St. Louis Board of Aldermen Meeting – February 13, 2026
St. Louis Board of Aldermen Meeting – February 13, 2026
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen met on Friday, February 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Board chambers. The meeting included the approval of minutes, multiple appointments to special districts, introduction of several board bills, perfection of bills, adoption of resolutions, and announcements regarding Mardi Gras and tornado recovery. Key votes included the failure of a data center moratorium and the perfection of a short-term rental tax bill.
Consent Calendar
- The minutes from Friday, February 6, 2026, were approved unanimously.
- Mayor Spencer's appointments to the South Grand Community Improvement District (Bobby Lessantine, Brian Roche, Matt Gio) were approved.
- Mayor Spencer's reappointments and appointments to the Locust Central Special Business District (Karen Drake, Jennifer Prushner, Michael Berkerman, Dr. Byron Duval, Courtney Mueller, Robert Malthy) were approved.
- Board bills 121, 123, 129 were adopted on the perfection consent calendar.
- Board bills 99 and 130 were passed on third reading and final passage consent calendar with 13 aye votes.
Discussion Items
- Board Bill 170 (Stop Sign near School): Introduced by Alderman Narayan. Suspension of rules passed 14-1, bill placed on first reading.
- Board Bill 171 (Increase Minor Purchase Order Limit): Introduced by Alderwoman Sanyer. Would raise the $500 limit to $2,500. Suspension of rules passed 10-5, with support from the mayor, supply commissioner, comptroller, and director of operations. Placed on first reading.
- Board Bill 172 (Data Center Moratorium): Introduced by Alderman from the 9th. Sought a pause on data center applications until regulations are formulated. Suspension of rules failed 7-8.
- Board Bill 173 (Speed Humps in 14th Ward): Introduced by Alderman Aldrick. Suspension of rules passed 13-2, placed on first reading.
- Board Bill 174 (Funding for Community Development Corporations): Introduced by Alderwoman Sanyer. Would appropriate $2,500,000 from RAM settlement interest for CDC support. Suspension of rules passed 11-4, referred to Budget committee.
- Board Bill 126 Committee Substitute (Short-Term Rental Tax): Perfected. The bill implements the 3% hotel tax on short-term rentals as approved by voters in 2004 (Prop S). Codifies the tax and creates an affordable housing fund. Alderman Narayan clarified it is separate from the ongoing lawsuit on short-term rental regulations. Perfected by voice vote.
- Board Bill 122 (TIF Progress Determination): Perfected with a roll call vote of 13-1 (Alderwoman Tyus voted no). The bill finds that TIF plans listed in Exhibit A are making satisfactory progress.
- Board Bill 133 (FEMA Crisis Counseling Program): Perfected after a roll call vote of 13 ayes, 1 present (Alderman from the 14th). Appropriates $78,253.60 for mental health services following the May 2025 tornado.
- Board Bill 134 (Vegetation Abatement Regulations): Perfected. Updates ordinance 72059 to clarify regulations for abatement on occupied and non-occupied parcels, including fines and fees. Several aldermen were added as co-sponsors. Passed by voice vote.
- Resolutions:
- Resolution 239 (Board of Adjustments rules) referred to HUDs committee.
- Resolution 240 (Bird City designation) referred to Health and Human Development.
- Resolution 241 (new street sign proposal) referred to Public Infrastructure.
- Resolution 242 (Ricardo "Ricky the Ruler" Duanel Riley Pavilion) adopted.
- Resolution 243 (Floyd Irons Basketball Court) adopted.
- Resolution 244 (Alderwoman Tamika Hubbard Skating Rink) adopted.
- Resolution 245 (Board rules amendments) referred to Legislation and Rules.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Minutes of Feb 6, appointments to South Grand CID and Locust Central SBD.
- Failed: Board Bill 172 (data center moratorium) – suspension of rules failed 7-8.
- Perfected: Board Bills 126, 122, 133, 134.
- Adopted: Resolutions 242, 243, 244.
- Referred: Board bills and resolutions to appropriate committees.
- Announcements: Mardi Gras weekend events (Mayor's Ball at City Hall, parade on Feb 14); tornado recovery continues; moment of silence for Sam, a community member murdered in Tower Grove East.
- Next Meeting: Friday, February 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Board chambers.
Meeting Transcript
The board will now come to order. Madam Clerk, please call the role. Alder Woman Sweater. Alderman Cone. Alderman Orion. Here. Alder Woman Keys. Present. Alder Woman Boyd. Here. Alderman Aldrick. Present. Alder Woman Velasquez. Fourteen present. According being present, we will be led in an opening reflection prayer by Alonzo Townsend, the son of American Blues singer, guitarist and pianist Henry Townsend. Chicago, Nashville, Austin, New Orleans. This past week, Tina Turner's kit was introduced by St. Louis City XC. Why is this important? Because it reflects exactly what I'm speaking of. Our rich, uh beautiful heritage that is literally the heartbeat of all American music. St. Louis Music and His Heritage has a most the most immense fingerprint on all of American of the whole American songbook and all of the world's most richest and most prized art form. I ask you all to consider to think about making sure that this city's most deepest treasure, our music, our musicians, our artists, are lifted or being the actual flag that we wave when it comes to St. Louis. I ask you to come out and make sure that you seek and that you show how right and see it and show all of our right rising musicians of this scene, how important they really are to their city, how important they really are to their community, and how important they really are to the infrastructure of St. Louis. Thank you so much for allowing me to have some of your time. God bless. Any introduction of honored guests, older woman from the 10th. Thank you, Madam President, members of the board. I would like to have as my first honored guest, our very own birthday girl down here. Interim Clerk, Clerk Rogers. Happy birthday, sis. I pray you enjoy your day, your time, and it's full of celebration and peace, right? Um, that you deserve the most. And then I also like to have as my additional honor guests, all the people that uh might be packing up now, but from five to about right now have been out with their cans raising money at Rise and Shine, the 26th annual Rise and Shine, Heat of St. Louis, um, as they raised money for the work, the unique work that U.S. I'm sorry, Heat Up St. Louis does um here the way they the way that they only can um in utility assistance. So thank you to Allen. Thank you, especially to the owner of the Hardee on Hampton who let me borrow his apron this morning. The woman from the 11th Hello, hello. All right, we are live. Good morning, and thank you, Madam President. Uh, my honored guests are the gentleman in the orange shirts sitting in the gallery, uh, Brian Watson with the laborers union. And I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank him and the union uh who came to the 11th ward and with chainsaws and every every tool that they could bring, they came along with me to cut down tree debris in the elevated 11th ward. And our ward looks so much better, gentlemen, because of you. Thank you. Thank you, thank you.
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