Good morning.

We'll call today's Housing Urban Development and Zoning Committee meeting to order.

Madam Clark, please call the row.

Alder McCall.

President.

Auto Woman's White Sir.

Present.

Auto Woman Keys.

Here.

Vice Chair Sonyer.

Alderman Browning.

Present.

Alderman Aldridge.

Chair Clark Hubbard?

Here.

Vice Chair Sonier.

Alderman Brownie.

We have five people private.

Thank you.

With that, we'll uh I'll accept a motion to approve the minutes from Tuesday, February third, 2026.

So moved.

Second.

It was moved by Otterman Browning and seconded by Alder McCone that we approve the minutes from Tuesday, February third, 2026.

Madam Clark, please call the row.

Altum and Cone.

Aye.

Audown swipe, sir.

Aye.

Auto Woman Keys.

Aye.

Vice Chair Sonyer.

Alderman Browning.

Aye.

Alderman Aldridge.

Chair Clark Hubbard?

Aye.

Vice Chair Sonyer.

Alderman Aldridge.

We have five I votes.

All right.

With that, we successfully approve the minutes.

We'll move forward in the agenda.

I'm going to yield my um spot to Otterman Browning.

You are recognized on Board Bill 147.

All right, thank you.

Um so today I have in front of you Board Bill 147.

This is a simple bill that's uh renewing the uh central west and south uh SBD.

Uh and uh this is really something to send it to the ballot.

Um I do have an amendment uh to this bill today that should be in the drive.

Um and I'm sorry I'm having trouble connecting to the internet.

But let me not seeing the amendment in the drive.

Yes, I'm good.

One second.

I think I got a home visit too.

So we need to we need to push this back to the August ballot, is what the amendment is.

And I'm trying to find this right now, but um, I might need a second.

So if we could give me just a little bit of a break, I'll be right back.

Okay, thank you.

We're figuring this out.

Um, but in the meantime, we can uh adopt this at the end of the um any questions you might have.

But uh I do have a couple people here from uh the SPD that are here to answer your questions you might have.

Uh but at this time we're just gonna get that amendment printed out for you.

Um and and while we do that, we can we can do questions.

You want to call your speakers up?

Uh sure thing.

So uh I have with me today, Bill Kewing from Central West End South SPD, as well as Matt McBride.

Thank you, Alderman.

Mr.

Keuner, you can raise your right hand, swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I do.

Please proceed.

Madam Chairman, members of the committee.

Um my name's Bill Keeling.

I'm a resident of the special business district, live within it.

Um live in a 48-unit apartment building that was built about uh 1910, 1911.

Um I've been on the board for about a year and a half.

The problem that we have is really kind of a two-fold issue.

One part of the problem is that our revenues have been flat, and they've been flat for some time.

And is the same struggle you all have with kind of flat revenues and rising costs?

We have the same issue.

What our SBD does, most of the money is spent on aspects of public safety.

Now that includes uh money to the Central West End Neighborhood Security Initiative for various cameras work.

One of the things they also do is outreach to the unhoused in the neighborhood to try to identify those that need help or are having various frankly drug issues, which has become a kind of a larger problem uh that we have in the area.

Um we also do beautification work, and the area where this is in is the south part of Euclid Avenue from basically the BJC complex north to Lindell.

And it's an area of various little restaurants shops and things like that.

And you know, the beneficiaries of the district, certainly the residents who live around there are beneficiaries, but also it provides a lot of employment for people from throughout the city.

They come from all over, and it also provides places for people from all over the city to go and have a nice breakfast at first watch or have a nice lunch somewhere.

Um so it's a it's an amenity for the city, which raises frankly a lot of tax revenue for the city as a whole.

Um so we have the one issue of the excuse me, could you speak into the mic a little more?

Oh, certainly.

Is this better?

Okay.

Sorry about that.

Um we have the flat revenue.

The other issue we have is an anomaly in the existing ordinance, and that is that our tax revenue is capped from any particular taxpayer at $7,000 a year.

Now we have some large properties within the district, so several of them have reached that cap.

Um one of the concerns with the CAP is a legal one, and that is we don't know for sure, and nobody does, but an argument can be made that the existence of that cap ends up establishing two different levels of taxation within the district.

You have those who have the really big reserve thing are paying a lower rate than those who don't.

And we are concerned about that.

So the means of eliminating that is to put this back on the ballot.

We'll pass it without the cap.

The elimination of the cap will result in some additional revenue for us.

We're not sure exactly how much.

Um it may it may mean that we'll actually roll back the tax rate that we have because we'll be getting enough money because of the elimination of that cap.

So uh that's basically what we do.

I'm happy to answer any questions anyone might have Did Mr.

McBride want to say anything before we go to questions, or you just bride, you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

I do.

Please proceed.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chairwoman and Commissioners.

Uh I echo what uh Mr.

Keeling has stated.

Uh I would just state that that this uh current ordinance has been in effect since around uh 25 years has been in effect for around 25 years, and it's time for us to revisit it for the reasons that have been identified by Mr.

Keeling.

Also, just to reiterate that the way that the ordinance is currently constructed is uh it's top-heavy with requiring amounts to be spent and security and the amount of 80 percent of the revenues.

This will create more flexibility for uh homeless outreach and other uh beautification, lighting, landscaping, and littering projects that the uh SPD board has so that it can uh evolve with the needs of the community itself.

Um there are any questions.

I don't want to take up the commission's time, but if there are any questions, I otherwise reiterate what uh Mr.

Keeling said.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Alderman Browning, did you want to go to see if there were any public speakers first, or are you on the questions from the committee first?

Um we can see if there's any public speakers first.

Madam Clark, is anyone signed up for Board Bill 147?

I believe I believe both speakers are Mr.

Ms.

McBride, is that you?

McBride.

So both of them signed up.

Okay.

All right.

Right, we'll go forward with questions.

Alderman Cone.

Uh thank you, Madam Uh Chair.

I don't have any questions.

Uh I've never known Mr.

Keeling to have any problems.

Uh only solutions.

So I'm grateful for you to come before us today with yet another solution.

Thank you.

Alderwoman Sweisser.

No questions.

Thank you.

Alder Woman Keys.

I don't have any questions.

Thank you.

Altaman Aldridge.

No questions.

Thank you.

Vice Chair Saye.

I'm gonna break the trend.

Thank you, Ottawa Browning, for bringing this before us.

Um, I just had a question.

I was searching for the most recent annual report, and I didn't see it.

So I was just curious if that was near or maybe I was looking in the wrong place.

I thought you know.

Uh yeah, um, I don't maintain that, but I do have uh Bill's making his way back up here.

Uh he can certainly point to that.

Bon to that.

Um we've actually beefed up our accounting folks.

And uh when that happened, it also delayed the final preparation of our 2025 annual report.

We hope to have it in the next two weeks.

So I will check on the status of that and forward it to all the aldermen.

Thank you.

Um I also was able to kind of search the site and find out a lot of work about sort of the security efforts you all have for like disturbances and unhoused folks.

Um I see like it looks like the goal of this is to remove the 80% cap.

Do you have an idea of how much additional revenue that will allow you all?

Like, are there any projections for what that would allow you all to bring in with the removal of that cap?

Um we uh we have some projections that it'll increase our revenue by in the vicinity of 100,000 a year, which will be significant.

Um, but we may roll back our tax rate.

So we as a board have not yet decided as to um specifics.

We don't want to spend the money before we have it.

Um, you're saying that if you find that you're gonna generate more revenue based off of this, then you might look into lowering the taxes on individuals.

Exactly.

And one thing about it is um, for example, the building I'm in, uh, we will face uh more than a doubling of the tax rate that we're paying because of the elimination of the $7,000 a year cap.

Um so we're taxing ourselves and we're aware that it's going to cost us money.

So we may roll back the a certain amount.

And do you um do you have an idea of what you will use those intended projections on?

Well, certainly uh there are some camera locations we would like to add.

Um we'd like to beef up our uh trash collections.

Do you know who you all who's your vendor for your camera?

I don't know.

We do it through CWI, NSI, the Central West, pardon me, Central West End Neighborhood Security Initiative, uh, in conjunction with a variety of the other taxing districts in that vicinity, and I'm not sure who they utilize.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

I don't have any questions, so uh Browning, you're welcome to close.

Uh well, before I close, um, I'd just like to go ahead and uh make a motion to adopt amendment number one to board bill number one forty seven.

So moved.

It was moved by Vice Chair Say and sending it by Alderman Cohn that we adopt amendment number one to board bill one forty-seven.

Madam Clark, please call the role.

Alderman Cone.

Audible woman's weiser.

Aye.

Audeman Keys.

Aye.

Vice Chair Sonia.

Aye.

Alderman Browning.

Aye.

Alderman Aldridge.

Aye.

Chair Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

We have seven aye votes.

All right.

With that, we have adopted amendment number one.

So now you're welcome to close on Board Bill 147 as amended.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, so uh as we've heard, uh, this is a tax that helps uh really improve the area, which then improves property values, which then actually helps the whole city.

Uh it's uh always funny when I think of of special business districts.

They're really the the wealthy taxing themselves in order to improve their areas, which then creates better outcomes for the whole city.

Uh but in this case, I think it's really special because uh what they've talked about, part of the thing that this funds is the neighborhood security initiative, which despite the name uh also focuses on unhoused outreach.

It's one of those tools we have that I think I'm I'm just very grateful we have in the city.

It is something that treats people humanely and um with concern for their well-being.

Uh we're able to reach out to people and we we do have a lot of people in the Central West End because of the presence of the hospital.

Uh there is um a lot of people who get released from that hospital and then have nowhere to go.

And so this is a valuable resource that really helps people uh finding them resources, uh helping get them to where they need to be.

Everyone's situation is different, and this um this initiative really helps make sure that we're addressing each situation uh individually and and for what that person needs.

So I I'm very uh very proud of what I see get done there.

Um, and I think this is one of the many benefits of of taxing districts like this.

So uh with that, uh I don't have any more to say.

I just uh ask your favorable consideration uh and a due pass recommendation for Board Bill 147 as amended.

I move that we pass Board Bill 147.

Second.

Previous role.

It was moved by Alderman Cohn and seconded by Alder Woman Keys with a call for previous role by Alder Woman Sweisser that we pass Board Bill 147 as amended with the due pass recommendation.

Congratulations.

With that, I'll turn it over to Vice Chair Saye.

Thank you, Chairwoman.

How are you to speak to Board Bill and everyone?

Thank you, Vice Chair Sanya, Madam Clerk.

Can you read the summary for Board Bill 128?

Board Bill 128.

Introduced by all the woman Shamim Clark Hubbard, an ordinance approving the petition of owners of real property seeking the creation and establishment of the Kingsbury Place, HOA's Capital Improvement Tornado Recovery Community Improvement District, finding a public purpose for the establishment of the CID and containing a severability clause.

Thank you so much.

Uh before we move forward with that, I would like to um hopefully have your support in adopting amendment number one, which is the fiscal note.

They had a few edits in it thanks to our new, I don't see you're in the room, but our new uh financial analyst down here at the board of Ottoman is copies there and copies in the drive as well.

Yeah, I believe we all have copies of the fiscal note on our desk with the agenda.

Yes.

Could you speak up a little louder?

I was just making sure we all knew we had copies of this fiscal note with the agenda.

I make a motion that we adopt the fiscal note for Board Bill 128.

Second.

Madam Clerk, may you please call the row?

Hearing no objections.

We've adapted amendment one.

Thank you.

So Board Bill now 128 um as amended.

Uh I'm not going to talk long.

I am a little emotional about this because of the work that I've seen and the work that I continue to see here on the ground in the 10th ward um for the past 270 days since this tornado, right?

And we know that for some people, uh, this was a photo shoot.

Uh they dropped off some things, they made a post, um, they talked about it a little bit.

But for the people sitting behind me today, and for the other constituents across the entire 10th ward that got hit by this tornado, this is their life.

They wake up with it and they go to sleep with it.

And being in position to support my constituents uh this way and this unique tool that they are choosing um to activate um in collaboration with the work that's already been done and the work that will be done in the future.

Um again, it just for me, it's giving me some of the inspiration and the hope that I need to keep going in the work that we see here on the ground every day, again, since this tornado hit our areas.

Um I'm gonna close with some things that I want to personally say that I've witnessed from the constituency from the neighbors here on the block.

But um before I do that, I will uh have my speakers come up um and speak and then open uh man of vice chair I would like to then open up for public comment and then move forward with questions from you all, if that's okay.

So I'll first uh introduce Mr.

Bill Danius.

And for the record, my speakers are Bill Danius, Jamal Seward, uh the legendary Steve's the stocko, and I also have with me Scott Riley, um, which is their legal counsel.

Okay, Mr.

Donny.

Good morning.

It's a pleasure to be here in front of you today.

Thank you for the opportunity.

We really appreciate it.

And I'm um standing in front of a group of neighbors.

If you want to I'm gonna just have everyone who is gonna be a speaker to raise their hands.

And do you probably say what you're saying about is the truth in the whole truth?

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's uh a pleasure to be in front of you all with this great group of neighbors.

Can you I think we have at least 10 households represented here.

And keep your hands up if you're in favor of this petition.

I need I need your name for the record.

Bill Bill Danius.

Thank you.

Number eight Kingsbury Place, former banker, now community volunteer.

And what's been really amazing about this process is Shameen said, 270 days have elapsed since the tornado.

So it's been it's been a our own little version of hell, honestly, and in many ways.

But the silver lining is seeing all of these people in back of me and everyone else come together.

Um six houses around us are in not occupiable for the last for the next year or two.

So some houses were hit really hard, others not so hard.

We the the street itself sustained major, major damage with the trees, the sidewalks, the curbs, the monuments.

So it's you know, we're in basically in need of what appears to be now a hundred year reset.

So that's that's why we're here.

Um we're I'm really pleased to say that we have we had a group of volunteers, uh, about 25 people, 25 different residents on the street have worked together during these 270 days to come up with a plan and have worked really well and together, and then more importantly, 80 percent, 49 out of uh 61 and three didn't vote.

So we have somewhere between 80 percent and 85 percent of the residents in favor of this petition.

So I think in today's age, uh you get 80 percent of anything is almost impossible, right?

So there's a tr tremendous neighborhood support, resident support of this petition because we know uh through the resilience that we have so much pride in the street in in St.

Louis and the city of St.

Louis.

We choose to live here, we want to be here, want to participate, we want to bring the street back to its former glory.

So um I think that's where I'll end it because we have other speakers gonna address specific issues.

Um we we think that this could be a model for other streets to take on who have suffered similar damage or other types of damage.

So we're certainly willing to share the playbook and we we hope to to win your approval for this.

Thank you very much.

So apparently I'm next.

Good morning.

Uh my name is Jamal Seward.

I'm uh I live in number four, two houses down from uh Bill Danius.

And really, I'm just here to to give my own personal account of what my family has been going through and experiencing.

Uh that hopefully will buttress and support what Bill and others will be talking about.

And and you know I just have to start by saying, you know, this has been a journey, you know, a 270-day plus journey.

Uh certainly for my family, certainly for our neighborhood.

Well, for our community.

Uh and you know, we have been displaced, so we are one of those homes.

We are not living in our home right now.

Uh, we had uh I brought my iPad.

I was hoping I could maybe project some pictures just so you could see what happened.

But we had a hundred-year-old tree, you know, fall on our home in my son's room.

Fortunately, he was at school.

Um, but uh and so we just as of this past week had uh the window put back in his room.

So our our home is now finally sealed back up.

Uh and so some of the other work can finally take place.

So suffice it to say, you know, it's been a journey, and and and I would be remiss to say that that we're one of the fortunate ones.

So uh it is not lost on me that fortunately, you know, we have the means to be able to to take care of what's going on with our particular home.

But like Bill said, this is what what came from this as our neighbors came together looking at the devastation, you know, reeling from it.

You know, what came from this was an idea of saying, okay, we could certainly do our individual thing, fix our individual homes, give our normal assessment, and we could get some semblance of our neighborhood back.

But we had 23, 25 plus neighbors come together and say, let's look at that.

And as we looked at that, what we discovered is that you know what?

Let's take it a step further, and then a step further.

And what the conclusion we came to is that this is an opportunity with all the devastation with all that's going on to really reset this neighborhood and give it an opportunity for the next generations, the next owners, the next neighbors that will come and be a part of and be able to enjoy the neighborhood and the homes that we now occupy.

And so with this CID, it provides us the best opportunity to do that in a way that is not onerous to everyone.

It's not hard to everyone.

It gives us the best well-thought-out way to really restore and revitalize our neighborhood.

And so I won't say more than that.

Um we really appreciate your consideration.

Alder Woman Shim, we really appreciate your support and all of this.

Uh, you know, as Bill said, we have over 80 percent of our community in support of what we're doing.

And it really shows that you know we can come together, we can around something as devastating as this was.

We can come together for something that is good, that is positive, that will net not only us benefits in the immediate term, but will return one of our shining streets and shining neighborhoods back to its former glory, if not even better.

So thank you very much for your time.

Thank you.

Good morning.

My name is Steve Stogel, and I live at number 52 Kingsbury and have for 31 years.

Um the most important part of this plan is we are not asking the city for any money for the tornado damage.

The city's resources and the state resources have to go to other places than our street.

So under Chapter 67 of the state law, we can self-assess ourselves.

We are not asking for real estate tax abatement.

We are asking for permission to put liens on our houses in three tiers to self-assess the homes on a linear square foot basis or an SS value basis, or just divided by 61, and we've arranged for two sources of financing, four million from a local bank, and two million dollars we'll be getting from an SBA loan designed for disaster relief from tornadoes.

And we will self-assess the 61 homes with uh uh not to exceed $6 million construction.

We will um be a model for the rest of the community as others have mentioned, because tier one is we will rebuild our water and sewer system, which were built in 1902 and 1906.

The useful life of concrete of cast iron concrete I've uh piping I've learned is 75 years.

Um you have technical correct correction, um technical construction correction, Marin Ford's here, um, who's a neighbor at number 20 and works for Alberice who can explain this in exact detail.

But um, so tier one is water and sewer.

Um tier two is deferred maintenance because the road hasn't been fixed in a very long time, and curves and gutters and sidewalks are askew.

And then we get to tier three, where there's a loss of 175 trees, all the gas lamps, sideways sidewalks are busted up, and we will fix all that up.

The construction will focus first on water and sewer, so we will be back to the 21st century.

That's about a $2 million tier.

And then we will focus on deferred maintenance and tornado damage.

So 18 months from now, we can be done.

Um again, we are not asking the city for money.

We are self-assessing ourselves, and um if we can get approval today and ratification by the city um council and get our ordinance in place, we can start construction next month, and we can be done in 18.

So I'll turn the microphone over to our neighbors who have worked long and hard in all sorts of um roles and take any technical questions or any questions that you have now or after the rest of the neighbors speak.

Walder, which way would you like to do it?

We can move to public comment now.

Clark.

I'm sorry.

We can move to public comment.

Okay.

Our first speaker is Scott Riley.

Hello, my name is Scott Riley.

I'm legal counsel to the neighborhood in the effort to form the SID.

I don't have a public comment.

I was just gonna make myself available any questions from the committee.

Thank you.

We'll go through the committee in order of seniority after we get through public have more speakers.

Yeah, after we get Marion, I mean Irene.

I can't pronounce the last name.

M-A-R-E-N.

She's okay.

She says she was she's here for questions.

Okay.

So when we call your next one, if you um check if you didn't want to speak right now, you just wave and then we'll move to the next person.

No pressure.

Joseph Perez.

Margaret McDonnell.

Ms.

Gray.

Susan Tucker.

I will also wait.

Hannah.

There are good.

Okay.

Is anyone else in the room that didn't get a chance to sign up but would like to speak on board Bill 128 as a mandate.

All right.

Okay.

Um, we can go through the committee now.

Uh thank you.

Uh uh, Madam Vice Chair.

Uh I think Mr.

Stogel uh kind of summarized some of the uh points that I was going to make.

Um, I I would add to the conversation.

Uh what some people might not be familiar with, which is these are private streets.

So the individuals who live on these private streets are generally responsible for the maintenance of the public right-of-way on those private streets.

Um and so that means that in situations like the tornado, the city is not generally coming to their rescue uh, you know, and and making the improvements, whether that's street lights, trees, curbs that get uprooted, etc.

Um, that responsibility largely falls on the shoulders of the residents of those private streets.

Um, so I do you know commend all of you.

It's very difficult to get 80 percent of you know folks to agree on anything, particularly when it impacts their you know, pocketbooks.

Um, so uh, you know, certainly kudos to all of the residents um that are um willing to shoulder that responsibility um and and burden.

Uh you know, even if knowingly purchasing your home, you have that understanding.

Sometimes uh it doesn't necessarily uh materialize until these situations arise and uh you have some very difficult conversations that you have to have with your neighbors.

Um and uh, you know, I certainly respect all of you for you know shouldering those uh conversations.

And uh I'm sure you've had some very difficult conversations with neighbors who are um not happy with that particular situation.

Um but I I know at least a few folks that are uh living on that block.

And uh I know that you guys are are very uh kind, generous neighbors and you know want to support the community and want to support the city um and are approaching those conversations, difficult conversations with the utmost care and respect.

Um, but uh I do thank to you know the earlier points made that this could be a model for you know other you know private streets and and that part of the city.

And uh, you know, thank you for all of your efforts getting to where we are today.

Thank you, Alderman Cohn.

Audible Miss Schweizer.

Thank you.

I I appreciate the the bill and the conversation that uh I had with the um the sponsor of the bill.

I I also think that it's really important to acknowledge the the sponsor of the bill, the woman Clark Hubbard for all that she's done.

I see her out there every day, uh working with her community and talking with her community and being there for her community, you know, always, but especially now.

So thank you for bringing this bill forward and and uh having this tough conversation because you know, while 80% is is a lot of of the people, a serious majority, it is not everyone.

So I know what conversations can be like when not everyone's on the same page and then you have to navigate that and still come in front of the committee hearing and and talk about what the bill is and what's going on.

So I appreciate that and all of the folks who are being so thoughtful about getting about getting these improvements made to their street.

Uh, thank you for being here today and uh happy to support.

Thank you, Alder Woman.

Alder Woman Keys.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um, this is very impressive.

Uh, you know, just as I was listening to it and reading through and making a couple of notes here.

And uh I do agree that this is possibly a model that could be used several different areas uh throughout our city to enhance uh neighborhoods.

Um so just thank you all for being here and uh I'll be uh voting in favor.

Thank you.

Alderman Browning.

Uh uh thank you to Alder Woman Carr Cupboard and uh to all the neighbors who came out to support this today.

Um, similar to my colleagues, I just really appreciate the effort you all are making to improve your street as the Alder next door uh representing the 5200 block of Westminster.

Uh I walked those streets the day after the tornado, I saw the destruction.

Um, you know, that amazing, I'm not sure what to call it, gate structure that's at the front of your street.

Um, you know, I have I have pictures of it the day after where there's a tattered American flag just hanging from its post, and yet it was still flying, right?

Uh and that's kind of what I've seen from the response of the people on these blocks.

Uh despite not getting any help from the city, and I want to be clear about that.

That like because as Alderman Cohen said, these are private streets.

You know, I know that Alder Woman Clark Harbor and I worked to see what was possible, but uh at the end of the day, the city has not been able to help on these streets, and so you're doing what you can to um make sure that those resources that the city has can go elsewhere to where the need is greater.

Uh and I think that it's it's really a reflective of this moment we're in in our city where we all recognize the need for our entire city to recover from the tornado.

Um, just across the street from y'all is 5296 Westminster, uh, which is gone now.

Uh got demolished after it lost its third floor and couldn't be saved.

Uh and uh I I think that it while we're gonna lose a couple of the homes on these streets, I I I really hope that we can see a day where we look back and we think of this as a bad dream, uh where we have trees growing again, where we have the sidewalks replaced and everything repaired, and I know that we're gonna look on our streets with I think more pride after we've rebuilt because we know that we've put the effort into rebuilding them.

So thank you again.

I'm I'm very happy to support and also Alder Woman, I'll be talking with you after this to figure out how we can go about this uh on similar streets so that uh we can make a complete recovery.

Thank you, Alderman Brownie.

I mean, sorry, Alderman Aldrich.

That's okay.

Uh no questions, just thank you, uh Alderwoman for your leadership on this and for all the residents that are uh trying to figure out a unique way to recovery, uh recover from the tornado, especially with living on like a private street that was mentioned.

So thank you all for coming and having your voices heard today.

Um thank you.

I don't have uh many questions.

This is more of just a curiosity question.

This is a great effort.

I see it put together, and I will be honest that ever since we had the tornado, every time I've taken a vote for an abatement or a TIFF or see it and it's not been the tornado impact area.

I'm always in the back of my mind wondering like, is this a tool that can be utilized in impacted tornado areas?

So I'm really happy to see this um type of utilization.

I hope that you know I'm happy to support these efforts going further.

My only question is just I noticed that the bill seems to really focus on infrastructure as a focus of curious context that you all want to share about you know how that was decided on, because obviously the damage from a tornado is not just limited to infrastructure, and I know some of the infrastructure probably existed before the tornado.

So I'm just curious how you all arrived at that focus.

Hi, thank you.

Um Alder Woman.

I understand the question is why did we focus on infrastructure?

Yeah, just infrastructure, knowing that you know, obviously some issues predate the obviously there's a lot of damage in cover post-tornado.

So just for curiosity's sake, I was curious about how you all landed at infrastructure as the focus.

The May 16th was a very tough day on our street.

175 trees were down.

People had damaged uh homes, some were so uninhabitable.

I think four or five of our neighbor of our neighbors are still not on the street.

Um for the years before we could count on a water break in front of uh our house.

One once a year we could count on a water break.

Happened to him in front of our house.

Happened across the street last summer, the summer before from our house.

The more we looked into it, um, and I come out of a real estate development background.

We found out the water uh lines which were built in 1902 and 1906 had a useful life of 75 years.

We found the main sewer was brick, which runs down the middle of our parkway, which is only one quarter lined.

And um you just hesitate to shut you shudder if you have to think about a broken main sewer line.

So we decided to make a two million dollar investment rather than ask the city water company or MSD to do anything, because it's been over a hundred and twenty years since that went in.

And we can fix it so we're good for the next 75 to 100 years at about a $35,000 cost per house.

And um, that's why we decided to do it because it's needed.

And we're not gonna be the first priority of the city.

At Kingsbury Place, there's many more parts of the city that need water and sewer lines fixed.

So we're glad to step up and do it ourselves.

Understood.

Did you all ever consider um home repair or homes mostly recovery?

I guess that's that I'm just curious about it just being infrastructure.

I was curious about why that was the scope and maybe not wider for use of funds.

Could you say that again, please?

I was saying that I'm my question is around I totally understand why infrastructure would be a part of it, but I'm curious as to why the scope is not wider.

Like, was it ever discussed around home repair or other things that will also be needed, you know, post-tornado this morning in your name.

My name is Marin Fiord.

I live at number 20.

Nice to see you.

Um, so I think that um just to kind of clarify that those are all in the scope.

So we 100% kind of started with our own homes and we walked outside and make sure that um each of each of the 61 neighbors has a plan to fully restore their own homes.

Okay.

Yes, that's my question.

We um looked around, and the first thing we saw were all of our trees.

Like we have to replant these trees.

We have to put our beautiful gas lamps back up.

But as we started looking at that, we said we don't want to plant trees or put gas lamps if then we have to, there's a risk and that they could be compromised later by a water main break or an issue with the road.

So that's when we went underneath the ground.

But it it's really to make sure that all of those beautiful improvements are there for the next 100 years and um to address the stuff that's beneath it.

Thank you.

Um that completes my questions.

If you want any additional speakers to speak now, Alder Woman.

I think that's it.

And I I was thinking to myself, it sounds like what you're asking for was you mentioned might be in tier two of the plan that you all have for the for the funding, because I know they said tier one was the sewers and water in the interior two.

I did hear you say about tornado recovery.

The tier one is water and sewer.

Um tier two is deferred maintenance, a new road, old sidewalks that are askew.

Um, stuff that's if we're gonna do it, we should do it all, we should do it right.

And tier two will be synced with doing the work for the tornado damage, all the gas lamps gone, all the sidewalks busted up, all the trees lost.

Um, so we have an integrated uniform mile loop once again that's restored and um echo that for the next hundred years.

So thank you.

Um we've really given a time and effort and thought, so it's a correct full redevelopment plan for our neighborhood and the city.

Understood.

Thank you, Elder Woman.

So I'll just um again echo the the kudos that many have given um for the work that you all have done for you all taking time out to be here today to talk about this.

Uh I wish we weren't here, right?

I wish we weren't here.

I wish May 16th never happened.

Um, but now that we are here, the fact that you all are making this individual choice, um, I think is what stands out.

Um, you all have a plan, right?

And a playbook that definitely stands out.

And so us um being able to be here in position to support you all.

Um I don't think there's any place else we would rather be.

I would be remiss if I didn't publicly then thank them.

You heard many of them say uh that they understand the position and the that they're in to recover.

But last month in December, while others were celebrating comfortably in their homes for the holidays, or you have people like them that are going through recovery not in their homes for the holidays.

They on this block chose um through Chris Williams, one of my school classmates at Clayton High School to choose and to vote and dedicate their holiday party to not Kingsbury Place, but to their neighbors northeast in Academy Sherman Park neighborhood through the work that Ally Rand is and Carol and others are doing um collectively.

All of these things are self-deployed, self-activated.

We talk about this all the time.

It's happening across the city, and I know some don't get the recognition that they shouldn't.

And that's why I want to make sure I take this time before I ask for my colleagues' support to publicly thank you all for that as well.

It made a difference, it continues to make a difference, not just in the funding, not just in the presence, um, but in the in the morale and in the spirit and then it's the inspiration that I talked about uh today.

If I had to work on what I see every day, I would have been gave up.

But since I have models like this, then I can continue to keep going.

And all the woman keys, I'll tell you many of them mentioned before we got up here today that they are willing to give of their time and give of the playbook and show how this can be in other areas.

And I know we need it.

Yeah, just for reference, people might not know the 10th war goes from Clayton Road and Skinker to Martin Luther King and Taylor, and all eight neighborhoods got hit.

And it's block by block, house by house, case by case, brick by brick, on how we are going to be able to respond.

And the the fact of the matter is what they are doing, we cannot do.

So this is our positioning and our opportunity to support them in something that they have self-deployed, self-chosen to do.

So with that, I'm asking uh for your favorable consideration and do pass recommendation for Board Bill 128.

I will accept a motion to pass.

I support Bill 128 out of committee with a dupe house record.

Previous role.

Hearing no objections, congratulations, chairwoman.

You have passed board bill 120.

I'm sorry, who seconded the motion?

Seconded by Alder Woman Keys.

Happy birthday, Mr.

Stogel.

Thank you.

All right, do we have uh Madam Clerk?

Any resolutions for review?

We have none.

Any committee discussions?

We have none.

Is there any written testimony?

We have one written testimony in opposition of Board Bill 128.

Any announcements.

I'll make the announcement since we're on this that the uh Mayor Spencer's uh STR recovery office, STR Recovers has extended the deadline to apply for a personal property assistance program to February 28th.

So please, I beg of you that this is these are all the different tools and resources that we can make sure our um neighbors know about to take advantage of to get them to their next step in their own individual recovery process.

So please visit STL Recovers and if you have not applied, apply and then make sure your neighbors have applied as well, even if you don't know what you need, get in the system so that they can help identify what um what the need is and how they can help.

All members were present this morning, so with that I'll accept the motion to adjourn.

So move.

It was moved by Altaman Aldrich and seconded by Alderman Browning that we adjourn.

All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Thank you all.

Have a blessed day.

All right.