Readers Support Bill To Reduce The Board Of Aldermen From 28 To 12 Members

ABOVE: St. Louis Board of Aldermen's chambers

Readers overwhelmingly support Board Bill 31 before the St. Louis Board of Aldermen that would allow voters to decide in November if the board should be reduced to 12 from 28. If so they change would be effective on January 1, 2022:

Thoughts on the bill to reduce the number of aldermen from 28 to 12 by 2022 (pick up to 2 answers):

1. Great, way past due 88 [63.31%]
2. Won’t get the 60% of voters needed 17 [12.23%]
3. Voters will finally approve this charter change 14 [10.07%]
4. It’ll never get to voters for approval 12 [8.63%]
5. Bad, we need to keep 28 aldermen in city hall 5 [3.6%]
6. Other: 3 [2.16%]
7. unsure/no opinion 0 [0%]

Some did feel that either the bill won’t be approved by the Board of Aldermen or that city voters won’t approve the measure with the 60% required.

Three “other” answers were:

1. Iceland has about 320k people and 60+ members in its parliament. Nuff said.
2. The problem isn’t the number of wards — it’s aldermen not working together.
3. Why not go for total charter reform?

Iceland?

I know that reducing the number from 28 to 12 won’t magically fix all the city’s problems, but it’s a start. If approved by voters we might see work on other charter reforms such as reducing county offices, switching to nonpartisan elections  or even becoming one of the 90+ municipalities in St. Louis County. The original post introducing the poll is here.

Ald Young, the bill’s primary sponsor, was on St. Louis Public radio speaking in support of the bill and Ald Vaccaro was on speaking against. You can hear the 20 minute segment here.

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Thoughts On Ald Young’s Bill To Reduce The Board of Aldermen From 28 To 12 Members In 2022

ABOVE: St. Louis Board of Aldermen's chambers

An interesting bill was introduced to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen on Friday:

BOARD BILL NO. 31 INTRODUCED BY ALDERWOMAN PHYLLIS YOUNG, ALDERMAN STEPHEN CONWAY, ALDERMAN ALFRED WESSELS, ALDERWOMAN CAROL HOWARD, ALDERWOMAN JENNIFER FLORIDA, ALDERWOMAN DONNA BARINGER, ALDERMAN JOSEPH RODDY, ALDERWOMAN MARLENE DAVIS, ALDERMAN SCOTT OGILVIE, ALDERMAN SHANE COHN, ALDERWOMAN LYDA KREWSON An ordinance submitting to the qualified voters of the city of St. Louis a proposed amendment to the charter of the city of St. Louis restructuring the board of aldermen as a body of twelve (12) aldermen representing twelve (12) wards, providing a transition schedule for such changes, and other related matters; providing for an election to be held for voting on the proposed amendment and for the manner of voting; and for the publication, certification, deposit, and recording of this ordinance; and containing an emergency clause. (BB31 page)

The bill details how over the next ten years the change would take place. The new 12 wards would be based on the 2020 census figures released in 2021. On December 31, 2021 we’d have 28 wards and on January 1, 2022 we’d have 12.  The bill language contains typos such as 1915 instead of 2015, those will get corrected in committee presumably.

The bill’s primary sponsor, Phyllis Young, and one co-sponsor, Fred Wessels, were both first sworn into office on April 16, 1985 — over 27 years ago. They are the most senior members in the Board of Aldermen. Wessels is a candidate for the citywide Treasurer’s seat. Is Young making one big push as before retirement at the end of her current term next year?

Of the eleven sponsors of the bill only one is black, Ald. Marlene Davis. Other black aldermen likely see the reduction as a way to reduce black influence at city hall. One of the newest members, Scott Ogilvie, is a co-sponsor. Otherwise nobody elected after 2003 is a co-sponsor, they want their chance to be in office for nearly three decades.

If the bill gets through the Board of Aldermen it will appear on the November 6, 2012 ballot where it needs approval of 60% of voters since it’s a change to the city’s charter.

The poll this week seeks to get your thoughts on this bill and the change it’s trying to accomplish, vote in the right sidebar.

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Thoughts on Bill That Would Require Bike Parking In Some Cases

St. Louis alderman Scott Olgilvie (I-24) has introduced a new bill that, if passed, would modify our zoning code to require bike parking for some major new construction or renovations:

ABOVE: Bike parking on the campus of Washington University

BOARD BILL NO. 258 INTRODUCED BY ALDERMAN SCOTT OGILVIE, ALDERMAN SHANE COHN, PRESIDENT LEWIS REED, ALDERWOMAN JENNIFER FLORIDA An Ordinance recommended by the City of St. Louis Planning Commission, requiring residential and commercial bicycle parking under the Zoning Code for all new construction or renovations equal to or in excess of one million dollars ($1,000,000);ontaining definitions; bicycle rack construction requirement, bicycle rack site requirements, bicycle parking requirements, exemptions, off-street parking reduction, an administrative waiver provision and a severability clause. (BB258)

From Olgilvie’s blog:

On Wednesday the Planning Commission approved an ordinance that will require bike parking be included in new commercial construction and certain renovations. The bill is a collaborative effort between myself and members of the Mayor’s staff. A lot of assistance was provided by the city’s legal and zoning teams to craft an ordinance that will be effective, yet flexible for existing structures. The idea follows the lead of other cities like Cleveland, Minneapolis, and Portland, to provide secure and convenient bike parking where people will use it: at their work and the stores they visit. The specific amount of parking is determined by the size of the structure, or the number of employees for warehouse, hotel, and industrial uses. The goal is to provide adequate bike parking facilities to accommodate up to 5% of trips – a goal which some other cities have already achieved and surpassed. The rules build upon the bike infrastructure progress made in St. Louis over the last decade, including GRG trails and bike St. Louis on-street routes. (ward24stl.com)

Section Two E of the bill:

The total number of vehicle off-street parking spaces required under the Zoning Code shall be reduced at the ratio of one (1) automobile off-street parking space for each one (1) bicycle space provided. The total number of required automobile off-street parking spaces, however, shall not be reduced by more than ten (10) percent for any newly developed or rehabilitated structure.

The following shows bike rack styles, half allowed and half not allowed:

ABOVE: Ald Scott Olgilvie provided this image showing types of racks allowed and not allowed

I have some strong opinions on this bill but I’ll reserve those until I post the poll results on Wednesday February 8th.

- Steve Patterson

5th Ward Special Election Today

Today voters in the 5th ward will go to the polls to select one of three candidates to finish the term of former alderman April Ford-Griffin who resigned to take a city position.

ABOVE (L-R): Candidate forum moderator Kathleen Farrell, candidate Tonya Finley and Rose M. Green

Independent candidates Tonya Finley and Rose M. Green participated in the candidate forum last week. The Democratic nominee Tammika Hubbard confirmed two days prior but she didn’t participate. I expected to meet and hear from all three candidates. The volunteers from the League of Women Voters of St. Louis did an outstanding job with the two candidates  that took the time to show up.

I voted absentee last week, access to my new polling place via public transit would require me to cross 14th Street without a signalized crosswalk — too dangerous.

ABOVE: Ballot on electronic voting machine (click image to view official ballot)

Turnout will be low for this election, very few people deciding who completes the term that ends in April 2013. This may cause me problems down the road for disclosing this but I voted for Tonya Finley in this election.

- Steve Patterson

5th Ward Candidate Forum Tonight

April Ford-Griffin

The three women seeking to fill April Ford-Griffin’s unfinished term as 5th Ward Alderman will make their case tonight:

The League of Women Voters of St. Louis is moderating a public forum for candidates running for the St. Louis 5th Ward Alderwoman race on Tuesday, December 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Vashon High School Cafeteria, 3035 Cass Ave., 63106.

The public will have the opportunity to learn more about the candidates seeking election in the 5th Ward by hearing them speak and answer questions in a public forum one week before the special election. There are three candidates running for one vacancy: Tammika Hubbard (Democrat), Tonya Finley (Independent), and Rose M. Green (Independent). (St. Louis American)

I’ve never met any of these candidates in person but I will have to decide which one will get my vote on the 20th. My expectations, frankly, are low. I’ve yet to see any evidence any of them are a 21st century candidate with use of social media and a website.  They might say the majority of 5th ward voters aren’t on Twitter/online but national research suggests otherwise:

Non-white internet users continue to have higher rates of Twitter use than their white counterparts; indeed, the Twitter adoption gap between African-Americans and whites has increased over the past six months. In November 2010, there was an eight percentage point difference in Twitter use between African-American and white internet users (13% for blacks vs. 5% for whites). By May 2011, that gap was 16 percentage points—25% of online African Americans now use Twitter, compared with 9% of such whites. African-American and Latino internet users are each significantly more likely than whites to be Twitter adopters. Even more notable: One in ten African-American internet users now visit Twitter on a typical day—that is double the rate for Latinos and nearly four times the rate for whites. (Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project)

The tern expires in the Spring of 2013.

- Steve Patterson

Readers: Preservation Review Should be Citywide!

Readers who voted in the poll last week clearly support making preservation review citywide rather than allow some aldermen to exclude their wards:

Q: Should Preservation Review be Citywide or Continue Ward-by-Ward?

1. Citywide! 84 [87.5%]
2. Unsure/no opinion 4 [4.17%]
3. We shouldn’t have any preservation review districts 4 [4.17%]
4. Aldermen know what is best for their ward 2 [2.08%]
5. Other answer… 2 [2.08%]

Our aldermen, however, have a custom known as “aldermanic courtesy” where the interests of the city as a whole take backseat to the ruler of the ward. As a result I don’t expect this group of 28 to make a change for the better.

The two “other” answers were:

1. It should be regional.
2. It doesnt really matter, they will do what they want to anyway

True, they will what they want.

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Should Preservation Review be Citywide or Continue Ward-by-Ward?

The city of St. Louis is divided into 28 wards and each alderman has authority over his/her ward, the city as a whole be damned.

ABOVE: Current Preservation Review map, white areas are excluded. Click to download PDF.

As the above map show, eight of the twenty-eight wards are excluded from the city’s other  Preservation Review Districts:

Any demolition application in a Preservation Review District will be referred by the Building Division to the Cultural Resources Office for review. No demolition permit may be issued without the approval of the Office.

Criteria for Review:

The Office will consider these criteria in making its determination:

• redevelopment plans passed by ordinance;
• the building’s architectural quality;
• its structural condition;
• the demolition’s effect on its neighborhood;
• the building’s potential for reuse;
• urban design factors;
• any proposed subsequent construction;
• any commonly-controlled property.

So in 30% of the city buildings can be razed without any review by the staff hired to protect our cultural history. There are some exceptions, such as the 7th ward. It appears the CBD does have preservation review and other parts of the ward would be reviewed as part of of a National Register historic district. The same thing occurs in parts of the other seven non-review wards. Forget Team Four, lack of preservation review in six north side wards has done great damage.

But ward boundaries change this year due to redistricting. Preservation Review districts don’t automatically change, these must also be changed with new legislation.  That is, unless it was simplified and covered the entire city. Here is an example of the description of one of twenty districts:

PRESERVATION REVIEW DISTRICT THIRTEEN

Beginning at the intersection of the centerlines of Kingshighwayand Lindell, and proceeding in a generally clockwise direction east along the centerlines to Taylor, north to Maryland, east to Boyle, south to West Pine, east to Sarah, south to Laclede, east to Spring, south to Market, east to Grand, north to the Forest Park Parkway, east to Compton, south to Chouteau, west to Grand, south to Park, west to 39th, south to Blaine, west to Tower Grove, south to Interstate 44, west to Kingshighway, north to the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway tracks, west to Hampton, north to Manchester, west to Graham, north to Oakland, east to the southern prolongation of Euclid, north to Barnes Hospital Plaza, west to Kingshighway, and north to the point of beginning. (source)

Think of all the staff time to write new legislation, to alter the city’s property database.

ABOVE: The vacant transit substation & Dragon Trading buildings in the 17xx block of Locust may lose preservation review protection.

My loft will go from being in the 6th ward to the 5th ward, from preservation review to non-review. The buildings above, in the block to the west of me,  will also go from 6th to 5th, will suddenly be at greater risk of being razed without public input once the preservation review districts are revised. The substation is on Landmark’s 2010 Most Endangered List.

ABOVE: Butler Bros Warehouse, as seen from my windows, will be at risk when it gets placed in the 19th ward of Ald Marlene Davis

All this is to introduce the poll question for this week: Should Preservation Review be Citywide or Continue Ward-by-Ward?  The poll is located in the upper right corner of the blog.

- Steve Patterson

Readers Want Ald Freeman Bosley Sr. Out of Office

Ald. Freeman Bosley Sr.

Many people think Ald Freeman Bosley Sr. (D-3) has been a member of the Board of Aldermen longer than any other member. However, Phyllis Young & Fred Wessels hold that honor, both were first sworn in on April 16, 1985 (26 years!). Next is Joseph Roddy, first sworn in on March 11, 1988 (23 years!). Freeman Bosley Sr., and Terry Kennedy, were first sworn in on April 18, 1989 (22 years!).

In the poll last week readers picked the father of former mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. as the alderman they’d most like out of office. Where do I begin? Bosley’s plan for his 1/28th of the city has been tear down anything vacant more than a week. If not for the persistence of the staff at the city’s Cultural Resources office, and others, the third ward would have significantly fewer buildings.

As an example, Ald Bosley has mentioned for years about razing the beautiful library in Hyde Park with an IHOP.  I like eating at IHOP but I’m a bigger fan of the historic library.

ABOVE: the historic library in Hyde Park

In my first weeks of blogging I spoke at a Preservation Board meeting against the demolition of a historic church on North Grand that Bosley supported.  Thankfully they rejected the application and the church remains.

Here are the Top 10 vote getters in the poll, readers could pick up to five (those shown in bold are the ones I voted for):

1. 3) Freeman Bosley Sr. 75 [14.34%]
2. 19) Marlene E. Davis 60 [11.47%]
3. 6) Kacie Starr Triplett 40 [7.65%]
4. 7) Phyllis Young 38 [7.27%]
5. 5) April Ford-Griffin 34 [6.5%]
6. 20) Craig N. Schmid 32 [6.12%]
7. 1) Charles Troupe 28 [5.35%]
8. 18) Terry Kennedy 24 [4.59%]
9. 15) Jennifer Florida 22 [4.21%]
10. 9) Kenneth Ortmann 19 [3.63%]

The following are the remaining, in order.  In the case of a tie the software placed them in numerical/alphabetical order.

• 21) Antonio D. French 16 [3.06%]
• President Lewis Reed 15 [2.87%]
• All of them 14 [2.68%]
• 13) Fred Wessels 12 [2.29%]
• 17) Joseph D. Roddy 12 [2.29%]
• Stephen Conway 11 [2.1%]
• 4) Samuel L. Moore 10 [1.91%]
• 28) Lyda Krewson 10 [1.91%]
• 11) Thomas Albert Villa 7 [1.34%]
• 27) Gregory Carter 7 [1.34%]
• 22) Jeffrey L. Boyd 6 [1.15%]
• 23) Joseph Vaccaro 6 [1.15%]
• 2) Dionne Flowers 5 [0.96%]
• 10) Joseph Vollmer 5 [0.96%]
• 12) Larry Arnowitz 4 [0.76%]
• 16) Donna Baringer 4 [0.76%]
• None of them 2 [0.38%]
• 14) Carol Howard 2 [0.38%]
• Unsure/no answer 1 [0.19%]
• 24) Scott Ogilvie 1 [0.19%]
• 25) Shane Cohn 1 [0.19%]
• 26) Frank Williamson 0 [0%]

No votes for Williamson? Someone I know didn’t vote then.

Clearly many of them don’t know when to make an exit.  Twenty-six years?  If we want them out we’ve got to make it happen by challenging them at the next election, recall or just being so critical of everything they finally give up and step aside so younger folks can take a shot at leadership.

Odd numbered wards, seven of the top ten, are up again in 2013. Start planning your campaign today!

- Steve Patterson

Readers Overwhelmingly Support Bill Regulating Scrap Metal Dealers

ABOVE: Cash's Scrap Metal on N. Broadway couldn't pay customers in cash is a new bill becomes law

Last week readers voted overwhelmingly in support of BB86 which sets up requirements for scrap metal dealers to help reduce metal theft:

1. Good, something needs to stop metal thieves 94 [77.69%]
2. Something needs to be done but mailing checks isn’t realistic 15 [12.4%]
3. Other answer… 5 [4.13%]
4. Bad, more government regulation of private business 4 [3.31%]
5. Requiring the mailing of checks will hurt honest scrappers 3 [2.48%]
6. Unsure/no opinion 0 [0%]

The five other answers were:

1. both the 3rd and 4th option
2. I need more time to educate myself on the scrap industry and the legislation.
3. Expropriate the property of all scrap/brick dealers
4. Give them checks do not mail them.
5. take photo, match to drivers license before paying

I still think requiring computerization and the mailing of checks is unrealistic. Time will tell.

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Which Alderperson(s) would you like to see out of office?

ABOVE: St. Louis City Hall

If you follow politics in the City of St. Louis you probably have a favorite member of the Board of Aldermen.  And conversely, you probably have at least one you think should no longer be in office.  Through not running, defeat at the polls or even a recall, I’d like you to pick the alderperson(s) you think shouldn’t be in office.

I don’t typically vote in my own poll but I want to this week.  I realized I couldn’t pick just one , or even three, so I’m allowing you to pick up to five answers. I want more than five out of office but I felt I could fairly narrow my list down to five.  I realize this poll  isn’t entirely fair, some alderpersons have barely been in office two months, whereas others have been in office more than two decades.

Typically I have the poll software randomize the answers but this week they are fixed, presented in order of ward number.  The poll is in the upper right corner of the blog.  If all goes as planned on Wednesday July 13th I will be able to present a ranking of all 28 plus the citywide President. Who knows, I might even name the five I ‘m going to select in this poll.

- Steve Patterson