St. Louis Board of Aldermen Week 32 of 2017-2018 Session

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen will meet at 10am today, their 32nd week of the 2017-2018 session.

NEW BOARD BILLS ON THE AGENDA* FOR INTRODUCTION TODAY 2/2/18:

*Note that just because a bill is on the agenda doesn’t mean it’ll be introduced, similarly, bills not on the agenda might be introduced if they suspend the rules to do so. This information is based on the published agenda as of yesterday @ 8am:

• B.B.#251 – Howard ? An Ordinance establishing a two?way stop site at the intersection of Alfred Street and Bingham Street regulating all traffic traveling northbound and southbound on Alfred Street at Bingham Street, and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#252 – Boyd ? An ordinance recommended by the Board of Public Service authorizing the 2018 St. Louis Works and the 50/50 Sidewalk Programs City Wide, appropriating $5,300,000.00 from the Street Improvement Fund; containing sections for description of the work, approval of plans and specifications, work and material guarantees, estimated costs from City funds and supplemental agreements and reversion authorizations, applicable state and federal wage rate requirements, equal opportunity provisions, the Mayor’s Executive Orders, contract advertising statutes, and a public work emergency clause.
• B.B.#253 – Roddy ? An ordinance pertaining to parking within “Talmage Residential Parking District”; containing definitions, a penalty clause and an emergency clause.
• B.B.#254 – Williamson ? An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 1301 Union.
• B.B.#255 – Coatar ? An ordinance promoting the use of energy efficient heating through the connection to the Downtown Steam Distribution system; requiring the continual use of the Downtown Steam Distribution System for any development project occurring in Downtown St. Louis seeking Municipal Financial Incentives; prohibiting the Clean Energy Development Board of the City from approving financing for any project that would result in a commercial building disconnecting from or no longer using the Downtown Steam Distribution System for heat; a portion of the net profits be remitted to the SWMDC and containing a severability clause.

The meeting begins at 10am, past meetings and a live broadcast can be watched online here. See list of all board bills for the 2017-2018 session.

— Steve Patterson

St. Louis Board of Aldermen Week 31 of 2017-2018 Session

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen will meet at 10am today, their 31st week of the 2017-2018 session.

SEVEN (7) NEW BOARD BILLS ON THE AGENDA* FOR INTRODUCTION TODAY 1/26/18:

*Note that just because a bill is on the agenda doesn’t mean it’ll be introduced, similarly, bills not on the agenda might be introduced if they suspend the rules to do so. This information is based on the published agenda as of yesterday @ 11:45am:

The meeting begins at 10am, past meetings and a live broadcast can be watched online here. See list of all board bills for the 2017-2018 session.

— Steve Patterson

Opinion: St. Louis Should Consider Having School Board Members Appointed By The Mayor

When I wrote the recent Sunday Poll my thought was that we should always elect school board members — I’ve never lived anywhere otherwise. Then I began researching the subject and discovered many big central cities have school boards appointed by their mayor. Of course, this doesn’t make them better or worse than an elected board — just different.

The Post-Dispatch reviewed the pros & cons of elected, appointed, or a combination board in November:

Chicago, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Cleveland all have appointed school boards. Nationwide, appointed boards are either selected entirely by the mayor or by a combination of the mayor, governor or local elected officials. Here, the governor, St. Louis’ mayor and president of the Board of Aldermen each appoint a member to the SAB. The number of people on an appointed board ranges from three in St. Louis to six in Chicago and 14 in New York.

Wong found that appointed boards improve academic performance and district management. Appointed boards have also been better than elected boards at tackling systemwide priorities such as achievement gaps or graduation rates.

“The appointed board is primarily suited if the city really wants to head-on confront tough challenges and if they really want to push for some of the changes faster,” Wong said. (Post-Dispatch)

I don’t know that an appointed board is right for St. Louis, but it’s worth considering. Of course, I think the entire St. Louis region needs to reconsider much of how it’s governed.

Here are the results from the recent non-scientific Sunday Poll:

Q:  Agree or disagree: The board appointed to run St Louis Public Schools did such a great job we should abandon electing board members

• Strongly agree 3 [15%]
• Agree 3 [15%]
• Somewhat agree 2 [10%]
• Neither agree or disagree 0 [0%]
• Somewhat disagree 2 [10%]
• Disagree 5 [25%]
• Strongly disagree 5 [25%]
• Unsure/No Answer 0 [0%]

The number of responses was lower than usual, I didn’t even vote. Still, more than half support electing school board members.

— Steve Patterson

St. Louis Board of Aldermen Week 30 of 2017-2018 Session

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen will meet at 10am today, their 30th week of the 2017-2018 session.

FIVE (5) NEW BOARD BILLS ON THE AGENDA* FOR INTRODUCTION TODAY 1/19/18:

*Note that just because a bill is on the agenda doesn’t mean it’ll be introduced, similarly, bills not on the agenda might be introduced if they suspend the rules to do so. This information is based on the published agenda as of yesterday @ 8am:

• B.B.#239 – Bosley –An Ordinance recommended by the Planning Commission on January 11, 2018, to change the zoning of property as indicated on the District Map and in City Block 2485, from “G” Local Commercial and Office District to the “B” Two-Family Dwelling District, at 4231-41 N. Grand; and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#240 – Williamson/Oldenburg – An ordinance providing for and directing the submission to the qualified electors of the City at a Special Bond Election to be held in said City on the 7th Day of August 2018 of a proposal for the incurring of indebtedness and the issuance of bonds said City in evidence thereof in the aggregate amount of not to exceed Fifty Million Dollars upon the assent to the said proposal of two?thirds of the qualified electors of said city voting thereon, and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#241 – Ingrassia –An Ordinance pertaining to the collection of administrative citation fines assessed by the Building Commissioner pursuant to Ordinance 66857 on buildings or structures within the City of St. Louis which are detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City; authorizing the Comptroller, upon receiving certification of administrative citation fine amounts to cause a special tax bill to be assessed to property owner or if the amount is unpaid for more than one year authorizing the amounts be added to the annual real estate tax bill; containing a severability clause and an emergency clause.
• B.B.#242 – Ingrassia –An Ordinance pertaining to enforcement of code violations related to buildings, structures and premises in the City of St. Louis; partially repealing and amending Section Eleven of Ordinance 66857 and enacting in lieu of a new sub-section C related to the procedures for the collection of administrative citation fines in accordance with Sections 479.011 and 67.451, RSMo; containing a severability clause and an emergency clause.
• B.B.#243 – Spencer –An ordinance requiring the City Information Technology Services Agency to create, and maintain in good functioning order, a calendar on the homepage of the City of St. Louis website specifically for the purpose of publishing required notifications of City departments’ and divisions’ “public meetings” as the term is defined in 610.010 RSMo, and requiring said City departments and divisions to publish notifications of public meetings on said calendar.

The meeting begins at 10am, past meetings and a live broadcast can be watched online here. See list of all board bills for the 2017-2018 session.

— Steve Patterson

St. Louis Board of Aldermen Week 29 of 2017-2018 Session

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen will meet at 10am today, their 29th week of the 2017-2018 session.

ELEVEN (11) NEW BOARD BILLS ON THE AGENDA* FOR INTRODUCTION TODAY 1/12/18:

*Note that just because a bill is on the agenda doesn’t mean it’ll be introduced, similarly, bills not on the agenda might be introduced if they suspend the rules to do so. This information is based on the published agenda as of yesterday @ 2pm:

• B.B.#228 – Coatar – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 701-705 North 1st Street.
• B.B.#229 – Spencer – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 3450 Oregon.
• B.B.#230 – Spencer – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 3024 Potomac.
• B.B.#231 – Spencer – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 3548 South Broadway.
• B.B.#232 – Davis –An Ordinance enlarging the boundaries of the Port Authority of the City Port District, subject to the approval of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, and authorizing certain actions in connection therewith.
• B.B.#233 – P. Boyd/Bosley/Moore/Davis/Williamson/J. Boyd/Kennedy/ Middlebrook/Muhammad/Hubbard/Pres. Reed –An ordinance amending Ordinance 69984 (which established the City of St. Louis Civilian Oversight Board, known as the “COB”) to empower the COB to issue subpoenas to compel the appearance of witnesses, produce documents, recordings and other evidence which the COB determines in its reasonable judgment are relevant and necessary to its thorough Inspection and Review of Complaints of misconduct by members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department which may be subject to COB Independent Investigation.
• B.B.#234 – Bosley/P. Boyd/Moore/Davis/Williamson/J. Boyd/Kennedy/ Middlebrook/Muhammad/Hubbard/Pres. Reed –An ordinance authorizing the Circuit Attorney’s Office to assume responsibility for investigating possible criminal conduct arising from or in relation to covered officers’ involvement in use of force incidents resulting in death or grave bodily injury to a person, and establishing an Independent Investigations Unit within the Office of the Circuit Attorney’s Office for this purpose with an annual budget in an amount equal to 1% of the annual budget of the City Division of Police, and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#235 – Muhammad –Pursuant to Ordinance 68937, an ordinance authorizing the honorary naming of streets, Pastor Steven Shepard Lane will begin at the intersection of Shreve and Margaretta and run west on Margaretta to Marcus.
• B.B.#236 – Vaccaro –An Ordinance establishing a four-way stop site at the intersection of Clifton Avenue and Oleatha regulating all traffic traveling eastbound and westbound on Clifton at Oleatha and regulating all traffic traveling northbound and southbound on Clifton at Oleatha, and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#237 – Muhammad/Bosley –Pursuant to Ordinance 68937, an ordinance authorizing the honorary naming of streets, Patricia Breeze Campbell Way will begin at the intersection of Grand and St. Louis, and run west on St. Louis to the intersection with Dodier.
• B.B.#238 – Martin –An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 6132 & 7600 Vermont Ave. and 7806 & 7810 Virginia

The meeting begins at 10am, past meetings and a live broadcast can be watched online here. See list of all board bills for the 2017-2018 session.

— Steve Patterson