Des Moines council hears public concerns about surveillance, approves proclamations and moves strategic plan toward adoption

Public comment: privacy and detention concerns

At the June 11 city council meeting, multiple members of the public raised concerns about automated license-plate readers (ALPRs, commonly "Flock" cameras) and sought stronger local protections. Christie, a long-time Des Moines resident, warned that data collected by ALPRs can be shared with third parties and that surrounding cities have paused or covered cameras. "This is now 2026," she said. "The data is, first of all, going to a third party. How do we know that that third party is trustworthy?"

A subsequent public commenter urged the council to deactivate Flock cameras, challenged the scale and revenue figures cited for the vendor, and asked whether the cityould impose a moratorium on warehouse detention facilities. The commenter summarized specific camera placements they said reach school parking and pharmacy lot areas and asked the council to "definitively say no to warehouse detention facilities and approve a moratorium."

Proclamations and events

Council approved a proclamation recognizing June as LGBTQIA+ month (approved via motion and reading during the meeting) and later proclaimed June 19 as Juneteenth 2026 in the city of Des Moines.

Council also heard a report from Assistant City Manager AJ John Johnson Newton on changes to the city's July 4 celebration. The event is moving to a daytime, family-friendly format on the waterfront ("Star, Stripes, and Sunshine") with live music, children
ctivities, food trucks and a beer garden; the 2026 lodging-tax request was $45,224.93, a 61% reduction from the prior year's lodging-tax request.

Strategic plan direction

City Manager Catherine Capri presented final wording edits for the draft strategic priorities and described next steps for implementation and reporting. Councilmember Nutting moved to direct staff to incorporate feedback and place the strategic plan charting our course on the June 25 consent agenda for adoption; the motion passed 70.

Quotes in this article are taken from the June 11 meeting transcript and attributed to speakers who spoke during public comment and staff presentations.