City Council - Regular Meeting

Councilwoman Ruckman here. Councilman Robleski here. Councilman Furnuses here. Councilwoman Steel here. Mayor Little here. Councilwoman Ferguson here. Counciloman Rayo here. Councilman Bernard here. And Councilman Bennett here. Right. And please rise for the pledge of allegiance. And if it's your first time visiting here tonight, uh just uh note that we do observe a moment of silence at its conclusion in remembrance of our service men and women. I to the flag of the United States of America. and to the rep for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. Please be seated. So, we obviously have the oaths of office this evening and we have uh some appointments, but it's my goal to have this be one of the quickest meetings we've ever had. Get you guys home. Nobody needs to sit here and uh watch the hail come down outside the window. So, bear with us and uh we'll do everything we need to do here and have some photo ops for those that are newly elected and we'll get through it. All right. Uh in terms of minutes, I seek approval of the minutes for the April 13, 2026 council meeting. Make that approve. Second. All those in favor? Any opposed? Motion carries. On to the April 13, 2026 work session. Motion to approve. Second. All those in favor?

I. Any opposed? Work session minutes are approved. Onto approval of the bills. Motion to approve. Second. All those in favor? Any opposed? Motion carries. Report of the city clerk.

Um there's newly elected official training. Um, today at 4M was the deadline for the uh St. Louis County Municipal League or St. Louis Municipal League uh training. If anybody's interested, we can beg to let them extend that date. Um, but we also received um the Missouri Municipal League is offering scholarships for any municipality that hasn't sent anybody to the elected officials, the newly elected officials training in Colombia. Um, they're offering scholarships, eight a total of eight scholarships they're offering. Only each municipality can only get one. If you're interested in going, the deadline to apply is this Friday. So, if you um would like to apply, please let me know. And I went ahead and I reserved a table um for the municipal league dinner. If anybody else wants to attend, please let us know.

Okay. Is that table mostly full or couple seats open though? Okay. Thank you. All right. And Jason, you are going to read the report of the city attorney. I believe Joe's here via telephone. Yes, sir. So, this is resolution 26-21. Resolution declaring results of regular election. Motion to approve. Second. All those in favor? I. All right. Uh results of the municipal election are approved.

Thank you everyone. Uh on to residents comments. I do have one resident comment uh this evening from Reverend Erica Gravely. Step up. Make sure the mic's working and uh if it is, there is a threem minute time limitation here. So I'll start that when you hear the sound. That's it. Okay. Is it here? Okay. Right. Mayor Lind Little and council members, my name is Reverend Eric Graveley of Harmony United Methodist Church in Charlotte, but representing parishioners in the Overland area and also an active participant in the Overland Business Association and the Rittner School District. I come to you today with my heart heavy with concern for a third of the members of this community. I would love to say that this began when ICE used Hillsdale police to knock on the back door of Rittner Middle School, but the reality is that this pro problem has gone on long before that. In 2024, a social worker for Rittner was picking up a donation of shoes uh for the kids at the early childhood education center at our church. I asked her what was the most pressing issue she was hearing from the students that she saw and what she said shocked me. It was the deportation of a parent. People are quietly being disappeared from our neighborhood and ripping families apart. Rolling a stop sign could send someone back to Guatemala. A goodstanding citizen who helps her neighbors and has never done anything wrong in the community for decades is snatched up while her young daughters with her watch in horror. Out of this newfound concern, I've crossed language and cultural barriers to make several connections with the Latino community here. They are lovely people who are too busy trying to work to engage in criminal activity. Working so that they can have a better

life for themselves and their children. And every new day, I pray to God that they are kept safe in their journeys around this town and beyond and they make it back home safely at the end of their day. Children are afraid to go to school for fear that their parents won't come home, won't be home when they come back. People, even with the correct documentation, are afraid to travel to the grocery store, to go to the laundromat, to bring their kids to school, to go to Home Depot. Cameras are installed all around town that share data in ways beyond our control. Many of us desire a community where not one group of people but all people can live fully into how God designed them to be to peacefully live in this beautifully diverse city with dignity and respect. According to the story of the Tower of Babel, I think God wants it that way as well. I hope in this next month I or others who are equally concerned can have a conversation with each of you to share more details of this issue and bring voices of people being directly who are impacted by this situation. I'm proud of the written community and how it steadfastly supports the immigrant community. If you want to see heaven on earth and how Overling could be, I invite you to visit the Julie Han Center for International Learners. Kids of all different backgrounds in the same building as the gifted center and the early childhood center feel

time. You can finish your sentence. Thank you. I want to be proud of Overland as well. Thank you. Thank you. All right. I will uh entertain a mo motion to adjourn. Sindai. I'll make that motion. Second. All those in favor? All right. This is going to be the quickest sai we've ever done. We can start with oaths, please. Melissa, first, we can do you last. Stand up.

I, Marty Little, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the laws of the state of Missouri, the laws of the state of Missouri, of all provisions of all laws of this state of third class affecting cities of third class the ordinances and the ordinances of the city of Overland demean myself

in the office as mayor I, Patrick Robleski, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the laws of the state of Missouri, the provisions of all laws of the state of third class

affecting cities of third class. and the ordinances of the city of Overland faithfully demean my office myself devene myself in the office in the office of council member award one raise your name. I leave furnace swear do do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution that I will support the Constitution of the United States

the laws of the state of Missouri the laws of the state of Missouri the provisions of all laws of the state and the provisions of all laws of the state affecting cities of third class affecting cities of third class in the ordinances of the city of and the ordinances of the city of Overland and faithfully demean myself and faithfully demean myself the office Council member in the office of council member Wu.

Jessica Rahear. Doly swear that I will support the Constitution. of the United States. And the laws of the state of Missouri, the provisions of all laws of the state affecting cities of third class ordinances in the ordinances of the city of Overland and faithfully demean myself

in the office of as council member of order. All right, here we go. I, Kirby Barard, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution, the United States, Missouri, the laws of the state of Missouri, all visions of all laws of this state, third class, protecting cities of third class,

the city of and the ordinance of the city of I faithfully deem myself the office Councilman Ward for

All right. Great. Thank you. Uh and I will call us back to order for the meeting post Zindai. Uh ask for a roll call, please. Here. Here. here. Here

all right. Um so now it's appointment time. So bear with us for a minute here. Um I have a handful of appointments and uh first appointment is for planning and zoning. And as most folks know, we do have one council member per year. And it's my goal to have everybody on this board uh serve as is uh the member for that commission. Uh Kirby's kind of excused since he's been to probably 600 planning and zoning uh meetings in his past. U so that leaves uh Karen and Jess. I know Karen, you're pretty busy with all the other stuff, too. Um so um with that said, I would make a motion to appoint uh Jesso as the one-year uh member for planning and zoning.

Make that motion. Second. All those in favor? All right. Any opposed? Motion carries. Uh the rest of these appointments uh aside for this from the summer events are all uh reappointments. So uh for building commissioner, I appoint uh Mike Seder and I seek a motion of approval. Motion. Second. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Mike is appointed. And for building vice commissioner, that chair that we just uh created a couple years ago, Harvey Mitchell, who lives on Burns. Request a motion for approval of uh him for that role. Motion. Second. All those in favor?

Any opposed? He is appointed. And uh in terms of unique appointments here, um I do not make the appointment for the city clerk. That has to come from the city council. If anybody I'll make that motion. Second. I'm assuming it's for Melissa. Yep. All right. All those in favor? Any opposed? Congratulations, Melissa. And uh city treasurer, Mr. Mark Jeru. Motion to approve. Second. All those in favor. Any opposed? You're stuck. Thank you, Mark. Sorry, Mark. And for Chief of Police, uh Chief Andy Mackey. Motion to approve. Second. Um all those in favor? I. Any opposed?

Motion carries. Congratulations. Uh for city attorney who's here with us remotely, uh Mr. Joe Bond. I'll make that motion. Second. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Congratulations, Joe. Uh for city prosecutor, we'll have two with the same term. Uh Mr. Charlie Billings and Mr. Joseph Harbath as the assistant prosecutor. Make that motion. Second. All those in favor? Any opposed? Thank you. Uh for pension committee members, the non-uniform pension board. I would like to appoint Mr. Ken Crowder. Motion to approve. Second. All those in favor? Any opposed? And the one meeting he's not here. Uh that's what he gets.

And for uh the police pension board, there are two members, both reappoints, uh Mr. Steven Boyce and Mr. Ken Crowder. Motion to approve. Second. And uh all those in favor? I. Any opposed? Uh motion carries. And for the summer events committee, um we've been advised to appoint these folks officially. Uh so I'll do all of those as one uh vote here. And I'll go down the list. It's Mr. Rick Spear, Councilman Larry Bennett, uh Councilwoman Beth Ruckman, Councilwoman Karen Steel, Sammy Ferguson, Anne Stove, and Ron Stove. Motion to approve. Second. All those in favor?

Any opposed? Motion carries. And Rick, you don't have to give the oath of office. You're all set. Okay. Um, now there are a couple appointments that have to come from the city council. Uh, first up is appointment of President Proempor. I would like to pass the torch to Councilwoman Beth Ruckman to make that motion. Second. All those in favor? Any opposed? Congratulations. and Beth, I go to Spain on Wednesday, so you're in charge for the next two weeks. Appreciate you. It is two weeks. Uh, Molly,

and uh, we took care of the city clerk appointment uh, already. All right. Uh, any comments from the the board members this evening? I want to say thank you for all the support that I received from the the council members. um as I campaigned, walked the streets of our neighborhood, got to meet a lot of folks, and I want to say um it mean a whole lot to hear from you. Thank you so much. Thank you, Councilman.

Uh in the absence of Ken Crowder, I'd just like to remind everybody that the uh Overland Community Parade is May 16th, that Saturday. It'll start at 10:00. We're still looking for volunteers and people that would like to participate in the parade. So, if you have any interest, please contact me. Uh, my phone number is everywhere. Um, we'd love to see you all. Thank you.

Perfect. Thank you. And, uh, for all the new faces here tonight, just let you know, we normally have a lot more fun. These meetings are usually about two hours, but we're keeping it quick tonight to get everybody home. Um, but with that said, I would like to thank uh everybody for their support over the past four and looking forward to the next four. Um, it really is an honor to be up here with folks who can actually get the job done and who want to get the job done. I've said this a handful of times over the years. That's not always been the case. And when I meet with members of Municipal League, I know that's not the case with every city. Um, I don't think there's anybody up here who's doing this for clout or for social media fame or out of anger. I think everybody up here is for the right reasons. And I do enjoy working with all of you, even when uh you probably call me bad names sometimes when you walk out of the room. but love you nonetheless. Thank you for all your work and uh glad you're all up here to to serve with me over over the coming years. Um with that said, I will seek a motion to adjurnn.

Motion to adjurnn. Second. All those in favor? Any opposed? We're journ. Thank you.