Aldermen Approve FY2012 Budget, Will Review Compensation Plan

The makeup of city commissions and the allowance of wine bars are among items the Clayton Board of Aldermen considered at its Tuesday meeting.

The following are updates from the discussion as it happened. The meeting began at 6:15 p.m. with a discussion session, followed by a regular meeting at 7 p.m.

REGULAR MEETING

8:04 P.M.: Goldstein said she and Lichtenfeld will meet with the Old Town Clayton Neighborhood Association on Wednesday. The meeting has ended.

8:03 P.M.: Maddox-Dallas thanked planning director Susan Istenes for her department's work and responsiveness.

8:01 P.M.: The aldermen have approved the license. No closed session is planned tonight. Goldstein joked that part of the reason is because Maddox-Dallas is celebrating her 25th wedding anniversary.

Goldstein made complimentary remarks regarding the Art Fair, as did Lichtenfeld. He said he's amazed at how quickly everything was cleaned up.

7:59 P.M.: Schwarz said a number of people who are tenants in the building have made informal requests for the addition of alcohol at the restaurant.

Goldstein is asking where his customers come from.

Lunch is the restaurant's best time of day, when it draws people from and elsewhere. Business people come for breakfast, and the restaurant has its lowest traffic at dinner, Schwarz said.

7:57 P.M.: Mike Schwarz bought the restaurant with his wife in the last year. My Daddy's in Cape Girardeau added alcohol to its menu last October, so the restaurant is following that path. It's also an effort to cater to the surrounding community.

7:56 P.M.: The aldermen are considering whether to approve a liquor license for

7:55 P.M.: The aldermen are considering an ordinance that would amend the city's employment agreement with the city manager. In part, it relates to the way in which compensation changes are made.

7:52 P.M.: The ordinance on the utility tax has been approved.

7:50 P.M.: The aldermen are considering an ordinance regarding the utility tax and gross receipts.

7:49 P.M.: The aldermen have approved the budget.

7:46 P.M.: Goldstein said she would like to see the budget passed. She said the city has received two requests to take a second look at the the compensation plan outlined, and she said she would be supportive of doing that.

"Having lived through some difficult HR decisions in my business I realize that now the recession is hitting city government," Goldstein said.

Harris agreed.

"I think it is worth reconsidering just because these are people that we're talking about, and I think they deserve a really in-depth thought process," she said.

Goldstein said the budget can be amended in the future if needed to reflect any changes to the compensation plan. At the same time, she said she thinks the city has done its due diligence on the budget.

7:44 P.M.: Goldstein is commending all those who contributed to the development of the 2012 fiscal year budget. The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

7:43 P.M.: The aldermen have approved the ordinance. It has been amended slightly to reflect an ad valorem tax levy of .681 for commercial property, down from .712 as outlined in the original wording of the ordinance.

7:36 P.M.: The aldermen are reviewing, for the second time, an ordinance regarding the levy for the current tax year.

7:31 P.M.: The aldermen also have approved the second ordinance on wine bars.

7:27 P.M.: Here's some perspective on the proposed ordinance as outlined in a request for board action document from Owens: "The proposed amendments have an economic component and staff believes they will allow for a more diverse array of hospitality options within the City which are intended to benefit residents, businesses, visitors and the City's economic vitality."

7:24 P.M.: Correction: The aldermen just voted to approve the first wine-bar ordinance following the public hearing. It is now reviewing the second ordinance on such bars.

7:22 P.M.: The public hearing on the first wine bar ordinance has ended. The aldermen are now reviewing a second ordinance related to wine bars.

7:20 P.M.: I "feel like it would be a nice addition to the community," Goodman said of wine bars.

Harris asked how the message about the proposal was communicated to restaurateurs. City Manager Craig Owens said a meeting has been held with the organized group of restaurant owners in the community and that a lot of informal conversations have been held with those groups and commercial property owners.

7:18 P.M.: For those following along, here's .

7:16 P.M.: The aldermen have granted the permit for the fitness facility and are now considering an ordinance that would update city code to allow wine bars.

7:13 P.M.: Mushlin said he expects the business to open in the next two to three weeks at the very latest.

An aside: During the public comment portion of the meeting before this hearing began, Kurt Becker of Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri IAFF Local 2665 addressed the aldermen about an email he said he sent them recently regarding a memorandum.

"I want to just stand in front of you and just let you know that this is a big deal," Becker said. "And I would genuinely appreciate your thoughtful consideration" of our request.

It's unclear what Becker was referencing. Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch will follow up in an effort to get more information.

7:11 P.M.: The public hearing has opened. The aldermen are considering a resolution that would approve a conditional use permit for Red Fitness Lounge, which would be located at The Crescent in Carondelet Plaza. The facility would be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday by appointment only. Jamie Mushlin owns the building.

Mushlin said the lounge will serve as an upscale fitness area that employs three or four trainers who will provide one-on-one and group training. He said a lounge and computers will be available for people to research nutrition and other health-related issues. The business will host a speakers series, as well. 

7:05 P.M.: Goldstein has read a proclamation recognizing next week as Constitution Week. Clayton resident Nicki Herrington requested that the mayor consider making such a proclamation, she said.

7:02 P.M.: The meeting has begun.

6:57 P.M.: The regular meeting is expected to begin momentarily.

DISCUSSION SESSION: BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

6:56 P.M.: The discussion session has ended.

6:55 P.M.: The aldermen will discuss boards and commissions further at their Friday meeting. After that, Goldstein said, the aldermen will need to determine how to go about implementing the recommendations, whether it be developing resolutions or other action.

6:54 P.M.: Garnholz said she questions whether term limits should be imposed on the Plan Commission.

"It's just that there are professional requirements to be on there, and it can be difficult to find people," she said. She asked Lichtenfeld, who is the aldermanic representative to the commission, for his thoughts on term limits.

"I think they're appropriate," said Lichtenfeld, noting that finding qualified people for the commission hasn't been a problem.

6:46 P.M.: Under current city law, the mayor does not have input in appointments to committees even though the practice of approving nominees is referred to as a mayoral appointment, Goldstein said.

6:43 P.M.: Harris said she and Maddox-Dallas are recommending setting the number of members on select city committees to seven. Those committees don't presently don't have membership limits set in stone, and the charter doesn't specify how many people should serve on them.

6:42 P.M.: Both an alderman and the city manager vote on the city's Plan Commission, and that would continue because of charter rules under the proposed changes.

6:38 P.M.: The aldermen and mayor are discussing who should be responsible for appointing a person to the seventh seat on boards and commissions.

Harris and Ward III Alderman Steve Lichtenfeld said they think the seat should rotate among wards.

Goldstein said she thinks allowing the mayor to choose the seat "would give flexibility and objectivity to the needs of the entire community."

She said several years ago, Ward I wanted an extra seat on the Architectural Review Board because of heightened development in the area and the controversy surrounding it. The city worked out the issue and gave the ward another seat. She said she could see similar situations arising in the future that would require flexibility.

Ward II Alderman Cynthia Garnholz said the mayor could be responsible for that role in practice only because of stipulations outline in the city's charter. The aldermen expressed agreement to pursue a rotating seat in which the mayor would have input.

6:28 P.M.: Harris said she and Maddox-Dallas are suggesting putting a limit of three consecutive three-year terms on commission service.

6:26 P.M.: Goldstein said she likes the idea of letting the aldermen have the ability to appoint the chairs of commissions. Maddox-Dallas said that would tie the boards back to the aldermen.

"It's nice to have the flexibility to appoint that chair if we wanted to," Harris said earlier in the meeting.

6:20 P.M.: Harris is providing an overview of the recommended changes. Among them: Introducing term limits for some city entities. The aldermen will hold a Friday to look address any remaining issues on this subject.

6:19 P.M.: Mayor Linda Goldstein is thanking Ward II Alderman Michelle Harris and Ward I Alderman Andrea Maddox-Dallas for the work they've done to identify inconsistencies in the city's code regarding boards and commissions.

6:11 P.M.: The meeting is set to begin momentarily.