Settlement

The Board of Aldermen originally approved spending for the Impacted Tenants Fund through American Rescue Plan Act money in 2023. It sought to provide financial aid to tenants who have been displaced from their homes.

City officials say only $4 million of the $30 million of Rams settlement funds allocated toward tornado relief has been spent due to bureaucratic issues. Residents and city leaders urged staff to expedite the process.

Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick’s office released an audit Wednesday criticizing St. Louis County’s process for choosing which projects get Rams settlement funds, while also noting the authority that oversees the Dome lacks funding to maintain the building.

Sonya Massey's shooting also spurred legislation on police hiring.

St. Louis had $300 million and 16,000 ideas from the public on how to spend it at the beginning of this legislative session. A year later, the Board of Aldermen has made no progress.

After a little more than two hours of discussion, members did not agree to perfect any bill, instead moving proposals to the board’s informal calendar.

The Board of Aldermen was preparing to question Ward 7 Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, one of the bill’s sponsors, when Green gaveled the meeting into a recess, a move some members later questioned as possibly not being in accordance with the rules of the body.

Members of the board’s Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee voted 5-2, with Anne Schweitzer and Michael Browning voting no.

This compromise bridges the remaining gaps between Ward 7 Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier’s proposed Transform STL Act and Ward 13 Alderwoman Pamela Boyd’s alternative.

The separate proposals by Ward 7 Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier and Ward 13 Alderwoman Pamela Boyd have some similarities but also have differences that need to be resolved.