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Session 1911 February 9, 2004 that person needed to be present and on-site. She asked that this be reconsidered. CITIZEN'S COMMENTS Kathy Straatmann, 6823 Crest Avenue, 2 West, thanked the City Manager for meeting with the Do Right Committee, noting Councilmember Sharpe attended also. After a request from Ms. Colquitt to be updated on the activities of this group, they decided to update the entire City Council about their progress. She said her committee wants to meet with members of the Police Department to discuss implementation of the Northeast Plan in respect of City and Police services. They now look forward to plans being implemented. Richard Dockett, 6844 Crest Avenue, also a member of the Do Right Committee, thanked the Mayor and City Council for their efforts to improve neighborhood conditions, but stressed there are still measures to be addressed, specifically delineated in the Northeast Plan. He focused on police issues, noting that the Third Ward, where members of the Do Right Committee live, is the "polar opposite" of the First and Second Wards. The problem, as he sees it, as a matter of "intimidation by the University City Police Department." He referred to several situations which he regards as racially- motivated. Patricia Merritt, 6558 Corbitt Avenue, came to oppose the pilot program for trash pick- up to be undertaken by the City of University City, specifically as regards replacing dumpsters with pull-carts. They prefer that dumpsters remain. They see problems resulting from the following: parking issues, difficulty for elderly residents to move carts into the streets, pick-up times limited to one day a week only, litter falling from carts on collection days and stray dogs. They do not see removing dumpsters as a benefit. Mr. Wagner asked if the City staff had consulted with citizens about the pilot program, and was told they had not been included. Mr. Sharpe asked if is possible to postpone the pilot program until such time as the City Council can discuss it. Mr. Munkel asked why this plan was put in place at this time. Mr. Ollendorff promised a report for the Council with details of the program, stressing that any change must be supported by the citizens to be successful. Mayor Adams suggested that the program was in response to requests from citizens, who wanted dumpsters removed to bring them in line with the roll-carts used throughout the rest of the city. Ms. Welsch suggested there would have been more citizen support if they had been involved in making the decision. Mr. Ollendorff said it was clear that it was no longer necessary to stick with the deadline presented to him regarding this matter, and Ms. Welsch said she would give him some lee-way until the citizens were brought in to discuss the matter. Ray Reckamp, 7100 Kingsbury Boulevard, spoke in support of the position taken by Ms. Merritt and her neighbors, but also in support of all citizens in University City who have alleys. He encouraged the Council to consider a policy, legislation, whatever, to ensure that trash recyclables, Christmas trees, etc., are collected in alleys, where alleys exist. Page 7