St. Louis meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

St. Louis aldermen approve smoke shop rules, Oregon Avenue closure and sustainability office; housing, opioid and airport spending still pending

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted 14-0 on Oct. 16 to regulate smoke shops, permanently close the 2800 block of Oregon Avenue, and codify the Office of Sustainability with an authorized Sustainability Director, according to official minutes. It was the only meeting in the past two weeks for which minutes have been published; the other meetings in this roundup are represented by agendas only, so the items below remain pending unless stated otherwise.

Board of Aldermen: three ordinances passed 14-0

Along with the smoke shop, Oregon Avenue and sustainability ordinances, the Board approved Mayoral appointments to the Baden Market Centre Special Business District and to the Nuisance Property Review Board, both by unanimous voice vote. It also sent B.B. #78, regarding the Street Improvement Fund, back to the Public Infrastructure and Utilities Committee by unanimous voice vote, adopted the Courtesy Resolutions Calendar, and approved minutes from the Oct. 9 meeting.

Housing committee reviews $34.1 million in redevelopment bills

The Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee met Oct. 13 to review three Board Bills and take public comment. Board Bill 47 (Tiffany Scattered Sites II) would renovate 21 buildings and 60 affordable units of one to three bedrooms, at $15.4 million with a 15-year tax abatement. Board Bill 57 (St. Louis Place and Old North Scattered Sites) would renovate 15 buildings and 68 affordable units of one to five bedrooms, at $18.7 million with a 15-year tax abatement. Board Bill 70 covers 1070-1092 South Kingshighway Boulevard, 4575 Oakland Avenue and 4580 Chouteau Avenue, with no eminent domain and abatement of up to 10 years at 90% for market-rate projects and up to 15 years for LIHTC projects. No minutes or vote totals for this meeting have been published.

Opioid settlement appropriation of $953,899.06

Board Bill 94 would appropriate $953,899.06 in national opioid settlement funds to the Department of Health. It was scheduled for the Health & Human Development Committee on Oct. 22 with public comment, and appeared on the Oct. 23 Board of Aldermen agenda. No minutes have been published for either meeting.

Two April 6, 2027 elections proposed

The Oct. 23 Board agenda listed B.B. #59CS, which would ask voters to reallocate one half of one percent sales tax from "North-South Metrolink" to "Bus Rapid Transit, North-South Metrolink, or other mass transit initiatives," and B.B. #105, which would require data center business licenses and fees. The same agenda listed B.B. #104, authorizing the 2027 HUD Annual Action Plan and receipt of CDBG, HOME, ESG and HOPAIDS funds, and B.B. #82AAIC on speed humps in the 8th ward.

Other committee business

Committees also met on the transition to a Department of Transportation (Oct. 21), the St. Louis Development Corporation Annual Compliance Report (Oct. 20), engrossment of Board Bill 80 as amended (Oct. 20), and Personnel & Administration items including annual performance reviews, collective bargaining for Board of Aldermen staff, the employee handbook, and the status of legislative assistants after an alderperson vacates a seat (Oct. 22).

Coming up

• **Oct. 27, Legislation & Rules:** Board Bill 96, a proposed charter amendment to repeal and replace Article XVIII on civil service and human resources, and Board Bill 98 on Civil Service Commission procedures.
• **Oct. 27, Transportation & Commerce:** Board Bill 65, $78,393,294 for a public works and improvement program at St. Louis Lambert International Airport; Board Bill 67 on the Director of Airports pay grade; Board Bill 68 on an agreement exceeding the Mayor's term; and lease amendments AL-045 and AL-022.
• **Oct. 28, Public Infrastructure & Utilities:** Board Bill 79 on speed humps in the 9th ward and Board Bill 95 for the honorary street name "Bishop Terrence E. Coleman Way" from West Florissant Avenue and Mimika Avenue to West Florissant Avenue and Pamplin Place.
• **Oct. 28, Health & Human Development:** Board Bill 91, establishing a Code Blue Emergency Weather Response Program funded by the City's local 3% sales tax on adult-use marijuana.
• **Oct. 29, Public Safety:** Board Bill 103 on a public works emergency response mutual aid agreement, plus updates from the Administration of the Criminal Justice Center.

Aldermen approve up to $500 million in airport revenue bonds; housing committee takes up $34.1 million in affordable housing plans

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted 14-0 on Oct. 9 to approve issuing up to $500,000,000.00 in Airport Revenue Bonds, the largest dollar item in the past two weeks of city meetings. The same session passed a neighborhood traffic calming ordinance 12-1 and approved speed hump installations in the 5th and 7th Wards, each on 14-0 votes.

Most of the other items below were committee agendas. Minutes for those meetings had not been published in the records provided, so no committee votes or outcomes are reported here.

Board of Aldermen, Oct. 9: bonds, traffic calming, zoning

Along with the bond issuance and traffic calming measures, the Board approved by unanimous voice vote:

• Zoning code amendments to regulate smoke shops
• An ordinance to codify the Office of Sustainability
• Permanent closure of the 2800 block of Oregon Avenue
• Resolution #149 honoring the Code Blue Winter Response Team

Housing committee: $34.1 million in affordable housing proposals

The Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee met Oct. 13 on three Board Bills and took public comment on each:

• **Board Bill 47, Tiffany Scattered Sites II:** renovate 21 buildings into 60 affordable units of one to three bedrooms, $15.4 million, with a 15-year tax abatement.
• **Board Bill 57, St. Louis Place and Old North Scattered Sites:** renovate 15 buildings into 68 affordable units of one to five bedrooms, $18.7 million, with a 15-year tax abatement.
• **Board Bill 70:** covers 1070-1092 South Kingshighway Boulevard, 4575 Oakland Avenue and 4580 Chouteau Avenue, with no eminent domain; it would allow an abatement of up to 10 years at 90% for market-rate projects and up to 15 years for LIHTC projects.

The two scattered-site bills seek approval of Chapter 99 Redevelopment Plans and Blighting Studies. The committee also was scheduled to approve minutes from its Oct. 6 meeting.

Lease assignment for Homer G. Phillips Senior Apartments

Board Bill 80, introduced by Alderman Rasheen Aldridge, concerns acknowledgement and consent to assignment of the Amended and Restated Lease for Homer G. Phillips Senior Apartments at 2601 Whittier Street. It carries an emergency clause. The Housing committee took public comment on it Oct. 6, and the Legislation & Rules Committee is scheduled to engross it as amended Oct. 20.

Transit sales tax question proposed for April 2027

Board Bill 59 would place an election on April 6, 2027 asking voters to reallocate a 0.5% sales tax currently dedicated to North-South Metrolink to "Bus Rapid Transit, North-South Metrolink, or other mass transit initiatives." The Budget & Public Employees Committee discussed it Oct. 8 and is scheduled to take it up again Oct. 21.

Other committee business

• **Oct. 7, Public Infrastructure & Utilities:** discussion of train horns in quiet zones. No bills or resolutions were listed.
• **Oct. 9, Legislation & Rules:** engrossment of Board Bill 51 Committee Substitute, Board Bill 69 Committee Substitute and Board Bill 75 As Amended on the Floor.
• **Oct. 14, Public Infrastructure & Utilities:** Board Bill 82, directing the Director of Streets to install speed humps on various blocks in the 8th Ward.

On the Oct. 16 Board of Aldermen agenda

The Board's agenda listed B.B. #96, a proposed voter question to amend the City Charter regarding the civil service and human resources system; B.B. #94, appropriation of national opioid settlement funds to the Department of Health; B.B. #81, a zoning code amendment to define and regulate smoke shops; B.B. #102, acceptance of funds for a new refuse transfer station near the South riverfront; and B.B. #92 and #93, lease and luggage cart rental agreement amendments with Enterprise Leasing Company of STL, LLC at Lambert International Airport. The record provided is an agenda only; no action is recorded.

Coming up

• **Oct. 20, Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee:** discussion of the St. Louis Development Corporation Annual Compliance Report, plus approval of minutes from Oct. 13.
• **Oct. 20, Legislation & Rules Committee:** engrossment of Board Bill 80 as amended.
• **Oct. 21, Budget & Public Employees Committee:** Board Bill 59, the proposed April 6, 2027 election on reallocating the 0.5% sales tax.

St. Louis aldermen weigh $26M transit appropriation, data center zoning, and street improvements

St. Louis Board of Aldermen and several committees met the week of July 20–30, 2026, with agendas centered on transportation funding, data center regulation, street improvements, and grant acceptance. Minutes have not yet been published for any of these meetings, so the items below reflect what was scheduled for discussion or action, not confirmed outcomes.

Transportation funding dominates the agenda

The largest dollar item before the Board of Aldermen is Board Bill 60, which would appropriate $26,056,000 from the city's Transportation Sales Tax — or Transportation Trust Fund, per a later agenda — to the Bi-State Development Agency for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. The bill includes an emergency clause. The Transportation & Commerce Committee discussed the bill on July 21 and again on July 24, with public comment scheduled at the second session.

A separate July 20 Board of Aldermen agenda also listed a $13.5 million appropriation for Bi-State Development Agency transit funds.

Street improvements and speed humps

Board Bill 62 would appropriate $6,000,000 from the Street Improvement Fund for the 2026 St. Louis Works and 50/50 Sidewalk Programs. The July 20 agenda also directed installation of speed humps in the 14th and 1st Wards.

Data center zoning and tax incentives

Two related items address data centers. Board Bill 49AAIC proposes a zoning code amendment to create regulations for data centers. Board Bill 55 proposes an ordinance prohibiting tax incentives for data centers. Both appeared on the July 24 Board of Aldermen agenda.

Grant acceptance: YouthBuild and Bloomberg Philanthropies

The Health & Human Development Committee met July 23 to discuss Board Bill 63, an ordinance to accept and appropriate U.S. Department of Labor YouthBuild grant funds for program years 2026–2029. The bill would also authorize the Director of the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment to contract for expenditures.

The July 20 Board of Aldermen agenda included authorization to accept a Bloomberg Philanthropies climate action grant.

Performance audit request

The Legislation & Rules Committee reviewed Resolution Number 59 on July 21, which requests Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick to conduct a performance audit of the City of St. Louis. The committee also discussed the engrossment process.

On July 23, the Legislation & Rules Committee was scheduled to approve minutes from July 21 and discuss engrossment of Board Bill 13AAIC, Board Bill 41AAIC, and Board Bill 50FS.

Street closure proposal

Board Bill 64, on the July 24 agenda, proposes the permanent closure of the 2800 block of Oregon Avenue at Pestalozzi Street.

Personnel and school plan discussions

The Personnel & Administration Committee met July 23 to discuss a legal opinion regarding staff raises and staff performance reviews. No board bills or resolutions were scheduled.

On July 30, the Health & Human Development Committee reviewed Resolution 78, sponsored by Alderwoman Pamela Boyd, which would urge the Board of Education to postpone a vote on the Future Ready Plan.

Coming up

No meetings are listed on the public calendar for the next 14 days. Readers should check the Board of Aldermen and committee calendars for updates, as minutes from the July meetings may be published and additional meetings may be scheduled.

St. Louis Board of Aldermen set to act on transit funds, street improvements, and data center zoning

Recent committee meetings in St. Louis focused on zoning, transit funding, and street improvements, but no final decisions are on record yet — all recent agendas lack published minutes. The Board of Aldermen meets today, July 20, 2026, to consider several appropriations and ordinances that have been working through committees over the past two weeks.

Transit funding and ballot measure proposals

At its July 10 meeting, the Board of Aldermen introduced several transit-related ordinances. Board Bill #59 proposes an April 2027 ballot measure to reallocate a half-cent transit sales tax to bus rapid transit, North-South Metrolink, or other mass transit. Board Bill #60 would appropriate $26,056,000 from the Transportation Trust Fund to the Bi-State Development Agency for transit. Board Bills #52 and #53 each would appropriate $13,529,900 from transit sales tax accounts to the Bi-State Development Agency. These items are scheduled for consideration at today's Board of Aldermen meeting, which includes an appropriation of $13.5 million for Bi-State Development Agency transit funds.

Data center zoning and tax incentives

The Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee met July 7 to take public comment on Board Bill 49AAIC, introduced by Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer. The bill would amend the zoning code to add Section 26.77, creating comprehensive zoning regulations for data centers. The Planning Commission approved the bill on June 10, 2026. Separately, Board Bill #55, introduced at the July 10 Board meeting, would prohibit tax incentives for data centers in city code. Today's Board of Aldermen agenda includes an item to amend the zoning code to regulate data centers.

Street improvements and traffic calming

The Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee met July 15 to discuss Board Bill 62, which would appropriate $6,000,000.00 from the Street Improvement Fund for citywide construction and reconstruction of streets, sidewalks, gutters, and alleys under the 2026 St. Louis Works and 50/50 Sidewalk Programs. The same committee met July 8 to discuss a board bill directing the Director of Streets to install speed humps on certain blocks in the Fourteenth Ward. Today's Board agenda includes authorization of $6 million for street improvement projects and installation of speed humps in the 14th and 1st Wards.

Appointments and other committee business

The Health & Human Development Committee met July 9 to discuss three Mayoral appointments to the Forestry Park Advisory Board: Vin Zo, Maria Kveton, and Barry Rosenberg. The Personnel & Administration Committee met July 9 for a discussion-only session on staff salary increases and staff performance reviews, with no board bills or resolutions on the agenda. The Legislation & Rules Committee met July 15 to review and engross Board Bill Number 34AAIC, Board Bill Number 41AAIC, and Board Bill Number 50FS.

The July 10 Board agenda also included Board Bill #32, which would authorize a subaward from Bloomberg Philanthropies' American Sustainable Cities initiative for a Youth Climate Action Fund. That item appears on today's Board agenda as well.

Coming up

• **Board of Aldermen** — July 20, 2026: Consideration of transit appropriations, data center zoning, $6 million street improvements, speed hump installations, and a Bloomberg Philanthropies climate action grant.
• **Personnel & Administration Committee** — July 23, 2026: Discussion of a legal opinion regarding staff raises and staff performance reviews. No board bills or resolutions are scheduled.

Note: All recent committee and Board meetings listed above are marked as agenda-only with minutes not yet published. No vote tallies or final outcomes are available for those sessions.

St. Louis aldermen weigh $255 million Rams Settlement spending, transit tax ballot measure

Over the past two weeks, St. Louis Board of Aldermen committees placed major spending and policy questions on their agendas, including a $255 million appropriation of Rams Settlement Funds and a proposed ballot measure to redirect a half-cent transit sales tax. All meetings listed below are agenda-only; minutes have not yet been published, so no final votes or outcomes are confirmed in the public record.

Rams Settlement Funds and transit appropriations

The July 2 Board of Aldermen agenda included Board Bill #22AAFL, which would appropriate $255,000,000.00 in Rams Settlement Funds for North St. Louis rebuilding, citywide infrastructure, and Downtown revitalization. The same agenda listed Board Bills #52 and #53, each appropriating $13,529,900 to the Bi-State Development Agency from transit sales tax accounts, and Board Bill #43AAIC, a reappropriation of $3,067,086.60 for water infrastructure and food assistance.

The July 10 Board of Aldermen agenda added Board Bill #59, which proposes an April 2027 ballot measure to reallocate the half-cent transit sales tax from North-South Metrolink to bus rapid transit, North-South Metrolink, or other mass transit. That agenda also included Board Bill #60, appropriating $26,056,000 from the Transportation Trust Fund to the Bi-State Development Agency for transit.

Data center zoning and tax incentives

The Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee placed data center regulations on multiple agendas. Board Bill 49AAIC, introduced by Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, would add Section 26.77 to the Zoning Code to create comprehensive regulations for Data Centers. The Planning Commission approved the measure on June 10, 2026. The committee scheduled discussion and public comment on the bill on July 1 and again on July 7.

Board Bill 55, appearing on both the July 2 and July 10 Board of Aldermen agendas, would amend Chapter 3.160 to prohibit the award of tax incentives to data centers. Both bills include emergency clauses.

Mobile food vendors and other items

Board Bill #50CSAAIC, on the July 2 Board of Aldermen agenda, would repeal the existing mobile food vendor ordinance and establish updated licensing and vending location rules under Streets Department oversight. The July 10 agenda listed final-passage consent items including a street vacation and speed hump installations.

The Budget & Public Employees Committee on July 1 reviewed Board Bill Number 32, authorizing the Office of the President of the Board of Aldermen to accept a subaward from Bloomberg Philanthropies' American Sustainable Cities initiative for a Youth Climate Action Fund.

The Legislation & Rules Committee on July 1 reviewed Board Bill 36, a proposed Charter amendment to make the City Counselor a mayoral appointment subject to Board approval, plus mayoral appointments to the Library Board: Sharon Shahid, Kathy Surratt-States, and Gregory Glore.

The Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee on July 8 discussed a board bill directing the Director of Streets to install speed humps on certain blocks in the Fourteenth Ward.

The Health & Human Development Committee on July 9 took public comment on three mayoral appointments to the Forestry Park Advisory Board: Vin Zo, Maria Kveton, and Barry Rosenberg.

The Personnel & Administration Committee on July 9 held a discussion-only session on staff salary increases and performance reviews, with no public comment.

Coming up

• **July 15 — Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee:** Board Bill 62 proposes appropriating $6,000,000.00 from the Street Improvement Fund for the 2026 St. Louis Works and 50/50 Sidewalk Programs, covering citywide construction and reconstruction of streets, sidewalks, gutters, and alleys.

Board of Aldermen perfects $1.41 billion city budget; approves transit funding, speed humps, and appointments

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen took its biggest fiscal step of the season June 22, perfecting a $1,414,518,852 appropriations bill for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. The vote to perfect Board Bill #1AAIC was 10-5, following a 14-0 vote to move the bill to the Perfection Calendar. The bill sets city tax rates and funds city government operations, the Water Division, and various trust funds.

Budget and transit funding

On June 26, the Board unanimously approved $13.5 million in transit sales tax funding for the Bi-State Development Agency for FY 2026-2027. The Board also unanimously approved a First Amendment Lease Agreement with United Fruit and Produce Company at 5 Clinton Street. Under the lease amendment discussed by the Transportation & Commerce Committee, the five-year term starts at $1,192.50 per year with 3% annual increases and includes three mutual five-year extension options.

The Transportation & Commerce Committee had also reviewed two separate appropriations of $13,529,900 each from the City Public Transit Sales Tax Trust Fund Accounts ONE and TWO to Bi-State Development Agency, plus an airport revenue bond bill whose dollar ceiling was left blank in the agenda.

Speed humps approved across multiple wards

The Board unanimously approved speed hump installations on three sets of blocks: the 4300 block of West Pine Boulevard; the 5000, 5100, and 5200 blocks of Ridge Ave; and various blocks in the 6th Ward. The Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee had previously reviewed these traffic-calming requests along with a conditional vacation of rights for Marion Street from 10th Street eastwardly to I-44.

Appointments confirmed

Mayor Spencer's appointments to the Library Board were unanimously approved, as were reappointments to the Forest Park Advisory Board. The Board unanimously sent Mayor's Forest Park appointments to the Health and Human Development Committee for further review. Separately, the Health & Human Development Committee reviewed the mayoral appointment of Dr. Karl Wilson to the Senior Citizens' Service Fund Board and received a presentation from the Recreation Department.

Committee discussions: data centers, redevelopment, and charter changes

Several committees held agenda-only meetings where no votes are recorded in the available record.

The Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee reviewed a $15.4 million Tiffany Scattered Sites II Redevelopment Plan to renovate 21 buildings in the Tiffany Neighborhood for 60 affordable units. The committee also discussed an ordinance defining Community Development Corporations for funding eligibility and zoning code amendments creating comprehensive regulations for data centers, including a proposal to prohibit tax incentives for data centers.

The Legislation & Rules Committee reviewed Board Bill 36, a proposed Charter amendment that would make the City Counselor a mayoral appointment subject to Board approval. The committee also discussed mayoral appointments to the Library Board — Sharon Shahid, Kathy Surratt-States, and Gregory Glore — and the engrossment of Board Bills 33 and 43 as amended.

The Budget & Public Employees Committee reviewed Board Bill Number 32, which would authorize the Office of the President of the Board of Aldermen to accept a subaward from the Bloomberg Philanthropies' American Sustainable Cities initiative for the Youth Climate Action Fund.

Rams Settlement Funds and mobile food vendors on the horizon

On July 2, the Board of Aldermen's agenda included Board Bill #22AAFL, which would appropriate $255,000,000.00 in Rams Settlement Funds for North St. Louis rebuilding, citywide infrastructure, and Downtown revitalization. The same agenda included updated mobile food vendor regulations under Board Bill #50CSAAIC and a reappropriation of $3,067,086.60 for water infrastructure and food assistance. No minutes are available yet for this meeting.

Coming up

• **July 7 — Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee:** Public comment on Board Bill 49AAIC, which would add Section 26.77 to the zoning code creating comprehensive regulations for data centers. Introduced by Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer; approved by the Planning Commission on June 10, 2026.
• **July 8 — Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee:** Discussion and public comment on a board bill directing the Director of Streets to install speed humps on certain blocks in the Fourteenth Ward.
• **July 9 — Health & Human Development Committee:** Discussion and public comment on three mayoral appointments to the Forest Park Advisory Board: Vin Zo, Maria Kveton, and Barry Rosenberg.