Alder Woman Keys.

Alderwoman Tyers.

Present.

Alderwoman Boyd.

Present.

Alderman Aldrich.

President Green.

Present.

Alderwoman Schweitzer.

Alderman Cone.

Alderwoman Velasquez.

Alderwoman Clark Hubbard.

12 present, you have Quorum.

Accorn being present, we will dispense with line item three and take up the special order of the day.

Alderman from the 14th, you're recognized on the motion to this suspend the rules for the purposes of introducing resolution 149.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

I move to suspend the rules and introduce resolution 149.

It's been moved by the Alderman from the 14th, seconded by the Alderwoman from the 10th, that we suspend the rules to introduce resolution 149.

This is a non-debatable motion.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alder Woman Schweitzer.

Alderwoman Sonier.

Aye.

Alderwoman Cox Antwi.

Alderwoman Clark Hubbard.

Alderwoman Keys.

Alder Woman Tyres.

Aye.

Alderwoman Boy.

Aye.

Alderman Aldrich.

Aye.

President Green.

Aye.

Alderwoman Schweitzer.

Alderman Aldenberg.

Alderman Cone.

Alderwoman Velazquez.

11 aye votes.

By your vote, you sustain the motion for the Alderman from the 14th.

Madam Clerk, please place resolution 149 at the end of the courtesy resolution.

So noted.

And at this time, if Alderman from the 14th would please approach the dais with your honored guests.

Percy Jamala.

What is this?

This is an anti-fatigue mat.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh Madam Clerk, could you read resolution 149?

Resolution 149, honoring the life, legacy, and lasting impact of Percy Phillips II.

Whereas Percy, I'm sorry, Percy Green II, whereas Percy Green, a native son of St.

Louis, Missouri, has dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice, equality, and opportunity for all people, using his voice and actions to challenge systems of oppression.

And whereas, as the founding member of the Action Committee to Improve Opportunities for Negroes, and an active member of St.

Louis Chapter of Congress racial equality, Percy Green worked tirelessly to dismantle racial barriers in employment and education, organizing peaceful demonstrations and advocating for the inclusion of African Americans in meaningful, well-paying jobs.

Whereas in 1964, Percy Green made national headlines when he courageously scaled the gateway arch to protest the exclusion of black workers from the federally funded project, an act that not only captured the national of the nation, I'm sorry, the attention of the nation, but became a landmark moment in the civil rights history of St.

Louis.

Whereas Percy was appointed as director of the city's minority contract compliance office, where he where his fair and thorough process of root and rooted out fraudulent companies who undermined the progress of genuine women and minority companies, bringing integrity to the office.

Whereas Percy Green was the plaintiff in the McDonnell Douglas Court versus Green, a landmark Supreme Court case that clarified the protection guarantee under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by establishing a framework for evaluating claims of employment discrimination using indirect evidence, a framework that remains foundation to civil rights law today and continues to be argued in front of the Supreme Court as recent as March 2025.

Whereas Percy Green's active activism extends beyond a single era, continuing into his later years as he mentored younger generations to activists, inspiring them to stand up for justice, fairness, and fundamental dignity of every person.

Whereas Percy Green's courage, conviction, and compassion left a mark on the city of St.

Louis and his unwavering commitment to equality serves as a beacon of hope and a model for civic engagement.

Now, therefore be a resolve by the Board of Alderman of the City of St.

Louis that we pause in our deliberation to honor the extraordinary life.

Enduring legacy of Percy Green the Second, a true hero of the civil rights movement and the contemporary political movement whose courageous courage consistently changes the face of opportunity in St.

Louis.

We further direct the clerk of this board to spread a copy of this resolution across the minutes of the proceeding and prepare a commemorative copy to of this resolution to the end, that it may be presented to those deemed appropriate by the sponsor.

Introduced this seventh day of November by the honorable Rasheen Aldridge Alderman of the 14th Ward and the co-sponsors include President Megan Green, Honorable Matt Devotee of the Fifth Ward, Daniela Velasquez of the Sixth Ward, Alicia Sanyay of the 7th Ward, Jamie Cox Answeet of the Eighth Ward, Michael Browning of the Ninth Ward, Shamem Clark Hubbard of the 10th Ward, Laura Keys of the 11th Ward, and Pamela Boyd of the 13th Ward.

Thank you for that, madam uh clerk for reading that resolution, and that is just a small snippet of an extremely long resume that this gentleman behind me has.

And if we could capture all of it, we'll probably be here from about one o'clock just talking about all the historic things that Percy Green has done.

You know, as a saying of give people their flowers while they're here.

And I think this is a small token from the board of Alderman that we're not giving, I don't call him a legend.

He's an icon.

He's an icon in our region, but he's an icon across this nation.

I first actually met uh Percy Green, one of the whereas clauses talk about how Percy Green has always supported the next generation of activists, the next generation of disturbers.

I would say something else, but we're on live TV.

And I actually met Percy Green in 2013 with the Fight for Fifteen movement.

And we were starting a process where we were about to do civil disobedience.

And Percy has done plenty of civil disobedience, probably got arrested over a hundred sometimes.

But he knew the importance of what it looks like to not just get arrested, but of course, the news media would love to come out there and see black people getting arrested to talk about a story and being able to use civil disobedience in a way to get a message across.

In 2013, as I was part of Fight for 15, and we was taking the steps of getting arrested with civil disobedience, we were scared.

We didn't know what to do.

Uh, and didn't even know what civil disobedience was.

And Percy was one of the first people that met me and uh other young folks in the church to talk about the importance of civil disobedience.

But his inspiration and his his legacy and his mentor for young people didn't stop there.

In 2014, when Mike Brown was murdered at the hands of Darren Wilson, Percy Green again was there teaching us young folks of what it means to be safe out in the streets, teaching us different tactics in OBS uh in the in the in the I wouldn't say basement, but in the entrance of OBS on ways to make sure that the strategies that we use are being effective.

Percy Green has continued to uh fight for economic justice, especially uplifting uh black men who wasn't getting the proper jobs.

As we approach 250 years of St.

Louis uh celebrating its birthday, we also should celebrate 60 years of Percy Green when him and others climb the arch to demand that there was fair jobs when it comes to people that look like me and my colleagues that are up.

And to climb the arch is no small task at all.

But that speaks to the testament of Percy Green constantly putting his his body on the line.

Uh right now there's a PBS documentary out that I encourage everybody to go look at.

I watched it two weeks in my living room, and it inspired me to feel like that I need to do more.

And in that documentary, you learn about so much and so all the work that Percy has done, the different actions that he has uh done over the several years, the strategic ways of using um items to get people's attention that I would say the least.

But when we have an icon like Percy Green, as we said, you know, he has a a case that went all the way up to Supreme Court and actually won that talks about discrimination of people of color and getting fur jobs.

You don't see that in the St.

Louis region anymore.

And I just want to, you know, thank Percy Green for all that he has done, that all that he continues to do.

And I don't think we understand the gravitude and the the the level of weight of uh the individual that we have behind us that is still here with us.

And we need to, especially as a young person, take all that knowledge that Percy Green has to be able to continue to use it to move our city forward.

So to Percy Green, I just want to say thank you for not only being an icon for not only changing uh laws and rules and making it more fair for black men like myself to have jobs.

But thank you more importantly for being a mentor, a mentor, not just to me, but so many other young people uh that are in that's in this movement and still in this movement trying to find just you're the one who broke the glass ceiling that made this fight not as hard for us.

And thank you is not even enough, but I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you've done for this region, all that you've done for St.

Louis and all that you've done for young black people like myself.

So thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, St.

Louis Board of Alderman.

Thank you very much.

I uh with uh such a resume.

Uh I don't have a whole lot more to say, you know.

So one that who whoever prepared that they they they stole the thunder from me, wouldn't that?

You know.

But there's that the board uh you have an awful lot of work to do.

So I won't uh delay uh uh by telling you uh, you know, some of the things that I would like to share with you.

But without any further ado, let me just say thank you, thank you, thank you, and uh carry on.

I think I would not be remiss in saying that no thank you for all of the work that you have done.

I mean, you as Alderman from the 14th said, you truly are an icon in someone that so many of us have looked up to for so many years, and I you know, I appreciate kind of the moment I got involved in politics and the Ferguson Uprising was happening, you reached out, you know, right away.

And I remember sitting at Julia Davis and having some conversation.

And yes, and um, and I appreciate that.

You know, the fact that you would take the time to see, you know, this young person getting into the office in the middle of you know, an uprising in a movement and say, you know what, let's sit down and have some conversations.

Like you'll never know how much that meant to me.

So thank you.

Alderman from I'll do fourth and then third.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Uh I just want to echo the uh sentiments of the alderman from the 14th.

Mr.

Green, thank you for uh everything you've done.

And uh from a man who uh doesn't like being above the second rung on a ladder, uh climbing the arch is just wild.

Um so uh I I'm glad that I have the opportunity to take say that to you uh just in person.

Uh and with that, uh I would uh move that we move this resolution forward again.

It's been moved by the aldermen from the four, seconded by the alder woman from the tenth, and we make resolution number one forty-nine in bank.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Opposed motion carries.

That means that every single member of the board of aldermen has now signed on as a sponsor to the resolution.

Any further discussion, any further discussion?

Seeing none, then I would ask us all to join on the steps over here if we could all get a picture before we conclude.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

I move that we adopt the courtesy resolution's consent calendar.

Move by the older woman from the 10th, second by the alderman from the 14th.

That we adopt the courtesy resolution calendar.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Introduction of honored guests.

Any introduction of honored guests.

Older woman from the 11th.

Oh, you have no microphone.

You ain't got no mic.

Oh, it's all we're gonna go freestyle.

I'm gonna walk with the mic.

Here we go.

So this morning, we are so happy to have joining us, Slough Policy Pods members.

And as I call your name, please stand.

And I'm gonna ask in advance for your forgiveness if I mispronounce your name, as I only speak two languages, English and bad English.

So Israel Garcia, Skyler Lanus, Grace Vasher, Emmett Patel, Zachary Geller, Sabrina Vocario, Miriam Quasinar, Arib Hassan, Atish Kush, Chandra, Juthan Kala, Kal R Apu.

Close enough.

Thank you.

Rudra Kasara.

How'd I do?

Okay.

Just a few more.

Shrija.

Bodu.

That that was that really bad.

I did okay.

Okay.

And then Rachel Mara, Libby, Jalen, and of course, please stand up.

Jessica Trout, who's also wearing red today.

On the on behalf of the board of Alderman, thank you all for joining us.

We look forward to many more visits.

Alderman from the 14th.

Thank you, Madam President President, members of the board.

As my honored guest today, I would like to have the Alder Woman from the Elevator 11th that did, I think, really exceptional job on uh those introductions.

As well as I would like to have the not another nickel campaign who is up in the gallery.

I also would like to have you night here, who's here today with us.

And I also would love to have as my honor guest Miss Mama Jamala Rogers, who is also an icon in this region.

Every strong black man is a stronger black woman.

Also for this region, the work that you have done also inspire uh other young folks like myself is greatly appreciated.

So I want to thank Mama Jamala also and give her her flowers while she's here and have all these wonderful people today as my honor guests.

Thank you guys for being here.

I echo all of the outer all of the honored guests, and I could go on who is like family.

Uh thank you, madam president, members of the board.

Last week I was late because I was on a call helping with a constituent that had been unexpectedly displaced that day uh and had to move out of an apartment that day uh due to tornado damage, right?

And so today for my honor guest, I want to have Miss Annalise Stover in the St.

Louis Area Agency on Aging, who immediately her and her staff answered the call.

Uh the building management who immediately answered the call and helped us to place um this constituent that night, the next night, the next night in preparation for now my third uh person I want to thank is Peter and Paul and Peter and Paul for now housing the constituents continuing to housing the constituents on the dedicated space they made on the seventh floor.

Just want to echo and uplift since we'll be discussing it today.

That people are answering the call, people have the access, people have the heart, and people have the resources, and what we should do is empower and build capacity within them, the people that are already doing this work on the ground as we move into this season and deal with our now um elevated unhoused neighbors.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, madam president.

Uh I just had to get back up when I heard the alder woman of um the 10th ward say Annalise Stover.

Just last night, uh I had one of my constituents, 94 years old, whose mind is still sharp.

And he called me last night.

He too uh has been displaced by the storm.

I immediately texted Annalisa after dark, and she responded immediately.

I am so proud of the work that that she and her team have done.

If you all recall when we had the the heritage house pipes to to burst and and we had 178 senior citizens at the helm was Annalise Stover, and she is a powerhouse unto herself, and I'm glad to know her in our city is better because she works with us.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Um, I would like to have in addition to the special guest name so far, um, the employees at Caldi's Coffee that are in the process of uh unionizing.

We have some folks from the union community and employees in our gallery today.

So I just want to give a big shout out to you all.

Thank you.

Any further introduction of honored guests?

Any further introduction of honored guests?

Seeing none, older woman from the 10th, you're recognized on the approval minutes from Friday, October 31st, 2025.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

I move the we approve the minutes from Friday, October 7th.

I'm sorry.

October 31st.

Can I forget Halloween 2025?

Okay.

It's been moved by the older woman from the 10th, second by the alderman from the 14th.

Approved minutes from Friday, October 1st, 2025.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Report of city officials.

Reported to the officials can be found in A, B, C, and D of the agenda and has been placed in the Google drive for your review.

Dear members of the board, I have the pleasure to submit the following individuals for reappointment to the mental health board.

The reappointment of Caroline Jackson, the reappointment of Donna Schmidt, and the appointment of Brian Phillips.

I respectfully request your approval of these appointments.

Sincerely, Cara Spencer Mayor.

Alder woman from the 12th.

You are recognized on Mayor Spencer's appointments to the mental health board.

Umbers of the board.

First, I have a point of uh information.

Am I going to talk to each appointment or just the one from the 12th board?

I think we'll step on toes.

To all of go ahead and do all of them as the most uh senior older person um whose constituent is listed.

We put you in charge of it.

I just didn't want to do them.

Well, I as I always ask, since this is uh uh citywide board, I would ask that these uh appointments be sent to the appropriate committee.

That would probably be the health and human development.

That'll be fine, madam president.

All right, there has been you want to make a motion?

I move that they be moved to the appropriate uh uh committee, which is the health and human.

Is there a second?

It's been moved by the older woman from the 12th.

There was a lot of seconds there.

That we approve uh that we send Mayor Spencer's appointments to the mental health board to the health and human development committee.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

That's the extended report of city officials.

Does anyone wish to take any bills or resolutions off of any of our informal calendars?

Anyone wish to take any bills or resolutions off of any of our informal calendars?

Seeing none, first reading of board bills.

Board bill ninety-six, sponsored by Alderwoman Cox Antwig.

An ordinance directing the director of streets to establish the direction of Marine Avenue as a one-way street southbound from 3600 block to the 3700 block.

Board Bill 97, sponsored by Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, and ordinance authorizing the honorary street name, Kim Kimberley's Way, pursuant to ordinance number 68937, which shall begin at the intersection of Deer Street and run north on Deer Street to the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Board Bill 98, sponsored by Alder Woman Keys, and ordinance recommended by the Treasurer of the City of St.

Louis in his capacity as supervisor of parking meters, authorizing and directing the city, acting through the treasure of the city in his capacity as supervisor of parking meters to issue revenue bonds in an aggregated principal amount not to exceed five million dollars, establishing the term of sale such bonds, appointing a trustee, approving and authorizing the preparation, execution, and delivery of necessary appropriate documents and actions authorizing the reimbursement of certain amounts previously expended on the project to be financed with proceeds of the bonds containing a severability clause.

That's the extent of first reading of board bills.

Reference to committee of board bills to public infrastructure and utilities committee board bill 96 and 97 to the budget committee board bill 98.

That's the extent of reference to committee of board bills.

Second reading and report of standing committees.

The following board bills were reported out of Hood's committee with the DuPass recommendation.

Board Bill 55, sponsored by Alderwoman Clark Hubbard, Alderwoman Sonia, Alderman Cohn, Alderman Browning, Alderwoman Keys and Alderman Aldridge, and ordinance approving a redevelopment plan dated January the 28th, 2025 for the 5105 Cabinet Avenue in the City of St.

Louis.

Board Bill 58, sponsored by Alderwoman Sonia, Alderman Cohn, Alderman Browning, Alderwoman Keys, Alderwoman Clark Cubbert, and Alderman Aldridge.

An ordinance approving the redevelopment plan dated November 14th, 2023 for the Benton Park West, Fox Park and Tower Grove East Scatter sites in the City of St.

Louis.

The following board bills were reported out of budget committee with the DuPass recommendation.

Board Bill 93, sponsored by Alderman Aldrich, Mayor Spencer, President Green, Alderwoman Sanye, Alderwoman Keys, Alderwoman Clark Hubbard, Alderman Browning, and Alderman Devotee.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of Esmin and Apportion, authorizing and directing appropriation and a sum of 1 million dollars of the RAM settlement fund for the deposit into the impacted tenants fund as authorized by ordinance 71840, revised by ordinance number 7202, contain the severability clause and an emergency clause.

Board Bill 94, sponsored by Alderwoman Sanye, Mayor Spencer, President Green, Alderwoman Clark Hubbard, Alderman Aldrich, Alder Woman Keys, Alderman Devotee, and Alderman Browning.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of Esmin apportionment, appropriating the sum of 3,365, 535 and 5 cents of the RAM settlement fund for the purpose of supporting winter shelters, needs for unhoused residents authorizing and directing the director of Department of Human Services to execute a purchase against existing contracts as may be necessary to expand funds containing a severality and emergency clause.

Board Bill 95, sponsored by Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, Mayor Spencer, President Green, Alderwoman Keys, Alder Woman Sonier, Alderman Aldrich, Alderman Devotee, and Alderman Browning.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of ISMEN and apportionment appropriating a sum of nine million three hundred and fifty thousand dollars of a one-time unreserved general operation operating reserve funds for a deposit into the tornado relief and recovery fund for the purpose of supporting winter-related shelter emergency shelter and additional tornado disaster relief to support housing of residents impacted by the May 16th, 2025 tornado containing a severability and an emergency clause.

That's the extent of second reading report of standing committees.

Alderman from the 14th, you're recognized on the motion to suspend the rules for the purposes of moving board bills 93, 94, and 95 from second reading the regular perfection calendar.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

I make a motion we suspend the rules for board bill 93, 94, 95 to the regular perfection calendar.

It's been moved by the alderman from the 14th, seconded by the alder woman from the 7th that we suspend the rules for the purposes of moving bills 93, 94, and 95 from second reading regular perfection calendar.

This is a non-debatable motion.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alderwoman Sweitzer.

Alderman Aldenberg.

Alderman Cone.

Aye.

Alderman Ryan.

Alderman Devotee.

Alder Woman Velazquez.

Alder Woman Sanyer.

Aye.

Alderwoman Cox Antwee.

Aye.

Alderman Brownie.

Aye.

Alderwoman Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

Alderwoman Keys.

Aye.

Alderwoman Tyus.

Alderwoman Bull.

Alderwoman Boyd.

Alderman Aldrich.

Aye.

President Green.

Aye.

Alderwoman Schweitzer.

Alderman Aldenberg.

Aye.

Alderman Narayan.

Aye.

Alderwoman Velasquez.

Alderwoman Tyus.

Aye.

Alderwoman Boyd.

12 I votes.

By your vote, you sustain the motion from the Alderman from the 14th.

If you could please place board bills 93, 94, and 95 at the end of the regular perfection calendar.

So noted.

Board bills for perfection consent.

Board bill 84, sponsored by Alderwoman Clark Hubbard, Alderwoman Songae, Alderman Browning, and Alderman Aldrich.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of Itsman and Apportionment authorizing the mayor to submit a 2026 annual action plan to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, authorizing the mayor and the command controller to enter into and execute agreements with Hood for the receipt of the 2026 community development block grant, community development block grant, disaster recovery, home investment, emergency solutions grant, housing opportunities for person with AIDS, authorizing the directors of the community development administration, department of human services, and the department of health to execute contracts as may be necessary.

The expand funds contain the severability and emergency clause.

Board Bill 13, sponsored by Alder Woman Sonye.

An ordinance repealing ordinance number 58239, approved February the 19th, 1981, which previously vacated the East West Alley located between South Vincent and Park Avenue on a 2700 block, City Block 2150.

This ordinance restores all public surface right of ways for vehicle, equestrian, and pedestrian travel to the city of St.

Louis pertaining to this track.

Board Bill 75, sponsored by Alderwoman Sanye, and ordinance establishing a four-way stop site at the intersection of Cherokee Street, Virginia Avenue, and the Bend West Park and Gravoy Park neighborhoods in the seventh ward to regulate traffic traveling in all directions containing an emergency clause.

Board Bill 85 sponsored by Alder Woman Sign Yay, pursuant to ordinance number 7033 as amended by ordinance number 71394 and ordinance directing the director of streets to install speed humps to calm the floor traffic on various blocks throughout the seventh board.

That's the extent of board bills for perfection consent calendar.

Alder Woman from the 10th, you're recognized on the motion to adopt the board bills for the perfection consent calendar.

Thank you, Madam President.

Members of the board, I move that we adopt the board bills for perfection calendar.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alderman from the 14th that we adopt the board bills for the perfection consent calendar.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Board bills for perfection.

Board bill 93.

Sponsored by Alderman Aldrich.

Mayor Spencer.

President Green, Alderwoman Sanye, Alderwoman Keys, Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, Alderman Browning, and Alderman Devotee.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of ISMEN and apportionment, authorized and directing appropriation and a total amount of one million dollars of the RAM settlement funds for deposit into the impacted tenant funds as authorized by ordinance seven one euros, revised by ordinance number seven two zero zero two, containing the severability clause and an emergency clause.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

I move to back board bill ninety-three.

It's been moved by the Alderman from the 14th, seconded by the Alder Woman from the 7th that we perfect Board Bill 93.

Alderman, you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Board bill ninety-three is appropriating one million from uh the Rams interest money going directly to the impact attendance fund.

I want to thank uh Alderman Browning, Alderman Devotee, Alderman, Velasco as an Alderwoman Tanya uh for months ago during the budget committee.

We actually made an amendment to move uh one million dollars of reserves to impact attendance fund.

Um and there with negotiations between the budget committee and the president's office and the mayor's office and comfortable ENA, we decided to use um the 30 million that was gonna come out of Rams money for impact attendance fund.

Uh during that process, there was a lot of moving pieces.

FEMA was in, we didn't want to duplicate services, so that kind of commitment fell off a little bit, but I want to appreciate the mayor's office for standing steadfast in that commitment.

And what we're doing is moving again uh a million from the interest directly to impact attendance fund.

Uh during the committee, Alderman Browning brought up a think a really good question.

I think that's important for the public of where is this program standing right now?

So currently the program is not uh set up.

It uh we have been working with DHS.

Uh we have been working with employment connection, who will be the vendor to get this program uh stood up and ready to go in the next two weeks.

Um there was some delay of it as FEMA was in.

We didn't want to duplicate services, so that kind of slowed down the program of setting standing up this program.

Um, but we have a strong commitment from DHS uh and they was on the phone with the vendor that we're gonna be rolling this program out in the next two weeks.

We understand that as people in the impacted area, but honestly, this has before that, that we want to keep people in the city of St.

Louis and some folks may need some relocations and assistance.

And this fund is to help with that relocations of assistance for them to be able to uh relocate to a different location uh within the city of St.

Louis.

Also want to thank the activist groups or advocate groups and organizers who have continued to uh hold our feet to the fire to make sure this program and as we move forward, the right to council program is also fully funded.

And with that, Madam President, I would open up for any questions from my colleagues.

Any further discussion?

Alder Woman from the eighth.

Madam President.

I would think that they try turning it off and back on this, yeah.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Um, I would just like to thank uh the budget committee and echo the alderman from the 14th's uh efforts to uh thank all the people that have been working to get this forward.

I truly think these dollars are highly necessary, and I know that many public uh have been advocating for this for a long time.

So with that, I'd like to be added as a co-sponsor.

Madam Clerk, please make note of that.

So noted.

Alder Woman from the 7th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Um, I wanted to echo my gratitude to um Alderman Aldrich as well as the rest of the budget committee, um, as well as the mayor's office, and also just really put on record that I hope if folks don't have a chance to watch the budget committee.

Um, if you're curious about I've gotten a lot of questions, what's been the hold up, what's the issues?

Uh Dr.

Pearson, who's the director of the Department of Human Services talked uh pretty clearly about some of the challenges of standing the program up.

And I wanted to lift that up because I know we just saw a pay um study that came out.

I know that there are being some moves made to pay employees, and I certainly hope that the Department of Human Services will benefit from some of these funds.

I'm a big fan of the impacted tenants fund, the right to council fund, but I think um you know departments need capacity and especially staffing capacity in order to support these programs properly.

So I wanted to thank the committee for their work, but also put on the record that I think we absolutely do have some more work to give some of the much needed support to the Department of Human Services so they can do a lot of the important work that they do for these programs and other critical needs of folks in our city.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

Alderman from the second.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Were the alderman from the 14th yield for a question, please?

The Alderman from the 14th yield to questioning from the alderman from the second.

Yes.

Alderman, you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, Alderman, you mentioned that this this million dollars, we the previous assumption was that it was going to be it the particular use was going to be included in the the original 30 million dollars that we quickly and swiftly moved toward tornado relief out of interest.

Um this is uh n outside of that, but I'm just I don't know, and I shouldn't know the answer to this, but you're bringing this forward.

Do we know what the current balance is on the interest andor the principal of the of the of the Rams proceeds?

Off the top of my head, I don't know the correct balance of interest.

I want to say maybe we have five million, but I don't know it directly, so I don't want to throw out any number of four million is an interest.

And I think we maybe have 200 and something in the principal close to 50, 80, but I don't have the direct number.

I do know that uh there's enough in the interest uh for both this and the rough approximately 3.4 million.

Yeah, for the next bill that we uh uh okay that comes up that there's enough funds for I'm sure I can get that pretty quickly from the treasurer.

I just I think it it would be important if as we start to what feels like making shifts towards utilizing the interests associated with these proceeds, which I again I don't disagree with in spirit.

I think it's good governing.

Um and it's a way to keep the principle intact and lasting and the the longer we can keep the principal untapped.

I think it is the better.

Um but I I do think if we're gonna continue utilizing the interest in the in any capacity that the board bill should carry what those balances are constantly, and it maybe just as an exhibit or a footnote would would be a good idea.

Yeah, what I could do, Alderman before uh since the exhibit doesn't uh change the scope of the board bill, I can make sure uh next week I'll have an exhibit attached of how much is in interest and how much is in the principal.

I'll reach out to the treasurer to try to get those numbers possible for you.

See you're a giver.

I appreciate that.

I have nothing further.

Anything from my buddy further discussion.

Seeing none, alderman from the 14th, you're recognized closed.

Thank you, madam president.

Uh uh close on board bill 93.

It's been moved by the alderman from the 14th, seconded by the older woman from the 7th, that we perfect board bill number 93.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Opposed, motion carries.

Board bill 94, sponsored by Alder Woman Sonia, Mayor Spencer, President Green, Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, Alderman Aldrich, Alder Woman Keys, Alderman Devotee, and Alderman Browning.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of Estimate and Apportion appropriating the sum of three million three three hundred and sixty-five thousand five hundred and thirty-five dollars and five cents of the Rams Settlement Fund for the purpose of supporting winter shelter needs for unhoused residents, authorized and directing the director of the department of human services to execute or purchase against existing contracts as may be necessary to expand funds containing a separability and an emergency clause.

Thank you, madam president.

I would like to make a motion to perfect board bill 94.

It's been moved by the older woman from the 7th, seconded by the older woman from the 11th that we perfect board 4 alder woman you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Um I want to thank all the folks who came out to committee that we um had that came to committee that we had this week to speak about some of the needs here.

I want to definitely give a big gratitude to many of the providers and team of care and the many volunteers who are grouping up to get ready to do this work.

Um I actually had an opportunity to attend St.

Louis outreach winter outreach training this past Saturday with Auder Woman Boyd, um, which was an excellent experience.

I think we all are familiar with the issues that we face every winter.

I don't think I need to go into depth that we you know the purpose of this bill is to prevent any human being from freezing in the cold this winter.

Um I won't belabor the point.

Um, but this is hopefully to provide capacity to support staffing operational expenses, um, to provide transportation for folks to shelters to provide you know funds to set up those sorts of um of infrastructure.

And again, I know there are many folks who are watching and many folks in the gallery who are the volunteers and the residents of the city of St.

Louis who really provide this infrastructure, often with very little uh support from the city.

And so I think this is a great uh proactive move on our behalf to get these funds moving.

Um, and then I also just wanted to note to a previous question that was raised earlier that the balance is uh for the RAM settlement.

There is mention of that in the whereas clauses of these bills.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Seeing none.

Oh, sorry, older woman board, alder woman from the 13th.

Uh thank you, madam president.

Uh would the uh say with the resident, would the outer person from the seventh uh be open for a question?

Absolutely.

With the older woman from the seventh yield questioning from the older woman from the 13th.

Absolutely.

Alder woman from the 13th, you may proceed.

Thank you, out of woman, Sonia.

So you would excuse me, you and I have been really pushing for this.

My question is, and my fear is the money getting on the street.

And so, do we know how long it's gonna take to move these dollars to get them out?

Because winter is here, we're already up on winter.

So that's I think that's my biggest fear.

And we had that conversation.

So, did do we have a timeline or what when this can start moving?

Because I'm getting calls also from organization that said no money is on the streets.

So, do you have approximate time frame?

Yes, ma'am.

Um, first, I just want to thank you, Alder Woman Boy, for much of your help of having these conversations, uplifting this issue.

Um, I really want to make sure I put that on record.

Um, and absolutely I share your concerns for a timeline.

I have gotten not gotten an exact timeline, but I do know that Dr.

Pearson indicated that as soon as the pen is put on this legislation and is signed, he's hoping to be ready to um within these pieces of bills, there's the emergency procurement process.

And so they're hoping to be ready to release those RFP RFPs request for proposals and put those funds out as soon as the mayor signs this bill, and that's a part of us moving to perfect the bill today so that we can move that fast.

And I would say all that to say with the honest caveat that obviously our procurement processes are are moving slow.

Um, and then I would say the other thing that I think to pay attention to is a lot of the money that's moving, the other bills are going to the Office of Recovery.

This bill is going to the Department of Human Services, and that's with help that hopes that they're not moving, you know, they're not the office that's responsible for moving the 30 million that was allocated.

And so that's with hope that they will be able to get these focused solely on these funds and getting them out the door as quick as possible.

I don't have a firm commitment.

I'm happy to send an email and see if we could get firm commitment, but I will also say I think part of the diligence will be on us as alders to make sure that we're having those conversations on record and actively tracking if the money is moving and creating spaces for the organizations on the ground to let us know and speak publicly about where it is.

Okay, thank you so much.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, older woman from the seventh, you're recognized closed.

Thank you, madam president, members of the board.

Again, I just really give a big shout out to you know, really the blood of this bill, which is really community residents who I know are gonna be really responsible for putting these efforts up and supporting these investments.

I know that this is a very frustrating process.

We know that this winter is gonna be even more difficult the ones we had in the past, but I certainly do hope that what you all see today from this board and this body is just a true intention to want to move as fast and be as supportive as we can in your efforts.

It's been moved by the older woman from the seventh, seconded by the older woman from the 11th, that we perfect board bill number 94.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed, motion carries.

Board bill 95, sponsored by Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, Mayor Spencer, President Green, Alder Woman Keys, Alder Woman Sign Yay, Alderman Aldrich, Alderman Devotee and Alderman Browning.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of Estimate and Apportion, appropriating a sum of $9,350,000 of a one-time unreserved general operating reserve funds for deposit into the tornado relief and recovery fund for the purpose of supporting winter-related emergency shelters and additional tornado disaster relief to support housing of residents impacted by the May 16th, 2025 tornado containing a severability and an emergency clause.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

I move that we perfect board bill 95.

It's been moved by the older woman from the 10th, seconded by the older woman from the 7th, that we perfect board bill number 95.

Alder Woman, you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh, members of the board, before I open myself up for questions from any of my colleagues, I think hit a few points that I know probably uh the money man in the room might ask where these unrest one time unrestricted funds came from from our general operating um big budget, they are half of last year's operating surplus that came directly from our budget director, uh Paul Payne, so that you know where those came from.

I also wanted to reference the and highlight that not only does this support uh emergency sheltering, but also additional disaster relief to support housing of residents impacted by May 16th.

And I'll tell you why I'm highlighting that because once again this morning on the news, I heard mention of this mass shelter, and I want to highlight that in committee, not only did myself, my colleagues, uh director Pearson, the mayor's administration, nobody spoke about wanting to form and use this funding for a mass shelter, a thousand bed shelter, all of the narratives that are going around.

This uh highlighted and gives us the opportunity to not only rehouse but deploy these funds to existing eligible contractors that can get them to Alderman Boys Point on the ground to these people that need housing, like the examples that you heard me and Alder Woman Keys uplift today.

So again, I want to make sure I reference and in talking about transparency and talking about we have a responsibility to hold things accountable, like Alder Woman said, we have to use our platforms to make sure we control this narrative.

We are down here to want to help support the people that are doing this work already in the city.

Please don't ever feel like you're being taken for granted or that we don't listen, see or hear and know the work that you're doing on the ground.

So when we have opportunities to legislate, which is our role, then we legislate and move forward and then advocate for you.

So just making sure that that's highlighted uh for the media, for the people in the room, for the people listening.

Nobody wants to house and hoard our people.

We want to help our people get through this winter season so that they can make the steps to get through their full um restoration and recovery here and continue to stay in the city of St.

Louis.

So with that, I will um be available for any questions you may have uh on board bill 95.

Alderman from the second.

And then I'll thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Uh I certainly rise in support of this.

I just wanted to make a a quick a couple of statements to bring um the the importance of tapping the reserve, the city's reserve into into frame here.

Um, you know, I I think with the budget office and past administration's certain effort since the great recession to really bolster back up our reserves.

Um they had been depleted significantly, and they are there for emergency situations and disruptions like we saw with Tornado.

So I I do caveat that I think this is an appropriate use or tap of the reserves, but I just do want to also have a call to action that we need to be very careful when we do, in fact, tap our city's reserves.

The good news here is I think we had about 154 million in our reserves, which is about 25% of the operating funds that we need and can cover more than two months of operating expenses.

City had no revenue coming in.

Uh, that's sort of the general guideline from I think the government finance office of associations.

So, this dip, while important and and needed, I I do just want to stress that it does still keep us above the the general minimum requirement of that of that office and keeping our reserves strong is very important.

But but to close by saying that this is an important and type of use that you do, in fact, tap the city's reserves prudently.

Um, so I want to thank the Alder Woman from the 10th um for carrying this measure, and I have nothing further.

Alder Woman from the 8th.

I might just not like you today.

Every day, every day.

Um, thank you, Madam President.

Um, I I just want to rise again uh and state my continued support um for this series of bills, as well as thank the budget committee from the work on it.

But I do have one question from the alder woman for the 10th, um, because I think it's important.

Oh, Alder Woman, would you yield for questions?

With the Alder Woman from the 10th yields questioning from the Alder Woman.

Absolutely.

Alder Woman from the 8th, you may proceed.

Thank you, Alderman.

I do just have one question, um, and I think it speaks to the Alder Woman from the 13th question about the necessity to make sure these funds are deployed very quickly.

I know a lot of us do have uh support organizations and puts on the ground organizations may be in our ward that may be seeking these funds to be able to do the work that they're wanting to do uh to help support the residents uh that are on housing the community.

So can you just speak to um one why it is necessary for us to have two different sources of revenue going to this purpose of supporting renter shelters and uh potentially what these dollars that you're we're gonna be pulling for maybe used for?

Great question.

Um, one, I'll speak to the different sources, and I say that they even two, three, four, five are not for the need.

So when you see us pulling from wherever we can, I know work was done by Alder Woman Sign Yay and the mayor's administration just to see where we could pull from exactly what we needed, as much as we needed to try to fill in this gap that's still there.

And what was also mentioned in committee was that special meetings, the fact that these contracts, a lot of them to your point providers that have already gone through procurement, have already gone through um validation and all of that to make sure that they've already been working to do the work, can access these freely and funding and not have to go through applying for RFP, not have to go through the procurement other processes, us having special meetings and moving things the way we're doing, all of these are the steps that we can take in this very bureaucratic process.

Um, full of red tape, we know that, but we are doing our part down here to remove some of the red tape, the red tape that we can work to get this money on the ground as quickly as possible.

Listen, if we wouldn't have done these steps, we would have still been talking about it.

If the conversations that they had had, if the conversations with our budget director, Paul Payne wasn't on the table so that he could identify this one time third money funding.

We could put all of these conversations having in the sense of urgency that they are now.

While we know from our providers that it wasn't urgent enough, we are now doing our part to get it on the ground.

So now we have to follow it and track it, right?

This is our pro part of the our role in the process, and I think that us working down here together sends the sends the message rather that we are for it, and then we can now advocate to make sure that they get it.

Um, so I hope that answers your question.

But other than that, you know, what we can say is if we see there's a stop gap somewhere, and we have identified those, then we call it to the table immediately.

Then we use our friends in the media, then we use our friends and community in public in the providers and on the ground, and our most importantly, our unhoused neighbors, our constituents that are living this to uplift and push people forward.

We know that's how unfortunately, um, not just in our city government, but in other governments, the squeaky uh wheel gets the oil, and right now this is absolutely the squeaky wheel.

Thank you, Alder Woman.

That definitely answers my question.

And I do just think it's important for any providers that are watching that waiting for these funds to know that that's why we're doing it, and that's how we're working quickly to make sure that we can get access to people as possible.

So thank you for that.

Alder woman from the 7th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Um, I just wanted to add some additional context to what the Alder Woman from the 10th said as far as what these funds can be used for in board bill 95.

Um, some of them can be used for rental assistance and deposits for people who need to you know relocate really quickly.

Some of it can be used for home repair.

Obviously, the tornado completely devastated and ruined homes.

Some of the funds can be used for vacant turnovers.

So there's a program being run out of CDA right now where they're trying to quickly activate housing that doesn't need that much work so that folks can move into it.

Um, and then also some of the funds can be used for legal services and staffing capacity and case management because obviously you have residents who have lost everything, so they might need case management to help them with food access, to help them with utility assistance to help them with whatever they need.

And so those are some of the eligible uses within board bill 95.

And I just think that's important to have on the record so that folks could kind of understand the difference between uh the different pieces of legislation we're discussing here.

Alder Women Shame Clark's Hubbard's bill is really focused on specifically tornado victims and their needs, which are a bit different from those who are already being a part of our unhoused community.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, older woman from the 10th, you're recognized to close.

I renew my motion.

It's been moved by the older woman from the 10th, seconded by the older woman from the seventh that we perfect board bill number 95.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Opposed motion carries.

That's the extent of board bills for perfection.

Report of engrossment, board bill 89.

Third reading and final passage of board bills consent.

Board bill 89.

Alder woman from the 10th.

You are recognized on the motion to adopt the third reading and final passage of board bills on the consent calendar.

Thank you, madam.

President members of the board, I move that we adopt the third reading finally passes your board bills on the consent calendar.

It's been moved by the older woman from the 10th, seconded by the alder woman from the seventh that we adopt the third reading, final passage board bills on the consent calendar.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, madam clerk, please call the roll.

Alder Woman Switzer.

Alderman Aldenberg.

Alderman Cone.

Alderman Narayan.

Alderman Devotee.

Alder Woman Belasquez.

Alder Woman Sign Yay.

Alderman Cox Answee.

Alderman Browning.

Alder Woman Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

Alder Woman Keys.

Alder Woman Tyres.

Alder Woman Boyd.

Alderman Aldridge.

President Green.

Aye.

Alder Woman's wife, sir.

Alderman Cone.

Alder Woman for Lazcas.

Alder Woman Thayas.

Alder Woman Boyd.

11 aye votes.

Your vote you sustain the motion from the Alder Woman from the 10th to third reading finally pass the aforementioned bills.

Third reading and final passage of board bills.

We have not.

We can dispense with line item 20.

Report of the finally passed and signed by the president.

Board bill 89.

All other business being suspended.

The president shall an open session to fix her signature here to end that these may become law.

First reading resolutions in reference to committees.

Resolution 144.

Sponsored by Alder Wyoming for Lascas.

Approve the 2026 Tower Gross Concerned Citizens Special Business District Budget.

Aldermen from the 14th, are you handling this?

Okay.

Alderman from the 14th.

You're recognized on the first reading resolution for thank you, Madam President.

Members of the board.

I ask for unanimous consent on resolution 144.

Hearing no objection, you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President.

Members of the board standing in the gap for the Alder Woman from the 6th.

Resolution 144 is the annual approval of 2026.

Tower Grove consider concerned citizens special business uh district.

This is uh something we've passed last year.

Uh again, this is just them submitting the annual budget, which is uh in the drive for us all to see.

And with that, I would ask for the approval of resolution perfection of 144 unless people have questions.

Adoption of 144, unless people have questions outside of people.

There is second.

It's been moved by the alderman from the 14th, seconded by the alder woman from the seventh that we adopt resolution number 144.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Resolution 147, sponsored by Alder Woman sign.

Yay and President Green.

Supporting unionization efforts by County employees.

Alder Woman from the Alder Woman from the 7th, you're recognized on the first reading resolution 147.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

I would like to ask for unanimous consent for resolution 47.

Hearing no objection, you may proceed.

Uh thank you, madam president, members of the board.

Um, we had an incredible rally on Wednesday, and there are some employees that are in the gallery with us today, as well as some of the in representatives.

Um, I don't want us to complicate what this resolution is doing or asking for.

It is really asking just for four simple basic things to affirm the workers' right to unionize, which I strongly believe unequivocally is a right to remain neutral throughout their organizing process, um, to voluntarily recognize the union when the majority of them do collect their cards, and then to negotiate in good faith, which we all know are the four basic premises of the employees.

Um, you know, when I went to the rally, for me, what was really heartening was just to hear all of these um different direct experiences from the employees who have been experiencing um these working conditions and working for a company.

Um, I think what's also something worked up, Nintendo is Caldies did put out an official statement saying that they support um the employees' right to unionize, and so we shouldn't have any trouble or any issue with this today.

Um, and I definitely just want to take this opportunity on the floor to just acknowledge the deep bravery and courage of those of you all who are unionizing.

I know when you start these efforts.

I know it's been a long roll for you all, and I know when you start these efforts, you don't know what the risks are, and the risk is your livelihood.

Obviously, under capitalism, and especially in a time right now where costs that's risky.

And so I just really want to make sure that I feel like I have the easy part stand on the floor done to you today.

You guys have done and are hard work, and I wish you all the best.

And my hope is today that all my colleagues can stand with me in supporting their right to unionize.

Would you like to make a motion to adopt?

Yes, I would like to make I would like to make a motion to adopt resolution 147.

Second.

It's been moved by the alder woman from the seventh, seconded by the alder woman from the 11th that we adopt resolution.

Is there any further discussion?

Alderman from the I'll do fourth and then 14th.

Uh thank you, madam president, members of the board.

I'll keep it brief here.

Um the the asks that these uh workers have are really simple.

motion to adopt yes i would like to make i would like to make a motion to adopt resolution one forty seven second it's been moved by the alder woman from the seventh seconded by the alder woman from the eleventh that we adopt resolution is there any further discussion alderman from the I'll do fourth and then fourteenth uh thank you madam president members of the board I'll keep it brief here um the the the asks that these uh workers have are really simple they're asking for a safer workplace and to be treated with basic dignity uh and that's not too much for anyone to ask uh with that I I would move that we move this resolution forward in bank second it's been moved by the alderman from the fourth second and by the alder woman from the 11th that we make resolution 147 in bank is there any discussion on the motion to bank seeing none all those in favor signify by saying aye aye opposed motion carries resolution 147 is in bank which means that every member of the board of aldermen has signed on as a co-sponsor of the resolution and support need further discussion alderman from the 14th and then I'll go to the second thank you madam president members of the board I just want to also stand in solidarity uh not only with Unite here but the workers that as an alder woman from the seventh are taking a courageous and speaking up and stepping out and trying to organize for fair dignity on the workplace and a livable wage and it is not an easy thing to do I've been down that road it is scary especially when this is a job that you know you still rely on for income for putting food on the table making sure that you're able to use those funds for detergent and as things are going up and up it's only getting more expensive so I just want you guys to know as the president said as we embank this this board is sending a message that we stand with you because when working families are under attack what do we do when working families are under attack what do we do and I just want y'all know we standing up and we fight back with yeah thank you aldermen from the second thank you madam president members of the board with the alderman from the seventh please yield the alder woman from the seventh yields question from the alderman from the second yes alderman you may proceed alder woman congratulations um I think this is a uh an important statement that's being made but one question I had was have you or any of the organizers directly engaged with the ownership I feel it's important is also carry some practicality to this so that people don't wake up read the newspaper tomorrow and think oh call does is organized now I know it's a lot of work I know statements like this I assume can be helpful and that's great gives everyone a good shot in the arm and maybe a self-esteem boost but I'm just curious if you or anyone has directly engaged with ownership of call these to this end thank you alderman um I'd have had a conversation just to make sure that they were aware that there was a plan to move this resolution as well as a conversation with the aldermen of the ninth and the alder woman of the 10th because a lot of the call these are within their boards but I want to be clear that it was just a conversation to inform them that I would be moving this resolution forward um when workers are organizing and setting up their union they're actually not charged during that process to have communication with the ownership just yet that ownership and that communication starts once they get their cards collected and officially you know begin their union process unionization process so um of course we wouldn't want to ask them to do anything that would you know thwart or their efforts but again I also would say that if you just go and do a Google search you'll see that call these put out a statement right after our press conference no you didn't meet with them no you didn't meet with them before the protest sent them notification just to make sure they were aware not that's not a meeting but you I just it's a real simple question did you meet with them I sent them notification okay no further questions thank you any further discussion any further discussion seeing none uh alder woman from the seventh you are recognized closed uh thank you madam president members of the board you know I'm just excited and I want you all to know that I know you are about to begin your process the ownership I've actually seen some positive communication from call these I've seen nothing from them indicating that they plan you know step in the way of you all at all of your efforts and so I know that's actually the next step of this process and I just hope you all know that you're very supportive in your efforts and again a big shout out to your courage and bravery for taking this step it's it's been moved by the alder woman from the seventh seconded by the alder uh woman from the 11th that we adopt resolution 147 all those in favor signify by saying aye aye opposed motion carries that's the extent of first reading the resolutions in reference to committees second reading resolutions committee reports and adoption resolution 136 sponsored by alderman aldrich president green alderman cohn alder woman signed yay and alder woman clerk hubbard ensuring ethical investment of city retirement funds alderman from the 14th you're recognized on the second reading of resolution 136 thank you madam president members of the board uh I move to adopt resolution one thirty six second it's been moved by the alderman from the fourteenth seconded by the alder woman from the seventh that we adopt resolution one thirty six alderman you may proceed thank you madam president members of the board uh first of four uh first off I

Ensuring ethical investment of city retirement funds.

Alderman from the 14th, you're recognized on the second reading of resolution 136.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

It's been moved by the aldermen from the 14th, seconded by the alder woman from the 7th that we adopt resolution 136.

Alderman, you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

First and for uh first off, I want to thank uh not another nickel campaign.

Um we had a very long uh budget hearing on this resolution uh just this past week.

Uh it was so much passion and so much energy around this resolution.

We had to, you know, kind of slow down testimony, something that is not uh typically done at the Board of Alderman.

We are here to always hear from people, but um they pack the room, they organize, and this resolution is really uh from us as the Board of Alderman sending a message that we're saying that we want ethical investments in our portfolio when it comes to investment.

We want to make sure this board of Alderman has uh, as people say the young folks say have already stood on business.

We're passing a ceasefire down here at the Board of Alderman, and this is just another step uh saying that we want to make sure that uh our tax dollars are going to companies that are going to be uh not engaging in war but engaging in peace.

And again, uh I would encourage all my colleagues to please go back and watch the hearing.

Some of the personal stories that was told, uh, I mean, I think speaks to uh the the energy that is needed to get this across the finish line.

Note this is a resolution, um, but I think it continues to show that St.

Louis stands uh steadfast and ready to stand on the right side of history and not on the wrong side of history.

And I appreciate uh my colleagues uh who have signed on as a co-sponsor.

I appreciate Alman Browning who uh also is part of some adding language in this resolution.

Um and I would just hope that my colleagues would support this resolution as it is another progress from the city of St.

Louis saying we stand with the people, we stand with humanity, and we stand with peace.

And with that, I would open up for any questions for my colleagues.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion.

Seeing none, Alderman from the 14th, you are recognized to close.

Oh sorry, alder woman from the 12th.

Thank you, madam president, members of the board.

If the alderman from the 14th would be yielded, with the alderman from the 14th yields questioning from the alder woman from the 12th.

Absolutely.

Okay.

So as I thank you.

Thank you.

Um, first of all, wanted to know.

So I see here that you your um resolution says that the Board of Trustees of Employees Retirement System.

Um is the only, I guess, uh entity within City of St.

Louis that does not meet the criteria for uh ethical investment.

Is that correct?

Yes, ma'am.

As we've done some research, we have found about 17 companies that uh from the local campaign would say is not ethical, and uh things that have been going on.

So have you met with the retirement uh board?

I have talked to the city councilor of the retirement board that wanted to be aware of what uh this resolution was about, and I explained with him.

So yes, we talked this week.

Not the full board, the counselor.

Talk to the for the board.

I'm sorry.

Could you hear me?

No, what was your question?

I said so.

You talked to the attorney that represents the board.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

Okay, and so what you are looking for with this uh with this resolution is you want to not invest in people who create uh war or um weapons of mass destruction or war items, is that it?

That is correct.

And out of those 17, we're talking about the full investment portfolio of the city of St.

Louis, those 17 companies only add up uh about one percent of the total investment of the city of St.

Louis.

Okay, I understand that.

So what do we do about our companies that are here in the city of St.

Louis that may be producing those uh types of uh uh weapons of I I just keep wanting to say weapons of mass destruction because George Bush told us that certain country had it that didn't, but what do we do about the people who work for these places that are that they make their livelihood about that and that they have their um retirement included with that?

So this is uh again, this is just an axe to stop investing in those companies.

You know, we're not saying that these companies should exist or that they won't continue to make profit off of mass destruction of war or the genocide that we have seen um continue to happen based off some of the companies uh over in Palestine, you know, that I think is a different different question.

Learning from the apartheid uh apartheid movement, what we've seen when you disinvest in those companies, uh there could be a reaction, but the reality of this investment that the city's doing, we're not talking about what the county may be doing with these companies is literally only one percent of the investment.

That's not my question.

So I grew up in a uh Decatur, Illinois, and um several of the places there, people make um not necessary weapons of mass destruction, but they we had 20-something um uh factories, and part of them made uh ammunition and things like that.

Would that be included?

If it is being used in uh war, we're asking for the city of St.

Louis not to invest in those companies.

Okay, so you will find that in working class communities, a lot of people make their living off of uh that so, and it's not necessarily just to be in an illegal war.

What about legal wars?

What about self-uh protection?

So if you make a weapons, the things is that you don't always get to uh be the aggressor because sometimes you have to defend yourself.

And they had many world wars uh before, way before your time, even before mine, in which people went to war to defend democracy and the right of freedom.

So what do we do about that?

Well, right now we're talking about what is currently happening with uh the war that is taking place for as literally a genocide, and how that the some of the companies that we invest in are sending uh bombs and planes and murdering mass individuals in areas.

So we're talking about right now we're not being attacked.

We are the attackers on a mass of individuals who live and represent in our community.

Are we the attackers or are we supporting somebody who is doing their tax?

I would I would say if we aid in the attackers, if you are part of being an attacker.

Well, then you have to go back to the whole history of how uh Israel was created, or and talk about how who set up the whole thing of where it would be the uh the uh the homeland.

Okay, so you have to go into some history that's not very pretty for the United States.

Same thing if you ever look at a the continent of Africa, and you look at and you look at old maps in which uh the colonists, including the United States, Spain, France, uh uh England, they divided up the continent and it wasn't the uh for Africans, it was for all the other people.

And to this day, we have people who are paying France because they broke and got their freedom.

So if we're gonna talk to this, I don't know how we get out of this quandary.

And I guess I just don't want to, I keep I didn't like when the protesters came down, we were over in the Kennedy room and uh disrupted um our meeting.

And I think they're trying to, I don't want to be drug into the Palestine Palestinian um uh uh war with uh Israel.

I don't want to be in that.

Um, and and when I have conversations about that, one of the things that I always talk to people and have a conversation about is while you're talking about the Palestinians, over in my neighborhood, the people who are creating the most terror are the Palestinians who run the gas stations and are having shootings and killings.

So it's hard to feel really sad and upset when there is so many forced to my community.

Apologies, I'm gonna have to ask for quiet in the gallery alder woman from the 12th, you may proceed.

So what so I don't want to be drug into that because I don't think we talk about the you're talking about a war, but I feel like there's a war on my my corners that I can't drive up and down my street on Kings Highway, that we're having shootings that have no business having those gas stations there, and the people saying, Well, I gotta make a living, but you think you have to make a living at the expense of me having to drive through a shooting gallery.

So I don't want to be involved in this because I don't think that I don't think you can just have one kind of conversation.

I most certainly do not think that people should be massacred.

In fact, even though I didn't like the people interrupting our meeting, uh what it was, a couple of years ago, I actually hugged one of the people who were crying and got hate mail or emails from some people all the way in New York because that was in the paper, and they were like, Well, you're taking aside, I'm not taking a side.

I'm not going to vote for this.

I'm going to be a present.

I don't want to be drug in that.

And I think if we're going to address violence, we need to dress violence at our own corners and who's creating that and tell the truth and ask why are people allowed to create violence in my corners and then demand that I support their right to live.

I support their right to live as long as they support my community's right to have a peaceful community that does not include gunfire.

I will not be voting for this.

I will be voting present.

Thank you.

Any further discussion, Alderman from the fifth, and then the woman from the 7th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Um after that discussion, I feel compelled to rise to explain my vote.

There is absolutely no doubt that I support wholeheartedly the spirit of this particular resolution, without a doubt.

The testimony that we heard over the course of an hour, an hour and a half was moving.

Uh without a doubt.

My heart goes out.

My emotional side stands wholeheartedly behind the spirit of this particular resolution.

But, and I think this is an important but uh the resolution I believe also stands as a statement of the board with respect in this case to how a particular entity, a retirement fund, should act, must act.

And my issue at this point has nothing to do with the spirit of this resolution or the uh how I feel in connection with what I heard this past Wednesday evening or afternoon.

But rather with my concern that we're providing direction to another entity within the city without full education and understanding as to whether this direction is feasible, whether it's possible.

Uh, this is an issue that I have discussed with the the resolution sponsor.

And I think one thing that we are missing at this point is an answer to the very simple question, whether it comes from the plan itself, the director, the comptroller, the treasurer, whomever it might be, is the direction this board passing or providing by passing this resolution.

Is it feasible?

Can it be done?

Whether it's 1%, 11%, 51%.

I think it's a very important piece of information.

Is the direction we are doing today feasible?

I've asked for that.

I still don't have an answer to that question.

I will be voting no on this.

And I have told the uh the resolution sponsor that.

Again, I want to make crystal clear, it has nothing to do with what I heard on Wednesday.

It has nothing to do with whether I stand in spirit behind the folks in the gallery today and what they have felt and what their family members have felt.

But I do think it's very important to have an answer to the question of is this feasible?

And we haven't heard from the experts in this case.

So I wish you good luck, but I will be a no vote on this resolution.

Alder woman from the 7th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Um I just wanted to, you know, make sure that I put on the record for me.

Um, one of the things that I love most about our city is that we have residents who really care about humanity and really care about people.

And I would hope that if someone was blowing up our hospitals and blowing up our places of worship and blowing up our school, children were dying in mass and losing their parents, um, that there would be people in other places that would speak up to simply say that that's atrocity wherever it happens and however it happens, that we think that we can do better as human beings to each other.

Um, and so I want to make sure that as people talk about, you know, feasibility and spirit and all these other things, from my understanding, that is the goal of this resolution is we want to say as human beings that we don't want other human beings to be treated this way.

And so I just want to make sure that I go on the record to thank you all for that to say that I a hundred percent share that sentiment.

Uh and obviously there have been other movements, the apartheid movement is a great example where when that started, people started having these divestment conversations, and they thought that there wasn't a pathway forward, and Nancy Mandela was even in jail.

And then what do you know?

A lot of places across the country actually did divest.

And so I wanted to make sure that I just really spoke to the heart of this resolution.

It was very difficult and heartbreaking in committee to hear story after story after story after story of direct references.

That just like I'm able to go to school and drink water and be with my family and have a chance to grow and have a quality life, so should every other child in our country and all across the world.

And so it's my hope that the spirit of that stays alive today.

I want to thank you all for your efforts.

And even when it gets difficult, even when it gets challenging, even when it's not politically popular, I hope that you keep this spirit alive.

Because if we let our sense of entity and a care for our neighbors and a general universal standard of how we should treat each other as human beings, then the atrocities and the genocides will continue.

And I do not want to see that.

So thank you so much.

And I'm so glad to be a co-sponsor on this resolution.

Other woman from the 12th.

I'm sorry, I thought I saw the other one from the 13th hand.

I don't know if she I've spoken already.

No, you could go ahead, Otter Woman Ty.

Thank you.

Um, so thank you.

Madam President, members of the board.

I don't uh challenge that the sponsor from the 14th has the right to bring the resolution.

Um I went through a time when we didn't go to shell gas stations, and I still don't to this day, because of our apartheid in uh South Africa.

And so I supported that.

So I and I believe that you can ask any kind of uh board not to invest.

That's not the problem I have at all.

So I want to make that clear.

I do you think you have a full right?

You should pull uh push forward with that.

I just disagree with a group of people who tell me, hear my pain, but don't hear mine.

I can tell you all kind of stories about North St.

Louis and the things that get pushed into North St.

Louis and the pain of driving down the street and having gunfire come time and time and time and again from these gas stations, and yet we're still pushing them into our community.

And this is from the same group of people say, hear my pain.

If you want me to hear your pain, then I want you to call out and close down those gas stations that are selling liquor, that are creating crime in my neighborhood.

That's what I'm saying.

I have I have empathy for you and your community, but you don't get to come to America and come to my corner and cause pain.

That is what I'm telling you.

Now you may not want to hear it, but you better not go into the barbershops and the beauty shops or the people that I meet with all the time because that's what I hear.

And I even hear from because we had a big gunfire shots uh rang out at St.

Louis Avenue and Kings Highway with a gas station that somebody who pushed it and said, Oh, this is gonna be great, is now calling me, kicking me in my behind, saying everything you said was true, and all the people who said it.

So you cannot ask me to hear your pain because each time you do, I'm gonna say, hear my pain in the country that I was born in, right around the street from my right down the street from my house, that I cannot drive Kings Highway from St.

Louis Avenue to Martin Luther King for gunfire from the very people who are telling me they don't want gunfire in their community.

I don't want it either.

And I don't want to hear you have to earn a living at the expense of my community.

I'm not gonna vote no because I do understand that we should not be killing babies.

We should not be blowing up hospitals, we should not be doing anything, and we should not let people establish um irresponsible businesses on the corners of black neighborhoods while you're closing them in downtown, you're closing them, you're closing them over on uh show too, you're closing them all.

You don't let them come in South St.

Louis.

You push them under the sleigh administration into my community, and it is violent and it is awful.

And just like you don't like it, I don't like it.

But I don't like your babies being killed or your mamas and your daddies.

So I do have a spirit of uh understanding, but I don't believe that you should be able to ask me to do something without me saying, and you you first you go back and tell all those people to close them dangerous gas stations.

They're coming from your people, and that you ought to be ashamed of yourself, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves.

So I'm voting present.

Thank you.

Need further discussion.

Seeing none, aldermen from the 14th, you're recognized to close.

Thank you, madam president, members of the board.

First, I want to go.

I want to go on record and be clear that hatred and the the comments of that that Trump ism and us versus them.

Everybody at the board don't feel that way.

We continue to be divisive when we say us versus them or these gas stations, those people.

I work with plenty of people that run gas that do not look like me that have been a big help to the ward.

So that ignorant ignorance of the comment that we heard about born in America, it's a lot of Palestinians that are born in America.

And if we continue, because let's not act like you know, we we didn't go through our own fight in slavery, and then just to oppress another community, doesn't make us know better when we put an oppression on top of other people.

So all of that honestly nonsense.

That's why we have elections that come up, and I hope clips like that get rolled back to hold people accountable because that's a type of rhetoric, that's a type of Trumpism, that's a type of hatred, that's a type of nothing that is needed down here at the board of Albert.

We can have an educational debate or conversation of what you do not believe when it comes to resolution 136.

Alderman order.

And I my point of order is he is making an rule.

That's not a point of order.

That's a liar.

If you could please state Shermain to the Alder Woman from the 12th that she is not recognized.

Thank you, Gus.

Again, to the activists uh or the organizers for um uh not another nickel campaign that talks about the uh divestment and why we need to divest and just stand for humanity.

It's that simple.

It's not a us versus them, it is all of us coming together and saying that we send a strong message that we want peace, that we want humanity, regardless of uh your skin tone that we all should be in this fight together.

I just want to again.

I know this is an issue that uh, you know, that's why I purposely for my colleagues, and I appreciate plenty of the conversation that I have with my colleagues, try to not make it about one side or the other.

There's not there's no language in there that says Israel Palestine, but just talking about the core of investment and companies that are not ethically in doing the right thing in our city of St.

Louis and us taking a stance.

I also appreciate the Alderman from the fifth with coming to me early about his concerns if we are able to do this from the the retirement board.

I think there will always be questions on many legislations that come from the board of Alderman.

But I think at least what it does is it sends a message of solidarity and support.

And with that, madam president, members of the board, I would close.

It's been moved by the alderman from the 14th, seconded by the older person from the 7th, that we adopt resolution 136.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alder Woman Sweitzer.

Alderman Aldenberg.

Alderman Cone.

Alderman O'Reilly.

Alderman Devote.

No.

Alder Woman Velasquez.

Aye.

Alder Woman Sanye.

Aye.

Alder Woman Cox Antwi.

Aye.

Alderman Browning.

Alder Woman Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

Alder Woman Keys.

Alder Woman Tyus.

Present.

Alder Woman Boyd.

Present.

Alderman Aldrich.

Aye.

President Green.

Aye.

Alder Woman Sweitzer.

10 aye votes.

One no vote.

And three voted present.

By your vote, you sustain the motion from the alderman from the 14th to adopt resolution 136.

Miscellaneous and unfinished business.

We have none.

Dispense with line item 25 announcements.

Tuesday, November 11th.

The Board of Alderman Office will be closed in honor of Veterans Day.

Wednesday, November 12th, public infrastructure and utilities.

We have a committee hearing in the Kennedy room at 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 13th.

Health and Human Development will have a committee hearing via webinar at 9 a.m.

Personnel administration will have a committee hearing in the Kennedy room at 9.

I'm sorry, at 11 a.m.

Public safety in the Kennedy room at 2 p.m.

Friday, November 14th, full board meeting in the chambers at 10 a.m.

That's the extent of the announcements.

Any further announcements?

Any further announcements?

Alder woman from the 7th.

Um I I just want to make sure I lift up that the HUDS committee that we have on the 19th coming up, that it's going to discuss right to counsel all the women, chairwoman Shamine Clark Hubbard scheduled that I know it was kind of mentioned today.

We have some people mentioned in committee, so I just want to make sure I stay over and over again that at six o'clock legal Eastern Services, Missouri, as well as some of the other partners on Rights of Council and community members will be there to discuss it on November 19th.

Any further announcements.

Sorry, also Jazz Crowd tomorrow on Cherokee Street.

Um begins the parade will begin at about 10 a.m.

We'll have have activities all day.

So if you're looking to just have some fun, hear some good live music, get yourself some good food.

Um I hope to see you at Cherokee Jazz Crow tomorrow.

Thank you.

Need further announcements.

So please get them in by noon on Monday.

With that, Alder Woman from the 10th, you're recognized on the motion to excuse.

I cannot forget I cannot forget our alder mommy.

I would like to excuse thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

I move that we excuse our alder mommy from the first for necessary, very necessary absence.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alder Person from the 7th, that we excuse the alder person from the first for necessary absence.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Alder woman from the 10th, you're recognized on the motion to adjourn.

Thank you, madam.

President members of the board, I move that we adjourn Friday, November 14th, 2025, in the Board of Alderman Chambers at 10.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alderman from the 3rd, that we adjourn until Friday, November 14th, 2025 in the Board of Alderman Chambers at 10 a.m.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Opposed motion carries.

We are adjourned.