City Council - Regular Meeting

All right. I'd like to welcome you to the February 2nd West De Mo City Council meeting. Uh we have some special guests tonight and I'd like them to join us in leading the pledge of allegiance, the YJI group. Please stand. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please sign in.

Four members present. Are there any changes to the agenda tonight? uh not a change to the agenda per se, but there on item 4K, there's an amendment to the language in that proposed settlement agreement. There's a DA is on the uh or there's a memo and the D is here tonight on that. Awesome. Uh can we get a motion to approve the agenda? So moved. Second. Please vote. Four. Yes.

Item number two, citizens of forum. Uh we've got uh let's see which is a time for anyone in the audience that would like to address the council um on any items not under public hearings or new business. Anyone like to address the council tonight? Going once, going twice. Anyone online? Can you hear me? Yes. Uh name and address for the record, please.

Yeah. Hi. Uh my name is uh Sri John Karim. Uh I am from 122528 street west mo of course. So um I would uh like to address the city council member. So I would like to commend the city council for its recent efforts to defend and support infield development. It is completely understandable that neighbors may have uh concerns about changes within their neighborhoods. However, well planned infield development, particularly projects that do not require significant new infrastructure, plays a critical role in maintaining the city's financial sustainability by making better use of existing infrastructure. These development help stabilize or even reduce the long-term tax burden without sacrificing the quality or availability of city services. In addition, infield development can strengthen existing neighborhoods. When thoughtfully designed, newer projects often increase the desiraability of surrounding areas and can help raise property values of existing homes. I believe that if the city continues to promote infield development and allows thoughtful upzoning uh in older parts of town, it will create opportunities for smaller local mom and pop developers. These are builders who often cannot compete with large developers on the city's edges, but are well positioned to contribute to addressing the housing shortage within established neighborhoods without adding any unnecessary uh financial strain on the city residents. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Anyone else for citizens of forum? Anyone else online? Going once, going twice. Citizen forum is closed. Uh item number three, mayor, city council manager reports. And we'll start down on the end with city manager Hatton. We'll start with the presentations. Yeah. Sorry. Let's do the presentations first. So in the crowd tonight, we'll start with YJI. Yi, come on up.

Um good uh good evening everyone. Um, my name is Medi Halwan, a high school intern with YJI Tech Connect, and I am here to share a brief overview of our YGI Tech Connect program. Tech Connect is a youth-led digital digital literacy program based right here in West De Mo. We pair train teen mentors with seniors, families, and students who need support navigating technology safely, confidently, and independently. Currently, we employ nine Tech Connect youth who provide hands-on experience with device basics, internet safety, scam awareness, and emerging topics such as artificial intelligence. These young people aren't just teaching technology. They're building trust, confidence, and real world problem solving skills. We intentionally m met residents where they already are offering services at locations including the West De Mo Public Library, Pulk County Senior Center, West De Mo Human Services, AARP, local retirement communities, and the West De Moines Community Education. The city's support is critical to this work. It allows us to tease residents who are most impacted by the digital divide while also ensuring that young people in our community have meaningful opportunities to serve, lead, and gain valuable workforce skills right here in West De Mo. At its core, Tech Connect advances digital equity by removing barriers to access, instruction, and understanding. At the same time, it strengthens intergenerational connections and prepares our youth to be leaders in an increasingly digital world. I'd like to

invite two Tech Connect team members to share their experience. I'll begin with Adele.

Hello, my name is Adal Matt and I've been going to study table since third grade. Back then, I was just a little kid following around my older siblings, not really understanding what Stay Table was, but knowing it was a place where I felt accepted and comfortable. I was welcomed into a place filled with people from all kinds of backgrounds and situations. A place where I felt accepted and supported. The staff there helped me academically by offering me guidance, patience, and encouragement, especially during times when I needed it most. Being in that environment helped me build my confidence and motivated me to keep improving in school. It was a place where I felt supported and that played a big role in who I am today. A major part of youth justice initiative is offering opportunities to kids and to experience new things. Whether through summer adventures or Monday programs, the called youth justice initiative works hard to make sure young people have access to opportunities they might not have otherwise. One of those opportunities is a program called Tech Connect. My interest in tech connect started through my older sister who had worked there who had a chance to work there. Hearing her talk about how fun it was and how what's it called and how she got to meet pe new people there and how challenging it can be for young people to find jobs inspired me. Listening to her experience made me curious about what it would be like to work there myself. Something what's it called? She learn she shared her stories with me and helped me get a job there. Something I am extremely grateful for. Since starting at Tech Connect, I've met amazing people, learn new skills, and gained experiences I never would have otherwise. It have been it has been an incredible opportunity that has taught me how to overcome my fear and work as a team and believe in myself. To truly understand the importance of Tech Connect, you have to understand what we do. We Tech Connect is a free program for people who need help using their devices. People from all kinds of backgrounds can come in without feeling embarrassed, judged, or ashamed for not knowing something. Our team works hard to find solutions, not just answers to questions, but to help people leave

feeling confident in a world that is constantly adapting to new technology. Beyond the value Tech Connect brings to the community, it also brings value to us. We gain new technical skills by working with computers, what's it called? Androids, Apples, what's it called? Apple devices, Kindles, and more. We also learned life skills like building resume, using artificial intelligence, designing web pages, and even typing faster. We've learned a lot, but one of the more important lessons that I've learned is the importance of community and what it means to work in an amazing team with kindness and guidance. Through my experience, I've also gotten to hear countless stories from the people we help. Many come in feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or unsure of themselves. Being able to listen to them, help them find solutions, and grow their confidence has been incredibly meaningful to me. Knowing that I've helped many people, even in small ways, has shown me how powerful patience and kindness can be. Looking back and seeing how far I've come from a little kid following around my siblings in the study table and to n helping other people navigate technology, this journey has shaped me in ways that I've never expected. Study Table, Tech Connect, and News Justice Initiative didn't just give me opportunities, they gave me a community that believed in me. Because of them, the support I've grown, I've learned that when you invest in people, you help them grow, gain confidence, and find their place. That is something I will always carry with me. Everyone see else seems like they have already known what who they are and I'm still trying to figure that out. If you ever seen the movie DD, the quote may relate to how some people feel about technology. people who never got the chance to experience technology growing up or whose friends all have phones when they don't or even parents who wonder if

they're parenting their child right with the way in electronics are when everyone parents differently. When someone's inexperienced, we often assume they're incapable with technology and move on with our day. Tech Connect stops and takes the time to help those who feel inexperienced. Today, I'm Naang Dot, a student at Valley Southwoods and a member of Tech Connect. I'm here to speak about Tech Connect as a whole. Tech Connect wasn't something I just jumped into. I started going to study table around fifth grade. The environment there was something I immediately clicked with and I kept going back. The YGI supports children with support transportation after school programs like study table and provides hot meals and helps with homework and more. I found out about Tech Connect from Jod a few years ago and I became fond of fond of the idea immediately. Giving back to our community is something I admire and truly enjoy. Helping our peers and neighbors receive assistance is something we contribute to at Tech Connect. It's meaningful to me when I see this happen during work. The contributions that we commit to are very important in someone's life and watching that happen feels like achievement to me. We do a lot in Tech Connect. From helping children use the internet responsibly and stay safe online to working with seniors on technology used. Whether it's setting up a phone, a tablet, or a laptop, we help people of all ages. Working with people and seeing their technology skills grow through Tech Connect is a great feeling. As we empower others to connect by providing digital knowledge, I've been with Tech Connect for about 4 years now, and there are many skills and lessons I've learned that I apply everywhere in my life. Speaking does not come naturally to everyone, especially making eye contact one-on-one and speaking in a group setting is isn't always comfortable. By helping people and connecting through connect technology, I've gained hands-on experience and grown more confident in speaking, especially one-on-one. Working and collaborating with my team has also become easier and more enjoyable. I

believe skills like communication and collaboration are have become more easier and important in the real world. Tech Connect has helped me develop them. Throughout Tech Connect, I've learned that we're all inexperienced in some way, and that's important to help one another, especially in today's digital world where it's easy to feel left behind. A community works best when its people support each other and when no one is left behind. Thank you for supporting Tech Connect and thank you for listening to my speech. Okay. Down.

Hi, my name is Jod Tashudin. I am the operations coordinator for YJI and the founder of TechNet. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude. First to thank Google Fiber and Microsoft for their financial support and belief in the power of digital access and education as their investments truly make this work possible. I am deeply grateful for the fellowship opportunity I've been given which helps me strengthen my leadership and technology skills. To my extraordinary Tech Connect team, thank you for your hard work, dedication, and the care you show to every person you serve. You are the heart of this program and your leadership and compassion consistently make me proud. I want to thank Jennifer for believing in my dream from the very beginning and standing beside me as it's grown into what it is today. Thank you to the West De Moine Library for their continued support since 2022 which provided a crucial foundation for this program. Courtney Bench, who's here with us tonight and works at the library, who's been one of our strongest champions from the very beginning. We had hoped that a library patron who had participated in our onetoone session for over two years would show up, but due to health concerns, she's unable to attend, but she regularly shares how meaningful this work has been for her and often reminds us how important it is for senior seniors to for these services to exist. Her experience is a powerful example of the real impact this program has. And she shows her appreciation by finding ways to thank our team, often in the form of baked goods. And finally, thank you to the city of West De Moine for your continued support for YJ and all the programs that we offer. Your partnership allows us to uplift youth, strengthen families, and build meaningful connections across generations. We are truly grateful.

I'm Ashley Swinton. Uh I'm just here to close it up. There's not much else really to say about um we thought it'd be appropriate to showcase the professional development program that's really expanded this last year. This has been the biggest year for Tech Connect and we're really hopeful for um what this year is going to bring um with launching our digital safety courses with parents and with um young people. So, um we're just really really excited about it and we really appreciate how you've always been encouraging us to um do vocational job skills with our students. So, thank you very much. Um and for all the volunteers and the staff that have come tonight to say um to show their support for the students, I I greatly appreciate that. And um welcoming Chief Bellamy, it's his first day at the department. So, um it's a big year for it's a big year for the department and for YJI. So, thanks for always standing up beside us. We really we really are grateful for that. you have any questions or

tell them when they can send people to the library to get home. Oh yeah. So the first and third Saturdays from 10 to 11:30 and you can sign up online. The library has a great fast little link. Um you just sign up for um is it a 20 minute slot? 30. You get 30 free minutes with these lovely people to figure out whatever you need. So we hope to have you tell tell all your friends and your parents. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you everyone from YJA for coming. Your presentations were awesome and and uh excited to hear about all the developments and the good work you all doing. So thank you. Uh up number two um is uh introduction of our new chief, Chief Bellamy. Uh, Council Chris Scott, uh, Chief of Police, co-chief of police, outgoing chief of police. Uh, real quick, just a a quick comment to YGI, specifically the Tech Connect. We can never measure the things that we prevent. We just don't know what we prevent. And what I can tell you is in the city of West De Moine, we have uh victims, elderly people fall victims of scams and the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars. And so I I I compliment those involved in the program. I thank you because you're doing what we're trying to do. You're trying to prevent people from falling victims to crime. And you'll never know who you saved and the difference you made. But what you're doing is making a huge difference and so I thank you for doing that. So, Chief Bellamy, Houston Police Department, it is or it has over 5,000 police officers. It is the fifth largest municipal police department in the United States. Bellamy most recently serves as a captain with the Kingwood Patrol Division in Patrol Region One of Houston PD. Kingwood serves a police district uh 24 and has six beats. Has six beats. So does West De Mo. Kingswood itself has 14,000 acres and located 23 miles northeast of downtown

Houston. If I mess up anything, just tell me later.

Uh, Kingwood, similar in population to West De Moine, similar size substation uh to the size of West De Mo Police Department. Kingwood known for the livable forest for its abundant trees, parks, and trails. Sound familiar, doesn't it? It has a luxury golf course, recreational facilities, parks, and a strong emphasis on outdoor activities, and after doing a little research, I might say that Kingwood is the West De Mo of Houston. Bellamy rose through the ranks over three decades, holding a wide range of leadership roles, and I'm not going through all of them. I'll hit a few highlights here. Uh was hired as a a patrol officer in 1994. became an accident investigator and DWI task force officer. Promoted to sergeant where he uh was assigned night shift jail sergeant and dayshift administrative sergeant. later promoted to lieutenant where he was the DWI task force lieutenant, radar task force lieutenant and TAC lieutenant and then promoted to captain commander of the southest patrol division, the gang division, the cyber financial crimes division, academy and training division, tactical operations division, and most recently the Kingwood Patrol division. But he's not a native Houston resident. Actually, he grew up in a small town called an Alaska. Did I say that right?

You did.

Good guess. On an Alaska is 75 miles north of Houston. It has a population of less than 3,500 people, which is more representative of most of the cities in Iowa. But he did live in Poke County, Texas. He graduated in a neighboring uh community uh Livingston High School, home of the Lions. He was recruited to play football by Baylor University where they converted this line into a Baylor Bear, where he played offensive interior lineman and tight end. He graduated from Baylor University in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in sociology. He later went back to school, graduating with a master's degree in law enforcement executive leadership from California Southern University. Bellamy is married with three children and I'll let him do the intro for them. Um I've had an opportunity to meet with Bellamy actually for quite a while now since he's been going through the process. I've had a chance to meet uh his wife and one of his children. Um they're a phenomenal family. He has a wildly uh impressive work history. Small town guy in my opinion, Midwest values. Uh maybe that's the small town living. I don't know. But what I can tell you is he is simply a good guy and he's going to make a fantastic chief of police. So with that, uh please welcome Chief Bellamy. You have any comments? Thank you. Um, super excited to be here and thank you, Chief Scott, for that introduction. Um, and I keep hearing of the big shoes I have to fill and I can tell you that it is true. Uh, he has been nothing but supportive. Um, I think if there's a master class and how to

hand off a position to a new incoming chief, I may be your next consulting job. Um, he has done it. Um, as you stated, I' I've been married for 21 years. I have three children. My oldest daughter, Kaylee, is 18. She's at the University of Arkansas. Um, she's studying to be a nurse, nurse practitioner. U, my middle daughter is 16 years old, Caris Bellamy. She is currently enrolled at Valley High School. And my youngest, 12-year-old, Cole, is still in Texas uh in school as a seventh grader. So, my wife and son will join me hopefully soon, soon as they sell the house and we'll get moved to everybody down here. Um, I can't tell you u how proud I am to be a part of this department and this community. Um, this is a place that is truly amazing. Uh, the people that I've already met, um, all the the support that I've already received, uh, this is truly a place that I'm happy to have my family be a part of and, um, I'm looking forward to helping grow and continue to be successful in the future. So, thank you very much. Happy to be here. Thank you, Chief Bellamy. Thank you, Chief Scott. Um, up next, mayor council reports. I'll start with uh city manager Haden.

Thank you. Um, just wanted to say thanks to both the chiefs. I do want to give uh the city manager's office worked very closely with Megan Thur, director of our human resources department for this recruitment. We didn't go outside. we stayed inside as far as our staff and saved significant dollars doing that and I think we got a very good result. So, and I do have to again give Chief Scott uh is very helpful in this transition to help Chief Bellamy as he's comes into our city. So, I appreciate that and thank you Megan very much for all your work. That's my report.

Thank you, manager Hen. Uh, Councilman Hudson.

Oh, thank you, Mr. Mayor Prom. Yo, folks, thank you so much for sharing your stories. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. And thank you for all of the volunteers because I think there's always work to do, but you know, when we have a community stuff that's happening, it's got to be celebrated. And I know Ada walked out, but the fact that she's been doing study tables since third grade is super super cool. and to see Miata again. So, a lot of these students I know and uh it's awesome to see them and that YJI continues to be an integral part of this community and I mean that integral because not all communities have a YJI and yet we do and I think we should all be be grateful that there are folks willing to do the work and so thank you all and thank you for sharing your stories. Um a quick note on uh incoming Chief Bellamy. Uh it's it's great to hear uh your enthusiasm, you know, sitting there listening to you during your interview. Uh it was awesome to hear about your experience and yeah, Houston is enormous compared to West De Moines. At the same time, uh it just gives you a lot of experience and a lot of things that we might not be as familiar with in the state of Iowa because we're so much smaller. And I for one am really excited to hear how that experience plays out because I don't know there's uh we live in an uncertain world world and a lot of big town stuff hasn't really necessarily reached here yet and I'm excited to have your experience and your wisdom. So welcome Chief Bellamy. And in terms of other things with my report, we had a finance administration subcommittee meeting. Uh Councilman Lotz and I did. And probably the one thing I wanted to highlight uh was our audit. We have a new auditor this year. Every 5 years we rotate. And this is my third auditor that we've gone through while I've on while I've been on council. And this time the RFP selected the RFP process selected Mlin and Jenkins. They're out of South Carolina. And I think that might uh get some grief because why would we not hire someone

from Iowa? The past two auditors and probably more. I don't know who was four times ago, might have been in Iowa, too. But, uh, this team in South Carolina came up here and when they came up here, uh, I think they were incredibly impressed because the audit came back really, really clean. We would call it an A+ in the world of education. And what really strikes me as awesome is that our finance team, led by Tim Styles back there, has such an enormous amount of pride. When there's an auditor that comes in, open the books. we will show you everything. And that is their attitude and that's the exact attitude we want to have from a finance team when it comes to taxpayer dollars. So they were an open book. That was the first thing that Ma and Jenkins said, an absolute open book. Number two, uh the improvements that they recommended were only the minorest, most slight of improvements. So really an A+ like I said. And right before the team from Moslin and Jenkins flew back to South Carolina the next day, I asked them the question. It's like you see cities from all over the United States because you're in South Carolina and you go to 38 different states or whatever it was. And I asked you I asked when you see a city of 75,000 people uh how do we compare? How do we fare compared to these other cities that are smaller to midsize cities? And when model and Jenkins first earned the earned the bid from the RFP, they had some expectations of what they would see from a city of our size. you know, mostly good, uh, you know, maybe a little rough around the edges when it comes to the books and keeping the books. And they were blown away. They were blown away by our city. They were blown away by our staff. And they were blown away in the most positive way by the work that our finance team, of course, our city manager does to make sure that everything is clean as a whistle to make sure that everything is proper, that all of the tees are crossed, that all the

eyes are dotted so that everyone in our community can know that we have a tremendous financial situation, AAA bond rated by S&P and by Moody's. There's a reason because we and it's not just up here on the council and on the dis I mean it's the entire team make excellent decisions. We stand on the shoulders of people who made those decisions 10 and 20 years ago. And our auditor said not just bravo the auditor said we were the one of the best cities he has ever seen in the United States of America that he has audited. And I want to share that because it's worth celebrating. But it's also worth remembering that we need to continue to do awesome work because because that's the expectations that I think our residents have. That's the expectation that our staffs have of themselves and the expectations that we have up on the dis. So bottom line, it was a great report and it was a great FNA meeting and thus concludes my report. Mr. Mayor Prom.

Thank you, Councilman. Uh, Councilman McKenna. Great report. Excellent report. one of the best you've given here, Greg.

Um, all right. Well, uh, Ashley and and, uh, and folks with that that left here from YJ, I appreciate all the work that you guys do in our community, and I know you have a great relationship with the police department. Um, and always appreciate the annual update and kind of, uh, opportunity to hear all the wonderful things that you're doing. So, thank you. Um I uh I know we'll have opportunities probably to talk a little bit more about, you know, Chief Scott, the work you've done and and Chief Bellamy, the work you'll you will do. Um but I just and I didn't plan on saying much and I won't say a lot, but I will say that, you know, I am proud to support our law enforcement, our public safety officials, police, fire, and EMS. And uh it's important to me and I I believe this whole council that we provide you with the tools, the resources, and the support you need to provide a level of protection in our community. And I'm thankful for what has been done and and what uh I believe will continue to be done in our community. Um Chief Scott has built and I appreciate it, a reputation of comfort, of appreciation, and peace of mind with law enforcement in our community. Um, you know, whether that's walking on the trails or biking on the trails, whether it's attending a football game on a Friday night or hitting up the mall, you have a presence. Your department has a presence in our community. And it's a presence that um, like I said, it it gives folks comfort as opposed to uh, what has happened in other communities. And that happens not just on its own, but by the way you lead and the way you show up. And you know it and it's also reflective of things when you see for example the unfortunate tragedy in Minnesota, the shooting um at the church at that same point in time. Chief, I know you had folks at churches in West De Moine to provide that level of comfort. Uh it was recognized, it was realized,

and it was appreciated. and um and you've done a lot of wonderful things to to build that sort of awareness and community support. I'm not saying that it's done. It's always a work in progress. I get that. Uh but you've taken huge steps in the right direction and I'm thankful for it. And Chief Bellamy, I know that uh we'll continue to move down that path. Um I was appreciative of the comments you said about quality of life because here, as it sounds like back home for you, quality of life was an important component to a community. And um you know when I was first running for office in 2019, I had a local developer tell me u that uh you know Matt, you talk about quality of life and I did and we talk about the great parks and trails and all the things we've got. And this person said to me, you know, the first thing about quality life is safety because a moment somebody disappears on a trail will be the last time folks continue to use that trail. and you need that peace of mind when you go out and bike, walk, come to the amphitheater, wherever you are. And so, we do have a lot of wonderful quality of life amenities, but I continue to believe that one of the first things in quality life is feeling safe. So, uh thank you for uh for making the trip here. I'm excited to to work with you. Um I did have the opportunity to meet uh one of your uh your daughters uh here a couple weeks ago. I look forward to meeting the rest of your family and welcoming you here to our community. So, um, Councilman Hud Councilman, um, Loz and I spent the morning a good hour and 20 minutes or so. Uh, thank you for your quadruple duty between FNA, development and planning, community compliance, and and mayor prom tonight. Um, we spent a lot of time talking about a couple items and, uh, we, if you, for my colleagues on the council, those that are watching online, we had an extended conversation related to the comprehensive plan. uh

out there off of Uteth Avenue and I80. Um this came to a workshop uh I think in early December and we had a extended conversation and again today to determine are we going to put uh a bridge? Are we going to spend roughly $21 million on a bridge to go over Sugar Creek to uh help uh certain uh development activity uh and will that development activity support the cost of that bridge? And so we had a pretty detailed conversation on it and it sounds like we're going to have a more detailed conversation. So we're going to meet again in Mar in March and it will likely come back to this council for a determination as to what we do with EP True. Do we extend that over Sugar Creek or do we allow it to kind of meander through on uh Grand Prairie Parkway down to Mills? We had a couple other items, but that seemed to take up a bunch of the uh the time as it needed to. And u you know, it was a good thoughtful discussion. We'll hear more about it in early March. That's all I've got at this time.

Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Trailian, nothing at this time and I don't have anything to cover that previous council members have not. So, let's move on to item number four, consent agenda. Does anybody have anything that they wish to pull tonight? 4L. Does anybody No. Audrey, anybody here for Black History Month? No. Let's pull it and read it anyway. Okay. 4 L. Can I get a motion to approve the rest? So moved. Second. Please vote.

Four. Yes. All right. Item 4L, which I will read. Proclamation Black History Month, February 2026. Let me get my readers on. Whereas during the month of February, the city of West De Moine recognizes the immeasurable contributions of African-Americans to our city, state, and nation. And whereas first created in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson as a week-long observance to accurately represent black history, it would be adopted 60 years later as a month-long celebration by Congress in 1986. And whereas this month provides us the opportunity to promote the countless contributions of African-Americans that have enriched the lives of every American. Whereas despite the enduring history of enslavement, justice, and discrimination, African-Americans have played a pivotal role in US history. Their contributions to agriculture, medicine, science, politics, arts, and countless other fields have spurred access and economic opportunities for all. And whereas throughout West De Moines's history, our African-American community has played a significant role in the development of historic Valley Junction, serving as a rail serving as rail and cement workers. They help build the railroad and make the cement that would be used to pave the roads and sidewalks, ultimately furthering the his vision of historic Valley Junction. Now, therefore, I Doug Lot, mayor prom of the city of West De Mo, Iowa, do by here proclaim February 26th as Black History Month. And I call upon the residents of West De Moine to learn about the history and contributions of African-Americans throughout the year. February 2nd, 2026. Can I get a motion to pass this?

So moved. Second. Please vote for yes.

Taking any photos tonight? Nope. Okay. Moving forward. Item five. A All business 5A BH220 EP true parkway amend the planned unit development ordinance and allow five additional residential units within the Hamlet apartments complex and to align the PUD of the built environment EP True Parkway Iowa True Parkway Iowa. Uh there's an ordinance approval of second and third readings and final adoption. Can I get that a motion?

Move consideration of the second. Second. Please vote

for yes. An ordinance amendment city code of city west Iowa 2024 and the bay planned unit development ordinance pertaining to plan unit development district regulations and guidelines. Motion to approve. Second reading. Second. Please vote. Four. Yes. Item 5B, Davis states. We have another uh motion to uh third reading. Wave third reading and adopt. Oh yeah. Motion to wave the third reading. Adopt and final form. Second. Please vote. Good catch, Ryan. Four. Yes.

Item 5B, Davis Estates, west of Southeast 35th Street and south of Veterans Parkway. Amend comprehensive planned use map to designate mixed residential land use and amend the zoning map to establish multifamily residential zoning. Hubble realy company continued from December 15, 2025 and January 5th, 2026. We have a resolution and an ordinance uh and this is the first reading. So move consideration of the first reading. I will do the resolution first. Yep. Or do them separate? Yes. We'll do them separate. The resolution will come first and then Okay. Move approval of the resolution. Second, please vote.

Three yes, one no. All right. For the ordinance, can I have a motion? Yeah. Mo uh move consideration of the first reading. Second. Please vote. And uh Mr. Mayor Prom, if I could just make a couple comments on this. Yes, please go ahead.

Yeah, I mean I know we've got the vote. Um, but I just uh I want to say that uh uh appreciated the time that this council allowed uh the subcommittee to take after the last council meeting to have further conversation uh before the development and planning meeting um a couple weeks ago. And uh as a result of that um you know in talking with the folks involved with Hubble um we we did a lot of work. Uh the city did a lot of work. I know Eric did a traffic study to determine whether or not there was going to be any traffic concerns. We fully uh exhausted that and and addressed that there will be no uh traffic uh impacts that lower the standard of service in that area as a result of this development. We also talked about, you know, if there was making sure that there was going to be sufficient screening and buffering and and the folks at Hubble confirmed that there will be sufficient screening and buffering in coordination with the city. And in fact, the folks with Hubble went as so further uh to also uh help address the look and feel on the southeast corner of their development to make it even feel more of a single family detached residential. So, appreciate the work they did. Appreciate the time that this council gave us to have that conversation. I know you're never going to make everybody happy, but I think we we did the right thing. We moved in the right direction and we ended in a good spot. So, I just wanted to acknowledge all that.

Thank you, council. Anybody else? Mr. I want to agree with council member McKenna and I just want to say I appreciate all the comments because these comments made a difference and I think they really really did because if you get a had a chance to look at the new plan for this particular area and council member McKenna mentioned it the entire southside is just lined with detached town homes and I know we can get into semantics on a single family versus a detached town home but anybody who was driving by will just see one two three for and so on. Just what appears to be a single family home, even if the verbiage is detached town home. And specifically on the southeast corner, uh, as we end that south row of town homes, if you go up north from there, I wanted to thank the folks at Hubble, we sat down, uh, had a conversation about it and they looked to see if they could do anything, and they did make a switch. And so therefore, on the southeast corner, it is entirely detached town homes. And then we move up to the east side going north on Southeast 33rd 35th Street. We see detached town home, detached town home, and another detached town home. Those used to be I can't remember if they were forplexer or by attached town homes, but those used to be something different, but now they appear to be single family homes, detached town homes. And I think that's the difference because there were a lot of folks who came in December. And for those who came, I really appreciate hearing a bit because if you are down to the I guess the souththeast of this particular corner now, if you look and turn past, what you will see is appears to be single family homes. And so while that zoning indeed is medium, the reality on the ground, especially on the border, does not actually match what's in the zoning per se because it does appear to be single family homes, even if we call them detached. I'm not trying to get into the semantics of it, but uh I just wanted to say that I appreciate the flexibility that Hubble and I also

appreciate the folks who came out and shared because it did make a difference because now this looks a little bit different than it did before. And in terms of traffic, I do understand that, but I'm told this is going to take 3, 5, 7 up to 10 years. So it it will have more traffic, but that's what happens when we build more houses. And I'm excited and enthusiastic to have more residents because we need rooftops. But at the same time, I know that the city of West De Mo and the city of are going to work together to make sure this street is um a lot more, dare I say, up to code and uh more appropriate for the amount of traffic that will be there. So that's uh that's my sentiments, that's my feelings. I did want to say thank you to everybody and hopefully this um hopefully this can be a good development that brings more families to West De Mo. Thank you, Councilman. Anything, Council Member Trill?

Nope. Nope. Uh, I will make a comment on this item, too. Um, there's a lot of work done on this by staff, by all kinds of people, by the council. Um, I think it's a good project. I think about my own kids and where they're going to live someday and they're not going to be able to buy a half million dollar or better house. And so hopefully my kids when they come back and move to West De Mo, they'll be able to live in one of these. And so I want to thank Hubble for doing it. I want to thank everybody for their input, including the residents that maybe, you know, might not be super happy about this, but this is a good project. I'm glad it's moving forward. Um, can I get a motion to approve? We I got to read the the vote on Yeah. Hold on. Go ahead.

Three yes, one no. An ordinance amending the official zoning map of the city, West Point, Iowa, 2024 by amending Title 9 zoning, chapter 4 zoning districts and maps. Approval. Move approval of the first reading. Second. Please vote. Three yes, one no. All right. Item 6A, public hearings. This is the time and place for a public hearing to consider 8811 Scarlet Drive, vacation of the west 16 ft of the 30-foot Buffer Park easement initiated by Brian and Katie Johnson. Uh clerk, uh would you please read the date and notice it was published? January 14th and 28th, 2026 in the De Mo Register. Any comments on this hearing?

None, your honor. Uh let's see here. Any comments from the audience? Please come to the microphone. Give your name and address for the record. Going once, going twice. Anyone um online who would like to speak on this matter, please unmute mute yourself. Give your name and address for the record. All right. I declare public hearing closed. The resolution is approval of vacation request. Um, can I get a motion? So moved. Second. Please vote for yes.

Item 6B. This is the time and place for a public hearing to consider 2026 PCC patching program phase 1 initiated by the city of West De Mo. Cler, would you please read the date and the notice was published? January 16th, 2026 in the De Mo Register. received any written comments for the hearing? Yeah, your honor. None. Uh, any comments from the audience? Please come to the microphone. Give your name and address for the record, please. Going once, going twice. Okay. Anyone online? Please unmute yourself and give your name and address for the record. All right. I declare the public hearing closed. We have a resolution, a motion, another resolution. Uh, can we take those all at once? Yes, we can.

All right. Can I get a motion for those three? Second, please vote. Four. Yes. Excellent. Item 6 C. This is a time and place for a public hearing to consider First Street Raccoon River Trail initiated by the city of West De Moines. Uh clerk, would you please read the date the notice was published? January 16th, 2026 in the De Mo Register. We received any written comments? None, your honor. Any verbal comments from the audience? Please come to the microphone and give your name and address for the record. Anyone online, please unmute yourself and provide your name and address.

All right. I declare the public hearing closed. We have uh two resolutions in a motion. Can I get a motion, please? So moved. Second.

Please vote. Oh, I just want to say this is uh I'm happy to vote, but I just want to say this is super cool. I think a lot of people have been hoping for this for a long time to connect the trail because right now we have this bridge on the west side of Raccoon River, uh, Highway 28 and First/63rd Street. But now we can actually get a connector there. Folks are going to appreciate that. It's going to make things so much safer. It's going to connect to our eventual First Street Recreation Area and then the trail that goes all the way back to uh, Raccoon River Park. This is an important connection and I'm proud to support it. Thank you, Councilman. Uh, moving on. Item 7 A, new business. Four. Yes, on that one. Oh, sorry. You're fine.

I'm going fast. Item 7A, new business. We'll get everything done in the sixes, right? Yep. Yep. All right. Plat of Survey Parcel 2025 169, southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Raccoon River Drive. Approval of the Plat of Survey to create a 7 acre parcel for the transfer of ownership. Andrew and Benjamin Lounsberry. Uh can I get a resolution or resolution approval on the res of plat of survey? Second. All right. Please vote for yes.

Item 7B amendment to city code title one administrative chapter 10 finances. Update the ordinance language to be current with the updated Iowa code requirements and updated city terminology. This is city initiated. Uh we have an ordinance here. So I need a uh consideration of the first reading. Move consideration first reading second. Please vote for yes. Nor amend the city code of city west Iowa 2024 by amending title one administrative chapter 10 finances. Motion for approval. First second.

Please vote four. Yes. Item 6 C 7 C I'm sorry. Item 7 C amendment to city code title 4 health and safety regulations. Chapter 5C, solid waste control, modification of fees and charges. This is city initiated. We have an ordinance and I get consideration of the first reading. Motion for consideration. Second. Please vote or yes. Nor amended city code of the city of West Iowa 2024 by amending title 4 health and safety regulations chapter 5 article C pertaining to solid waste collection charges. Motion to approve. Motion to approve. First reading.

Please vote. Greg four. Yes. Item number eight, receive, file, and or refer. I don't think there's anything tonight to be filed or referred. Item number nine, other matters. Does anyone on the council have any other matters they would like to raise?

Just one more comment. Uh, Chief Scott, you're going to be here for one or two more council meetings. Just curious. All right. Thank you. In any case, uh, I just want to say a proper goodbye and we can do that privately. That's fine, too. But Chief's got if if you're Well, it depends on what happens. I want to say thank you. But I also thought that you were teeing something up about uh Chief Bellamy because when he was in high school, he was a lion. Then he went to Baylor, became a bear, and now he's in West De Mo. He's a tiger. Feels like there was no I thought that was going to be teed up but uh alas I noticed phone zoo deep down I think you knew what you were doing there. So that's all.

Thank you. Any other comments? All right I am uh journing the meeting.