Good morning.

Happy St.

Patrick's Day.

And we will call today's housing urban development and zoning committee meeting to order.

Madam Clerk, please call the role.

Alderman Cone.

Alder Woman Switzer.

Alderwoman Keys.

Vice Chair Sonier.

Present.

Alderman Browning.

Present.

Alderman Aldrich.

Present.

Chair Clark Hubbard.

Here.

Alderwoman Keys.

We have six people present.

We have a quorum.

Okay.

With that, I'll accept the motion to approve the minutes from Thursday, March 12th, 2026.

So moved.

Second.

It was moved by Vice Chair Sanyay and seconded by Alderman Aldrich that we approve the minutes from Thursday, March 12th, 2026.

Madam Clerk, please call the role.

Alderman Cone.

Alder Woman Sweat, sir.

Aye.

Alderwoman Keys.

Vice Chair Sonier.

Aye.

Alderman Browning.

Aye.

Alderman Aldrich.

Aye.

Chair Clark Hubbard.

Aye.

Alder Woman Keys.

We have six I votes.

All right.

With that, we successfully approve the minutes from Thursday, March 12th, 2026.

We're going to move the agenda around today.

Um, not just out of respect for people's time, but for their commitment to the city of St.

Louis in this unique way.

We're going to skip down to committee discussions and take up uh the mayoral appointments to the Board of Adjustments.

Mrs.

Grice, Mr.

Dallas, and Mr.

Desmondy.

Um, if you all can raise your right hands, if you can turn your cameras on and swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I do.

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Dallas, since you're in the room, we'll go ahead and take you up first.

Um, just uh for a little context for those maybe watching in the room.

Mayoral appointments um come clearly from the mayor's office.

They come to the board of Alderman, they're typically carried by their respective alders, or we can carry them here as a whole in the committee.

And we um was honored.

I'm honored to be able to do this for your Alderman, Alderwoman Cox Ann Tweet, who reached out to me this morning and asked us to do this.

So what we do here is just ask you for a little background on yourself and why you've chosen to serve the city of St.

Louis this way.

Um, for again, context for everyone to know this is a volunteer position um that they are called upon.

And then um given as a recommendation to the Board of Alderman, we have the honor of listening to them and then carrying them on so that they can then carry on the work of the Board of Adjustments here in the city of St.

Louis.

So thank you.

Please proceed.

Um better.

Thank you, Alderman Clark, Alderwoman Clark Hubbard, Chair Clark Hubbard, and everybody else in attendance.

Um, I'm here because I'm thrilled that I'm being nominated to serve as a permanent member of the Board of Adjustment.

You may have seen me remember seeing me about three, four months ago when I was up here to be nominated as an alternate member.

During that time, I've uh have all have been able to participate in six Board of Adjustment meetings.

I absolutely love the engagement and being part of the process.

I go to every single parcel of land that's on the on each agenda.

So I look at each parcel personally rather than just counting on uh looking at Google Earth or whatever.

Uh so that helps me form an opinion about really what's being asked.

And where you know it gives me a chance to drive around back to look at the entire property rather than just seeing what you see on uh from Google Earth or from whatever kind of mapping software you might have.

I think I have been very vocal, asking a lot of good questions of both the appellants and the opposition, and basically taking every single case with an open mind.

Some are always seem to be open and closed cases where the members on on that particular meeting pretty much have a same conclusion, and it's very quickly either approve or disapprove.

Uh there have been many instances where I know that I've pushed back on a number of things and where I've made an impact on either making swaying this decision or at least postponing and giving the appellant another chance when we just don't feel like they were prepared or that they had not engaged with either their alder or with their neighbors.

So it's been a very wonderful experience from my perspective.

Uh I did run for Alderman, as you probably all know last year, but this really is my wheelhouse.

And I do hope that all of you uh move forward with my nomination for a permanent position rather than alternate alternate position.

Thank you so much.

And again, thank you for your commitment to the serving the city of St.

Louis this way.

Do any of the auditors on the committee or online have any questions for Mr.

Dallas?

Madam Clerk, are there any audits online that may have questions for Mr.

Dallas?

We have no audits online.

Okay.

Thank you.

Well, thank you so much for being here.

Uh I'll accept a motion to approve the reappointment of Mr.

Dallas to the Board of Adjustments.

So moved.

Second.

It was moved by Vice Chair.

As a as a permanent permanent member.

Okay.

I withdraw my motion.

I'll accept a motion that we uh move Mr.

Dallas as a permanent member of the Board of Adjustments.

Permanently so moved.

It was permanently so moved by Vice Chair Saint and permanently thinking about Alderman Aldrich.

Um that we move Mr.

Dallas as a permanent member of the Board of Adjustments here for the City of St.

Louis.

All in favor?

Any opposed?

Congratulations.

And thank you again for thank you very much.

I really appreciate it.

Mr.

Desmondy.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Am I pronouncing your name right?

Yes, you're one of the few that have.

Actually.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you again for being here this morning and for your commitment to serve the city of St.

Louis in this unique way.

What we'll do now is offer you the time to introduce yourself, give a little background on why you choose um to serve on the board of adjustments for the city of St.

Louis.

Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity.

I've been a city resident my entire life.

As you can see, it's my gray hair has been quite some time.

Um I have served on the board since about 2017.

I enjoy what I'm doing.

I feel they it's a very important job.

I do not take it lightly.

I enjoy doing what I'm doing.

We listen to everybody, we listen sometimes we listen to all sides.

Sometimes they have to be told no, and um able to do that.

I don't have a problem with that.

I do look at all the parcels that we do come in front of us, and we try and make sure that in my opinion, they fit in with the community, which means I've often asked if they've reached out to the community, to the to the neighborhood organizations, to the alder person, to the people around to make sure that it's not something that does not going to fit with the community and what they're trying to accomplish in their neighborhood.

So I appreciated the fact that things have come up in my own neighborhood that I've had to wonder.

Well, if I it was me living there, would that fit in with me, or would I want that done?

So I try and take the community's uh position to wonder if it would be the best fit.

Um sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

And like sometimes you make hard decisions and uh have to say no.

Sometimes you go against the board and also have to try and bring your point of view up to why it is uh why you have to pose it or you know in favor of it.

But the bottom line is I do enjoy what I'm doing.

I've been doing it for quite some time, even without being reappointed.

We just continue to serve on the board rather than just say we're not going to do that.

We just we I continue to do it because I do enjoy it being a city resident.

I feel like I need to go back.

I was a policeman with the city for 35 years.

And after I retired, I continue to uh want to serve with the city and make sure that places that I live, I can also improve and get my time too.

Do you have any questions?

Thank you so much, Mr.

Desmondy.

I love the way you said that sometimes you have to make hard decisions say no.

That's kind of the value of a board is having people with different perspectives coming together and meeting in the middle.

Um, that's where the real change happens.

So we wouldn't want a bunch of people on there saying the same thing, right?

We want people that push back and help us to try to get things right here.

So um with that, I'll see if any of my colleagues have any questions um for Mr.

Desmond.

Are there any auders online that may have questions for Mr.

Desmonding?

We have none.

All right.

Thank you again for being here this morning.

Uh, with that, I'll accept a motion to approve the mayorless appointment to the board of adjustments of Mr.

Carmela Desmondy.

So moved.

Second.

It was moved by Vice Chair Sany and seconded by Alder Woman Keys with a call for previous role with no objections.

Congratulations, Mr.

Desmondy.

And thank you for your service.

Continue there.

Do you need me to stay here?

Am I free to go?

Nope, you're free to go.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh, just again to add context to this, we don't just meet these people this morning.

Well, some of us may, many of us may know them already.

Um, and they are already vetted through the mayor's office when they come to us when they get to this point to be even heard in a committee.

So I'm asking my colleagues here in the absence of Miss Grice, um, who who the mayor's office is actively trying to get her online.

Let me see, they're texting me.

They're having some may be having some technical uh difficulties.

She's about five minutes in.

Um, what we'll do is go ahead and take up something that I know um would be quick unless she's on Madam Clark.

No, she's not on yet.

Okay.

All right, so we'll hold hers, but in the event when she does come on, um, she's dealing with the family issue.

We want to make sure that we accommodate her time as well.

So we'll go ahead and take up something that uh I know we'll be quick with out of woman um yeah, out of woman keys.

I know we talked, but this one will be quick so we can get to Ms.

Grice and then get back to you.

Auto Woman Sign Yay, you are um recognized on board bill 113.

113.

Okay, good morning, uh madam chair, members of the committee.

Um, board bill 113.

I actually uh if you is this the one you wanted to one 163.

Okay, let's go to the one that you said will be quick 163.

Yes.

Um, good morning, members of the committee.

I'm sure most of us have been in the South Grand uh community improvement district.

Um it is you know a community improvement district, well known in our community for the businesses that they have.

I have Rachel Witt with me today um as the executive director of the community improvement district, and Board Bill 163 is just seeking to renew um the community improvement district.

It's something we have to do, you know, on a certain amount of annual basis.

You have to reappoint the members, you have to renew the community improvement district.

So that's what's before us today.

And I can have Rachel Witt come up now.

Can you raise your right hand and swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Yes, please proceed.

Well, it's great to see all you today.

It's kind of full circle.

My uh it's been almost 20 years when we renew the SID.

It started out as a five-year set, and then we renewed it for 20.

And that's when I excuse me.

Could you repeat?

Could you say your name for the record, please?

Rachel Witt, WITT, the executive director for the South Grand Community Improvement District.

I would just say in full circle that we're here today with talking about renewing the community improvement district.

It's been almost 20 years, and that's when I started what the CID was during this renewal process.

We went from five years to 20 years, and we're looking to renew it for another 20 years.

The community improvement district plays a vital role on South Grand Corridor.

The average household income and value since the SID has been around has doubled in the Tower Grove area.

And we were the recipient of the first great streets initiative for planning and construction.

And the reason why we were the first to get construction was because we have a community improvement district to maintain that infrastructure.

So the community improvement district for the past 15 years since the streetscape has put in, has been maintaining the landscaping, the irrigation, the lawn care.

Yes, the vacuuming of the previous concrete.

And we're constantly improving on it.

We just hired SWT design over a year ago to upgrade the landscape design to be more conducive for the area with the correct native plans to grow in an urban environment.

And we're slowly upgrading those improvements.

We recently got a grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation to redo the Hartford intersection.

We received a grant recently from Amrant to continue our uplighting that we've been doing to the buildings to really show that the architecture and also bring more lighting to the district.

Because of the community improvement district, we're able to add all this maintenance, beautification, security, capital improvements.

We're one of the few districts that offer free parking, an outdoor pocket park for events and programming for nonprofits at no cost.

Again, the word community means a lot to our community improvement district that we want everyone to feel part of South Grand in hosting events, being a business owner, a visitor, everyone is welcome and included.

And I feel being part of that community improvement district and the and the greater community has fostered that relationship, and we're constantly growing and improving.

So we're excited to see what additional improvements we can make in the next 20 years on South Grant.

Can I answer any questions or concerns?

Sure.

What we'll do is see um Madam Clark.

Are there any public speakers signed up for Board Bill 163?

We have none.

Okay.

Rachel, what I'll say is look, congratulations on all of the grants and the work that you do.

I often tease about Samantha.

You know, and people always say, I wish we had a Samantha.

I also always hear I wish we had a Rachel.

Uh so thank you for the work that the way that you all pour into these um community improvement districts the way that you do is immeasurable.

Um do any of my colleagues have any questions for Mr.

Rachel, Miss Rachel.

All right.

Uh with an again a call for any public speakers online or in the room for Board Bill 163.

We have none, Madam Clerk.

All right.

Welcome to close.

Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the committee.

I think that Ms.

Whit has said it all.

Um I would just add that Auto Women of Velasquez is a co-sponsor on this piece of legislation with me, and we do share the South Grand did, and she's also very supportive of the renewal.

And with that, ask for you all's vote so that we continue the much needed work.

South Grant.

All right, I'll accept the motion on Board Bill 163.

I make a motion that we pass Board Bill 163 with a due pass recommendation.

Previous role.

It was the move by Adama Aldrich and seconded by Alderwoman Keys that we passed Board Bill 163 with a due pass recommendation with a call for previous role with no objection.

Congratulations, and thank you again for your service.

Madam Clark, is Ms.

Grice on the line yet?

No, she is not.

Okay.

Alder Woman Keys, you're recognized on Board Bill 169.

Gotta turn the mic back on.

Audible McKeys.

Testing.

Okay, wonderful.

Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee.

Um, if I could please ask the clerk to read the summary.

Ordinance amending ordinance number 71830, effective June 1st, 2024 by modifying the terms of the real estate tax abatement.

Thank you.

So this is a bill that was heard probably about a year ago.

Um, and this is for the Kempton and Stay Bridge hotels that are uh or will be located in the elevated 11th ward.

Um, we do have speakers here this morning to talk more about that.

Say your name first.

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

Yes, thank you.

Please introduce yourself and your affiliation, and then please proceed.

Uh thank you, madam chair, members of the committee for the record.

My name is Shaila Meehan.

I'm with Steadfast City Economic and Community Partners.

Um Steadfast City is an economic development consulting firm.

Thank you.

Uh we're locally based economic development consulting firm, and we have been supporting uh the developer Midas hospitality in their application for uh tax abatement uh since the initial initial legislation.

Um today, Board Bill 169 uh seeks to amend that existing ordinance.

Um shortly after the initial approvals, the developer faced uh heightened project costs and a difficult lending environment, um, especially for such a large financial undertaking with a dual-branded hotel, 300 plus hotel rooms.

Um for those reasons, the developer made the decision to right size the development, the project, uh, and focus on the Kempton Hotel.

Um, the Kempton Hotel would be a hotel brand that brings a unique full service offering.

Um, and Board Bill 169 seeks to amend ordinance number uh 71830 to increase the percentage of the 10 year tax abatement uh from 75% to 90%.

Uh and this amendment reflects uh the updated application that we've worked with SLDC on and submitted to them, it reflects the current project details, construction costs, uh, and lending environment.

Um we appreciate the opportunity to be here today for your consideration uh to amend um the existing ordinance and allow for construction to commence at 2601 Market Street.

Um I'm also joined today by uh members of the Midas hospitality team, and we're all available questions that you may have.

Thank you.

Can we have representatives from the Midas hospitality team?

If you can all raise your right hand where to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Yes, yes, yes.

Thank you.

If you can just, if you don't have anything you really want to speak on now, just come up to the mic, introduce yourself, your affiliation.

That way, if any of our colleagues have any questions, they can call.

Yeah, hi.

Uh thank you, Chairman Clark and Hubbard, and we're an all-alder persons.

We're very happy to be here today.

Happy to talk about our project, one that we're um very, very committed to.

It's been a multi-year process.

And I would just like to add to those remarks that um, in our opinion, excuse me.

Can I have your name, please?

Oh, yeah, I'm sorry, Sam E Step.

I'm the vice senior vice president of development at Midas Hospitality.

And just want to add to those remarks that uh, you know, we're here in front of the city as what we hope is the last, you know, was kind of a last resort request.

We have done certainly everything that is in our power pulled all the levers that we could pull.

We value engineered the project.

We have um, you know, changed the design around on the project.

So I just wanted to throw that in that this is a very uh uh thoughtful uh request on our end uh and somewhat of a uh last resort.

Thank you.

Uh hi, Andrew Thompson uh with Midas Hospitality, Senior Vice President of Investments.

Um, thank you all for having us today.

Good morning, everybody.

JT Norville, co-founder and CEO of Midas Hospitality.

Thank you for hearing our amendment.

All right, with that I'll also see if anyone from SLDC would like to come up and speak to the bill before we get to questions.

Good afternoon, Zach Wilson with SLDC.

Um SLDC supports the project.

Uh Paul Weatherford can answer any questions on the numbers.

Uh the original application came in 23.

The ordinance passed in 24.

Uh since then, uh the climate has changed quite a bit, so that's why we support the increase in tax abatement from 75% to 90%.

Madam Clark, are there any speakers online for Board Bill 169?

We have none.

Are there any public comments?

Speakers signed up in the room.

We have no.

Okay.

Uh I'll go down the line just for this one.

Um, Automatical.

No questions.

Uh sorry that Mr.

Robert isn't here today.

Uh it's been a familiar face down here the last few years, but uh Alder Woman, thank you for your efforts with the board bill.

Audible Miss Wisem.

Thank you so much.

Um, if Zach Wilson could come back, I just want to make sure the scorecard that is in the development proposal report says that the project qualified for 90% abatement um over 10 years.

And was this the same qualification it had before, but the developer decided to go with 75%?

Uh or the bill.

The numbers increase construction costs increase, and some of the other numbers.

The scorecard was redone for this.

That's why we're having a change.

So the scorecard before said something else, and now it's that correct.

Okay, thank you.

That's my only question.

Otterman Browning.

Thank you.

So as I'm understanding this, this is a reduction in scope of the project.

There used to be two hotel concepts, and now there's just one.

Is that correct?

Yeah, I would call that an yeah, an adjustment in the scope.

There were originally planned a stay bridge hotel, which is an extended stay hotel and the Kempton Hotel, which is a much more upscale hotel.

And the plan is to remove at least for now the stay bridge.

And in that place would be parking.

So it, you know, there would be a space for that second hotel to go there, should for that be, you know, the plan ever take us there and leave us with the Kempton Hotel.

And I'm not looking at the plan right now, but is the parking where the other hotel would be?

Is that at the front of the lot on the court?

So this is at a corner of the best way to picture that.

Yeah.

Would be Kempton right at the corner of Market and Jefferson.

Okay.

Parking to the west.

Okay, that's helpful to visualize.

Basically, the Kempton footprint stayed where it was in the original plan that we at the last time we presented the project.

And that land is currently vacant right now.

That's correct.

Okay.

That's all my questions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Other man Aldridge.

No questions.

Vice Chair Sany.

I just want to make sure I'm understanding correctly that you all could have gone for 90% in the beginning.

You were just choosing to go for 75% because it looks like the original you all did score up to 90% in the original evaluation.

The original scorecard allowed for up to 10 at 90.

And when we did the financial analysis, we lowered it down to 10 and 75.

And that's what the original board bill was.

We got a new application with updated numbers, and that's why we support 10 and 90 currently.

And does going down to one hotel change the amount of um full-time employment FTE positions that would be created created at all?

It does adjust a little bit, but still hits the marks they for the community scorecard.

And this doesn't eliminate the second hotel.

It just we would like to approve this for allow for the first one to be built as soon as possible.

The second one can come later.

And the MWB, MWBE, prevailing wage, no imminent domain restriction, all those things are still in place.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

All right.

Um keys here.

Welcome to close.

Well, thank you so much uh for hearing um this particular uh bill.

So I would ask for your due pass recommendation on board bill one sixty nine.

Right now I'll accept the motion for board bill 169.

Make a motion that we pass board bill 169 with a due pass recommendation.

Previous row.

Move by Altaman Aldrich and seconded by Altaman Browning that we move board bill 169 passed with the due pass recommendation with a call for previous role with no objections.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Um is Mrs.

Grice on yet, Madame?

She is.

All right.

Mrs.

Grice, if you can turn your camera on the Mrs.

Grice, can you turn your camera on for us?

Okay.

I gave it back because you was complaining.

Hi.

And you're you might be on mute still.

Can you hear us?

Okay.

Yes, I can.

Thank you.

Should I should I unmute?

Should I unmute?

Yes, you've unmuted now.

Thank you so much, Mrs.

Grice.

Can you raise your right hand and swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

I swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

It's so good to see you, Mrs.

Grice.

Thank you for being here this morning.

Thank you for pushing through the challenges to get on here this morning.

Um, the again the sign of your commitment and service to the city of St.

Louis in this unique way to serve on the Board of Adjustments.

I know the name.

I think many of us know the name from your beloved husband, and we are so happy to have you uh now step into this role and serve the city of St.

Louis um as well.

Can you just tell us a little bit about your background and why you're choosing um to uh um accept this appointment to the board of adjustments?

Okay, so my background is I was a math teacher for many, many years.

My career.

I taught at uh Harris Store when I first moved here from Washington, DC in uh the early 90s for about four years, and then I went to Font Bond for 14 years as a full-time faculty member teaching mathematics.

And then I went back to Harris Stowe for seven years before I retired as the director of a program that uh housed incoming freshman math, reading, and writing.

I had 40 uh faculty members uh under my leadership.

Uh I want to serve the city of St.

Louis.

Uh I love I want standards to be set and for us to uh maintain uh quality.

And so that's one of the reasons why I wanted to be on this board.

Okay.

Is that absolutely thank you so much?

Because again, we I did offer context for those who um were watching in the room to know that you've been vetted by the mayor's office, recommended by the mayor's office.

We're sitting here looking at resume so we know the the value and the impact of your leadership and your expertise and your service to the city of St.

Louis.

So with that, I'll ask if any of my colleagues have any questions for Miss Grice.

Just a comment.

Okay.

Uh Alderman Aldrich.

Uh, no questions, Miss Grice, but thank you for serving uh being one that uh willing to serve on this board and just uh I can't stop looking at the back of your home.

It looks so beautiful.

This is not my thank you.

This is not my home.

I'm at my mother's house.

So, but thank you.

I'll let her know that you like her decorations.

Thank you.

Well, if you anything like your mother, I'm sure your home is just as beautiful too, but definitely let her know.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs.

Grace.

Um, please tell your husband I said hello.

Um, I would I I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the space that was opened up for you to be able to step into these big shoes to fill with Miss Irene Sow, who was a dedicated member um from the Academy Sherman Park neighborhood to the Board of Adjustments for decades, never missed a meeting.

And uh her commitment um was only interrupted by the May 16th tornado when she was displaced, and now she um is no longer in the in her neighborhood or in the city.

And so thank you for stepping into that role.

Thank you for choosing St.

Louis this way, and you and your husband continue to choose St.

Louis this way.

And with that, I'll accept a motion.

So move second to approve Ms.

Grice Um to step into the role, a seat into the Board of Adjustments of the City of St.

Louis.

It was moved by Alderman Aldridge and seconded by Vice Chair Sany.

All in favor.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Miss Grice.

Have a blessed day.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

All right, with that, we will move forward in the agenda.

Um Alderman Aldridge.

You're recognized on board bill 166.

Thank you, madam.

Uh chairwoman and members of the committee today, and uh it is up here, by the way.

Today I would like to uh present to you all uh Board Bill 166, which is a uh blight plan for a 10-year uh abatement at 90 percent.

Um I think it's up to uh shall be available for up to 25 years of abatement.

Um this is the location right at uh 44 and CAS.

Um, as you're going on uh Tucker and you're you're getting onto the highway.

There's a lot of open land to the right.

I'm really excited about this project.

Um, Ms.

We have uh the Hawkins, I mean the whole squad is here in the building.

Um the future developers of this project when you talk about uh really bringing light to uh this part of the city and bringing light to uh kind of this corner right here off of Casen 44.

Uh the project's actually called hopefully uh the Northern Lights uh special events district.

So is really trying to light up this uh corner and I can show some of my colleagues just some of the renderings, but you're talking about you know, a small convention center, a kid zone, um ampute theater, just something that's really gonna bring, I think, even more positive development in St.

Louis.

Um, and this project is uh one as folks are getting off the highway, will really speak to how great our city is.

So this is kind of the very first step of trying to get this project going by blighting this uh area so that they can use other incentives to uh make this project happen.

If SODC want to talk about the project, or also if anybody from the Hawkins family want to just mention it, uh maybe after SLDC, they could also say a few words about this future project.

Good um afternoon.

Uh Zach Wilson with SLDC again.

Um, this is kind of similar to what we did with the Engineers Club.

We're encouraging development for this area.

We're supportive of Mrs.

Hawkins' uh approach to this area.

Uh she is still buying land and uh getting financing lined up once she has uh uh uh acquired all the land she needs and gotten uh acquired the fan and soon she's leaves, she'll be uh scored again at with a financial scorecard with at an L C A board, and then we'll adjust the tax abatement accordingly.

Uh the board bill goes up to 25 years, which is the maximum because we're very supportive of the development in this location.

Be happy to answer any questions.

And I just want to mention uh Ms.

Hawkins couldn't be here today.

She's a little sick and definitely wanted to uh be here in person.

Oh, you made it!

She made well, never mind.

I didn't even see her in the back.

Did you want to talk about the project, Miss?

I have some other people here.

Okay, come on up.

You must have just snuck in on me.

No, no.

Okay.

I think I didn't catch her.

I seen her son.

Yeah.

So all of these would be considered as Ottoman Aldragies speakers.

So take your time, but I do want you all now to raise your right hand and swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Do.

And before you speak, just state your name and your affiliation to the project for the record.

Thank you.

Oh, did I I I promised to tell the truth.

Okay.

Thank you.

Madam Chair, board members of the committee.

Uh, thank you so much for having us.

My name is Janetta Hawkins, and it is the Hill Hawkins family.

I just want to clarify that.

Uh and uh this is Pastor Battle.

He is with an old North Neighborhood Association.

Uh Denise.

Oh, Denise Williams is uh also a uh she she ran the convention center.

So she was she was uh what was your title?

Okay, you'll tell your title.

Okay, all right.

Um before we get started, I just wanted to let you know that I am a visionary.

I have uh visions and dreams.

Anyone that knows me know this to be true, but I don't just have any kind of visions or any kind of dreams.

Uh those dreams have uh caused us to be in business for 38 years.

All right.

They caused uh the Hill Hawkins family business to be successful, a stellar award awards, plural winning nationally recognized design, decor production, and special events um decorating company.

Um we've been a part of the fabric of St.

Louis for decades.

We did the grand openings for all of your Metrolink stations.

We dropped balloons when the Rams came to town.

We did the ribbon cutting ceremony for Jackie Joyner Kercy across the water.

So we've been around here and we love St.

Louis.

And we don't want to leave.

We love the area that we're in.

Unfortunately, that area has declined over the years.

We've been in our location for 16 years, and we've seen it, but I also see something else.

I see light in the name of the project as uh Alderman Aldrich uh indicated, it's the Northern Light Special Event District.

It came about when you look in the when you look on the news and you see that beautiful Ferris wheel and the arch and all of that light, and you look to the north, it breaks my heart because it's dark.

And so we do have a development project that will bring that light to North St.

Louis.

But I want to bring you into my world just a little bit, because I said I'm a visionary, correct.

If you I want you to imagine this beautiful handsome man that's clean to the nine.

I mean, his his hair is groomed and it's uh his beard is shaved and it's he's clean, he has beautiful skin, clear skin, and he has on a Calvin Klein tuxedo.

His shirt is white with black buttons down it, and he has this black tuxedo.

I mean, he is fine.

I mean, fine.

And then he he has on these black pants, and as you go all the way down his leg, he has on dirty socks with holes in them.

He has shoes that are busted up.

His feet is bleeding because of lack of care.

I propose to you, if we invest in our city, downtown central, downtown south, and downtown west.

We are looking at a well-dressed man with dirty socks on, busted shoes, and bleeding feet.

If we do not invest in downtown North.

We have to do, and and we have to invest in the whole city.

So we have a plan.

So it this plan has been in operation for over five years.

We've been quietly working on it.

I'm surrounded by committee, and I'm surrounded by mentors and people that have experience.

So, yes, they call me a new designer.

Well, knew it's good.

I mean, a new developer, knew it's good.

When babies come, we love babies, we love new shoes, new cars, new things, new is good.

So I'm I'm maybe hopefully I'm a breath of fresh air, you know.

Hopefully, that's that's the plan.

So it's not just about buildings, pretty buildings, really is about bringing light to the community, it's bringing hope to the community.

It's also bringing jobs, it's bringing education, generational wealth, and healing to the community.

The first thing that we'll do is we'll bandage his feet and we'll care for them.

And the second thing we'll do, we'll put on some new socks.

And the third thing that we'll do, we'll give him a new pair of shoes.

So that's all I'm asking that we do is that we love on uh North St.

Louis because if it were your dad, your brother, your husband, your man, your father, there's no way if you cared about them that you would allow them to be that fully dressed and not dress his shoes and his feet and his care.

Thank you for your time.

Morning.

As she was describing that man, I almost stood up.

But then my two bearded friends back here recognized that they were bearded, and they almost stood up.

But here I am.

I am Pastor Battle, and I pastor the Bread of Life Church, which is located in Old North St.

Louis, and I pastored a church in Old North St.

Louis for 20 plus years.

I've always uh I grew up in the city quite naturally, and have been assistant pastor and or administrator of other churches in the city of St.

Louis.

Um my background, however, is somewhat different in that I've lectured throughout the country for over 40 plus years retiring in 2022.

Now, the reason I mention that is simply this.

I've lectured in many venues, whether it be in a um lobby of a company or a school, whether it be grade school, high school, even various uh community colleges or what have you.

Then I've also lectured in large convention centers and uh again, other venues.

Uh I mention that because right now I do believe that this project will open up a door for uh to relieve some of the stress off of the convention center downtown St.

Louis.

In that there are a lot of churches in particular that cannot really afford to host conventions at the convention center downtown St.

Louis.

However, a smaller venue, which is more their size, would be great for them.

And I've been in part of many, many meetings, and they've uh wanted to find locations where they could have some sort of meeting so that they won't have to go over to the uh retreat center over in Illinois, but yet utilize something here in the city of St.

Louis.

And I do believe that this project will be that for not only the churches, but many other um entities as well.

This plan, while I recognize it is currently or the current use of the land is a homeless encampment.

Our church since 2009 have adopted homeless encampments, and we have uh supported them by way of making available to them various things that they would be in need of.

I mentioned that because certainly this will displace those that are there.

That encampment is almost a war zone.

There's so much crime.

I have personally talked to many of the people that are in the encampment.

There are rapes that never go reported.

There are murders.

Other organizations as well.

So yes, I recognize there will be a displacement, but I do believe it would be the best thing for them to get that environment cleaned up.

Other encampments that I've supported in the years, or church rather, have supported years.

The people that lived in those encampments, and uh most of them end up with better living situations.

So I do believe that even though we would be displacing them, that ultimately the majority of them who want to do better will end up in better living conditions.

So again, as a pastor of a church in Old North St.

Louis for many years, I certainly look at this as a win-win for not only Old North St.

Louis, those ragged feet and dirty socks that she talked about.

I think it would be a win for downtown for St.

Louis in general.

Downtown Central, downtown West, downtown South, and then downtown North, having that beautiful uh facility utilized in a number of different ways.

I didn't talk about the other ways it would be utilized, but those other ways will be of extremely uh benefit to other entities as well.

Thank you so much.

Uh good afternoon.

My name is Denise Nee Williams, and no, I did not run the convention center.

Uh basically what I'm going to do is echo what has already been said.

I did serve as the director of convention center sales for 13 years when it was um St.

Louis, yeah, St.

Louis Convention and Victor's Commission now explore St.

Louis, and I retired from 13 years at By State while I was the manager of uh sales and partnerships and sponsorships.

That withstanding I've known Jeanetta for over 30 years.

I can speak to her character by saying that I have watched her go from having product in the house to now having a space that rivals most spaces that people use in different cities to get their projects.

Um I've never known her to put her hands to anything that she didn't see to completion.

Uh when everyone was speaking of the blighting, when I was coming from downtown looking at my convention eyes when I got off at Tucker, I just said, wow, if I were a convention here, if I were coming in to look at the city.

Now, when I was at the city many years at the CDC many years ago, there was a way that we would come, take everybody down 40, which just showed them the beautiful sites.

My territory in particular was DC, and they would ask, can we take the shortcut next time?

And so I started thinking if I were taking the shortcut this morning from someone who was from DC, even with everything that they have going on, how would that feel?

Because everything that I saw just kind of jarred me.

So then I started thinking after this project coming to place, you have a different welcoming place than the way that we bring people in to show them the city that route can change because you have something that very proud of.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers signed up?

We have none.

Just want to open the call one more time for all of the supporters in the room.

If anybody would like to speak, I'm sorry, we have one online.

Okay.

And then if anybody in the room would like to speak.

Okay, we'll go online while you all discuss then.

Uh can you thank you?

Can you raise your right hand and swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

I do.

All right, please proceed.

Yeah.

Um so yeah, um, I was showing up to speak on on another board bill, but I thought I'd speak on this one too, because um, I do a lot of um unhoused outreach.

And um, yeah, like I've been uh they call it like the field of hope or the pallet yard uh goes by many names, like this place that 10th and cast that everyone's talking about.

Um yeah, I I'm hearing from people about this idea, and if it was like anywhere else, I'd be really excited about it.

Um I I guess like I I feel very confused, like why this spot and the reason that I'm hearing is because poverty is bad for business.

Um like when people come to the city that they get some kind of like impression of poverty, which speaks to um you know, like people's ability to live and thrive in St.

Louis, like I don't know, I mean, like I guess like whenever I hear about people, you know, like talking about just like disappearing a camp, then I think back um on all of the times which you know, like I've I've been there when people are trying to like pick up the pieces, and um every every eviction, every time like that there's an eviction, there's overdose deaths and and other deaths from just like people are like living very close to the edge, obviously, you know, like they're they've just survived the winter outside, and like if when they're like if people are evicted, they can't look out for each other, and most people's lives are like really you know, like close to the edge.

And and so like when they are violently displaced by eviction, like people were talking about like that does not benefit them in any way.

Uh yeah, that's just completely false.

Like, I I just like I I don't understand how the plan could not include them and how it could be depicted as something like positive or beautiful or light, uh, without including like if it's for the people, it's gotta be for these people too.

You know, um Kelly, that's your time.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Kelly.

Did anyone want if even if you all don't want to speak, I would be remiss and I hope the cameras can pick up.

If yeah, thank you.

The the the support that's here.

Also, I would be remyself if I didn't personally recognize Kababi and his beloved beautiful wife Amber that are here in support um as well uh for Board Bill 66.

You can raise your right hand and swear to tell the whole tuition of the truth.

Absolutely state your name and your affiliation.

Uh my name is Joshua Hill.

I am the son of Ms.

Janetta.

Uh so she said she started this business 38 years ago.

Um, I've been there every step of the way.

Um, and now we are all in the business.

Um it is a true family business.

I am second generation.

My children are in the business, they're third generation.

So we are not just um, this is not just a job.

You know, this is our family business like snooks who've grown for generations to what they are now.

Um I want to uh say something about the uh camp.

We started this project, like she said, before that camp even showed up.

So it's not like because the land is what it is now, our intentions was to now move on it.

So this has been in progress for years.

Um I'm sure that the city and this development project will have some type of form of plan uh for them.

I cannot speak on that right now, but I just know the integrity that we have, and they won't be left out.

Um I want to speak on behalf of our support team and our family.

Um we all see who she is as a person.

Um we all know uh what she is capable of, but we all know what we are capable of.

Um we have uh a fluent business right now, and we are uh nationally recognized.

Uh we do travel, and we can compete with uh anybody.

Uh so we will take the same approach with this project, make sure we keep the integrity of the space and the uh integrity uh of ourselves and service to our clients.

Uh we are a service um driven, and that's what we would do.

We will serve uh our community for sure in a class.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Uh, Mr.

Wilson.

Oh, and ma'am, if you wanted to speak, you can sign up on the sheet over there.

Just um I just want to clarify something.

This board bill has no MN domain powers to it, so no one's going to be cleared off in property without due process.

Uh the property that has the encampment on it currently is Paul McKee's property.

We all know there are the issues behind that.

So there's nobody gonna be forced off.

Everything's gonna be taken care of in a natural uh correct way moving forward.

So thank you.

Thank you for that clarity, Mr.

Wilson.

Miss Lynette Watson.

Hello, everybody, um, alder people.

Um, I am Lynette Watson, and I swear to tell the truth.

Umeta is actually, I am the regional director for the small business development centers, and I am her mentor, is what she says, business coach, business counselor.

Um, I learned just as much from Jeanetta every day as she learns from me.

When I say she showed me this plan five years ago, she had it all decked out and it was all pretty.

And just like I do with a lot of my clients who come to me with pie in the sky, I'm like, hmm, looks good.

But I'm gonna be honest.

I was just getting to know Jeanetta, and I wasn't sure.

I work with Janetta for a year, and I said this will come to fruition.

And it has been amazing what I have seen her accomplish in an environment that's not always friendly.

Um, we're gonna be real honest to people that look like her.

And she has just continued to move forward.

She has taken the no, she has uh moved forward in spite of the no, she has really tried to put a program uh a project together that is win when.

Um development ain't easy.

It's one of the hardest things I've ever seen.

But the strides that she's made, the the support that she's gotten.

I see this and I see the vision, but I also see the reality of it.

So I support her.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Of course.

Have you signed up on the sheet?

If not, you can come up and raise your right hand, swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Please state your name and your affiliation.

And after you speak, just for the record, if you can go sign in today.

Of course.

My name is Rochelle Johnson.

My affiliation is, I know Miss Janetta, we go to church together, and I'm also a licensed clinical therapist.

And I did some work with her.

Okay, so really quickly, um, she hired me to come and speak to her staff in reference to their mental health.

She wanted to make sure that they were okay.

I said to her, most places when I go out and speak, I don't speak because I'm also a trauma specialist.

Most of the time when I call when I am called out, it's in crisis mode.

It's in the place where it's almost too late, and a lot of the damage has been done.

What she did is so lovely, and I told her this.

I said, I don't have many companies that call me out and say, as they are elevating, I want you to take a look at my staff.

I want to make sure that they are good.

I want to make sure that their mental health is well.

I want to tap into that.

It's not just about their hands and what they can do.

It's about the whole person.

She tapped into that, and I told her it's very uncommon.

Most times there is a crisis, and then you bring the team in to try to do patch up work.

She did the opposite.

She did the opposite.

So I just wanted to speak to that.

And that is very much a concern of hers, but she's just she cares about the whole person and she cares about the whole situation, not just what she's trying to do because it's really about everybody.

It's about making it better for everybody.

So I just wanted to go on the record that she is concerned about the whole person and that matters.

It absolutely does.

Thank you so much for that.

Absolutely.

And with no other speakers signed up and none online, Madam Clerk, we'll go ahead and call Ms.

Jetta back up and see if any of our colleagues have any questions.

Mrs.

Janetta, I've I can also speak to the vision, um, the impact, what your presence brings to a room.

And what's really ironic is I you won't remember this, but I remember this because this is kind of my thing.

Um people are now, first of all, you'd be hard-pressed to be in a room.

You might not know her vision, transform their room, but it absolutely has.

I tell you why you don't know because of her professionalism, the integrity that everybody talks about the room is done when you get there.

Sometimes when you go places, people are running around trying to decorate when the event is starting.

Not it's not it's my genetic.

I mean, it's done.

And you probably don't remember this, but one of my colleagues down here on the end, Mr.

Alderman Cohn knows I'm kind of known for taking flower arrangements for events, right?

It's my thing.

I love fresh flowers.

You didn't know we didn't know each other.

But we met at the wrong ribbon cut brown groundbreaking ribbon cutting, and you had these beautiful little flowers pink that bloomed into pink flowers.

They don't always bloom.

I forgot what they're called, the ones that bloom only certain times a year, annuals or whatever they are.

But they were beautifully bloom for the event, but I took it home and I thought I had killed it because it wasn't blooming the flowers anymore.

It's just the green things.

But why I have chills right now is because when I look down in the pot that I replanted that in, it had bloomed the pink flower a couple of weeks ago.

And didn't know that I was gonna be able to sit in front of you today.

I called uh my girlfriend, and they know about you know how I felt about it.

But now to be able to hear this and see the vision and the light that you're talking about.

Um I I believe.

And I know that I'm not crazy for believing, right?

And so um with that, I'd like to be at as the co-sponsor for Board Bill 166.

And so note ahead and open it up for questions.

Other mancone.

No questions.

I I think that she's referring to a Christmas cactus, but I'm not sure what else.

Oh, it's not the Christmas cactus that I got from Forest Park forever.

They know about the Christmas cactus.

I called them.

It's another plant.

I'll put I'll send you a picture of it.

No questions, sir.

Thank you.

Alder Woman Sweiser.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for being here and for uh that very moving testimony.

The design that you passed around just looks so great and interesting.

And I would love to hear just a little bit about what kind of events you're hoping to have in the event center.

Um, and just a little bit more about your business.

So thank you.

Oh my.

So um I was watching the news when uh Kitty uh was talking about the convention center and what they were looking to do.

By the way, I partner with everyone downtown.

The all the hotels and the convention centers, we have great relationships.

But Kitty was talking about her vision was to expand the convention center.

They want to take on more bigger projects.

And so we're two blocks away.

We want to just handle the smaller piece in partnership with them.

Um, I travel nationally doing conventions, national conventions, and oftentimes we're doing about 20, 25 events uh for that convention.

And some of them have off our off property because your executives, your sponsors, they want private events.

So we would actually partner with uh the convention center when they bring uh conventions to town, and we would be able to host weddings, uh meetings, conferences on a smaller scale.

And uh also weddings with the wedding planet era, uh, high tea for the ladies.

Uh we also have a um a chateau that's included on the campus, and that is really for our private executives.

It's not a Airbnb, never.

It will come with concierge service, but uh a lot of times the executives like they just want to be in a private area or if a bridal party or groom um groomsmen want to have uh, you know, a time that's private.

If an artist comes into town, I understand some of them do not like hotels, they want private residents.

We'll be able to accommodate them by working and partnering with all the hotels.

So it's inclusive.

So we can handle anything that any of the venues can handle.

But I just want we will create and continue to grow our partnerships.

Just like they do at the convention center.

They actually outsource a lot of the conventions that come to town.

Thank you for that.

And I think the kids' zone part is really neat as well.

That's really thoughtful to have something like that on the property.

So thank you for thinking of it and uh for coming here today.

Uh, can I talk about that just a little bit?

The kids' own events center is my baby, my pride and joy.

Uh, it actually is for 12-year-olds.

Uh, like um Miss Rochelle spoke about trauma is uh is terrible, you know, and our children are really faced with a whole lot.

So I want it to be a place where they can go in and just be children.

And so uh all of the different party rooms will give them an opportunity to uh leave Earth for a minute, leave their current situations and uh dream and visualize going to space or uh being a rock star on stage or traveling around the world or being on TV as a culinary, you know, uh artist.

So that is very, very special.

And I sat on the board of the family center for about 20 plus years.

And what I uh did, I did an event called Journey for Your Senses.

And in that journey for your senses, I took kids around the world and I taught them how they celebrate Christmas around the world, but it exposed them to other things.

And so that's that's the whole purpose of that kids on and so they can be exposed to.

Amazing.

Automatic keys.

Thank you, madam chair.

Well, this is women's empowerment month.

So it is very appropriate that you are here.

And uh Alderman Aldridge, I would love to see a resolution uh this month um uh for you.

Uh it is so amazing everything that I'm seeing.

And and uh, you know, when I saw uh Pastor Battle, um, you know, I've had an opportunity to visit uh bread of life and to interact with uh the pastor.

And uh so you got a winning team here, and it is so wonderful to see powerful, strong women doing wonderful things for our city.

Now I want you to know that I do have room in the elevated 11th ward.

So as soon as you get this project on the way, let's talk.

Let's talk.

I'm ready.

Ready.

Otherman Browning.

No questions.

Vice Chair Sainier.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Firstly, Ms.

Hopkins, I must say I feel that your suit belongs in my closet.

So when we wrap this up, I would love to know where you got that from.

I love a good feminine power girly suit.

I love it.

Um, secondly, um I just wanted to just make note that I think um, you know, I I'm in good relationship with a lot of folks who do unhouse work.

Folks know that housing is one of my core issues.

Um, but I really want to make sure that we're painting this in the correct context.

That development projects like this, um, and and let's be honest, especially in North St.

Louis, that they take a long time and they take a lot of work.

And so it is not that this encampment came up, and then all of a sudden folks decided they wanted to develop their communities and bring amenities to their communities, many of which other communities have.

I mean, I think that's really important because you know, I would hate to see the framing of this conversation to be in a way that is not correct.

That this is a group of residents, group of developers and specifically black developers and even black women-led development company who has long been trying to bring the resource to get together, assemble the team in order to develop and bring amenities to their communities that I know, some of which I have in the community that I represent.

And so I think that's a very important part of the conversation.

I just don't want this to get um, you know, framed incorrectly as if this was done in response to that.

I want us to be mindful of what development really takes, especially in certain places in the city of St.

Louis, and that I can assure you that this probably has been going on for a long time to get the proper investment to get the dollars just all the work it takes.

Um, and so I think to then tell a community, and there are actual community members and residents here, and I think that's really important too that we make these decisions.

We listen to those who live near the area that are in strong support.

And I've been able to talk to Alderman Aldridge and have conversations with the concern.

I actually have been to the encampment myself a few times.

I've talked to the director of human services, I've talked to them in depth about outreach efforts.

It is not that this project is going to be approved, and all of a sudden folks are going to be, you know, that is going to be decommissioned or it's going to be broken up.

There is a desire to take a very um human dignified approach to this, with the knowing that there are certain individuals who are not accepting resources or not accepted services or just need a deeper level of intensive service in order to feel the trust that is needed to accept those services.

But I think it's really important that we balance that with allowing a community to develop because otherwise, communities where there may be packets of concentrated poverty, are they just not to develop?

Are they just not to grow?

Um, and especially to say that while you might return to a community that has some of the things that they are trying to build, I just really want us to be mindful of that conversation.

But I do want to make sure too that the context is on the record correctly that there are and have been and will continue to be efforts to reach out.

I'm personally willing to go.

I know Altamand Audrey and I have been to encampments together many times before.

Um, we are definitely going to stay in touch with director of human services.

I know folks on the community of care are open to talk about how we can do, you know, reach outreach to connect those folks who are there.

Um, but I definitely don't want the result of concentrated poverty to be that folks have to wait when they've been waiting, especially while other communities have some of the things that they are trying to bring to.

And I don't want the frame it to be that this is a cruel or inhumane thing or something that hasn't happened with human dignity at the center because that is in place.

I've had those conversations behind the scenes and off the record with the sponsor, with the director of human services.

Um, and so I just want to make sure that that is important and that's on the record.

And I look forward to seeing your vision come to life and hopefully seeing those folks that are there to be housed and to have resources and to hopefully be able to use some of the resources that we'll generate from this project to be able to provide to be able to support um, you know, our human services that are severely underfunded that don't have the support that they need to get people transitioned.

Um, thank you, madam chair.

We do have one speaker online.

They can turn their camera on, guys for them.

Thank you.

Can you raise your right hand, swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Yes.

Okay, please proceed.

Um, thank you for for letting me hop on and give my testimony.

I um wasn't aware that this hearing was happening um and got sent the information a little last minute.

So thank you.

Um I want to raise a couple things and put them on the record before this clearly gets passed.

Um this is one of the most concerning Board of Alderman committee hearings that I have ever witnessed.

And I just want to name that a person's personal character and relationships with elected officials and even other leaders in the community, do not mean that that person is qualified or should be the lead on a 400 million dollar development.

And it feels very slimy to me, honestly, that um the main content of this meeting and the comments from the Alders are about this person's character and what a wonderful woman, powerful woman she is.

Not that any of that isn't true, but that those are not the qualifying criteria for who should be in charge of massive development projects in St.

Louis and on the north side.

Um I also just am like confused about some of the things that are being shared here and don't want them to go on uh without be having a critical analysis.

Um, a an event center and uh bed and breakfast and private suites for executive people are not responsive to like trauma for children in the community, and to be able to just say that and give someone flowers for that makes absolutely no sense to me.

This is not like a trauma center for children.

We're talking about a room where children can go color while their family is out of wedding.

Um, yeah, I also just want to name that I want my elected official and all the elected officials on this board to be leveraging more of what you can like you have the power to require more of developers before green lighting 10 to 30 year 90% tax abatements for projects like this.

The proposal said that there will be town homes.

Why aren't y'all asking for commitments for community benefits agreements and requirements for how much of those homes might be affordable housing?

I do not think that this project is for everyone.

And some other folks here, people who've been organizing and have deep relationships with the folks who live on that property right now, have raised correctly that this project is not for everyone.

And saying that the Department of Human Services and the people who are working on this project are going to do everything they can to like, you know, meet these people where they're at and try and move them and get them into housing.

It's not enough.

It's lip service, and we've seen this happen time and time again with massive developments and that people are being disappeared, and this is not enough from y'all.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rachel.

I don't know about it.

All right.

Any other speakers in the room or online?

Okay.

Adam and Algerage.

Thank you, madam.

Uh chairwoman and members of the committee, and thank everybody for uh hearing uh this bill, which has been posted for weeks now.

Again, all our meetings are always uh public for people to be able to see it.

This didn't just pop up.

Um, I do want to respond.

I think you know, not to give and I and I love Rachel not to give too much energy, but I think a person character is important when you're talking about development.

On the other hand, when it's somebody who's not a good developer and their character has not been paying their workers livable wages and other things, and we'll challenge that.

But when there is good things about a woman who has been doing uh work in this community in my community in North St.

Louis, you know, we we can talk about a lot of uh things, but at the end of the day, you know, we fall asleep, we wake up there, we have to deal with deal with the challenges.

We just don't show up and showing up is important.

But living in the community, this same community that I was born and raised in very close to Car Square doing work in this neighborhood for 16 years and not giving up because we don't get those same resources that other neighborhoods see.

Um, I'm glad to see this project coming, you know, coming.

I think one of the things is that Ms.

Hawkins mentioned is first off, I can I can speak to you know, me and the other woman from the seventh, I have a saying seven plus seven equals 14.

When it's been time to show up when they tried to break up the encampment to City Hall, we was there all night.

So, you know, we fully understand the challenge, and we have been because people don't always see, have been having behind the scenes everything is not always meant for in front of the scenes, behind the scenes conversation with the Department of Human Service to figure out how do we help if this project were to come.

To be very clear, Ms.

Hawkins been here before the encampment, and she is going to continue to be there, and she's also working to make sure that the individuals that are there also try to uh seek services and help.

But um sometimes something's gotta go uh responded back to because I do know Ms.

Hawkins' character and I do know what she's trying to bring again to the neighborhood that not only I represent, but the neighborhood that I was born and raised in.

Just not a saying that I go to Northside, but actually I live in Northside.

Um, and and that's critical because we do deserve um development in and if this was any other place, um, and I appreciate uh the work that Kelly does about the unhousing, have reached out to me on a personal level to figure out how we can have that conversation.

Um, you know, what that looks like for the future.

But if this was any other place, I'm sure it would probably be less objection to it, you know, it would be less speaking or pushback.

But you know, when we trying to do some positive north, only thing I'm gonna say is yes, yes, yes, yes, because for too long we have been left behind, and I am so glad to champion this bill, uh, not just in this committee, but throughout the whole process to get this done.

This isn't something that's gonna happen overnight.

It is much harder for to be honest, black developers to get the same capital that we see other development happening.

So while this is just the first step, and if people want to have more conversations, they know my door and my phone is always open.

But this isn't um gonna happen overnight.

Ms.

Hoggins still have to try to figure out and get uh a lot of brokers that do not look like her, if it's gender or race to say yes to this project and any support she needs moving with this project, please let me know so I can help.

Because yes, North St.

Louis, northern north of downtown, wherever you want to call it, north of Delmore has been left behind too long, and we're not gonna continue to wait uh to to have what has been strategically disinvested from our neighborhood.

So, with that, madam chairwoman and members of the hoods committee, I would ask for your do pass recommendation on Board Bill 166.

Before you do that, could I please be added as a co-sponsor?

Did you hear Adam McKeys?

I'm sorry.

Ottawa McKay's requested to be added as co-sponsor.

So no.

With that, I'll accept the motion for board bill 166.

I move that we pass board bill 166 out of committee with a dup house recommendation.

It was moved by Altamand Cohn and seconded by Alderman Sweiser that we pass Board Bill 166 with the due pass recommendation with the call for previous row but no objection.

Congratulations.

Board Bill 113, speaking of development and housing is um just amending the gate district east redevelopment area tax abatement.

Um we used to have a just neighborhood wide tax abatement for the entire area.

And so if you were to do a development project in Gate District, um you would kind of instantly qualify for an abatement.

Um I think that those tools are really, really useful and are really, really helpful.

Um but at this point, we've accomplished a nice amount of development goals.

We've we've made some progress, um, particularly in terms of housing development and um even some of our businesses.

And so at this point, it was time to renew the development.

And so um instead renewing it but tailoring it towards um LITEC projects.

That is because one of my favorite things about the seventh ward is our housing diversity, is our housing stock.

It is that I want every resident to be able to come to the seventh ward and whether no matter what income you level, you can find housing that is there.

Um, but right now, because of um our market that we don't control and you know, funding that are cuts, while we're having a lot of private development and private projects happening and higher income kind of market rate or luxury rate project developments happening, um, the balance for the lower amount is very difficult, as you all know as alders.

And so for LITEC, we are just making it so that if you were to do any low-income housing tax credit projects within a neighborhood, then you would be able to um qualify for this abatement that is in the bill.

Um I this just kind of explains kind of what low-income housing tax credits are.

I won't go into depth.

I know the committee is really familiar, but you know, I I believe really strongly in public education.

And so just in case someone in the public is watching or at home wants to know later or has any specific questions.

I just thought this might be just a great you know, point of context that this comes from 1980 eighty-six.

It is meant to incentivize private development um for housing to keep it affordable and is from the federal uh government, and just a reminder that sometimes the private market does not produce affordable housing on its own, just because of you know the affordability of it and what costs are that it's usually kind of impossible to do so without these sorts of subsidies.

Oops.

There um, this is just a little information explaining the payment in lieu of taxes part of the uh low-income housing tax credit.

Again, very common, very uh formulaic.

It just makes sure that some of the city services and other state services that need to be provided for are able to get provided for even with incentives, and then um this is just more specific of how this would break down um in the neighborhood at a 50% of increment in years one through 10, and then 100% of the increment in years 10 through um 15, and just a little bit of information on that formula.

Um, and again, just explaining just that these two compliance periods stacks up on each other and what the purposes are for them, and just a reminder that the first 15 years are really critical from a financing standpoint because that's the period where the credit um recapture risk is live.

And so just for development projects, especially for those that are affordable.

This is just an important time period to capture with legislation.

Um, and just explaining that the la tech project rents are capped below market, and so operating income is um constrained by statute because this is drawn down from statute.

Um, I won't go into depth because I know we're you know moving pretty quickly and I know we're fairly familiar, but just for some basic information for us.

And that really completes um my project here, and I also have Mr.

William Wilson.

Is there any questions?

Um, specifically, I also have um Mr.

Mr.

McMaine.

I'm always y'all know how I am with the pronunciation sometimes.

Uh Mr.

is here.

Um, particularly even though what I just talked about was a general project.

Mr.

McMine and I have actually been working together for a while now.

McMahon and I have actually been working together for a while now we have some senior uh housing that is within the neighborhood with some great residents that I really love but the housing was just not updated and so he's been doing some work and is going to be able to leverage this to support him rehabbing some units so that our seniors can maintain a certain housing quality and he would be my guest speaker um as well sure you raise your right hand swear to tell the whole truth and that the weather truth I do please proceed you can start with your name your affiliation and then proceed with your comments sure my name's Eric MacMahon with select development and I'm one of the developers of there's two projects in this area called Lafayette family and senior and then Hickory Townhomes it's the they are 100 senior units 62 family town homes in Lafayette and then another 65 townhomes in the hickory development so total 227 units of the 227 units 226 have a section eight project based section eight contract rental assistance um we're currently under uh development redeveloping all the properties with the low income act housing tax credits total development cost is 50 to 60 million um for the two combined projects um and the rehab costs are over a hundred thousand a unit the buildings were uh lafayette was in severe decay so um the tax abatement is a key element of our financing um as alder woman sonye said the 15 year period matches with our commitment to the low income housing tax credits for the debt so aligning those um is key for all low-income housing tax credit projects right did you want to bring up Mr.

Wilson just to context thank you um zach wilson SLDC the original uh development area was approved in 1988 and then it was amended in 2019 in 2019 it limited the tax abatement to 10 years and that really hinders uh live tech projects and alder woman supports these projects and that's why we're amending uh the ordinance to allow for 15 years of tax abatement all right um are there any speakers in the room for board bill 113 we have none are there any speakers online for board bill 113 we have none all right alderman call no questions alder woman switzer i think this is a very thoughtful way to move forward so thank you very much for bringing it to us today alder woman keys i have no questions thank you alderman brownie no questions alderman aldridge i echo uh the alder woman of the board and um you know we can support light tech uh is extremely important so appreciate your work on this alder woman absolutely uh with that i'll do one more call for any speakers for board bill one thirty woman sang you're welcome to close thank you so much um i really would just want to really uh thank the committee but really thank mr mcomb mr macmahan i'm gonna get it right by the time the project is built and everything's rehab mcmahan i might have it right um but i would just you know i know sometimes we talk about developers in a lot of ways and sometimes they don't get the best framework um me and mess this is a project i've probably been talking about since i first came into office um i was really interested in it i know he said it was severely decayed i mean if i could tell you all the state that it's in it is quite um horrible um but he had just a real interest in the residents in their well being a real interest in not just wanting to even profit from the project but talk about how it can be sustainable so that you don't just have you know affordable housing but quality affordable housing that folks want to live in I know that the seniors are really looking forward to um having some rehab places that are really nice and um I I would say like the seventh ward we we just really value our housing diversity we value having all classes in our ward and so I was really thoughtful of thinking about how my constituents would like this to be framed when we're talking about setting up instances where you will automatically qualify uh for incentives but I think that we got this right and I really just thank him for approaching me with this and thank SOBC for working with me to tailor uh the legislation and I'm looking forward to us you know seeing this and bringing this into the community and maintaining our diverse housing with that I'll accept the motion for board bill one thirteen so move or make a motion we pass board bill one thirteen with a due pass recommendation second it was moved by Altamet Aldridge and seconded by Ottawa McKees that we passed board bill 113 with a due pass recommendation with the call for previous row with no objection congratulations pass board bill 113 and you're now recognized on board bill 138 sorry who who called for a previous row Alderman Aldrich thank you thank you

All right.

Please proceed.

Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the committee.

Board Bill 138.

I know I have had a chance to talk to all y'all about it, and it was media.

And so this presentation is just really quick, straight to the point, and really just focuses on us.

So Board Bill 138 essentially proposes a five-year moratorium that would be in effect until January 31st, 2031, on all city approvals for non-municipal detention facilities within the city of St.

Louis.

It will cover any building, any structure or intended use for detention, incarceration, or confinement that is not owned or operated by the city itself.

And just a quick view of what we mean here by non-municipal facility.

So that would capture any non-city operated entity that would be intended for the detention, incarceration, confinement, correction, or holding of individuals, including but not limited to jails, prisons, detention centers, correctional facilities, holding facilities, or similar similar carceral uses.

And that would be whether it is for temporary or permanent purposes.

This is just a little basis about the home rule and kind of our authority in doing this.

I'm not gonna go too deep into it.

You know, we know about the great divorce of 1876.

Um and this is kind of what allowed the city of St.

Louis to eventually be established as its own independent city that acts as both a city and a county, um, and is where our authority to set more terms for ourselves comes from.

And just again, on what this moratorium would place a pause on, it would be across the entire city of St.

Louis, so all departments, all divisions, all boards, all commissions and agencies of the city of St.

Louis, including but not limited to the building division, the zone and section, the planning and urban design agency, the board of adjustment, and the planning commission.

Um, it is again all capturing, so plan reviews, project plans, development plans, special use permits, um, anything where the subject matter of the project is a proposed non-municipal detention facility.

Um, and again, um, this is the last slide.

There's a lot that I could say here.

I think I've just been uh very clear that um I think it's really important as a city that we affirm our values.

I think it's important that we are proactive.

I think that all of us as people who serve our community, we know uh what is going on both here locally and across our state and across the country.

Um, and I would just really ground us in the fact that my concern is that detention facilities could be used to target marginalized groups, and I think it's possible you could insert a certain group today, and in two years, there could be another group that is being targeted.

And so this is just a proactive way for us to determine for ourselves that we are not interested when I sit down and hear residents talk about what they think the city of St.

Louis needs.

I've not heard a single resident say, I think we need a non-municipal detention facility.

And so this just gives us the opportunity to go and establish a moratorium that would align us with that.

Um, I do have a speaker from Micah here, Gabby.

Um, she will be my speaker.

There are a lot of folks who are here today to present, but she's been very involved in the legislation.

Very involved in the conversations, has been a key stakeholder.

So she's my speaker for today.

Welcome, Gabby.

Can you raise your right hand as the way to tell the whole truth and that's what the truth?

Yes.

If what a record, please state your name your affiliation and proceed.

Yes, I'm Gabby Eisner.

I live in Ward 2, but I'm here today on behalf of the MICA project, which is a community organization, an organization in the seventh ward that utilizes legal services, advocacy organizing to promote the voice and human dignity of the immigrant community.

And we are here today with Alder Woman's Sonier to give our full support of Board Bill 138.

The number of people in ICE detention has reached a record high, surpassing 70,000 people for the first time in the 23rd year history of the agency.

And yet this is just the start for the Trump administration.

Between the one big beautiful bill and existing annual appropriations, ICE has nearly 15 billion dollars per year to use on immigration detention.

So we need legislation like Board Bill 138 to protect us from this unrestrained expansion of this inhumane detention system.

We know that when ICE has detention beds available, they fill them.

So more detention beds means more enforcement.

And the Trump administration is primarily using detention to pressure people into giving up their chance to remain in the United States by trapping hundreds of thousands of people in an increasingly opaque world of private prisons and jails.

ICE can exert ever greater pressure on people to accept deeper and forgo any opportunity to remain in the United States.

The growth in immigration detention and the spectacle which has accompanied the opening of disabilities is the backbone of mass detention efforts.

And St.

Louis has the opportunity to get out ahead of the threat of detention and establish protections for our community.

To be frank, there are ways the federal government and private companies can bypass this moratorium.

However, that does not mean that we should not put protections in place.

When they come for us, we need this legislation to slow them down so we have time to organize our response.

Thank you for your time and thank you, Alderwoman Sarnier, for putting this bill forth.

All right.

Is that your only okay?

Um, Madam Clerk, are there speakers signed up online for Board Bill 138?

Yes, we have three speakers online.

Okay.

And everybody in the room that has signed up to speak on Board Bill 138, raise your right hand.

Is swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

All right.

Everybody online that has signed up to speak on behalf of Board Bill 138, raise your right hand, swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

All right, um, Madam Clerk, we'll be calling you all by nation alternate in and out of the room to begin and then finish up in the room.

Thank you.

Our first speaker, Reverend Chrissy of Avis Rouse.

Good afternoon.

Just one time.

There you go.

Good afternoon, HUDS Commission.

Uh, several of you know me and know the congregation that I represent, but I serve Epiphany United Church of Christ, which is currently housed in Ward One.

We're in temporary housing this year, um, having a contract on our previous building.

Um there's a lot of good talking points on why this bill matters and why it's good governance.

You all know those things.

I'm gonna speak for my congregation and for myself as a trans person.

Um we are a just peace and whole earth and um uh culturally diverse congregation.

And we uh are aware that all scriptures, not just Christian scriptures, not just Hebrew scriptures, Muslim scriptures, Buddhist scriptures, all scriptures contain prohibitions against what the regime is doing to immigrants to our country.

Beyond that, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention has raised its third red flag, stating that this administration at the federal level is in the early to middle stages of genocide against trans people.

Yes, the detention facilities are currently targeting immigrants.

There's nothing to stop them once they're in place of being turned to use to round up trans folks and deprive us of our rights.

So I ask you as both a moral action and good governance, which avoids placing future boards in the position of responding to partially approved projects or having to react rather than to be proactive and to discern carefully and thoughtfully what is best for our city.

I implore you pass the advance this bill to the full board and see that it passes.

Thank you.

Avery Arjunek Keelwill.

Um and I am a resident of Ward 6.

Thank you for letting me speak at today's hearing.

I think this legislation is pretty straightforward.

Um it uh you know uses the city's existing authority and land use powers to preserve the status quo while St.

Louis evaluates the potential impacts of uh detention facilities.

Sorry, um, of detention facilities on public health, safety, civil liberties, and community welfare.

Um, you know, I think uh Alder Woman Sonier spoke very clearly about the reasons uh detention center doesn't align with our values.

The only fact I want to add is that since the beginning of the second Trump administration, 41 people have died in ICE detention.

Um, and that is really something I do not want to be a party to here um in the city of St.

Louis.

Um Kansas City has uh, you know, had an even uh you know more vigorous battle against uh detention centers in their metro area, and I've been really inspired uh by what I've seen over there, and I'd like uh St.

Louis to follow suit as much as possible.

Um so again, just want to express my support for this bill and uh keep ice out of our city.

Thank you.

Angel Flores Good afternoon.

Good to see you again.

My name is Angel Flores, Angel Flores.

I'm from Ward 2.

I'm an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

Uh I'm here to express my support for Board Bill 138.

I cannot think of a worse time to allow cities to have a free-for-all, approving detention centers than in the middle of the reckless Trump administration and his federal government.

This sets the opportunity for fascic politicians to have yet another instrument of intimidation against anyone they deem as opposition.

Immigrants are primarily threatened right now, but every resident of this country is currently in danger.

I support this bill for three reasons.

It ensures that decisions about St.

Louis's land use are made by locally uh elected officials instead of dictated by external entities.

It also is uh it is also proactive governance.

Despite just being a temporary moratorium until 2031, it establishes a timeout in which the city can evaluate impacts on public safety and welfare before any detention center project is proposed.

Finally, 138 builds public trust in the community by reinforcing that policies of great importance require public deliberation first.

Let's not give the federal government what they want.

Let's add every obstacle we possibly can between our people and the corporate prison industrial complex.

I urge the committee to pass this bill.

Thank you.

Gabby Eisner.

She spoke already.

Leah Morrell.

Hi, thank you.

My name is Leah Morel, and I am a manager at a small business in Ward 14, and I am uh here to speak in favor of a bill proposed.

I'm I'm here, I'm taking the time out of my workday as a human and a person of faith, uh, but I want to speak as a person in a small business.

Um this board bill really gives us the chance to pause and think about if or how a detention center impacts uh the broader plans for economic development here in St.

Louis.

And without it, you know, individual individual groups within the municipal government will have to make these decisions under time pressure when there's a particular project proposal.

And I want to note that our company hires a lot of early career professionals, and it is such an advantage for me as a hiring manager to be able to say, you know, we live in this vibrant midtown area, it's an area with a lot going on, you want to live and work here, it helps us with recruitment.

We've seen, I've been just so happy to see the extra foot traffic, family activity from the uh soccer stadium going in.

And when I think about a detention center going in, you know, I have my own personal concerns about welfare and welcoming of immigrants in our community, but as a person working here, I'm also concerned about what that means.

You know, no one wants to say, oh yeah, I work right next door to the detention center.

Um, I want for us to be able to continue to work and invest here and be proud of our neighborhood, and that's a function of not just any one uh business or group of people, but us as a community.

So this seems like a common sense bill where we can say, you know, this is a temporary moratorium.

Let's take the moment to pause and think about this strategically.

How does this fit into our broader economic development plans?

Uh, so even if you are not ready to say no to detention centers as a whole, I would urge you to consider this as a weighty issue that deserves time, and this bill really creates that space and time.

Thank you for your Jessica Trout.

Good afternoon, Chairwoman and members of the committee.

Thank you for having me today.

I am here to support board bill 18 138.

Um, I'm a member of Ward 7 and an advocate for immigrants.

I've been to the US Mexico border at least 15 weeks in working with immigrants and do state and federal level advocacy as well.

Um, I find this bill to be a proactive step that protects our community from fear, instability, and harm before it takes root.

It sends a clear message.

St.

Louis does not welcome detention centers that disproportionately harm immigrants and marginalized communities.

The presence of these facilities creates fear and confusion that discourages people from accessing schools, health care, and other essential services.

Detention centers weaken the local government and disrupt social and economic fabrics, fabrics of our community.

We've seen in other communities that detention centers not only bring harm to those that strain and increase pressure on local leaders to respond to crises.

Passing this bill allows St.

Louis to avoid these outcomes and instead demonstrate leadership, stability, and a commitment to all residents.

It is not a hypothetical concern.

According to the American Immigration Council, ICE has outlined plans to expand detention capacity by converting commercial warehouses.

As an industrial city with vacant warehouses, St.

Louis could easily become a target for these facilities.

We should be intentional about how we use our infrastructure to strengthen our economy long term, not support a system that creates harm.

Research also shows that local action matters.

The prison policy initiative has found that when governments limit cooperation or access, ICE arrest rates are significantly lower.

While this bill operates within local authority, it still creates meaningful barriers to mass detention.

That matters.

This year has already been the deadliest year in ICE custody in over two decades.

Communities across the country are fighting the expansion of detention centers.

And we have the opportunity to act now and prevent that fight from coming to St.

Louis.

Importantly, Board Bill 138 is grounded in the city's legal authority.

It does not attempt to regulate federal or state action.

It simply uses existing local land use and permitting powers to pause approvals for non-municipal detention facilities.

It is lawful and a targeted way to protect our city.

With that, I urge you to support Board Bill 138.

Thank you.

Hey, thanks.

Yeah, uh, this is what I was originally um coming, logging in to um do this for to speak on today.

So um I appreciate Alder Woman Sonye for um bringing this to the board.

Um I um yeah, so I I guess like in the in like with my my purpose speaking on this this morning is to um talk about kind of like the the scope of it, like we heard from like a few different people um that were talking about like who um like who this like bill could possibly like protect or who um maybe targeted for you know um incarceration or who might be uh essentially like concentration camps.

Like I guess I I see this as like a bill that's like opposing concentration camps um for just specific groups and rounding them up and putting them um in this place like involuntarily and like with like the ICE detention facilities, like I I feel like I don't know.

I I think probably like everybody here, like whenever I see anything um from those, like any news from those camps, it's just like it's horror, uh like horror about it.

And um I hope that um you know, like that the board will be hearing like the people from PSL and from Micah that were speaking on that.

And um, you know, like I do a lot of unhoused outreach, and uh they're trying stuff in Utah where they're trying like concentration camp as like a model that they're presenting as care, and uh it's kind of like back to the you know, back to the to the antiquated, you know, like it's back to putting people like locking people up and um saying that it's um you know gonna benefit them in some way.

Um yeah, they're then they're like they're also trying to take like um uh like get guardianship of homeless veterans.

So like there's kind of like this thing where and it's so confusing when people are doing this, but just like when people are presenting um oppression as and horrific, horrific oppression, where they like strip you of all of your rights and presenting it as care, and it's it's a horrible future that uh I feel like um you know um bills like this like uh oppose and I appreciate that.

Um thank you for your time.

Jamie Archie.

Hello everyone, madam chair.

Um, my name's Janie Archie, and I'm supposed to be from the first ward, but when I went to vote, the board of elections said I was from the second ward.

So I don't know.

Anyway, um I'm here first on behalf of Jamal Rogers, chair of the coalition against police crimes and repression.

And I wanted to say that completely, uh, the whole name, because as you know, uh black folks here in St.

Louis and around the country forever have been fighting against repression and the criminalization of black people on all levels, you know, whether it's racial profiling, filling jails, criminalizing youth.

And we just wanted to make sure that our support for Board Bill 138 was set out loud, and that we're in solidarity with Micah and all the other activists working in St.

Louis because I don't think it's any uh, you know, what am I trying to say?

Any it's on purpose, that's what I'll say.

Uh, that black and brown communities are being targeted and have been, and it's part of our country's history.

Uh, so I just wanted to make sure that everybody knew that the coalition of police crimes and repression has a long history of struggle, and we intend to continue that struggle in any way we can in any kind of criminalization and jailing um folks in attention center.

There's people that are being picked up and put in jails too already until ICE gets here or whatever.

The other thing is, as you know, today is St.

Patrick's Day.

And I'm saying St.

Patrick's Day because I'm half Irish.

And if you look at all, includes my ancestors, came over here in the 1850s, 1860s after the potato famine, which uh killed a million people, of which half of that immigrated or died of uh other disease.

And in that time, we had the United States an open door policy and let in 500,000 people of Irish descent.

No paperwork required.

Uh, and I think it's just uh interesting that specific countries uh are targeted, and they're not they've not been European countries.

Okay, they've been black and brown countries, and I think that's on purpose and part of our policy of criminalization of who we want in here.

Um, and I think Irish people were wanted for labor and political will, and then we're assimilated into the country because of us being white.

Uh, so that privilege was afforded to us.

So I just wanted to make some of those larger um comparisons, but we're in full support of board bill 138.

Thank you.

Dallas Adams online.

Hello, everyone, good afternoon.

My name is Dallas Adams.

I'm a proud resident of the third board.

I am here speaking in support of this board bill.

Um, I am so glad that Janie just brought up St.

Patrick's Day because it is St.

Patrick's Day, a day where we collectively celebrate Irish immigrants and the contributions that they've made to this country.

And it's ironic that this hearing would happen today.

And it is ironic also that our country that is built on stolen land and on the backs of both forced and voluntary migrant labor would be at this crossroads at this point in time in such a significant way that the city would have to consider proactive measures to protect our citizens, our immigrant citizens from imminent threat and danger.

Um St.

Louis's fastest growing population is the immigrant community, is the new American community.

And it is not only just a show of solidarity, as Ann Hell pointed out, uh, to show our uh migrant neighbors that they are not only welcome here, but they are protected here.

Um, but it is also a great show of force for our city to not bow down to political cowardice.

You know, now is not the time for us to bend into political cowardice.

Now is not the time for us to hedge our bets and expect things to get better.

I mean, they are opening detention facilities all around us.

Uh, it is only high time that they come knocking on the city of St.

Louis's door.

So I want to thank the alder woman from the seventh uh for creating this proactive legislation and for thinking with all of our neighbors in mind.

Um, I want to be very clear that even if we tow the line, which we've seen with the takeover of our police department, they will come for the city of St.

Louis anyway.

So now is not the time to break our backs to bow down to people who have an agenda against our city and against our immigrant neighbors.

Now is the time to be proactive.

In the third board, we are home to the largest concentration of immigrants in any other part of the city.

And they are counting on the entire board of aldermen to stand in the gap for them so that they can continue to live full quality lives that are not riddled with fear.

So I really look forward to the entire board of aldermen supporting this once the committee passes this out with a do pass recommendation.

Thank you for your time.

Elaine Schmidt.

Good afternoon.

I had written morning, Huds Committee members.

My name is Elaine Schmidt, and I'm a constituent of Ward 4 and work in Ward 8.

And I'm here to express my support of Board Bill 138, sponsored by Alder Woman Alicia Sony.

I provide mental health counseling in Spanish to folks here in St.

Louis.

And I want to speak to the immense mental health burden that a detention center would impose on the local community.

The extreme mental health burden that increased ICE present has imposed on my clients and clients like mine, their families, and those that love them has been palpable and present in my daily work.

A detention center being built in our region would exacerbate existing stressors and send a message that immigrants are not welcomed members of our community.

Furthermore, as mentioned by many folks, the president of detention centers can facilitate a climate of fear and misinformation that discourages civic participation, weakens trust between residents and local government, and can create so much anxiety for folks.

And my great-grandpa immigrated at age 12 from Croatia alone.

And at the time he would have been considered undocumented because you had to be 13.

And thinking about my family history and the care that I have for immigrants, I am in full support and urge the committee to advance board bill 138.

Thank you.

It's been a long meeting, but happy to be up here to speak with you guys.

My name is Krista Granhano, and I'm a senior consultant with Limitless Horizons, and I am a constituent of Ward 4.

I was first going to reiterate some of the you know benefits of this bill.

I'm in full support of board bill 138.

And I fully agree with everything that's been said before.

And I want to expand our view what this actually means to our community.

For many years, I have been working with low-income uh immigrants.

I am in a mixed status family myself and immigrant um members close to me.

We think that detention centers only target immigrants.

But we also need to recognize that it's our whole community that is impacted when we have detention centers.

I'm Native American and my great-grandparents came to St.

Louis to work on the railroad.

And to this day, I'm still considered undocumented because of the way that I look.

This year, I have gotten passports for myself and my daughters, not because we intend to go anywhere.

It's because if we're ever stopped, I need to at least have something in my purse proving that we are citizens.

We need to recognize that if we were to have a detention center, it exacerbates trauma within our community.

We've talked about trauma before.

This is another area that will exacerbate, and we are spending millions of dollars to address mental health concerns and trauma concerns in our city.

If we were to not pass this, then we are exacerbating the adverse childhood experiences our children are facing, separation, racial profiling, um, violence in our communities.

We are also negating the fact that we need families together because positive and apparent interactions increase or I should say decrease toxic stress in the family.

If we go years and years of trauma and toxic stress, that's going to have an impact on our community as we're seeing now.

Less educational attainment, behavioral concerns.

There's also going to be concerns for the future of reach and whether our workforce is going to be ready with the executive functioning skills necessary to succeed.

So I'm fully support immigrants.

I come from immigrants, I have immigrants in my family, and we need to recognize that we also need to take into how our community will be impacted if we do not pass this.

And we need to recognize that we also need to take into how our community will be impacted if we do not pass this.

Thank you.

Annie Rice.

Good afternoon.

Excuse me, Annie Rice.

I'm senior counsel with policy and partnership with Arch City Defenders and also resident of the fourth ward.

I love that there's a lot of us here today.

And more and more cuts to programs to keep vulnerable families in their homes before we even reach homelessness.

Arch City Defenders is a holistic legal advocacy firm.

We serve our clients, direct needs in housing, criminal municipal charges, civil rights defense, and affirmative litigation.

We know that detention is not a solution.

It's an expensive, dehumanizing caging of human beings that we decide need to be removed from society.

Whether it's unhoused people who need care, attention, and housing again to regain stability, to veterans needing community support.

I was mentioned the VA is considering institutionalizing, um, to people with mental health challenges that the uh director or the Robert F.

Kennedy or whatever his title is, uh has talked about putting out on farms because they because SSRIs are against his beliefs.

Um we to people uh to immigrants who have civil offenses and the government wants to make nearly impossible for them to succeed in their legitimate legal claims.

We've watched both Jefferson City and the people in DC suggest that cages are a solution.

But here in St.

Louis, we know better, and we have done better.

People who spent time in and survived the workhouse led the fight to close and demolish a long-standing cage dedicated to the poor and people who committed poverty offenses.

St.

Louis can and must stand up for its most vulnerable in as many ways as we can.

Um, the bear has been trying to eat us for years.

Um, no amount of not poking the bear will get them to leave us alone.

It just won't.

I want to remind you of the hard-fought battle of surveillance oversight that we won and learned of the nearly 500 automated license plate readers in our city, storing license plate, every license plate that passes them for six months, whether you're suspected of a crime or not.

And the feds have and are using that technology against people in our city.

We've now lost the power of civilian surveillance oversight, but we want important information in the process we can use to fight for our people.

Just to remind you of fights that we have won that have mattered, even if in the end of the day we end up losing those.

Um, we're relying on you to do what we can and to do what you can when you can within the borders of St.

Louis to stand up for our people, our neighbors, our family and friends, and institute this moratorium.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, thank you.

Uh, my name is Alice Scott.

I'm a senior at WashU, studying international affairs in French, and I'm the advocacy intern at the Micah Project in Board 7.

I'm happy to be here speaking on behalf of the MICA project, which, as my colleague Gabby mentioned, is a community nonprofit that utilizes legal services, social services support, advocacy organizing, and to promote the voice and human dignity of low-income immigrant communities here in St.

Louis.

I respectfully urge this committee to support Board Bill 138.

Um, you've already, of course, heard that the purpose of the ordinance is very straightforward to preserve the status quo while the city evaluates potential impacts on public health, safety, civil liberties, and community welfare.

It is important to realize how detention is distinct from regular immigration enforcement.

The Trump administration is primarily using detention to pressure people into giving up their chance to remain in the United States.

By trapping our neighbors in a hazy world of incarceration without due process, ICE is exerting greater pressure on people to accept deportation.

St.

Louis cannot stand for this.

The growth in immigration detention and the spectacle which has accompanied the opening of new facilities is the backbone of Trump's mass department efforts.

St.

Louis has the opportunity to get out ahead of the threat of the detention and establish protections for our community.

In regional conversations about immigration enforcement, many elected officials bring up the concern of quote unquote poking the bear, referring to bringing unwanted federal attention to St.

Louis.

I implore you to recognize that this is no reason to forego your commitment to your constituents and to the safety of every neighboring city.

Avoiding the president does not guarantee our well-being.

It does not guarantee anyone's re-election, and it will not protect any of us from political retribution.

Maybe this bill can't guarantee that the federal government won't attempt to invade our city.

However, it doesn't mean that we should let them waltz in.

It is not our matter of if, but when they come for St.

Louis, we need legislation like this to slow them down, to be prepared, to demonstrate that St.

Louis is for our immigrant community and to realize St.

Louis's sovereignty.

Thank you very much for your time and thank you, Alderman Sonier.

Carly Fedman.

Uh good afternoon, Madam Chair and HUDS Committee members.

I'm Carly Ferdman.

I'm a constituent of Ward 6, and I work in Ward 10.

I'm here to express support for Board Bill 138, sponsored by Alder Woman Sony.

Board Bill 138 strengthens public trust in local land use decision making.

It reinforces the significant changes to our built environment, should evolve deliberate consideration and public participation.

Now more than ever, there's a strong need for proactive legislation to protect all St.

Louis.

Supporting Board Bill 138 reinforces the Board of Alderman's role in setting clear expectations for how major land use decisions are evaluated.

I respectfully urge the committee to advance Board Bill 138.

Thank you.

Bertie Jackson.

Hello, my name is Bertie Jackson Babel, and I'm a resident of the third ward.

I'm asking you to please support Board Bill 138.

It can often feel like there is little we can do when xenophobic policies and practices are being rolled down by fascist leaders in this country and state.

It's important to remember that these practices cannot be implemented unless there is a system in place to support and enforce them.

That is why it's extremely important we do whatever we can to prevent those systems from being built and growing in our community.

We need preventative care like this bill to stop growth of oppression from this kind of oppression from metastasizing here in St.

Louis.

Detention centers are inhumane monstrosities, and they are part of a system ripping apart our community.

Placing a temporary moratorium on non-municipal detention facilities is the least we can do to fight against the oppressive state that is detaining and deporting our neighbors.

Parker Rabbison.

Good afternoon, HUDS Committee members.

My name is Parker Robinson, and I live in St.

Louis's seventh ward.

I'm here to express my support for Board Bill 138, sponsored by my Alderwoman, Alicia Sonier.

I'm originally from San Francisco, California.

I moved here five years ago and have called St.

Louis home ever since.

From my own experience, California and Missouri are very different states, but there are similarities that run deeper than this initial perception.

Have you ever heard of the phrase no-no boy?

During World War II, in order to remove all Japanese all residents of Japanese ancestry states.

And will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to any other foreign government power or organization?

No, no.

This was the answer of 12,000 of the 78,000 people over the age of 17 who were administered the test.

No no boys.

These prisoners were then segregated to Toll Lake, a high security concentration camp, where they were made to do forced labor and watch and were watched by guards around the clock.

Are we not seeing the same thing happening today?

Door-to-door, secret police kidnappings, workplace raids, 70,000 people locked up around the country, denied health care, contact with their families, their children, their parents.

All under the guise of removing disloyal threats to America.

The Dred Scott decision originated not more than six blocks down this very street.

I ask you, do you want to continue Dred Scott's legacy of fighting for the just treatment of all human beings?

Or the legacy of the Supreme Court justices who denied him and so many others that right.

We have lived this history already.

And I know that every person who testified or is here today supporting the Bill 138 will not sit back and see this history repeated.

We will not sit back and see our friends, co-workers, neighbors taken off the street and thrown into clandestine detention centers.

Not in our city, not in our country, not in our world.

I urge you to pass Bill 138 and continue the legacy of fighting for justice in this country.

Thank you.

Our final speaker, Heather Boardman.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Heather Borman.

I own a small business in downtown St.

Louis, Ward 14.

I am here today to express my strong support for Board Bill 138, sponsored by Elder Woman, which establishes a temporary moratorium on city approvals for non-municipal concentration camps.

Sorry, uh correction, detention facilities, including building permits, zoning changes, development plans, and other discretionary land use authorizations.

I want to speak about why this matters to me, and it matters on two levels.

As a struggling downtown business owner, I am investing every day in making the city a place where clients, visitors, and neighbors feel safe, welcome, and excited to be.

Anything that makes residents feel unsafe or unwelcome in their own city only makes it harder.

Board Bill 138 would create an intentional pause and give St.

Louis time to evaluate the potential impacts of detention facilities on public health, safety, civil liberties, and community welfare, including how they affect people's willingness to move around the city, access services, and spend time and money in our neighborhoods.

The prospect of new detention facilities being approved without careful public review sends the opposite message about uh who we are and what our city values.

But honestly, that's the secondary that's secondary to my main reason for being here today.

My main reason is this across the country, people are being held in detention facilities with little oversight, little transparency, and in conditions that reportedly are torturous, dangerous, and inhumane, and strip people of their constitutional rights.

We have seen the sense of terror and unrest in communities where detention facilities are placed.

These facilities are expanding rapidly, often without meaningful public input or review.

St.

Louis has an opportunity right now to say not here, not without deliberate consideration, not without our community having a voice.

Bill 138 allows us to evaluate first.

It's about local control and proactive governance.

Moratorium allows the city to decide whether expanding detention infrastructure aligns with our long-term goals for inclusive growth, vibrant neighborhoods, and a healthy small business ecosystem.

It is a responsible pause that centers on human dignity, community safety, and public trust.

While the city evaluates what is truly in the best interest of St.

Louis residents and businesses, St.

Louis can be a model for other cities.

We can show that local government can and will proactively before a crisis, protect the safety, the rights, and the humanity of all our residents.

So for all these reasons, um, and because I want to see downtown and all of our neighborhoods grow in ways that are safe, welcoming, and consistent with our values.

And there are no more speakers online, Madam Clark.

That was our final speaker.

All right.

We'll open up for questions.

Adam and Cone.

I don't have any questions.

Thank you.

Okay.

Adam Ms.

Weiser.

Thank you so much for bringing this forward and thank you to everyone who spoke today.

I really appreciate time.

And I know this is just a few minutes you've taken out of your day when you've taken so much time out of so many other days on this uh on this very important issue in front of our community and our world.

So thank you for being here.

Alderman Aldridge.

Thank you, Madam.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman and members of the committee.

Uh also echo uh Alder Woman's wise, and thank you for everybody who came out today.

It definitely was a long one, but like as the Alder Woman of the Tenth say the committee is really where the work happened.

So while this is our job, you know, you guys got lives in to be here uh this long to be on to speak on a bill, I think is to speak on a bill that's extremely important.

I just want to thank you all for that.

Um yeah.

Um yeah, is there a similar, I guess, did I guess a companion or did Kansas City do something similar?

And if so, could you speak to that?

Uh yes, Alderman.

Um in Kansas City, they passed basically a mirror of this legislation.

Um in Kansas City, there, Mayor Lucas Quint's um basically him and a council member worked and passed this legislation, so it's in effect in Kansas City.

Gotcha.

Uh, I think this is a good legislature.

I think it's being proactive.

Um, it's I think someone mentioned it doesn't like stop federal governments from uh doing stuff, but at least like the city kind of taking a stance.

And with that, uh Madam Clerk, or I like to make a motion to embank this board bill.

It was moved by Alderman Aldridge and seconded by uh Chair Clark Hubbard with a call for previous role by Alderman Sweiser that we embank Board Bill 138.

Please proceed.

Thank you, uh members of the committee.

I think that the community has taken all of my talking points and don't really have anything else to say.

So thank you all for saying all the things that I have to say.

Um the only thing that I want to say, and I don't know if she's watching, but I did send uh her a link.

Um, you know, the thing that I am most excited about this bill is I think there are a lot of people in our communities who really need help.

Um, unfortunately, I was saying the past few months, I've had to have uh several conversations um with business owners that it's okay to go to work and to operate your business and that you can feel safe doing that.

Um I've had to have conversations with families um who were missing from school, and you know, school districts are trying to be cautious of even what they flag within their internal systems and are trying to be mindful.

And so sitting down with families and saying, listen, if you're uncomfortable going to school, um, let's get you in virtual school so that your child is not missing.

But I I have certainly seen just a huge increase in fear um and anxiety um in community members who have been, I mean, you know, I have been Park West, I represent Cherokee Street, I have Gravel Park, I have our city is diverse, and I'm honored enough to represent them.

And so with me, you know, one of the things I'm hoping that this legislation can do more than anything is just send a message to our residents that they one clearly that our values are clear, two, see that not only our values are clear, but we will do everything that we possibly can to protect them and be as proactive as we can.

But third, that we genuinely care.

Um, and that no matter what you're seeing on higher levels or in other places of government here in the halls of City Hall, we respect your dignity, and we really do look at our city as a place for all and not some.

And so I don't know if she um is watching, but I hope you are, and I hope today that you got to hear all of the folks in the community from across the city speak in support.

And I hope that that can allow you to feel a little solace and a little comfort.

I still, you know, feel weird.

I think all of us do because there's no magic stopwind to the things that are happening, and there are limits to power.

Um, but I know that I I promised you that I would figure out hey, what I thought was a doable measure, and I would do my best to do it.

And so I hope that you're you know able to watch this right now.

And I hope, you know, we we had an agreement that if we could um get this through, then you, you know, you would reconsider some decisions.

I know you were thinking about making because you were uncomfortable, kind of leaving your home for any unnecessary reasons or your children because you felt that you know folks in power didn't care.

I hope that this can send you a message and that you can do some of the things that we discussed that I won't say on record, but that you do feel safe moving and grooving and going about your community and letting your children be a part of the the community, and you do see that there is a solid citywide message of love and care, and that we do feel that you belong here.

All right, with that, I'll accept the motion for Board Bill 138.

I entered her.

I I make the motion that we pass board bill 138 with a due pass recommendation.

Second, the previous role.

Move by Alderman Cohn and seconded by Alderman Aldridge that we passed board bill 138 out in bank with the due pass recommendation with the call for pre-roll by Alderman Aldridge with no objection.

Congratulations.

We have none.

Okay.

Uh any acknowledgement of any written testimony.

We have 12 written testimony in support of board bill 138.

Okay.

Uh any announcements.

Uh, you know, I'll make a quick announcement since Alderman Aldridge did mention the fact that I'm always big on people coming up and showing up.

Thank you all for showing up and speaking on behalf of Board Bill 38.

Thank you for everyone who showed up today.

This is a long one, but it wasn't a long one.

But just as big as I am on people showing up, I'm big on facts.

And so I want to make sure that we have for the record here that you all know that Board Bill 166, while it's unfair for Miss Hawkins to be villainized for having relationship with her all the person with other all the person and other elected officials.

As I move forward, since we just did this same thing for a piece of parcel and land in Central West End and didn't have anyone show up in opposition and passed an incentive with no opposition.

And why will we now create a narrative, a very misleading narrative against someone who's coming down here and again choosing St.

Louis and choosing to throw her hat in the ring and be here, didn't have to be here, but to be here to present herself as we move in this first step that was mentioned by Alderman Aldrich and SLDC, the very capable of the planning commission, which we um many of us serve have served on down here to present herself.

Again, we just did this same thing for the Engineers Club.

This incentive goes with the land and anything that will come forward, be it Miss Hawkins and I hope it is, or whoever it is, they will still have to come before and be asked tough questions and be able to have commitments to the community for whoever is in leadership, be it us or anybody.

So it's important for me for people to be educated and know the facts and know how this system works so that you're not out in the community spreading misinformation.

It's not wrong for people to want to build relationships with elected officials.

It's not wrong for people to want to be present and serve in the community the way that they do, and it's not wrong for us to be kind enough to compliment that publicly.

So thank you for the leadership.

Thank you all again for being here today.

There were our members were present this morning today now.

So with that, if anybody has any um objection to our journey, we are adjourned.

Everyone have a blessed day.

We need a motion.

Motion to adjourn.

Okay, Alderman Cohn made the motion to adjourn.

I'll make this second to adjourn.

And we have again no objection to adjourning at 130.

Everyone have a blessed day and happy St.

Patrick's Day.