Meeting Highlights: Aldermen Talk Service, Renewable Energy

The Clayton Board of Aldermen met Tuesday at to , including service on the cities boards and commissions and renewable energy plans for the future.

The following is a look at the discussion as it happened.

7:44 P.M.: Harris said she learned that a peregrine falcon baby who escaped its nest at the DHR Building in Clayton has been safely returned. Check out this KSDK story about the falcons in Clayton. The aldermen are entering their closed session.

7:39 P.M.: Owens is recognizing Yucuis' final time in attendance at a meeting of the aldermen and his 10th anniversary with the city. "It's his type of position that's largely behind the scenes that makes a huge difference for all the frontline services," Owens said.

7:36 P.M.: The aldermen are considering whether to amend the fiscal year 2011 budget. It has been amended twice already this year—on Jan. 25 and April 12—to account for changes in projected revenues and expenditures.

A closed session will be held after the regular meeting, Goldstein said.

7:35 P.M.: Istenes said she has heard concerns in the past from designers that they could not be more creative because of city code aimed at preserving neighborhood aesthetics.

"I would applaud you for your movement toward sustainable best practices," Goodman told Istenes.

7:32 P.M.: The goal is to have recommendations on these ordinance changes by the end of the year, Istenes said.

Winings said he's had two or three residents express concern that Clayton's sustainability policy is "stringent" and on "one end of the spectrum." Istenes said that is not her impression and that people have not approached her with similar concerns.

"We do seem to get a lot of cooperation from people" with regard to the requirements, she said.

7:29 P.M.: Code changes regarding renewable-energy zoning amendments, and storm water and impervious coverage amendments, are in the works. Another proposed code change involves the removal and replacement of trees at development sites.

7:24 P.M.: In 2010, Istenes said, the Plan Commission and Architectural Review Board considered 60 items. She is explaining commercial projects reviewed, such as the Central/Maryland Hotel. There were two residential solar-panel installations in Clayton during the course of the year.

7:18 P.M.: A presentation about the Plan Commission and Architectural Review Board is underway by Susan Istenes, director of Clayton's planning and development services.

7:17 P.M.: Arnold is expressing concern about the "cowboy parking meter people. Who gave them the power to be judge, jury and executioner?" He said the way in which parking tickets are given discourages people from visiting businesses such as . He referenced an incident in which, he said, a Clayton police officer told a woman she could not help an older man out of a vehicle at a location near First Watch.

"Why can't we have a couple of handicapped spots, if not on Meramec (Avenue) right at the corner, then on Forsyth (Boulevard)?" he said.

Goldstein said business owners do buy the right to a certain number of parking spaces in the city.

7:06 P.M.:  "I do think that there are reasons for there to be some type of" term limits for boards, Clayton resident Steve Arnold told the aldermen during the public comment portion of the meeting. He said that's because people can get the perception that they could never have the opportunity to serve on the board.

Arnold also said he is concerned about Clayton's perception in the community. "The perception I hear all the time is how money-hungry and greedy our city is, and it hurts me." He said the city focuses on its central business district at the expense of other areas and city services. As an example, he said, the top coating is coming off of Wydown Boulevard. "The services that used to be aren't any more," Arnold said.

7:03 P.M.: The regular meeting has begun.

7 P.M.: The discussion session has ended. The regular meeting is expected to begin momentarily. Among those in attendance at Tuesday's meeting: Don Yucuis, . He will begin a new full-time position in Arkansas later this month.

6:55 P.M.: Goldstein said aldermen will devote a portion of future discussion sessions to the issue of board appointments until the issue is resolved. City Manager Craig Owens asked aldermen to send issues they would like to see addressed regarding boards to City Clerk June Waters.

6:48 P.M.: Winings asked whether aldermen could consider having board appointees begin serving Oct. 1, in conjunction with the start of the city's fiscal year. City Attorney Kevin O'Keefe said Clayton has allowed appointees to begin earlier in the year in an effort to give newly elected aldermen the opportunity to begin implementing policy. Winings also said that traditional reasons for term limits don't seem to exist for appointed positions.

6:45 P.M.: Goldstein and Lichtenfeld have suggested examining the boards that operate in Clayton to see whether some might be combined, removed or added.

6:44 P.M.: Garnholz asked that a section on meeting times be added to the spreadsheet Harris proposed. That would enable aldermen to tell prospective board members about the time commitment they could expect to make.

6:43 P.M.: "I think that we need to start the nomination process much sooner than we have been," said Goldstein, referring to the way in which people are chosen to serve on Clayton boards. Lichtenfeld said the city's website could be used as an "engagement tool," informing residents about who is serving on which board and piquing their interest in participating.

6:39 P.M.: Goodman said the aldermen should consider taking each board's nuances into account. For example, she said, the Clayton Board of Adjustment doesn't meet as often as others. In that case, it might make sense to grant longer term limits.

6:37 P.M.: "I'm sort of dreaming about a matrix, and it would have the boards and the commissions down the side, and across the top all of these little nitpicky things that we are trying to align," Ward 2 Alderman Michelle Harris said.

6:35 P.M.: Ward 2 Alderman Cynthia Garnholz said she has noticed inconsistency in terms of how chairs of boards are elected. Some are chosen by the aldermen while others are chosen by the members of the boards, she said.

6:34 P.M.: Ward 3 Alderman Steve Lichtenfeld said all community stakeholders—designers and other professionals—should be represented on the city's Plan Commission and Architectural Review Board. "And some other boards and commissions may have the same need," Lichtenfeld said.

6:32 P.M.: Ward 1 Alderman Judy Goodman asked whether the city wants consistency in the areas of term limits and voting versus non-voting members. "There are some inconsistencies that are probably there for good reason," said Goodman, pointing out that different city boards serve different functions.

6:28 P.M.: Goldstein said there are three groups whose structure she would not recommend reviewing:

• Clayton Recreation, Sports and Wellness Commission, which she said was hashed out in a thoughtful fashion and runs "pretty autonomously from us"

• Clayton Plan Commission and Architectural Review Board, other than an issue regarding its one additional seat

• Public Art Advisory Council, established about a year ago

6:25 P.M.: The aldermen are now moving to a discussion of the city's boards and commissions. The goal, Mayor Linda Goldstein said, is to regarding service on these entities.

6:24 P.M.: Among the Green Power Challenge team's goals for the remainder of the year:

• Focus on the by sending out information with students via newsletters and fliers
• Continue using online outlets such as Facebook 

"We made it," Bambini said at the end of her presentation. "We're going to make it again." She said private schools such as have not made commitments regarding the effort.

6:20 P.M.: Cindy Bambini is addressing the aldermen about Clayton's renewable energy efforts. She helped lead by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The city has met its goal of replacing or offsetting  670 megawatt hours per month of electricity usage. But she said the EPA has since raised its standards, meaning Clayton needs to meet 999 megawatt hours per month by year's end. The city is at 76 percent of the goal at this time.

6:14 P.M.: Just posted an announcement regarding enrollment for Clayton's Citizens Police Academy. Should be up shortly. The meeting is now starting.

6 P.M.: The meeting is set to begin in 15 minutes. If you have questions about the discussion, please post a question to this article and we'll make sure to get it answered.