I said present.

I'm really sorry if everything.

Altum and Odenberg.

There we go.

Autumn and Cone.

Alderman Narayan.

Alderman Devone.

Alder Woman Velasquez.

Alder Woman Sonier.

President.

Alder Woman Cox Antoine.

Here.

Altum and Browning.

Alder Woman Clark Hubbard.

Alder Woman Keys.

Alder Woman Ties.

Present.

Alder Woman Boyd.

Alderman Aldridge.

President Green.

Present.

Alderman Odenberg.

Alder Woman Velasquez.

Alder Woman Boyd.

We have 12 present.

A corn being present will be led in an opening reflection by the directors of transformational giving with Carroll House Quick Fix Pet Clinic, Amanda Harris and Andrea Schwartz.

Thank you so much for having us here this morning.

We're from Carroll House Quick Fix Pet Clinic, located in the 8th ward, a nonprofit veterinary clinic offering affordable and accessible wellness services with a focus on pets of underserved families in our community.

February is Spay neuter month, and we wanted to briefly share why this work matters, not just for animals, but for the health and safety of our community.

Spay and neuter is the most effective way to reduce pet overpopulation.

Fewer unpan, excuse me, fewer unplanned litters means fewer animals entering already crowded shelters, less strain on animal control, and fewer municipal resources directed toward preventable intake.

But this is also a public health and safety issue.

Unaltered dogs, particularly males, are more likely to roam, fight, and exhibit territorial aggression while seeking mates.

Roaming dogs can create dangerous situations for residents, for children, and for other pets.

So when you multiply that prevention across 150,000 spay neuter surgeries, we've effectively prevented millions of animals from being born into homelessness, having to face the uncertainty of an overcrowded shelter, and potentially euthanasia because of pet overpopulation.

So we we would truly be honored if you would join us at our uh celebratory reception tomorrow, uh Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m.

at our clinic on Jefferson Avenue.

Um we also wanted to just thank you so much for having us.

Thank you for your leadership and for the work you do on behalf of our residents.

Um and we look forward to working with you in the future uh to partner to help the families and pets in our community.

Thank you.

We will dispense with line item four.

Any introduction of honored guests, older woman on the town.

Thank you, madam president, members of the board.

I would like to as my honor, the conflict resolution center that is over in the leisure room as we speak with a smorgasboard of Pharaoh's donuts.

So please make sure you make your way over there.

They said that they hope that this is our hardest choice that we have to make today, is what kind of pharaohs donut that we are gonna eat.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I am Wolf's proud Alder Lady 2 in the 10th ward.

Uh so again, make sure that you stop by, get the resources and information from the conflict resolution, and they are my special honor guest this.

Thank you.

Alderman from the 14th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board in honor of the individuals that we had for our reflection for State and Neuters today.

I will have King Boo, our dog that we recently got not too long ago from Care STL.

Please make sure that we support Care SCL and adopt uh so many beautiful animals that need a home.

So as my honor guest, please make my beautiful baby dog feel welcome.

Shout out to King Boo.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Today I'd like to have my mom, Jane Schweitzer, is my honored guest.

She's here with me at home today.

We had some unexpected things come up, and she uh jumped in to do child care at the last minute.

So thanks to my mom for being here with me today.

Any further introduction of honored guests?

Any further introduction of honored guests?

Seeing none, alder woman from the 10th, you are recognized on the approval of the minutes from Friday, February 13, 2026.

Thank you, madam president.

Members of the board, I move that we approve the minutes from Friday, February 13th, 2026.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alderman from the 3rd that we approve the minutes from Friday, February 13th, 2026.

Is there any discussion?

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

Aye.

Aye opposed.

Motion carries.

Report of city officials.

Report of city officials can be found in ABCD of the agenda.

That's the exploit of report of city officials.

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

Alderman from the ninth.

Could I please take board bill 115 off of the informal calendar and put it on the regular calendar for perfection?

Madam Clerk, please place board bill 115 on the regular perfection calendar.

So noted.

Any other bills coming off the informal calendar?

Seeing none, first reading of board bills.

We have none.

Can dispense with line item 12, reference to committee of board bills.

From the HUDs committee.

Reference to committee aboard bills.

I'm sorry, reference.

We have none.

We can dispense with line item 13, second reading, and report of standing committees.

The following board bills were reported out of the committee, but they do pass recommendation.

Board Bill 131, sponsored by Alder Woman Cox and Twee, Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, Alderman Cohn, Alder Woman Smicer, Alder Woman Key.

Board Bill 131, sponsored by Alder Woman Cox and Twee, Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, Alderman Cohn, Alder Woman Sweisser, Alder Woman Keys, Alder Woman Sonier, Alderman Browning, Alderman Aldrich, and ordinance providing for the execution and delivery of a First Amendment, substantially in the form of text here to unto exit A by and among the City of St.

Louis Gateway Foundation, a non-for-profit trust organized under the laws of the state of Missouri and Terrace View Incorporated and Missouri Corporation amending the cooperation agreement.

Louis Gateway Foundation, a non-for-profit trust organized under the laws of the state of Missouri and Terrace View Incorporated and Missouri Corporation amending the cooperation degree dated August 28th, 2007 by and between the city and the foundation and containing that emergency clause.

Board Bill 132, sponsored by Alder Woman Clark Cox and Twee and Alderman Browning.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of Public Service authorizing and directing the mayor and the commutroller of the City of St.

Louis to execute a quick claim deed, vacationing right of way, and quick claiming all the city of St.

Louis interest in the property improvements and easements for the MacArthur approach to in Illinois, dissolving the Municipal Bridge Commission, and containing and containing a severability clause.

Board Bill 157 as amended, sponsored by Audder Woman Clark Hubbard, President Green, Alderman Cone, Alder Woman Sweisser, Alder Woman Keys, Alder Woman Sonier, Alderman Browning, and Alderman Aldridge.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment appropriating 38 million 3,800,000 of interest funds earned on the city's funds received under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and authorize the transfer of such funds for a for city's ability to provide services to prevent homelessness and displacement for households impacted by the tornado, containing an emergency and severability clause.

Board Bill 158, sponsored by Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, Alderman Cohn, Alder Woman Sweisser, Alder Woman Keys, Alder Woman Sonier, Alderman Browning, and Alderman Aldrich.

An ordinance amending ordinance number 72051, which ordinance repeal ordinance number seven, I'm sorry, 69056 to repeal certain provisions of the ordinance number 72051 and re-establish a clean energy development board to administer a property ass clean energy program within the city of St.

Louis.

Board Bill 160, sponsored by Alder Woman Sweiser, Alderman Browning, Alderman Cohn, Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, Alder Woman Keys, Alder Woman Sonier, and Alderman Aldrich.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment appropriating 1,200,000 of the interest funds earned in the city's fund received under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and authorizing the transfer of such funds for water infrastructure repair and replacement project purposes and containing an emergency clause.

That's the assent of second reading and report of standing committee.

Reported special committees.

We have none.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

So we suspend 58.

I got you.

I move that we suspend the rules for purposes of moving Board Bill 158 to the perfection calendar.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alder Woman from the 6th, that we suspend the rules for the purposes of moving Board Bill 158 to the perfection consent calendar.

Is there any discussion?

Sorry, it's non-debatable motion.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Audder Woman Sweiser.

Alderman Odenberg.

Aye.

Alderman Cone.

Aye.

Alderman Narayan.

Alder Alderman Devotee.

Alder Woman Velasquez.

Alder Woman Sonyer.

Audder Woman Cox Antwe.

Aye.

Alderman Browning.

Aye.

Audder Woman Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

Alder Woman Keys.

Aye.

Alder Woman Tyers.

No.

Audible Alder Woman Boyd.

Alderman Aldrich.

Aye.

President Green.

Aye.

Alder Woman Sonier.

Audder Woman Boyd.

Alder Woman Sonyer.

We have 12 I votes, one NOVA.

By your vote, you sustain the motion of the Alder Woman from the 10th.

If you could please place Board Bill 158 on the perfection consent calendar.

So noted.

Then Alder Woman from the 12th.

My note.

Madam President, members of the board, my no vote because I wanted it to be placed on the perfection calendar.

So at the appropriate time, I request that board bill 158 be removed to the perfection, not perfection consent.

Madam Clerk, if you could please place board bill 158 on the regular perfection calendar.

So noted.

Board bills for uh perfection consent.

Board bill 128, sponsored by Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, and ordinance approving the petition of owners of real property seeking the creation and establishment of the Kingsbury HOA Capital Improvement Tornado Recovery Community Improvement District, finding a public purpose for the established of the CID and containing the severability clause.

Board Bill 147 as amended sponsored by Alderman Browning and ordinance to amend ordinance number 60196 approved January 29th, 1987, and to appeal ordinance number 64240, approving approved January 6, 1998, relating to the Central West and South Business District, a special business district containing effectiveness, severability, savings, and emergency clauses.

Board Bill 81, sponsored by Alder Woman Keys.

The bill directs the Director of Streets to install speed humps pursuant to ordinance number 7033 as amended by ordinance number 71394 to calm the flow of traffic on the 3600 and 3700 blocks of Grandle Square and the 3600 3700 and 3800 blocks of Washington Avenue.

Board Bill 135, sponsored by Alder Woman Sweisser, and ordinance pursuant to ordinance number 7033 as amended by ordinance number 71394 directs the director of streets to install speed humps to calm the flow of traffic on the 3600 block of Robert Avenue.

Board Bill 139, sponsored by Alder Woman Boyd, pursuant to ordinance number 7033 as amended by ordinance number 71394 and ordinance directing the director of streets to install speed humps to close the flow of traffic in the 13th ward.

Board Bill 140, sponsored by Alder Woman Boyd, 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 flow of traffic in the 13th ward.

Board Bill 141, sponsored by Alder Woman Boyd, pursuant to ordinance number 7033 as amended by ordinance number 71394 and ordinance director directing the director of streets to install speed humps to calm the flow of traffic in the 13th ward.

Board Bill 142, sponsored by Alder Woman Boyd, pursuant to ordinance number 7033 as amended by ordinance number 71394 and ordinance directing the director of streets to install speed humps to come the flow of traffic in the 13th ward.

Board Bill 144 sponsored by Alder Woman Boyd 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 flow of traffic in the 13th ward.

Board Bill 144 sponsored by Alder Woman Boyd 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 flow of traffic in the 13th board bill 145 sponsored by Alderman Nrion, an ordinance repealing ordinance number 62579 and removing chapter 25.0 of the revised code of the city of St.

Louis codifying such ordinance for Bill 146, sponsored by Alderman Devotee, an amendment to ordinance number 55736 requested by the interim sheriff of the city of St.

Louis, modernizing the manner in which the sheriff offices issues parking and identification identifying deputies operating personal vehicles during the performance of their official duties.

Board Bill 115 sponsored by Alderman Browning, Audder Woman Sweisser, Alderman Devotee, Alder Woman Cox and Twee, Autumn Alder Woman Boyd, Audder Woman Clark Hubbard, and ordinance recommended by the board of estimate and apportionment operating funds totaling $5 million for those received in the city's capital fund pursuant to that's the extent of rec of board bills for perfection from the 10th.

You're recognized on the motion to adopt the board bills for the perfection consent calendar point of order.

Uh what is your point of order?

Uh Alder Woman from the 12th.

I was trying to understand if she read into the perfection consent calendar, Alderman Browning's board bill, which I thought he put on the perfection calendar.

Correct.

115.

Okay.

So that's not on the correct.

She started to read it and then stop.

So it was not, it is not officially been put on the perfection consent calendar.

Thank you.

Alder Woman from the attendee are 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 adapt the board bills for perfection consent calendar.

It's been moved by the alder woman from the 10th, seconded by the alderman from the 9th.

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.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Board bills for perfection.

Board bills for perfection.

Board Bill 25.

Committee sub as amended.

Sponsor by Ottawa and Cone.

An ordinance amending title 18 Airports and Aviation Code of the Revised Code of the City of St.

Louis to add a new tap to beginning pertaining to car rental operations at the St.

Louis International Airport.

Alderman from the third, you are recognized on the perfection of Board Bill 25 committee substitute as amended.

Thank you, Madam President.

I move that we perfect board bill 125 or sorry, board bill 25 committee substitute as amended.

It's been moved by the alderman from the third, seconded by the alderman from the 14th, that we perfect board bill 25 committee substitute as amended.

Alderman, you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh members of the board.

This was a uh board bill that I introduced earlier this session.

Um dealing with uh peer-to-peer ground transportation.

Uh it passed out of committee unanimously on uh both times.

The first time uh was before we went down for summer recess last year.

Uh continue to have conversations with respect to uh the need to have a standardized process for these uh new industries that are popping up at the airport.

And uh during that summer recess, the airport entered into a contractual agreement with a peer-to-peer ground transportation company, uh two row.

Um so uh, and as some of you may recall, uh there was a floor substitute that was uh in discussion at the time that uh this committee substitute uh well, I should say I referred it back to committee.

We adopted the committee substitute.

The committee substitute was largely based off of the floor substitute.

We did make some amendments in committee to attempt to address uh some of the concerns that were uh still being proffered uh by the airport director.

Uh one of which was uh you know, asserting or establishing our authority is the board of alder people.

Uh there's a a clause on the existing ordinances that say uh that the county, uh the taxicab commission, the airport commission, or the airport, or the city are able to establish what we call designated areas at the airport.

Um so one of the concerns was that this body doesn't have the authority to do so, which is clearly in conflict with the existing ordinance.

I added a whereas clause that addresses that concern and uh kind of reasserts what the existing language is on the ordinance.

We added a whereas clause that um also acknowledges uh one of the uh items that the airport director shared in uh her letter to the committee was that uh you know this is typically something that's done as part of a holistic planning process.

So we added a whereas clause that acknowledges that there is a uh you know planning process that is underway, although we don't have exact timing on that.

The last time that that took place was approximately or an ordinance proffered as a result of it, took place was roughly about six years ago if memory uh uh if my memory is correct.

And uh lastly, we added a whereas clause that well, I should say the rest of that second whereas clause is acknowledging that there's a process uh and we you know want to support a holistic ground transportation ordinance when it comes before us, and then lastly um you know acknowledging that the airport uh commission has already adopted and accepted a contract, which in effect is proffering a policy on ground transportation, peer-to-peer ground transportation.

And so uh, you know, did our best to address some of those concerns.

Um with that, I would ask for your favorable consideration on board bill 25 committee substitute as amended.

Any further discussion, alder woman from the 12th president and members of the board if the alderman from the third would yield the alderman from the third yields questioning from the alder woman from the 12th.

Always.

Alder Woman, you may proceed.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alderman.

I thought I understood this bill.

Your explanation made me think that maybe I don't understand it.

So I have a few questions.

Um right now we have the city, the county, and the airport all taking the stance that they can direct where you pick passengers up or let passengers off.

Is that what I heard you say?

What I said, Alder Woman is one of the concerns that the airport expressed was that we, as the Board of Aldermen, don't have the authority to designate a designated area at the airport, but the existing ordinance actually says that not only can the city do it, but the county can do it, the taxicab commission can do it, and the airport's uh commission and director are able to do it.

That that's what I tried to convey earlier.

Okay, and a couple of things.

So with your change, does that take the city out of it?

Or does it make it more clear?

What does your change in the uh board?

Sorry, Alderwoman.

I thought I thought you were finished.

Uh my change is not uh that the amendments that we made in committee were only to the where as clauses to provide clarification on these matters.

Uh the the bill itself uh you know clearly outlines the you know changes in the code that provide for the designated areas.

Alderwoman, those are also designated in the contract that was adopted by the airport commission um and executed by the airport staff, and so uh those are already in place.

But this doesn't uh it doesn't uh I think to your question, it doesn't lessen our authority or power over that.

My concern is always because uh the current mayor, uh what is he, the county exec out of St.

Charles used to be a state senator, and for many years before any of you all have been here, that he has tried to figure out a way of uh controlling the airport.

At one point, he wanted to appoint all the the majority of the people who sit on the airport commission so that he could do it that way.

Um we argued back um that that was a taking, and finally he would retracted it, but I've seen uh rumblings again about uh that he is looking for ways to take over the airport again.

So I'm always concerned about if we give any authority away, which I think we did too many, too many uh appointees to the commission years ago, that we are giving away something that is belongs to us, and if somebody wants to control it, they ought to pay a full price for it.

Um and back then we we we quoted the price as billions of dollars.

If you want to give us billions of dollars, maybe you can have more seats.

Um I also heard you say something about the taxi commission.

Is there still a taxi commission operating?

Because uh if it is, they're a lot quieter than they used to be.

Yeah, so uh Alder Woman, just for clarification purposes, uh this is amending the whereas clause to address the concern that the airport promulgated saying that we, the board of aldermen, do not have the authority to do this.

So I was making it clear that we do have the authority to do this, even under the existing ordinance.

So this was it in no way intended to say that we don't have the authority.

In fact, it is to assert that we do have standing and we do have authority underneath our existing ordinance.

So just to be clear on that part, uh the uh the way the ordinance is currently written, it doesn't say taxicab commission, it says something to the extent of organizations that regulate taxi cab affairs at the airport.

Um it's much more broad than just the taxi cab commission, but without the legal language right in front of me, uh I I don't quote me on that, but uh it essentially that's the way it's currently written is that it promulgate it allows well it allows that body, you know, whether it's in existence or not to do it.

Um but point of clarification nowhere in the existing ordinance does it provide for St.

Charles County to promulgate rules relative to the airport.

Um it does allow St.

Louis County to promulgate rules related to designated areas, and as you know, that's because the airport is located within St.

Louis County.

Oh, I understand that it doesn't, but again, I will say the county executive of St.

Charles used to be a state senator, and that and you can look him up and see that he tried to take of our airport many, many times.

So I'm uh concerned about that.

Um also with your making it um clear in your board bill that the city of St.

Louis Board of Almond does have a right to um um promulgate rules and regulations about the airport, even to where pickups and things are.

Is this something that we are going to be in conflict with the uh current commission, or do you um do you think that they are going to accept it as we are making it clear that we do, or is this something that we see as a long-term problem?

So uh the airport uh staff uh director and her team and myself had a meeting with the president's office, the mayor's office a couple weeks ago.

Um and really speaking, uh there's a ground transportation organization that does a survey and study every two years.

That uh is something that's currently in progress.

They have not received the study, but what was discussed during that meeting was um you know, this is traditionally what uh Mr.

Salerano called a quote unquote sleepy industry, and so for you know, 20 years ago, no one was really talking about grand transport ground transportation uh, you know, at all.

I mean, it was mostly just you know, rental car companies, shuttles, you know, taxi cabs, etc.

Um, it's just been in the last few years where the industry has really evolved uh due to technology and other advances, um, and so now it's becoming a much more discussed industry.

Um so you know, the one of the warehouse clauses that I mentioned acknowledges that we're waiting for the survey uh study results to come out, and that you know, we look forward to that and work with them on doing a more holistic comprehensive ordinance related to ground transportation, uh, which couldn't also include newer industries that have popped up in just the last year or two.

Uh one of the examples that was provided was Waymo.

Um, and so which is a self-driving vehicle.

Uh, and so you know, we're we're waiting for those results.

We don't have them in hand right now.

So, you know, as those uh studies become available, the airport staff will continue to work on adopting uh current and updated guidelines related to the ground transportation holistically.

Um but this because of the uh you know contract that was agreed to by the airport commission last year, uh you know, it's already been there's essentially already been rules promulgated related to peer-to-peer ground transportation, so this essentially codifies a process for those peer-to-peer ground transportation uh industry folks.

So now, so and you talk about 20 years ago.

So 20 years ago we didn't have Lyft, Uber, whatever.

So in those rules that we that that are being put forward, do we anticipate new things?

Or are we just uh applying it to what we currently have, and then we would have to change them as new things such as a self-driving vehicle uh peer on the scene and want to take place to pick up passengers and drop passengers off.

My understanding from my the conversations that we had is that it does have some forward looking uh anticipation of what we need to you know uh adopt into ordinance, uh, but obviously we can't predict the future either, Alder Woman.

So uh, you know, they're they're going to look at what's kind of in the pipeline, what's on the ground now, and you know, what might be some you know newer technologies that haven't that are existing but haven't been implemented, um, is my understanding.

But uh, you know, obviously no one has a crystal ball in terms of what's going to happen in the future.

Uh so you know, we have to kind of take it as it comes, which you know, this particular industry um, you know, had been operating at the airport for many years illegally, uh and uh so you know I I think it's important to you know acknowledge that uh we weren't collecting revenue from this industry until last year.

Uh and until I initially introduced this board bill, we weren't collecting any revenue from them up until that point.

Well, thank you.

I appreciate it.

I do want to say if people would watch the Jetsons, uh, we would know what was going to happen because I'm watching the Jetsons.

The things that are going on now were they were on it when I was watching cartoons uh years ago.

So thank you for uh your response.

I appreciate it.

Thank you, Alder Lady Alder Woman.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, Madam Clerk, if you could please add me back as a co-sponsor to Board Bill 25 committee substitute as amended.

So not it.

Thank you.

Um there's been a request for roll call, so it's been moved by the alderman from the third, seconded by the alderman that we perfect board bill 25 committee as amended.

That we perfect board bill 25 committee as amended.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alder Woman's wise, sir.

Aye.

Alderman Odenberg.

Alderman Cong.

Aye.

Alderman Orion.

Alderman Devoting.

Aye.

Alder Woman Velasquez.

Alder Woman Sonier.

Aye.

Alder Woman Cox Antwing.

Aye.

Alderman Browning.

Alder Woman Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

Alder Woman Keys.

Aye.

Alder Woman Tyes.

Aye.

Alder Woman Boyd.

Aye.

Alderman Aldridge.

Aye.

President Green.

Aye.

We have 14.

I votes, one abstain.

By your vote, you sustain the motion for the Alderman from the third to perfect board bill 25 committee substitute as amended.

Board Bill 98, sponsored by Alder Woman Keys.

An ordinance recommended by the Treasury of the City in his capacity as supervisor of parking meters, authorizing and directing the city, acting through the treasurer of the city in his capacity as supervisor of parking meters to issue revenue bonds in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed five million, establishing the terms of sale of such bonds, appointing a trustee, approving and authorizing the preparation, execution, and delivery of necessary or appropriate documents and actions authorizing the reimbursement of certain amounts previously expended on the project to be financed with the proceeds of the bonds and containing a severability cost.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

First, Alderwoman, you need to make the motion to perfect.

Oh, I'm so and then we can make the motion for the floor substitute.

Thank you.

I'd like to make a motion to perfect board bill 98.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 11th, seconded by the Alderman from the 14th that we perfect board bill 98.

Uh Alder Woman, you may proceed.

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

So board bill 98 is a um alder woman.

You can move forward with the floor substitute.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Sorry.

Please, uh, thank you.

So I'd like to move forward with uh board bill substitute for board bill ninety-eight.

It's been moved by the alder woman from the 11th, seconded by the Alder Woman from the 10th that we adopt the floor substitute for board bill 98.

Is there any discussion?

Alder Woman from the first.

Thank you so much.

I'm just having a hard time finding it in the drive, and that's totally on me right now.

Um trying to feed Vincent at the same time.

Um Alderman, uh, if the Alderman from the 11th could yield to questions, please.

Uh there is a motion on the table right now.

Okay, thank you.

I understand.

Okay.

I'll be voting now just because I haven't had a chance to read it.

Thank you.

Uh it's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 11th, seconded by the Alder Woman from the 10th, that we adopt the floor substitute for board bill 98.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Opposed.

Aye.

Motion carries.

Alder Woman, you may now proceed on requesting the perfection of Board Bill 98 floor substitute.

Thank you so much, madam president.

I would like to proceed with the perfection of board bill 98.

Second.

It's been floor sub.

Sub floor sub.

Okay.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 11th, seconded by the Alderman from the 14th.

That we perfect board bill 98 floor substitute.

Alder Woman, you may now proceed.

Thank you so much.

So this board bill and the what the substitute for this board bill.

The initial board bill did not include certain pertinent pieces of information, which made this substitute necessary.

So therefore, um I uh I renew my motion.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Alderman from the 14th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Uh first, I'd like to be added as a co-sponsor to board bill 98 floor substitute.

Madam Clerk, please add the alderman from the 14th as a co-sponsor.

So noted.

Alderman, you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

I want to thank the Alder Woman from the 11th and the Treasurer's Office for this piece of legislation.

They presented it uh last week in the budget committee.

Um, and we had a very robust conversation about uh this property.

Um so the city is now uh buying this property uh and compared to other individuals who was looking to buy it, the other individuals that was looking to buy it originally this was a gas station.

Uh individuals that was looking to buy was just gonna create it and make it another gas station.

What this will do, and I know the Alder Woman has worked with people in her neighborhood, have worked with the treasurer office to figure out what will the plan be for this uh community is to provide more parking uh by creating a surface parking lot in the drive, people should see letters of support from Pappies.

Um one of the things that I know they struggle with that the Alder Woman talked about is being able to have adequate parking for this location.

I think what's also really unique about it is a lot of kids from Harris Stowe when they go to the library, they have to go in off Compton and go all the way around, even though the library is kind of closer to Olive, so they'll create kind of a walking path from uh Compton uh so that the young kids can be able to get to the library.

But if there was any opportunities to change this from a surfing parking lot, the benefit is that this is in the city hands and could be able to work with the community and other stakeholders to expand on the future development of it.

So um, you know, I appreciate the Alder Woman.

I know that while some may not want parking, I think it's better that we put this in the city hands so that we could be able to have uh input on what we would like this land to be.

And as the treasurer said this isn't an end-all be all, they're working with the community to figure out what those future developments could be.

So I appreciate her support, and I would ask the bodies to also vote yes on Board Bill 98 floors.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, alder woman from the 11th year working.

Oh, alder woman from the first.

The Alder Woman from the 12th had her hand up before me.

Uh Madam President.

Alder Woman from the 12th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

If the Alder Woman from the 11th would yield, please.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Alder Woman from the 11th yields questioning from the Alder Woman from the 12th.

Yes, I will.

Alder Woman, you may proceed.

Thank you.

Alder Woman, I know about this project originally when I was chair of trap streets traffic and refugees like maybe four years ago.

Um, this project came before us, but at that time it was going to be a development, but they were gonna uh remove the gas station at that time.

And I don't can you kind of do you know what happened with the development?

Because they were gonna build a building.

Um and I read some place where you had some concerns about a potential development.

Was that the concern, or did something else happen that made the uh building of a new building and some other things happen?

Can you tell me a little bit about this project and why it's just a parking surface parking lot now?

Because it was something much greater.

Yes, ma'am.

So originally, yes, uh, there were some discussions, and those discussions are continuing.

And the long-range plan for this is to have housing in addition to the parking surface that is there to support the um only uh black college uh Harris Stowe students.

Uh so that's a long-range plan.

Um, our biggest hurdle is getting the parking lot secured.

We've had a lot of entities who have shown interest.

This is actually more than one parcel we're talking about.

But what happens is that every um uh person who has come forward to express an interest in buying it wants to put a gas station there.

My ward, like your ward and the 13th ward, are inundated with gas stations.

So you can imagine my joy when a gas station left, and you know, we're doing everything that we can to make sure that this uh area is not once again a gas station.

Um, because of the two parcels, when those entities came, they only wanted that first piece, which is right there at the corner, which would have left that second piece kind of like it was just an empty open space.

So we're very fortunate that our treasurer Adam Lane was able to uh negotiate with the uh owner to get both of those parcels secured for our city and to make sure that we didn't have yet another parking lot.

Thank you.

I am like I said, I'm familiar with the project.

I supported it as the chair of uh streets traffic and rescues um at the time.

And they even looked at adding a parking garage under the development so that there would still be parking.

I know that Pappies, when they're full, I go to Pappy, so and it's and uh the surrounding restaurants, they need additional parking.

I'm uh additionally joyful that Harris Stowe would be able to be served by this because originally, under an agreement we made back in the Stone Age in the 90s, um St.

Louis University was not supposed to come across.

What's the street?

Is that uh Compton?

Uh what's the street?

Compton, exactly.

And Father Beyonde promised he wouldn't, and then surprisingly he broke his promise and bought that church because Harris Stowe was gonna stay on one side of Compton, the east side of Compton, and St.

Louis University was supposed to stay on the uh west side of Compton, and um that didn't happen.

So I've been around from when Harris Stowe became a uh college, university, whatever.

Um, I do know that they are uh forever trying to grow and look for space and space is landlocked, and uh getting rid of gas stations is something that needs to be done, especially, and this is not quite North St.

Louis, but there we have way too many gas stations um in the city um compared to our population, and it is not a healthy thing to be around gas stations, um, especially in my community where they push them against the people's uh wishes up against people's houses and fumes and everything else.

So um I I'm not for a gas station, a parking lot is much better for me.

It seems a little sticky, but not in the long run.

When you're looking at future developments, so I am supportive of this.

And I know sometimes it's just really hard to get a good deal and work it out, but I do believe that you will get something because it's in a really good spot.

St.

Louis University is there and Harris Stowe is there, and Pappy's and other restaurants are there.

So in the future, I hope we get something that's really great at that uh that's those two parcels, and it would uh serve Hair Stow and the surrounding restaurant communities, and I will be supportive of it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alder Woman.

Alder Woman from the first.

Thank you, Madam President and members of the board, and thank you all for being so patient with me as I adjust to trying to do motherhood and uh alder womanhood at the same time.

So thank you for your patience with me.

Um I have uh read this bill and see the the numbers with it and the in the parcel, and I just don't think the city is getting a good deal uh with this.

Um and I think that there's another pathway to housing that isn't the city turning it into a parking lot or using it as a parking lot or owning as a parking lot for at least 10 years to pay off uh the bonds, which um there's a lot of other um parking lots in the in the area um nearby that the city could invest in as well.

So um that it already owns.

So uh with that I would just request a roll call and I thank you for hearing me out today.

Any further discussion?

Alder Woman from the 12th.

Yes, madam president and members of the board, if the Alder Woman from the first would yield.

The older woman from the first yields questioning from the older woman from the 12th.

Yes.

Um you may proceed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, you said you thought that there was a different way to the um to getting housing.

Could you kind of extrapolate on that a little bit?

Because as I said, when I you were on my committee when I was the chair of streets and traffic and refuse, and I sat on the uh parking commission because I was the chair, um, and we went round and around and around about this, uh, you know.

So what do you suggest that could be done differently?

Uh thank you uh for that question.

Um if the city does move forward, treasure's office moves forward and turns this into a parking lot.

I think that it would likely stay a parking lot.

Um, and so I would prefer to see a developer who has intentions of building housing, work with the city to do that uh from the earlier stage and and take the pathway of the city helping the project in that direction.

And do we uh and I can't remember, I thought we blighted that property with eminent domain, but it's been a long time ago.

Do we um assume the risk that somebody might get it and put another uh gas station there?

I believe that the Alderman from the 11th would fight tooth and nail to prevent that variance from occurring, and so I do not believe a gas station would go there.

And I want to say we have a we have a uh shoot 'em up gas station at St.

Louis Avenue and Kings Highway that we actually have an ordinance and laws that says there can never be another gas station there.

But the former mayor slay pushed it through anyway.

And we went down and testified, and the people who got the gas station, Salamas, brought a busload full of people that in no way had any interest in where we live.

So I understand the auto woman's uh attempt to make sure to get that property under control.

I don't necessarily agree with you about spending unnecessarily unnecessary funds, but in this case, um I sat on that and we talked about things and we brought developers that came in and and um talked about building this thing, and I don't know what happened because I'm not the chair anymore and I don't sit on the committee.

Uh uh, but if there's any way we can get any gas stations out of the communities and start doing some other things, even if it takes five uh 10 years to be a parking lot, then that's what has to happen.

And I'll point out to you, there's a corner of Union and Delmar that used to be a shell gas station, and they took that, and it's been sitting there for 15 or 20 years now because they've been getting rid of the gas stations in every place but North St.

Louis, okay.

They've been adding more to us, but they took ownership of that property and kept it, and even if it's just a lot, it's usually better than a gas station, which often um attracts crimes and shootings and everything else, and which is my question is what makes certain uh neighborhoods, the gas stations have shootings going on.

So for me, um it might be a little steep, but if that's what happens to prevent there being a gas station, that is worth it to me because somebody gets shot or something happens with a criminal activity there, and that gas station had been going down and down and down, so it was a marginalized gas station at best.

So um, and a student gets hurt or anything like that, then we would think the amount of money that we're spending would be a small amount.

So I do hear what you're saying.

You don't want it to just be a parking lot, but sometimes you have to take those incremental steps.

It's not as easy as you think, especially as you're trying to do things, and this is not North St.

Louis, but sometimes it's that corner, they were working on it four or five, six, seven years ago.

Um, and in fact, the developer was the guy.

If you go to the corner of uh uh uh Lindo and Euclid, what is it?

Yellow belly, the guy who did that was what the person that was coming before us, and I know he knows how to do development, so I think it's just a hard push to get it done, and so that's why I'm supporting it.

But I do hear what you're saying.

Thank you very much for answering my question.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Alder Woman from the 7th.

Thank you, madam president, members of the board.

Um, I just wanted to add, I know parking lots is a popular uh conversation in being an alum of slew.

Um, I just want to add the context that I was able to talk to the Alder Woman and the uh treasurer, and even though it does seem like there are a lot of parking lots, a lot of them are privately owned um and are not necessarily accessible for public reasons.

And I also wanted to add, um, as was meant in the committee hearing that the local the locust business district as well as the Cransburg Theater were in support of this legislation.

Um so I just wanted to put that on record.

I know there are a lot of conversations, and it's not necessarily the preferred space usage, but I think in this case, I do prefer this that is city-owned and will eventually generate city revenue over um another gas station.

I certainly agree with that, and so I think that this was done in the you know, kind of the best available use, and it is city-owned.

So if another opportunity comes up later, it doesn't mean that that is out of the question either.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Seeing none alder woman from the 11th, you are recognized to close.

Thank you, madam president, members of the board.

I move that we uh perfect board bill 98.

It has been moved by the alder woman from the 11th, second by the alderman from the 14th.

That we perfect board bill 98 floor substitute.

Adam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alderman Odenberg, Alderman Cohn, Alderman Orion, Alderman Devotee, Audder Woman Velasquez, Alder Woman Sonier, Alderman Browning, no Auto Woman Cox and Twee.

Aye.

Auto Woman Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

Auto Woman Tyers.

Aye.

Aye.

Autumn and Aldrich.

President Green.

Aye.

13 I votes, two no votes.

By your vote, you sustain the motion to perfect board bill 98 floor substitute.

Board Bill 137, sponsored by Alderman Devotee, Alderman Cone, Alderwoman Velasquez, Alderwoman Keys, Alderwoman Sonny, Alderman Aldrich.

An ordinance submitting to the qualified voters of the City of St.

Louis, the question of whether to amend the City of St.

Louis charter to modernize language describing city departments, divisions, other organizations to provide for modern methods of advertisement and publication to delete obsolete references to Missouri statute to delete our to delete our obsolete references to city departments, divisions, or other organizations to revise reference to pay scale to replace pronouns with specific title references and to standardize capitalization of titles and uniform formatting of numbers.

Providing for an election to be held for voting on the proposed amendment for the manner of voting and the publication, certification, deposit, and recording of this ordinance and containing an emergency clause.

Madam Clerk, could you uh please re-add me as a co-sponsor to 137?

So noted.

Thank you.

Alderman from the fifth, you are recognized on the perfection of board bill 137.

Yes, madam president, members of the board, I move to perfect board bill 137.

It's been moved by the Alderman from the fifth, seconded by the Alder Woman from the 7th, that we perfect board bill 137.

Alderman.

Yes, Madam President, uh I would move that we amend Adopt.

That we adopt amendments one and two to exhibit.

It's been moved by the Alderman from the fifth, seconded by the uh Alder Woman from the 10th that we adopt amendments number one and two uh to board bill one thirty-seven.

Alderman, you may proceed on the amendments.

Uh yes, madam president, members of the board.

Uh these particular amendments uh frankly are a result of some excess striking by me that what they would do if we do not correct it uh is remove your office from being elected, the office of the president from being elected uh citywide.

So we need to just simply clean that up before we talk about the the remainder of the board bill.

Any further discussion on the amendments.

Seeing none, it's been moved by the alderman from the fifth, seconded by the alderman from the 10th.

Uh Alder Woman from the 13th.

Uh yes, uh Madam President.

Uh would uh I'm gonna say Reverend would Alderman Devotee uh take a question.

Would the Alderman from the fifth yield to questioning from the Alder Woman from the 13th?

Yes, Alder Woman, you may proceed.

Uh Alderman DeValdi, I'm just trying to get clarity.

So could you repeat the last statement you said what this amendment is doing because I couldn't find it, so I was trying to get clarity.

Yes, ma'am, and I and I think just so you have it.

If you look at your email, you should have gotten something from Vivian Walter that would that was emailed to you so that you've got it.

So take a look at that.

But what we're doing here is the exhibit A that went through committee, uh, had struck out the provision that the president of the board that that particular office is elected citywide.

And that was obviously a mistake.

So what the amendment does is remake our I guess unredact, unstrike that language for purposes of clarification.

It just it was an error on my point part when I when I filed exhibit a okay, all right.

Thank you.

I look forward any further discussion.

Alder Woman from the 10th.

Thank you, madam president members of the board, please add me as the co-sponsor.

So noted.

Madam Clerk, please make note of that.

Alder Woman from the 7th.

I just wanted to go on the record and thank the Alderman from the fifth for all of his work of combing through all of the charter and all of the uh modernization language.

I know he's been speaking of this for quite some time.

I mean, I'm glad that this change is happening.

So thank you for your work, Alderman.

It's been moved by the Alderman from the fifth, seconded by the Alder Woman from the 10th, that we adopt amendment number one and two to Board Bill 137.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Alderman, you are now recognized on the perfection of board bill 137 as amended.

Yes, madam president, members of the board.

I would now move that perfect board bill 137 as amended on the floor.

It's been moved by the Alderman from the fifth, seconded by the Alder Woman from the 7th.

Alderman, you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President.

Well, I think the summary is uh is pretty self-evident.

And obviously, I would apologize to everyone with respect to the exhibit.

You saw that the exhibit attached is 98 pages.

The reason it's 98 pages is we went through uh literally article by article by article of our city charter for the purpose of looking at it from a modernization perspective.

We had a couple of different ideas in mind.

Uh the first is we wanted to modernize the language describing city departments.

In other words, departments that or divisions that no longer exist remove their references to the charter.

Uh uh descriptions or divisions that no longer exist, remove those from the charter.

We also wanted to delete obsolete references to Missouri statute city organization.

Uh our charter was uh was originally drafted in the 1914.

Over the years, there are references to Missouri statute, frankly, no longer are pertinent.

Those statues have come and go.

So that was another part of the the tackle.

We also wanted to, and we did attempt to revise references to pay scale.

Again, back in 1914, there are specific references to what the mayor earns, what the comptroller earns, whatever it might be.

And of course, today we're not functioning under a salary of $6,000 or $8,000 for the mayor or the the city councilor.

We also tackled the idea of the pronouns.

Uh the notion being, again, when our charter was originally passed, that the pronoun he was used throughout.

So we went again article by article and replaced those pronouns with references to the position.

For instance, replacing he with mayor where appropriate, replacing he with alder person where appropriate.

Those kind of things.

And then finally, we standardize capitalization of titles and the uniform formatting of numbers.

Uh and this was my pick uh as lawyer, reading through this 98-page document, single-spaced, where we just have a different way that we are constantly referring to things.

So while we were tackling this project, we made those references uniform throughout.

I do want to acknowledge that this was a collaborative effort.

Uh it started with uh well, it didn't start with, but it included representatives from the mayor's office, president of the board of alder uh men's office, it included a representative from the controller's office.

Uh we sought input from the president of the board of public service, the assessor's office.

We also, of course, worked with the city councilor.

Um I would be remiss if if I didn't also uh thank uh Alderman Cohn.

Uh his former Board Bill 76 essentially served as the base of our operation.

So this was a process that went over many months, article by article, and it it uh again I'm very proud of the collaborative nature.

So again, uh I would move to perfect one thirty-seven is amended on the floor, and of course, uh I am willing to take any questions that uh that are the further discussion.

Alder Woman from the sixth.

President will um may inquire of the Alderman of the Fifth.

The Alderman from the fifth yield to questioning from the Alder Woman from the sixth.

Yes.

Alder Woman, you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President.

Alderman, can you just talk a little bit about um why this why this bill was important to do, why you think this bill is important to do now, and um if it's consequential in in our quest for more charter change.

Absolutely.

Uh as each and every one of you know, a discussion about looking at various parts of our charter is is happening throughout.

Uh our charter dates to 1914.

Our charter is the the city's essentially its its constitution, it's foundational document.

And over the course of the last 100 years, like any other foundation, the foundation of 110, 120-year-old home, it's got some leaks, it's got some cracks, it's got some inconsistencies.

The idea of this project is to go through the charter and patch those cracks, repair the foundation so that as we look at other things, and we're going to discuss later today uh part of talking in terms of of how we handle special elections, for instance.

Down the road we might tackle personnel.

We might talk in terms of requisitions.

Whatever the item might be.

The item is is that we're fixing our foundational document so that as we move forward, we're working on a solid foundation.

I admit this isn't sexy.

It's nothing that anybody gets real excited about.

I do think it's important to lay that foundation so that as we move forward, we're we're moving on firm ground.

Thank you, Alderman, and thank you for taking on the not so glorious work of uh a very detailed uh update to our foundation.

I have no further questions, madam president.

Alder Woman from the first.

Thank you.

Please add me as a co-sponsor.

So no, please make note of that.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion.

Seeing none, then Alderman from the fifth, you're recognized to close.

Uh Madam President, members of the board, I again move to perfect board bill one thirty-seven is amended.

Alder Woman from the 12th, please state your point of order.

My hand was up before you start doing that.

Apologies that it didn't pop up on the screen yet, but I will go ahead and recognize you, Alder Woman from the 12th.

Thank you.

Um I wanted to just from the fifth.

Is that right?

Did call me and ask me to read the legislation.

Um I'm going to be voting present because I didn't get finished with it, because in the midst of all of this, what became apparent to me.

Well, it's been apparent for a long time is that we have a serious part problem with ARPA.

And it's going to become very apparent to everybody else if you didn't read the articles, is that we have not expended money that we should have.

And so that became a priority.

So I haven't had a chance to read it all.

I also don't know that this is an emergency.

I do like uh that we're looking at some things, but since I have not really uh since I have not read the entire board bill and I did not see the uh amendments until this morning, I do want to look at them, so I will be a present on this until I can fully understand um what is going on and what is the rush to get it done.

Because if we came back next term and did it, there wouldn't be any great harm.

Um so when I hear the Alder Woman from the uh six and about the need for it to be now, it it if it just goes on another uh term, it will not hurt, but it will hurt if I vote for something and I haven't read it and I haven't completed uh the process.

So I'll I'm asking for a roll call and I will be voting present.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion seeing none, Alderman from the fifth, you are recognized to close.

Uh Madam President, I would uh remove uh renew my motion to perfect board bill one thirty-seven as amended on the floor.

It's been moved by the alderman from the fifth, seconded by the alder woman from the seventh that we perfect board bill one thirty-seven as amended on the floor.

There's been a request for roll call.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alder Woman Swide, sir.

Aye.

Alderman Odenberg.

Aye.

Alderman Cone.

Alderman O'Ryan.

Alderman Devotee.

Aye.

Auto Woman Velasquez.

Aye.

Alder Woman Sonier.

Aye.

Alder Woman Coxantwee.

Aye.

Alderman Browning.

Aye.

Auto Woman Clark Cover.

Aye.

Auto Woman Keith.

Aye.

Auto Woman Ties.

Present.

Alder Woman Boyd.

Aye.

Alderman Aldrich.

Aye.

President Green.

Aye.

Alderman Cone.

Aye.

We have 14 aye votes, one voted present.

By your vote, you sustain the motion for the Alderman from the fifth to perfect Board Bill 137 as amended on the floor.

Board Bill 54, sponsored by Alderwoman Velasquez, Alderwoman Cox, and Twee and President Green.

A proposed amendment to the Charter of the City of St.

Louis, repeal in Section 5, Article 5 of the chat of the Charter.

Article 9.

I'm sorry, Article 9 of the Charter.

To have the same nonpartisan two top two runoff system in special elections for Alderman that is used in regular city elections, providing for an election to be held for voting on the proposed amendment and for the manner of voting and for the publication, certification, deposit, and recording of this ordinance and containing that emergency clause.

Alder Woman from the 6th, you're recognized on the perfection of Board Bill 54.

Thank you, Madam President.

I move to perfect board bill 54.

Second.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 6th, seconded by the Alderman from the 14th.

That we perfect Board Bill 54.

Alder Woman, you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam President.

Now I move to adopt amendments one and two, which are on everybody's desk.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 6th, seconded by the Alderman from the 14th.

We adopt amendments number one and two to board bill 54.

Alder Woman, you may proceed on the amendments.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh both these amendments are well, one just amendment two is based on what just happened with Board Bill 137.

Amendment one is simply updating the um the ballot language it says for aldermen.

This actually applies to the citywide elections, not just for aldermen.

So it's just making sure it's accurate with the uh the election laws as it stands.

And then as Alderman Devotee described, uh, when we are looking at updating the charter, it legally is best for us to avoid any conflict by updating the charter first.

So this his bill is slated for August uh 2026, and this would move it to the November 2026 election.

Okay.

Any further discussion on the amendments?

Any further discussion on the amendments.

Seeing none, it's been moved by the alder woman from the sixth, seconded by the alderman from the 14th.

We adopt amendments number two to board bill 54.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Alder Woman, you know, may proceed on board bill 54 as amended on the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

So this bill is uh not so much about party.

Oops, you need to ask for perfection.

All right, now I apologize.

Uh I move to perfect board bill 54 as amended.

Second.

It's been moved by the alder woman from the sixth, seconded by the alderman from the 14th.

That we perfect board bill 54 as amended on the floor.

Alder woman, you may now proceed.

Thank you, Madam President.

So Board Bill 54 is really about updating a conflict that currently exists between our uh election law and our charter.

About five years ago, the voters voted to change how we do elections, and there was a conflict with the charter, and every special election, uh, the board of elections has to figure out a way to basically have two different election systems, which is costly.

It's already cost the board about 31,000 legal fees over uh the past five years, and this bill simply asked the voters to repeal the section on special elections related to uh partisan elections, which we don't have in any of our other elections, and so therefore all of our uh regulations regarding special elections would default to ordinance.

It is not adding any new language, it is not seeking to comment on uh parties.

It is we have a clear conflict in the law uh between our charter and our current ordinance, and this removes that language from the charter so it makes it easier for up to us to update election laws and clears that conflict.

So, with that, I ask for this body to perfect uh board bill 54 as amended.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Alderman from the ninth.

Uh thank you.

I just want to say thank you to the Alder Woman from the 6th uh for working on this bill.

I would like to add myself as a co-sponsor.

So noted.

Madam Clerk, please make note of that.

I just go on to say that it dovetails nicely with the election reform that we just did.

Uh this is really following the will of the voters oversight in the first place to exclude special elections.

It was never the intention, as it clearly causes issues that cost us more money and and really confuses voters.

Uh so this is a worthy cleanup, and uh again, just really appreciate the Alderman from the sixth for her work on this.

Any further discussion?

Alder Woman from the 13th.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

I just wanted to make a comment and probably people that don't want to hear this, but I think I understand why they're doing what they're doing in regard to elections, but I'm just very concerned because I think we are doing work that didn't have to happen in the first place.

And so if we had never did those propositions, the R and the D, we wouldn't be in this situation.

So maybe I'm off, but this is this is crazy to me.

We keep backtracking ourselves to clean up the messes.

And I heard uh the alderman from the ninth saying, well, it was the will of the voters.

Well, the voters weren't told the truth, so they didn't have the understanding.

So I think it goes back to us educating our voters and telling them the truth, and that's what we need to do as legislators.

So I that's all I had.

Thank you.

Alder Woman from the 12th.

Madam President, members of the board.

Um, I rise in opposition to this legislation, and I differ from the Alderman from the 9th, which says this is a duck tail of the voters or uh fine attachment to the people who voted in November.

The propositions were a bunch of malarkey.

They were passed at a last minute.

And the reason they didn't include this part in the charter, because then they would have had to tell people that they were getting rid of the Democratic Party in the city of St.

Louis, that they basically were getting rid of them.

So they've uh done it slowly and surely.

But instead of saying you're not gonna be able to run as a Democrat, you're gonna have to run as a nonpartisan.

Uh, they didn't want to say that.

So they can come back and keep changing things and doing it piecemeal so that people don't understand how this all works together.

And it was passed in such a manner that we passed it, I want to say in November, and then we had to run like we had to file for the election right after it passed.

It was no time.

So for all you people who talk about transparency, this was not transparent.

Then we came back a few uh years ago and we got rid of because the legislation was so poor.

And I wrote all kinds of things about what was wrong with the propositions, and one of them was that they said, Oh, we're gonna make it so that if you get a majority, you can run and you know, you won't have to be bothered with people who get a supermajority.

And then we had the ignorant occurrences of the fifth ward and uh 17th ward, where in the 17th ward, the person won by 500 votes, and then came back and the person beat them by eight votes, and they and was only those two people and the person who won by eight votes.

We totally discounted the 500 vote uh victory.

The same thing happened in the fifth ward with James Page and to Pamika Hubbard.

She beat James Page, and then he came back and won.

And so that's the kind of thing that happened.

And so then we had to acknowledge, not we, because I knew it was a problem, but those who had pushed that then came back and changed it at the board of Alderman.

They didn't go back to the voters and say, hey, hey, we didn't tell you this.

This was a mistake.

They just changed it at the board of Alderman and said, Oh, we don't need to go back to the voters.

And now we're coming back and saying, Well, this is what the voters wanted.

No, they did not.

To this day, people are like, what happened to the Democratic Party?

Um, and what happened is people saw uh a way to get rid of the Democratic Party in the city of St.

Louis and make it weaker and weaker and weaker, and that is what they're doing.

And so I'm a Democrat, so I'm opposed to this, and I'm also opposed to it because they did not tell people what they were voting on, and that now we're slowly and surely telling people, well, this is the best thing for you.

It most certainly is not, as is redistricting to 14 is not, makes for these super large wards in North St.

Louis and little tiny wards in the rest of the city.

None of this is good for the city, except for that some people came up with the idea and they're running for it full force, but it is in no way in the best interest of the city of St.

Louis.

It's not best interest of the Democratic Party.

It's uh uh a right uh left, I'm sorry, not right, a left-left pull in the party to get rid of Democrats.

And um, the only thing I will say, shame on you who have been ahead of the Democratic Party to let this go on.

Michael Butler, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.

Mr.

Carnahan, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.

You are leaders in the Democratic Party, but you did not do what you should to be standing up for Democrats, and pretty soon we're not gonna have a Democrat left, and we're gonna uh be sorry of what's gonna happen because we are fooling the people.

And I would ask the public not to vote for this uh because it is not a good idea.

And I want to tell you that it was a conflict, and as the Alder Woman from the 13th said, it was a conflict because the uh propositions were passed.

And back a few years ago when uh who left?

Um, I want to say the Alder Woman from the 28th after LIDA, whoever became the Alder Woman from the 28th when she left, then um her committee man came and the board of election did it wrong and tried to say that uh that it was going to be a nonpartisan, and we had hearings and they had to go back and let him run as a partisan.

I was surprised when the alder woman from the 11th told me they then did it illegally against her and made her run as a nonpartisan when clearly the charter said that she should have run as a Democrat.

This is all done to keep people confused and keep uh fooling people and misinforming people and not saying this is what we're trying to get rid of is the Democratic Party.

So you just keep going out there and doing it, and then what you get is somebody who has fooled you and tricked you, and you get dictatorships in which you can control something that you don't have the board of Alderman, which was supposed to be a board that was representative of all parts of the city, and that all parts of the city got equal access to things.

That does not happen with this.

And anybody who votes for this ought to be ashamed of themselves because this is not a good piece of legislation.

And I'm uh I'm requesting a roll call.

Any further discussion.

Alderman for the fourth.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

I agree with Alderman Boyd and Alderwoman Tyus on this.

Uh this is the umpteenth time that we've talked about fixing the the fallout from Prop D.

And I think really what we should be doing instead of addressing all of the issues Prop D caused piecemeal.

We should be asking the voters if they want to go back to the system that we had that worked fine for decades and decades and decades.

Right now, I mean, we're we're just floundering trying to uh to figure out what we're doing, and it doesn't make sense to do it this way.

I I have plenty of constituents who voted for Prop D and didn't quite understand the ramifications of voting for Prop D.

I have constituents that say, hey, I voted for Prop D and Prop D was a mistake.

We just, you know, we we thought it was gonna work a certain way, and it didn't work that way.

Now we have elections where I have to tell my constituents it doesn't matter if you vote or not, which is one of the weirdest things to say as as someone who's voted in every election since I've been 18 to tell people actually if you're busy that day, don't bother because your vote doesn't matter.

And that's it's it's uh it's just not a good look.

Uh it's it's like one of the most big D Democrat things to do to uh basically run an entire city and say, actually, let's get nonpartisan.

Let's get everyone to the table.

Um it it it it was a bad idea, and rather than trying to fix it piecemeal, we should be asking the voters if they'd like to return to the previous system.

And uh I'll be a no on this.

And uh I believe Alderwoman Tyas requested a roll call.

Okay, thank you.

Any further discussion, Alderman from the 14th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

First off, I'd like to be added as a co-sponsor.

Madam Clerk note of that.

Uh second, I just I was gonna say quiet.

You know, I think everyone got the right to their opinion.

Um, and I definitely hear the concerns of the Alder Woman from the the 12th and 13th, even if I disagree with them.

But I just had to go up on record because I know this is being on YouTube.

When the Alderman of the Fourth just said your vote don't count, that's probably like that.

I mean, that's uh like what we hear on the national level, regardless of the the the Prop D system or the old system.

It is not saying your vote does not count.

So I don't want people to go out there saying, Oh, the Alderman from the Fourth said my vote don't count, so I'm not gonna vote because of these, you know, the different system.

And again, if you want to change it or you want to change Prop D, it did pass with 60%.

Each Alder person have the right to write legislation to be able to change the charter to try to go back to the other one, put it on the ballot, and allow the people to vote.

So when we talk about we should file and start or May.

So I look forward to seeing if anybody's gonna do it.

Prop D's been in effect for a while.

Um, what this does, because I think it's important for people to be clear, what this does is clean up with the special elections to make sure that they are aligned with our current elections that are in place.

So it's not changing the system that we that voters in the city of St.

Louis voted for overwhelmingly.

End of the day, we can say they didn't know what they knew what they was voting on, they didn't.

You know, I try to do my part.

I think our voters are very educated.

I don't give them that that they're not educated, and people don't know what they vote on.

And you know, if I when this was happening, I absolutely supported it.

I made sure uh educated informed voters on what it was.

People that was against it had that right to do so.

But uh to say and uh to to get up on the floor and say, Oh, your vote don't count, so don't vote is just I mean it's it's it's very Trumpish.

And uh please, people that live in the city of St.

Louis, vote in every election.

If it's a uh Prop D election or some elections are not uh individuals that are nonpartisan.

We may not have the D behind our name, but I know when we go out to our residents, we tell folks we are a Democrat.

I've seen on people campaign literature where they still say that they are a Democrat.

So it does not stop us when you are out knocking doors campaigning saying, Hey, I'm a Democrat and have been a Democrat beforehand.

This just makes it a nonpartisan, a runoff.

I do think there's some things that need to be cleaned up.

I think in anything that we do uh in the city of St.

Louis, many pieces of legislation and nothing's perfect.

Uh, but if there is cleanup language, I look forward to any colleague at the floor bringing a piece of legislation to try to clean it up instead of just talking about it.

So thank you, Alderwoman, for uh bringing this forward as well.

Uh City of St.

Louis voters, please vote in every election.

Thank you.

Lots of hands up, so I'm gonna go alderman from the fifth, then alder woman from the eighth, and alderman from the twelfth.

Okay.

Alderman for the fifth.

Madam President, Madam Clerk, if you would please add me as a co-sponsor.

Madam Clerk, please make note of that.

Alder Woman from the Eighth.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Uh, I just wanted to get up and say uh just what the Alderman from the 14th just said.

So I I first want to echo everything that he said, which is making sure that any residents that are listening and watching to this understand that your vote counts in every election.

It truly bothered me hearing the alderman from the fourth use that language.

Uh again, I don't think partisanship and partisan distinction takes away from each of the individual issues that we all on this board know that candidates you know call upon and run on.

Um, and again, as we've said many times here on this floor, having nonpartisan elections does not remove from political parties from being active in our democratic processes.

So again, I don't understand why people keep reiterating that hard because it's just not true.

I think all we're doing here is making sure that our systems are consistent and clear for voters when they come out and participate in our processes.

And I understand um those who had concerns about what was enacted in the past, but at the end of the day, this is the system now, and it is our responsibility to make sure voters understand the system and have a clarified system.

I think we have improved both with uh Alderman Browning bill and now Alder Woman Velasquez bill here today, a lot of the past issues uh that the process had, and we're quite frankly on the last stage of making those improvements.

So, again, having nonpartisan elections does not remove political parties.

And at the end of the day, voters should be voting on the merit of the candidate, regardless of what and where the election is taking place.

And honestly, having multiple elections has shown statistically, not just in the city of St.

Louis, but across the nation, that it does make voters more informed and it does make voters more engaged.

So I just wanted to, you know, reiterate and harp that point that every election counts no matter what, and I don't think any elected official should be saying that to their residents.

Alder Woman from the 12th.

Madam President, members of the board, and I listen to this nonsense.

I know that they don't know what they're talking about because they haven't been here and they haven't read all the things that have occurred, so they can glibly talk about oh, your vote did count.

When in fact, it literally did not.

The alderman from the fourth is correct, and I will provide them with proof.

They had an election in which someone beat somebody by 500 votes, and then they came back and had another election with the same two people under the poorly written propositions, and the person won by eight.

So the 500 votes didn't mean anything versus eight votes.

That is a bunch of malarkey, okay?

That was not what the people intended, and it's also against what they wrote in the propositions.

It was specifically against what they said.

So when you said that, oh, everybody's vote count, it did not count.

It did not count.

And it I never understand people saying, well, it doesn't make a difference because I go out and say I'm a Democrat, but in here we don't want it to be partisan.

Why not?

It has worked all these many years, but now you want to be able to say you're a Democrat, but not in here.

And that's because you don't understand how this is being used.

Because if you did and you cared about not having dictatorships up in the board of Alderman, you would understand why this was needed to be changed.

So and all the people who changed it, including the Alderman from the 14th, who was one of the people, he even said when we then changed and went back to saying, well, if you have two people, you don't have to run an election.

Because proposition, whichever it was, D or R, I can't remember whichever the numbers under the letters are now, said that you had to run twice, and it didn't even take into account that if it was only two people, and that if people won by a large amount, and I'll give you the case of Brandon Bosley in the third war.

He had opposition, it was him then, and that that person he won by 70 something percent, and he has to still run an election.

I had to do the same thing.

I won by 69 or 70 percent.

I still had to run against the same person.

This propositions were poorly written by people who are now trying at the board trying to backdoor them instead of saying, first of all, these are the things that we did wrong, and we're gonna stop trying to backdoor them.

And we're I agree with the alderman from the fourth.

We actually do need to put it back out to the people and say, Did you really understand what you were voting for?

Is this what you wanted?

Did you want to get rid of the Democratic Party?

Because they could have put all of this in their proposition in the first place.

They could have said, I want to get rid of committee people.

They don't want people to have a difference of opinion.

This is also there can be a dictatorship and get rid of uh the Democratic Party.

And that is what is going on because St.

Louis has become a majority democratic city, but we still had a Republican for years.

We still had independents for years.

They still could participate.

And if you wanted to be an independent and not a Democrat, there was nothing, nothing that prevented you from doing that because you just got an independent petition and you ran.

But for those of us who are Democrats and want to bid and want to run for that, to tell me I'm prevented from that, and that somehow that is better when we never prevented people from being an independent.

So I'm sure you don't know that older woman from the eighth, that you could run as an independent, uh nonpartisan always.

There was no need to change the charter.

This was done for another nefarious reason.

And when the Alderman says that the vote didn't count, it didn't count because somebody beat you by 500 votes, and then they're not the older person.

That's a mistake.

And you are friends with James Page.

So all the former Alderman will tell you when he came down here, we became good friends.

But I always told him, you did not beat Tamika Hubbard.

You have no business being here because that's a mistake that you can come here and you lost to her, and then they can come and come after you and see where the problem is, and then you get to have another election.

Now they've changed that.

It's ridiculous.

So you really should uh try to get information before you speak to things that you don't have any information about.

So go talk to James Page.

He'll tell you that since you're friends with him.

This is ridiculous.

Why are we getting rid of the committee people?

Why are we getting rid of their influence?

They actually work in the community, and especially if you have large uh wards like uh the older one from the 13th and myself have, and as much also the other one from the 11th.

You need everybody you can to help.

I have 14 neighborhoods.

That's ridiculous.

You guys over there have five, six, I have 14 neighborhoods.

The other one from the 13th has their largest geographical area in the city.

It makes no sense.

When you speak to stuff, you really should have more knowledge about what you're talking about.

And anytime you want to sit down with somebody who's been through it, I will be glad to sit down with you so you can learn some of the stuff that they've done because uh maybe you would understand the difference of why we are so opposed to this.

This is not gonna help North St.

Louis.

This is not gonna help the city of St.

Louis, and it does not help you to be uh uh when you could always have been that.

And it does not help if you're out there in this community saying I'm Democrat, but now I don't want to tell you when I come down to the board of Alderman, I'm a Democrat.

That doesn't make any sense at all.

This is a bad piece of legislation.

I will uh continue to ask people not to vote for it, and I will ask people before they make statements that they actually try to find out the information that they're making statements about woman from the 13th, is your hand up or not?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, older woman from the 13th, you're recognized.

Thank you, madam president and board.

I just want to ask people, I keep hearing people say, you know, it was this isn't bad, this this works.

But one, I kept telling people the goal was people need to understand St.

Louis has the strongest democratic base there is, and people need to understand we're setting ourselves up to become a Republican city, and so that's what they're trying to do.

They're trying to take our rights away as Democrats, they're trying to water us down.

But I don't know if you all have had the issue, but when the when we have elections and we win the election, then we have to come back and run again.

Then we literally have to call residents to say, don't forget to go back and vote.

And their comment is we just voted.

Why we have to vote for you again, and that is so cumbersome.

So that's double money we're putting out.

And I understand the board of election is complaining about all this money, but nobody thought this through, and we are still at a point in our history of this city and this board of Alderman.

Nobody wants to accept we made a mistake.

Nobody wants to do that.

Everybody keeps saying, oh, this is so great, everything is fine.

It's not, and if you put an unnecessary work on yourself, and so I don't, I'm not nonpartisan.

I am a Democrat, and I stand proud to be a Democrat, and I'm not changing that.

But why do we keep putting this work on ourselves when we don't have to?

And that's all I'm asking you all.

Thank you, Madam President.

I just wanted to say um first again, I hear the folks that have spoken in opposition to this and their concerns.

Um, but you know, for me as someone that was recently elected to this board and was recently elected to via a special election.

Again, I just want to reiterate the point of what we're talking about here.

Um, I am speaking from knowledge and experience of what I know because again, I am probably the person that had the most recent experience when it comes to elections.

Um, but I think the first and foremost, most important thing that we're doing is making sure that we are keeping voters informed and engaged and doing things in response to what voters requested of us.

And if they ask for us is to make sure that voters are aware every single time we have an election, I think that's our duty and our responsibility.

And if they ask of us is to make sure that voters have a clear and clarified process, that's our responsibility and our duty.

Um so I just wanted to add quickly that comment.

There they go.

There we go.

Okay.

Alder woman from the 12th.

Madam President, members of the board, if the other woman from the eighth would yield.

Well, the older woman from the eighth yield questioning from the other woman from the 12th.

Yes, ma'am.

Alder woman, you may proceed.

Thank you.

Otter woman, um, did or what are you aware that since the beginning of the board, you could always run as a nonpartisan?

Yes, I am aware of that.

So why would it be required if you could run as a nonpartisan and you wanted to run as one, and people did and won?

We had a nonpartisan uh sit down here for 22 years as a nonpartisan.

What would be the requirement?

What it makes it better for us, in your opinion, uh for us not to be uh to be nonpartisan, but out in the community saying, But we're still Democrats.

Please explain that to me.

I don't think that's what this bill is doing here, ma'am.

So I don't think that's necessary.

But I just heard you and the Ottoman from the 14th said that you could be out and that you could still be a Democrat.

So why would you be a Democrat outside the board?

What is the advantage I'm asking you of being a nonpartisan?

I think the only thing that is required in the elections is that the election designation uh is not listed on the ballot.

I think people can still identify as a Democrat with the state and file as that and have that distinction on this board.

And I know many people do on this board still.

I'm sorry.

Um it was garbage what you were saying.

I couldn't hear you.

You think what?

I I was just saying you can still be a registered democrat on the board, it's only not listed on the ballot, but it's not being a Democrat in here and not outside, and vice versa, as you're saying.

And how is that an advantage?

That's what I'm asking you.

I don't think it is an advantage, it's not intended to be an advantage, it's just complying with the proposition rules.

And the proposition is that how is that better for the people who which they did?

Did you realize that we passed an election in November?

And the people, it was nothing in there that says you won't be able to be a Democrat.

They only learned that after we uh passed that.

Are you have you looked at that legislation?

Have you looked at the wording of the legislation of well, the ballot change?

Did you know what it said?

Yes, ma'am.

And did you see any place where it says, and now you will not be able to run as a democrat or a republican?

No, ma'am.

So to me, that's not properly informed.

And are you uh did you are did you hear me say that we actually got it passed in November and like a week later or two weeks later, we had to then file as a nonpartisan.

Did you hear me say that?

Do you you believe that I'm not telling the truth?

Because I can prove it to you.

Okay, so I don't understand how anybody thinks that that kind of rushed uh to get something through and then go uh uh later, oh, we messed up in this, this, and this.

When people were telling them already this is messed up, this is messed up, this is messed up.

And the people who have served with me before know I put out things in the board saying, hey, this is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong.

And it was wrong because it is wrong.

And so we are like we had it, we tried to put a uh a square peg, a square pig and a round circle hole, and now we're backing up and trying to fix it and fix it and saying, well, if we fix this a little bit, it'll be better.

And the alderman from the fourth is correct, it would have been better to leave it alone in the first place.

It was much fairer.

It was uh people had a right to uh run is what they wanted to be, be it Democrat or Republican or independent.

So making everybody be nonpartisan is nothing but an agenda for a certain segment of the people, and that is not fair to the people who do not want to be nonpartisan.

Okay, so if you had all said, well, we didn't let anybody else run as nonpartisan or nonpartisan, couldn't win.

But all those things are not true, or Republican couldn't win.

That's not true.

So you gave people the option, and so I find it interesting that young people who are always talking about being uh, you know, options and things that they uh believe in, don't believe that people ought to have an option to run the way that they want to run.

If you want to be a Democrat, you should be able to be one.

If you want to be a Republican, you should be able to be one.

If you want to be an uh independent, you should be able to be one.

And what's so interesting, it seems like that you all know better than, and I'm not gonna say our forefathers, because they definitely made a lot of mistakes.

But uh years and years, we were based, our whole uh rules were based on the United States House of Representatives, and they were really fair, and they didn't give one person all the power like we do with our rules now.

Because that is that's a dictatorship, okay?

They were fair, and people got to uh run as Democrats, we got to have uh chairs, you got the chairs got to point people to committees.

It was well rounded and it was so that everybody had fairness.

That is not what's going on here now.

And unfortunately, when you've only been exposed to, and you think because you had the last election, I've had the most elections, okay?

And then um the most times challenged and won, no matter who ran against me.

So you may have had the last, but I've had the most.

And this is not a good way, and it's not because I'm scared I can't win, it's because it's not a good way to run an election and to continually to uh chip at the Democratic Party um to me speaks to a mistake.

Um, and there's another gender behind it.

And so if you're saying you're out there saying you want to be a Democrat, but you don't want to be here in here.

If I was the Democratic Party and I was the chair, I would put you out.

You would not be able to use my name because if you don't want to say you're married to me out in public, don't say you're married to me in private.

And so that's what you do in here saying, Yeah, well, we we still got the democratic principles.

No, you don't, you're not a democrat.

You're helping to tear down the Democratic Party, and this is a mistake.

And you haven't been here.

And I'm gonna send you some of the things, whether you read it or not, about what's wrong with what they were doing.

And again, what the Alderman from the Fourth said, when somebody beat somebody by 500 votes, that should have been the end of the election.

For them to have another election, and then that person win by eight.

And they didn't say, Well, we're gonna add the two elections together and whoever got the most because they had another agenda, and whatever it took, that's what they're using, and then they changed in a hurry, and people are off-center all of most of the time because they're continuing changing it.

Okay, well, that didn't work.

Well, the whole problem, the proposition works very well and is a mistake.

And I wish uh I hope at some point you would sit down and learn about the things that uh affect negatively.

And when we talk about North St.

Louis, and I talk about having 14 neighborhoods, then if you had any consideration for other parts of the city, then you would say that is wrong.

How is these changes that we are making that are taking all the power out of North St.

Louis, giving it to in the hands of a few people who can decide who's in charge and what can be done?

And this is a mistake.

It's a mistake with everything that we've done from changing the rules of the Board of Alderman to changing the charter, and none of it has worked to be fairness, and we're should be uh striving to be a fair city to everybody, and that's not what we're doing.

Thank you for uh because I I want to say you didn't explain to me how it was better uh to be a uh uh nonpartisan um when you always could be that and how it helps you to be a nonpartisan inside the city uh board of Alderman, but outside you can still say you didn't answer my question because you can't, because it is not better.

Thank you.

I have no further statements.

Any further discussion, older woman from the 11th.

Thank you, madam president, members of the board.

I rise in opposition to this bill.

Um, you know, when I'm I'm hearing everything and I'm thinking about Beyonce say my name, say my name.

What's wrong with us that we cannot fully declare uh in this process that we're Democrats?

There's something wrong with that.

Anytime the uh Board of Election Commissioners testifies at a hearing that this whole thing has been very confusing, and it is it is confusing for our voters.

I can't tell you how many times my voters have called to say, why we doing this, you know, over and over and over again, you know, but you gotta go back, and I have to agree with the alder woman from the 12th.

You know, I can remember being at a community event uh in O'Fallon Park, and we had a large group, it was an outdoor concert, and there were people there from out of town who had a petition that and told they didn't have any problems telling us that they were being paid to collect these signatures, and they lied at that time.

I was a committee woman, and I didn't tell them I'm a committee woman, but they actually lied about what the petition was for.

And then when I called them out, there was a problem.

They were ready to get away from me.

This thing was deceptive from its inception.

And as much as we have tried to help voters to understand it, it just doesn't make sense that you should have to vote twice for the same person.

What I hear a lot of times is voters saying, why you all gonna uh inconvenience me?

It's hard enough with the shuffling that is happening every election cycle now, which feels like we really don't want people to vote.

I had a situation with the senior citizens at Ladder Glory, which is on um Newstead, and for decades, they walked right across the street to Ashland School to vote.

As they began to shuffle these polling places, now they were sending these senior citizens who for the most part most are immobile to travel over to Yatemont Lidale, which is on the 4200 block of Athlone to vote, and some of those people had no problems letting me know.

Well, I'm just not gonna vote.

That's the effect that this change has made on our residents, particularly in North St.

Louis, where a lot of people don't have vehicles, they don't have a way to get to polling places that are farther away from their residence for whatever that reason is, and so this change yet again.

So we had a system that was working, that's what kills me.

We had a system that was working, so we went and changed the system, and now we keep trying to correct you you broke what was fixed, and now you keep trying to patch up what you brought in to make it work, and it's still not working, and it is costing taxpayers more and more money for the voting.

Don't ever believe, and for those that our public who is listening, all of these elections that we have to have, they cost money, your money.

So again, I rise in opposition to this bill.

Thank you.

Alderman from the 14th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

The Alder Woman from the Elevated 11th, uh, when she brought up the Beyonce, say my name, say my name.

You got me thinking about a song too.

This may be a little younger.

There's a song by young uh Moneybag Yo that is called Big Facts, and I think the facts about some of the things that you said when you know this bill is about fixing the cleanup of the special elections.

You talked about things that are shifted because of polling sites being moved.

That has nothing to do with this bill.

That is a board of election thing when they move polling sites.

Um, so that has nothing to do with this piece of legislation.

Also heard the old woman from 13th said the only thing this bill is trying to do is make us a Republican city when we know that our people, especially in Northside, is always gonna be Democrats.

They vote Democrats.

So since we reference in songs, I just want to reference one that's called Big Facts, and I would ask my colleagues to check it out because it's one thing to be opposed to a legislation.

I totally get it, but it's another thing to not like tell the full truth of what we are talking about right now.

We're talking about an amendment that would change or a piece of legislation that would align with Prop D that would uh make sure that it's aligned with the special elections, all the different feelings of you know, people came outside in that wasn't from St.

Louis to collect signatures.

I mean, I feel like that happens when like abortions on the ballot.

I feel like that happened with minimum wages on the ballot, and people from outside come in to collect signatures on that, it's okay, you know.

But oh, people from outside always come to collect signatures on this, it's a problem, it's a boogeyman.

So again, money bag, yo, big facts, go check it out.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, older woman from the sixth, you are recognized to close.

Thank you, madam president.

With all the robust discussion on this bill that is repealing the special elections section of the charter.

I renew my motion to perfect Board Bill 54 as amended.

It's been moved by the older woman from the sixth, seconded by the older woman from the or aldermen from the 14th.

That we perfect board bill 54 as amended on the floor.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alder Woman Sweitzer.

Alderman Odenberg.

Aye.

Alderman Cone.

Alderman De Ryan.

Alderman to voting.

Hi.

Alder Woman Velazquez.

Aye.

Alder Woman Sonia?

Aye.

Alder Woman Coxui.

Aye.

Alderman Browning.

Alder Woman Clark Hubbard?

Aye.

Alder Woman Keys?

No.

Alder Woman Thaez.

No.

Alder Woman Boyd.

No.

Alderman Aldrich.

Aye.

President Green.

Aye.

11 I votes for no votes.

By your vote, you sustain the motion from the Alder Woman from the sixth to perfect board bill 54 as amended on the board bill 158, sponsored by Alder Woman Clark Hubbard, Alderman Cohn, Alder Woman Sweitzer, Alder Woman Keys, Alder Woman Sonia, Altaman Browning, and Alderman Aldrich.

To repeal certain provisions of ordinance number 72051 and re-establish a clean energy development board to administer a property assessed clean energy program within the city of St.

Louis.

You are recognized on the perfection of Board Bill 158.

Thank you, Madam President.

Members of the board, I move that we perfect Board Bill 158.

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

That we perfect board bill 158.

Alder woman, you may proceed.

Thank you so much, Madam President.

Members of the board, I'm actually now excited about the opportunity to repeat some of the things that I shared uh in committee on hoods this past Tuesday.

Uh Alder Woman Boyd talked about nobody wants to admit they made mistakes, so I stand here humble that I made a mistake.

And so on October the 14th, and when I legislated uh Board Bill 80, excitingly thinking I was increasing the tools and toolbox for people to be able to not only address recovery that we were going on now because of the May 16th tornado, but other major projects um that would have direct impact and benefit uh to our communities.

There was six little words in that bill that slipped through and had an unintended consequence to our St.

Louis City uh Clean Energy Development Board.

And I thank the lawyers from SLDC, the City Council's office, um, Mr.

Josh Campbell from the Missouri Energy Initiative.

So Mr.

Morrow, Mr.

Hare, I'm sorry, Miss Harris and Mr.

Morrow, if you are listening, thank you again.

Again, for even sitting down with me after the fact to continue to teach me and show me um how I let this slip.

And so Board Bill 158 uh now is correcting that mistake and re-estating uh the St.

Louis Sydney Clean Energy Development Board.

And I hope to have my colleagues support on the same way.

I had their support for Board Bill 180 to now have the support in Board Bill 158 to move forward and let all of these tools really now be in the toolbox for clean energy development in the city of St.

Louis.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Alder Woman from the 6th.

Thank you, Madam President.

Can I please be added as a co-soted?

Madam Clerk, please make note of that.

Uh Alder Woman from the 13th.

Uh, could I be added as co-sponsor?

And thank you, Alder Woman Hubbard.

Madam Clerk, please make note of that.

And if you could add me as a co-sponsor as well.

So noted.

Alder Woman from the 12th.

Thank you, Madam President.

Members of the board, if the sponsor would yield.

The Alder Woman from the 10th yield to questioning from the Alder Woman from the 12th.

Yes.

Alder Woman, you may proceed.

Um, first of all, I want to say one of the things that I always talk about is read the board bills.

Right now, because Freeman Bosley was the mayor, he wrote uh he uh passed something that we begged him not to pass that to this day is uh affecting how we get our war capital and our parks money, and it was a one little word uh word it was the word AK.

So um words mean something, and that's what you learn in law school.

Words mean something, and people can bury things in a bill and not tell you and um then you don't know that you've done that.

Um you said there was six little words in the bill.

Can you tell me what those six words did?

Did it remove the uh clean energy development board with the six little words?

It was uh board, yes, ma'am.

It was uh board bill eighty section two.

Um the six words essentially repealed the authorizing ordinance for the St.

Louis City Clean Energy Development Board.

Right, okay, thank you.

And that's good.

Whenever you make mistakes, if you can say you did, that's always a great thing, and I compliment you on that.

Um, and could you also talk to me about um so what do what does it mean when they say they administer a property assessed clean energy program?

So what does that mean when you do that?

Uh just for what I'm asking you is what does the clean energy development board do?

So when you're doing development, do they make sure that it's a clean energy um development?

Is that what they're doing?

Just kind of in latent terms.

Yes, ma'am, it's like an incentive program, and it it reflects down why I said the benefits to our community because we benefit um in lower energy.

I'm sorry, lower energy cost, which responds in I'm sorry, represents itself in bills, our own personal bills, so things of that nature and uh housing and other developments, but mostly housing.

Thank you.

I have no further time.

Uh questions.

Alder woman from the 11th.

Thank you, madam president, members of the board.

I would like to be added as a co-sponsor.

So noted.

Please make note of that.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

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

Thank you, madam president, members of the board.

I know that we again I appreciate the support here today as well as the support I had on um board bill 80.

Um, you know, I've I've since Alderwoman's highest asked this.

I do want to reference something that Mr.

Campbell sent to me, which again further um my desire to want to go ahead and get this correctly as quickly as possible, which is why I suspended um today.

Um just some numbers here.

Um, since this inception, so the passage of the ordinance that was repealed in the six little words in that board bill that everybody voted for.

Um, set the pace.

St.

Louis has completed 19 projects with a total pace financing of 1,111.

I'm sorry, 760,000 within the city, facilitating total project investments exceeding 480.5 million.

Moreover, all the investment comes from private, not public funding sources that has delivered more than 163 million in total economic benefits to the property owner through energy and other cost savings, this and which then benefit down to um the constituents and our residents.

The investments have created 2,682 jobs and have reduced energy consumption in the city by more than 400.

I'm sorry, 509 gigawatt hours.

That's just uh a snapshot of the information you sent me.

So again, I apologize I apologize.

They kept telling me not to apologize, but I apologize, and I thank them and thanked for God's time and grace to be able to correct this in time um from some projects that are coming um down the pipeline.

Thank you.

I renew my motion.

Further discussion.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, it's been moved by the alder woman from the 10th, seconded by the alderman from the 14th.

That we perfect board bill 158.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye opposed motion carries.

Board bill 115 sponsored by Alderman Browning, Alder Woman Sweisser, Alderman Devotee, Alderwoman Cox and Twee, Alderwoman Boyd, Alder Woman Clerk Hubbard and ordinance recommended by the board of estimate and apportionment appropriating funds totaling five million from the received from those received into the city's capital fund pursuant to ordinance number 60419 as amended by ordinance number 612 representing a portion of the one-half of the operating cost of the general fund for the preceding fiscal year for the purposes of funding capital maintenance improvements to the city's floor wall as hearing after detailed and containing an emergency clause.

Alderman from the ninth, you're recognized on the perfection of board bill 115.

Thank you.

I move that we perfect board bill 115.

It's been moved by the alderman from the ninth, seconded by the alderman from the 14th.

That we perfect board bill 115 alderman, you may proceed.

Um I have a committee substitute today uh for this.

It's actually reducing the amount that we're taking the city's capital fund.

Uh so with that I'd move that we adopt uh the four substitute to board bill number one fifteen.

Second it's been moved by the alderman from the ninth, seconded by the alderman from the second that we adopt the floor substitute for board bill one fifteen.

Uh all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Uh Alderman, you are now recognized on the perfection of uh board bill one fifteen floor sub.

Thank you.

Uh so this is a pretty simple bill, but a very important one.

This is Alderman, you need to ask for perfection.

Okay, I need to do that again.

All right.

Uh I would uh ask to move to perfect uh board bill one fifteen for substitute.

It's been moved by the alderman from the ninth, seconded by the alder woman from the seventh that we perfect board bill one fifteen floor substitute.

Alderman, you may now proceed.

Okay, so this is a very important bill uh that uh is recommended by the by the board of ENA and uh really is addressing a really important need in our city, which is our flood wall that protects us from Mississippi.

Uh this flood wall is uh quite old and is overdue for some maintenance.

The the maintenance that is going to be done with this money, uh the 4.1 million dollars, and then uh uh the other 900,000, the total cost will be 5 million, but the other 900,000 are gonna come from uh board bill one fifty-nine, which is an application for an MSD grant for 900,000.

So we're piecing together funding sources here to take care of this really important resource.

I'm happy to answer any questions about the flood wall, but um it is warning a lot of infrastructure jargon alder woman from the twelfth yes, madam president, members of the board if the alderman from the ninth would yield.

The alderman from the ninth yield questioning from the alder woman from the twelfth.

Of course, alder woman, you may proceed.

Thank you.

Uh Alderman, so your floor substitute reduced the amount of five million to uh four million, whatever.

Uh my uh four million, whatever.

Uh I don't have the floor substitute in front of me, so I wanted to know what it did.

Uh that's accurate.

Uh so it's reducing the amount from the original bill, which is five million down to four point one million.

Uh and again, that's because we're gonna make up nine hundred thousand from another source.

All right, thank you.

That's all we question.

Any further discussion?

Alderman from the 14th.

Thank you, madam president, members of the board with the alderman from the ninth year.

The alderman from the ninth yield questioning from the alderman from the 14th.

Yes.

Alderman, you may proceed.

Thank you, Alderman.

So the extra you said uh 900,000.

Yeah.

Is going to go where?

It's coming from uh a grant that we're going to apply for from MSD.

So the the money that we're taking away is that going to a certain different potential.

No, this should all be going towards the flood wall.

Uh it's a five million dollar total cost, and the reason it's five million dollars is I believe there's matching funds from the state that we're also getting for this.

So this is our portion that we're gonna contribute, and that's why it needs to be that five million so that we can get that additional matching money and put this all towards fixing uh this this flood wall.

Okay, but is your floor sub, I guess, reducing the five million to four point one?

It it is aducing the amount coming from the capital improvement fund uh down to four point one million because we're gonna get the nine hundred thousand from a from somewhere else.

Gotcha.

Okay, that makes sense.

So that nine uh thousand is just gonna stay in the capital committee fund for other projects because that's gonna be made up through a grant.

That's right.

It'll go back into the capital commit uh improvement fund, which can then go to other projects in the okay, thank you.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Alderman from the ninth, you're recognized closed.

Thank you.

I renew my motion to perfect board bill one fifteen or substitute.

It's been moved by the alderman from the ninth, seconded by the alder woman from the seventh that we perfect board bill one fifteen floor substitute.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Aye.

Motion carries.

Report of engrossment.

Board bill one twenty-one, one twenty-three, one twenty-nine, one thirty-four, one twenty-six committee sub, one twenty-two, and one thirty-three.

Third reading and final passage of board bill's consent.

Board bill one twenty-one, one twenty-three, one twenty-nine, one thirty-four, one twenty-six committee sub.

That's the extent of third reading the final bills for consent.

Alderwoman from the tenth, you're 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 and finally passage of board bills on the cavern.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alderman from the 14th.

That we third reading finally pass board bills on the consent calendar.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alder Woman Sweitzer.

Aye.

Alderman Odenberg.

Aye.

Alderman Cone.

Aye.

Alderman Orion.

Aye.

Alderman Devotee.

Aye.

Alder Woman Velasquez.

Aye.

Alder Woman Sonier.

Aye.

Alder Woman Cox Antwi.

Aye.

Aye.

Alderman Brownie.

Aye.

Alderman Clark.

Alder Woman Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

Alder Woman Keys.

Aye.

Alder Woman Tyus.

Aye.

Alder Woman Boyd.

Aye.

Alderman Aldrich.

Aye.

President Green.

Aye.

We have 15 aye votes.

By your vote, you sustain the motion from the Alder Woman from the 10th to third read and finally pass the aforementioned bills.

Third reading and final passage of board bills.

Board Bill 122, sponsored by Alder Woman Clark Hubbard.

An ordinance determined that the tax increment financing plan listed in exhibit A are making satisfactory progress except as noted under the proposed time schedule for completion of Project Stirn.

Alder Woman from the 10th, you're recognized on the third reading, final passage of board bill 122.

Thank you, Madam President.

Members of the board, I move that we third read and finally pass board bill 122.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alder Woman from the 7th.

That we uh third read and finally pass board bill 122.

Alder Woman, you may proceed.

I renew my motion.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Alder Woman from the 12th.

I'll request a roll call.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, it's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alder Woman from the 7th.

That we third reading finally pass board bill 120.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alder Woman Sweitzer.

Aye.

Alderman Odenberg.

Aye.

Alderman Cone.

Alderman Narayan.

Aye.

Alderman Devotee.

Aye.

Audible woman Velasquez.

Aye.

Audder Woman Sonier.

Aye.

Alder Woman Cox and Twee.

Oh, sure.

Yeah.

I didn't hear you.

I said.

Okay.

I love you.

Alderman Browning.

Audder Woman Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

Audder Woman Keys.

Aye.

Alder Woman Tyes.

No.

Alder Woman Boyd.

Aye.

Alderman Aldrich.

Aye.

President Green.

Aye.

Alderman Cone.

We have 13 aye votes, one no vote.

By your vote, you sustain the motion from the Alder Woman from the 10th to third reading.

Finally passed board.

Board Bill 133, sponsored by Audder Woman Boyd, Alderman Odenberg, Alder Woman Sonia, Alder Woman Cox and Twee.

An ordinance recommended by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, authorizing the commissioner of the Department of Health or her designee on behalf of the City of St.

Louis to enter into the FEMA crisis counseling program consulting agreement and to accept funds awarded appropriating such funds in the amount of 78,253 and 60 cents, authorizing the Department of Health to expand the appropriated funds for allowed purposes and containing an emergency clause.

Thank you, Madam President, and the board.

I ask for favorable consideration for Board Bill 133.

Okay, I make a motion to uh find and pass Board Bill 133.

Is there a second?

Second.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 13th, seconded by the Alderman from the second.

That we third read and finally pass board bill number 133.

Alder Woman, you may proceed.

Thank you.

This bill is uh dollars that's coming, which is a great thing to the Department of Health, and uh in regards to the FEMA crisis counseling, and so as people know with the tornado and the disasters that we have, this is instrumental in helping our residents within our city, and so again I ask for favorable consideration.

Any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, it's been moved by the alderman or alder woman from the 13th, seconded by the alderman from the second.

That we third read and finally pass board bill 133.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alder Woman Swanser.

Aye.

Alderman Odenberg.

Alderman Cone.

Alderman De Ryan.

Alderman Devode.

Aye.

Alder Woman Velasquez.

Aye.

Alder Woman Sonier.

Aye.

Alder Woman Cox Antoine.

Aye.

Alderman Browning.

Aye.

Alder Woman Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

Alder me Alder Woman Keys.

Aye.

Alder Woman Thais.

Aye.

Alder Woman Boyd.

Aye.

Alderman Aldrich.

Aye.

President Green.

Aye.

Alderman Cone.

We have 14 aye votes.

By your vote, you've sustained the motion from the Alder Woman from the 13th to third reading finally passed board bill 133.

That is the extent of third reading and final passage of board bills.

Reported the finally passed and signed by the president.

Board bill 121, 123, 129, 134, 126 committee sub, 122, and 120, and 133.

All other business being suspended.

The president shall an open session of here to the end that these may become law.

We have to we're waiting to do courtesy resolutions, and plus we have to uh fight about the committee people can't appoint anymore.

Yeah, the mic.

First reading resolutions in reference to committees.

We have none.

We have none.

Dispense with line item 23.

Alder Woman from the 10th, you are recognized on the motion to adopt the courtesy resolution consent calendar.

Thank you, Madam President.

Members of the board, I'm that we adopt the courtesy resolution consent calendar.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alderman from the 14th.

That we adopt the courtesy resolution consent calendar.

Is there any discussion?

Alderman from the 14th.

Thank you, Madam President.

Members of the board, I'd like to be added as a co-sponsor to resolution 246, 247, 248, and 249.

Madam Clerk, please make note of that.

So noted.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, it's been moved by the Alderman Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alderman from the 14th.

We adopt the courtesy resolution consent calendar.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Miscellaneous and unfinished business.

We have none.

We can dispense with line item 25.

Announcements.

Monday, February 23rd, Port Laureate Task Force meeting.

Tuesday, February 24th, HUDs, 11 a.m.

Kennedy Room.

Legislation and Rules, 230 p.m.

Kennedy Room.

Wednesday, February 25th.

Personnel Administration, 9 a.m.

Kennedy Room.

Public Infrastructure, 330 p.m.

Kennedy Room.

Budget and Employees, 6 p.m.

Kennedy Room.

Thursday, February 26th.

Personnel Administration, 11 a.m.

Kennedy room.

Friday, for board meeting, 10 a.m.

chambers.

Any further announcements?

Any further announcements, Alderman from the 9th.

Thank you.

It was just announced that we have a public infrastructure meeting at 3:30 next week on Wednesday.

And I just reminder for my colleagues, I I've sent out an email to ask if anyone wants to bill on that calendar.

We didn't hear bills last week because we added presentations, but um this is the week to get it done.

So if you could uh get back to me and I'll get your bills on the calendar and we'll we'll get those passed.

Thanks.

Alder Woman from the 7th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

Um I wanted to announce a town hall coming up about the gravel corridor.

Uh there will be a number of us, every author that touches a part of Graboy, including Alder Women Schweitzer, Alderman Aldenberg, Auto Women Velasquez, Alder Woman Cox Antwer, as well as President Green.

Um, as you all know, we have been working with CP2 and with Modot to talk about what we can do in that graveway corridor both immediately and uh long term.

And so at that town hall, we are excited to display some designs that Cal Nelson and our streets department has helped to come up about quick build or emergency traffic calming solutions.

Um but also I know that there's a lot of conversation about MODOT.

I know they've announced um a highway closure and have some other things going on.

So for any questions that residents might have, you can come with those.

That town hall will be at the International Institute at 3401 Arsenal, and it will be from 11 to 1230 p.m.

There will be a resource fair from 10 to 11 that will have parking amnesty from the treasurer's office as well as the micro project for any questions there, and we will have child care and refreshments as well.

Thank you.

Uh thank you, madam president board.

I'd like to announce we'll have a health committee meeting on Thursday at 9 a.m.

via uh Zoom.

Uh yeah, Thursday, 9 a.m.

Thank you.

Any further announcements, older woman from the 10th.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the board.

It's our time of month again.

10th ward for our one-on-one meeting.

This is the meeting we hold on the last Monday of the month every month and move it around the 10th ward and all eight neighborhoods.

Um, not just for accessibility, um but for fellowship.

And so this month, we will be at the History Museum 5700 Lyndon Boulevard in the ATT room.

Now speaker, I'm so excited.

Um, to continue to share is the one and only Gwen Moore.

Um, we will have a conversation.

If you some of you may remember the conversation I had with our former clerk, Clerk Kennedy in Black History Month.

And so I'm always excited to um have this dialogue, talk about the past, be rooted in um facts and foundation of what they have been through to get us and guide us towards the future.

So it's this Monday, the 23rd from 630 to 730 again at the Missouri History Museum.

Thank you to them for opening their doors once again.

5700 Lindell.

As always, it will be myself, our four amazing neighborhood improvement specialists, representatives from the St.

Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and again the Gwen Moore.

I hope to see you all there.

Any further announcements?

Any further announcements?

Seeing none, Alder Woman from the 10th, you are recognized on the motion to excuse.

All members were present this morning.

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 until Friday, February twenty seventh, twenty twenty-six in the board of Alderman Chambers at 10 a.m.

Second.

It's been moved by the Alder Woman from the 10th, seconded by the Alder Woman from the 7th that we adjourn till Friday, February 27, 2026, in the Board of Alderman Chambers at 10 a.m.

Is there any discussion?

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

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

We are adjourned.