April 23, 2019 — Meeting Minutes
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THE CITY OF CLAYTON
Board of Aldermen City Hall – 10 N. Bemiston Avenue April 23, 2019 (1st Meeting) 7:00 p.m.
Minutes
Mayor Sanger called the meeting to order and requested a roll call. The following individuals were in attendance:
Aldermen: Mark Winings, Joanne Boulton, Rich Lintz, Ira Berkowitz, Michelle Harris, and Bridget McAndrew.
Mayor Sanger City Manager Owens City Attorney O’Keefe
PUBLIC REQUESTS AND PETITIONS
None
Mayor Sanger presented a proclamation to the Clayton High School Mock Trial Team in recognition of earning the title of the Missouri Mock Trial State Champions.
A PUBLIC HEARING AND A RESOLUTION TO CONSIDER A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR JP FIELDS RESTAURANT LOCATED AT 15 N. CENTRAL AVENUE
Mayor Sanger opened the public hearing and requested proof of publication.
City Manager Owens reported that this is a public hearing and subsequent resolution to consider approving a Conditional Use Permit submitted by James Campbell, on behalf of JP Fields Group, LLC, restaurant owner, to allow for the operation for a 4,400 square foot restaurant to be known at JP Fields at 15 North Central Avenue.
James Campbell, owner, addressed the Board to answer questions.
Mayor Sanger closed the public hearing.
Motion made by Alderman Winings to approve Resolution No. 19-06 Alderman Boulton seconded.
The motion passed unanimously on a voice vote.
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2018 COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT
City Manager Owens reported that Ted Williamson, RubinBrown LLC, presented tonight to the Board of Aldermen a summary audit information on the September 30, 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).
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Motion made by Alderman Winings to accept the FY2018 Comprehensive annual Financial report. Alderman Boulton seconded.
The motion passed unanimously on a voice vote.
A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CERTIFICATION OF APRIL 2, 2019, MUNICIPAL ELECTION RESULTS
City Manager Owens reported that on April 2, 2019, a municipal election was held for the office of Mayor. The results of the municipal election as certified by the Board of Election Commissioners of St. Louis County are as follows:
Michelle Harris
YES
2,306 votes (95.53) Invalid Write-In
108 votes ( 4.47)
Recommendation is to adopt a motion to accept the canvassed and certified results of the April 2, 2019 municipal election.
Motion made by Alderman Winings to accept the certification of the April 2, 2019 Municipal Election results. Alderman Boulton seconded.
The motion passed unanimously on a voice vote.
Other
Mayor Sanger: I came across some notes that I had written when I first took this seat six years ago, I think it’s the last time I had actually wrote a speech. But I can across it and the very last paragraph I would just like to repeat for you all. This is after I talk about what a special place Clayton is…. So, I am excited, enthused, fired up, eager, gung-ho, and ready to move our city into its 2nd century. With that note however, this is the last time you will hear me talk about “me”. It is not about me; it is about what the collective “we” in this room as servant leaders can accomplish on behalf of our citizens. There will be difficult decisions to make, there will be times when not everyone will be happy. New challenges will arise, but to paraphrase Bill Clinton who said: “There is nothing wrong in America that can't be fixed with what is right in America”, I say, there is nothing wrong in Clayton, that can’t be fixed by what is right in Clayton”. In over the past six years, we, this group, and a couple of others that are not up here anymore, have worked together to make Clayton what we are today, and we’ve accomplished, I believe, much. The development speaks for itself, the balanced budgets and the wonderful surplus that we have experienced has been great. Our relationship with our partners, the superintendent of the school is here, many of the school board members are here – we have a very tight link with the School District – all been accomplished very wonderfully. So it’s time for me to thank each one of you and if the audience will indulge me for just a moment unbeknownst to anyone here, I have created a nickname for each one of you, which I have said silently to myself on multiple occasions, so I think it’s time to share that in my effort to say thank you. It’s hard for me to say thank you enough, but we’ll make this an attempt.
Mark Winings, who I consider to be a very deep thinker doesn’t say a lot, when he does say something it’s like we went oh, God, we didn’t even think about that, but many times I can look around the room I can tell by the face or by gesture how people are thinking about certain things. Every once in a while, I would glance over to Mark and there’s nothing. The only thing I can get out of Mark is this thing he does with his pen. Mark will you twirl your pen for everybody. Let me just ell you that I have tried to twirl a pen and there is no way, he is an Olympic pen twirler. But the look that I get from him is noncommittal and he just votes yes or no and will tell us why he did it one way or another. So, Mark, “Poker Face” Winings for everything you have done for this community, for this group, and for your constituents, you
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have been awesome. The past six years would not have been the same without you – so thank you very much!
Joanne, my sister from another mother, we have thought a lot alike, we have approached things very much in the same way many times; we’ve thought about stuff the same way. But Joanne is our “deep diver.” When there’s a situation that comes up that she doesn’t completely understand, unless it’s sports, she dives into it to understand exactly what it is we are going to vote on and then she shares it with everybody else. There are many times she comes up with stuff and we go good grief we didn’t even know about that and therefore she brings it up. So people who come here and petitions us for something have to be fully prepared because if they come in and they don’t give us all the circumstance of what they are asking for, Ms. Boulton will go after them and they will not forget that they had been here. So, I think you will actually honor this and be happy about Ms. Joanne “Pitbull” Boulton and she has done a terrific job for us and for the community. The only difference however, between Joanne and a Pitbull is that eventually the Pitbull lets go, and Joanne does not, but for that you have been awesome, thank you for everything that you do for our community, it would not have been the same without you. Thank you.
Mr. Lintz, I have a couple of different ones for you, but I have one that I settled on. So Rich is also a deep thinker and his participation here really has been important because he brings up stuff, that again like Mark, brings up stuff that we haven’t thought about or a different perspective. I would just like to say that everyone up here comes at every issue from their own angle. We may vote unanimously for things and we frequently do, but if we do it’s because everyone has thought it through in their own way. So that, Rich has a unique way of coming to a conclusion, or coming to a vote time, but the think that I love about him is that he is always on the look out for something that we can do as a City to make ourselves more unique or iconic. So when he goes away on trips he will send back pictures of things, it could be a bike lane, or it could be parking, building, architecture, etc. So, the most recent picture that he sent was a gigantic hand holding up a pedestrian bridge and I’m thinking where in the world can we put a gigantic hand with a pedestrian bridge, other than maybe somewhere in the first Ward. So Rich “Iconic” Lintz you have been awesome, thankyou for everything you have done for us and for our community. It would not have been the same without you – thank you.
Ira, my brother from another mother, there are three attorneys on the Board, Mark, Bridget, and Ira. Ira brings the courtroom into our room here and there are many times that he interrogates someone who comes up to make a presentation and he will absolutely interrogate them and I think that is actually pretty cool, but he doesn’t do it in a vicious way it’s just in his nature of doing things. Many times, as you have just seen the way that we run the agenda, I say are there any other questions and then I go to Mr. Winings and he presents what the presentation is, so just many times when I’m turned this way and I’m about to say make a presentation, I see some movement from the left corner of my eye, and I see him going, ‘I have one more question.’ I don’t know how many of you are old enough to remember the television show Columbo, Peter Falk, played Columbo. Peter Falk was a detective and there is a crime that was committed and the beginning of the show and we all know who did it and they are trying to hide and Columbo is assigned to find out who the culprit was so he goes to who he thinks is guilty and he asks him a bunch of questions. The guy answers the questions, and Peter Falk says okay, well thank you and goes to leave. The guy is going oh man I got out of this and Columbo gets to the door and he turns around and says I have one more question, and it is the question that solves the case. So, to Ira “Columbo” Berkowitz, you have been awesome, thank you for everything you have done for our City. It would not be the same without you – thank you!
So, Michelle and I have a great history and it can only happen really in Clayton or I’d say in very few places. In 2013 some of you may remember we had a bit of a contentious campaign for mayor and I got the more votes (121). In many, many circumstances it could be that the person who didn’t win and that sits on this council could have a very acrimonious relationship with the mayor and it happens all the time. When you see the news and you see what happens in other city councils, I mean, it’s a disaster. But Michelle said to me what can we do together to help our community move forward and that’s
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exactly what we did and I think we created a really good bond and we’ve worked together and we’ve counseled with each other and she has been a terrific part of our organization here. I had originally come up with a name that I had touse on one or two occasions and that was the fact that Michelle’s nature is that she wants everybody to be happy and she wants everybody that comes here to go away with a benefit of some kind. She knows that you could never make everybody happy, not in this business. I originally my nickname was kumbaya, but I knew at least two years ago that you would be the next mayor. Just like George W. Bush is called 43, I’ve been calling you 23 as the 23rd mayor of Clayton and for everything that you have done, which is enormous, and all the things you’ve done for your community and your constituents and for this Board – thank you, you have been awesome, It would not be the same without you!
Let me tell you about Bridget a little bit, in 2015 Bridget ran for the 3rd Ward alderman seat and lost. For many people that would have been the end of the game and would have gone away, but Bridget came back in 2018 more determined than ever with a great tenacity, with a great desire to learn and to be part of our community and of course she won. My original nickname for you was the rookie because for anybody who has ever been anywhere near on any of this there is a very steep learning curve to get up to speed because we run at a very high speed. Even though I was involved for many years there is still a learning curve and Bridget has mounted that learning curve to the point where she is absolutely a participating member bringing in a perspective that is very, very good for us and helping us to debate issues and so you are now Bridget “the ex-rookie” McAndrew and I know that there will be very much coming from you in the future as you participate in this counsel. So, Bridget, you have been awesome for everything you’ve done for our community – thank you It would not be the same without you!
I would like to take a moment to thank the staff, we have an unbelievable staff here in the City. I see Patty, Janet, Susan, Captain Glenn, and Chief John Paul. Special note to Andrea Muskopf, the Assistant to the City Manager, and as equally important the producer of my annual State of the City PowerPoint because I would never be able to do it myself and the State of the City is one of my favorite events of the entire year. For putting up with me to create that and the last-minute edits and all the things that you’ve done in the meantime, thank you! this staff is terrific, you’ve all been great – thank you!
To the gentleman sitting to my left, he is without a doubt the most revered and respected City Attorney in the entire region, he’s like E.F. Hutton, when Kevin speaks everyone listens. We can sit around here debate how something should be changed and, in the meantime, Kevin is writing away and says ‘okay, how does this sound,’ and it’s perfect every single time – thank you! It has been a pleasure sitting next to you, the City gets 100% of its money because he sits over here and works the entire time that he is here for the benefit of the City. Kevin, thank you, you’re the best!
Mr. City Manager, clearly, we would not have been able to do all of the things that we’ve done in the past six years without you. You have been an incredible asset to the Board and to the City and everything that you have provided for us another person to help us understand the ramifications of the decisions that we made and not bashful about telling us – that has been terrific. I can’t thank you enough, this Board cannot thank you enough for all you’ve done – you’ve been awesome, thank you!
To June, my other wife, who I wouldn’t know where to go or what to do, or what to say, or what not to say if it wasn’t for June. I’d get up in the morning and look at my calendar and I know what I’m supposed to do because she’s filled my calendar up with things and we have created a great bond over the past six years, and we like to laugh. In fact, I can tell you that we’ve gotten to the point where something will happen and June and I can just look at each other, no exactly what we are thinking and burst out laughing because we are on the same wavelength. So, June, you have been terrific, and a great part of the past six years and I thank you so much for everything you’ve done.
To my family, most of whom is sitting on the front row (daughter in DC on Facetime) from the time they have been very young, I’ve been involved with City for 31 years. For the things I missed, for the great
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support that I got, for just everything that has made this so much easier for me – you guys are awesome, and I could never have done this without you – thank you!
Lastly, to my buddy Ralph, I cannot tell you the number of times that I have sat here and feel him staring down the back of my neck. There’s a great legacy that goes along with sitting at this desk, from Linda, Ben, all the mayors who have come before, if it wasn’t for this guy nothing would be the same here in our community. I have tried to continue the legacy of Ralph Clayton and I am hoping we have done what he would be proud of and I think if he were here today, he would be proud of his City.
Alderman Winings: “You quoted Bill Clinton in your address and every since then I stopped listening to the rest and I was racking my brain trying to think of a good Donald Trump quote, which I knew you would appreciate, and I got nothing and I’m really coming up empty except to say that you’ve been really tremendous. As you’ve mentioned I’ve been on the Board for all six years of your term as mayor and have had a front row seat and I have to say it’s been a very productive and fun six years. In terms of productivity I remember right after you took office, you did the rounds and met with each alderman, we had lunch at Copia and talked about priorities and goals and we exchanged ideas. The two that you really mentioned, which I agreed with at the time, were balanced budget and economic development. I think you stayed true to that and those two priorities have shown themselves throughout your term. We’ve had a great streak of consecutive balanced budgets. If you look at just the real estate development throughout Clayton over the past six years it is safe to say it’s been one of the most prosperous periods in the City’s history. That’s a credit to your focus and you keeping those two goals in mind. In terms of fun, you’ve done a great job of fostering a good culture in our Board, you’re quick to laugh, laugh at yourself, but you’ve really made it fun to serve and it’s good to be part of a group that can laugh at itself and enjoy time together. You’ve done a good job of getting us discussing things, allowing some free-wheeling discussions, but also keeping us on track – I appreciate your leadership style. Thank you for your service, not only during the last six years as mayor, but before that the long illustrious stint as chair of the Plan Commission and as a Ward 3 alderman which goes back 20-25 years. You’ve done as much as anyone to really shape our community. You mentioned legacy, and you are part of that legacy. The City of Clayton has never been better than what it is now and there has been a lot of good leaders that have come before you and it’s a credit to them, many who are in the room tonight, and you’ve built on their work and continued what has been a consistent and remarkable upward trajectory for the City of Clayton – thank you!”
Alderman Boulton: First I really want to thank Diane, because we would not have had you had Diane let you go. You did come into office with a boom, literally as I recall at our first retreat I sat next to you, which was a mistake as I tried to dodge the word darts that were being thrown, but quickly you did something that you do really, really well, you began building personal relationships. You met with each of us, you established repoir, we had our monthly meetings, you sent notes, you did check ins, you answered the telephone, even for me – it was phenomenal, and we became a team. Over the six years we accomplished some amazing things, we made a few mistakes along the way, but we had a lot of fun doing it. But the things that I really want to touch on are some of those idiosyncrasies in your personality that made you so endearing to the rest of us. The first would be balanced budget, it seems almost mundane now that it was our rallying cry for those first years and some of those decisions were tough and I believe Alex will never forgive you for not redoing the Maryland shops streetscape, but you provided us with really strong, consistent, I almost want to say badgering leadership, but we were balanced in three years and have maintained our balanced budget ever since and it’s really well done. You love executive summaries, Harold wants his information short and sweet, not too many details and it’s already been evidenced that is the polar opposite of me. So, we had a little challenge for ourselves on how we were going to bridge that gap and we made it work. I learned to abbreviate, you learned to listen longer, and we did make it work, it wasn’t perfect, but we found it once again went to your ability to meet people half way – we found a way to make it work. The next one is a little harder to talk about, Harold has got a bit of a Joe Biden style leadership issue combined with an amazing clueless listless about feminism in general which has led you and me to have a few interesting little chats together and I really want to continue your path on this gender equality enlightenment, so I found this gift for you and
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it’s an executive summary - My First Little Feminism Board books. Seriously, working with you has been an honor and a pleasure. Your openness to ideas and honesty, your ability to laugh at yourself and good naturedly poke fun at others are only a few of the things I value and appreciate about you. While we may have had our challenges I’ve always felt you’ve had our backs and the one sentence that you’ve said with, ‘hey honey I’ve picked up some Ben & Jerry’s on my way home’ is when Harold says, I hate to admit this, but you were correct. Thank you, Harold, it’s been a pleasure!
Alderman Lintz: I don’t know if you remember our first meeting, it was at Rob and Janie Landers’ house when you were having a coffee when you were running for mayor. I happened to be across the street, so I wandered over, what the heck. I have to admit I was impressed, I was taken by your focus, and I got home and sent you a few bucks and said that if you ever need some help, let me know. Little did I know that a short year later there I was sitting where Bridget is right now, wondering how I am going to do this. The thing that I want to focus on is the fact that the first impression I had of your leadership rang true for all the five years that I’ve been here. I’ve had a number of jobs in my career and what I’ve found that has been most rewarding for me has been when I’ve worked for good leaders, good leaders who’ve allowed us to do what we want to do and supported us, encouraged us and it’s been wonderful working for you. I put you right up there with my wife, who I also work for, as well as a number of other executives, but I think your leadership style has been terrific. One of the things that we’ve always said about this group both when Alex was on the Board and continuing, this group works together, that is no accident, we didn’t do it by ourselves. We had some structure and leadership that got us there and I credit you with that – thank you very much, I’ve really enjoyed working with you!
Alderman Berkowitz: This is very emotional for me, very difficult, you are the only mayor that I’ve served with, therefore I can say you are the best mayor I’ve ever served with. I remember the first time that we sat down together at a lunch and I felt like I was at an interview, I had announced running and you took out a pad of paper and started writing everything I said, I think. I thought this would be interesting, I wondered if I would get the job. I don’t know what you did with those notes, but I’d certainly like them back if you have them. The experience of working with you was different then what I thought it would be in all honestly. You really do know how to be a team player, I don’t feel at any time that I was working for you and all of us have felt that we work for the City and you have made that clear to everyone of us. You have been a great team player, a great leader, you have known exactly when to assert your position as the mayor in order to get things done – a great talent on your part. The most important thing that you’ve done, or the biggest asset you brought to this Board was knowing each of our talents. You knew what Joanne brought, you knew what Rich brought, you knew what I brought, and you would play on those, you brought things too Mark, Michelle, Bridget, at every meeting you made sure to bring out the best in everyone of us in terms of what we had in mind. If somebody wasn’t speaking their minds, you made sure that they did. Mark might have been quiet, but that he was always thinking, and you knew it, and you knew that he had something to say. Every one of us felt very respected by you and as a result every one of us had a great deal of respect for you, because your strength was in that facilitator and the guy who we knew, we could go to and be listened to, and you would understand what we had to say. If I wanted to vote different than you or the rest of the Board, I never felt like I couldn’t – I never felt judged, I never felt criticized because I didn’t quite agree with you and anyone else here. There seemed to be a pretty good culture of after we take the vote, it’s done, let’s go to Muggs. The whole culture of this Board is incredible and it’s because of your leadership. You will leave a legacy here, but I don’t know if it will always be the legacy that you intended. That legacy will be how to make a Board as productive as possible. The development came, we dealt with it, we worked with it and we came up with some very good decisions and outcomes and the buildings speak for themselves. The balanced budgets, the surpluses, all because of the great engine that worked in that direction and you of course the leader on that locomotive. The City is incredibly grateful to you, but I’m grateful to you on a very personal level – thank you for being the mayor and I will miss you.
Alderman Harris: it’s pretty much all been said, I’m not going to repeat everything, I agree with everything. It’s been my pleasure to serve along with you, I wasn’t sure it would be, but it has been. We worked out and worked on a great relationship and I thank you for your give and take on that – I
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appreciate it. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for your tremendous personal commitment to the City and your tremendous personal contribution, 30 years(ish) that is amazing, I don’t know if that’s a record, but it might be. You deserve so much respect for your dedication and your commitment because during those years there’s something going on all the time, not just Tuesday night, it’s every day, weekends, and always thinking. You’ve had a lot of energy and you’ve gotten a lot done, that’s great. You’re leaving big shoes to fill, I’ll do my best to fill them and make you proud, the community proud and I really want to wish you best wishes for your next phase which I know will be equally wonderful – thanks!
Alderman McAndrew: So much has been said I wish that our time together had been longer. I want to thank you for the tremendous support that you’ve given me in the last year. You’ve always been so open to my questions. It’s been wonderful getting to know you and what has struck me most about working with you in the last year is how much passion you have and how deeply you care about this community. Just like you’ve said, you can’t please everyone and I know that there’s people in Clayton that might disagree with some of your decisions, but I hope that everybody in Clayton knows just how deeply you care about this community and that every decision you made was what you thought was for the best for this community. I’ve watched you this last year and just how deeply you feel things and how much you care every day about the decisions that are being made, the people that we’re meeting, the activities that are going on, how much you care about meeting with the students, meeting with restaurant owners, and opening new businesses – it’s been wonderful to watch. Clayton owes you a debt of gratitude for how much you’ve done and how much you love Clayton because it was evident in everything you did – thank you!
There being no further business the meeting was adjourned Sine Die at 7:56 p.m.
____________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________ City Clerk
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Mayor Michelle Harris was sworn in as Mayor of Clayton by City Clerk Frazier.
Former Mayor Harold J. Sanger presented the gavel to Mayor Harris.
THE CITY OF CLAYTON
Board of Aldermen City Hall – 10 N. Bemiston Avenue April 23, 2019 (2nd Meeting) 8:00 p.m.
Minutes
Mayor Harris called the meeting to order and requested a roll call. The following individuals were in attendance:
Aldermen: Mark Winings, Joanne Boulton, Rich Lintz, Ira Berkowitz, and Bridget McAndrew.
Mayor Sanger City Manager Owens City Attorney O’Keefe
Mayor Harris expressed that she is honored and humbled to be the 23rd mayor of the City of Clayton.
PUBLIC REQUESTS AND PETITIONS
None
Mayor Harris presented former Mayors, Linda Goldstein, Ben Uchitelle, Frank Kenney (not present), and Hugh Scott (not present) with proclamations declaring April 23, 2019 as the City of Clayton Mayor’s Day.
There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 8:06 p.m.
____________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________ City Clerk