Click behind the cut to hear more about the landmark public art bill, and more business from this week's meeting at City Hall.
This fund will be overseen by the Regional Arts Commission, and will provide for works of art within the City of St. Louis and at Lambert Airport, to reflect the civic pride residents feel, and to unify and beautify the city. The bill already had enough support to pass two weeks ago, but the legislative process meant that a final vote could not be held until today. Plus, the Krispy Kreme donuts that the bill's advocates brought along to that last meeting before voting the bill to the perfection consent calendar couldn't have lost them any support either.
Read the bill on the St. Louis city website. (The final version that passed is the 'committee substitute' link toward the bottom of the page, which will bring you to a PDF of the bill's language.)
In other Board of Aldermen news...
-Board Bills 219 and 220 had their first reading. If passed, all vehicles used by the Fire and Fire Prevention Divisions of the Department of Public Safety, as well as all vehicles used by the Metropolitan Police Department of the City of St. Louis would be required to have "to protect and serve" painted on them. What, like we'd mistake the police department's purpose to be something else? "To tase and profile," perhaps? "To eat pastry and intimidate"? Sponsored by 1st Ward Alderman Charles Troupe (yes, he of "drinking in public is only OK if you're on your lunch break" fame), we'll be waiting on the edge of our seats to see how much taxpayer money this meaningful venture will cost. Read the bills at Troupe's page.
-Thirteen other bills had their first reading today.
-The Aldermen applauded each other on Prop A's defeat within the city, despite the fact that it passed with a 68.4 percent majority statewide. This could be a hint that though the proposition passed, the cities that it impacts most will continue to fight against it when it's up for approval again.
-Among today's courtesy resolutions, the Board of Aldermen passed one congratulating the Nerinx Hall High School girls varsity golf team on qualifying for the state championship. Well done, golfers.
Tune in next week for more exciting news from the fast-paced world of local politics!
