The Ferguson City Council met Tuesday January 14, 2025, in the newly renovated council chambers. Those who have suffered through poor audio on the Zoom livestreams will be happy to know that the audio is excellent now, though at a few times the video went a black screen and there was no view of the slide deck Chief Doyle used.
The meeting agenda was amended to add resolution 2025-02 for computer aided report entry and communication services.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Henry Iwenofu was the first to speak and began with a demand to remove Michael Palmer from the council, then stated that he believes occupancy permits are necessary to prevent slumlords.
Jamil Franklin spoke for occupancy permits stating that he checked with Creve Coeur and believes they do not need occupancy permits simply because they do not have many rentals. He also said that he had the city, county, and a private inspection done at his home and they still did not identify a safety problem with an electrical conduit in his home.
Mildred Clines, Patrick Schlereth, Tiffany Ellis, Donald Stevens, Erica Brooks, Adrian Shropshire, Shirley Emerson, and Cassandra Butler also spoke against removing occupancy permits. Shropshire also spoke against removing the language specifying pit bulls in the dangerous animal ordinance. Butler made additional statements/allegations about conflict of interest without providing any detail for her complaint.
Aldrich Cleark asked the council to reconsider a liquor license for Ground Zero Event Center at 9300 W. Florissant.
Mayor Ella Jones announced that there will be a Special Council meeting to be held on January 21, 2025, at 6:00 pm to discuss the proposed occupancy permit ordinance change. Jones invited all to have their “friends, neighbors, frenemies” all attend. NOTE: This announcement was made without notice or request for input from the other council members. At least four members cannot attend at the time and day set, so there will be no quorum. At this time the mayor has not made a change and has instead been promoting it on Facebook, although using a post which oddly omits the day and time of her announced meeting.
CITY MANAGER AND POLICE CHIEF REPORTS
In the City Manager’s report Chief John Hampton thanked Koray Gilbert and the Public Works staff for their work plowing snow.
Police Chief Troy Doyle explained that we are now 86% staffed in the Police Department, however we are “113% patrol staffed” due to the vacancies in Corporal and Sergeant ranks. Those vacancies will be filled with promotions, the process has started for the three Sergeant vacancies and will begin later. Over the year 2024 there were 153 total failure to yield incidents when drivers failed to stop when lights or sirens were activated. There were nine citizen complaints and five internal complaints. The department handled over 37,000 calls during the year.
In recent incidents, an arrest was made in a gun buy gone wrong that started in the Schnuck’s parking lot. He was charged with second degree murder and 1st degree robbery and is currently held by County with no bond. In another incident a traffic stop was attempted on Pershall, but the driver sped away. Lights were deactivated, however the fleeing driver crashed into another vehicle at New Halls Ferry and Pershall. Four people fled the car on foot, but two were caught. The vehicle was found to have been stolen from Alton, IL and two weapons were recovered from the car. There was also an incident on LaMotte were an individual was found unresponsive and a large number of narcotics were found. It is a suspected drug overdose.
The Police Department now has an Explorer post activated in cooperation with the Boys Scouts of America. They are recruiting youth 14 to 21 years of age to join; this is for both males and females. Doyle says he checks in to Officer TJ Brown’s mother regularly and that TJ continues to make improvements. He still has a trach tube so he cannot talk. His cognitive ability continues to improve, and he understands and responds to requests to turn his head or move a finger. Doyle will be traveling to Atlanta soon to see him at the rehab facility.
PUBLIC HEARING FOR ZONING AT 16 DADE AVE.
A public hearing was held for consideration of changing the zoning for 16 Dade Ave. to allow it to be used as a day care facility. The owners worked with the previous city planner (no longer employed by Ferguson) in purchasing and planning for the facility. However, the planner did not include a zoning change as part of the process and the current zoning does not permit the use. The owners made improvements and were unaware of the zoning issue until applying for occupancy. The Planning and Zoning Board and no objections have been received from neighbors. Public comments supported the change but noted that personally identifiable information had been placed online by the city in posting the application. Hampton stated that it was removed once the city was made aware of the problem.
COMMITTEE AND BOARD APPOINTMENTS
In committee appointments, Mayor Jones stated that there were two people who wanted to serve on the Economic Development Sales Tax Commission. Her solution is to appoint Terry O’Neil of the Ferguson-Florissant School District to the board and to make Victoria Glaspy of the Jennings School District an alternate so that EDST could get a quorum. Jones asked the council to respond. Nick Kasoff said he encourages EDST to move forward with that but wanted to add that this is a matter of state law and that the council does not have a voice in it and should not be the one to make an appointment. Linda Lipka also noted that EDST makes their own decision. Lipka moved the conversation to discussion of attracting members to the board and her concern that the daytime meeting time prevented people from becoming a member. Hampton noted that once the board is filled that they can determine the meeting time that suits them. Heather Robinett noted that the council is not appointing but only suggesting as it is outside of council’s jurisdiction.
RESOLUTION No. 2025-01 Regarding Appointment of School District Member to EDST
Concerning the proposed resolution regarding the appointment of a school district member to EDST, Chief Hampton raised concern with the second section and referred to City Attorney Appollo Carey. Carey gave his concern that the statute and ordinance state school districts, plural, within any economic development plan or area funded by the sales tax. He personally recommended getting rid of section one because something might be done in Jennings.
Hampton’s concern in section two was because only the city manager has responsibility for terminating staff. Carey has not worked with this resolution before and would like to work with the language of the resolution in the second section.
Kasoff noted that Carey’s colleague in the previous session found that as a matter of law only that Ferguson-Florissant School District has complete and sole authority that would bind us permanently if circumstances changed later and an additional district was also present. As a result the resolution was amended to find based on current facts at this moment, allowing it to be changed if the facts change.
The greater point is that the council does not have the authority to appoint the school district member of EDST. We have not funded anything with EDST outside of the Ferguson Florissant district currently and the only portion of the city of Ferguson in the Jennings school district is a small undeveloped corner of the Emerson campus. Section 1 only applies to recognizing the facts currently. Section 2 says that the board is a creation of state law and that the school district and county seats are not appointed, approved, or influenced by a decision of the council. Kasoff stated he is happy with the mayor’s suggestion, but it would be unlawful for the council to make a resolution or vote on the matter, or for the mayor to appoint the representative.
The resolution was tabled to allow for Carey to propose changes to language in Section 2
RESOLUTION 2025-02 Computer Aided Report Entry and Communication Services
Chief Hampton explained that both he and Chief Doyle are fully behind this move for better resident safety services. This contract will be for dispatch services with the County office and will be in effect until Dec. 31, 2029. The city will work with the current dispatch employees to move them to other city jobs they are eligible for, or to support them in finding employment elsewhere.
By moving to this contract, Ferguson will be using an accredited CALEA dispatch center, which is a level of service for dispatch that the city cannot do on its own with the money available to Ferguson. CALEA is the highest level of service for law enforcement, and this will move the level on par with our CALEA accredited police officers. The fire department dispatch has been with the county since about 2008. Resolution was passed.
BILLS REQUIRING FIRST READING
#7301 Amending ordinances relating to Regulation of Dangerous Animals
Proposes the removal of language making a breed specific ban of pit bulls.
At this point Mayor Jones determined that the Special Council Meeting would include not only the one concerning the occupancy permits but all four bills that came from Councilors Kasoff and/or Palmer.
#7302 Amending Certain Sections Relating To The Regulation Of Residential Real Estate
Adds a new section concerning short term rentals and limitations and regulations for them. Such rentals are for 30 days or less. Rental of individual rooms is prohibited. Rentals cannot have excessive visitors, create excessive noise, or use parking in excess of the private capacity. Renters must be a minimum of 21 years old. A short term rental occupancy permit is required and must be renewed after one year. An exterior compliance certificate must be obtained within 30 days of issuance/renewal of the occupancy permit and an interior compliance certificate must be obtained before the initial occupancy permit and every three years thereafter. The owner cannot reside in any portion of the rental when it is rented but must also live within sixty miles of the unit or retain a manager with sixty miles.
#7303 Amending Certain Sections Relating To The Regulation Of Residential Real Estate
Removes the requirement for occupancy permits of units in residential buildings containing not less than six units.
The changes do not change any code requirements or enforcement for residential buildings.
#7304 Amending Certain Sections Relating To Compliance with the Missouri Sunshine Law
Waives fees when the charge is less than $5.00; waives all fees when the request is from a member of city council and made in interest of the responsibilities as a council member; and requires the City Clerk to report every three months showing a lists of requests, whether the request was satisfied, the time needed to satisfy it, and if delayed to state the reason for delay.
#7305 Ordinance for Deed for Property Transfer to the City
6 Burdale Ct. is to be purchased for $35,000. This is around the new soccer pitch and will extend the area there.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Nick Kasoff reported on the petition submitted by Ground Zero Event Center in support of a liquor license. Approximately half of the signers were not Ferguson residents. The business has been advertising Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) events. According to state law, a state liquor license is needed to have BYOB, if there was a local requirement, a local liquor license would be required. However, Ferguson does not address BYOB in its ordinances. They have a state license, so they are not violating the law to hold BYOB events. Prior to the submission of Ground Zero’s petition, residents near the business spoke against having a liquor license at this site.
MISCELLANEOUS
David Williams spoke for removing the breed specific references in the Dangerous Animal ordinance and spoke against keeping the occupancy permit. He noted that the occupancy permit only exists in the St. Louis area and is a tax. He urged people to look up the Hancock Rule, which limits the power of local government to raise taxes and has been the basis of lawsuits against North County municipalities. Williams also noted that the permits were part of redlining, which segregated housing. He advocated for people not to hold on to what they were familiar with and think through this and research to consider something different. “It’s easy to speak when you are coming off emotionally, but it’s not factual,”
Mayor Ella Jones spoke on receiving complaints about the snow plowing from residents who felt she needed to address it. Jones said she did not need to say anything because the City Manager made the plan, “Why do I need to say anything? He’s doing his job, talk to the City Manager…. The City Manager came up with a plan to let us know. I don’t do Facebook. My time is too valuable to do Facebook. I do what I want to do with Facebook.” So that she placed a post online about it.
Mayor Jones also explained that she had recently had major surgery and thanked Ferguson residents who helped her daughter care for her. Jones thanked Don Stevens, Shirley Emerson, Octavia Pittman, and Phedra Nelson for helping her recovery. “I just appreciate everything. This is a great city. I’ve been here almost 50 years. I’m not going anyplace, because I love this city, this city loves me,” she stated. She was grateful for having her driveway cleared by a neighbor.