Housing, Urban Development, and Zoning Committee Meeting - June 4, 2026
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Good morning.
We'll call today's housing urban development and zoning committee meeting to order.
Madam Clerk, please call the role.
Alderman Cone.
All the women's white, sir.
Present.
Vice Chair Sonier.
Alderman Browning.
Present.
Alderman Aldridge.
Present.
Chair Clark Hubbard.
Here.
Alderman Cone.
Vice Chair Sonyer.
We have four present.
We have a quorum.
Thank you, Madam Clerk.
Before we uh move to the approval of the minutes, I want to take a point of privilege to welcome our new deputy clerk into the space, Mr.
Philip Johnson.
It's his second day on June 2nd.
So welcome to the party.
We're lucky and glad to have you and ready to um work with you however we can to make sure that we keep the train moving down here at the board of all men.
Thank you for your service.
Thank you.
I'll accept a motion for the approval of the minutes.
So move.
Second.
Second.
It was moved by Alderman Aldridge and seconded by Altman Browning that we approve the minutes from Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
Alderman Cone.
All right.
Alder Woman Switzer.
Aye.
Vice Chair Sonier.
Alderman Browning.
Aye.
Alderman Aldrich.
Aye.
Chair Clerk Hubbard.
Aye.
Vice Chair Sonier.
We have five eye votes.
Thank you.
With that, we've successfully approved the minutes from Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
I would have typically turned it over to Vice Chair Sanye and then to Alderman Collins.
But just for convenience in the room, I'm going to turn it over to Alta Woman Sweisser to take over as I present Board Bill 29.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chairwoman Clerk Hubbard.
You are recognized on board bill number 29.
For while we're she's getting up to the podium, if you are here to speak as public comment, please make sure you've signed in with the clerk.
And just as a note for attendees online, um, people do have to be uh uh not currently operating a vehicle when they give any sort of comment.
So I just make sure that that occurs uh before that time as well uh for safety purposes and to meet our our rules.
So uh with that, um Alderman, please proceed.
Thank you, Alderwoman Swisser.
Madam Clerk, can you please read the summary for Board Bill 20?
Board Bill 29 introduced by Alder Woman Shame Clark Hubbard, an ordinance recommended by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment authorizing the City of St.
Louis office of the mayor's office of recovery to accept disaster relief fine funding from the Missouri Department of Public Safety and the Missouri Housing Development Commission appropriating said funds, authorizing the expenditure of said funds to the extent received, authorizing contracts and other documents to expand such funds to the extent received and containing an emergency clause.
Thank you, madam clerk.
So Board Bill 29 today.
I do have representing the mayor's office, uh Mr.
Nix, who is over the Office of Recovery.
Just for transparency and for um context, I did reach out to the state this morning to see if we could have someone um being representative here to answer any questions you any of us may have about not just this as it's the first uh 10 million, but also just anything that's going on.
We have people that ask us questions in community all the time, and we have a responsibility to be able to answer them the same way anybody else does.
It's not any kind of nefarious thing or contrary or context to be able to not answer questions.
It's a disservice to our community first, and then it's disrespectful to even gatekeep on information that we can have that can help move processes more smoothly.
When you have the information, you are empowered with being able to share it, and that's it.
Now I know all of us don't get these questions every day, but I get these kind of questions every day.
So I'm always grateful to have Mr.
Niggs in the room to be able to represent the work that he's doing.
Uh the mayor's office here is represented by um Dan.
But when we were introduced to um the state at the one of the mayor's town halls, and he passed out his card and was you know saying that he would be available for questioning.
I took that, you know, and I ran with it, and I wanted to be able to do that.
Um, but I don't know if he's been in any budget hearings, and this is nothing against the state.
I'm not talking about anybody individually.
I'm talking about the state period has been in any budget hearing.
But I wanted to be able to afford the opportunity for them to be here today.
Or if any of you or myself have any questions or the public have any questions, especially um with the way the rollout has been going.
So I don't want anybody to get any undue credit for that.
That was me.
And in my position, I have a right to reach out to the state and ask questions.
And for the constituents, I have a right to be able to afford them the opportunity to communicate this way, if not through us in budget hearings, where it's the only way that we can hear and hear from them, right?
I mean, not budget hearings, but committee hearings.
And so with that, uh, I do want to call up the mayor's office, Mr.
Nicks, and for a reference for my colleagues, um, Missouri State Representative Kimilian Collins is on as well.
If you do have any questions, I asked her just that if she could give any high level information that she could.
If not, then we will take those questions back and have them um answered and ready for when we go to profession on board bill 29.
Thank you.
Thank you, Alderman.
Uh, Mr.
Nick's, if you could approach the mic and just make sure to introduce yourself again for the record today.
Thank you.
Hello, thank you, Madam Chair, um, and Alderwoman Schweitzer and the committee for allowing me to be here.
Julian Nix to Chief Recovery Officer reporting to Mayor Spencer, but oversee the recovery office.
So I'll maybe just start by just giving a little bit more context for everyone here, just on broadly, Senate Bill, specifically uh this specific bill.
So, as you all know, immediately after disaster, the state allocated about a hundred million dollars in spending authority to support uh tornado recovery efforts, specifically focused on the city of St.
Louis.
Um, in the last cycle, they allocated an additional 86 million in appropriating authority that allowed them to now have up to 186 million in appropriating authority for tornado recovery, uh, specifically for the city of St.
Louis.
When this work was initially developed, um, the appropriating authority was developed with three ends in mind.
One of them was they were approved for up to 156 million dollars in a FEMA debris project that we know was going to be a lot smaller, but there was initially uh up to 156 million for spending there.
And then there was another 30 million that was going to be used for other activities, which could include things like a cost match or other areas that could support recovery.
One of the areas or conversation we had with the state early when we were learning that the PPDR program with the federal government was going to take a while to get set up, and we were also learning more about the fact that there was going to be a lot of property that was FEMA ineligible.
The state agreed to do a 10 million dollar grant directly to the city of St.
Louis to start demolition on FEMA ineligible properties.
So that work started.
We had a contract that was signed, and that work already started in March.
So the lion shared a lot of the demos that people have seen in the have been directly supported by SB1.
10 million dollars gives us roughly enough funding to fund about 120 to 140 demolitions total.
Um we have already started the permitting process on those.
So we have about 68 that are already in active permitting, and then we have about 56 demolitions that are either complete or actively underway in the tornado zone.
And so what this bill allows us to do is ultimately to ultimately bill the state and encumber those 10 million dollars in funds for reimbursement for that activity that's already happening.
Um what it also includes, and I forgot it also includes a million dollars for MHDC.
So MHCC had a 25 million dollar allocation that came at the back end of the tornado as well in SB1 allocated specifically toward home repair and home services uh for those impacted by disasters across the state.
It then enabled nonprofit groups or entities to apply for funding to be able to support recovery efforts statewide.
The city applied under and at that point in time under CDA for a million dollars in home repair.
Uh those funds were ultimately shifted to the recovery office so it could run under the broader program.
And so this also allows us to do about a million dollars in reimbursements tied to our home repair program for MHDC eligible properties.
So we currently have about 17 home repair properties in the pipeline that we've now qualified or getting close to finishing paperwork to qualify for MHDC funds, or this would allow us to do the same rapid repair program that we're running with city dollars specifically using these state dollars to support.
And so those what the two items in this particular agenda are intended to fund.
Thank you.
Uh Alderman Clark Hubbard, anyone else?
Do you want anyone else to speak?
I think we can hear Kim.
Wonderful.
She has a general practice.
Okay.
Um Representative Kimberly Ann Collins.
If you didn't hear that, uh Alderman Clark Hubbard is hoping that you can say a few words now.
Um and I'll just have you raise your right hand if you don't mind.
Uh do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Yes, thank you.
Um I I won't give you a time limit because I think you're acting really as one of Alderman Clark Hubbard speakers.
Um and uh I appreciate you giving some testimony today.
Uh for the record, just share your name for the clerk and uh and please proceed.
Thank you for being here.
Okay, thank you.
I am State Representative Kimberly Ann Collins.
I represent the city of St.
Louis and the Missouri House of Representatives, 103rd General Assembly.
I'm not driving.
I'm at the Blue Circle Rehab and Nursing Home over in the Jeff Vanderloo neighborhood.
So no, thank you for inviting me to speak.
Um and to give a brief overview of the intent of Senate Bill One.
And so as Julian stated, um, when we went back to um special session that the governor called last year um after the tornado, we did we uh allocated funds in Senate Bill One and Senate Bill One funds were allocated at that point.
It was 100 million.
We didn't come back and allocate the additional 86 million until this legislative session in our supplemental budget um that passed.
And so there's a hundred and eighty-six million, of course.
From my knowledge, the intent of that money is to be used for demo and debris removal, of course.
Um, just from what I see um and from um individuals that signed up for the private property assistance program.
Me personally, I don't believe we're gonna spend 186 million on demo and debris removal.
Um, and so there have been conversations now um with my office and with the governor's office and those that are leading the recovery efforts at the state level to start having conversations now about how we appropriate um how we disperse the remaining funds, if and when you know those funds will be available.
Um and those conversations are are geared from a rebuilding standpoint, um, and not re not that the governor's office or the state can really drive the rebuilding process in the city of St.
Louis, but that is totally driven by community, you know, a community effort.
Um, and that's driven by our neighborhood planning process in which all of the neighborhoods are in neighborhood planning right now um in the in the city of St.
Louis, those that are historically have been um in the impacted tornado area in those neighborhoods historically have not had a neighborhood plan in place.
And so uh Julian's correct that 10 million dollar pilot program, which they call a pilot program, um, was with the intent that FEMA is moving too slow, um, and that we need to do something.
And so that's where the 10 million dollar program came from of non-fEMA eligible projects.
And so, you know, those projects look like anything from uh projects on our corridors that are um let me see LLC projects or projects that you know would not be deemed FEMA eligible, if that makes sense.
Um and so every day we have conversations with the state, uh with the governor's office about what remaining funds can be used for.
And every day, I know my office is pressing and and trying to drive uh a good recovery effort down here in the city of St.
Louis.
Um, I know it's moving entirely too slow, and we're doing everything that we I know I'm doing everything that we can.
My office is doing everything that we can to help speed up the recovery process.
Um, and even if that does not just look like with the you know 186 million, there still is funds that we appropriated to the Missouri Housing Trust Fund that a number of uh organizations have received those funds to help residents um with housing stability or to help residents with rental assistance or to help residents um you know get into a different open and available unit, those that have been displaced from the tornado thank you so much, representative, for that context and um information from the the state level.
Um appreciate all you're doing in the recovery effort.
Uh I'll move through Thank you, but I'll start any questions.
Thank you.
I I definitely will uh appreciate that a lot.
Um I'll start moving through the committee for questions, uh, unless there's anyone signed up from the public.
We have no okay.
Um wonderful.
Alderman Aldridge.
Alderman Browning, thank you.
Oh, I apologize, Alderman Cohn.
Alderman Cohn.
No questions, thank you, Alder One.
Thank you, Alderman Browning.
Uh thank you.
First, uh, I'd like to be added as a co-sponsor.
And again, diversifying the sources of funds and resources that we're bringing to North St.
Louis.
We know that no single source of funding is going to get this job done.
And so we need to look for every single place we can find help.
And I really appreciate the work that is taken to secure this funding.
As I understand it, so $10 million is for debris removal, and then $1 million is being put into kind of a housing repair.
Yeah.
So specifically $10 million for primarily demolition directly on private properties.
And then it's $1 million for home repair.
All right.
And I think I just want to support the money for demolition, knowing that you can repair homes, but if you're repairing a home next to a house that's falling down, you're not really helping that neighborhood as much as you can if you're also clearing that debris.
No one wants to live next to a crumbling house.
No one walks to what wants to walk down a block that is full of broken homes.
So it's both home repair and debris removal is crucial.
And we're making really good strides.
I think we'll hear some more updates later about some of the ramping up of the demolition and home repair that's been happening over the last couple months.
But uh from what I've seen, uh, we really are starting to make some real progress.
And so it's wonderful to see this money coming in.
And uh again, I just want to emphasize the need to continue to invest in our city so that we can um really put them on the road to recovery.
Thank you.
Thank you, Alderman Aldrich.
Thank you, madam chair, members of the committee.
Uh first, madam clerk, would you add me as a co-sponsor?
So no there.
Thank you.
Um so this is the the 10 million is basically like a reimbursement of the work and uh funding that the city is spending uh on debris and demolition, correct?
Correct.
And out of that 10, you said for the work that's gonna be done or already have been done, you said that 50 homes have been demoed or in the process.
So we have about a hundred, so we submitted about a hundred over 180 properties to the state, and then they pre-approve which properties fit the conditions of their funds.
Uh we have um about 68 that are actively in permitting, and I believe as of this morning, we had 56 that were active in demolition or complete.
So I believe it was about 28 are actively in the process of wrecking hauling backfill, seed and straw, and then another 28 are fully complete and closed out.
Okay, and maybe it's a question for you or a question for the state rep.
So the additional funding out of Cinep that is to be allocated for St.
Louis, I think is like a hundred and was it 180 million?
So it's 186 million total.
And that appropriate authority.
Okay.
And is that money for the 1860 is that is there language around it that those funds can be used for rebuilding, or is all those funds currently uh allocated to only be used for demolition and debris removal.
So I'll let rep collins talk more about the context of the debate that formed the bill and some of the more details of that language.
But what I what I can say is it of the couple of uses that it has been and is being used for, is certainly used for all of the FEMA appropriated authority.
So anything that goes into the FEMA program gets expended out of that and then ultimately reimbursed anything that supports that program.
So if there's any compliance that state or federal have, including things like consultation with tribal nations and things that exist within their laws is also funded out of that, and also the cost share tied to most aspects of the disaster also come out of that.
Um, I think repem call has talked about this.
We don't expect that that full number of the FEMA project plus that cost share to assume the full 186 million, and so the conversation is what happens to that remaining.
The intent from our version of the early parts of the conversations was for it to be largely for demo and debris.
I but I don't know the specifics of the language, but I don't believe the language is explicit that it can only be used for that purpose, which is why we started conversations with the governor's office and with rep Collins' office around where that might be able to be expanded into if there's interest from the state.
But I'll let rep collins answer anything.
And so yeah, Scott.
Yeah, so I'll just chime in that um when we went to special session, Alderman Aldridge.
Nobody, I'll be honest with you, nobody really knows what our areas look like, but those of us that are from our areas.
Um and Republicans don't really know what North City St.
Louis looked like because they have not been in North City St.
Louis.
And so when we appropriated, when we went back to special session, there was already boots on the ground from different divisions, whether it be building divisions, SEMA, or SEMA at the local level, that have been going through and identifying structures that have been damaged.
There have been numbers that have been floated out in the beginning of the summer about, you know, there is this much money in damage in North City St.
Louis.
And so when we went back to special session, our our first point in mind was not on a rebuilding stage, but was on how do we get the debris and demolition of and how much money that would cost.
And so that's where that 100 million came from in the bill.
It doesn't specifically say that that money can only be used for demo or debris removal, but it does say that it is used for recovery efforts in the city of St.
Louis.
And it is intended to be used for the recovery efforts in the city of St.
Louis.
And when I have conversations with the governor's office and with individuals that lead that effort at the state level, I'm always bringing up that we're a year late, you know, we're we're beyond a year now.
Um, and that yes, demo and debris removal is important, but also we're we have to think about the rebuilding process.
And of course, like I said, they don't want to drive that.
And I told them that they don't have to because we've already done that with neighborhood planning.
For example, like Ville Greaterville and Kingsway East already have their neighborhood plan adopted by the city of St.
Louis and other neighborhoods, those of that which Alder Woman Clark Hubbard represents, which is Fountain Park, Lewis Place Academy, Sherman hit really hard.
Those three neighborhoods are now in neighborhood planning.
And so I'm always having conversations with them about hey, you know, what will it look like to push some of this funding towards rebuilding?
And they are not opposed to that.
They have always told me that they're not opposed to that.
And someone from the governor's office was down here last week.
I was able to then again take them around my district so that they see, which I know that they know what it looks like, but they continuously tell me that they're not opposed to it, but they want to make sure that we are able to pay the money that we owe at the state level, like Julian said, we there is a cost share to this.
Local municipality has a cost share, state has a cost share, and federal has a cost share to pay on a disaster.
And so we want to make sure that we have the appropriate amount of funds available to pay on that for debris removal.
And it's a process because uh, you know, when you're doing demos and when you're doing debris removals, you have to have the right of entry, which I know you all um have heard of that from Julian several times.
You have to have legal documentation to go on these properties, and then they they're not just getting approved by the city, they have to get approved by the state.
And so it's a process to approve each property, to make sure each property is eligible for demo and for debris removal um with those funds.
And so I think the the process takes a little bit long to approve each property.
Um, but that's just a process, and we we I don't really know how you speed up that process or expedite that process, but they're not opposed to funds going towards rebuilding.
We just need to get a little bit further down and and push a little bit more of these uh more push a little bit more of the properties that have been approved for demo and debris removal, and then we can get a little bit further down and continue to talk about where those funds can go.
Like, so for example, because I'm really transparent, when I took them around the veil area, um, he asked me a simple question who built the homes on St.
Ferdinand, who built these homes on Sarah, and I told him North Side Community Housing did.
Well, the governor's office doesn't know anything about North Side Community Housing, neither did they know that we had new affordable MHDC projects that have been built, you know, in our neighborhoods.
And so that really caught their eyes.
And now they want to have a conversation, you know, with Northside Community Housing and also other housing providers like the Tabernacle, you know, Andre Alexander, who has built these homes in North City St.
Louis because it is a good, it would be a good use of our tax dollars to push some of those funds to that portion of rebuilding to rebuild housing.
And what we have had conversation is that it's not just housing that makes up these neighborhoods.
You all know that what makes up a neighborhood is schools, churches, healthcare centers, whatever, playgrounds, everything else under the sun that makes up a good neighborhood.
So those conversations are actively happening.
Well, glad to hear that and glad you kind of highlighted, like you say, the the process has been uh slow here in the city, but also slow in the state, and that's just government, you know.
You know, it is always just so much red tape, because one, we don't want to make sure, and I don't think anybody is, but you know, make sure there's like any fraudulent activity, but we just know uh government don't always uh respond to the the in a quick time as that's needed and the what residents need.
And thank you for talking about hopefully expanding or having those conversations about expanding the work beyond just uh demolition and debris, because uh while we know a lot of homes was impacted that do need to come down, we also want to make sure we rebuild um to keep people in the communities that have been saying uh for decades and decades.
I know you talked a little bit, uh Julian about the do um the demo.
Where are we along with like debris removal?
Um is there still debris removal that need to be removed off of private property that is still going through the right of entry program, and do we have funds that we'll be tapping into?
Yeah.
So most so most debris removal is either on so the way we think about debris removal is there's a right-of-way program, which is still up and running.
Uh, there are people who requested debris removal in addition to maybe a home report demolition where we have the AmeriCorps program doing PPDR.
I don't have those numbers right in front of me, but last time I looked, they had done about 230 clearances there.
And then of course, you have groups like whether that be redeeming love or groups like the groups and academy chairman or neighborhood groups that are cleaning out debris that to the right-of-way that all moves into the right-of-way program.
So those programs are still up and running.
Um, we also have a program with the state that does certain types of debris removal on private property.
It's a honorous process to access those funds.
So we have focused those specifically on things that weren't eligible under the FEMA initial product worksheet, like a detached garage and things like that.
So we've we're in the process of identifying those sets of properties are eligible for that particular fund.
But we have been moving debris removal efforts either with the home repair program or alongside the program when we go to those parcels.
And these funds will go directly to the demolition.
I know we've done a lot of uh, in my opinion, like high top contracts uh to identify the work because of maybe limited manpower that we have in the city of St.
Louis, but these funds are going directly to debris removal, but not to contractors to again identify what needs to be identified because sounds like these properties are already identified that need to be yeah.
So these funds go two ways.
The 10 million has a 7% set aside that allows us to fund things like the work that it takes to set this up.
So one of the things that Tetradec, for example, has been doing has been augmenting our building division staff or capacity.
There's pre-inspections and things that we have to pay for in advance of the demolition.
So it is all of the work to support the delivery of the operation with seven percent is the max that's allocated to for us to be able to reimburse some of the city's related cost tied to administrative, and the remaining aspect of that is all direct costs of the construction management contractor and the demolition itself.
And then with the MHDC funds, about three percent of that can be used for administrative expenses.
Um so for each of them, 93 and 97% of the funds is for direct costs.
And since you brought it up, just one quick question.
Do we have, I guess, staff members from Tetra Tech here, or are they doing the work and just consulting with the city in another state?
So they have depends on which portion of the work we're talking about.
They have local staff on the work that's local.
So in the outreach center, there are staff that are from there that are local, and then a lot of the people that are doing our augmented like field inspection work.
Uh so the people that are going and monitoring the demolitions in the zone that are posting the STI recovers notices, condemnation letters, mailing those out to um impacted households, all that work is happening with local workforce.
They're primarily outside workforce is their managerial teams who have the background and expertise, but where they can, they've hired local.
Okay, no more questions for the moment.
Thank you so much, Alderman.
Um Madam Clerk, please add me as a co-sponsor.
So not it.
Uh thank you.
Um I appreciate the presentation and more of the background.
I think it's important to know, you know, with the allocation being what it was, um, 186 million, how much is coming in, when those kind of things.
Um so in terms of of timeline, Alderman Aldridge asked some good questions about how it moves through the the state and the and the um, but if you have any more context for any other allocations that you are being worked on or contracts that are happening currently.
So we're still in discussions around the next phase.
But I can say for this we are projected to have started all of the wrecking activity for all 120 demolitions by mid-July, with after that probably about a a four to six week closeout from a inspections and final paperwork and invoicing.
So we expect all of this work to be wrapped up under this 10 million um within the next eight weeks.
Um and then for the MHDC funds, like I said, we're finalizing those sets of properties.
Those are prioritized in this next batch of work uh going through repair.
So those will probably be another eight weeks uh before we finish off those funds that's within this 11 million.
Okay.
Um, and I I'd love to see those contracts.
I think they're referenced in the bill, but they're attached.
So it'd be good if they could be attached to the bills.
Sorry, the specific MOU with the state.
Yeah, I think there's there's contracts mentioned in the in the bills as referenced.
Okay.
Contract.
Yeah, we can keep that for the register's office.
Okay, great.
Uh fantastic.
Uh Alderman Clark Hubbard, would you like anything else?
Thank you.
There's this my sign that we did the right thing with having this extra context be available because most of you all answered the questions that I had, the additional questions that I had that I wanted to get on record, right?
Because at the end of the day, like I said, we are out in the community.
We get these questions.
It's better to go ahead and have it on record here and the opportunity for us to communicate about them openly so that we are not on the back end chasing headline and misinformation.
And we want to be the partner that we have continued to be in this 13-month process with always moving and playing our role down here at the board.
And I want to make sure that I stand up for us here that way and create the opportunity for us to continue to be that good faith partner.
So publicly for the state um representatives, the state senators, um, our partners in the governor's office, whomever from the state that wants to represent the work that you all are doing.
You have an open door and an open mic here at Hoods to be able to narrate this better than sometimes it's been narrated in the media.
We don't legislate in the media.
This is where we legislate in committee hearings.
So thank you all for being here.
Thank you all for continuing to be here.
Thank you, Representative Collins.
I did frantically call her this morning.
I went immediately to her because she's on the bi-weekly calls that um Mr.
Nick had Mr.
Nicks has rather um with us uh in the not just in the tornado impacted area, but overall for anyone who's welcome to be on those calls.
So thank you for continuing to have those calls and that opportunity um to uplift things that are getting might have getting lost in translation and in the tracks.
And with that, I am asking for your favorable consideration.
Thank you for the co-sponsorship and a do pass recommendation for board bill 29.
Thank you, uh Alderman Clerk Hubbard.
Uh with that, I will ask for a motion for a due pass recommendation for board bill 29.
I'd move that.
I move that we pass board bill 29 out with a due pass recommendation.
Second.
It's a move by the alderman from the third, seconded by the alderman from the ninth that we pass board bill number 29 with the due pass recommendation.
Any discussion.
Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
Alderman Cone.
Aye.
Alderwoman Sweitzer.
Aye.
Vice Chair Sonia Alderman Browning.
Aye.
Alderman Aldrich.
Aye.
Chair Clark Hubbard.
Aye.
Vice Chair Sonier.
We have five I votes.
Thank you by your vote.
You have sustained the motion from the Alderman from the third, and we approve board bill number 29 with a due pass recommendation.
I'll turn it back over to Chairwoman Clark Hubbard.
All right.
Thank you.
Alderwoman Sweiser.
Do we have any resolutions for review?
We have none.
Okay.
Do we have any committee discussions?
I'm sorry, there wasn't any in even after I finished speaking, then there wasn't anyone online to speak.
Okay.
Do we have any um committee discussions?
We have no.
Do we have acknowledgement of any written testimony?
We have no.
I will have Alderman Cohn's hand is raised.
Oh, thank you.
Alderman Cone.
Thank you.
I just I I put this in the chat, but I uh, you know, I'm not getting a response, and that's fine, but I just want to make sure that I'm at it as a co-sponsor to Board Bill 29.
Noted.
Thank you.
Thank you, Alderman Cone.
Uh as it relates to announcements, I'll go ahead and uh announce again our second hearing on Board Bill 22 will be tomorrow at 4415 Natural Bridge Avenue, which is the Julia Davis Library.
Um that we again are excited that's reopened.
That and Cabney Branch reopened a couple of weeks ago um after the tornado had damaged them both very badly.
So we're happy to have the opportunity and partner with them to have an additional listening session from the community on board bill 22.
And then we will uh again not be taking a vote at that meeting.
We will then come back uh here at our next meeting to begin more of the legislative work that goes when we're in committee hearing.
So again, if you had uh comments that you didn't get to share at the last hearing, or if you're here to share problems today.
Or please don't miss the opportunity tomorrow um for that hearing.
And don't forget that you can participate virtually via Zoom.
You can get the link offline, or you can reach out to the clerk's office, or you can um participate in person, or you can uh send in written comments tomorrow.
We will be on a timeline for us to be respectful to the partnership that St.
Louis Public Library has created.
So we will keep it down to three minutes as we usually do per speaker, and then respectfully exit so that we can get back to the work next week here in committee.
Um I need to excuse our madam vice president.
I'm sorry, vice chairwoman, auto woman signed yeah for a necessary absence.
It was moved by Alderman Aldridge is seconded by me.
That we excuse Audder Woman Sanye for necessary absence.
I'm sorry I did receive this message.
Can you do can you clarify that there's I think we just need to probably check because typically when we have uh meetings in the community like budget?
I don't know if the clerks will have a Zoom link for people to get on.
So we may just have to check with that.
We have to check with um Julia Davis.
I'll check and let you know.
My understanding we will be able to do it, but I'll just clarify.
Thank you so much.
I wouldn't I would want to know that as soon as possible so that I can get that out in the community.
But I was under the understanding as well that we were working intentionally with Julia Davis on that to be able to have um our hearing and have the opportunity for the community to speak.
Um with that, I'll accept a motion to adjourn.
Second.
It was moved by Audown.
I'm sorry, Alderman Browning, seconded by Alderman Aldridge.
Did we adjourn?
Previous role with no objection.
Thank you, everyone.
Have a blessed day.
Housing, Urban Development, and Zoning Committee Meeting - June 4, 2026
The Housing, Urban Development, and Zoning Committee of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen met on June 4, 2026, to consider Board Bill 29, which authorizes the acceptance and expenditure of $11 million in state disaster relief funds for tornado recovery efforts. The committee heard presentations from the Mayor's Office of Recovery and a Missouri State Representative, and unanimously passed the bill with a do pass recommendation.
Consent Calendar
- The committee approved the minutes from the meeting of May 26, 2026, by a vote of 5-0.
Discussion Items
- Board Bill 29 – Disaster Relief Funding: Alderman Clark Hubbard presented Board Bill 29, introduced by her office. The bill authorizes the City to accept and spend $10 million from the Missouri Department of Public Safety for demolition of FEMA-ineligible properties damaged by the May 2025 tornado, and $1 million from the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) for home repair. Julian Nix, Chief Recovery Officer, explained that the $10 million will fund approximately 120-140 demolitions, with 68 already in permitting and 56 either complete or underway. The $1 million will support a home repair program with 17 properties in the pipeline. State Representative Kimberly Ann Collins provided context on the state’s total $186 million appropriation authority for St. Louis recovery, noting that conversations are ongoing about using remaining funds for rebuilding beyond demolition. Several aldermen asked about the process, timeline, and potential expansion of funding uses. Alderman Clark Hubbard emphasized the importance of transparency and direct communication with state partners.
Key Outcomes
- Board Bill 29: The committee voted 5-0 to pass Board Bill 29 with a do pass recommendation. Aldermen Clark Hubbard, Aldridge, Browning, Cone, and Sweitzer were added as co-sponsors. The bill now moves to the full Board of Aldermen.
- Future Meeting: Chair Clark Hubbard announced a second hearing on Board Bill 22 will be held on June 5, 2026, at the Julia Davis Library, with virtual participation possible pending confirmation.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. We'll call today's housing urban development and zoning committee meeting to order. Madam Clerk, please call the role. Alderman Cone. All the women's white, sir. Present. Vice Chair Sonier. Alderman Browning. Present. Alderman Aldridge. Present. Chair Clark Hubbard. Here. Alderman Cone. Vice Chair Sonyer. We have four present. We have a quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Before we uh move to the approval of the minutes, I want to take a point of privilege to welcome our new deputy clerk into the space, Mr. Philip Johnson. It's his second day on June 2nd. So welcome to the party. We're lucky and glad to have you and ready to um work with you however we can to make sure that we keep the train moving down here at the board of all men. Thank you for your service. Thank you. I'll accept a motion for the approval of the minutes. So move. Second. Second. It was moved by Alderman Aldridge and seconded by Altman Browning that we approve the minutes from Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Alderman Cone. All right. Alder Woman Switzer. Aye. Vice Chair Sonier. Alderman Browning. Aye. Alderman Aldrich. Aye. Chair Clerk Hubbard. Aye. Vice Chair Sonier. We have five eye votes. Thank you. With that, we've successfully approved the minutes from Tuesday, May 26, 2026. I would have typically turned it over to Vice Chair Sanye and then to Alderman Collins. But just for convenience in the room, I'm going to turn it over to Alta Woman Sweisser to take over as I present Board Bill 29. Thank you. Thank you, Chairwoman Clerk Hubbard.
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