At its Sept. 22, 2026 Study Session, the Normandy Park City Council discussed new high-speed internet options, fiscal prudence, and local organizational partnerships.

Highlights of the meeting included a conversation with Ezee Fiber on plans to bring multi-gigabit fiber internet to every neighborhood in the city, alongside unanimous council pushback against spending $7,000 to update the city hall seal sign. L

eaders also previewed an upcoming community town hall regarding local fireworks displays, and raised critical questions about the city’s relationship with the regional Chamber of Commerce, wanting to see measurable benefits for local businesses.

Ezee Fiber Coming To Normandy Park

The council discussed plans to bring Ezee Fiber service to the city. A representative from the company said their service starts at 2 Gbps for $80 a month, with transparent lifetime pricing. Customers can get up to 8 Gbps–though 2 Gbps is more than enough for most households, with most providers offering up to 1 Gbps. He also said that Ezee Fiber prefers to lay their fiber underground, away from the elements, as that can extend the life of the fiber for up to 60 years. He also said Ezee Fiber has won awards for their service, which is now in six states.

It will take 12 to 14 months to completely build out their system in Normandy Park, but after the build is complete they should be able to connect customers with service in a day. They will try to bring their fiber to every home in the city, rather than leaving out neighborhoods as many providers have done. Ezee Fiber is based in Kent, and currently adding service to 29 area cities.

No New City Seal Sign

While this was not a formal business meeting, the council expressed unanimous opposition to spending any money to replace the aging city seal sign that graces council chambers. City Manager Amy Arrington said replacing the sign with a new design would cost around $7,000, money the council is not prepared to spend. They felt that an upgrade like this would make more sense during the planned remodel of city hall.

Upcoming Fireworks Town Hall 

Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. is the next Town Hall. This meeting will provide a forum for dialogue with the community about a public fireworks display in partnership with the Cove. This is an opportunity for city leaders to hear concerns, questions, and feedback about fireworks from the people.

Chamber Of Commerce Concerns

Councilmembers expressed skepticism that the city is really deriving benefit from its current chamber of commerce partnership. Deputy Mayor Sue-Ann Hohimer, who attends their meetings, says that the organization is busy and productive, but perhaps not necessarily in ways that are benefitting Normandy Park businesses. She added that they run a great internship program for students, but very few Normandy Park teens have utilized it. Mayor Eric Zimmerman said he had asked the chamber for concrete figures and evidence of their advocacy and marketing, but was given nothing. He expressed the feeling that Normandy Park is treated as an afterthought.

City Manager Amy Arrington said the chamber has different membership levels, so possibly changing levels would help. Staff and the mayor will meet with the chamber to see if there are ways the relationship could be improved. Mayor Eric Zimmerman reiterated that he wants the chamber to provide a report quantifying its value to Normandy Park businesses and residents. He said he has heard from other member cities that the chamber’s advocacy sometimes conflicts with their interests. Zimmerman also described the chamber’s board as “activist oriented” and largely composed of government officials, politically connected people and representatives of large corporations, rather than local business owners. Councilmembers agreed to examine the chamber relationship and explore whether the newer Des Moines Chamber of Commerce might better serve Normandy Park businesses.

Video

Here’s full, raw video of this study session: