City Council - Regular Meeting

Good. Good evening everyone and welcome to the Olivet City Hall meeting. And we're going to start with uh a roll call please. Mayor Clark here. Chairman Prommo here. Council member Solomonov here. Council member Pashan Helman here. Council member Lewis here.

Okay. So we're going to go into our communications. I would like to invite firefighter Jason Brinker forward, please. My name is Sydney. Nice to meet you, s bear with me, sir, cuz I'm 50 plus

and I left my glasses at home, so we're going to make this work. All right. Uh Jason Brinker, a Missouri native born and raised in Fenton,

laid the foundation for his future with his graduation from Rockwood Summit High School. Shortly after, he answered the call to serve his country by enlisting in the United States Navy. During his four years of dedicated service, Jason was stationed in Northwork, Virginia, where he gained invaluable experience and discipline, including completing an overseas deployment that further shaped his resilience and commitment. Following his time in the military, Jason returned home to Missouri with a renewed sense of purpose and a and pursued a career in emergency medical services. He successfully completed his paramedic training at at IHM Academy in emergency medical services, preparing himself to make a meaningful impact in his community. Outside of his professional life, Jason enjoys spending time outdoors where whether hunting, hiking, or maintaining his physical fitness activities that reflect his active lifestyle and determination. Looking ahead, Jason shares that he is excited to begin his next chapter of his career serving the community in the city of Alvette, where he will be eager to put his skills and passion into work. Would you please raise your hand, sir? I say I. State your name.

Do solemnly swear that I possess all of the qualifications describe by law of this position of firefighter paramedic. Paramedic for the city of Alovette city of that I will support the constitution and laws of the United States. support and laws of the United States and of the state of Missouri of the state of Missouri and the charter and ordinances of the city of Alvette charter and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of this office this office

congratulations sir and your family come up come on up here this pops and congratulations Man, I'm sure you're quite proud, mayor. All right, you go ahead and pin it on.

Yeah. No blood. Congratulations. same things. Patience with the old man. Okay. Jason a lifelong resident of the of St. Peters, Missouri. Jason takes great pride in the community that helped shape him into who he is today. He graduated from Francis How Central High School where he began developing a strong work ethic and sense of service that would guide his future. Driven by his desire to serve others, Jason wanted to went on to complete his training at St. Louis at St. Louis County Fire Academy where he refined his skills and discipline necessary for the career of emergency services. Jason holds an impressive range of certifications including firefighter one and two hazardous material awareness operation and also a licensed paramedic. Before joining the department, he gained valuable hands-on experience working as an EMT with Medic One, furthering and strengthening his ability to respond to emergencies with confidence and compassion. His decision to pursue a career in fire

service stems from his genuine desire to make meaningful, positive impact in the community he proudly serves. Outside of his professional life, Jason values balance and personal growth period. He enjoys practicing martial arts, diving into a good book, and most importantly, spending quality time with his family. His passions reflect his well-rounded character and commitment not only to his career, but also to the people and the interests that matter most to him. All right, let's go ahead and get the real important stuff done. Okay. I want you to repeat. Repeat after me. I state your name. I, do solemnly swear

do solemnly swear that I possess all the qualifications that I possess all the qualifications prescribe by law prescribe by law for this position of firefighter paramedic for this position of firefighter paramedic is for the city of for the city of that I will support the constitution and laws of the United States that I will support the constitution and laws of the United States and the state of Missouri and the state of Missouri and the charter and ordinances of the city of Alabama the charter and ordinances with all and I will faithfully discharge those duties of this office. that I will faithfully discharge those duties of this. Congratulations, sir.

The former That picture.

All right. St. Louis has built both her and her aspirations she calls home. graduate of Kimberly driven career continuence district committ helping others not only compassion women's life around she loves she as well as her brother and especially her extra joy while family is part of our worlds in the simple pleasures of being out of much of her free time alongside Christian where they are nature enjoying fresh air and simply making memories together. All the qualifications by the law of this

city of city of supportitution and the laws of the United States and the state of Missouri or the city of the charter ordinances of

Okay, we have a proclamation for building safety month for May 2026. Um, it's got about 13 where assasses on here. We're going to cut it down to two whereas thises because it's going to be a long night if I read all of these. So, we're going to cut it down to two. Okay. Um if you like a copy of it, it'll be on the website for your review. Uh whereas committed to recognizing that our growth and strength depends on the safety and essential role of our homes, buildings, and infrastructure play both in everyday life and when disasters strike. And whereas each year in observance of the building safety month, people all over the world asked to consider the commitment to improve building safety, resilience, economic investment at home and in the community and to acknowledge the essential service provided by all of us, local, state, tribal, territorial, federal, building safety and firerevention departments in protecting lives and our property. Thank you. All right. All right. Do we have any communications to share at this time?

I do not have any other additional communications. No. We will go to the city manager's report.

Thank you. Good evening. Okay, good evening everyone. Couple of things. Um, first I would like to invite everybody to Party in the Park which is next Friday, May 8th, uh, up at Stacy Park from 5 to 8:00 p.m. It is a familyfriendly event. We're having live music by Kahill & Company this year. The bubble bus is also comp coming. um food and drink sales. Do Domo ice cream will be there, Sweet Reads, um and Pure Chill twisted slushies. So, if you came for Holy uh they were at the Holy Festival, um and so it'll be a lot warmer hopefully next Friday uh to taste their their beverages. Uh also the very next day on May 9th, uh we are hosting a Heroes for Hounds. So, sponsored by both the Elovette Police Department and the fire department as well as the Friends of the St. Louis County. Um, and Olivet Lanes, uh, they are, um, hosting a dog adoption event. Um, and it's actually fees for the first 20 adoptions are covered. So, we would encourage everybody to come out to Five Oaks and Warren from 10 to 2 PM on May 9th and uh, see the adoptable pets and um, maybe take one home. We're also encouraging everybody to sign up for uh Camp Five Oaks. So I think so far we have about 400 kids for the 8-week uh summer camp. So it's for ages uh 5 to 12 years old. It's starting uh June 8th. So we would again encourage everybody to sign up for camp

and then um it's a very busy May. Um we are having a uh blood drive here at the community center uh at the city center in the community rooms uh May 28th from 1 pm to 5:00 pm. So if you uh are interested or are able to give blood um to the Red Cross, we would certainly love to see you uh on May 28th. And then we do have some commission seats available. So there uh is an opening on parks and wreck planning and community design, the zoning board of adjustment, and the economic development commission. So if you are interested in serving on any of those committees, we would encourage you to put in an application. Um you can follow the QR code or you can find out additional information on the city's website. We will be taking those applications through about mid June. Um, so certainly consider it for yourself or um talk to one of your neighbors if you are interested in serving the city of Alvette. And then again, I just encourage everyone to sign up for our weekly newsletter and it provides um timely information that it's happening in the city. And so mayor, with that, I can answer any u questions.

Do we have any questions from the council? Seeing none, we'll go on to our item number five. Uh we will have up to the microphone Mr. Dar man, director of finance. Would you would you like to do staff reports? Oh, I'm sorry. I thought that was blended in there. Please go ahead.

Okay. Uh okay. So, the fire department uh they have been um training uh as they often do and uh the B shift spent some time training one of our new firefighters, Emma Smith, that uh you met this evening. Uh they were doing equipment checks and uh host testing on some of the nice days last week. Uh parks and wreck, uh Waram Park had a woodland prescribed burn uh at the end of March. So if you walked out and smelled something burning, odds are it was uh Woren Park. And then uh baseball is or t-ball for the little ones uh is in full swing uh in the parks uh over the weekends. And then um Five Oaks has a number of yoga offerings and when it is nice, they occasionally go out on the patio. So we encourage everybody to find out what's going on uh up at Five Oaks. the planning department. There are a variety of things that are happening uh throughout all of um and first is the former Mercy or the former US Bank building. Um that is going to become a Mercy ambulatory pharmacy. So, they have started some of the interior demolition on the facility and then we expect interior remodeling to begin in the fall of 2026 uh and a possible opening uh probably early 2027. And then if you have driven westbound on Olive past the former Party City site, you may have seen the sign. Uh we are getting an Ace Hardware. It was officially a Rick's Ace Hardware. They are starting um interior remodel. Those plans are under review by staff. They are working on some interior demolition and a possible opening late summer or early fall. So, we're excited for these new businesses to be coming

into the city of Alvette. And then the police department this morning, a number of officers um from the city of Alvette as well as a number of city officials attended the 34th annual police officer memorial prayer breakfast in St. Charles this morning. And then as has happened over the course of a number of years, the department is actively involved in the Special Olympics of Missouri and Officer Heron uh represented the department at their recent volleyball tournament on April 18th. She's pictured there with the yellow team. And then uh May 28th, the Special Olympics Torch Run will be coming through Alvette. The exact route uh is to be determined, but they will be uh easily identifiable as there will be marked police cars uh escorting them through the city. So when we know the route, we will certainly push it out uh on siren GPS and through social so that everybody will know when and where it will be. And then the Department of Public Works, they have been doing a lot of road work lately since the weather has been uh so nice. Uh they did finish milling and paving Downey Lane. Uh they also did some new curbs and gutters on the northern end of Glen Mary. That asphalt's expected uh later in the month of May. And then even the back lot at public works got some new asphalt. So there any uh questions? I can certainly answer those.

Uh any questions from council? Okay. Thank you. All right. So this time to the mic, director of finance, Mr. Darren May.

Good evening, Baron Council. Just a short uh monthly financial report up to the end of March. Everything as we've talked over and over uh for through budgeting. Uh no new surprises that we would have here through March. Uh sales tax is doing really well. Property tax is right where we'd expect them. And then uh utility tax is just a hair above. And from there, parks and wreck uh doing uh very well compared to our budgets. Uh we'll just look at our chart here in the page two or three. Yeah. So, uh usually we see seven years. I just condensed it down to to three for this month. So, you can kind of see what we were facing. Uh beginning of FY24 there, you can see we were at those elevated that elevated state. And then now uh through that noise that happened even you in one of our better uh months ever there in August of uh 2023 uh followed by that decline into the uh more norm of what we see today as we go forward. So what what this means is we had a really good February uh we're looking at the orange line by the way. Sorry. Um that orange line there, we had a really good February. Showed a little heat uh when we started our budgeting, but now it's cooled off and we're getting a sneak peek into into April into more normalized territory. Uh so again, we'll talk next week again some of the the budget implications of this, but nothing new compared to what we talked about last week or even uh maybe even a couple months ago. So good news there. Uh expenditure is right on right exact where where we would expect them to be with this. Uh once again, on the expenditure side, nothing no surprises. Oh, that's it for the monthly financial report unless we have any questions and then I'll

you can proceed with

take our way to the quarterly financial report. 13 a little over $13 million invested. Uh matches what we saw three months ago. Um not much to to update there that you will see a blank in the in the ladder. Uh two of the um maturities got really close together. So we left a let's go to if we go to that uh next lens uh there you go page. See, there's a blank there that was generated in um in that you see how close those are together. There's a big gap now, but uh we'll look to fill that in a couple of months. There's not much in inventories at 10 and 11 months, but at nine, we'll see something kind of roll on. Uh those ones at the bottom at 5%, uh we'll hear rumblings in the last couple days of maybe higher interest rates. We'll take advantage of those. Um if we get them up to 5%, uh the max we can go is 5 years. We'll take advantage of that if we can get it. Uh, however, we look at those top gray kind of great at treasury bills. Those are the three-month rolling. Otherwise, we'll keep that as long as we can in order to get that three and a half to 4%. So, that's stay the course on that.

Do we have any questions from the council? Thank you, Mr. Mayor. See you next week. All right. This is for our liazison reports. Um, I'll ask Mike Solomon, do you have anything to report? Uh, nothing for me at this time. Okay. Council member Pishan Helmet. I have nothing to report at this time. Okay. Council member Lewis. Uh, no. PCDC had not met at um before our last meeting. Okay. Pro Tim Wild.

I attended my last two meetings. Uh, my last parks meeting was on April 15th and Payton Jones who is a recreation coordinator, she came and did a report on the annual facility programs and report. She had recently sent out a survey and we had a very high rating of return. Um there have been 320 um confirmed activities or rentals of at at Five Oak since uh January no for yeah since for this fiscal year since July and we're projected by the end of the year which would be the end of June to be at 358. Um we are going to be instituting as of um I believe it is July 1st a late fee for when you are using the facilities it will be $50 for every 15 minutes over. Um the survey the survey rate rating was a 91 to 95% um kudos to Payton. She did an excellent job. Um and um I was personally involved in a in one of the uh in hosting a party that someone rented the facility staff for and people just raved. Um Beverly then gave a report about the capital items and the capital infrastructure projects and grouped some of the capital items together. Um and they reviewed the annual capital park improvements for the next 10 years from fiscal year of 26 to fiscal year of 36. So there's a lot going on in the parks and um that's one of the commissions that has an opening. So I would encourage someone to apply for that if they are interested. Um, then today I also attended a meeting. It was the housing authority. Um, I'd like to give a shout out to Shannon and Terry in the back of the room. Um, who are the, um, let's see if I can get this right, the executive director of the St. Louis Housing Authority, St. Louis County Housing Authority, and Terry who

is the administrative executive assistant. And, um, so today was my final meeting with them as well. Um I have sat on that as mayor and then followed up as prom and sharing some of the responsibilities. Um we have the units that we have we have two that are empty at this time. Usually we're at 100% occupancy but the two units that we have are going to be rehabbed and then immediately filled. So they're taking applications already. So the two vacancies should be filled within a few weeks um upon the um rehab. And they're both have three bedrooms. Um, we also discussed we had presentations from the director of housing administration and the CFO to go over the quarterly report and um that's that's Are there any questions? That's about it. Okay, great.

Okay, thank you.

Uh, this morning me and the council did attend the police officers prayer breakfast for falling police officers. It was very nice and uh it was to pay homage to those who have fallen in a line of duty. Um at this point we're going to be hearing from citizens. This is the portion of the agenda where anyone present in person or virtually may address the city council in uh in any topic including those later in the agenda. Each speaker is allowed up to three minutes to address the mayor and council. We will take speakers in person first followed by any online. If you are in person, please complete the speaker card and give it to the clerk. If you have haven't done already given your card to the clerk, we will take you in the order in which you submit the card. If you are online and wish to speak, please use the raise your hand feature and you will be added to the speaker. For all other speakers, we ask that you state your name, address, and for the record prior to delivering your remarks. And I do have one card, and I am calling to the microphone, Willamina Shackleford. Press the button.

Can you state my name? My name is Willamina Shackle for 9656 here. I have a question which I saw on the agenda I guess a month or so ago. Is considering any uh type of uh data center in this area in ette? No, the city is not. What was on the agenda were um regulations, zoning regulations should any such use come into the city, but there have been absolutely zero petitions for a data center. Okay. We don't have position petitions, but you putting in No, you're being proactive.

We are being proactive to put regulations in place. But that's my question. Is it any Do you have any thoughts about doing it? If you were if you did get anything on it, that's my concern. So, even though you don't have any to date, if you did get one, would you consider it?

Well, I think the council would be required to consider any petition that is for it. It be before the council. Um and then they would take their you know it would go of course staff review and then planning and community development uh review and then to the council. So I don't think the council can give any comment as to whether or not you know where they where they stand but if a petition comes in they would be required to at least consider it.

Gotcha. And you would inform the public so we would know. Yes. Everybody would know. Okay. Perfect. One other question. Uh we recently had the town hall meeting and I just wanted to know if there's any consideration given because we just had a horrible weekend with metal clinging and we continue to hear the plant. So is there any consideration of you guys supporting us? And it's not just our subdivision. It's three or four subdivisions that are affected by that plant. So we got our contamination for everything. noise, light, pollution, air, any consideration. It is alabet.

We can't answer your question. We're not getting a lot of support from St. Louis County. So that's why we're asking as your constituents, would you support us in this effort to at least have the the zone, you know, the times changed instead of it running 24 hours a day, every single day, 365 days a year. I wanted to explain to you that we're not ignoring you. We hear you, but this is not the place that we're going to answer your questions. Uh we will answer that offline through a city manager but we this is not the time or the place that we answer the questions. We hear you. Okay. But we will answer your question. It's just not at this moment.

Okay. Got it. Thank you. Yes ma'am. Okay. Now do we have anyone else in the audience that wish to make a statement? Anyone online? Okay. Yes. There's one person online. Okay. Barb,

hi. Can you hear me? We need to see Well, hi Barb. Can you We can hear you. Can you turn your camera on? I don't know if you want to see this. Uh, okay. Where is uh Oh, man. Sorry, Anubia at this. Obviously not seeing my video. Is this the same city manager that worked here before? Yeah, it is. Yeah, I was better on the other side. Don't turn the mic on. Don't turn the camera on. Don't turn it on.

Uh, yeah. Find I'm having a hard time here. Let me look here. Um, microphone. Not see you're a newbie. Yeah. Uh, I apologize for this display. I can see myself on this. I apologize. It's okay. We We remember what you look like. Go ahead and make your statement. Yeah. I really haven't uh haven't changed much. So, okay. So, go ahead and make your statement. We'll explain.

All right. Well, I do apologize. I'm not I haven't figured that out. But, uh again, I'm Barb Sundike. I was a former city manager uh the city of Alvette. and I just wanted to say a few words understanding that this is Maxine's last um last meeting. So I had the pleasure of working with Maxine during the majority of her years uh on the city council. Maxine grew up um in and within in and with the city of Alvette. Her father Sanford Goldman played an active role in the building of this city and that's both a literal and figurative statement. Um, so stepping into the role of public servant was really just following in her father's footsteps, but Maxine forged her own path. Um, much has been accomplished during her years on the council as city manager. I had the privilege of working directly with Maxine and her integrity and commitment to her values is what I admired most about it this time. There were many difficult decisions that had to be made and Maxine always put the residents and future of the city first. As city manager, I have often said I I didn't have the difficult job of having to make that public vote. Um, a task that um, one undertakes knowing at times it can both, you know, it can anger some residents and some of those residents for people like Maxine were lifelong friends. But Maxine did this and she would always do it in a way that honored and respected those on the opposing side. In short, she always tried to do what was right and not what was easy. Maxine worked uh to form consensus on the board and there were times when consensus was really darn near impossible. Um, but she gave it a go and as my boss,

Maxine gave me support and guidance and she cared about the employees and thought of them as her extended family. And she did all this, some may not know, while working actually her real job as director of congregational learning at Central Reform Congregation. And she was opening up a brand new child care center during this time. Um, not a small feat. So, Maxine, I just wanted to call in and just thank you for all you've done and wish you the best in your future. And it's been a pleasure and I thank you on behalf of the of the city of Alvette.

Barb, I said I wasn't going to get teeyed tonight, but you're not helping. I And just so you know, I was going to put in there something. I've known Maxine through many a hair color with everybody else. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you, Barb.

Okay. So, we're going to go ahead on to item number nine, request for approval to purchase two sets of structural firefighting gear. Welcome to the mic, sir. Good evening, Mayor, Council, Miss Yakley. My name is Steve Carman, Fire Chief, City of Eloet Fire Department. The Alvette Fire Department is requesting the purchase of two sets of structural firefighting gear. The equipment is essential to ensure the safety of our firefighters as they operate in hazardous environments. The gear provides critical protection against steam, heat, and significantly reduces the risk of burns and other injuries, allowing personnel to perform their duties more safely. As part of the department's fiscal year 2026 improvement plan, each newly hired firefighter is issued a new set of gear. Following the recent resignation of two firefighters, their new departments purchased their issued gear from the city of Alvette. One of those replacement sets will be issued to the third firefighter we have recently hired. The gear was previously approved by city council. Fortunately, the city's procurement policy allows departments to piggyback on existing bidding processes which streamline acquisition processes like this. During the department's research into the RFP process, we discovered that Sourcewell, a respected cooperative purchasing organization, has recently completed an RFP specifically for structural firefighting gear. The city of Alvette Fire Department is requesting a motion to authorize the city of Alvette Fire Department to purchase two sets of structural firefighting gear from Sentinel Emergency Solutions. cost not to exceed

$11,000. I can answer any questions if anybody has any. Do we have any questions from the council? Then I will entertain a motion. I'll make a motion. Uh motion to authorize the city of Olivet Fire Department to purchase two sets of structural firefighting gear from Sentinel Emergency Solutions cost not to exceed $11,000. Do I have a second? I'll second that. Can we please pull the council? Council member Lewis. Yes. Council member Pashan Halman. Yes. Council member Solomonov. Yes. Chairman Prom. Yes. Mayor Clark. Yes. The motion is passed.

Okay. We're going on to item number 10. Then request for approval to purchase a powered stair chair.

Good evening, Mayor, City Council, Miss Yakley. My name is Steve Carman, fire chief of the city of Alvette Fire Department. The fire department's current stair chair has reached the end of its service life and no longer is reliable for meeting operational demands. A replacement stair chair has been identified and funded in the FY26 capital improvement budget. Striker representative conducted a hands-on demonstration at the fire station. Demonstrating highlighted significant advancements over current manual models. The powered stair chair offers improved efficiency during patient movement. Integrated power track system handles a majority of the lifting effort on stairs. It reduces the time and manpower needed for stair wear I'm sorry stair stairwell extrications significantly reduces physical strain on personnel and minimizes risk of back shoulder and lift lifting related injuries. Provides a smoother more controlled ride. increases patient stability during transport on narrow stairs and it has built-in LED lighting, improving visibility in low light conditions. The fire department is requesting a motion to authorize the city of fire department to purchase a powered stair chair not to exceed $20,000. I can answer any questions if anybody has any.

Do we have any questions from the council? Okay, I will entertain a motion. I'd like to make a motion to authorize the city of Alvette Fire Department to purchase a powered stair chair not to exceed $20,000. Do I have a second? A second. Can we please pull the council? Council member Lewis? Yes. Council member Pashan Helman. Yes. Council member Solomonov. Yes. Chairman Prom. Yes. Mayor Clark. Yes. The motion is passed. Thank you. And Maxine, thank you. It's been great to work with you. Thank you. I appreciate it.

Okay. Now we're going to go to council reorganization 2627 certification of the April 17, 2026 election results from the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners. Per section 6.4 of the city charter, the council shall declare those candidates receiving the highest number of votes for the number of positions filled to be elected. I will ask the uh deputy clerk, would you please read the certified results from April 7th, 2026 election?

Yes, Mayor Clark. Uh the certified election results we received from the St. Louis County Election Board on April 15, 2026, and there were a total of 1,126 ballots cast. Uh out of that uh Michael Solomon received 747 and won a position of council member. Robert Jurgel received 795 and one a position of council member and William Hansen received 331. Okay. Can we have a motion to accept that certifi that to accept those results?

I'd like to make a motion to accept the results of April 7th, 2026 election. Can I get a second? Second. Okay. Can we please pull the council? Council member Lewis. Yes. Council member Pashan Helman. Yes. Council member Solomonov. Yes. Chairman Prom. Yes. Mayor Clark. Yes. Motion has passed.

Okay. Deputy clerk, can we please swear in our new elected city council members? What are you on first? All right. Now, raise your right hand. I and repeat after me. I, Rob Jel,

I, Rob Jurgen, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I possess all the qualifications that I possess all the qualifications prescribed by law prescribed by law for the position of council member for the position of council member that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the state of Missouri and the state of Missouri the provisions of all laws the provisions of all laws of the state of Missouri affecting cities of the state of Missouri affecting all cities and the and the ordinances of the city of Alvette and the ordinances of the city of Alabama and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office. And I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office. Congratulations. Thank you.

Your turn. I, Mike Solomon, I, Mike Salmanov, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I possess all the qualifications that I possess all the qualifications prescribed by law prescribed by law

for the position of council member for the position of council member that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the state of Missouri and the state of Missouri the provision of all laws the provision of all laws of the state of Missouri affecting cities of the state of Missouri affecting all cities and the ordinances of the city of Alvette the ordinances of the city of Alvet and that I would faithfully discharge the duties of the office.

I will faithfully discharge the duties of this office. Welcome aboard. Section 2.3. Section 2.3 of the city charters calls for the city council at the time it recognizes to elect one of its members as mayor for a period of one year. I welcome the request or nomination for mayor.

I'd like to nominate Brian Lewis for mayor for the city of Alvette. Do I have a second? Second. Can we please pull the council? Council member Jill. Yes. Council member Lewis. Yes. Council member Pashan Helman. Yes. Council member Solomonov. Yes. Mayor Clark. Yes. The motion is passed.

You got to come down there with me first. All right. You can You I, Brian Lewis, I, Brian Lewis, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I possess all the qualifications that I possess all the qualifications prescribed by law prescribed by law for the office of mayor for the office of mayor that I will support the Constitution that I will support the Constitution of the United States of the United States and the State of Missouri and the State of Missouri. the provisions of all laws the provisions of all laws

of the State of Missouri affecting cities of the State of Missouri affecting cities and the ordinances of the city of Alvette and the ordinances of the city of Alvette and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office

and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office. Thank you. All right. Thank you everyone. Okay. Uh we're going to move to the election and swearing in of a chairman prom 2026 2027. Uh section 2.3 of the city charter calls for the council at the time it organizes to elect one of its members as chairman prom for a period of one year. At this time I'd like to request nominations for chairman prom.

I'd like to go ahead and nominate Ken Pash Kate Bashan Helman to chairman prom. Great. Um can you please pull the council second? No second. No second required. Uh, council member Jurgel, yes. Council member Sean Halman, yes. Council member Clark, yes. Council member Solomonov, yes. Mayor Lewis, yes.

The motion is passed. I, Kate Pashan Helman, I, Kate Pashan Helman, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I possess all the qualifications that I possess all the qualifications prescribed by law for the office of chairman prom prescribed by law for the office of chairman prom that I will support the constitution of the United States that I will support the constitution of the United States

and the state of Missouri and the state of Missouri the provisions of all laws of the state of Missouri the provisions of all laws of the state of Missouri affecting cities affecting cities and the ordinances of the city of Alvette and the ordinances of the city of Alvette that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office and that I will faithful faithfully discharge the duties of the office.

Thank you. Thank you.

All right. At this point, uh, we want to have recognition for Maxine Wild as outgoing chairman protent. So, I'm going to ask Maxine to join us. Okay, I'm gonna read something and then invite the council also to speak. So, uh, I would like to honor council member Maxim as she stepped down from the all city council and thank her for more than a decade dedicated public service to the community she proudly calls home where she grew up, raised her family and served with genuine commitment. Since first Being elected to the Alvette city council in 2014, Maxine has served in multiple leadership roles, including three years as mayor and five years on the vet housing authority. Throughout her tenure, she remained deeply committed to strengthening all of its parks, public spaces, and community centered amenities. As liaison to the parks commission for the past 12 years, we have seen firsthand Maxine's dedication to listening, collaborating, and translating community input into meaningful action. Her leadership has left a lasting imprint not only on our parks and facilities, but in the way we approach community engagement and long-term planning. From her long-standing support of Proposition C and the resulting park improvements to her leadership in bringing five votes on horse to life, Maxine consistently championed projects that enhance the recreation, connectivity, quality of life. Her work helped ensure that all of its park systems continue to serve as a place for gathering, play, and community connection. Maxine also played a key role in advancing the vision and construction of the allet city center, bringing most city departments under one roof to better serve residents and reflect the pride and growth that you as all of

looks ahead. We remain committed to building on the strong foundation that you have helped create. We wish you the absolute best and thank you for your dedication for our an emailation that I'd like uh Cindy to come down and read. So you guys understand Max has been with me since I got sitting either to my left to my right. I've seen the arguments. I've seen the good and the bad. Um I'm fortunate enough to be the only one on the council current and past. I can call her Max. Maxim was the first person. and I've learned quite a bit about relation between it's been really nice. So whereas Maxine Wild was elected to the Alvette City Council in April 8th, 20204 was reelected in 2027, excuse me, 2017, 2020, and 2023. Whereas while in while on council, Maxine served as liaison to the community and cultural events commissions etc on the uh on the go the parks and recreations commission and the housing authority. And whereas in Maxine's time on council, Olivet has

flourished with accomplishments including the construction of a new city center, the construction of five oaks on War, renovations to parks, and the completion of the comprehensive plan update, the celebration of the city's 90th anniversary, numerous business openings, and so much more. And whereas Maxine Wild has displayed remarkable dedication, steadfast loyalty, and tremendous civic pride in her community and every moment of her years of service. Now, whereas I, Sydney Clark, mayor of previous mayor of the city of Alvette, on behalf of the entire city council, wish to thank Maxine Wild for her 12 years of service to the community and to the city of Alvette and congratulate her on her retirement from city council signed this 28th day of April, 2026. Congratulations, Well, I'll invite the council if any of them have anything they'd like to add in celebrating Maxine.

Yeah, I'd like to say a few words. Um, Max, no. rare.

Oh, good. Okay, back to business. So, I'd like to thank you for showing me the ropes, uh, especially in the last year and a half or so since I started got on uh, city council. You're always very helpful, always looking to provide advice, which is very much appreciated. Um, I think it's also great that you've been able to give us so much context and history on city council and the the big projects going on over the years and in certain consistency especially as we get new members on the council and uh you can always count on you providing very detailed reports which is also very helpful especially on the parks and rec commission where we where I started and that's where we met first. Um, so yeah, thank you very much and best of well enjoy your retirement. You don't need best of luck, just enjoy.

Yeah. Thanks, sir.

Maxine, I wanted to thank you for all the your your hard work that you've done through the years and your support and encouragement, you know, for me to to think about, you know, stepping up to city council. I I really appreciate it and and I've worked re a long time with uh your father Sanford. Um he kind of showed me the roses ropes of uh planning and zoning and I know how proud he was that you were on city council and I bet he couldn't be more prouder of all the things that you have accomplished here. also very grateful for your leadership and your guidance especially with us uh new council members this past year. Um you have provided such a great sense of history as well as context that was very helpful um especially for me in this new role on council. um you live your life with such kindness and genuine care and that really comes through in the work that you do for the council. And what I think is incredible and why I was so sad that you decided not to stay on council is that after 12 years, is that right? you were on council 12 years at this point. You still had such enthusiasm, you know, like you were still really interested in the work and so connected to the community and I think after being on a position for that length of time to still have that enthusiasm is really a testament to how committed you are were to this council and to this city. So I thank you and wish you all the best. I seen a small token of our appreciation. So, um,

actually, she can't go just yet. I still got a few more things. Oh, I apologize. Um, that's okay.

That's that uh that's that's what I want to tell you is from the heart. Um, it's difficult to come into a new position and not have enough guidance. And when I came in, you and Missy were my sisters to my left and right. Um, what we do as a council isn't for the money. It is for the love of the community. We get emails from people about potholes and somebody not cutting the grass or somebody's bushes are too tall. And Maxine did that for the love of the community for 12 years. A lot of people don't stay on paid jobs that long, but she did for 12 years. Time away from her family. You know, you think about that. And it was simply for the love of community. My friend Missy told me, if you love your community, you serve your community. And you did just that. And this city is a lot better off because of that service that you gave to us. and I'm thankful to call you my f fellow council member and my friend. I hope the rest of your life is the best of your life. All right,

another round of applause for you. I think this is my picture.

It's my picture that was hanging in the back of the chair. Thank you for the

Oh, you're welcome. We did give it in your favorite color though, purple. File City 2014. Want to do the mic? there.

Thank you. Thank you to everyone that's here. Thank you to the council members. Um I when Barb spoke, I said I was feeling uh tearyeyed, but right now I'm like really choked up. I'm so touched by all your kind words, this beautiful gift, and uh your friendships, and your just your love. And um it has truly been an honor and a pleasure to serve the city of Alvette. When I first ran for city council, I was told there were three meetings a month, and I thought I was making a three-year commitment, but in the blink of an eye, it turned into 12. I did not achieve all of the all of this on my own. together with the many city council members over the years, the two city managers, Jennifer Yakley and Barb Sandag, and the dedicated directors, staff, and first responders, we have embarked upon some major changes together. The residents of Alvette have always been my number one priority and improving the quality of life for all of us. I'm sorry. and improving the quality of life for all of us through expanded businesses, connectivity, and inclusion has proven to benefit us all. The work is not all completed, but with the council transition and the new leadership, I assure you that we are in good hands and that the city of Valvette will continue to thrive. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the support of my family, my Ror, Joe, and Samantha, and my close friends because because often city business was my main focus of many of my conversations. Thank you very much.

Turn on the mic if you're No. All right. Uh I would like uh Sydney, if you don't mind coming down, please want to take a moment to honor Sydney and uh his tenure as mayor for the last year. say on this side so I can get the mic. Uh I would like to recognize Mayor Clark as he concludes his tenure as mayor and extend our sincere appreciation to him for his dedicated service and leadership. His guidance and commitment to residents reflect an ongoing investment in the community. Over the past year, the city reached several meaningful milestones under his leadership, including the opening of the Brass Tap, Dream Steam Academy, and Irvington Place Apartments. The community also celebrated the completion of the Centennial Greenway segment between Dealman and Warson Road, enhancing connectivity and outdoor access for residents. In addition, the annual turkey trot resulted in the largest donation to the Harvey Cornb Bloom Food Pantry, reflecting a strong commitment to supporting those in need. The 2026 2027 council year will marks Council Member Clark's final term on the Ovette City Council, concluding his service since 2018. I personally look forward to collaborating with you as we continue to accomplish great things in all of it together on the council. And on a personal note, I'm very excited you're going to be here to help this council and lead all the new leadership and appreciate all of your guidance and you've been incredibly helpful this last year. So, thank you very much

and I'll I'll open it to the council and Maxine you can chime in of course as well um on any other words for Sydney that you'd like to thank him and I'm glad he's still here for a year so when we still not yet

yeah just very grateful Sydney for your leadership over this past year and um especially especially with this new council guiding us through the transition and being a a steady leader that keeps us on time for the most part and entertains us. Many of you aren't here on normal meetings. You're welcome, of course, any meeting. Um, but if you had been, you would know that Sydney usually plays DJ before the meetings. Um, and that was always a wonderful way to start to start our u meetings together. and am grateful that we still have you to share your wisdom and historic perspective and insight as the council continues to grow and transform.

Thank you, Cindy. I want to say thanks for everything that you've done for not only this year, but you know, everything you've been uh doing over the number of years. I'm I'm new to this uh to the council and I'm looking forward to to learning a lot from you as much as I can. Thank you. Sydney, yeah, I've uh been here for just over a year, so I've learned a lot from you and uh your leadership here as mayor and uh appreciate you always keeping us on task and keeping things moving and staying on point. So, thank you. Thank you.

Come on, Sydney. I would be remiss if I did not share a few memories of being on city council with you. You have shown great pride in every You have shown great pride in serving as an ambassador to the city of Alvette and representing us at all the ribbon cutings, coffee with the mayor and chamber events. You share your sense of humor aka oneliners and your radio voice. Your passion for inclusivity and being a welcoming community is always evident, but especially when you introduce the city council to to AB, advancing American business and contractors association. Educating all of us on the work they do with the minority and small businesses is inspiring and I hope that this partnership that you help us begin will continue to grow in the years to come. With all of that, I know you will continue to be an asset to the city council and I wish you best of luck on all your future endeavors. I have learned a lot and on the job training is so much more important than what you can learn in school. I couldn't have learned what I learned in any college unless I sat in one of those seats. Um I've seen council members come and go, but not quick as a flip over as we've had in this past year and a half. But I will say this without without a pause. I'm very confident in this group that's coming in. Um I have worked with them. They are very diligent. They are very detailoriented and dedicated. Um I'm very confident in the direction of

this city, but every perfect city is always under construction and that's what all of that is. and we're going to continue to grow. Um, thank you again to Max and Missy for what you have taught me. Uh, Max has always been like my council mother. You know, she nudged me like, "No, you don't say that now. No, wait, wait, now you say it." kind of person. Um, but in my time on this council, I definitely need to thank my supervisor. And everybody who knows me knows who my supervisor is. If you would stand, please. It was not to put you on the spot, but that is the one when I feel like I'm just too tired to go. We say, "No, put your jacket on and go." Okay? You know, when I'm about to re, you know, send an email, she proofreads my emails, you know. She said, "No, that's a little too acidic. Change it. Soften it up some. But that's why I've been under contract with that woman for 34 years. Okay. But uh it is an honor to stand here and to speak to you and to you know thank God for all that I have learned. I'm not done yet. I'm not done yet. And we've got work to do. We can accomplish a lot in one year. So I'm looking forward to it. Thank you very much. Lots of donuts.

Lots of donuts. Better.

Yeah. a jacket. So I can really too. All right. Thank you for your kindness.

All right. Only uh 64 more items to go. No. Okay. Uh we're moving on to an election of the city treasurer. The city council uh each year needs to appoint a city treasurer as we or reorganize for the city of Ovette pursuant to section 4.4 of the city charter. So uh Mike Ferguson currently serves as our city treasurer. So uh I would ask for a motion to appoint Mike Ferguson as the city treasurer for 2026 2027 term. Do I hear a motion? I'd like to make a motion to appoint Mike Ferguson as the city treasurer for the 2026 2027 term. Second. All right. Will we please pull the council? Council member Durggal.

Yes. Council member Solomonov. Yes. Council member Clark. Yes. Chairman Prom. Sean Helman. Yes. Mayor Lewis. Yes. Motion has passed. Great. All right. Moving on to council liaison appointments. As we reorganize each year, the council member has an opportunity to change who our liaison are to all the different boards and commissions in the city of Alvette. Uh, we have pre-selected these and I'll read them out and make sure we're all aligned. Parks and Recreation Commission will be Rob Trigal. Economic Development Council will be Mike Solomonov. Zoning Board of Appeals will be Sydney Clark. Pension Board Ryan Lewis. Housing Authority Ryan Lewis. And Planning and Community Design Commission Kate Pashant Elman. Any concerns from anyone on the council? No.

No. Okay. Thank you. Okay. We now move on to designating our official newspaper. So, the city council's actually has an official newspaper where we will publish things. So, I would like to if someone could make a motion to um to name the countenian as our official newspaper for the city of Olivet. I'd like to make a motion to name the countenian as our official newspaper for the city of Alvette. Second. All right. Will we please pull the council? Council member Jurgel. Yes. Council member Solomonov. Yes. Council member Clark. Yes. Chairman Prom Pashan Halman. Yes. Mayor Lewis. Yes. Motion has passed.

All right. Uh we are moving on to hearing from citizens part two. So the same uh conditions apply as last time. If you would like to speak in the audience, please come forward if you haven't already uh given a card. And if you're online and would like to speak, please raise your hand. And we would ask that you name put give us your name and address and limit it to three minutes. Does anyone in the chambers wish to speak? Okay. Anyone online? All right. Seeing none, uh, we will move on. So, all right. At this point, we're going to move to item 13, the review and acceptance of minutes. I'll ask the council, are there any corrections to the minutes that were posted? No. No. Okay. I'll ask for a motion to approve the minutes, please.

I'd like to make a motion to approve the council minutes from April 14th and the work session minutes from April 21st. Second. All right. Please pull the council. Council member Dragal, yes. Council member Solomonov, yes. Council member Clark, yes. Chairman Prom, Pashan Helman, yes. Mayor Lewis, yes. The motion is passed. All right. Moving on to item 14, city attorney's report. No report this evening. All right. And then uh we're going to move to adjournment. But before we do, I want to invite everyone in the chamber to a reception we're having to celebrate um all the festivities from today in the uh which room is this again? The um it's in the community room. So if you just go um out the doors and essentially kind of veer to your left a little bit.

All right. Please join us and we'd love to have everyone there and celebrate. So at that moment uh we will adjourn at 8:18. Thank you. We would like the council to stay to take a photo. Yep.