EX ALDERMAN NEWSLETTER 188 AND CHESTERFIELD 133 By John Hoffmann August 10, 2015 ALDERMEN DON'T LIKE WHAT THEY SEE ON WEBSITE: At the July 27 Board of Aldermen meeting there was the second reading and vote on a conditional use permit allowing the St. Louis Spine and Orthopedic Surgery Center continue operating in the Town and Country Commons (where the Post Office and the Charter Cable customer service office are located) under new ownership. Several alderpersons were upset with a website that was already up and running for the facility. Here is the website and a close up of the problem. In the bill the hours of operation were from 6 am to 9 pm. This is similar to the hours of operation for the new BJC/Children's Hospital hours of operation. Several alderpersons did not like that the website was advertising overnight stays. St. Louis Spine and Orthopedic Surgery Center agreed to remove that from the website. 13 days later it was still on the website. However under "Office policies" it lists "Hours of Operation" as 7am to 5pm, but offers overnight stays. 1 The bill was amended and when voted on read, "Observation stays up to 5 patients for up to 23 hours." This passed on a 6-1 vote with Linda Rallo voting no. It is interesting that the aldermen gave this operation better hours than the St. Louis region's largest hospital group which just opened their new children's surgery center on Mason Road and I-64. TELLING TIME THE SKIP MANAGE WAY: If you remember a couple of weeks ago we wrote how Alderman Skip Mange wrote in the city newsletter a piece on the history of Town and Country. He wrote how the fire station and city hall for the Village of Town and Country was built in 1958 at Clayton and Ballas and "a few years" later a large trailer was added to the rear of the building for the police department." That implied the trailer was added by 1961. In fact the trailer was added 25 years later in 1983. 3 years versus a quarter of a century. It is apparently Skip's way of telling time. He did it again recently at a Town and Country Parade Committee meeting. When the topic of publicity came up he said how "Todd Abrams" has a weekly magazine that is mailed to all the houses in Town and Country. Hold on…I was there as an observer but I had to comment. Todd Abram, who lives behind the Tara Mansion on Clayton Road (2825 Clayton Forest Court) publishes Country Living Magazine which is a quarterly and consists mostly of ads. So in Skip's world 52 is the same as 4 and three is the same as 25! 2 IN THE THORNHILL SUBDIVISION TRUSTEES RESIGN, PEOPLE NEED ENHANCED SOCIALIZATION EVEN IF IT IS AGAINST THE LAW: If you remember last fall these two guys showed up at a police commission meeting asking for a change in Town and Country law that would allow unlicensed golf carts to operate on certain subdivision streets. That's Thornhill subdivision trustee president Randy Stevens in the blue shirt and former alderman Tim Welby on the right. They came and lied to the police board saying there was overwhelming support for "enhanced socialization" in the subdivision and that people required the use of unlicensed golf carts on the streets. I happened to be at the meeting and happen to live in Thornhill and was unaware of this sudden demand of the 110 homeowners for golf carts, especially since the narrow streets had blind hills and curves made their operation dangerous. Tim and Randy were told to come back with more solid statistical evidence. Randy sent out an email and got a lukewarm response. He then asked the request be on the Police Commission agenda again. This caused several residents to do a scientific survey which found the majority of resident were against golf carts on streets. All this was presented to the police commission and Randy was told it was a bad idea and not to come back as the proposal was voted down. FAST FORWARD TO APRIL: At the April subdivision meeting two women on the board of trustees ran for reelection and won. One of the trustees is a former alderwoman. Within in 20 minutes of their reelection they both resigned. They had both been against the golf carts and were unhappy with the way Stevens handled the proposal. I'm not sure what happened but after the election there was a closed meeting where the trustees elect officers. Stevens was reelected president and the two resigned. 3 Fast forward to summer: With Stevens being told the operation of golf carts on the streets was both illegal and unsafe suddenly a golf cart began appearing at the subdivision pool on a regular basis. I have seen the cart loaded down with kids, there in the afternoon and there on Friday nights at the "adult get together." The small child in this golf cart leaving the Thornhill pool on August 2 is in danger. If the cart is involved in an accident she goes airborne. If the driver steers to the right to avoid a deer and hits a curb she goes airborne. If the driver slams on the brakes to avoid a deer or a vehicle she goes airborne. (They live one door away from the pool.) Clearly breaking the law is okay with the trustees who have allowed this to continue. I'm thinking about attending the next April HOA meeting if I don't have a scheduling conflict and move for signs that say "No Golf Cart Parking" on the subdivision pool parking lot. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE CITY TO TRIM A COUPLE OF TREES? For three years now the City's Parks Department has been blind to the fact that the lower branches of some fir trees are blocking the sidewalk in Drace Park. This is a pretty simple job to trim back the lower branches. The upper ones would still provide a canopy effect without blocking the sidewalk. After a light dusting of snow in the fall of 2014 In May of 2015 4 DETAILS ON FELONY HIT AND RUN CHARGES: We reported two weeks ago that on May 12, 2015 Timothy B. Dolan of 1870 Mason Road was charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident Over $1000 in Damage. Here are the details on the accident: THE PARADE MARCHES ON: Are the meetings about the first Town and Country Parade Public open meetings or closed private affairs? 5 Well city administrator Gary Hoelzer did not think they were public meetings. I was told about the one on July 28 at the Longview Farmhouse. I showed and and was allowed to watch the meeting. I returned a week later on August 4 also attending without opposition. In the meantime I did complain to City Attorney Steve Garrett, claiming these seemed to be public meetings and should be posted. Here was Steve's response: John, I spoke to Gary. The parade idea was Weisehan’s. No subcommittee has been set up. The Wiesehan’s have invited city people to meetings they have had to promote a parade. I do not believe that this group is a public governmental body under the sunshine law. However, out of an abundance of caution, Gary agreed to post all future gatherings of this group since some city officials attend. Steven W. Garrett I then pointed out the following: 1) The people holding the meetings are Fred and Mary Kay Wiesehan, members of the Community Relations Commission. Also attending on July 28 was Alderwoman Gussie Crawford, the chair of the Community Relations Commission, Carla Bogard a member of the Community Relations Commission, Mary Olsen, the mayor and city administrator admin aide who is staff liaison to the Community Relations Commission, the city administrator, plus Aldermen Skip Mange and Free Meyland-Smith. 2) The meetings are held on city property at the Longview Farm House. They want to close a city street for an hour for a parade. 3) The city is performing tasks concerning the parade. The Wiesehans are not going to pay police officers salaries working overtime to close the road or other staff salaries for work connected to the parade. The group meeting is called "The Parade Committee." At the August 4 meeting the following people were present: 1) The Wiesehans, Alderwoman Gussie Crawford, Ald. Fred Meyland-Smith, Mary Olsen, Parks Director Anne Nixon, Ast. Police Chief Capt. Bob Arthur, the city administrator and Carla Bogard. 2) Clearly this is a city project. It was decided that checks from retail business to be in the parade would be made to the "City of Town and County." The phone number to call to ask about the parade will be the general phone number for City Hall. 6 City Hall admin aide to the mayor and city administrator Mary Olsen mentioned that she had been contacted by the West magazine and that they wanted to do a story on the parade and they also offered her a deal for a full page ad in the weekly newsprint magazine. (This ought to raise a red flag to never trust a West Magazine Restaurant Review,) The idea or thought that these meetings would not fall under the Missouri Open Meetings Law is amazing. They are being held every Tuesday at 1pm at Longview. Subdivision Marchers Are Out: It was decided that having marchers representing subdivisions was a bad idea and subdivision groups would be encouraged to have a parade route seating area or be in the parade in a vintage car owned by a resident from the subdivision.