2011-04-11 Regular City Council Session

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Ms. Carr was present to talk about Bill 9111. She stated she tried hard to understand this bill and it boiled down to you can allow the budget transfer authority if you understand what classifications is. She said this is another case of what does “is” mean. Ms. Carr said the Charter bestows upon the Council members a non-delegatable authority to manage the budget. If there are lots of items, they can be condensed into a consent agenda and vote on them in this manner. Ms. Carr stated that authority to spend the money cannot be transferred to the City Manager who is appointed. The City Manager is there to administer the Council’s policy decisions and is not there to make policy. She asked that Council not abdicate their authority and in six months turn around and say the City Manager had usurped his authority. P. COUNCIL COMMENTS Mr. Price commented on the Loop stating that the majority of the kids do not come from University City. He said the issue is that the kids can send out mass messages with the existing technology. The problem is how does the City deal with the children who are unsupervised coming into the City in packs. Mr. Price said it was a comprehensive issue and felt the strategy cannot be left to just the police or the City Manager. Mr. Price asked what the status of the youth program was. Mr. Price also would like the Council to start to work on strategic strategy on the Loop, the strategic strategy of recycling and to see about moving forward with a transfer station. Mr. Glickert stated that the elected officials do go to the Loop. He said he has periodically ridden in police cars in the Loop on weekends, he has catered to businesses in the Loop, he buys in the Loop and he walks in the Loop. He said it is frustrating and he is not sure if he has an answer. Mr. Glickert said it was a regional issue; it is the new outside mall, an outside Galleria. He appreciated everyone’s concern. Mr. Glickert firmly believed that this Council will take into consideration everything the Loop merchants and all the citizens have provided and we will make it right and clean it up. Mr. Crow commended the U City officers who were stopping the youths at 10 p.m. asking for their ID’s. He was surprised to hear that there were only four officers on the Loop Friday night as he thought he saw a large number of police present. He said it is clear that the situation can turn on a dime. Mr. Crow noted that from the neighbor’s emails he has received, they do not plan on walking down in the Loop in the near term and as a small business owner that causes him concern. Council has an obligation not to wait to see what administration does on this. Mr. Crow hoped that City leadership would see that Council is seated at the table as the issues are discussed. Mr. Crow addressed the Loop business owners and noted that they do have their concerns at this time and the University City police department will be a large part of this solution and we do have to enforce the laws and also tweak the laws to make them more appropriate for the neighborhood and the situation that the City is now in. Mr. Crow stated that he has received an email saying that the driving range lights are not being turned on at all and asked as to who and why that decision was made. He said that this is a good revenue source for the City. Mr. Crow noted he was pleased that because of the state audit the City now has a log to record the Sunshine requests it receives. He said there seems to be an on-going concern of the City’s ability to handle them. Mr. Crow asked that all members of Council receive this to see if the City is fulfilling their requirement under the law. Mr. Sharpe said he met with Mr. Walker and did discuss the issue at the Loop and stated that the City will come up with an idea. The City will do what it needs to do to make it sure that people will be safe when they go to the Loop.