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DEF is a non-partisan, independent political blog based in the
City of St. Louis, Missouri. Our goal is to cast a critical eye
on lawmakers, their policies, and those that have influence upon
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The St. Louis Board of Elections has certified the petition which seeks to ask voters to change the charter to require all park sales to be put up for a vote first.
Approximately 21,700 signatures were required on the petition. Sources say the Board has certified 22,035 of the more than 28,000 signatures turned in Friday as valid.
Here's our earlier video report:
UPDATE: The following press release was sent out by the Election Board...
The Board of Election Commissioners for the City of St. Louis has certified the results of an initiative petition filed on December 8 by a group calling itself Citizens to Protect Forest Park to enact a new Article XXVI of the City Charter to require voter approval of land transactions concerning City parks. Because the proposal involves a change to the City Charter, the proponents needed to submit valid signatures of at least 10% of the registered voters in the City of St. Louis as of the last mayoral election or 21,728 signatures. The Board certified 22,035 signatures out of 27,025 signatures checked. Since the petition contained more than enough signatures at that point, the Board did not attempt to verify the remaining 1,543 signatures in order to ensure that the certification could be delivered to the Board of Aldermen today.
Under the City Charter, once an initiative petition is certified and a copy delivered to the Board of Aldermen, that body then has sixty days from the date of its next regular meeting following certification to adopt the proposed ordinance, without amendment. If it fails to do so, the Election Board is then required to submit the proposed ordinance to the voters at the first election at which such submission may lawfully be had, but not less than thirty days after receiving it back from the Board of Aldermen.
By completing its certification today, and submitting the proposed ordinance to the Board of Aldermen prior to its regularly scheduled meeting tomorrow, December 15, the Election Board has guaranteed that the proposal will appear on the April 3, 2007 Municipal General Election ballot. Although Election Board staff had to work overtime to complete the signature verification process in less time than the ten days permitted under the City Charter, having the proposal appear on the April 3, 2007 ballot avoids having the taxpayers incur the cost of the Election Board calling a special election to vote on the issue.
People are near polling places this morning gathering signatures on a petition that would require a public vote before any public park land (such as Forest Park) could be sold to a private interest.
VIDEO: Conway says Forest Park deal is going to be a tough sell for BJC, Slay
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Saturday, June 17, 2006 at 7:26 PM
A PUB DEF VIDEO REPORT
Alderman Steve Conway is one of five members of a special committee charged with looking at the financial details surrounding a controversial proposal to hand over a portion of Forest Park to Barnes Hospital for the next 90 years.
In an interview with PUB DEF yesterday, he told us the status of the those committee hearings. He also said he thinks it's going to be tough for BJC and Mayor Francis Slay to get this deal pass the Board of Aldermen and the Board of Estimate and Apportionment.
Conway said he thinks a bill to approve the proposal won't be introduced in the Board of Aldermen any time soon. Because of that, the money expected from the deal was taken out of next year's budget.
An exchange between Ald. Lyda Krewson and Ivy Neyland-Pinkston, deputy comptroller, at yesterday's meeting of the Forest Park Lease Review Committee highlighted tensions between Comptroller Darlene Green's Office and the office of Mayor Francis Slay.
The committee is made up of five people selected by Slay to "independently" review the financial terms of the proposed lease, a duty usually reserved for the Comptroller.
Alderman Fred Wessels questioned Jim Garavaglia, the city asset manager from the Comptroller's Office, about why another appraisal wasn't done sooner.
Krewson also asked Garavaglia why some of the Comptroller's concerns were not addressed earlier.
Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. said his focus was on minority participation in future construction projects related to the Barnes lease and the longterm plans the hospital may have for that area.
Committee member Tom Reeves, president of Pulaski Bank and former head of Downtown Now, questioned whether the lease amount shouldn't be discounted since that land is currently under lease by Barnes for several more decades and the city can't get any more revenure from the land other than from Barnes.
Alderman Bosley said the longer the committee "fools with" this lease agreement, the more public scrutiny will come. "It's like stirring mess," said Bosley. "If it crusts over it don't stink so bad. But the more your turn it, the worse it's gone stink."
After the meeting, one committee member was overheard saying, "He (Garavaglia) fucked up. That's why he was so nervous."
VIDEO: Aide outlines Green's objections to Barnes-Forest Park deal
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Friday, May 19, 2006 at 4:27 PM
PUB DEF EXCLUSIVE
Jim Garavaglia, from Comptroller Darlene Green's office, explained to the Forest Park Lease Review Committee today the Comptroller's issues with the current proposal to amend Barnes Hospital's lease of a portion of Forest Park.
He said that three things led to the Comptroller's objections to the Planning Commission moving forward with the proposed lease renegotiation two weeks ago:
(1) The appraisal being considered was outdated, (2) the hospital has not made known its plans for the land, and (3) an agreement has not yet been reached on whether the playgrounds and tennis courts currently on the 9 acres of park land will be relocated at Barnes' expense -- and where to?
Garavaglia also outlined the history of the Comptroller's Office's involvement with this deal, which dated back to September 2004.
Committee Chair Lyda Krewson, along with Ald. Fred Wessels, questioned why Green (who was not at the hearing) or her staff did not seek the answers to these questions earlier.
Ald. Steve Conway, who is also an accountant, questioned Garavaglia about the new appraisal figure which he presented to the committee today. Conway suggested that some of the figures used to reach the new number may be exaggerated.
Check back for more videos from the meeting later...
There will be a public meeting at Beaumont High School this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. to discuss plans of developing a Fairgrounds Park Master Plan.
Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. (3rd Ward), in whose ward half the park resides, said that there is discussion of the St. Louis Rams building a football stadium in the park that could be used by northside high schools, none of which currently have stadiums.
Gary Bess, the Director of Parks, will be at the meeting. The public is encouraged to attend. Click here to read more about Fairgrounds Park.
Last night, the St. Louis City Planning Commission approved a proposal that would allow Barnes Jewish Hospital to purchase or lease a portion of Forest Park. Click here to read our earlier story.
Here are some videos from the meeting. We apologize for the horrible sound quality. There were no functioning microphones at the meeting and our cameras, like many people in the audience, struggled to pick up all of the commissioners' words.
This video is of the actual vote:
This video is of Deputy Mayor Barb Geisman from before the vote:
This video is of Brandyn Jones who works in Aldermanic Board Pres. Jim Shrewsbury's office. She said that Shrewsbury agrees with Comptroller Darlene Green that this proposal should wait until a new appraisal is completed.
Barnes purchase of Forest Park land passes its first hurdle tonight
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Wednesday, May 03, 2006 at 9:48 PM
The St. Louis City Planning Commission tonight approved a proposal that would allow Barnes Jewish Hospital to purchase or lease a portion of Forest Park. The proposal still faces several hurdles and vocal opposition from several elected officials and numerous city residents.
More than a dozen people, including representatives from Comptroller Darlene Green's office and the office of Aldermanic Board Pres. Jim Shrewsbury, spoke against the plan at a public hearing tonight in City Hall.
Deputy Mayor of Development Barb Geisman, who is also a voting member of the Commission, spoke on behalf of Mayor Francis Slay, who supports the plan.
"Many people don't even know this land is part of Forest Park," said Geisman. She also pointed out that Barnes is one of the largest employers in the city and has been a good neighbor in the Central West End.
Jim Garavaglia, from the Comptroller's office, told the Commission that the details of Barnes' plan still are not known. "Their intentions are unclear, unspoken and should be revealed to both the City and the community," he said.
He also pointed to the fact that the appraisal being used to determine the value of the 12 acres being considered is more that a year old. He said the Comptroller has authorized a new, more accurate appraisal of the land that should be available in two to three weeks. He and others asked the commissioners to hold off on a vote until that new appraisal came in.
The vote was 7 to 4, with one abstention. The plan will still have to be approved by the three-member Board of Estimate and Apportionment before it is finalized. That board is made up of Slay, Shrewsbury and Green.
