The Des Moines City Council unanimously voted Monday to offer forgivable loans and reimbursements for city staffers housing costs in an effort to incentivize them to ditch the suburbs and come live where they work in Des Moines.
Currently, only 38% of city staff live in Des Moines, and just 18% of the Des Moines Police Department employees live where they serve, according to city spokesperson Al Setka.
The Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission recommended the policy to city officials in 2019 as part of its Bridging the Gap initiative, a project focused on achieving equity through systemic change.
The program is modeled after other programs around the country and aims to promote employee investment within the city and enhance employee-community relations, a news release said.
May 25, 2021 | STATESCOOP
The City of Des Moines, Iowa, plans to replace a 20-year-old permitting, licensing and inspection system next month with new software that will modernize more than 70 kinds of government transactions, including construction permits, liquor licenses and event permits.
The new software, called EnerGov, is a Tyler Technologies product that will enable residents to make payments, file applications, requests and upload plans digitally, citywide Chief Information Officer Anna Whipple said during a Des Moines City Council session on Monday. The new software, which the city spent $2 million on and which will go live June 21, is a “highly anticipated” upgrade over the current software the city uses, which is no longer supported, Whipple said.