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Des Moines Community Impact & Relations director outlines mission, programs and caseload
Summary
The Community Impact & Relations Department presented its mission, core programs and current caseload to the city council, reporting a FY26 operating budget of $928,303 and dozens of active civil-rights inquiries; staff highlighted outreach programs including Engaged DSM and plans for a community mediation pilot.
Manisha Paudel, director of the Community Impact & Relations Department, told the Des Moines City Council at a Nov. 17 work session that the newly restructured department focuses on enforcing civil-rights laws, educating residents and building partnerships to prevent discrimination. "We are a neutral fact-finding agency," Paudel said, describing the intake and investigative process for discrimination complaints.
The department outlined four core work areas: enforcement of municipal and federal civil-rights law (including the Des Moines Municipal Code chapter 62, the Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act); community engagement and boards support; education and outreach; and organizational partnerships. Paudel said the department currently operates with seven staff positions and clarified roles including an ADA coordinator, human-rights specialists and an intake administrator.
Paudel provided caseload and budget details: the office fields roughly 10—18 calls or visits per day, has five active intakes, 12 cases in investigation, two cases nearing determination and two conciliated cases under enforcement. She said the department—s FY26 operating budget is $928,303, which includes about $70,000 in state and federal revenue for case processing, training and outreach.
Program work includes the Engaged DSM resident academy, innovation-hour learning for staff, a participatory budgeting project under development and a planned community mediation pilot for low-level neighbor disputes. Paudel cited results from two Engaged DSM cohorts in which most participants reported feeling "very informed" after the six-week program and several went on to apply for boards and commissions. One participant described the program as opening participants— eyes to city operations and encouraging civic involvement.
Paudel asked council members for continued support and offered to provide more detail on specific items on request. The presentation closed with brief council questions about program capacity and cohort size; Paudel said staff are considering expanding cohort caps modestly to accommodate demand.
The council did not take formal action on the department presentation; staff said they would return with additional details as requested.
