the uh appeal appellant the other towing company did not meet the standards of of the contract and so that uh that meant that Croto's uh proposal was the best and uh aside from that acknowledging that there are not a lot of towing companies that could accommodate the city of De Moines's needs through this contract. So, uh for the public's sake, I know the council already knows this. Uh it's not like there are a lot of towing companies out there uh looking for this type of business. So we we do need to be uh cognizant of that and and careful in how we do our RFPs. Uh the time uh changes is one of them. We're we're making sure that wherever possible uh we're reducing the potential fees. And so one of the changes in this RFP uh was to get the notices out to the uh vehicle owners sooner uh because the vehicle owners are subject to storage fees that are daily. Uh so that was one of the changes to the RFP as an improvement. Um and uh well

how about the space where they store everything? Is it inside the city of De Mo? because that's that's a big thing for our residents to be able to go get their car inside. Do they did they have a space that's big enough to handle and secure enough for the for the for the cars that we take in? Did they have something in the city limits of the city of De Moine to do that?

So, obviously Croto does and continues to operate that within the city of De Moine. The other applicant did not. Um there's fencing requirements, lighting requirements, and other aspects of the appeal that that were addressed through that process. Um yeah, and again, we'll we'll make these documents uh available. I think we already have to those that have requested them that that spell out the terms, but um that's the high level. Thank you, Mayor. May I speak? Yes. U Councilman Sonson

when I won my election the first time prior to that I had had many emails my office email because I didn't have a city email about Cro and I emailed to you mayor and to Scott Sanders the comments that I had heard with the request when this comes up for renewal and now is the time for renewal that these items be addressed. One of the items I heard and I did not differentiate in the hearing of these comments whether it was private or city. Honestly, I didn't know that there was a difference between these are the comments that I heard. One person said that the driver did not have exact change and therefore they paid in 20s and did not get exa exact change that we should require that exact change uh be provided. Uh few people said that the person who was p uh where they picked up the car did not accept credit cards. I want to be assured that they do accept credit cards. Um [snorts] I was told that the vehicles that the vehicle could not be retrieved any day of the week that they only had I think it was either five or six days of being opened open and one day they were not open. And I understand now that they are open seven days a week. I was told that if they couldn't uh retrieve the car, then they did not have access to get some personal items. I'm told that that has been resolved. And the last item was the drop fee that if the vehicle was in the process of being taken that they could get that car. Those are the items of the people who contacted me had. I'm sure there were other items, but also a question to you, city manager. Have those items been [clears throat] resolved?

Yes. Um, I need to check on the exact change, but it's my understanding that the rest have definitely been handled. And the thing on that would be to check if they take credit card on when you're dropping if it's mobile. They do have a mobile credit card opportunity. I was okay. Okay, it's been moved. Did Councilman Bomb, did you have something to say for there?

Well, my hope is is that we actually have a a work session to talk about some of these things and to to try and get these practices changed. Uh because I think there is more that we can do as a council. And even though we didn't do that in our contract here, I think that we should be doing everything that we can to protect our residents and it deserves discussion. Uh and and I hope that we will have that work session and that we'll have it soon. And I will support that work session. I would request that as well.

Absolutely. I think we I think we would all agree upon that. I don't I I mean it would have been nice to have this document before and I I think you've worked up here long enough with all of us maybe sharing that before u you know a big spotlight vote something like this might get a little bit better reaction I think that there's I think don't think there's always full trust up here though just from an somebody just came in here and so I think you know he came up here with a a concrete proposal deserves to be heard on the merit I think it's clearly moving the discussion. It wasn't required tonight, but I don't think that there's anything unourred that's happening here.

Okay. And I believe that we are open to having work sessions. It would be nice to know ahead of time and we could get something scheduled. We're in the middle of an RFP, too, that even though you didn't ask for that, you have to be careful the timing. And I believe that we are open to discussions on a lot of items. And so, at this point, uh there's a motion on the table. Let's vote.

Five yes, two no. Motion passes.

Motion carries. Number 48, amending chapter 114 of the municipal code regarding traffic regulation changes as follows. Council communication number 26-057 A. Parking modification on street parking changes related to the Uclid Avenue improvements from De Moines River to York Street project. One, 6th Avenue between Uclid Avenue and Douglas Avenue. Two, Uclid Avenue between 3rd Street and 6th Avenue. B, parking modification Southwest 7th Street between Wall Avenue and Porter Avenue. C, turn restriction modification 6th Avenue and Uclid Avenue. D. Parking modification Locust Street between 12th Street and 13th Street. E. Parking modification be 12th Street between Walnut Street and Malbury Street. With that, I I will move item 48. I would like I'm not going to wave the second or third reading because we've got one little tweak that we need to do for 48A number one. Now, if it's appropriate, I can wave the second and third readings for everything except 48A1 or we can just bring it all back. But we've just got one little tweak that needs to happen there and I just want to make sure that that gets included.

Can that be Jeff? We can wait except for that one item. Let's do it. If you wouldn't read on that. Yeah. If you wouldn't mind. I'd like to quickly though make sure with Steve that none of these are timesensitive that are on the rest of the list. Well, we're going to wait on everything except we're waiting. Okay, we're do everything. That'll work. We got it. Oh, I think we got it. I have another option too if you want. But um another option. Oh

well honorable members of city council Steve Neighbor Wayne city engineer if it's regarding the loading zone we we can just based on your direction bring another separate action for the loading zone next council meeting so that and not this is all uh just to clarif through E is well A particularly is is basically matching what's existing out there and so just for the right what we found is there's an existing loading zone sign but the loading zone is not in the code. So what we need to do is uh based on the discussions with council Westerard and the property owners that are out there that use it uh add the loading zone into the code. So we could either

my the options are we could just bring a new amen bring amendment to or not sorry let me clarify bring a new item to add the loading zone at next council meeting or or the other option is you could still do what you said and postpone this and then just add it but it's it's either way it's the same I guess is what I'm saying. Okay. Well, then if if if you're recommending that we just go ahead and approve item 48 and wave the second and third reading, but will it be on the next? Yep. We we will bring that to the next agenda. Item one. Nope. I apologize. It'll be item one is to match

all the parking restrictions up and down 6th Avenue and all up and down Uklid. And so instead of me, you know, kind of tweak, you know, tweaking those, we we would based on Council Westgard's our discussion here, we'll bring a separate item to deal with the loading zone at the next council meeting. Okay. Uh on on March 9th. That's that's fine. Then I'll just go ahead and make a motion to approve item 48 and wave the second and third week. Okay. And I mean, basically leave it the way it is because the Yeah. The the loading zone sign has always been We we won't take the sign down. We'll we'll just don't take this side. Okay. Just a match. Is there a second? Thank you. Second. Okay. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote.

Seven. Yes.

Okay. Motion carries. Okay. The next item is the request to speak. We provide speakers under the public speaking portion the opportunity to address a council for up to three minutes each for up to 20 speakers for a total of one hour on the agenda. Speakers will be called forward individually and we ask everyone to please state their name and address or ward prior to providing comments. Please keep comments germaine and avoid references to personalities or character attacks as those types of comments do not contribute to the purpose for which this public forum exists. As a reminder to the council and the public, this public speaking time is to hear your comments and if there is a need to follow up, we will get it to the appropriate staff or council to follow up after the meeting. Thank you for your support of De Moine. If I believe we have the first person is Katherine D'Angelus. Is she here tonight? Do not see Carol Maher. Mayor Boosezen, members of the city council, my name is Carol Maher and I live downtown De Moine in Ward 3. The new city hall is big. Chambers is big. Lots of seating. The big screen is really, really big. Lots of new technology. And I'm especially grateful to Peter Zamansky and Clerk Bombgardner who put in this little timer here so we know how much time has elapsed and how much time we have to go for speaking before you're going to get cut off. It's It's perfect. I I raised it to Peter and next thing you know it was there. So fantastic. Thank you. Another thing to love indoor bike storage for employees on the uh one day I got a tour. Five

bikes and two scooters. Um, we're parked there on a moderate February day [gasps] and there's a shower in there. This is really great. Thank you for supporting your employees who enjoy an active, healthy, climate friendly mode of transportation to get to work and you don't get to crowed if you ride a bike. Um, but golly, the hike, the hike up to the security checkpoint doesn't work well when the meeting is down here on the first floor like the transportation safety committee meeting. Expecting visitors to go up to get a pass, come down to attend the meeting, and then go back up to turn in their paper bag badge is not practical. And I hope you please rethink this. Unfortunately, there is one big disappointment. Back in September of 22, when the purchase of this nationwide building was first announced, one of the selling points was the size and location of the council chambers. It would be bigger than the space at historic city hall. We certainly got that. But it will also be in a downtown storefront so folks walking by could see the city government at work. they could see the people they voted for sitting high on the dis and wave and maybe get a hello back. It would be kind of magical. We all know that an activated storefront brings vitality, safety, and more eyes on the street. But instead of supporting these basic downtown design principles, the windows at New City Hall are blacked out. Pedestrians can't see in. a wall. This wall was built as another layer between constituents and elected officials. There will be no waving. Most agree that transparency in government is a good thing. I kind of wish we had started with the windows. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll move 49 be receiving and file. Is there been moved and seconded? Please vote. Seven. Yes. Motion to journ. Motion carries. Is there a second to adjurnn? It's been moved and seconded. At this time, this meeting is adjourned.