St. Louis Board of Aldermen Meeting - January 16, 2026
St. Louis Board of Aldermen Meeting - January 16, 2026
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen convened on January 16, 2026, at 10:00 AM in the Board of Aldermen Chambers. The meeting opened with a prayer by Pastor Anthony L. Riley of Central Baptist Church, who also serves on the St. Louis City Charter Commission. The board passed several resolutions and bills, including honoring Central Baptist Church on its 180th anniversary, approving an assessment maintenance plan, and passing multiple board bills by consent.
Consent Calendar
- The board suspended rules to introduce resolutions 217, 218, and 219; they were placed at the end of the courtesy resolutions calendar.
- The courtesy resolution consent calendar was adopted unanimously.
- Minutes from January 9, 2026, were approved unanimously.
- Third reading and final passage of board bills 116, 117, and 118 on the consent calendar passed with 12 aye votes.
- Board bills 116 and 117 were reported as finally passed and signed by the president.
Discussion Items
- Resolution 218 – Honoring Central Baptist Church: Alderwoman Keys introduced the resolution recognizing Central Baptist Church's 180-year legacy of faith, leadership, resilience, and service. The resolution detailed the church's founding in 1846 by 23 free-born and enslaved Africans, its role in the Underground Railroad, its support of Harriet and Dred Scott, its hosting of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957, and its ongoing community work including a Black Buyout initiative and disaster relief after the May 16, 2025 tornado. Pastor Riley spoke, urging the board to turn Dr. King's economic agenda into action and to address ongoing segregation, citing that houses north of Delmar remain worth less than those south. Multiple alderwomen expressed support.
- Resolution 194 Committee Substitute – 2026-2027 Assessment Maintenance Plan: Alderwoman Sweitzer presented the plan, required by the state, detailing how the assessor's office will maintain and conduct property assessments every two years. The assessor appeared before the Budget and Public Employees Committee earlier that week to answer questions. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
- Board Bill 107: Introduced by Alderman Aldridge, approving a petition to amend and reinstate the 1100 Washington Avenue Community Improvement District, altering boundaries and clarifying the project. Passed out of committee with a do-pass recommendation.
- Board Bill 120: Introduced by Alderman Browning, establishing a sales tax reimbursement account for a project at 3942 Laclede Avenue. Passed out of committee with a do-pass recommendation.
- Board Bill 115: Introduced by Alderman Browning, appropriating $5 million from the city's capital fund for maintenance and improvements to the city's flood wall. Passed out of committee with a do-pass recommendation.
- Board Bill 4: Introduced by Alderwoman Sanya, authorizing acceptance of up to $255,169 in federal funds from the State Crisis Intervention Program for the Department of Health. Passed out of committee with a do-pass recommendation.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 218 was moved "in bank" (co-sponsored by all board members) and adopted unanimously.
- Resolution 194 Committee Substitute was adopted unanimously.
- Board bills 116, 117, and 118 passed on the consent calendar with 12 aye votes.
- The board excused aldermen from the 12th and 13th wards for necessary absence.
- The meeting adjourned until Friday, January 23, 2026, at 10:00 AM in the Board of Aldermen Chambers.
Meeting Transcript
The board will now come to order. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Alder Woman Schweitzer. Alderman Oldenberg. Alderman Cone. Alderman Narayan. Alderman Devotee. Alder Woman Velasquez. Alder Woman Sanye. Alder Woman Cox Entwee. Alderman Browning. Alder Woman Clark Hubbard. Alder Woman Keys. Alder Woman Tyus. Alder Woman Boyd. Alderman Aldric. Present. President Green. Present. Alderman Oldenberg. Alderman Cohn. Alder Woman Sany. Alder Woman Tyers. Alder Woman Boyd. We have Tim present. According being present, we will be led in an opening prayer by executive pastor Anthony L. Riley with Central Baptist Church and inaugural member of the St. Louis City Charter Commission. Let us pray. Good morning, God. We believe that this is the day that you have made that we would gather to rejoice and be glad in this day. Thank you for the great city of St. Louis. Thank you for the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday we commemorate this weekend. Thank you for the willingness of this legislative body to do the hard work anyway. May this board find the courage to ensure that what happened at the Arch grounds and Mill Creek and Kinlock and the Homer G. Phillips Hospital do not happen in North St. Louis in 2026. We thank you for their ambition, their sacrifice, their drive for this great city. But God, we know that as they stand for us, they also stand in need. Before they are elected officials, they are people, sons and daughters, parents, and spouses and friends. Today we pray for President Megan Green, for Alderwoman Ann Schweitzer, for Alderman Thomas Oldenburg, for Alderman Shane Cone, for Alderman Brett Narayan, for Alderman Matt Devotee, for Alderwoman Daniela Velasquez, for Alderwoman Alicia Sonier, for Alderwoman Jamie Cox Antui, for Alderman Michael Browning, for Alderwoman Shame Clark Hubbard, for Alderwoman Laura Keys, for Alderwoman Sharon Tyus, for Alderwoman Pamela Boyd and Alderman Rasheen Aldridge. Comfort them where they are bereaved. Heal them where they are hurting. Strengthen them where they're weak. Reconcile every ruptured relationship and provide for every financial need. Protect them from dangers seen and unseen and endow them with wisdom and discernment in these times. Embolden them to do the right thing anyway, to work the work while it's day, for night comes when no man or woman can work. And we pray together the prayer that your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ taught us to pray, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
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