A new chapter is added to Title 4 DMMC entitled "Citizens Advisory Board."
(Ord. 1648 § 1, 2016; Ord. 1654 § 1, 2016; Ord. 1827, 9/11/2025)
This chapter shall apply to the creation and the responsibilities and activities of the Citizens Advisory Board.
(Ord. 1648 § 2, 2016; Ord. 1654 § 2, 2016; Ord. 1827, 9/11/2025)
The purpose of this chapter is to establish a Citizens Advisory Board to encourage and promote citizen and neighborhood involvement in an advisory capacity to the City Council, to define the roles and responsibilities of the Citizens Advisory Board, to determine eligibility to serve on the Citizens Advisory Board, and to determine the number of members of the Citizens Advisory Board and the length of their terms.
(Ord. 1648 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1654 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1827, 9/11/2025)
This chapter is adopted pursuant to the authority set forth in chapter 4.24 DMMC and other applicable laws.
(Ord. 1648 § 4, 2016)
(1) 
The Citizens Advisory Board shall consist of one member from each of the City’s nine neighborhoods, two members who are Des Moines business owners, one member who is a marina tenant, and no more than 11 additional at large members.
(2) 
Members representing neighborhood planning areas must be residents of Des Moines who own or rent property in Des Moines and have lived in their neighborhood planning area for at least one year; a business owner member must have owned and operated the business in Des Moines for at least one year; a marina tenant must have been a tenant for at least one year; and at large members must have lived in Des Moines for at least one year.
(3) 
All regular members must be at least 21 years of age and eligible to live in the United States.
(Ord. 1648 § 5, 2016; Ord. 1654 § 4, 2016; Ord. 1827, 9/11/2025)
(1) 
The Citizen’s Advisory Board shall include committees on Human Services, Senior Services, and the Arts, along with any additional committees as established by the City Council.
(2) 
Committees of the Board shall have a minimum of three and a maximum of nine members selected by the presiding officer from current Citizen’s Advisory Board members.
(3) 
Members of the Citizen’s Advisory Board may not serve on more than one committee of the Board unless a committee does not have the minimum number of members.
(Ord. 1827, 9/11/2025; Ord. 1845, 4/9/2026)
(1) 
Citizens Advisory Board.
(a) 
The regular term of office for members of the Citizens Advisory Board shall be four years.
(b) 
The initial appointment term shall be two years for half of the members and four years for the other half. The initial appointment terms shall expire on June 30, 2027, and June 30, 2029, respectively. The length of the initial terms shall be decided at random.
(c) 
No person may serve more than two consecutive terms on the Citizens Advisory Board. Any member having served two consecutive terms must remain off the Board for at least two years before they may be allowed to reapply to serve on the Board.
(2) 
Committees of the Board. Committees of the Board shall not have a term limit.
(Ord. 1648 § 6, 2016; Ord. 1654 § 5, 2016; Ord. 1827, 9/11/2025; Ord. 1845, 4/9/2026)
(1) 
The Citizen's Advisory Board is a purely advisory body and is responsible only for making recommendations to the City Council and/or staff relevant to the Board's assigned duties. All operational and logistical activities, including but not limited to procurement and contractor management, are functions of City staff. Board members may not interfere with staff functions unless expressly authorized by the City Manager for a specific purpose. All external communication shall flow through the assigned staff liaison.
(2) 
The duties of the Citizen's Advisory Board shall be:
(a) 
Review and provide input to the City Council on matters and issues as delegated by the City Council.
(b) 
Support and promote citizen participation and neighborhood enhancement.
(c) 
Promote and facilitate open communication between the City, residents, businesses, and other neighborhood organizations such as homeowner associations, block watches, etc.
(d) 
Review the City's budget and provide input to the City Council.
(e) 
Provide input to the City Council in advance of its annual planning/goal setting retreat.
(f) 
Bring matters and issues to the City Council that the Citizens Advisory Board believes require City Council attention.
(g) 
Receive reports and recommendations from the committees of the Board and choose to either adopt the recommendations, or draft separate recommendations, to relay to the City Council.
(h) 
Perform such other tasks as are assigned by the City Council.
(3) 
The duties of the Senior Services committee of the Board shall be:
(a) 
To identify and address the needs and interests of the senior population within the City.
(b) 
To advise the Citizen's Advisory Board on policies, programs, and services that promote independence, well-being, and active engagement in the community.
(c) 
To support public awareness efforts and encourage civic participation among seniors.
(d) 
Draft written reports and recommendations to be given to the Citizen's Advisory Board.
(e) 
Perform such other tasks as are assigned by the City Council or the Citizen's Advisory Board.
(4) 
The duties of the Human Services committee of the Board shall be:
(a) 
Evaluation and recommendation on funding human service requests submitted to the City.
(b) 
Evaluation and review of the performance of individual human service organizations and agencies.
(c) 
Draft written reports and recommendations to be given to the Citizen's Advisory Board.
(d) 
Perform such other tasks as are assigned by the City Council or the Citizen's Advisory Board.
(5) 
The duties of the Arts committee of the Board shall be:
(a) 
To provide advisory recommendations to the Citizens Advisory Board concerning the allocation and expenditure of the allotted budget.
(b) 
Advise the Citizen's Advisory Board on public art projects and recommend policies and programs that foster a vibrant cultural environment.
(c) 
Draft written reports and recommendations to be given to the Citizen's Advisory Board.
(d) 
Perform such other tasks as are assigned by the City Council or the Citizen's Advisory Board.
(Ord. 1648 § 7, 2016; Ord. 1654 § 6, 2016; Ord. 1827, 9/11/2025; Ord. 1845, 4/9/2026)
The Citizens Advisory Board shall meet at least three times per year, including one meeting to discuss the City's budget and once to create input for the City Council to consider in advance of its annual planning/goal setting retreat. The Citizens Advisory Board shall also meet as needed to discuss issues and matters delegated to it by the City Council. All Citizens Advisory Board meetings will be meetings with a minimum of three members of the Des Moines City Council. The Mayor shall select the presiding officer prior to the Board's first meeting each year.
Meeting agendas shall be created by City staff for Citizen's Advisory Board meetings and shall be posted to the City website at least a week prior to meetings. Minutes shall be recorded and kept by City staff for every Citizen's Advisory Board meeting.
Meetings and meeting agendas shall focus on the Board's defined mission and scope, avoiding unrelated issues. All requests for information, future agenda items, or follow-up shall be sent to the staff liaison, who will coordinate with the appropriate City staff or departments as necessary.
The presiding officer shall ensure that meetings comport with Robert's Rules of Order and that meetings are conducted effectively and efficiently.
Committees of the Board are expected to meet independently and are to utilize staff support only when necessary. Notwithstanding the provisions of DMMC § 4.24.070(3), meetings of committees of the Board shall not be subject to the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act. After each meeting, committees of the Board shall submit a written report prior to the next Citizen's Advisory Board meeting.
(Ord. 1648 § 8, 2016; Ord. 1654 § 7, 2016; Ord. 1686 § 2, 2017; Ord. 1827, 9/11/2025; Ord. 1845, 4/9/2026)