Missouri Primary Today

Today is Missouri’s primary election, please be sure to go vote if you’re registered.

Here’s a couple of related posts from last week:

• Readers Opposed To Four Out Of Five Constitutional Amendments On Missouri’s August 5th Ballot
• Recorder of Deeds Primary Endorsement: Edward McFowland

The polls are open 6am-7pm. It took me a while to find the hours, it wasn’t on the postcard or website from STLElections.com.  I finally found it on Ballotpedia.

— Steve Patterson

Parking Battle Close To Home

I often write about parking issues, like the Arcade building needing additional parking to get renovated. Closer to my loft I’ve written this year about the former CPI parking lot to the north of my building. Today’s post is even closer — the small private lot that’s park of my condo association. On Friday July 25th I noticed some commotion outside, out on the balcony I see more cars than usual and two police vehicles.

The tenant in the commercial space of my building, upset that residents of our two buildings sometimes park in “their” lot, parked in a way that blocks resident’s vehicles. Some condo owners, myself included, have read the condo docs over and over concluding the spaces in this parking lot are a common use area, not deeded to the owner of the commercial spaces. The parking below is common use but our spaces are legally deeded to us. The original developer, who retains ownership of both commercial spaces, insists the parking lot is for use by commercial tenants only. The other commercial space is vacant.

Here’s what I see going on:

• A lot of my neighbors, single & couples, have just one car which they park in their garage space. Lots of other couples have two cars, with some having spaces for both.  Still, we have many 2-car couples where one vehicle must be parked outside.
• The tenant used to share the parking lot when the other commercial space was occupied, but since it closed a couple of years ago they’ve decided all spaces are theirs.
• When the developer gets a new tenant for the vacant space this tenant will need a strategy for reducing the number of employee vehicles.

Personally I think my neighbors (residents & tenant) need to take a serious look at bicycling and/or public transit. When you live/work in suburbia abundant free parking is a given, but when you decide to live or locate your firm downtown you can’t continue to have the same expectation. My husband and I have one car between the two of us. We’re hoping Enterprise CarShare will add some vehicles west of Tucker for those rare times we both need a vehicle.

On Washington Ave, a block north, we have the #94 & #97 MetroBus lines, with #10 on Olive, a block south. Two blocks east on 14th we have the #32, #31, & #74, the #99 downtown trolley stops a couple of blocks away. Within a 1/4 mile are more bus lines. Sure, there are couples that work far away in opposite directions, but I bet among residents and the tenant’s staff are people that could fairly easily use public transit.

— Steve Patterson

Poll: Is Allowing A 7-9 year Old Child To Play At A Local Park ‘Child Neglect’?

The St. Louis region has many beautiful parks, many within walking distance of resident’s homes.  But last week events in South Carolina and Florida might give parents pause before allowing their kids to go play in the nearby park.

In South Carolina a mom was arrested after allowing her 9-year old daughter to play in the park unsupervised:

She spent 17 days in jail, temporarily lost custody of her girl, thought she lost her job, and still faces 10 years in prison if convicted of felony child neglect. (CBS News) 

A very similar case reported in Florida the next day when a mom allowed her 7-year old to play in a park:

Dominic was playing when Port St. Lucie Police pulled up. Police took him home and arrested his mom charging her with child neglect. (source)

Judging by the online discussion of these two arrests I thought this would make a great poll question for this week. Here’s the question: Is allowing a 7-9 year old child to play at a local park ‘child neglect’? The poll is in the right sidebar, you can share your thoughts in the comments below.

— Steve Patterson

Planters Need Constant Watering

If you’re downtown mornings you might see the various plants getting watered.

It takes a lot of water to keep all the planters along Washington Ave. looking their best. You’d never be able to do it trying to connect a hose to fire hydrants or buildings on each block, so a truck with a water tank is used to get water to each planter. I especially like the long hose attachment that allows them to water the hanging baskets.

Have a great weekend everyone!

— Steve Patterson

Recorder of Deeds Primary Endorsement: Edward McFowland

In next week’s primary I’m endorsing Edward McFowland for Recorder of Deeds, for those voters taking a Democrat Party ballot. Many of you might not recognize the McFowland name, but Edward McFowland has been around politics much of his life. His mom, Daisy McFowland, served as 4th ward alderman 1973-79, 1983-90 (she died in office). In 1977-78, while Daisy McFowland was serving on the Board of Aldermen, 23rd ward committeewoman Sharon Carpenter was the secretary to Board President Paul J Simon.

Carpenter first stepped into the job in 1980, when she was appointed by then-Gov. Joe Teasdale following the death of then-Recorder of Deeds William Schulze. (The state law has been changed to allow the mayor to now fill any vacancy in the office.) Carpenter later won a special election to fill out the term, and has handily won re-election ever since. (St. Louis Public Radio)

Carpenter’s predecessor William C. Schulze died of a brain tumor in March 1980, he was only 33 years old! Like Carpenter, Schulze was appointed to the position by Gov Teasdale.  In 1977 Recorder Francis R. Slay, the mayor’s father, resigned so the office was vacant. The next year Schulze was elected to a full term, which Carpenter was appointed to finish.

Thirty-four years later, on Friday July 11, 2014 the Circuit Attorney Public Information Officer Lauren Trager released the following statement at noon:

Upon receiving Mr. McFowland’s first letter, we conducted an initial review of the applicable law. We determined that there was a legal basis for referring this matter to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and we did so on June 27, 2014. As you know, the SLMPD is the primary investigative body for the City of St. Louis. We are awaiting the results of that investigation, and we expect them shortly. At that point in time, we are prepared to take action, should the investigation substantiate Mr. McFowland’s allegations. For more information, please contact the SLMPD.

Just over four hours later Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce said:

The Circuit Attorney’s Office has received a letter indicating that Ms. Sharon Quigley Carpenter intends to resign from office, effective Monday morning. The specific allegation of nepotism provides no legal basis for criminal prosecution. Ms. Carpenter admitted to violating a provision of the Missouri Constitution. The sole remedy for a violation of that provision is removal from office during the term when the specific conduct occurred. The investigation into the allegations remains open, until such time as her resignation becomes effective.

Edward McFowland’s diligence and research uncovered this wrong doing by a person in office for over three decades. He’d sent many emails about other things he found, how other information he sought through Sunshine Law requests hadn’t been provided.  Just before Carpenter resigned I emailed McFowland to ask to meet face to face.  I was impressed by his skills at seeking out problems, but also his positive ideas such as having a U.S. Passport office in city hall. The day before Carpenter resigned McFowland emailed the idea:

As Recorder, I will pursue designation of one or more Recorder of Deeds employees as U.S. Passport Acceptance Agents.

22 CFR 51.22 (Passport agents and passport acceptance agents) permits the Department of State to authorize “Any other person specifically designated by the Department” to serve as agents.

Libraries across Missouri, including the Kirkwood Public Library and three public libraries in Jefferson County, are Passport Offices. Why not the library of public records for the City of St. Louis?

You need a Birth Certificate copy to get a passport. The City Recorder’s Office is a copy center for State of Missouri Birth Certificates. Combining birth record services with Passport services is a great match.

The Downtown Post-Office Passport Office is open 9 am to 4 pm. The Recorder’s Office is open 8 am to 5 pm. More hours for passport customers, means more convenient.

I believe a City Hall Passport Office would be well received and we would make a little more money for the City with the additional Birth Certificate copy sales.

Let me also add that I think publishing Recorder services information in Spanish and Bosnian is long overdue.

For starters, the Recorder has a Birth and Death Records services brochure and Marriage License services brochure that should already have been translated into Spanish and Bosnian, published on the website, printed, and copies made available to various institutions and nonprofits serving the Spanish-speaking and Bosnian-speaking communities.

As Recorder, I will work with our immigrant communities and service providers to make the Recorder of Deeds Office customer-friendly to all residents.

We can add Passport services and make the Recorder’s Office immigrant-friendly within the Recorder’s current budget.

We met the following week, I came away very impressed.  We talked about his ideas, the problems he’s uncovered, and his background. McFowland, in his mid-50s, has considerable experience; he’s served our country in the U.S. Army and the Army Reserves. Like my oldest brother, a Navy vet, I think McFowland can take his experience gained from the military and apply it to any field. McFowland also has the education, holding a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Public Administration from SIU Carbondale. See McFowland’s “action plan”.

What experience in recording did Carpenter have before being appointed?  If you’re taking a democratic party ballot on Tuesday please vote for Edward McFowland for Recorder of Deeds!

— Steve Patterson