BOARD BILL NO. 198 INTRODUCED BY ALDERMAN SCOTT OGILVIE, ALDERWOMAN LYDA KEWSON, ALDERWOMAN MEGAN GREEN, ALDERMAN SHANE COHN, ALDERWOMAN CHRISTINE INGRASSIA, ALDERWOMAN CAROL HOWARD An ordinance repealing Ordinance 68663, codified as Chapter 3.110.120 of the Revised Code of the City of St. Louis and in lieu thereof enacting a new ordinance relating to a “complete streets” policy for the City of St. Louis, stating guiding principles and practices so that transportation improvements are planned, designed and constructed to encourage walking, bicycling and transit use while promoting safe operations for all users.
The first reading of the bill was in November, this will be the first hearing on it. The full Bill, as introduced, can be viewed here (5 page PDF). As noted in the summary above, it repeals & replaces Ordinance 68663 — a “Complete Streets” law adopted a few years ago. This new bill is more — complete.
The best part is the creation of a Complete Streets Steering Committee, comprised of:
Directors or their designees from the Departments of Streets, Planning and Urban Design, Board of Public Service, Health Department, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, and the Office of the Disabled.
This committee would meet quarterly and:
Develop short-term and long-term steps and planning necessary to create a comprehensive and integrated transportation network serving the needs of all users;
Assess potential obstacles to implementing Complete Streets practices;
Develop an action plan to more fully integrate complete streets principles into appropriate policy documents, plans, project selection processes, design manuals and maintenance procedures;
Provide an annual written report and presentation to the Board of Aldermen showing progress made in implementing this policy.
January 14, 2015Economy, Politics/PolicyComments Off on Readers: The Public Shouldn’t Build & Own Any New Stadium
Stadium week continues with the results of the Sunday Poll:
Reaction to the following: The public should build & own a new stadium to keep the Rams in St. Louis
Strongly Disagree 47 [65.28%]
Strongly Agree 9 [12.5%]
Neutral 6 [8.33%]
Tie 5 [6.94%]
Somewhat Disagree
Somewhat Agree
An overwhelming majority disagree with Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, who thinks a stadium should be a publicly-owned asset. I agree — I’m ok with long-term local & state government incentives helping Kroenke finance a stadium, but we don’t need to be stuck owning another white elephant. Let him build, own, maintain it — much harder to walk away that way!
I’d like to think that after decades of leadership pushing projects that clear many acres of buildings, streets, sidewalks, utilities, etc., that someone in city hall or Jefferson City would realize that such projects are costly follies that never live up to the promises. Some examples:
There have been countless other projects; including highways that separated neighborhoods, warehouses that destroyed the street grid, etc. In 1988 the city began discussing buying the Sheraton Hotel, located immediately east of the Cervantes Convention Center to expand and build a football stadium, the 600+ room hotel wasn’t even a decade old when talk began of razing it to expand the convention center and build a domed stadium.
As politicians smiled and sweated in Monday morning’s 89-degree heat, ground was broken for the $260 million stadium expansion of Cervantes Convention Center. The building, scheduled for completion by October 1995, will seat 70,000 for professional football. With 177,000 square feet of exhibit space on one level, it will accommodate events as large as national political conventions. During the hour-long ceremonial groundbreaking at Seventh Street and Convention Plaza, demolition crews began swinging a giant ”headache ball” at the old Sheraton Hotel, one block north. Each swipe at the 13-year-old hotel, which sits near the 50-yard-line of the stadium expansion, brought cheers. But the sturdily built hotel was slow to succumb to the headache ball. (Post-Dispatch Tuesday, July 14, 1992)
I was just 25 when demolition began on a tall hotel that wasn’t even 15 years old, but it was worth a couple of shots on my roll of film.
The 13 year old Sheraton Hotel being razed in July 1992
Razing the hotel built to serve conventions meant we had to build another convention hotel, the Renaissance Grand has lost money since opening.
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”
— Albert Einstein
Tomorrow I’ll post about the particulars of the latest St. Louis folly: last friday’s proposal for a new NFL/MLS stadium to convince billionaire Stan Kroenke from moving the Rams back to Los Angeles.
The March primary is when each party — Green, Republican, Democrat — selects their nominee to face each other, and any Independents, in the April general election. Filling to appear on a primary ballot closed last Friday, those seeking to run as an Independent in the April general have until February 16th to submit signatures.
President of the Board of Aldermen
Incumbent Lewis Reed’s only opposition in the Democratic primary is Jimmie Matthews, a regular candidate for city-wide offices. Republican Eric Shelquist will win his primary because he’s the only GOP candidate, he’ll face Green Jeffrey Schaffer — also assured a primary victory — and the winner of the Democratic primary (cough *Reed* cough) in April.
Alderman Ward 2
Incumbent Democrat Dionne Flowers faces three challengers in the primary: Joyce M. Hall, Jasmine Turnage, & Winfield Scott. Green Elston K. McCowan will win his primary in March due to no other Green being in the race.
Alderman Ward 4
Sam Moore (the incumbent, not the famous Soul/R&B singer) faces Arneatrice Meyers in the Democratic primary.
Alderman Ward 6
Incumbent Democratic Christine Ingrassia, Republican Dan Elder, and Green Jonathan McFarland will each win by default in their respective primaries.
Alderman Ward 7
With the resignation of Phyllis Young last month, this seat is open for the first time since my senior year of high school — 1985. The Democratic primary has three candidates: John (Jack) Coatar, Chelsea Merta, and Samuel J. Cummings III
Alderman Ward 8
Incumbent Stephen Conway faces Kevin B. McKinney in the Democratic Primary. Republican Robert J. Shelli will win his primary.
Alderman Ward 10
Joseph Vollmer, the incumbent, will win his Democratic primary as the sole candidate, same for Republican Daniel P. Kalaf.
Alderman Ward 12
Incumbent Larry Arnowitz is challenged by Rafael Hernandez in the Democratic primary.
Alderman Ward 14
Incumbent Carol Howard will win the Democratic nomination in the March primary.
Alderman Ward 15
Megan Ellyia Green, just recently elected in a special election, will face Beth Braznell in the Democratic primary. Joshua D. Simpson will win the GOP nomination by default. I wouldn’t be surprised to see former 15th Ward Ald Jennifer Florida, who lost her bid for a full term as Recorder of Deeds in November, run as an Independent in the April general election.
Alderman Ward 16
Donna M. C. Baringer, the incumbent, will win the Democratic primary by default.
Alderman Ward 18
Terry Kennedy, the incumbent, will face Charles Grumbach in the Democratic primary.
Alderman Ward 20
A 3-way race for the Democratic nomination between incumbent Craig Schmid, Cara Spencer, and David A. Gaither. Green Vickie A. Ingram will win her party’s nomination by default.
Alderman Ward 22
Incumbent Jeffrey L. Boyd faces two challengers in the Democratic primary: Deceal Burgess & Angela D. Newson. Renee Keeble will be the Green nominee in the April general.
Alderman Ward 24
I anticipate the 24th Ward being the most interesting race in this primary season with the current one-term alderman being challenged by the previous one-term alderman and a former alderman that was recalled by the voters. Scott Ogilvie was elected as an Independent 4 years ago, defeating Tom Bauer in the general. Bauer had defeated William Waterhouse in the Democratic primary. Waterhouse was elected after voters recalled Bauer. After being in office as an Independent Ogilvie is running in the Democratic primary this year, who’ll win the primary is anyone’s guess. Republican Peter Schumaker will be the GOP nominee in the general. Hopefully a 24th Ward resident will collect signatures to run in the general as an Independent — they might just get elected!
Alderman Ward 26
The Democratic primary includes incumbent Frank Williamson & challenger Rodney V. Norman. Fred Baines is the only Green candidate so he’ll win the nomination.
Alderman Ward 28
Lyda Krewson, the incumbent, will face William C. (Bill) Haas in the Democratic primary, Green Jerome H. Bauer will represent his party in the general.
Closing Thoughts
The trick to winning a local primary is to run as a Republican or Green. As I’ve said before, having partisan municipal elections increases voter apathy & costs us more money. St. Louis needs to switch to non-partisam elections!
A decade ago today I decided I wasn’t going to let an incumbent win four years in office because of a lack of a challenger. If she, Dorothy Kirner, wanted a four-year term she was going to have to work for it. Two months later I lost the primary, receiving 44.1% of the vote. Not bad considering I started putting together my campaign after filing on the very last day, instead of months earlier.
Here I was a candidate but I had no team, no money, no plan. My check for the filing fee didn’t even clear, thankfully then-Democratric party chair Brian Wahby allowed me to replace it rather than disqualify me from the race. At this point I was an unknown, this blog had only been around a little over two months.
I had been paying attention though, the day before filing I posted:
Carl Coats, a former city building inspector, had filed to challenge Dorothy Kirner for the 25th Ward aldermanic seat. On 1/4/05 he withdrew himself as a candidate. Unless someone files tomorrow Dorothy Kirner will win by default. This is my ward – I was hoping someone would mount a good challenge to Kirner. (See 25th Ward Challenger Carl Coats Has Withdrawn from Race).
That night I realized nobody else was going to run, but why not me? I was 37 and self-employed, so I had the time. I owned three properties in the ward, one co-owned with a friend, so I was invested. I had ideas I wanted to become part of the conversation during the election. I called a few people that night and the next day I went down to the Board of Election Commissioners to file.
People I know & people I just met stepped up to offer help, money, advice, etc. — too many to thank them all individually.
Candidate Steve Patterson speaking at a gathering at Gallery Urbis Orbis downtown, February 2005Patterson yard signs in the 25th WardThe yard sign graphic with my campaign website prominently displayedKirner reused signs from the prior year, before the 25th Ward Regular Democratic Club had endorsed her in the current raceThis rink in Mt. Pleasant Park was one issue during the campaign, none of us in the immediate area asked for this in the park — it just appeared
Early press was discouraging, such as the story ‘Incumbent aldermen assured of re-election’ in the South Suburban Journal five days after filling closed:
Incumbent Alderman Dorothy Kirner, 70, of the 3700 block of Taft Avenue, faces challenger Steven L. Patterson, 37, a real estate agent living in the 3100 block of Mount Pleasant Street. The primary is March 8.
“I have lived in the neighborhood for 48 years,” said Kirner, who was elected June 15, 2004 to succeed her husband, Alderman Dan Kirner, who died in office. Stressing her experience, she said, “I have been around longer than my husband was in the political field.”
But Patterson, who has lived in the neighborhood for 10 years, said he had a lot of experience in getting things done, in looking at development and managing people and projects.
“I think the fact that I haven’t spent many years in politics is actually a benefit to me. It’s time for a fresh approach to the ward,” he said.
As the campaign progressed the coverage did improve, from the Vital Voice, an LGBT publication, just days before the primary:
Steve Patterson is busy knocking on doors and talking to residents throughout the 25th Ward in hopes of becoming the first openly gay individual to serve in the 28-member St. Louis Board of Alderman.
Patterson, who turns 38 on Feb. 28, is mounting a serious challenge to unseat incumbent Alderwoman Dorothy Kirner in the March 8 primary. Kirner, 69, was elected last June to serve the remaining ten months of her late husband, Dan Kirner’s term.
“What brought me into politics is the desire to see change and realizing that I couldn’t sit here and complain that no one was taking charge without realizing that maybe that should be me,” said Patterson of his insurgent campaign. “The campaign experience is awesome. I’m really enjoying getting involved and being involved. It actually feels really good to be this civic minded.”
The 25th Ward, which includes neighborhoods around far South Grand is ethnically diverse with large Caucasian, African American, Bosnian and Vietnamese communities. The ward also has a representative gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community. Nevertheless, the heavily Democratic 25th is socially conservative and accordingly voted to approve Amendment 2 last August witch banned gay marriage in the Missouri Constitution.
Yes, only one of the city’s 28 wards voted in favor of Amendment 2 and I, an openly gay man, was running for alderman in that ward just 4 months later. What was I thinking? I do remember knocking on one door, the woman who answered asked me if I supported gay rights or same-sex marriage. When I told her I was gay I turned a sceptic stranger into a voter, we remain friends today.
Although Kirner won a full 4-year term I have no regrets about running, one of the best decisions I ever made. I do have some hindsight from my one and only political campaign:
Plan well ahead, don’t wait until the last day to file to start putting the campaign together.
Run to win, but know that becoming serious candidate makes you a winner even if you don’t win the election.
Video record your debate, I wish I’d done so!
This election was prior to social media — no Facebook or Twitter! Like I indicated in the photos above, I had a blog/website, one of the earliest aldermanic campaigns to have one. I raised & spent about $1,200m Kirner raised & spend about $12,000 — she had to hire consultants to build a website. She showed up for a debate on the issues, something she wouldn’t have had to do otherwise.
One issue raised during our campaign was a Citizen Review Board, I favored it while Kirner, whose late husband had been a police officer, opposed external review of the police. The Board of Aldermen passed a Civilian Review Board bill a year later — vetoed by Mayor Slay.
I received 278 votes (51.5%) in the two precincts East of Grand, while Kirner received 292 votes (64.7%) from the two precincts West of Grand. I lived East of Grand, Kirner West of Grand, her support was stronger than mine. Total votes was 437 vs 554.
After serving her one term, Dorothy Kirner didn’t seek a 2nd in 2009, setting up a 4-way race for the open seat. Openly gay Shane Cohn won the democratic primary with 487 votes (46.25%), this 4-way race had 1,053 votes vs 991 votes in my 2005 race.
Filing for the March 2015 primary has closed, though independent candidates can still get on the ballot in the April general by collecting signatures. Those of you in odd numbered wards who are considering running in 2017 should begin planning now.
Tomorrow I’ll look at the 2015 spring municipal races.
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Built St. Louis
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