• Stephanie Leon Streeter, P.E. -  Director, St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works

• Kristen Lueken -Transportation Planner, AECOM and Project Manager of Northside-Southside Study

• Taulby Roach, President and CEO of Bi-State Development

The League will continue to email weekly legislative updates throughout the session.

At press time, the following bills were of greatest concern for local governments.

SB 131 (Brattin) - was originally amended on the Senate floor to repeal the local sales tax on food.  The bill was perfected and placed on the 3rd reading calendar. However, on Monday February 6 Senator Brattin pulled the bill from consideration and introduced a second Senate Substitute which does not have the food sales tax exemption.  When this bill came up for debate, Senators Coleman and Mosley attempted to add the food exemption back into the bill.  These amendments are pending.  League members are urged to contact Senators to vote NO on the proposed amendments to SB 131.  If you can provide numbers showing revenue losses from the sale of food at grocery stores it will show Senators the dramatic impact on local government services.

HB 978 (Falkner) - modifies provisions for home-based businesses enacted in 2022.  Local Government Committee.  Heard 2/21. Passed Committee 2/28.  (Support)

SB 96 (Koenig) – amended to require a 2/3 vote of a local governing body to establish a community improvement district or transportation development district.   Local Government & Elections Committee.  Heard 1/30.  Passed Committee 2/6.  Perfected 2/28.  Passed Senate 3/1.

HB 587 (Owen) - allows municipalities and counties to create land bank agencies to help with the development of vacant properties.   Local Government Committee.  Heard 2/7.  Passed Committee 2/21.  Referred Rules Committee.

SB 174 (Koenig) - makes various changes to the Sunshine Law including allowing a public governmental body is authorized to close records that are related to email addresses and telephone numbers submitted to a public governmental body by individuals or entities for the sole purpose of receiving electronic or other communications.  Governmental Accountability Committee.  Heard 2/9.  Passed Committee 2/23.  (Support)

HB 651 (Richey) - excludes streaming services from the definition of video services thus eliminating streaming services from local taxes.  Utilities Committee.  Heard 2/8.   Passed Committee 3/1.(Oppose)

This Conference provides a nuts and bolts review of the myriad of important issues municipal officials face on a regular basis, from Sunshine Law to fraud, ethics and budgets to leadership and more! While the Conference focuses on providing the knowledge base that newly elected municipal leaders need to govern effectively, the changes that continually occur in the municipal arena make this a Conference that all officials should attend.

Register Now! for MML Elected Officials Training Conference on June 8-9, 2023
 

MML Webinar: Integrated Planning in Missouri

Presenter: David Carani and Lacey Hirschvogel, HDR

Description: Population growth, aging infrastructure, increasingly complex water quality issues, and challenging economic conditions are straining municipal utility management across the country. This situation has been further complicated by federal and state regulatory structures that focus on enforcing individual Clean Water Act requirements on fixed schedules, without full consideration of all obligations that a utility may be facing or whether compliance efforts will result in meaningful improvements in environmental and public health. 

In 2011, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework to give municipalities needed flexibility to cost-effectively address wastewater and stormwater issues and make environmental improvements that are aligned with community priorities. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources have been a strong supporter of integrated planning and several Missouri municipalities have used this new approach to reshape capital programs, negotiate affordable compliance schedules, and position their utilities to take advantage of new funding opportunities. This presentation will provide an overview of these successful planning efforts.   

Click here to register or get more information.

     

Office of Broadband Development and University of Missouri Extension conduct survey on internet access and use

Jefferson City, Mo. — To guide the state’s internet expansion and training efforts, the Department of Economic Development’s Office of Broadband Development (OBD) and the University of Missouri (MU) Extension have partnered in conducting a brief online survey on household internet access and use. The anonymous survey, which takes about six minutes to complete, is now open for submissions.

“As we continue making historic investments in Missouri’s broadband infrastructure, we encourage public feedback to inform our efforts,” said BJ Tanksley, Director of the Office of Broadband Development. “Hearing from citizens, in urban and rural areas, is an incredibly valuable part of understanding our state’s needs. This survey from our colleagues at the University of Missouri will play a vital role in informing future investments, achieving a digitally inclusive future, and helping Missourians prosper.”

The OBD and MU Extension survey asks households about existing internet use, including devices, connections, and applications, in addition to barriers to using them, such as financial obstacles and training and assistance needs. Achieving the full economic benefit of broadband expansion requires both the availability of connections and their adoption and use, which is vital for telemedicine, education, business, and more.

“The survey will be used to obtain community feedback to support the development of additional data-driven tools and outreach reinforcing OBD’s broadband efforts across the state,” said Alison Copeland, the University of Missouri System’s Deputy Chief Engagement Officer and Manager of the UM System Broadband Initiative.

The UM System’s Broadband Initiative is a coordinated effort to encourage the statewide build-out of reliable, high-speed internet infrastructure and use of broadband-based applications to improve the lives of Missourians.

FOCUS St. Louis Recruiting for 2023 Leadership Programs
Nominations and applications are now open for the following FOCUS St. Louis civic leadership programs:

• Leadership St. Louis (for experienced leaders) - applications due March 17, 2023
• Emerging Leaders (for early-career professionals) - applications due June 12, 2023
• Women In Leadership (for women at all stages of their careers) - applications due July 8, 2023    

Applicants from all backgrounds, industries, and sectors are encouraged to apply, and scholarship assistance is available.  For more information.

What is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 – 4?

1. Motor vehicles
2. Fires
3. Poisoning
4. Drownings

• The leading cause of death for children ages 1 – 4. 
  • In fact, more young children die from drowning than from motor vehicles, fires and poisoning combined. (Center for Disease Control)  
• The second leading cause of accidental death for children 5 – 14. 
  • After young children, teens have the second highest drowning rate.  For every child who drowns, eight more go to an emergency room, and 40% of those are admitted to the hospital, often suffering life-changing disabilities.  (CDC)

• Promote swim lessons at pools. Swim lessons reduce drowning by 88% 

• Promote use of Water Watcher badges, which designate committed supervision (visit SwimOnFoundation.org for this resource)
• Have fire departments give presentations on water safety at civic events and in schools, with emphasis on children never going near the water without an adult.

• Enforce fencing and barrier regulations on all pools -- backyard, hotel, apartment and condos.
• Proper fencing reduces drownings among young children by 50%. More than 60% of young drownings occur at non-swim times.
• Fencing should have self-closing, self-latching gates.

• Promote CPR instruction by fire department at civic events, in schools and at fire stations.
• Distribute CPR wallet cards. (Download at SwimOnFoundation.org)

• Encourage use of Coast Guard approved life vests.  
• Have life jacket loaner stations at ponds and lakes. 
• Organize events for demonstrating proper fit of PDF’s as is done for helmets and car seats. 

• Using signs to alert the public of the risks of open waters. 

• Ensure effective inspections of pool drains. The suction power of drains –in wading pools, swimming pools, spas, hot tubs and fountains--can create an inescapable pull at the bottom of the pool. In addition to compliant drain covers, public pools are required to have a suction vacuum release system where there is a single blockable drain, and an emergency power disconnect. To address this hazard, the Virginia Graeme Baker Act (2007) requires domed drain covers. This new rule is critical for safety, particularly in older pools.  
• Water safety funding is available to municipalities from the Consumer Product Safety Commission through the Virginia Graeme Baker Act and the Pool Safely Program.

 
SwimOn Foundation, a non-profit authority on drowning prevention, offers SAFER downloadable materials and other free resources to help municipalities keep residents safe in and around water. SwimOn also offers free onsite, water safety presentations to municipalities and other organizations.
Public programs have successfully reduced car deaths by promoting seat belts and car seats; fire deaths through Stop, Drop and Roll drills; poisonings with the poison control phone line. Municipalities can reduce drowning deaths, too. Visit SwimOnFoundation.org for more information.