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Council approves contracts, code changes and fee updates; votes at a glance
Summary
In a Dec. 23 meeting the council awarded multiple public‑works contracts, approved amendments to parking, EV‑charging and building codes, and adopted updates to rental licensing and pest control fees; most items passed unanimously or by recorded majorities.
The Des Moines City Council on Dec. 23 approved a series of routine and substantive items including contracts for pavement patching and a new sprayground, amendments to traffic and parking codes, changes to electric vehicle charging station rules, and updates to rental‑property fee schedules.
Key outcomes
- Pavement patching contract: Council designated TK Concrete Inc. (Tony J. Vermeer, president) as the lowest responsive bidder for the 2025 Citywide PCC Pavement Patching Program, $1,380,796; motion carried (recorded votes noted).
- Jordan Parks sprayground: The Henley Group, LLC (Tyler C. Henley, president) was designated the lowest responsive bidder for $560,752.50 and the council approved the contract and bond.
- Chapter 114 (parking/traffic): Council approved multiple parking modifications and waived required readings for Items 51 and 52 to streamline adoption.
- EV charging stations (Chapter 114): Council adopted code updates to allow city‑owned electric vehicle charging stations to use rate design that encourages turnover; council members emphasized the rates aim to recover costs and improve station availability.
- Rental inspection and licensing fee updates (Chapter 60, Item 42): Council approved fee schedule amendments intended to improve cost recovery for rental inspections; staff will return with options to pursue more aggressive fee adjustments aimed at moving toward cost neutrality.
- Property maintenance code (Chapter 61): Council repealed and replaced Chapter 61 relating to property maintenance and vacant property; members tied the ordinance to the city’s safety net efforts and advanced final consideration.
- Additional code amendments: Council approved ordinances relating to tobacco product regulation (Chapter 30), building regulations (Chapter 26) and pest control/ventilation requirements in rental properties (Chapter 60); motions to waive second and third readings were frequently used to expedite adoption.
Votes and next steps: Most items passed by recorded votes (commonly 7 yes). Staff will administer the awarded contracts and return with implementation details, cost‑recovery analyses for fee schedules, and any required monitoring reports.
