City Manager Scott Sanders told the Des Moines City Council on Jan. 13 that, after months of organizational analysis, he made the decision to lay off two employees who primarily worked on sustainability as part of steps to address a projected $17 million shortfall in the fiscal-year 2026 budget.

Sanders said sustainability work will continue through subject-matter experts embedded in multiple departments and through nonprofit partners. He described the layoffs as a difficult choice and said the city will continue sustainability actions through cross-departmental staff.

The announcement drew extended public comment. Residents, neighborhood leaders and members of the Des Moines Citizens Task Force on Sustainability urged the council to restore the positions or provide an alternative plan to lead implementation of ADAPTDSM, the city’s climate action and adaptation plan.

“Cutting the sustainability staff…is kind of like planning a wedding without a wedding planner,” said Sheila Kanoplo Budole, a volunteer member of the Des Moines Citizens Task Force on Sustainability, urging the council to keep a coordinating office in place so cross-departmental work is not dropped.

Speakers cited prior investments in planning: one speaker noted the ADAPTDSM plan was adopted 14 months earlier and said the city had not provided the council with a formal update on implementation. Several speakers warned that scaling back staffing could threaten grant opportunities; a council member later noted an ICLEI funding notice with an application deadline in early February that could provide funding for sustainability administration.

Residents and advocates also framed the decision as out of step with voter preferences: one speaker cited strong local support in prior conservation-related referenda and urged the council to retain a small financial commitment to continue sustainability work.

Multiple speakers emphasized public-safety and long-term fiscal risks of cutting climate-related work, citing recent extreme-weather events, insurance cancellations and flood history in Polk County. One resident described a practical service received from sustainability staff: when a homeowner replaced a lawn with native plantings and faced a code complaint, the sustainability office provided guidance to navigate other departments.

Council members said they will consider the matter further as part of the formal budget process; a council member noted the city has not yet approved a final budget and encouraged further public input during budget hearings. The mayor and council also discussed grant opportunities and the need for an organized plan for continued ADAPTDSM implementation.

Ending

At the meeting’s close, council members signaled they will continue to discuss the staffing decision during the budget process and to pursue grant and partner opportunities the city manager referenced, but no immediate reversal of the layoffs was recorded during the Jan. 13 session.