Councilperson Sheumaker has resigned. So now what?

Earlier this week, Ward 1 City Councilperson Indira Sheumaker resigned her office. Readers will recall that I have been an outspoken advocate for her to resign or be removed, but in the wake of her resignation, there is no rejoicing. Do not misunderstand me. I am grateful that the councilperson has done right by Ward 1 and the city and opened the door for us to move forward with proper representation. However, there is no celebration that she is gone.

In fact, I remain concerned for Councilperson Sheumaker herself. Even in her resignation, she was not seen. Her father personally delivered her city-issued computer, cellphone, and a hand-written resignation letter. Is the councilperson okay? I sincerely hope so, but until we know for sure, concern is warranted. Let us, therefore, continue to pray for her wellbeing. And Councilperson Sheumaker, if you are reading this, again, I and the organizations I lead stand ready to help you in any way we can.

That said, it is now time to set our sights on the next chapter for Ward 1, and as we wait to learn who will represent us and how that person will be selected, we must give thought to what we want for our ward going forward. More specifically, I would submit three things the residents of Ward 1 need to do.

First, we must insist that the council fill the vacant Ward 1 seat with a special election. While it is within the prerogative of the council under Iowa Code 372.13 to appoint someone to fill the seat, I would submit this would be in bad form. The fact of the matter is that Councilperson Sheumaker was elected largely because she was different from the rest of the council, and if the other council members move to unilaterally fill the seat with someone who looks like them, talks like them, and thinks like them, the city will have lost an important perspective. Let us, therefore, call upon the council to hold an election, either in conjunction with the upcoming city election or as a standalone special election.

Second, we must demand that the council implement an attendance policy. Councilperson Sheumaker’s extended absence highlighted a serious weakness in our local government. Namely, city business may be greatly impeded by even one council member who cannot or will not attend meetings. To address this, other council members have talked about tying council pay to attendance, but such a measure does not go far enough. Des Moines needs to adopt a policy for council members which is similar to that already in place for other volunteer boards and commissions within the city. Namely, members who miss more than 25% of council functions over a 12-month period should be automatically removed unless their colleagues act to retain them.

Third, we must continue to press issues highlighted by Councilperson Sheumaker. During her time in office, she brought attention to several key issues which we must not allow to retreat back into the shadows now that she has resigned. I would submit that the residents of Ward 1 must insist that our next councilperson (and the other members of the city council) continue to explore and address at least six issues.

First, we must rethink our approach to houselessness. Councilperson Sheumaker was a vocal critic of the city’s current strategy for dealing with houseless persons, which is essentially to periodically send a couple of police officers with a dump truck and an end loader. These residents are then forced out of their camp, and all of their belongings are scooped up and hauled to the landfill. The residents are then encouraged to find a shelter or to move to a designated area. This certainly compels the houseless persons to move on from an area, but the unfortunate effect of this strategy is that these men and women are instantaneously knocked back to square zero. They must start over again every time. Sadly, houselessness is an incredibly difficult problem to solve. Poverty, mental illness, and myriad other issues contribute to this. We must, therefore, invite as many people as possible to the table so that we can find creative new solutions that protect the property owners and serve the houseless population of Des Moines.

Second, we must redouble our efforts to help those with mental health concerns. Councilperson Sheumaker talked a few times about her own struggle with mental health, and her words were essential in shining light upon what is the reality that many of us face. Let us continue to reframe the stigma which is so often attached to mental illness so that people know it is not loathsome. Let us fight to improve the availability of mental health services within our community so that people can find help when they need it. Let us continue to train our police officers to recognize and respond properly to mental health matters so that we can avoid tragedies and needlessly jailing people who really just need help.

Third, speaking of the police, we must always pursue more equitable policing. Let us not be content until everyone in Des Moines, regardless of their skin color, language, gender, etc. knows that the police exist primarily to serve and protect. Let us lean into every effort to improve our police force’s training and equipment so that justice is done every single time.

Fourth, we must renew efforts to revitalize key areas of our community. Depressed commercial nodes and lacking infrastructure make it difficult for people and neighborhoods to thrive. We must, therefore, work together to improve walkability and public transportation options for those who cannot afford vehicles of their own. We must work to develop the necessary data infrastructure for families and businesses to flourish in the second quarter of this century. We must find ways to support the existing businesses and to encourage new businesses to locate in our neighborhoods.

Food and pharmacy deserts must be addressed. In urban areas such as Des Moines, food deserts are defined as areas in which there is no supermarket offering affordable, healthy food within a one-mile radius. Alarmingly, the USDA classified much of Ward 1 as a food desert even before the Merle Hay Price Chopper closed (src: https://www.kcci.com/article/des-moines-iowa-residents-discuss-food-deserts-in-the-metro/40303347)! People who do not have transportation cannot be expected to walk a mile to buy groceries or medicines and then carry them home. This will require some creativity because there are precious few places in Des Moines where a big box store can be built, but other cities have found ways to thrive with smaller, local shops. We must find ways to encourage the same.

Finally, most importantly, we must endeavor to bring together our increasingly diverse community. We must celebrate the wide range of ethnicities that call Des Moines home, encouraging them to preserve and showcase their cultures. We must also redouble our efforts to bridge the language barriers which prevent many of these groups from engaging in their neighborhoods and the larger community, including as leaders in our local government.

Councilperson Sheumaker has resigned, and her resignation marks the end of a curious chapter in the history of our ward and city. Yet, there remains much work to be done. As we begin to look once again to the future, let us make sure to do these three things to ensure a vibrant future for Ward 1 and the city of Des Moines.