Staff shakeup risks $2M+ in grants, former Des Moines mayor says
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios
Des Moines is seeking local government and nonprofit partners to jointly apply for a $250,000 clean energy projects grant that's due next week — but will not reverse staff cuts at the municipality's sustainability office this month even if it's awarded, city manager Scott Sanders tells Axios.
Why it matters: The city was likely to receive the money before the staff cuts, former mayor Frank Cownie — the past president of the group in charge of the award — tells Axios.
- The staffing shakeup raises questions about how the money and a potential $2 million follow-up award would be administered and could sour the metro's chances, he says.
Driving the news: The Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) offers grants to help communities accelerate clean energy investments and projects.
- The group, a network of thousands of local and regional governments worldwide, tentatively plans to award two grants per state.
Catch up quick: DSM City Council unanimously adopted a pollution reduction plan in 2021, when Cownie was mayor.
- Multiple related projects have been completed since, including the city's first municipal solar fields.
Friction point: DSM's two-person sustainability office staff that oversaw many of its pollution reduction efforts were cut on Jan. 10.
- Days later, the decision prompted backlash at a council meeting from residents contending the cuts are shortsighted.
The other side: The move comes as the city wrestles with a $17 million upcoming budget shortfall linked with recent legislative limits to property tax revenue growth.
- The staff cuts don't signal an end to DSM's work on sustainability, he says.
What they're saying: DSM's chances of landing the award could be strengthened by partnering with other governments and nonprofit groups that would help administer the grant, Sanders tells Axios.
- Cownie says Sanders might be correct, but the recent staff cuts mean a short turnaround to formalize a metro collaboration before next week's application deadline.
What's next: The initial awards will be announced in March.