City Council - Regular Meeting

We're live. Good evening everyone. I'd like to call the April 27th, 2026 meeting of the University City Council to order on the 28th of April. Uh so with that being said, Madame Clerk, would you please call the role? Council member Mccclelay present. Council member Teeman present. Council member McMahon. Council member Brener present. Council member Fuller here. Mayor Crowe

here. Before you you have the agenda. Are there any uh requested changes to the agenda? Hearing none. Is there a motion to approve? Motion made by council member team and seconded by council member Briner. Is there discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor please signify by saying I. Opposed. The eyes have it. We have no proclamations this evening. You have before you in your packet the April 13th, 2026 draft regular meeting meeting minutes. Is there a motion to approve? Motion made by council member McMahon. Seconded by council member Fuller. Is there discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. Opposed. The eyes have it. Mr. Clay, uh, your microphone, please, sir. I know you're getting rusty here as you're as you're heading out.

Thank you, Mayor Crow. Um, I would like to appoint uh for re I'm sorry, I'd like to reappoint uh Caroline Hermoling uh for the Historic Preservation Commission. Thank you. Is there a second? Seconded by Council Member McMahon. Is there discussion hearing? None. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I oppose. The eyes have it. Mr. Clay. Uh yes. Thank you, Mayor Crowe. Like to uh nominate for appointment Andrea Lubers uh to uh fill in the urban forest in the urban at the orbit urban forestry commission.

Is there a second? Seconded by council member Briner. Is there discussion hearing? None. All those in favory by saying I oppose. The eyes have it. Mr. Clay.

Thank you again. Mayor Crow like to nominate for appointment um as a fill into the board of appeals Gunnar Johansson. Is there a second? Seconded by council member Fuller. Is there discussion hearing? None. All those in favor please signify by saying I. Oppose. The eyes have it. Uh Sarah Hanley is being reappointed. I will be happy to make that uh nomination on behalf of council member Smotherson. Is there a second? Executed by council member McMahon. Is there discussion hearing? None. All those in favor, please signify by saying I opposed. The eyes have it. I'll also be happy to nominate Beverly Brandt for appointment to the Historic Preservation Commission uh instead of Buen Smothers not here this evening. Is there a second? Seconded by Council Member Teeman. Is there discussion hearing? None. All those in favor please signify by saying I opposed. The eyes have it. Mr. Fuller. I'd like to reappoint Pat McQueen to serve a uh special third term on the planning commission.

Is there a second? Seconded by council member Teeman. Is there discussion hearing? None. All those in favor signify by saying I. Oppose. The eyes have it. Mr. Fuller. I'd like to appoint Albert Gallardo uh to fill in on the traffic commission. Is there a second? Seconded by council member McMahon. Is there discussion? Hearing none. And all those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Opposed. The eyes have it. Mr. Teeman. Honorable mayor, I'd like to reappoint for a special third term to the stormwater commission, Gary Arenburgg.

Is there a second? Seconded by council member McMahon. Is there discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I.

Opposed. The eyes have it. Mr. McMahon. Thank you. This this this microphone thing we got to get you guys to you guys are getting rusty on this. Is there a second? Is there a second? Council member Briner. Is there discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please signify by saying I opposed. The eyes have it. We haven't done nine nine appointments in a really long time. Thank you guys for your patience and going through this. We will now turn to our first set set of citizen participation. For those of you who have walked in, there are signup sheets over by the door. If you'd like to speak, you need to fill up a fill out a signup sheet and it could be on an agenda item or a non-aggenda item. When your name is called, please come to the microphone, give your name and address, and you are limited to five minutes. Uh there's 15 minutes at this se segment of the agenda and then there are are any number of times you can speak on agenda items and then we have another uh citizen comment section later in the evening. I believe the first request to speak we have tonight is Patrick Fox.

Hello, my name is Patrick Fox. I live at 1309 Purdue. I come before the council to share something I discovered is quite concerning. We have an organized protection racket that impacts university city businesses. I'm not being hyperbolic. I frequently traverse Olive on my travels to and from my place of employment. For a little over a year, I've noticed that the university city police frequently situate themselves at the Quick Trip at North and South in Olive. For a while, I rationalize that is perhaps them using the bathroom and other facilities there. That is until I learned something troubling. Quick Trip gives free drinks to police. When I asked an officer on duty about this earlier this week, they were unfased. The rationale being you encourage more police presence if you entice them with gifts to visit your business. That sounds extraordinarily similar to a mafiaesque protection racket. Admittedly, not on the same scale, but with similar inputs and outcomes. Since there's no public body conducting oversight on the city's police department other than this one, I wanted to bring this forward to the council. The city apparently needs to explicitly outline that city employees accepting bribes or any consideration to receive better city- funded services than others is unacceptable. While the amount may seem trivial, if we fail to make that distinction, I would then ask, "What specifically as a U city resident should I be expected to provide to receive preferential treatment?" If we cannot rule it out completely, perhaps a sliding scale fee structure can be shared so citizens can know what amount of money to save for to get something such as code enforcement to look the other way or to be giving a warning on traffic infractions. On past occasions, I have shared that there's an important distinction between what one can do and one should do. But in this case, I struggle to find the connection between us saying police can or should receive anything other than city provided compensation in exchange for their services. Thank you.

Uh thank you very much. That is our only request to speak at this time. There are none. Thank you. Thank you very much. Um we're going to move into the public hearing. We have a public hearing for SIBO Italian Restaurant at 7489 Delmare V Boulevard Boulevard. I will open the hearing at 6:10 p.m. Madame Clerk, do we have any written comments? There are no written comments. Madame Clerk, do we have any request to speak from members of the audience? There are none.

Hearing that there are no requests to speak, I will close the hearing at 6:10 p.m. We'll now move forward to the consent agenda. You have one item on the consent agenda, and that is a liquor license for Sibo Italian Restaurant at 7489 Delmare Boulevard. Is there a motion to accept the consent agenda? Motion made by council member Fuller. Seconded by council member McMahon. Is there discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor please signify by saying I. Opposed. The eyes have it. Uh to Michael Delp Petro in the back. Thank you very much for investing in our community. Thanks for coming this evening. Uh uh Miss Sharp, do we have any city manager update? No updates at this time.

Thank you very much. We have before us resolution number 2026 20262 certification of April 7th 2026 general municipal election results. Is there a motion to is there someone to introduce the resolution? Motion made by council member McMahon, seconded by council member Teeman. All those in favor or is there any discussion? All those in favor of resolution 20262, please signify by saying I. All opposed, the eyes have it. Council member Teeman. Uh, honorable mayor, I wanted to make a just a brief uh statement um it under really under council uh comments. Our hometown has contributed greatly to our nation's literary heritage in general and to poetry in particular. U city has been the home of poets who have won the Bowlingan Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award. It has been the home to two national poets laurate and a St. Louis poet laurate among its many citizens. April is National Poetry Month. It seems appropriate that during this our last meeting of the month, we read a poem that we dedicate to our constituents. note to a constituent. This is written after uh Paulu Lard's Liberty. On a voter registration application, on a passport, on a newspaper subscription, in the snow, you write your name. On enlistment papers, in the forest, in the leaves, on a birth certificate, on an agenda, on the deis, you write your name. In the confessional, on the rising sea, in the solitude, on the border wall, you write your name. In your memoir, in Spanish, in Yiddish, in the treblecliffe, with a preamble,

you write your name. On a copy of the Constitution, on the Democratic Republic, with blood, with ash, with petition and protest, you write your name. Thank you. Thank you very much. As most people know, this evening is Council Member Clay's last meeting with us. It is normally a tradition here that our colleague say a few words about our uh departing colleague. I don't know if anyone would like to go first out of the gate, Council Member McMahon.

I will try to be brief. Um, it has been an honor to work with uh, Council Member Clay throughout uh, his time on the city council. Um, I think he brought a unique perspective to the council. He was cooperative, diligent, and and simply a pleasure pleasure to work with. Um, he was one of the first people um, to always keep the residents need to obtain information at the forefront. He always reminded us to um think about what the city message would be to the residents. His main concern was about the city's message to the residents. Um not his message, not a message, but the city's message. Speaking in one voice, what are we as a council going to say to our residents? What is the city doing? He spoke not of his accomplishments or what he did, but what we were doing. And I thought that was refreshing. He always reminded us when we had tough issues, hard issues, he would always draw us back and say, "Well, how are we going to tell the folks about this?" And I always appreciated that um that perspective. Um I also thought that during our markets at Olive, um Mr. Clay brought with us a unique perspective with his prior uh public service for the board of education. um he was able to reach out during a pivotal moment um where we had to there there was a basically a land swap with the McNair building and Mr. Clay was reaching out to members of the school board that he had built relationships with, both that were still on and those that weren't, the community, constituencies, and working behind the scenes to help get support for that pivotal moment um in that project. And he was, I think, one of the folks that helped to push that through to get that project to the finish line. It's an accomplishment that I always thought u Stacy did a great job on and I

appreciated his service in that area. And lastly, all I would like to say is that as I continue to move on on council without Stacy here, I will always keep in mind that we should make sure that perfection is not the enemy of the good. Council member Teeman.

Honorable mayor, in my work with people, elected officials around the region, I have been struck time and time again at how uh some people have to work in atmospheres where vitriol is common. And uh I don't know how they do it. I've been lucky to have a uh uh colleagues on this day who I both like and admire and that goes especially for Mr. Clay uh one of the first people to ever ever have lunch with me on u and been kind and generous and and and his mentoring and in his advice to me. I'm often struck, frankly, by something you don't see very often in politics, and that's humility. Uh, and also by the intelligence of your questions. Uh, don't be surprised if you see me imitating the way you question people in the future. Uh, I uh uh with kindness and with respect, also his concern for your constituents. You know, I often think a simple question that it isn't simply about constituents concern. It's about love and the love you have for this community. I I sometimes wonder when did we stop talking about love? Uh and I will that above all uh I will remember and I know it sounds cliched to say but uh it has been an honor to sit next to you. Thank you very much, Council Member Fuller.

Thank you, Honorable Mer. Stacy, I'm going to miss you, man. Um, I I really want to thank you for your years of service to this community. We're all sitting up here talking about two terms as a councilman. I know that you've served here on the school board preceding this. And I just want to say thank you for being the first guy to call me when I was appointed to say if you have any questions, I'm here to help you and man, I needed help and I appreciate that. But we go back to the first to somebody's reelection run and I was asked to meet this new guy that was running for the third ward council. And I look over and I see who is this dude with my favorite graduate student. And I'm delighted that this has all come about. I wish you well in your endeavors. Please stay in the community. um and to the community. This man has given us well over a decade and a half of service. Thank you, Council Member Briner.

Thank you, Mayor Crow. Um Stacy, thank you so much. You've been um a mentor to me for over 10 years. Like um when I first got on the school board, you were there coaching me even though you were rolling you'd rolled off. And then when I got thrown into being president after one year on school board, you were there multiple times during some of the hardest days of my um school board career and I really appreciate that. And then again um I was honored to be able to serve with you for a year finally and you continue to be my mentor. Um, I've been really struck um in the council meetings on how you can answer, you can ask a question that does two things. Get some important information, but also explain to the public what's going on. You can put things into simple language that is very understandable and help the people presenting sometimes answer questions so that the public understands what's going on. And I really I've very much appreciated that. Um, and I'll miss you. Don't Don't be a stranger. Thank you. So, as many of you may know, and some of you may not, uh, Council Member Clay came to us, I won't necessarily say in an hour of need, but at a time when we had had a little bit of excitement in our city council chambers. And unless I'm wrong, you may be the only person that I have met that, am I correct, you ran for school board uncontested and you ran for city council uncontested. Okay. So, so this guy really doesn't have much opposition hardly at all. I'm very impressed with that. Very impressed with that. but really talk about solidifying the new direction for University City when he came on after

two terms on the school board and now eight years on city council. He truly stepped up when we needed him uh on the McNair property transition. I think most everybody in university city knows that was a hard transaction to put together for everybody and we had an awful lot of communications with the school district and the school board. Stacy was there every step of the way. You may not remember that Stacy also was one of the guys along with council member Smotherson who met with resident after resident after resident in the Olive and 170 the Marcus at Olive Project. One of which I believe had a gun on the table while they met with her. So never a dull moment. We do have a little bit of hazard pay as we go through our jobs here. Um a man of very few phone calls actually a man of very few words, very few words. Someone who has always kept our community and our kids at top of mind. Truly, truly top of mind. And as I think council member Briner said, someone who always wanted to make sure that we improved our communications out to our citizens. Uh I like Steve's comment about don't let the perfection be the enemy of the good. I think we've all learned from that. Uh you will be missed, but you have a much higher calling not only with your career, but also with your family. And I believe that your wife would like to come forward and make a few comments. Maybe joined by the girls. I don't know. Could be a group activity. We've got plenty of time.

I give you that microphone. Hi everybody. My name is Rashidita. Rashidita Furcon Clay. This is Harper Lois Clay and this is Lucy Clay. And Lucy would like to speak. Well, hello. I'm Lucy and I want to say something really quick. I'm very proud of my dad and I'm glad of all the eight years he's worked with the council um councils and um

I'm I'm proud of him because he's a very good dad. He's a very good wife. Sorry, husband to a wife. Yeah. And I love my dad so much and I support that he is stopping kind of and I'm just really proud of him and I love him. We love you. Thank you.

So as you can see we have a very busy family. Um Harver is overly excited that her father will be home now um Monday night. So I just wanted to say a really quick word to Stacy and to everyone here. Um so on behalf of our entire family and we do have a large extended family throughout here in St. Louis, uh Missouri to all the way to Philadelphia. Um they all wanted to express their love, gratitude and deep pride for the city of University City and specifically for the third ward and for eight years my husband Stacy has served the third ward with integrity and with heart and to this community he is a dedicated leader. But to us he is a devoted husband and a loving father. So tonight, as our daughters Lucy and Harper stand right by me, they're watching a man who leads with strength, compassion, and honor. So Stacy, you have made me so proud as your wife. Your impact on this community will last far beyond your time on this council. Um, and I definitely want to honor the woman who has helped shaped you, your mother, Lois Clay. she would be so proud of the man and the leader you have become. So, we want to say that we celebrate you, Stacy. We honor you and we love you. Congratulations. So on behalf of the city council and all

the residents of University City, we'd like to present present this token of our appreciation to Stacy for all the recognition of his work, eight years of meritorious service as our third ward council member and truly as our friend. We're going to miss you. Yes, that's it.

Well, I was not expecting all that. So, thank you everyone. Uh, and thank you, Mayor Crow. Um during my time on the council and previously with the school board, I have come to the conclusion that municipal governance is very much a team sport. Team is comprised in this case of council members, city staff, and residents often who have the same goal in mind, but have different perspectives and ways of achieving that goal. A well functioning team is able to navigate the inherent tensions found in any collection of different people and harness that tension in success and achievement. I am proud to have played a leadership role on this team for the past eight years. I want to take a bulk of my brief time to thank those who have made my council tenure such a wonderful and productive experience. My council colleagues, the city staff, our residents, and finally those who have supported me. To council member Teeman, if you had told me two years ago that one thing this council was missing was a poet, I would have been skeptical. Well, John, forgive me for my lack of imagination. It is not simply your poetry that enriches the council, but more importantly, the poet's heart that reminds us that our work on this das is more than motions and ordinances and public hearings. But we are also a reflection of the conscious of our community. You remind us of that each meeting and we are better better for it. Thank you, my friend. To council member McMahon, as much as we need a poet's heart, an attorney's mind is equally critical. Your innate wisdom and experience on the council have proven invaluable as we have addressed complex issues while navigating explosive growth. Your ability to research and contextualize that knowledge into ways that are meaningful to our residents

reminds me of a dear departed colleague of ours. I have to believe that Pette is quite proud of you as a council member as I have been proud to serve with you. Thank you, my friend. Mayor, I'm coming back to you to council member Brener. You came to this council with a proven track record of leadership in this community is evidenced by your tenure on the school board. You helped guide this school district through one of its most significant times of transition in its history. Your smart community focused leadership has been on full display as a council member. This community has benefited from your service and leadership for many years and I hope it will continue to benefit for many years to come. Thank you, Lisa. Council member Fuller, as he alluded to earlier, uh Council Member Fuller was my wife's beloved teacher in graduate school, so he had high marks in my book from Jump. But in all seriousness, Dennis experience in U City has proven invaluable to the council, especially as it relates to issues of storm water. From Dennis's time on the storm water commission to the present day, Dennis has served as a tireless advocate for those who are flood impacted. Dennis, you've reminded us that even though the waters have receded, the issues are not fully resolved. And that's a perspective that we always have to keep in the forefront. Unfortunately, Councilman Smotherson was not able to make this meeting, but I still want to acknowledge him for the record. Um, and this is going to seem an odd divergence, but when I was younger, I used to love to watch Jeopardy. I don't have the time to do so anymore. And I also I was always in awe of people who

really knew something well. Watching Councilman Smotherson talk about the third ward gives me that same sense of awe. He knows every street. He knows most of the trees and a lot of houses that are there as well. His knowledge is only rivaled by his compassion and care for the third ward. He has been a fantastic senior council member. It has been my pleasure to serve with him and I thank him for all that he has done. Let me come back to Mayor Crow. So, I've known Terry, I believe, the longest of anyone up here. We go back to to 2008. That's almost 20 years. That's a long time. And Terry has proven himself to be an effective mayor and a gifted statesman. But most importantly, he's consistently proven himself to be a good man. Terry, you spent many years on this council in less I than ideal circumstances, but you emerged with your integrity and your honor intact. Sir, that is no small feat. This community and I am in your debt. Thank you. to colleagues I have served with in the past, Tim, Alita, Jeff, and of course Pette, I thank you for your service, and I am proud of our time together. While I did not serve with him, to Byron Price, who has been a mentor and friend and advocate for the third ward for many years, I thank you. To the city staff that I've had the privilege of working with, to city manager Sharp, thank you for stepping up and stepping in at a time that was critical and we appreciate your service

this many years. To councelor John Mulligan, when we talk about knowing something now, Bua knows the third ward. When we talk about knowing University City, his knowledge is unrivaled as evidenced by the fact section 1110.020 020. What is that? I'm kidding. I'm not going to put you on the spot, sir. It is rules governing proceedings, by the way, for anyone who is interested. And to Miss Ree, thank you so much for your patience and gentle reminders, um, as I have needed them, as you well know. Thank you for your temperament and your service to this community. To the staff of University City, I thank you. Any compliment that we have received is a reflection of your work. I have not ever picked up any trash nor cut down a tree or done opened up a recreation center. You do all that. So I thank you for your service. To the third ward residents, thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you. I know I have not been perfect, but I have certainly tried my best. And to my able successor, Council Member Dancy, while I have tried to do my best, I know you will do better. And I look forward to the exciting things that will happen in your tender tenure. To my wife, Rashida, thank you for tonight and supporting me these many years. To my daughters, Harper and Lucy, Daddy will be home on Mondays. And finally, let me offer this. The municipal government train does not stop. We have no session break or recess. Municipal government is the work of every day. Trash must be picked up. Permits must be issued and parks must be

available, but on occasion that train does slow down and slows down long enough for someone to get off and another to take a seat. And now is my time to set to step down. And I thank you all for your support and your engagement in University City. It is a bittersweet moment for me to adjourn this council siny die. That will allow Mr. Clay the opportunity to move aside, greet his wife and daughters, and allow us to move forward with the swearing in. Stacy, thank you so much. Misha, we're going to do these in order that you have on the agenda. Mr. McMahon, would you please go forward? That's right. All right. Yep.

I Steve McMahon do solemnly swear that I possess all of the qualifications and not subject to any of the disqualifications named in the charter for the office I'm about to assume. Do solemnly swear that I possess all the qualifications and am not subject to any of the disqualifications named in the charter for the office I'm about to assume. that I will support the Constitution, the laws of the United States and of the State of Missouri, and the Charter and Ordinances of University City. I will support the Constitution and the laws of the United States and of the State of Missouri and the Charter and Ordinances of University City. That faithously discharge the duties of the office I'm about to assume with impartiality and justice.

And that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge the duties of the office I'm about to assume with impartiality and justice. Thank you, Council Member Briner.

Hi, Lisa Brener. Do solemnly swear that I possess all of the qualifications and not subject to any of the disqualifications named in the charter for the office I'm about to assume. do solemnly swear that I possess all of the qualifications am not and am not subject to any of the disqualifications named in the charter for the office I'm about to assume that I will also the constitution the laws of the United States and of the state of Missouri and the charter and ordinances of university city that I will support the constitution and the laws of the United States and the state of Missouri and the charter and ordinances of university city attaching just the discharge duties of the office I'm about to assume impartiality justice

and that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge the duties of the office I'm about to assume with impartiality and justice. Thank you, Mr. Fuller. Thank you. Thank you. I I Dennis Fuller

do solemnly swear that all of the qualifications and I'm not subject to any of the disqualifications named in the charter for the office I'm about to serve. do solemnly swear that I possess all the qualifications and that I'm not subject to any of the disqualifications named in the charter for the office I'm about to assume that I will support the constitution the laws of the United States and of the state of Missouri and the charter and ordinances of the university

that I will support the constitution and the laws of the United States and of the state of Missouri and the charter and ordinances of university that faith conscientious discharge the duties of the office I'm about to assume with impartiality and justice and that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge the duties of the office I'm about to assume with impartiality and justice. Thank you.

I would now like to invite Christina Dancy to be sworn in. Hi, Christina Dancy. Do solemnly swear that I possess all of the qualifications and am not subject to any of the disqualifications named in the charter for the office I am about to assume. Do solemnly swear that I possess all the qualifications and I am not subject to any of the disqualifications named in the charter for the office I am about to assume. that I will support the Constitution, the laws of the United States, and of the State of Missouri, and the charter and ordinances of the University City.

that I will support the Constitution and the laws of the United States and of the State of Missouri and the Charter and Ordinances of the University City. That I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge the duties of the office I am about to assert with impartiality and justice. and that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge the duties of the office I am about to assume with impartiality and justice. Thank you.

Please join us on the dis Yeah. Wherever you want me to be.

I can hand. I I Terry Crowe do solemnly swear that I possess all of the qualifications and am not subject to any of the disqualifications named in the charter for the office I'm about to assume. Do solemnly swear that I possess all of the qualifications and am not subject to any of the disqualifications named in the charter for the office I'm about to assume. that I support the Constitution, the laws of the United States, and of the State of Missouri, and the charter and ordinances of University City. That I will support the Constitution and the laws of the United States and of the state of Missouri and the charter and ordinances of University City.

That I will be influenced only by the consideration of fitness in the appointment, promotion, or discharge of officers or employees. and that I will be influenced only by the consideration of fitness in the appointment, promotion, or discharge of officers or employees. Faithfully discharge the duties and public service responsibilities of the office I'm about to assume with impartiality and justice.

That I will faithfully discharge the duties and public service responsibilities of the office I'm about to assume with impartiality and justice. Thank you. Christina, it is nice to have you joining us up here. We are glad to have you, Stacy. We will miss you, but we will continue moving through this agenda. Are there any council reports or business this evening? Hearing none. Madame clerk, do we have any more requests to speak?

There are none. Are there any council comments this evening?

Hearing none, I would request a motion to go into a closed session according to Missouri Revised Statute 610.021, 021 legal actions, causes of action or litigation involving a public governmental body and any confidential or privileged communications between a public governmental body or its representatives or attorneys and individually identifiable personnel records, performance ratings or records pertaining to employees, hiring, firing, disciplining or promotion of particular employees by a public governmental body when personal information about the employee is discussed or recorded. Is there such a motion? Motion made by council member Teeman. Is there a second? Seconded by council member Fuller. Is there uh discussion hearing? None. Madame clerk, would you please call the role? Council member Teeman, present. I. Council member McMahon,

I. Council member Brener, I. Council member Fuller, I. Council member Dancy, I. Mayor, Mayor Crow, I to those of you who are here this evening, we will now be going into close session. We recognize that there are a number of people here to congratulate Christina. We want you to take a little bit of time with her. Uh probably five five minutes maybe 10 at the most because our executive session is up here tonight. So we'll take a 5 to 10 minute break and then we will reconvene in the back for executive. Thank you for joining us this evening.