City Council - Regular Meeting

Yeah, we said 4:45 on the proclamation and we're we were waiting till everybody got here, but come on up. Animal Animal Rescue League. This is a big deal. 100 years. So, uh, we're here to give you a proclamation. I'll read it now. Whereas the Animal Rescue League of Iowa is celebrating the 100th anniversary of their founding in 1926. And whereas the ARIRL is the largest nonprofit animal shelter in Iowa with a mission to protect the welfare of animals, preserve the human animal bond, and prevent the overpopulation of companion animals. And whereas the ARIRL cares for more than 13,000 companion animals from hamsters to horses from De Moines and across the state each year. And whereas in 2025 the ARIRL returned 1,776 pets to their owners and placed a record 9,244 pets with new families. And whereas the ARIRL offers a full range of programs from lowcost veterary services, pet behavior training, responsible pet ownership education, pet food pantries, and more. All do designed to help animals stay with the families who love and care for them. And whereas the city of De Moines has partnered with the ARIRL to provide animal services for the residents of De Moines since 2005. Now therefore, I, Connie Boszen, on behalf of the city council and the citizens of De Moine, do hereby proclaim March 30th, 2026 as Animal Rescue League of Iowa Day. So, thank you for what you do. If you'd like to say a few words and introduce everyone.

Well, thank you very much, Mayor. Uh, with me is our historian, actually, and board member, Bernie Letington, and our executive director, Carol Gerleion. Uh, and I'll tell you, mayor, many things have changed for animals over the last hundred years, but something that hasn't changed, as Bernie is pointing out, is we've had a long history that entire time with a relationship in some fashion with the city of De Mo. So, we've been partners in one way or another for the last hundred years and we look forward to the next hundred years. That's a thank you very much. We appreciate what you do and I know that we have Mr. boss who can speak to he just adopted another animal, right? Another dog. Here we go.

I got my dog from there. So, we're I think many of us have participated in your services. So, we thank you for what you do to make our community better for not only us, but for all the animals that are here. Thank you, Mayor. We'll grab a quick picture here.

Turn your mic on. Okay. I'd like to call to order the Municipal Housing Agency Governing Board meeting agent and uh I will ask to have the roll call. Bzen here. Simonson Voss here. Baron here. Westerard here. Mandelbomb here. God here. We have a quorum. The next item is item two. Approving the agenda as presented andor as amended. Move approval. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote. Oh, my mouse stuck.

Seven. Yes. Motion carries. The next item is item three, and that's approving uh conveyance of 3026 Hubble Avenue, 1615 Southeast Glennwood Drive, and 1428 East 15th Street to Greater De Moines Habitat for Humanity. Council communication number 26-103. Move approval. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote.

Seven. Yes. Motion carries. Next item is item four and it's setting the date of the hearing and items regarding the budget for 4626. A is on amendment to the annual budget for the current fiscal year ending June 30th, 2026 and B on proposed budget for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2027. Move item four. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Please A and B just to clarify. Okay. Accept that.

Seven. Yes. Motion carries to journ your honor. There a second. All in favor? I

I We are now adjourned and we will reconvene at 5:00 for our regular meeting. You should be out of here very quickly. Okay. Jesus.

So I'd like to call to order the De Mo City Council meeting for March 23rd, 2026. Please take the role. Bzen here. Simonson here. Boss here.

Baron here. Westerard here. Mando bomb here. Here. We have a quorum. Next item is item number two. That's approving the agenda as presented and or as amended. Move approval, your honor. Just a moment. There's a couple of consent items. 13 is added communication from Alakana advising of his resignation from the Civil Service Commission C3 effective immediately. I am sponsoring that. Uh 13A has been added. Recommendation from Mayor Boosezen to appoint Michael Moody to the Civil Service Commission C3 with a term expiring April 1st, 2030. Again, I sponsor that. Now, I'll take a move approval. Second.

It's been moved and seconded. Please vote.

Motion carries. The next item is approving the consent agenda. These are items 3 through 33. Uh these are routine items and they will be enacted by one roll call vote without separation of discussion unless pursuant to council rules. Council requests an item is removed to be considered separately. 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 comments. I believe Carol Maher, you I think asked to speak on 22 and 23. Mayor Bose and members of the city council, my name is Carol Maher and I live in downtown De Moines in WI 3. These are continuing comments from this morning at the hearing to approve the $16.61 tax levy for fiscal year 2027. I'd like to quote from the research and budget page on the city's website. Quote, "We're here for budget feedback and questions. Contact us." Close quote. And there is a form to fill out. I've filled out that form more than 50 times with various questions, recommendations, and feedback from the 400 pages of the CIP and operating budget documentation shared as part of the budget process. My last submission was almost a month ago on February 26th. Because so darn many questions are submitted through this process, the finance department cannot answer them all. I'm told there are lots of duplicates and some questions are rude and inappropriate. I get that. I've given up getting my questions answered individually. Below the form on the website is the following, and I quote, "Important note

about budget questions. City staff in the finance department are compiling questions by topic and will publish responses cons in a consolidated document at a later date. If your question does not appear exactly as submitted, it has been incorporated into a broader category with similar questions. I take that to mean that if questions are asked on the same or similar topic, there may be a consolidated answer coming at a later date. So, there's got to be enough questions to sort of require a response. I'm just wondering at that later date, will that later date be before the budget hearing which this item schedules it for on April 6 or after? Thank you. Okay. 23. Reset the clock. Okay. I'm also here to talk about consent item number 23, the amendment to the urban renewal district agreement with district developer, also known as the market district. It was a thrill to attend a recent urban design review board meeting and learn about the LITC project that received um funding off cycle because a previous project fell through. Could it be the first project to go vertical in the market district is a 258 unit affordable housing building? It sure seems so. There's lots to be excited about there. Operable windows in all bedrooms, plus a Juliet porch with sliders in all units. Love all that fresh air. Indoor bike storage on the first floor with overflow options on upper floors. Oh, they steal my heart. Limited parking spots for vehicles. And all units will have a dishwasher, washer, dryer, and air conditioning. This is really great stuff. But today with item number 23, the developers are

requesting an exception to the master development agreement. Rather than using steel, concrete, and/or heavy timber structures as required, they want to use light wood framing. But why not mass timber? Mass timber has been used successfully in three LITC projects by Cutler Development. It's right over there on Ingresol Avenue and in Windsor Heights. At a business summit at Drake University recently, Scott and Molly Cutler talked about their success in using a hybrid strategy of mass timber and stick. Mass timber is a sustainable bi building practice because rather than using old growth trees, mass timber uses volunteer young growth trees that are glued together that would otherwise need to be culled from the forest. And while there is an 8% increase in building cost, reduced operating expenses and increased income quickly close the gap. And with buildings and construction materials accounting for 13% of global CI CO2 emissions, don't we have a duty to require the district developer to comply with the agreement to comply since precious tip dollars are also part of the deal? After the millions of CIP money we've spent on new infrastructure there, shouldn't the projects be all that we envisioned when the master plan for the district was designed and approved? I urge you to decline this exception request. Thank you. Thank you. Seeing none, I'll take a motion and a second for items 3 through 33. I'll move the consent agenda.

It's been moved and seconded. Please vote.

Seven. Yes. Motion carries. Next item is item 34. on vacation of air rights within portions of Ingresol Avenue, ride ofway adjoining 3404 Ingresol Avenue and conveyance of a permanent easement for airspace above city-owned property to Goldfinch Commercial LLC and Goldfinch Apartments LP for $1,100. A is first consideration of the ordinance above. B is a final consideration of the ordinance above. Waiver requested by Scott Cutler. Cutler construction requires six votes. Any comments? Seeing none, I'll move item 34, 34A, and 34B. Second.

It's been moved and seconded. Please vote. Seven. Yes. Motion carries.

Can I make one comment? Yes. I'd like to thank the Cutlers for their ongoing development in the city of De Moine. Your projects are very much appreciated. You're welcome. Thank you. Item 35 on approval of the 2025 US Department of Housing and Urban Development Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report. Uh council communication number 26-102. Germaine comments from the general public. Two minutes per person to speak. Anyone wishing to speak to this? See, your honor 35 second. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote.

Seven. Yes. Motion carries. Item 36 on 2026 citywide sidewalk and pedestrian ramp replacement program. Resolution approving plans, specifications, form of contract documents, engineers estimate, receive and file bids, and designating lowest responsive responsible bidder as HS Concrete Inc. Santos Gearon, president of $415,445. Council communication number 26-106 A's approval of contract and bond. Anyone wishing to speak to this? I see none. Your honor, I'll move 36 36A. Second.

It's been moved and seconded. Please vote.

Seven. Yes. Motion carries. Item 37 on 2026 hot mix asphalt resurfacing program contract resolution approving plans specifications form of contract documents engineers estimate receive and file bids and designating lowest responsive responsible bidder as Grimes Asphalt and Paving Corporation Jeffrey Rasmusson President 1,255,37512 council communication number 26-107 A is approval of contract and bond. Anyone wishing to speak to this? Seeing none, your honor, I'll move 37 37A. Second.

It's been moved and seconded. Please vote. Seven. Yes.

Motion carries. Item 38 on Chetm Park improvements resolution approving plans specifications form of contract documents engineers estimate receive and file bids and designating lowest responsive responsible bidder as absolute concrete construction incolute group Rick Pearson President $270,24.50 50 cents council communication number 26 26-109. A is the approval of contract and bond. B is approving and authorizing the execution of amendment to the agreement with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for the federal land and water conservation fund program for Chetm Park playground improvements project council communication number 26-100. Anyone wishing to speak to this from the public? Seeing none, your honor, I'll move approval of 38, 38A, and 38B.

Second. It's been moved and seconded. Thank you. Seven. Yes. Motion carries. That'll be a great for the park. Great improvements.

39. on Southwest First Street. Bridge lighting improvements. Resolution approving plans, specifications, form of contract documents, engineers estimate, receive and file bids, designating the lowest responsive and responsible bidder as Baker Electric, Inc. Corey Slass, President $179,250. Council communication number 26-108. A is approval of contract and bond. Anyone wishing to speak to this? not all entertainable.

I would uh just like to to thank the staff for putting together a team to um I think three or four departments to to come up with a plan to have a budget item on maintenance of our uh display lighting. It's really needed and thank you. This will be a great project uh uh between Mullets and the principal park is for those who don't know the location of this project. So I'll be happy to move this second. It's been moved and seconded. Please vote

seven. Yes.

Motion carries. The in hearings have ended at 512. The next item is request to speak as follows and 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 to uh before providing comments. Please keep comments germanine 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. If there is a need to follow up, we will get it to the appropriate staff or council to follow up after the meeting. And we had one person sign up. Thomas Sergio, is he here? I guess we have no speakers tonight. So with that ends motion tojourn or Jeff do I have to do anything?

You don't have to. You can receive and file if you want but you don't. Nobody. Okay. So I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. Uh all in favor I I this meeting is adjourned.