Public forum highlights campsite eviction concerns and lack of virtual meeting options

During the city's public-speaking portion, residents raised concerns about the city's outreach options and recent encampment clearance operations.

Giada Morrissey (Ward 1) told the council she was disappointed that there is no virtual option that allows public participation beyond watching a livestream. "It's simply one-sided," Morrissey said, urging the council to provide more meaningful remote engagement.

Morrissey spoke at length about an eviction of a campsite on the north side of town near the Des Moines River, saying campers reported they never saw an eviction notice posted at Riverview Park and that bulldozers destroyed personal items including identification and family photos. "They're not cleaning it up out of the woods. They're just leaving it there," she said, calling the practice "disheartening" from a human-rights and park-use perspective.

Earlier in the meeting, public commenter Carol Maher (Ward 3) had addressed a rezoning and reconstruction request, urging less restrictive covenants on a property that was being rezoned for 21 units and asking that recommendations from the Urban Design Review Board be included more robustly in packet materials.

Council acknowledged the comments and moved to receive and file the public input. The council noted staff follow-up will occur outside the meeting for matters that require action.

Next steps: the council received the comments for the record; matters requiring city action will proceed through staff follow-up outside the public comment period.