Official website ↗Pop. 214,133
Last indexed Apr 15, 2026
Next update just now
On March 24, 2025, the Des Moines City Council set a hearing to approve the conveyance of a vacated alley right-of-way adjoining 1014 Virginia Avenue. Home Opportunities Made Easy, Inc. (H.O.M.E., Inc.) and Wesley A. Kirscher would purchase the property for a combined total of $100.00 ($75.00 and $25.00 respectively) to expand their adjoining properties' side yards, subject to utility easement reservations. The City determined there is no known current or future public need for the property and the sale would not inconvenience city operations.
AI summary
Ordinance No. 15,588 amends the Des Moines Municipal Code to revise definitions and regulations regarding maintenance of border areas, specifically updating Section 42-348 on identified nuisances. The ordinance expands the list of nuisances to include improper storage of poisonous materials, flammable junk, scrap materials, and items threatening public health and safety, along with specific regulations for refrigerators and airtight containers, diseased or infested trees, vegetation encroaching on city rights-of-way, and graffiti. The amendments modify related sections of the code (102-2, 102-3, and 102-596) to align with these updated nuisance definitions.
AI summary
This document is a Conditional Zoning List from the City of Des Moines current as of January 31, 2025, containing zoning ordinances that reclassify properties. Two examples are included: Ordinance 16,425 (January 27, 2025) rezoning property at 2625 Cottage Grove Avenue from "N5" to Limited "N5-4" Neighborhood District with conditions requiring paved on-site parking and compliance with municipal code standards, and Ordinance 16,417 (January 13, 2025) rezoning property at 955 24th Street from "N5" to Limited "N5-2" Neighborhood District. The list has been maintained since December 16, 2019 and represents conditional zoning changes approved by the Des Moines City Council.
AI summary
Ordinance No. 16346 amends the Des Moines Municipal Code by adding six new sections (42-567 through 42-572) to establish an enforcement framework for nuisance vegetation management. The ordinance defines key terms related to vegetation control, including definitions for buildings, developed lots, farmland, gardens, and hazards related to weeds and grasses that interfere with sidewalks, roadways, or intersection visibility. The ordinance establishes the legal basis for the city to regulate and enforce standards regarding overgrown vegetation on private and public property within city limits.
AI summary
Ordinance 13757 amends the Des Moines Municipal Code to establish noise regulations by repealing and re-enacting Sections 16-139, 16-140, and 16-144. The ordinance prohibits noise disturbances and sets maximum permissible sound levels based on zoning category and time of day, ranging from 50-75 decibels (dBA) depending on whether the receiving land use is residential, commercial, industrial, or a noise-sensitive area. The regulations include exemptions for emergency signaling devices, amplified sound, motorized vehicles, construction, and certain domestic power tools operating between 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M.
AI summary
Ordinance 14808, adopted by Des Moines City Council on November 10, 2008, amends the municipal code to regulate sound system operation in motor vehicles on public streets and places. The ordinance prohibits operating vehicle sound systems at levels clearly detectable at 50 feet during daytime hours (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) or at 25 feet during nighttime hours (7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), establishing noise control standards for vehicle-based sound systems.
AI summary
Ordinance No. 14,746 amends the Des Moines Municipal Code by repealing the previous Article IV on Noise Pollution (Sections 42-246 through 42-270) and replacing it with a new Article IV on Noise Control (Sections 42-246 through 42-267). The ordinance establishes technical definitions and standards for noise regulation in the city, including definitions of key terms such as ambient sound level, A-weighted sound level, decibel measurements, and emergency work, with technical terminology to be obtained from American National Standards Institute (ANSI) publications where not otherwise defined.
AI summary
Ordinance No. 13,620 amends the Des Moines Municipal Code to enforce front yard parking restrictions by making violations subject to traffic regulations and parking tickets. The ordinance repeals and re-enacts Section 27-361.10 to prohibit parking between curb lines and lot lines, except where approved by the director of traffic and transportation, and incorporates front yard parking provisions from the Zoning Ordinance into the Traffic Regulations. Key restrictions include limiting front yard parking in residential districts to 25 percent of the front yard area, requiring hard-surface materials for parking expansions, and permitting temporary overflow parking only for designated events such as the Iowa State Fair and school athletic events.
AI summary
The Des Moines City Council considered an ordinance to continue the Downtown Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMI) for an additional five years beginning July 1, 2009, pursuant to Chapter 386 of the Iowa Code. The SSMI would generate approximately $2,125,444 in annual revenue based on a maximum assessment rate of $2.00 per $1,000 of non-residential property valuation within the district (current rate is $1.00 per $1,000), with funding sourced entirely from non-residential property owners and no impact on the city's general tax rate. The ordinance was presented for its second reading and vote on January 26, 2009, following the Plan and Zoning Commission's review and a public hearing held on December 8, 2008.
AI summary
Ordinance 14866 amends the Des Moines Municipal Code to establish regulations for keeping agricultural and exotic animals within city limits. The ordinance permits such animals only on acreage (not standard lots), with restrictions including: a 75-foot setback from residential dwellings, a limit of two animals per acre (plus one additional per extra acre) except fowl limited to 25 per acre, prohibition on commercial use, and a ban on animals running at large. The ordinance grandfathered animals legally kept as of June 25, 2009, but required owners to apply for exemption status by June 30, 2010, with no replacement of deceased or removed animals if total numbers exceeded new allowances.
AI summary