It's too darned hot—both outside and at St. Louis City Hall, where tempers flared yesterday among some members of the public. Aldermen, however, kept their cool. Read Ryan Krull's story for the latest iteration of the Rams spending bill and (in his longer web story) a whole lot of fascinating detail about the six-hour committee meeting that led to its advancement.
And it's not just St. Louis getting hot under the collar these days. In Chesterfield, a low-key restaurant in a historic farmhouse is facing pushback. Why? Neighbors aren't happy that it wants to keep serving until 7 p.m. Mike Miller has that story below.
Have a story idea? Reply to this email, or send me a message at sfenske@stlmag.com.
KNOW SOMEONE WHO'D ENJOY THIS EMAIL? DIRECT THEM HERE TO SIGN UP.
Several dozen protestors made their case for Rams' funding at City Hall yesterday. Photography by Ryan Krull
THIS JUST IN
Aldermen tweak Rams settlement bill to give more money to downtown, water
If last year‘s failed attempt to spend the city's Rams settlement money was defined by feuds between various aldermanic cliques playing out in public, this time, the defining conflict is between united aldermen and the several dozen members of the public pushing a different idea at City Hall. Those activists got some of what they asked for yesterday—but not enough to change the heart of the $255 million bill and certainly not as much as they demanded.
Prior to yesterday’s hearing of the aldermanic Budget and Public Employees Committee, the bill proposed by Aldermanic President Megan Green and Mayor Cara Spencer called for $110 million for North City, $55 million for downtown, $30 million for water infrastructure, $30 million for streets, sidewalks and other public infrastructure, and $5 million for vacancy reduction. A series of amendments yesterday saw $25 million that had been allocated for the reserves move into a mix of tornado relief, water infrastructure, and a plan to combat vacancy.
Chants of “if we don’t get it, shut it down” broke out during the hearing and various aldermen were derided as sellouts. During her portion of public comment, Kayla Reed, the executive director of Action St. Louis, warned, “This is personal. Relationships will end.”
As the hearing neared its five-hour mark, the crowd grew so disruptive that the committee called a recess, hoping either for members of the public to calm down or maybe go home. One observer described the proceedings as a "circus." —Ryan Krull
Three Steps Home CEO Sonia Deal discusses the amenities its medical respite facility for unhoused people, like a calming room. Photography by Samir Knox
DEEP DIVE
Three Steps Home offers a new model in St. Louis: medical respite care for unhoused people
Three Steps Home wants to be an entity that unhoused people can trust. Sitting in a niche somewhere between a hospital and a homeless shelter, the organization aims to help people without stable shelter address their ongoing medical needs—and then maybe get help for other needs as well.
The organization welcomed its first patient last week to the top floor of Peter and Paul Community Services’ Community Campus in North City. The facility offers “medical respite care,” a new concept in Missouri that allows unhoused people to recuperate from medical treatment that requires more care than they can get living on the street or in a shelter—for example, wounds that need continued dressing, or post-operation medication.
“Just being at the mercy of the elements makes it a lot harder for folks to heal from whatever it is that they are healing from,” notes Julia Dobbins, the director of medical respite care for National Health Care for the Homeless Council. “Also not having access to consistent and good nutrition, clean water, and bathrooms, that also just creates more and more challenges.”
For medical respite facilities, case management is a key component. CEO Sonia Deal says they’ll roll out programs from financial planning to chronic disease management.
Go Deeper: So far, philanthropy and grants have backstopped the launch of Three Steps Home. However, many medical respite facilities are paid for by hospital partnerships, an acknowledgement that such care can free up hospital beds and provide a less expensive solution.
Board president Pete Woods says Three Steps Home has had a “very promising meeting” with a hospital he declined to name and is in discussions with two others.
What’s Next: Service providers see the health woes of unhoused people as an argument for long-term supportive housing. But places like Three Steps Home can stand in the gap when people have immediate needs.
“Medical respite doesn't end homelessness in itself, it is a disruptor of the cycle of homelessness,” Dobbins says. “That's the goal, is for people not to continue to cycle in and out of the hospital, but for folks to sort of find a place to rest, and then get connected to all of these different resources.” —Samir Knox
Celebrate Juneteenth in the Delmar Loop! Enjoy music, food, vendors, art, community experiences, and the 5K Race for Reconciliation during this vibrant day of culture and connection.
Juan Cox named new St. Louis County police chief (STLPR): Cox joined the department in 1995, and has served in eight different bureaus. He was one of two internal candidates interviewed by members of the county police board over the course of a nearly four-hour meeting.
Project that would bring Ladue its first apartments draws pushback (Webster-Kirkwood Times): T-V Acquisitions LLC needs the 50-acre site rezoned to proceed. An overflow crowd overwhelmingly expressed negative opinions, highlighting concerns about additional flooding, traffic and pressure on the Ladue School District.
Realtors to spend $2M to fight limits on citizen petitions in Missouri (Missouri Independent): The Missouri Association of Realtors’ donation comes just days after it donated the same amount to stop the ballot item aimed at eliminating the state’s income tax.
BRANDED CONTENT
What independent living can look like for adults with developmental disabilities
AbleLight’s personalized living services help St. Louisans with developmental disabilities build independence, connection, and community. Learn more.
Chesterfield's Old House in Hog Hollow has some unhappy neighbors. Courtesy screenshot
Around Town
🏛️ THE JURY IS IN
The St. Louis Police Board suffered a double loss Monday—with both the Missouri Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals rejecting the state-appointed board’s appeal of the ruling denying it an additional $67 million in city funds. The Missouri Supreme Court said it was not the appropriate venue and dismissed the appeal. The Court of Appeals said that lawyers for the Police Board had failed to follow the appropriate procedure for the type of case they’d initiated. Its dismissal, however, comes in a way that will allow the Police Board to refile.
The Police Board's problem is a technical one, although lawyers suggest it’s rudimentary: Its attorney Chris Graville failed to follow the rules governing what are known as mandamus actions. Under those rules, the person suing must request and obtain a preliminary order instructing the defendants to answer within a specified period of time. Graville never did that. In a statement, Graville said that the courts’ orders “provided the necessary path for procedural review of the issue through the Courts. We are grateful for the Court’s quick action in providing this guidance and are remain [sic] confident that a final decision will be provided before the end of the current fiscal year.” More in our online story. —S.F.
🍽️ AS THE COUNTY TURNS
For years, residents of a Chesterfield subdivision have coexisted unhappily with a historic farmhouse being operated as a restaurant. The Old House in Hog Hollow operates out of a farmhouse built in 1859, but now sits on Olive Boulevard and its five lanes of suburban traffic. But that’s not the problem. The problem is The Mansions at Spyglass Summit, an enclave of homes built in the late 1980s. Owners Scott and Shelley Ririe are seeking permission to extend restaurant hours from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and allow outdoor dining. Spyglass residents argue that the Old House’s long-standing restrictions were part of the understanding that allowed a commercial use to coexist with a residential neighborhood. In letters to city officials, several residents raised concerns about noise, safety, and even light pollution from the headlights of cars visiting the property. “We feel strongly that these major easing of restrictions to hours and outdoor food and drink service and live entertainment would be very detrimental,” resident Sue Hempstead wrote to the city. “It may make them more money, but would severely hurt our property values.” The Riries, however, argue that the current operating hours—which force them to miss out on dinner service—are not financially sustainable. The dispute now appears headed back to the Chesterfield City Council after a proposed compromise on hours of operation failed during a committee meeting last week. More in our online story. —Mike Miller
Browse our Top Senior Care guide featuring the region’s top assisted living and nursing facilities, home health providers, and independent living communities.
Heard on the Street
Looking to unlock potential: St. Louis’ City Justice Center, which is hiring a locksmith. The job, which pays between $38,000 and $63,00, is not for the faint of heart or the unsteady of hand. Not only is ensuring that doors lock particularly important in a jail situation, but this particular jail has a history of that not happening. As the job posting notes, the person hired is also expected to keep track of the keys.
Cooling down: St. Louis’ Hi-Pointe Theatre, which will see new, temporary air conditioning units installed beginning today, just in time for QFest. The historic cinema, incredibly, has been without A/C since last May’s tornado. While fundraising for the $464,000 repair remains ongoing, owner Cinema St. Louis says “heat advisories, high humidity, and patron comfort” have made the temporary solution a priority. A new rooftop unit should arrive later this summer.
Seeing national attention: The St. Louis accent. New York Times linguist John McWhorter notes in his newsletter that our famous "farty-far" pronunciation stems from what British accents sounded like in the early 1800s: "In the English brought to St. Louis when it became part of the United States in 1804, 'or' was pronounced as 'ar'—'carn' for 'corn,' or 'farty' for 'forty.' This has been on the retreat in St. Louis since the late 20th century." Who knew that South City was speaking the Queen's English all these years?
New concept: The Tilfords mix it up in St. Charles
Dealmaker: Rep asks Gov for Police Board intervention
Last Call 🥃
Like Alien, only in St. Louis, everyone can hear you scream.
SOUNDBITE
“I'm not watching my back. I'm not worried about anybody at WashU in terms of stealing ideas or being difficult to work with. We are able to work together in a way that I think makes it more enjoyable.”
—Dr. Tim Miller, explaining on The 314 Podcast why WashU Medicine’s collaborative atmosphere has helped fuel his team’s breakthroughs.
💬
Let us know what you think about St. Louis Daily!
Have feedback or a story idea for us? Write to us at newsletters@stlmag.com, or click the button below. We love hearing from our readers.
.jpg?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=June-STLMag-STL-Daily-Newsletter%20(1).jpg)
