Poll Results on Mayor Slay’s Odds of Getting Charter Reform

My poll last week asked:

Will Mayor Slay get 1) Charter Reform, 2) local police control; 3) the city back into STL County by the end of his 3rd term (April 2013?

Forty percent of the responses say none of the 3 will happen:

But more importantltly, 60% of you think some change will happen in the next four years.  I think the 12 that thought all 3 would happen are foolishly optimistic.  I don’t see St. Louis County taking the city back after a 130-year separation.  Of course I also didn’t think county voters would approve the Page extension through Creve Coeur Park.  I’m not convinced we need to be back in the County.  I’m on board with charter reform and local control of our police.

KMOX NewsRadio Used My Photo Without Attribution (Updated 2X)

When I first read KMOX’s May 13th story, Paul McKee — What’s his plan for north St. Louis? I thought something, the image used, looked familiar.  Here is how the story looked on KMOX’s website:

I reviewed my 160+ published images from an August 16, 2007 bus tour of Paul McKee’s properties and there was the image used in KMOX’s online story:

I published the above image and the others from the bus tour to Flickr that same day, 8/16/2007.  On August 21, 2007 I published  Bus Tour of Dilapitated McKee-owned Properties Ignored Other Issues using 20 images from the 160 I took that day.  The above image was among the 20 used.

I have 15,000+ images published on the photo sharing site Flickr, all using a Creative Commons license which grants the right to use the image provided attribution is listed:

Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).

But CBS-owned KMOX 1120AM used my photo as if it was their own with no attribution to the source.

My photos are part of my work.  I want them used but I want the credit.

I’ve emailed numerous persons on KMOX’s website asking for attribution or for them to cease using my image.    Hopefully they will see fit to give me credit.

UPDATE 5/18/09 @ 9:10AM — In the last hour KMOX has removed my image from their story.

UPDATE 5/18/09 @10:30AM — Just received phone call from KMOX Reporter Kevin Killeen apologizing for the uncredited use of my image.

April’s Swearing in of the Aldermen

Last month, on Tuesday April 21st, the Aldermen from odd-numbered wards were sworn in to four year terms. For three of the 14 this was their first term (Cohn, French & Vacarro).

I was there to capture the moment on video. They were actually sworn in twice. The first time was in a conference room prior to the first meeting where they had a ceremonial swearing in.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7Pm1Lqx0NQ

The Board of Aldermen meets at 10am on Friday mornings.

Media Barred From Public Meeting on Proposed Development in North St. Louis (Updated 3X)

Earlier today I got word of a meeting regarding Paul McKee’s development in North St. Louis.  I posted about the meeting and decided to go.

It looked like a public meeting:

However, the first order of business was an announcement that the meeting, about a development project,  was private and all media had to leave.  I stayed seated until a man came over to me and asked me to leave — saying Central Baptist Church was private property.  I left in shock.  Outside I found reporters from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,  KWMU radio and later KMOV that were not allowed inside.  I guess I was in good company.

The doors were locked so we could not enter the building.  The doors do have panic bars so people could exit.  While outside some regular citizens arrived.  They had to pound on the door to be let in.  Not all persons inside were residents of the two wards that had their Aldermen on the agenda (April Ford Griffin & Marlene Davis).  A third Alderman was present in the audience, recently sworn Alderman Antonio French from PubDef.org.

I’m no expert on Missouri’s Sunshine Law but I’m pretty sure this was a violation.  I’ve already filed a complaint with Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster.

Developer Paul McKee was not at the meeting but the agenda listed William Laskowsky of McKee’s McEagle Development company and a Mark Johnson from Civitas, Inc.  Alderman Davis told us the public meeting would be on the 21st, most likely at Vashon High School. McKee has substantial real estate holdings in North St. Louis.  Stay tuned.

UPDATE 5/11/09 @ 11pm. KMOV reporter Ray Preston blogged about not being able to cover the meeting.

UPDATE 5/12/09 @ 7:50AM – additional coverage

• Post-Dispatch reporter Tim Logan
• Saint Louis Urban Workshop

UPDATE 5/13/09 @3:30PM – response from Missouri Assistant Attorney General Daryl Hylton:

I appreciate and understand your concerns about the meeting referenced.  As I understand the situation, this “meeting” was facilitated by two alderman, so that developers could address concerns of the citizens impacted by the development   Missouri courts, however, have interpreted the sunshine law to not apply to actions of individual members of a government entity when acting independently without any authority of the body;  or to meetings of less than a quorum of the entity absent an attempt to avoid the purpose of the sunshine law. See Colombo v. Buford, 935 S.W.2d 690 (Mo. App. W.D. 1996).

So the meeting was allowed to be closed to the press.  While legal it is not good PR for a project that has yet to garner any good PR.

—-

Follow UrbanReviewSTL on Twitter

Meeting(s) With Developer Paul McKee (Updated)

Word is spreading of a meeting tonight either about and/or with controversial “Blairmont” developer Paul McKee:

April Ford-Griffin has announced a meeting at Central Baptist Church (2842 Washington Ave) this coming Monday 5/11 at 6pm for neighborhood residents and Paul Mckee.

There may also be a second meeting, with tentative date on May 21, possibly at Vashon.

I’ve sent an email to Ald. Griffin (D-5th Ward)  to verify this information.

McKee, through various holding companies, has purchased quite a bit of land in the 5th Ward.  For a map to the church click here.

UPDATE 5/11/09 @ 7:35pm:

As the meeting started the first announcement was the meeting was private and all media had to leave.  I was seated at a middle table with others and a man came over and asked me to leave.  More in a new post shortly.  In the meantime check out the agenda.