Stanley Heading to County with Massive Projected Financial Shortfalls

As previously discussed, St. Louis’ top planner Rollin Stanley is leaving his post with the city and heading to Montgomery County, Maryland.  Presumably his position is not one of the ones being frozen due to a looming financial crisis.  From yesterday’s Washington Post:

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) announced a freeze yesterday on hiring in the 9,400-person workforce under his jurisdiction, stepping up efforts to close the county’s record $401 million projected shortfall for fiscal 2009.

Leggett’s chief administrative officer, Timothy Firestine, said the county would make exceptions in hiring for public safety jobs, bus drivers and other essential positions for at least the next five months.

The hiring freeze underscores the gloomy outlook for the county’s finances and comes as Leggett has recommended $23.6 million in midyear trims to social services, bus service and overtime for the police and fire departments. The announcement follows Schools Superintendent Jerry D. Weast’s decision to impose a freeze on spending and most hiring. (full story)

Ouch, and I thought we had it bad.   Although the low-density county has nearly three times the population and over eight times as much land area as St. Louis, their financial situation makes St. Louis seem far more fiscally stable than we are.

Still, if Stanley is given the freedom to actually do some good planning in the county (unlike here where he was kept on a short leash) then it will be a good move for him.

Accidents in Construction Zones Can Be Worse Than Alternate Routes

As a section of highway 40 (aka I-64) is completely shut down in St. Louis I am in Oklahoma City visiting with family and here a section of highway, known as the Broadway Extension (technically I-235 but nobody calls it that), heading north from downtown to the affluent suburb of Edmond is under reconstruction.  A good analogy to Edmond would be Chesterfield, although they’ve not built any shopping centers in an area that was under water less than a decade ago.  Back to the highway, a section that only has two lanes in each direction is getting a third (maybe 4th) lane as well as getting an awkward curve taken out and an improved interchange (@ NW 36th, see map).

Like so many projects in St. Louis this one in OKC is taking a while as they are leaving the existing lanes open where possible, closing only ‘as needed.’  The shoulders are gone as they keep the lanes open but squeeze them onto less pavement to allow for the construction work to take place.

Yesterday morning my brother and I are heading toward downtown and traffic comes to a stop long before this construction zone.  Both lanes are solid cars and a fire truck is coming up the shoulder at this part.  Again, as you get toward the construction zone the shoulder goes away.   So then we are all trying to squeeze into the right lane so the fire truck can get by on the left lane.

After about 10 minutes or so we finally get to the issue — a Chevy Suburban SUV had rolled over in the narrow construction zone.  They had it loaded on a flatbed at a crew were in one of the only two lanes cleaning up glass.   All traffic was having to condense from two narrow lanes to a single lane as motorists took their time looking at the wrecked vehicle.  Just a hundred feet or so later the roadway opened up and we were back up to highway speeds on the 3 lanes that were headed south.

So what does all this mean?  Well, those in St. Louis that are still fighting to now re-open highway 40 before the bridges are taken down talk about safety as an issue.  Yet, the safety of having many still doing their commute through the construction zone doesn’t seem to register.  Just as accidents will happen on alternate routes, they would most certainly happen in the construction zone.  The workers on the highway, with it closed, are certainly much safer than keeping a lane or two open.

While I continue to question the need for such an extensive and costly rebuilding of highway 40, I certainly support the closing of that part being rebuilt.   Accidents and delays can become so much worse in a construction zone as opposed to an alternate route.

I’m Paying More for Electricity and Loving It.

Initially I was a little apprehensive about buying an all-electric loft. I was so used to furnaces and hot water tanks being heated by gas. Also, I had never had a place with an electric range — all had been gas. Another concern was the cost, although with natural gas rates increasing, that was less of a concern.

Last week I received my first full 30-day electric bill, $37.74. The period was for 11/20 to 12/20 so it included Thanksgiving when I had friends over and we were using the oven and burners quite a bit.

Here is the breakout of the bill, most likely it looks a bit different than yours:

• Actual power: 407 kWh, $30.12
• St. Louis City Municipal Charge, $1.26
• “PURE POWER”, $6.11
• St. Louis City Municipal Charge, $0.25

Let’s start from the top and work our way down. The actual use is pretty straightforward. By keeping lights off, using efficient lighting in places, and air drying clothing has made a big difference. I even turned off the light for the ice/water in the door on the freezer. The fact the heat has not been on at all makes a huge difference. Don’t worry, I’m not sitting in the dark freezing, my place manages to stay a comfy 71º-72º without any heat.

My place, at 1,576sf, is in the middle of most lofts and bigger than the house I grew up in but nearly 1,000sf smaller than what I just moved out of. I have only 30ft of exterior wall — mostly inefficient brick and large (but insulated) windows. Thus, the units around me help insulate my place to the elements. Hopefully this theory will still apply next summer, although I’m certain I will ‘need’ to run the A/C then.

Next we have the $1.26 for the “St. Louis City Muni Chg.” Is this is a tax? If it were a tax I presume it would say it was a tax, but it says a charge instead. I’m not certain how this is calculated and if the money goes into the city’s general revenues or a special fund, anyone know?

This brings us to $6.11 for “PURE POWER.” From AmerenUE’s Pure Power homepage:

By choosing to enroll in Pure Power, you agree to pay just a penny and a half more per kilowatthour to support clean energy. AmerenUE then purchases Green-e Certified® renewable energy certificates (RECs) from new regional wind and other renewable energy facilities equal to your electric demand. Green-e certification guarantees that electricity from these renewable resources is delivered to the Midwest power pool. Electricity produced by renewables helps offset the generation of electricity from other, non-renewable sources.

Pure Power allows you to have a positive environmental and economic impact in the region. The average residential customer who enrolls for a year will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 19,500 pounds―the same carbon reduction provided by about 7 acres of forest for a year or not driving a car for almost 2 years.

Sweet! To me this is a small price to pay. Of course, if my bill were a lot higher I may not feel the same. By keeping my energy use low, I can continue to afford these renewable credits. The more of you that do this, the more facilities such as wind farms we will see.  I should note that I have no relationship with Ameren other than as a customer.

And now for that last quarter. Another “charge” from the city. Now, I don’t mind the quarter because it is, well, only a quarter. But how much does the city get from a tax/charge on these renewable credits that the public is voluntarily subjecting themselves to? This, of course, depends upon how many customers voluntarily decide to join the Pure Power program. Here is an example where I’d like to see some earmarking: this revenue should go into a fund to help the city reduce its own energy consumption by updating equipment in municipal buildings, adding a green roof on the courthouse, installing solar panels and/or a wind turbine to city hall, etc. The city can’t do it alone but this small “charge” might a significant fund.

Farewell 2007 and Hello 2008

What a year 2007 was. Schools, Metro, Sherman George were all hot topics. While parts of the city and region got more urbanized and walkable other parts continued down the path towards mandating an automobile just to get around. I got rid of my car and moved downtown to a loft to make it easier not to own a car. I’ve been walking and bicycling more since doing so.

2008 promises to be an interesting year with highway 40 closing tomorrow, an effort to recall Mayor Slay, a push for more charter schools, an as yet undisclosed plan by Paul McKee for a large swath of North St. Louis and so much more.

Filing opens in January for those seeking to be Committeemen and Committeewomen in their wards. Each year the Democrats fill all the seats but the Republicans and Greens in the city have failed to fill all 56 positions. Anyone interested in becoming more active in local politics is included to run for these positions — including against Democrat incumbents. The election is in August.

Of course, in February we have the Missouri Presidential primary along with many other states. I’m not really pleased with any national candidate at this point although my best hope is on Obama. I’m not saying he has the best chance to win the election, just that I will feel more optimistic if he wins.

In the city we should expect to see work start on the Ballpark Village/Centene HQ, the Gateway Mall Sculpture Park and other high ticket big press items.
Weather you like living in a single family detached dwelling or in a multi-unit building in the heart of the CBD my wish is that we all will have increased options in 2008 and beyond. Mobility is an important part of America but increasingly that mobility is reduced to the private auto. So I hope that going forward we can all recognize the importance in providing a multitude of mobility choices to go about our daily lives. That, in my view, will be the true freedom America promises. Let’s make it happen in 2008.

Thank you for reading UrbanReviewSTL in 2007 and best wishes in the coming year.

– Steve

St. Louis Magazine Drops the Glitterati for Green in January Issue

Well, not really. The glitterati section is still there — you know people must be seen at all the social functions wearing just the right overpriced outfit. Still, the staff at St. Louis Magazine found time to put together an interesting green issue — their first.

The magazine is still on the same paper and most likely using the same inks as it has been, I see no indication of any recycled paper content or earth-friendly inks. An evaluation of the paper stock and printing methods they use would be a good idea! From “E: The Environmental Magazine” in 2001:

When it comes to promoting ecological destruction, toxic pollution and wastefulness on a large scale, it’s hard to beat the magazine industry. According to Coop America, nearly 95 percent of magazines print on paper with no recycled content, condemning 17 million trees to death by the saw each year.

But the trees cut to make paper are only the first environmental victims of magazine publishing. Turning those trees into pulp consumes enormous amounts of energy and water, and the bleaching process creates dioxin, a chemical the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency called “the most potent carcinogen ever tested on laboratory animals”

Environmentalist say this colossal problem could be greatly reduced simply by switching from virgin to recycled paper. Government research agrees. The EPA has reported that substituting one ton of 100 percent recycled paper for virgin paper saves 17 trees, 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity, 7,000 gallons of water and produces 60 pounds less air pollution.

The above is why I don’t get the number of magazines I used to. Even if we recycle them when done the trees are still gone and the pollutants are in our environment. I applaud St. Louis Magazine for doing a green issue, but their future issues need to actually be environmentally green. However, all the photos of the people featured in the green section were taken without any artificial flash and thus didn’t use any electricity — certainly worth noting

But, let’s move past magazine production to the content of the January 2008 issue.

Editor Stephen Schekenberg, a prior client of mine, helps introduce the topic for the month:

At present there is an incredible amount of environmental action taking place throughout St. Louis. In this first “green” issue of the magazine, we celebrate the stars of the region’s environmental scene: architects and designers, college kids and politicians, entrepreneurs and citizens. It’s hard to say what’s been more inspiring — learning what these St. Louisans are doing or hearing the attitude they have while doing it. Yes, the world’s environmental concerns are serious and significant. But their tone — and, we hope, ours — is neither gloom-and-doom nor finger-wagging. I’ve been inspired by their positivity, and their hope. I hope you will be, too.

One of the articles is 20 Cool Ways to Help Stop Global Warming. The number one thing? Ride a scooter, of course! The entire list is well worth reading. They didn’t include using a clothesline to hang laundry, I guess it wasn’t cool enough.

They also do a nice photo spread on the EcoUrban modular home in South City. Besides the nice photos, they point out all the various green features of the home which, to the naked eye, are not always apparent.

The main article is the “Green Giants” — those that are “doing the most to sustain our city — and our planet.” I’m not going to give away their entire list — you’ll have to get the magazine to see that. I did want to point out a few. Among the ‘citizens’ are Eric & Mary Brende as “models for slow living.” Eric Brende, some of you may recall, was the author of “Better OFF: Flipping the Switch on Technology” which I reviewed in July 2005. Eric pedals people around town on his rickshaw and Mary makes wonderful soaps she sells at the Soulard Farmers’ Market. I’ve been honored to speak to have been a guest in their home and I stop and talk to Mary when I am at the market or I’ll chat with Eric when I see him out and about (assuming he doesn’t have any customers).

In the ‘advocates’ section we have J.B. Lester, publisher of the popular Healthy Planet monthly in our region. Early on I wrote a monthly column for the Healthy Planet and one of my dearests friends, Lois Brady, was their food & travel editor for many years. Jeff McIntire-Strassburg from greenoptions.com and sustainablog.org is on the list as is the host of KDHX’s Earthworms show, Jean Ponzi. Also on this list is, well, me!

In the ‘entrepreneurs’ section we have Patrick Horine & Jenny Ryan of the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market and, along with Maddie Earnest and Jason McClelland, also of Local Harvest Grocery. Jenny Ryan is a recent graduate of the Urban Planning program I am in at SLU, her final ‘capstone’ for the degree being about local/sustainable food and the Tower Grove Market was used as a case study.

Also in this section is Terry Winkelmann, a co-owner of Home Eco — the cool store on Macklind that sells all the goods a green person needs. From a great selection of books, to hemp jeans, to solar panels and yes, worm bins — they’ve got it or can get it for you.

Numerous architects and builders are mentioned including Marc Lopata from Sage Homebuilders and Jay Swoboda and Nate Forst from EcoUrban.

In the ‘civic forces’ section we have Citizens for Modern Transit led by my friend (and UrbanReviewSTL reader) Thomas Shrout. Nothing better than debating light rail vs. streetcars with Mr. Shrout! Also mentioned is the Gateway Green Alliance for their activism including getting signatures to have the state audit the City of St. Louis. I’ll be on a panel hosted by the Greens on February 6th. The topic will be transportation – mark those calendars.

And finally we have the scholars and educators section. Someone who is both a scholar and educator as well as a personal friend, and the director of the Urban Planning and Real Estate Development program (UPRED) at St. Louis University, is Dr. Sarah Coffin. Dr. Coffin is one of the main reasons I entered the program at SLU. We don’t always agree on things but she is excellent at ensuring all students get a chance to express their views on the wide range of material presented in her classes. An expert in brownfield development, land trusts and a variety of other topics, I’m glad Dr. Coffin is here in St. Louis. And yes, I have her for one of my three courses next Spring but trust me when I say that sucking up doesn’t fly with Dr. Coffin — participation and well researched and presented ideas are required!

Another feature article, by Stefene Russell, is called Luddite’s Delight. This is how “one writer survived a month of treading lightly on the earth.” This is really a great read as Stefene decides to go green for a month and takes her husband on the journey with her. After starting off the article about the environmental credentials of her family, Stefene turns to herself:

And me? I recycle. That’s about it. In my family, I am the eco-blasphemer. The loser. The kid who might as well have become a dope dealer or an Amway distributor. My husband grew up in the suburbs, in a subdivision he describes as “so cookie-cutter, all the houses developed the same crack in the dining-room ceiling.” He spent his summer days watching MacGyver in an air-conditioned house, two-fisting Twinkies and Kool-Aid. He still loves hot dogs, video games, long meandering drives, new things crackling under plastic shrink-wrap, drive-through pizza, heated car seats, long showers, movie popcorn, swimming pools and gadgets of every sort.

One of my favorite lines from the piece:

Even my father, after going on a 45-minute screed about the “political boondoggle of ethanol,” recoils after I inform him I’m going to ride the bus. “That sounds pretty exotic,” he says. “Don’t you have any college students who could do that for you?”

This tale of Pradas, transit, MacGyver and toilet paper is an excellent read and thankfully an extended version is available online.
If you go out and buy the magazine be sure to offer it to someone else when you are done. If you’d rather not buy a copy, head to your nearest public library to read it in the periodicals section.