Pyramid Bought Florida for $2,400?

I’ve been wondering how long the McDonald’s land swap with Pyramid has been in the works. I first reported on the rumor over a year ago, on February 1st, 2005 so I figured they probably started all this in 2004.

Well, I think I can pinpoint the time even more — the 2nd quarter of 2004.

During this period the following Pyramid-related contributions were made to the “Citizens to Elect Jennifer Florida” committee:

Stephen G. Symsack, 63119; $300
Steller Properties, Inc., 63101; $300
Stan Presson, 62236; $300
John R. Steffen, 63118 (old office location); $300
Matthew D. O’Leary, 63101; $300
Desiree A. Knapp, 63021; $300
Cathy Hagan, 63129; $300

Just a coincidence this many Pyramid folks decided to contribute to Jennifer Florida’s re-election campaign? Perhaps, but I think something else happened. I think a deal was made. By the way, the maximum contribution for any individual or company is $300.

Price tag for support on the McDonald’s project: $2,100.

John Steffen, Pyramid’s President, has donated another $300 to Florida’s campaign in the current election cycle. This brings the total to $2,400. All these contributions are legal.

Which brings us to the issue of legal versus ethical. To me this is quite transparent — support for a project in exchange for campaign contributions.

If you’d like to view the information yourself please take a look at Florida’s July 2004 Quarterly report.

While you are looking at the report take a look at the numbers. I’m no accountant but I’ve done my share of bookkeeping over the years and these numbers just don’t add up. I calculated $5,680 in itemized contributions for the three month period. Yet, on page 3 of the above report, it says $6,355 were received (Contributions and Loans Received, Line #8). This difference is $675.

The prior page, a “report summary”, shows total receipts for the period of $9,670. Again, the itemized detail only totals $5,680 by my calculations. The report shows nearly $10K in contributions for the period and nearly $29K for the election. To potential challengers such a large sum can be intimidating. But did she actually collect this much and, if so, where is the detail? The report indicates a closing “cash on hand” of $18,538.91.

But I calculate the actual cash receipts at nearly $4K less than the report summary, based on the detail given. I decided to look at the next report, the Oct 2004 Quarterly, to see if I could balance the numbers. I could not. In this report the summary indicates receipts for the election were the previous beginning balance, not the ending balance of almost $29K. How the receipts could drop by $10K yet the cash on hand balance remain unchanged is beyond me.

Based on the reports I’ve reviewed I believe it is safe to say we don’t now much Florida’s campaign has actually received and how much they have on hand. The only thing that is clear is that Steffen & Co have contributed at least $2,400 to Jennifer Florida’s campaign treasury in the last two years and she is doing and saying whatever it takes to uphold her end of the deal.

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UPDATE 3/27/06 @ 9:45AM
I have reviewed some additional campaign finance reports from the Missouri Ethics Commission website. I looked up two wards where Pyramid has actually done recent work (April Ford-Griffin and Phyllis Young) as well as another south side alderman, Fred Wessels who chairs the influential Housing, Urban Design and Zoning Committee for the Board of Aldermen.

Young’s campaign for the 2005 election received nearly $50,000 and the contribution list reads like a who’s who list for development, not surprising since Young’s ward includes the downtown CBD and much of Soulard and Lafayette Square. Pyramid gave a total of $900 divided up among three different companies. I did not find contributions from any individuals, including Pyramid President John Steffen. The bulk of her contributions are in her October 2003 Quarterly Report. And, unlike Florida’s reports, Young’s actually reconcile.

Fred Wessels’ campaign received a good amount of money during the same period, around $15,000. This included $300 from John R. Steffen.

Wessels’ report notes the employer name for Steffen and notes they have a contract with the city. Young did the same thing on her reports, noting if a contributor had government contracts. Florida’s campaign reports fail to indicate the employer of contributors and if those employers have government contracts.

April Ford-Griffin’s reports show a number of contributions related to Pyramid. Ford-Grffin’s ward is where Pyramid is now completing the dreadful Sullivan Place senior housing project (read my review). Her 2nd Quarter 2003 report indicates the following were received on the same date of 4/25/03: $300 from John Steffen (“self employed”); $300 from Dawana Steffen (“homemaker”); $300 from Stellar Properties; $300 from Desiree Knapp/Robert Wilmouth; and $300 from Matthew D. O’Leary (“self employed”). Wow, $1,500 from Pyramid folks all on the same day yet, like Florida’s campaign reports, none of these contributions are directly from Pyramid. More disturbing is the amount of contributions she received from individuals associated with Winghaven in St. Charles County. What is their interest in the City?

– Steve

Target Bike Rack Completely Useless

Recently I was heading into the fairly new Target Greatland at Brentwood Promenade and noticed the bike rack adjacent to the entry (left of entry in photo).

I’m always happy to see businesses include a bike rack, however, it is nice when they actually install it in a place where someone might actually be able to use it.

The only way this bike rack, a unit designed to hold five (5) bicycles, can actually be used by someone is to lock a single bike parallel to the rack. So the five-bike rack becomes a single bike rack.

The reason it cannot be used as designed is the rack is mounted too close the back wall. If it were pulled out from the wall a foot or so it would allow the front wheel of a bike to go beyond the rack. This would allow for three bikes — the two outer positions and the center — to be secured. The other two spaces are designed to be approached from the opposite side. But even pulling the rack forward by a foot leaves little room for a cyclist to get around the bike to lock the frame and wheel to the rack.

This facility was professionally designed and professionally built. Someone thought to include a bike rack, perhaps that was a Target requirement. But the professionals, somewhere along the line, failed to make sure the proper rack was specified for the location. Yet another example where someone knowledgeable of such issues should have been reviewing the drawings, specifications and monitoring the construction process.

– Steve

REALTORS® Upset About New Law In Ferguson

As an active licensed Broker-Salesperson in the state of Missouri I am a member of the National Association of REALTORS®, Missouri Association of REALTORS® and the St. Louis Association of REALTORS®. As a result I get lots of email from each of these organizations. It should be noted the real estate profession is one of the most organized and well funded lobbying groups. And seldom do I agree with the position they take on issues.

Here is an email I received from the St. Louis Association:

CALL TO ACTION!

This is an important issue that affects the property rights and civil rights of landlords and tenants.

The City of Ferguson recently passed bill 6731 which, in addition to other things, with regard to rental property requires:

· Property owner to obtain a license to rent property.

· Owner to run police check on themselves and submit this with the application.

· Some owners hire an ASHI inspector to inspect the property and certify that it is in compliance with all of the City of Ferguson’s codes

· Owner to hire a property manager that resides within 25 miles of your rental property and furnish the name and all contact info to the city.

· Owner to sign an affidavit affirming that none of their tenants are registered sex offenders in any of the 50 states nor SHOULD they be! First off, this is next to impossible to determine, second this puts an incredible amount of liability on the property owner. It should be noted by the way, while the city does not require any such affidavit if you are an owner occupant.

Even if you don’t own property in Ferguson or have clients that do, please still take the time to respond to this. While this is the worst example we have seen thus far of a municipality violating peoples rights we have been seeing more and more similar ordinances from other municipalities so if we don’t stop it now it may be just a short time
before laws like this spread.

The St. Louis Association of Realtors has authorized the funding for a lawsuit to fight this law. We need your help though, please email or call the City Manager for the City of Ferguson and tell him you think this ordinance should be repealed immediately. His phone number and link to email is below as well as a sample email message you can paste into your email.

If you would like to view the entire ordinance click on this link:

http://www.fergusoncity.com/pdf/Bill6731.pdf

City Manager, Arthur Krieger Akrieger@FergusonCity.com or phone (314) 521-7721.

Sample message:

Dear City Manager Krieger:

I am one of the 10,000+ members of the St. Louis Association of
REALTORS® and as a champion of private property rights I take great
exception to bill 6731 which was recently passed by your council. I
feel this, among other things, violates the property rights as well as
civil rights of landlords and tenants and would urge you to repeal this
piece of legislation.

Our association does believe in and support property maintenance and
occupancy codes & permits (both of which your city already has on the
books) provided these laws are applied to all property, not just tenant
occupied property and provided the occupancy permits are only upon
change in occupancy. Bill 6731 singles out a class of property owner
and class or occupant and applies laws to them different then
owner-occupied property and this is what we object to.

So I read through the entire bill and it seems balanced to me. Many of the requirements come into play only if the property owner has properties with violations or nuisance complaints. Absentee landlords are a problem in many areas and it seems like Ferguson is serious about the problem. Too many people see those late night infomercials about getting rich in real estate, buy a property all the way across town and then wonder why they have issues.

I think Ferguson’s actions send a clear message — if you are going to be in the business of owning rental property you need a business license and you need to conduct yourself in the best manner. If you are in the business of renting properties, their ordinance suggests, it is also wise to know the sex offender law to make sure you don’t end up renting to someone you should not. Again, a good business practice.

And owning rental property is a business. Why should these business owners not be subjected to standards that others business owners must?

The rights of the owner-occupant are being protected here, in my view. Because it is often the local homeowners that must deal with problem rental properties.

– Steve

Minutes from Hearing on McDonald’s Drive-Thru

If, by chance, you are not sick of the McDonald’s issue yet I’ve go more for you. I have received a copy of the minutes of the meeting. This is not to be confused with a word for word transcript. Still, it gives you a good summary of those that spoke and their main points.

Minutes (5 pages, PDF)

And I have posted the letter of approval from the city on the drive-thru. Thankfully, Gravois Park residents have appealed this decision.

Once I receive the audio cassette of the hearing I will digitize it and make it available as a series of MP3 files for all to hear. The next best thing to being there!

Make no mistake, the Florida/Pyramid camp will likely stop at nothing to get there way over the objections of not only the immediate residents but all of us that consider this a critical area for St. Louis even though we don’t live within a few blocks of the area.

The continued attempts by officials in this city to discount the opinions of myself and others simply because we are not in the direct path of a poor decision shows how limited their thinking really is. Florida talks a good game about the big picture but the only big picture plan for the area she willfully choosing to ignore.

I am so over the “we need any development no matter how bad” mentality.

– Steve

Ald. Troupe and Planning & Urban Design Agency Teaming Up

Recently 1st Ward Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe and Planning & Urban Design Agency Director Rollin Stanley presented concepts for a modern in-fill project near Union & Labadie. At the meeting Stanley said the project “would be simple, low maintenance and urban.” He described the project as “very modern.”

It is nice to see an Alderman working with our talented planning staff as well as presenting ideas to the community before they are done deals.

– Steve