Poll: Thoughts on St. Louis County Sales Tax Pool

The City of St. Louis left St. Louis County in 1876 because it didn’t want to share its wealth with the rest of the county, now Chesterfield wants to do the same thing:

Frustrated by the lack of action by the state legislature on a proposed change to the St. Louis County sales tax distribution system that would let his and other cities keep more revenue generated within their boundaries, Chesterfield Mayor Bob Nation is threatening that his city may look at steps that include seceding from St. Louis County and joining St. Charles County. (stltoday)

Responding to the idea of Chesterfield switching counties, officials from both counties dismissed the idea. The article also explains the sales tax system:

The tax pool system was set up in 1977. Municipalities were either designated “point of sale” cities allowed to keep the revenue from the one-cent tax or “pool” cities drawing amounts from a common fund according to population. The pool also includes the county’s unincorporated areas.

Chesterfield was required to be a pool city when it incorporated in 1988. In 1993, the Legislature required point-of-sale cities to divert some of their money from the tax to the pool. Of the county’s 90 municipalities, 57 are pool cities. (stltoday)

More detail on the change 21 years ago:

The system was modified in 1993 to require point-of-sale cities to divert money to the pool. Many leaders of point-of-sale cities have called it a bad deal ever since. The system was intended as a compromise between municipalities with big shopping centers and those without, all of which have residents who go shopping. Richmond Heights, home to the Galleria, is a point-of-sale city. Florissant and University City are in the pool. (stltoday)

Chesterfield isn’t alone, mayors from other “point of sale” cities want to keep all/more of the revenue generated within their municipal boundaries. The poll this week seeks to find out what readers think, if anything, should be done to the current system. The poll is in the right sidebar.

— Steve Patterson

Details on ICM/Summer Rocks Parking Agreement

Until St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones lives up to her campaign promise about transparency in the Treasurer’s office, I’ll continue to collect and publish their documents for public review.

Here are three more Parking Commission documents:

• Minutes March 2014 (obtained via Sunshine Law request)
• Minutes April 2014 (distributed at May 2014 meeting, scanned)
• Parking meter study through April 2014

The minutes from both March & April discuss a possible parking agreement with ICM/Summer Rocks, the new group that pushed the Taste of St. Louis & St. Louis Blues Week out of downtown St. Louis. As of the May Parking Commission meeting no agreement has been finalized, the folks at Scottrade Center (ie: Blues) weren’t happy with the agreement. Once an agreement is in place I’ll request a copy.

Another Jones campaign platform was not wanting to be St. Louis’ “Parking Czar.”

0/2

— Steve Patterson

Balancing Sidewalk Seating & Walkability at Culinaria

I love outdoor seating, see Lunch Al Fresco from last month, but I also think public sidewalks should remain passable. Achieving both requires effort to create an ideal balance. When the downtown grocery store Culinaria first opened in August 2009 there was a good balance, but over time the walkability was sacrificed in favor of twice as many tables & chairs. Take a look:

I was glad to see fewer tables, but I knew they could be arranged better. Also, the remaining tables were the larger round tables that seat four, the smaller rectangle tables for two were gone. I think I’ve convinced them to remove a couple more round tables and bring back four of the rectangular tables. This will give another option for customers while maintaining the same seat count.  The seating area, and sidewalk, are now more generous and comfortable for everyone.

Working on better bike parking now.

— Steve Patterson

A Look at the Riverview Transit Center

I recently changed buses at the Riverview Transit Center (map) on my way to visit the Lewis & Clark Library and Tower, my first time at this MetroBus Transit Center. I took the #40 (Broadway) from downtown, then caught the #27 (North County Connector) to finish my journey. I’ve changed buses at several transit centers, this is the best I’ve experienced in St. Louis.

With the notable exception of the restroom, bus riders still aren’t treated as well as light rail riders. The light rail platforms have heaters to keep passengers warm waiting for the next train and all platforms are non-smoking. It would be nice to use public transit without being assaulted by cigarette smoke. Next week I’ll take a look at the Civic Center Transit Center.

— Steve Patterson

Climate Change Is Here; Readers Think We Need To Do Much More Than We Are Currently

Yesterday a new report confirmed what many of us thought, that Climate Change is already underway:

Climate change is no longer a distant threat, but a real and present danger in the United States, according to a government report issued Tuesday. The report is the latest update from the U.S. Global Change Research Program, and details ways that climate change — caused predominantly by the emission of heat-trapping greenhouse gases — is already being felt across the country. (Huffington Post: Climate Change Is Already Here, Says Massive Government Report)

The following is from the Midwest region, which includes Missouri & Illinois:

Key Messages 1. In the next few decades, longer growing seasons and rising carbon dioxide levels will increase yields of some crops, though those benefits will be progressively offset by extreme weather events. Though adaptation options can reduce some of the detrimental effects, in the long term, the combined stresses associated with climate change are expected to decrease agricultural productivity. 2. The composition of the region’s forests is expected to change as rising temperatures drive habitats for many tree species northward. The role of the region’s forests as a net absorber of carbon is at risk from disruptions to forest ecosystems, in part due to climate change. 3. Increased heat wave intensity and frequency, increased humidity, degraded air quality, and reduced water quality will increase public health risks. 4. The Midwest has a highly energy-intensive economy with per capita emissions of greenhouse gases more than 20% higher than the national average. The region also has a large and increasingly utilized potential to reduce emissions that cause climate change. 5. Extreme rainfall events and flooding have increased during the last century, and these trends are expected to continue, causing erosion, declining water quality, and negative impacts on transportation, agriculture, human health, and infrastructure. 6. Climate change will exacerbate a range of risks to the Great Lakes, including changes in the range and distribution of certain fish species, increased invasive species and harmful blooms of algae, and declining beach health. Ice cover declines will lengthen the commercial navigation season.

The last section is “Response Strategies”, from the introduction:

People make choices every day about risks and benefits in their lives, weighing experience, information, and judgment as they consider the impacts of their decisions on themselves and the people around them. Similarly, people make choices that alter the magnitude of impacts resulting from current and future climate change. Using science-based information to anticipate future changes can help society make better decisions about how to reduce risks and protect people, places, and ecosystems from climate change impacts. Decisions made now and in the future will influence society’s resilience to impacts of future climate change. In recognition of the significance of these decisions, the National Climate Assessment presents information that is useful for a wide variety of decisions across regions and sectors, at multiple scales, and over multiple time frames. For the first time, the National Climate Assessment includes chapters on Decision Support, Mitigation, and Adaptation, in addition to identifying research needs associated with these topics.

The report is massive, I’ve only skimmed it a little. Here are the results from last week’s poll:

Q: Which of the following is closest to your current view on the environment

1. We need to do much more to stop/reverse Climate Change 59 [71.08%]
2. We’ve gone off the deep end worrying about global warming 10 [12.05%]
3. We could do more, but there’s no need to be excessive 9 [10.84%]
4. We’re doing all we can/should do 3 [3.61%]
5. We’re fretting too much over the environment 2 [2.41%]
6. Unsure/No Answer 0 [0%]

To those who say we’ve gone off the deep end, I suggest you buy ocean front property for your retirement years.

— Steve Patterson