Board of Aldermen Meeting - St. Louis, October 23, 2026

The Board of Aldermen convened on October 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM (UTC) with 12 members present. The meeting featured a courtesy resolution calendar, including a resolution honoring retiring Planning Director Don Rowe, guest introductions, and several board bill readings and committee reports. All resolutions and consent items were approved unanimously.

Consent Calendar

• Resolution 161: Honoring Director Don Rowe for his decades of public service and congratulating him on his retirement, effective November 1, 2026. The resolution was co-sponsored by President Green and numerous aldermen. After remarks by Mr. Rowe and several aldermen, the resolution was adopted unanimously.
• Resolutions 163 and 164: Introduced and placed on the courtesy resolution consent calendar via a suspension of rules (14-0 vote). Subsequently, the entire courtesy resolution consent calendar was adopted, with several aldermen added as co-sponsors.
• Perfection Consent Calendar (Board Bills 47 CS, 57 CS, 82 as amended): Adopted and referred to the Legislation and Rules Committee for engrossment.

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments or testimony were recorded.

Discussion Items

• Don Rowe Retirement: Director Don Rowe addressed the board, reflecting on his career since 1990, including his work with planning and urban design, conflict anticipation, and participation in the Big City Planning Directors Institute. Multiple aldermen spoke in praise of his service, citing his bus tours, mentorship, and contributions to planning and development in St. Louis, particularly in North City.
• Introduction of Honored Guests: Aldermen introduced guests including Miss Kim (CEO of CMT), a tribute to the late mother of Alderman from the 11th Ward, a sixth ward intern, and alumni of the African American Studies program at Saint Louis University (amidst concerns about the program's potential dismantling).
• Mayor's Appointments: The board received and referred the reappointments of William Seedhoff, Sarah Sims, and Selena Washington to the Developmental Disabilities Resource Commission to the Health and Human Development Committee.
• First Reading of Board Bills: Board Bills 103 (mutual aid agreement for public works), 104 (2027 annual action plan for HUD funds), and 105 (data center business license and license fee) were read and referred to committees.
• Second Reading and Committee Reports: Board Bill 59 CS (sales tax reallocation for bus rapid transit) and Board Bill 94 (opioid settlement funds appropriation) were reported out with "do pass" recommendations.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution 161 was adopted unanimously.
• Resolutions 163 and 164 were placed on the consent calendar and adopted unanimously.
• Board Bills 47 CS, 57 CS, and 82 as amended were adopted on the perfection consent calendar and referred for engrossment.
• Board Bill 103 referred to Public Safety Committee; Board Bills 104 and 105 referred to Housing, Urban Development, and Zoning (HUDS) Committee.
• Resolution 159 and 160 referred to HUDS Committee.
• Mayor's appointments referred to Health and Human Development Committee.
• Meeting adjourned until Friday, October 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM.