NEW ELECTION OFFICES ALL ON ONE FLOOR
Cam Shannon, a machine tech assistant, and Assistant Polk County Auditor Carl Wiederaenders stand in front of 200 voting machines ready to roll out for the November 4 municipal and school board elections.
Earlier in September, Polk County officials showed off their shiny-new location for election workers, in Polk County Riverplace, 2309 Euclid Avenue (known by some as a former Target store). The new, 9,000-square-foot offices replace the Second and Court Avenue location.
An engineering firm estimated a $1 million cost to upgrade the former office; county General Services employees renovated the new space for a tick over $400,000.
The new location has about the same square footage as the previous one. But where equipment, offices, and storage sprawled across the Second Avenue location’s basement and three floors, all equipment and offices are now on one floor. Also, the new space features secure and recorded access for all areas, easy-access loading locks for voting machines, and training space for poll workers and volunteers.
“The new location has better parking and will ensure that voters will not have to wait outside when voting early,” Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald told me. “We focused on election security and voter convenience during the move. We are very excited for voters to experience these upgrades this fall.”
Voters will notice indoor queues on heavy voting days, additional in-person voting stations, and a fortified drop box for ballots.
For the November 4 general election, Polk County will hire 600 to 700 election workers for the 173 polling locations. The county will also pilot a first-in-the-nation program connecting precinct workers to election headquarters to report results via Unisyn’s unique and secure QR code via an election-only computer tablet.
Interesting tidbit: County election officials must store all ballots for 22 months. The new headquarters features tidy three-high storage racks in a secure area for nearly two years of ballots.
FORMER TRAILER PARK TRANSFORMED
Ward 4 Council Member Joe Gatto was all smiles on September 4 for the ribbon cutting of Park Indy Apartments, a four-building, 40-unit (12 one-bedroom and 28 two-bedroom) development at the intersection of Park Avenue and Indianola Road.
Joe had plenty of reason to beam: Eleven years ago, he started working to shut down the dilapidated Oak Hill Mobile Home Park (42 deplorable trailers), at this site on two acres. It was finally demolished in 2023. Gallery of 2021 photos.
“I’m pleased that everyone who lived there previously was relocated into a better environment,” Joe told me. “We should use this Park Indy all over the City for redevelopment. Park Indy is an amazing change for our community, and I’m so very happy for everyone involved.”
The square footage and rental rates fit squarely into what housing advocates describe as the “missing middle” — housing in walkable neighborhoods and scaled similarly to single-family homes. The 600-sq.-ft. one-bedroom units rent for $1,125. That rate is based on a qualified 60% area median income (AMI): a maximum $48,120 annual income for a single person. The 1,100-sq.-ft two-bedroom units rent for $1,550–$1,600 for 60% AMI-qualified families: a maximum $54,960 annual income for a two-person family.
The Neighborhood Development Corporation (NDC) teamed up with DEV Partners, an Iowa-based group, on this $9.2-million project; the City of Des Moines provided a $300,000 grant. NDC and DEV partners recently completed similar units at 3103-3109 Forest Avenue.
NDC partnered with Polk County’s Community, Family & Youth Services to relocate the former trailer park residents.
YELLOW BACKPLATES: MAKING AN IMPACT
If you’ve driven around Des Moines the last few months, you may have noticed that at busy intersections, yellow frames now surround traffic signals on the long arms overhead. Those retroreflective backplates — in engineer-speak — are there to reduce auto crashes at our busiest intersections. And they are doing the job.
“We installed retroreflective backplates at 15 signalized intersections,” John Davis, City traffic engineer, told me. “At our five pilot sites installed in 2023, we observed a 20% crash reduction in 2024, compared to the 2018–2022 five-year average.” John added that Federal Highway Administration research shows such backplates reduce all crashes by about 15% nationwide.
The 15 signalized intersections are identified as part of the Des Moines’ High Injury Network (HIN) — the intersections with the most collisions. In the next five years, John says he expects backplates to be installed on about 205 signals (roughly 45 percent of all signals), including pedestrian hybrid beacons (HAWKs), and prioritizing HIN intersections.
Grants from the federal Safe Streets and Roads For All (SS4A) program will fund the material costs: about $300 for each signal.
The photo above shows three signals at Sixth Avenue and westbound Euclid Avenue; a crew will install the backplate for the through-lane signal following completion of Euclid Avenue reconstruction.
PROUD MCCARTHY MOMENT
Maria McCarthy pins a sergeant’s badge on her husband, Zac, during a promotion ceremony for two officers on August 13 at Des Moines police headquarters. The McCarthy family has a long history with Des Moines public safety—another Des Moines version of Blue Bloods. Cornelius “Con” McCarthy joined the force in 1910; he was shot and killed in 1919 while on duty. Con’s son Edward became a police officer in 1941 and retired as chief of detectives in 1964. Con’s grandson Bill McCarthy joined the force in 1970, was named chief of police in 2003, retired in 2007, and later served as Polk County sheriff. Bill’s nephew Ben joined the DMPD in 2006 and was promoted to sergeant in 2023. Ben and Zac — Con’s great-grandsons — are brothers.
Sergeant Lori Kelly was also promoted to lieutenant during the same ceremony.
DEER RIDGE SAFETY SOCIAL
Stephanie Schillie, foreground, and Sarah Dudley serve up hot dogs and side dishes September 4 at a Safety Social at Deer Ridge Apartments, 6000 Creston Avenue. Sarah has served as Deer Ridge manager since 2016; Stephanie is a staff member.
Hosting an annual social gathering for residents is one of the requirements for the Des Moines police department’s Crime Free Multi-Housing annual certification. Deer Ridge, part of Conlin Properties’ portfolio, is one of the Des Moines apartment complexes participating.
Senior Police Officer Erin Costanzo, who directs the program, told me she has attended 25 safety socials this year, the most anyone can recall. “In my time running this program since 2022,” she added, “I’ve certified over 150 managers or staff in our eight-hour manager program.”
Contact SPO Costanzo for program details.
FREE PET FOOD DRAWS CROWD
Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Iowa’s Abbey Youker talks to a Des Moines resident next in line for the mobile Pet Food Pantry earlier in September. The event was held at the Animal Services building, 1441 Harriet Street, east of Southeast 14th Street and north of the Des Moines River. The ARL’s new mobile pantry, which opened in August, provides free pet food every week at locations sprinkled around the City. The August pantries served 332 households, representing 489 dogs and 587 cats.
Abbey told me that three volunteer police officers and ARL staff gave away 1,276 pounds of dry dog food, 243 pounds of dry cat food, 200 cans of cat food, and “a lot of kitty litter” at the September 3 event.
COLLECTIVE’S FIRST SUMMER INTERN
Thomas Muntz, left, had quite a summer. Thomas, now a Lincoln High School freshman, volunteered this spring at the Police Activities League at the Street Collective (formerly the Bike Collective) shop on East Sixth Street.
The Collective staff noticed Thomas was a good listener and was growing his skills. Shop manager Bobby Kennedy gave Thomas a little push to apply for the collective’s first paid summer intern position. Thomas already enjoyed riding his BMX bike, and he could complete some basic maintenance and repair tasks.
And wouldn’t you know it? The 14-year-old came out on top of the heap among eight or so applicants, several of whom were a few years older. He survived two rounds of interviews!
The job paid $12 an hour, and Thomas worked about 20 hours each week. “With my first check, I bought a new 20-inch BMX bike from Ichi Bike,” Thomas says. “I just fell in love with it instantly.”
Justin Guiter (right in the photo above) mentored Thomas through the summer weeks. “Thomas had a little more personality for this shop,” Justin reports. “He had an eagerness to learn bike mechanics and an ability to retain information. He actually drilled on the tasks we gave him until he got it right. And took notes. That was exciting.”
Thomas says he started out working on kids’ bikes. “Before long,” he went on, “I was working on 20-inch mountain bikes, hybrids, and even bigger mountain bikes. I even worked on brake bleeds for hydraulic brakes.
“I had a lot of firsts. I learned how to true a wheel and take apart a hub. And a headset, too!
“I like learning about bikes and how to take them apart. And I really like the environment and people at the Collective.
“I’ve heard it said that if you love what you’re doing, you don’t have to work a day in your life.”
And the story gets better. By summer’s end, the bikes Thomas rebuilt were sold on the shop floor — a lot of pride in those moments. Thomas did so well this summer that the collective offered him after-school hours. Paid, of course. He’s hungry for more. And it all started as a PAL volunteer.
CELEBRATING BRICK SIDEWALKS
Sometimes, it’s the little things that make a neighborhood interesting.
The Capitol Park Neighborhood, which spans both sides of the Des Moines River between 2nd Avenue and East 14th Street, celebrated the completion of new brick sidewalks at 1300 Fremont Street on September 7. Joining in for the celebratory photo above were Anuprit Minhas, Senior City planner in Development Services; Chelsea Lepley, Capitol Park Neighborhood Association vice president; Dena Bennett, the association’s president; and Jon Hanson, association treasurer.
Most of the bricks from the previous Fremont sidewalks were relaid for the new walkways. The brick pavers are constructed on a concrete base with a setting bed of sand for leveling the pavers.
The City has reconstructed brick sidewalks in front of a few homes, but no one in Engineering or Development Services can recall an entire block of brick sidewalks being rebuilt in the last 30 years.
Grants from the City, Polk County, and Prairie Meadows funded the $88,000 project.
CHEERS FOR SAFE BARS TRAINING
Amanda Frey, general manager of Ricochet Social in Capital Square, was among restaurant and bar managers from 10 establishments who completed Safe Bars training from the Polk County Health Department in July. Nine were Des Moines based, including Hessen Haus, The University Library Cafe, The Iowa Taproom, The Continental, Buzzard Billy's, Escape Lounge, Sleepy Hollow Sports Park, The Royal Mile, and The Purveyor.
The program, following the national Safe Bars training, teaches staff to recognize, respond to, and intervene in sexual harassment and related gender violence.
“It takes someone with a thick skin to talk about how a female can get the position of being sexually harassed,” Amanda told me. “Or worse. I have some experience in this.
“Our Polk County Health trainers told us we can’t allow staff to be complacent. To be a staff member, we need to protect the people in our establishment.
“Every small interaction with an inebriated customer can make a real difference in how the night can end for that person. We as people really have to look out for each other.”
“For a safe bar, the message should be: Be safe and have a good time. And realize our staff is there to protect them.”
The local Safe Bar program also includes training on how to deliver Narcan, a medication to quickly reverse an opioid overdose.
Addie Olson, the county’s public health communications officer, said he expects the next Safe Bars offering to be this fall. Details.
BIKE MORE TO MOORE
Quinlin Johnson, physical education at Moore Elementary, leads a “bike bus” of students on a 1.25-mile parent-supported route from Beaver and Urbandale to the school at 3716 50th Street. Along the route, the Wednesday morning caravan picked up a total of 17 students.
Kudos to the Moore parents who have done a fabulous job teaching basic cycling skills and riding in a group.
Hubbell Elementary parents and staff organize a similar bike bus that rolls twice weekly to the school.
Nationwide, only about 11 percent of elementary students bike or walk to school, with a measly 1 percent riding bikes. That’s a steep decline from the 1960s, when about 48 percent of kids walked or biked to their school.
