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Des Moines approves Southeast Connector agreements after debate over Pleasant Hill’s share
Summary
City Council approved amended agreements and grant acceptances to advance the Southeast Connector project, 6–1, after debate over Des Moines bearing most of the local match for work located largely in Pleasant Hill.
Des Moines City Council approved a package of agreements and grant acceptances on the Southeast Connector project — including a second amendment to the interlocal agreement with Pleasant Hill and federal and state grant agreements — after a prolonged debate over local cost allocation.
Councilman Mandelbaum objected to the amendment, saying Des Moines is shouldering “virtually all of the local match obligation” and citing what he described as roughly $13,800,000 in local commitments. “We...we are building if you go by 45% of anticipated cost, $6,200,000 of the cost that we are paying is to pay for the local match for the share of the road in Pleasant Hill,” Mandelbaum said during discussion, arguing Pleasant Hill should pay more of the local share or revisit budget choices that freed funds elsewhere.
City staff and the manager responded that funding for the project has been in development for more than a decade and that the package presented finalizes multiple funding sources needed to move construction forward. A staff speaker described the project alignment and said much of the remaining work in Pleasant Hill consists of a large bridge structure and that the predominant benefit accrues to Des Moines.
An earlier motion to move only part of the package failed for lack of a second; after additional discussion the council voted 6–1 to approve items 9A–D, with one council member opposing. The measures authorize the city manager to execute a second amendment with Pleasant Hill (funding terms to be implemented as approved); the U.S. Department of Transportation INFRA grant agreement; and two Iowa DOT grant agreements covering corridor work and pavement.
The council vote finalizes local commitments that will allow design and right-of-way work to proceed; council members who opposed or hesitated said they wanted Pleasant Hill to assume a larger share of the local match. The motion carried 6–1. The project’s next steps are design, land acquisition and construction administration under the terms of the approved agreements.
