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The School Board President, Superintendent, Mayor, and I held our quarterly lunch this <br />week. We made strides in organizing two joint meetings. Due to the complexity of <br />schedules, we arranged to have two Monday night meetings. The first will be a study <br />session for Council on Monday, November 19 at 6:30 PM in the EOC Room. Interim <br />Superintendent Wilson agreed to attend along with any other district staff you might find <br />helpful to field questions and identify strategic initiatives for partnership. A second <br />meeting for the School Board and City Council is scheduled in the District Board <br />Room (McNair School on Groby Road) for 6:30 PM on Monday, December 10. <br />Council Members Arthur Sharpe Jr. and Byron R Price will host a third ward <br />community meeting on Thursday, October 11, from 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM at the <br />Heman Park Community Center. Interim School Superintendent Joylynn Wilson and I <br />will be the primary speakers. I will review the City's Strategic Plan, budget history, and <br />two million dollar collections deficit. <br />The Great Rivers Greenway District, the public organization leading the development <br />of a region-wide system of greenways, parks, and trails known as the "River Ring", has <br />announced plans to extend the popular River des Peres Greenway along Germania <br />Street and the River des Peres channel, from Morganford to Interstate-55. The nearly 1- <br />mile extension of the existing 4-mile River des Peres Greenway will include a new <br />pedestrian plaza with a stone seat wall, and pavers and pedestrian level lighting that is <br />consistent with the existing design of the River des Peres Greenway, which opened in <br />September 2005. Anew trailhead parking lot will be created near the intersection of <br />Eugene and Germania. While Great Rivers Greenway has put the U-City projects on <br />hold due to monetary demands from neighbors. Through the acquisition of grant funding <br />by our Parks Staff, we currently have a 3/ of a mile of trail under construction in Heman <br />Park. The spur trail will link into the Centennial Greenway when Great Rivers proceeds <br />in the future. <br />U-City in Bloom Bulb Sale will take place this weekend in conjunction with the Loop in <br />Motion, on the sidewalk between Craft Alliance and Bread Co. New this year: A large <br />number of wearable art and stationary will be for sale. The fundraiser will take place <br />Friday, Oct 5 and Saturday, Oct 6 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. If you can volunteer to <br />work on Saturday, call Linda at 727-4232 or email linda_fried@charter.net <br />The St. Louis County Legislative Affairs Committee will provide their report during <br />their November 3 breakfast. The Committee narrowed their selection to approximately <br />40 and will highlight five during the annual breakfast. The five issues on the "short list" <br />are identified below. The numbers correlate to the full packet included as an <br />attachment. <br />A 1. Taxation of Cell Phones and Other Communications Systems <br />During the summer of 2007 municipal attorneys reached a settlement agreement <br />with Verizon Wireless regarding the payment of gross receipts taxes on cell <br />phones, flat taxes levied by cities and antenna taxes. The agreement stipulates <br />that the company will pay two years of back taxes and all future taxes at the <br />current municipal rate. Settlement negotiations with other companies are <br />