All right.

The Transportation and Commerce Committee will now come to order.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alderman Oldenberg.

Alderman Norayan.

Alderwoman Schweitzer.

Alder Woman Cox Antoine.

Here.

Chair Cone.

Present.

Alderman Oldenberg.

Alder Woman Schweitzer.

Three presents.

Yeah, four.

Thank you.

And with that, we'll take up the approval of our meeting minutes from March 3rd, 2026.

I'll entertain a motion on the approval of the meeting minutes.

I move we approve the meeting minutes of March 3rd, 2026.

Second.

It's been moved by the Alderman from the fourth, seconded by the Alderwoman from the eighth that we approve our meeting minutes from March 3rd, 2026.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Alterman Oldenberg.

Chair Comb.

Aye.

Alderman Oldenburg.

Alder Woman Sweitzer.

Three eye bolts.

By your vote, you have sustained the motion of the alderman from the fourth to approve our meeting minutes.

The first item that we have on the agenda for discussion today is board bill number 21, introduced by the Alderwoman from the eighth.

Alderwoman, you're recognized on board bill number 21.

All right.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman, members of the committee.

Today I would like to introduce board bill 21.

This board bill is a board bill that authorizes the execution of a lease agreement between the material sales, the LEC, and the City of St.

Louis, uh, between with Lynn and between the McCarker MacArthur Bridge and the Poplar Street Bridge on the riverfront in downtown St.

Louis.

Um, I do have a couple of speakers with me today, Madam Clerk, uh, that wanted to speak and provide some additional additional information to the committee about this bill.

Are they available here?

I'm seeing one presenter.

If she could state her name so I can put it.

Hi, I'm Margaret McDonald.

I'm here for the airport advisory.

Yeah, she's uh hi Margaret.

Uh she's yes, she's here for the mayoral appointments, not for Board Bill 21.

Okay, I'm not showing anyone else.

Let me see if they're on the attendee side.

No.

Uh Mr.

Morrow said he requested a link from the clerk's office, a presenter link earlier today.

Okay, let's make sure he gets one.

One moment, please.

Be Mr.

James Morrow, Madam Clerk.

I'm sorry, Mr.

Cole, you said you see him.

No, I was just giving you his first name for you to be able to reach out to him as necessary.

James Morrow.

Okay, one moment, please.

Okay.

We're in the process.

Mr.

Morrow should receive a link momentarily.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Um, chairman, is it okay if we hold until he's able to come on.

I'm sorry, the lady that's gonna present with the airport.

What is your name?

She's not with the airport, uh, Madam Clerk.

She's a mayoral appointment to the Airport Arts Advisory Council.

Okay.

And my name is Margaret McDonald.

Thank you.

Sure, thank you.

She should be listed on the agenda, Madam Clerk.

I know she is noticed to speak before us online, but the agenda doesn't have the actual appointments referenced on the agenda.

McDonald.

Correct.

Yes, MC D O N A L Destaurant.

Thank you.

Okay, Madam Clark.

He says he's on the public link.

If you're able to just move him over.

Okay.

Hasn't come through yet.

Is anyone on the attendee side?

So it may be just taking a while to connect here.

Okay.

Okay, I think he's having a little trouble getting in.

We did send it to him.

So let's see now what he's doing.

M-O-R-R-O-W.

That's correct.

I see a uh second Alderwoman Cost.

All right, great.

I'll change his name.

Thank you.

Apologies, everyone.

I'm sorry about that.

Welcome, Mr.

Morrow.

We're uh currently taking testimony or the presentation on Board Bill Twenty-one.

Alderman Coxy and Twee mentioned that you had some additional information that you would like to relay to the committee, if you could please proceed.

Mr.

Murrow, you're on mute.

Sorry, everyone.

I'm getting there we go.

Okay.

Sorry about that.

I was I was getting double echo.

Can everyone hear me okay?

Yes.

Okay, perfect.

Thank you.

Um, yes, everyone.

Uh my name is James Morrow.

I'm an attorney with the city council's office.

One of my roles is to assist the City of St.

Louis Port Authority.

Um the board bill that is up before you is a um lease extension for one of the port authorities lessees.

This is an entity called material sales company.

They operate a uh couple of barges that are permanently moored between um uh biddle and um the the bridge and I think uh the MacArthur and Biddle bridges.

Those are um they they use the those barges uh for the purpose of doing um like maritime maintenance and overhauls for other barge operators.

So they don't really fleet themselves.

What they do is they're essentially like a like a maintenance shop if somebody has an issue with uh one of their barges or if uh one of the operators has a um problem with one of their tugs, material sales provide some well-needed uh services to keep those um pieces of equipment in operation.

Uh their lease started in two thousand uh and six, uh, with an original ten-year term, followed by three options to extend for five years a piece.

This is their last five-year extension term.

uh one of their barges or if uh one of the operators has a um problem with one of their tugs material sales provide some some well needed uh services to keep those um pieces of equipment in operation uh their lease started in 2000 uh and six uh with an original 10 year term followed by three options to extend for five years a piece this is their last five year extension term and uh we've negotiated an increase in their rates um they've been steadily going up by about three percent year over year and we are continuing that trend for the last five years of their lease um with a little over 1700 a year uh in rent to start and ultimately ending at um just over uh 2000 dollars a year in 2030 when the lease terminates so with that i'm i'm happy to answer any questions if the uh committee has any alder woman from the eighth do you have anything further that you'd like to add we have no further comments Mr.

Chairman thank you okay uh alderman from the fourth do you have any questions no questions thank you madam clerk are there any folks online or members of the public that oh I see Alderman Schweitzer has joined us no alderwoman Schweitzer are you online yes I'm here do you have any questions uh I uh apologize for being late today I'm just coming in from the the HUDs meeting I was able to review the board bill and I appreciate the the lease um you know uh schedule that's been set up and and I I don't have any questions on the bill today uh but I appreciate the time and committee great uh are there any further questions or comments related to board bill number 21 hearing and seeing none I would entertain a motion on board bill number 21 a move that we pass board bill 21 out of committee with a due pass uh recommendation second it's been moved by the alderman from the fourth seconded by the alder woman from the first that we pass board bill 21 out of committee with a due pass recommendation madam clerk please call the roll and oldenburg alderman Ryan Alderwoman Schweitzer I alder woman cox and tweet I chair call aye alderman oldenburg for I voice by that vote you sustain the motion of the alderman from the fourth to pass board bill 21 out of committee with a due pass recommendation.

The other item that we have on the agenda today is the um committee will take up discussion on the mayoral appointment to the airport arts advisory committee and I uh saw that we had I don't know if she's still with us oh there she is uh we have miss margaret mdonald with us this afternoon and uh just for your reference uh we do generally uh refer the citywide appointments back to committee um it's been a general practice of ours for the last few sessions now um so that it affords members of the Board of Alder persons the opportunity to get to know the various candidates that are coming before us for various committees councils boards and commissions um that uh you know kind of act on behalf of the citizens of the city at large and so um very much appreciate you showing up to our committee this afternoon and um I will uh provide you an opportunity to just uh walk us through your background and interest in the airport arts advisory council well thank you very much for having me it's uh nice to see you all today um my background is um where to start I studied first art history in school I have a BFA in art history and then I went and have a second degree as an interior architect so most of my career has been working as an interior designer on a range of scale of projects um I spent my career with HOK who as you know is working on the airport and then also Arcturus which is a woman owned firm here in the city.

So I've had the opportunity as a designer to be part of this process of what you're looking at that's appropriate to integrate into built environment and um and I think you know it's such an exciting time to have this opportunity to participate in this way with the expansion the new terminal and really seeing how art can represent our community and create such an amazing experience as people you know take their first steps off and are they're coming to St.

Louis so a little bit more I live um I'm in the 10th ward I live on Kingsbury Place right off of union um so I've been doing a there's a lot of construction going on as you all know we passed the the SID here so we have a ton going on a little bit of other background is before um downtown St.

We passed the the SID here, so we have a ton going on.

Um a little bit of other background is before downtown St.

Louis combined and became part of GSL.

I was very involved with the downtown SID as a board member.

And then I also served as the president of the SID right at the end when we were kind of rolling things down and transitioning.

Um I did resign from HOK last July.

And now I started my own consulting business.

So I work with different firms in the city and really focusing on working with young architects and designers as they're building up their career and building up networks.

So if that's enough of a background, let me know.

And I'm happy to answer any questions.

I've I'm very familiar with the program.

I've always been a supporter.

I you know, go to Art of Travel.

Um, and I think it's, you know, it's pretty amazing the collection that the city already has.

And it's going to be very important that those pieces show up appropriately in the new terminal.

And then also again, like as I said, the opportunity for what can go in going forward.

Thank you so much.

Uh, it's always wonderful to have uh citizens come before us and express their interest in participating in city government and all these various ways.

And um, as someone who's been on this particular committee my entire 17 years down at the Board of Aldermen.

Um I've worked very closely with uh Rhonda over at the airport and others um that have participated on this um committee in the past on various projects, and I uh go regularly to the Art of Travel fundraiser.

Um it's actually one of my partner's favorite events of the year to go to.

Um, not too political, um, just a bunch of people that love art and travel.

So um anyways, we'll uh turn it over to any questions or comments from the committee.

And I don't have an order of seniority in front of me, but I will have it just momentarily.

Uh Alderman, or I'm sorry, yeah, Alderman Narayan.

No questions.

Uh thank you for uh meeting with us today and uh look forward to your service.

Thank you.

Alderwoman Schweitzer.

Thank you very much for being here.

I think it's always amazing to be in these committee meetings and to hear from members of the public who are willing and want to serve uh the city in this way.

Uh it's not easy to take your time to do these service roles, especially when it's you know, it's one where you're you know just doing it as out of your own free time and everything like that.

Um, and I'm just always uh excited to see how interesting the people of St.

Louis are.

That's quite a career, and you've been uh doing a lot for the city and in the community for many years.

And so I appreciate that you're taking that further and wanting to serve here.

So I look forward to support supporting this today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Alder Woman Coxantwe.

Thank you.

I'll echo my colleagues and say first, thank you for being here.

Um, I appreciated, you know, just getting a little bit of the inside in your career.

It sounds like you not only have um an app background to serve on this committee, but um an act of passion for doing it.

It's it sounds like you served for a while and you're coming back and you're continuing and even in your career now, continuing to help the future folks of St.

Louis and the young people that are going to be architects and the designers, hopefully of other things.

And so I'm just glad to hear that.

And I think you will be a great fit and happy to support as well.

Thank you.

Yeah.

On a port and like uh more, I guess, professional note.

Uh I have been trying to kind of save or preserve the Alicia Lachance floor medallion, the Tarazo floor medallion that's in Terminal One right now.

Um, we'll see if we can make that happen.

It's such a beautiful entryway into our city as well.

But um I I don't think that we have any other members of the committee here.

Uh, so I will entertain a motion on the appointment of Miss Margaret McDonald to the Airport Arts Advisory Committee.

I move that we approve uh the appointment.

Second.

It's been moved by it's been moved by the alderman from the fourth, seconded by the alder woman from the eighth, I believe the alder one from the first requested previous role.

Yes.

Is there any objection to previous role?

Hearing none, the motion carries.

Thank you all.

Um Miss McDonald, that means that your uh nomination will now go before the full Board of Aldermen this coming Friday.

Um, generally speaking, I think that you'll get an overwhelming uh and resounding nod to be appointed.

So thank you again for your time this afternoon.

Uh we really appreciate you joining us.

Well, thank you, and thank you for all you do too.

Right?

Like what you said about me, I look at all of you and the time you take to serve for our city.

I think it's it's really amazing what you do.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Bye.

Okay.

Um back to our agenda.

I don't believe we have any further discussion.

Um the alderwoman from the first, you did ask for a committee hearing for next week, I believe.

Or the fourth.

On the fourth.

Okay.

Uh I'll check with the clerk on times that are available that particular day.

Um just whenever the next um regularly scheduled meeting is.

I appreciate that.

Wonderful.

We usually meet on Tuesdays.

Oh, I thought it was Thursday morning.

Yeah.

Um we're a little out of cadence just because of the budget hearings and trying to find an amenable time for everyone.

But um I will circle back around with you and the clerk and we'll get something on the calendar for next week.

Thank you.

Uh, other than that, uh Madam Clerk, can you please mark the alderman from the second excused for necessary absence?

No.

And we will I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

I move that we adjourn.

Second, previous roll.

It's been moved by the alderman from the fourth, seconded by the alder woman from the first with a request for previous roll.

Sarah, any objection to previous role?

We stand adjourn.

Thank you, everyone.