When: Thursday, March 28, 2024
Where: Manchester Community Center
359 Old Meramec Station Road
Manchester, Missouri 63021(MAP)
Time: 6:30 pm refreshments - 7:00 pm meeting
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will be the presenter for the evening. The speaker for this evening will be Bret Berthold, incoming Executive Director and CEO of MSD Project Clear.
Mr. Berthold’s topic for the evening will be educating voters about the two propositions on the April 2, 2024, ballot, which will affect wastewater and stormwater rates for residents in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. Proposition W will decide whether MSD will issue bonds, borrowing part of the funds needed for the next four years of required wastewater system improvements. Proposition S will decide whether voters want MSD to address region-wide flooding and erosion problems fueled by climate change.
Mr. Berthold joined MSD Project Clear in 2009. He currently serves as the Director of Operations for the organization where he has played a pivotal role in overseeing operations of one of the oldest, largest, and most complex wastewater systems in the United States. He had exceptional leadership and commitment to MSD’s mission of environmental stewardship and excellent customer service.
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The most important bills for municipalities continue to be the proposed elimination of the sales tax on food. Two bills in the Senate, SB 1062 (Coleman) and SB 1252 (Rehder), have each been assigned to the Economic Development Committee but as of March 4 had not been scheduled for a hearing. There are six house bills on the same topic, and none have been assigned to committee.
Another League priority involves the points assigned to juvenile offenders to determine whether or not the court shall order the child to be detained. SB 1115 (Schroer) passed the Judiciary & Civil & Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on February 5.
SB 750 (Hough) - authorizes St. Louis County and any municipality with more than 1,500 inhabitants and not located in St. Louis County to establish a land bank. The bill passed the Emerging Issues Committee on January 25. The House version is HB 2065 (Owen) which passed the Local Government Committee on February 20.
HB 1720 (Falkner) – defines as closed records 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 limited to newsletters, notifications, advisories, alerts, and periodic reports. The bill passed the House on February 8 and awaits referral to a Senate Committee.
Members will be notified when hearings on important bills are scheduled.
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League Seeks Board Candidate
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Due to League term limits, there will be at least one vacancy on the Executive Board for the coming year. Terms are now 3 years. The Board meets about nine times per year and is open to any elected official from a member municipality.
If you are interested in serving on the Municipal League's Executive Board, please send a letter or email to the League office by April 5 indicating your interest and outlining your qualifications, including public service, volunteer committees and attendance at League meetings and other events.
The League's Nominating Committee will meet in early April after the municipal elections. The committee will make recommendations to the full membership on a slate of candidates for officers and board members for the 2024 - 2025 year. The Committee will be chaired by Alderperson Darlene Bell of Moline Acres, Immediate Past President. The recommended slate of candidates will be presented at the April 27 membership meeting. If you are interested in serving on the Board, please let us know!
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Senator Doug Beck
Democrat
Assistant Minority Floor Leader
District 1
Parts of St. Louis County
First elected to the House: 2020
View District Map (PDF)
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Senator Doug Beck was elected in 2020 to represent the residents of the 1st Senatorial District in the Missouri Senate.
Prior to his election to the Senate, he served two terms in the House of Representatives from 2016-2020. During his time in the House, he was the ranking minority member of the Economic Development and Workforce Development Committees and also served on the Veterans and Children and Families Committees.
Senator Beck defends workers and their rights, promotes public education, encourages job creation and champions affordable health care for all. He is an adamant supporter of public safety and first responders.
Aside from his legislative duties, Sen. Beck enjoys a 34-year career as a proud pipefitter and member of UA Local 562. He served on the Affton School Board for nine years, including two years as president. During his tenure, he expanded early childhood education and increased opportunities for students pursuing STEM careers.
Born and raised in St. Louis County, Sen. Beck graduated from Lindbergh High School in 1983 and attended St. Louis Community College. He has been married for 35 years to his wife, Marilyn, has two children and three grandchildren.
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February League Meeting
(recap)
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The presenters for the evening were John Worth and Kelly Moore of the International Institute. They had been invited to provide an update on how their organization helps refugees to settle in the St. Louis area. Mr. Worth said that the Institute works to welcome refugees and get them settled and with housing, education, and life skills. He noted that they worked with over 700 new arrivals in 2023.
Ms. Moore said most of the refugees settle in St. Louis City because there is a greater level of transit services, as many refugees do not drive or cannot afford a car. The Institute also encourages new arrivals to open their own business with over 100 new one’s last year. Most of the refugees are interested in US citizenship, which they can apply for after five years.
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Mayor Ella Jones
Appointment
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We would like to congratulate Ferguson Mayor, Ella Jones for being appointment to the East-West Gateway Council of Governments (EWGW) Board of Directors. EWGW is the metropolitan planning authority for the St. Louis region. It includes the Illinois counties of Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair in addition to the Missouri counties of St. Louis, Jefferson, St. Charles, Franklin, and the City of St. Louis.
The Board of Directors consist of 24 voting members and 5 non-voting members. The Board’s Executive Committee includes the chief elected officials from the city of St. Louis and the seven counties in the St. Louis region.
The EWGW by-laws include on member appointee by the Municipal League which is currently being held by the League President Michelle Harris. The appoint of Mayor Jones gives another municipal voice in the planning process for our region.
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Mayor Jones has been a Ferguson resident for more than 40 years; widowed with one daughter. Ella graduated from the University of Missouri at St. Louis with a B.A. Degree in Chemistry. Mayor Jones' previous employers include Washington University School of Medicine, in the Biochemistry Molecular Bio-physics Department, and KV Pharmaceutical Company as an Analytical Chemist. Before being elected to the Council, Mayor Jones completed training in municipal leadership from the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life at the University of Missouri at St. Louis. After being elected to the Council, Mayor Jones pursued additional education from the Municipal Governance Institute sponsored by the Missouri Municipal League and earned a certificate as a Municipal Official, and serving her second term on the Environmental, Energy and Sustainable Development Committee.
Mayor Jones enjoys traveling, trout fishing, preparing New Orleans style cuisine, dancing, and power-shopping with her girlfriends.
Thank you, Mayor Jones, for your service to your community and the region.
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Please welcome our newest affiliate:
St. Louis Economic Development Partnership
The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership is a comprehensive economic development organization for St. Louis City and County, which attracts, retains, and facilitates growth of businesses and works collaboratively with public and private sector regional partners. The organization provides economic development opportunities including site selection, financial incentives, and opportunity zones through our Business Development department, lending programs through our Business Finance department, entrepreneurial services, and targeted initiatives. These include 39 North, an ag-tech innovation district; the St. Louis Mosaic Project, making our region more welcoming to foreign-born; the St. Louis Promise Zone, facilitating comprehensive economic development in targeted communities; and the St. Louis World Trade Center, which facilitates exporting and foreign direct investment in the St. Louis region.
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Senator Brian Williams appointed Executive Director
The Construction Career Development Initiative (CCDI) has announced the appointment of Missouri State Senator Brian Williams as executive director.
CCDI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. CCDI was founded in 2015 in response to the aftermath in Ferguson. The program provides young adults in the St. Louis Region the support to overcome barriers to entry in the construction industry. It pairs them in long-term mentorship, offers financial support, and creates opportunities for job placement.
In his newly-created role, Williams is charged with leading the existing CCDI team, spearheading the expansion and modification of the executive committee, overseeing fundraising efforts, managing CCDI operations and strengthening existing relationships while forging new ones. He will be responsible for increasing the number of students in the program, scaling the size of CCDI with new team talent, and expanding the program to other markets such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Phoenix.
“Senator Williams brings a wealth of experience, vast relationships, and deep commitment to community development, which is what CCDI is all about,” said Tom Sieckhaus, executive vice president and shareholder at Clayco, which was instrumental in the formation of CCDI and in providing for its growth and support through the present.
Since it was launched in the St. Louis area, CCDI has helped more than 150 students find full-time employment in the trades and provided more than $500K in scholarship for students interested in degree-based construction careers. CCDI has recently begun expanding to Chicago and Phoenix.
During his tenure in the Missouri Senate Williams has enacted legislation facilitating access to pain medication for sickle cell anemia patients and safeguarding disability payments. In the St. Louis community arena he is the board director for People’s Health Centers and helped develop a behavioral health center for underserved children.
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The Park Commission realizes that not all municipalities have professional public works, engineering or parks staff to coordinate construction grant applications and project oversight. This has led, at times, to incomplete or inaccurate applications and delays in completing projects on time and within budget. For this reason, Commission members have adopted a policy requiring any municipality that does not have professional public works, engineering or parks staff, to receive a planning grant before applying for any construction grant. Commissioners believe that this policy will help assure that quality projects can be planned for and implemented in a timely and efficient manner. If you have questions about this policy, please contact the Municipal League staff at [email protected] or 314-726-4747.
Planning grants of up to $10,000 are available to help develop master plans to guide future park developments or for construction specific project planning. The planning grant applications are available throughout the year and can be found here. If you are considering a project for next year, it is recommended that you start the planning process as soon as possible.
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Chancellor's Certificate
in Fundamentals and Economic Development
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Economic Development is key to regional success. This Chancellor's Certificate program, Fundamentals of Economic Development, covers introductory economic and community development concepts and tools to attract, assess, and support development and redevelopment opportunities in our communities. Course modules will lead participants through the steps necessary to develop and implement economic development plans and projects.
This introductory program is designed for:
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Public sector economic development commissioners and staff
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Special taxing district commissioners and staff
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Elected officials
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Community Development Corporation board members and staff
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Private sector specialists
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Citizens and students interested in economic/community development.
For more information, click here.
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Be sure to check The Municipal League of Metro St. Louis website for Municipal Job Postings. Click here.
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DATE
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EVENT
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LOCATION
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March 28, 2023
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Membership Meeting
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Manchester Community Center
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April 25, 2024
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Membership Meeting
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Armstrong Teasdale - Clayton |
May 23, 2024 League Installation Dinner Renaissance Hotel - Berkeley
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