St. Louis Board of Aldermen Meeting – February 20, 2026

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen convened on Friday, February 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Board of Aldermen Chambers. The meeting opened with a reflection by representatives of Carroll House Quick Fix Pet Clinic, who highlighted February as Spay/Neuter Month and the public health and safety benefits of spay/neuter surgeries. The board then proceeded through a full agenda of legislation, including approval of minutes, multiple board bills, and resolutions.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from February 13, 2026, were approved unanimously.
• Board Bills for Perfection Consent: The following bills were adopted without objection:
  • Board Bill 128 (Kingsbury HOA Tornado Recovery CID)
  • Board Bill 147 as amended (Central West and South Business District)
  • Board Bill 81 (speed humps on Grandle Square and Washington Avenue)
  • Board Bill 135 (speed humps on Robert Avenue)
  • Board Bills 139, 140, 141, 142, 144 (speed humps in the 13th ward)
  • Board Bill 145 (repealing ordinance 62579)
  • Board Bill 146 (sheriff’s office parking identification)
• Third Reading and Final Passage of Consent Bills: Board Bills 121, 123, 129, 134, and 126 committee substitute were passed unanimously (15-0).

Opening Reflection & Guest Introductions

• Carroll House Quick Fix Pet Clinic: Amanda Harris and Andrea Schwartz spoke about the importance of spay/neuter services, noting that over 150,000 surgeries have prevented millions of animals from entering shelters. They invited board members to a celebratory reception on Saturday, February 21, from 3:00–5:00 p.m. at their clinic.
• Honored Guests: Alderwoman Sonier introduced the Conflict Resolution Center; Alderwoman Keys introduced her dog, King Boo, from CARE STL; Alderwoman Sweitzer introduced her mother, Jane Schweitzer.

Discussion Items

• Board Bill 25 (Committee Substitute as Amended) – Airport Ground Transportation: Sponsored by Alderman Cohn, this bill revises Title 18 of the city code to establish designated areas for peer-to-peer ground transportation at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Alderman Cohn explained that the bill reasserts the Board’s authority to designate areas, addresses concerns from the airport director, and acknowledges an existing contract with Turo. After debate about the airport’s jurisdiction and future technologies, the bill was perfected 14-1.
• Board Bill 98 (Floor Substitute) – Revenue Bonds for Parking Lot: Sponsored by Alderwoman Keys, this bill authorizes up to $5 million in revenue bonds to acquire two parcels at the corner of Compton and Olive for a surface parking lot, with a long-term goal of housing. The land will serve Harris-Stowe State University, Pappy’s Smokehouse, and other businesses. Alderwoman Keys noted that the purchase prevents the site from becoming another gas station. The bill was perfected 13-2.
• Board Bill 137 (as amended) – Charter Modernization: Sponsored by Alderman Devote, this 98-page ordinance updates the 1914 City Charter by removing obsolete references, modernizing language, replacing gendered pronouns, and standardizing formatting. Amendments corrected an error that inadvertently removed the citywide election of the Board President. The bill was perfected 14-1.
• Board Bill 54 (as amended) – Special Elections Charter Amendment: Sponsored by Alderwoman Velasquez, this bill proposes to repeal Section 5 of Article 9 of the Charter to align special elections with the nonpartisan top-two runoff system used in regular city elections. Supporters argued it resolves a conflict between the charter and current ordinance, and reduces confusion and costs (the Board of Elections has spent $31,000 in legal fees). Opponents, including Alderwoman Boyd and Alderwoman Tyus, argued that the underlying Prop D changes were deceptive and that the bill further erodes the Democratic Party. The bill was perfected 11-4.
• Board Bill 158 – Clean Energy Development Board: Sponsored by Alderwoman Clark Hubbard, this bill re-establishes the St. Louis Clean Energy Development Board and the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program after an unintended repeal in a previous bill. Alderwoman Clark Hubbard acknowledged the mistake. Statistics provided: since inception, 19 projects have been completed with $1.76 million in PACE financing, leveraging $480.5 million in total investment, creating 2,682 jobs, and reducing energy consumption by 509 gigawatt-hours. The bill was perfected unanimously.
• Board Bill 115 (Floor Substitute) – Flood Wall Maintenance: Sponsored by Alderman Browning, this bill appropriates $4.1 million from the city’s capital improvement fund (reduced from $5 million) for repairs to the Mississippi River flood wall. An additional $900,000 will come from an MSD grant. The total project cost is $5 million, with matching state funds. The bill was perfected unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Perfected Bills: Board Bills 25, 98, 137, 54, 158, and 115 were all perfected and moved to third reading.
• Third Reading and Final Passage:
  • Board Bill 122 (TIF plan progress report) passed 13-1.
  • Board Bill 133 (FEMA crisis counseling funds, $78,253.60) passed 14-0.
• Courtesy Resolutions: The courtesy resolution consent calendar was adopted, with Alderman Browning added as co-sponsor to resolutions 246, 247, 248, and 249.
• Adjournment: The board adjourned until Friday, February 27, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Announcements

• Upcoming meetings: HUDs Committee (Feb 24, 11 a.m.), Legislation and Rules (Feb 24, 2:30 p.m.), Personnel Administration (Feb 25, 9 a.m. and Feb 26, 11 a.m.), Public Infrastructure (Feb 25, 3:30 p.m.), Budget and Employees (Feb 25, 6 p.m.), and Board Meeting (Feb 27, 10 a.m.).
• Alderwoman Velasquez announced a town hall on the Gravois Corridor on Saturday, February 22, at the International Institute, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m., with a resource fair from 10–11 a.m.
• Alderwoman Clark Hubbard announced a Health Committee meeting on Thursday, February 26, at 9 a.m. via Zoom.
• Alderwoman Keys announced a 10th Ward one-on-one meeting on Monday, February 23, 6:30–7:30 p.m. at the Missouri History Museum, featuring guest speaker Gwen Moore.