Des Moines swears in first woman mayor: 'Everything can be possible'

Despite a winter storm warning in place, with up to a foot of snow expected, only standing room remained in the Des Moines City Council chambers Monday evening as the city saw its first-ever woman mayor formally sworn in.

Connie Boesen's husband Ted Boesen administered the vows.

"I hope this moment serves as an example for the young girls and women who aspire to hold the executive office," Boesen said following the ceremony. "Everything can be possible, you just have to dream big."

In November, former Des Moines City Council at-large representative Boesen, 72, edged out fellow councilmember Josh Mandelbaum, following a months-long — and at moments, contentious — campaign, according to unofficial results. She will replace Des Moines' longest-serving mayor, Frank Cownie, 75, who did not seek reelection. Boesen's tenure officially began Tuesday, Jan. 2.

"This city's greatest strength is our ability to work together, in good times and bad," she said. "Our council, staff, residents and other stakeholders have collectively solved issues to make Des Moines a fantastic place to live, work and play. Collaboration and coming together builds a brighter future for us and for the future generations of the city."

Her remarks were met with a standing ovation.

In the first several months of her tenure, Boesen said she plans to schedule meetings with city council members and city staff to understand their objectives and needs. Boesen said a critical piece will be community outreach, and much of that could come from what she calls "mayor's listening sessions" that will be held throughout Des Moines.

She has also pushed for the city to hire two staff members to help bolster economic development. One would recruit developers and business owners, small and large, to Des Moines. Another would guide new business owners through the licensing and zoning process to help them open quickly and efficiently.

The city is already in the process of hiring for one of the positions.

Another issue she raised: the surplus of empty office space downtown. Vacancies have declined slightly since peaking in 2021, but are still considerably higher than they were pre-pandemic. The most recent quarterly report by CBRE listed the downtown vacancy rate for office space at 17.5%.

"My plan is to not see these buildings empty at the end of my tenure," Boesen said. "Instead, I hope they become an excellent place for homes, places for entertainment or future businesses that will provide jobs for our residents."

In the more immediate future, Boesen will also have to contend with the upcoming budget as well as whether to vote to impose the franchise fee.

"I have set my goals for my time as mayor, and I hope you join me in this journey," Boesen said.

Des Moines to look to fill vacant seats

Also sworn in Monday was at-large council member Carl Voss, Ward 2 council member Linda Westergaard, and Ward 4 council member Joe Gatto, all of whom are reprising their roles.

Reappointed to their positions were city manager Scott Sanders, city attorney Jeffrey Lester and city clerk Laura Baumgartner.

An at-large seat has become available as Boesen takes over as mayor, but it is unclear whether the council will choose to hold a special election or appoint someone to the seat.

“The Council will consider options to fill Mayor Boesen’s vacated at-large seat at a future council meeting, but has not yet determined which meeting the topic will be discussed at," Sanders said in an email statement to the Register.

1200 Locust Street renamed in honor of former Mayor Cownie

The former Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. office building will now be the T.M. Franklin Cownie City Administration Building, the council voted. The move was made to honor Cownie's nearly four decades of service to Des Moines as an at-large member of the council and mayor.

The city purchased the five-floor, 360,000-square-foot building at 1200 Locust St. in a $30 million deal. The building will be renovated and could serve as a future home for several city departments including clerk's office, the engineering division, the police department, finance and city lawyers.

Construction could start in late 2024 or 2025.

Addison Lathers covers growth and development for the Des Moines metro. Reach her at ALathers@registermedia.com and follow her on Twitter at @addisonlathers.

Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Connie Boesen sworn in as Des Moines mayor