The Des Moines City Council voted May 22 to proceed with a reorganization of several citizen advisory bodies into a single, expanded Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and instructed staff to implement the change under a modified option A that gives priority to currently serving committee members.

City Manager Catherine Caffrey reminded the council that the reorganization — approved in principle at a previous meeting — would dissolve several standing advisory bodies (human services, arts, and senior services) as separate commissions and instead make them subcommittees of a larger CAC. Staff presented three implementation options. Option A would preserve primary (non‑alternate) seats with unexpired terms and promote alternates if primaries are unavailable, then open newly created at‑large seats; the council modified option A to give current committee members a priority application window for vacant neighborhood and at‑large seats before the city opens recruitment to the general public.

Councilmembers discussed term expirations, alternate seats, outreach and the workload for the new CAC subcommittees. Some councilmembers expressed concern about preserving institutional knowledge and making sure active volunteers currently serving on smaller committees would be able to continue participation. Staff confirmed that existing term limits and code amendments would be addressed as the city transitions to the new structure and that the mayor retains appointment authority subject to council approval.

A motion to implement option A with the modification that current committee members receive a priority application window passed on a recorded vote with one abstention (Councilmember Harris abstained); the transcript records that the motion carried after the roll call.

Staff said the CAC reorganization will be phased: staff will contact current CAC members, human services, arts and senior advisory members and ask for interest in vacant neighborhood and at‑large seats during a short priority period; after that, staff will open recruitment to the general public. The city will provide an outreach plan and has proposed multiple recruitment channels to diversify applicants (city communications, Currents newsletter, social media, community organizations and direct outreach to existing committee members). Staff also indicated there will be a follow‑up meeting of the CAC and that the council will receive appointments for approval in a future meeting cycle.

Councilmembers asked staff to ensure subcommittees retain appropriate guardrails around volunteer participation; several asked that volunteers not be given decision‑making authority that would conflict with budgetary or grant allocation responsibilities until they have been formally appointed. Staff agreed to provide process details as applications and appointments proceed.