Alex Johnson, civil engineer and capital project manager for Surface Water, briefed the Des Moines City Council Environment Committee on ongoing capital-improvement projects (CIP) and project schedules.

"Construction is going on again, and we are currently slated to complete in November of this year," Johnson said about the 24th Avenue South pipeline replacement project. He reported substantial completion on the Des Moines Memorial Drive work between 208 and 212 and said crews have resumed work on several projects.

Johnson described the Des Moines Creek Pocket Estuary Project as the city’s "big fish." He said the project is currently funded through about 60% design and that staff are pursuing additional grant funds for the remaining design and construction; staff expect to hear more about funding prospects in July. Johnson projected construction completion for the pocket estuary project no earlier than the end of 2027.

Other projects Johnson listed included a Sixth Place and 280 Seventh Street pipe project (10% design and fully funded for design), and a Marine View Drive retrofit project currently at about 10% preliminary design with design funding secured and construction funding still being pursued. Johnson said some grant funds originally tied to the Massey Creek work were transferred to the Marine View Drive project and that the Massey Creek effort is being closed out administratively after the county placed the feasibility work on pause.

Committee members asked about public notification for construction. Johnson said outreach varies by project size: major projects use open houses and wider public engagement, while smaller projects receive localized notice (staff cited examples of canvassing neighborhoods and distributing flyers and letters to properties within project impact areas). Council members pushed staff to be generous in outreach radius to avoid "complying with the letter of the law but not the spirit" when residents feel insufficiently notified.

Johnson said staff will return to the committee or full council as the Des Moines Creek pocket estuary design progresses to a point where public updates are warranted, with a likely fall reportable deliverable tied to grant outcomes and design milestones.