City Council - Regular Meetings

Please note, residents can share comments in-person, virtually via Zoom using the “Raise Hand” option, via email or U.S. mail. Written comments will not be read aloud at the meetings. All speakers will be allowed three minutes. Instructions on listening through your phone or computer to the teleconference are available at webstergroves.org/teleconference. [Please note, due to the ongoing pandemic, the public will be required to wear masks at the City Council meetings regardless of vaccination status.] CITY OF WEBSTER GROVES COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA DATE: TUESDAY- MARCH 1, 2022 6:30 P.M. LOCATION – CITY HALL IN-PERSON AND VIA TELECONFERENCE #4 E. LOCKWOOD AVENUE 1. BOARD AND COMMISSION INTERVIEWS 2. REVIEW REGULAR AGENDA 3. MAYOR/COUNCIL/CITY MANAGER ISSUES/MEETING UPDATES 4. TOPICS: • Proposal to House Two Afghan Refugee Families at Eden Seminary • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Follow-Up • Compensation & Classification Follow-Up • American Rescue Plan Survey Results 5. APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS 6. EXECUTIVE (CLOSED SESSION) RE: 1. ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATIONS [MO. STATUTE 610.021 (1)] 2. REAL ESTATE [MO. STATUTE 610.021 (2)] 3. PERSONNEL [MO. STATUTE 610.021 (3)] 4. NEGOTIATED CONTRACT [MO. STATUTE 610.021 (12)] 7. ADJOURNMENT  CITY OF WEBSTER GROVES CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: TUESDAY – MARCH 1, 2022 7:30 P.M. LOCATION–CITY HALL-#4 E. LOCKWOOD IN-PERSON AND VIA TELECONFERENCE Please note, residents can share comments in-person, virtually via Zoom using the “Raise Hand” option, via email or U.S. mail. Written comments will not be read aloud at the meetings. All speakers will be allowed three minutes. Instructions on listening through your phone or computer to the teleconference are available at webstergroves.org/teleconference. [Please note, due to the ongoing pandemic, the public will be required to wear masks at the City Council meetings regardless of vaccination status.] Welcome to the regular meeting of the City Council. We welcome questions, ideas and comments from persons in attendance. Members of the audience may, however, comment only when recognized by the Mayor or Mayor ProTem if the Mayor is absent. We ask that comments be limited to three minutes in order to complete the agenda within a reasonable time. Comments concerning items not on the agenda should be made during the Remarks of Visitors section of the agenda, near the beginning of the meeting. I. ROLL CALL II. RECOGNITION – Police Officer of the Year Phillip Jordan III. REMARKS OF VISITORS IV. NEW BUSINESS - MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER V. NEW BUSINESS 1. Bill #9180 – First & Second Reading - An Ordinance of the City of Webster Groves, Missouri, Amending the Code of Webster Groves, Missouri, by Repealing, Chapter 4, Article XX “Police Community Engagement Board”, and Enacting in Lieu Thereof a New Article XX “Police Community Engagement Board” and Repealing Ordinance #9039, #9132, and #9160 VI. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA 1. Approval of Minutes – February 16, 2022  VII. APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS VIII. EXECUTIVE (CLOSED SESSION) RE: 1. ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATIONS [MO. STATUTE 610.021 (1)] 2. REAL ESTATE [MO. STATUTE 610.021 (2)] 3. PERSONNEL [MO. STATUTE 610.021 (3)] 4. NEGOTIATED CONTRACT [MO. STATUTE 610.021 (12)] IX. ADJOURNMENT Individuals who require an accommodation (sign language, interpreter, listening devices, etc.) to participate in the meeting should contact the City Clerk at 314-963- 5318 (fax number 314-963-7561) or Relay Missouri at 1-800-735-2966 (TDD) at least two working days prior to the meeting. NEXT REGULAR MEETING DATE: TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022  BILL #9180 ORDINANCE #9180 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI, AMENDING THE CODE OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI, BY REPEALING, CHAPTER 4, ARTICLE XX, “POLICE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BOARD”, AND ENACTING IN LIEU THEREOF A NEW ARTICLE XX “POLICE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BOARD” AND REPEALING ORDINANCE #9039, #9132, AND #9160 WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Webster Groves has determined that amendments would provide further clarity into the function of the Police- Community Engagement Board. would function more effectively with amendments providing additional focus and specificity. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI, AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City Code, Chapter 4, Article XX is hereby amended to read as follows: BE IT ENACTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEBSTER GROVES AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City Code, Chapter 4, is hereby amended by revising Article XX “Police Community Engagement Board” to read as follows: Article XX Police-Community Engagement Board Section 4.1200 Police-Community Engagement Board created. a. The Police-Community Engagement Board shall consist of nine eight (8)1 members. b. The Board’s purpose is to advise the Webster Groves Police Department and reflect the values and priorities of the Webster Groves community: to create ensure that local police systems, culture, and policy are accountable to Webster Groves community values and priorities, specifically Webster Groves’ commitment to creating a community where racial equity, diversity and inclusion are lived values.WORK IN (moved from Duties): to help the City of Webster Groves and the City’s Police Department ensure that local police systems, culture, and policy are accountable to Webster Groves community values and priorities, with the goal of dismantling historical inequities in policing and building a community that feels safe to everyone. c. The Board’s purpose shall be accomplished through facilitating collaboration, partnerships, and outreach between strengthen and build upon upon the positive relationships between the Board, the City’s Police Department, and the people who live, work, and play in the Webster Groves community, and by through collaboration, partnerships, and outreach and carrying out the duties assigned to the Board by this Article. 1 Section 4.1205 Membership a. Qualifications and composition. The members shall meet the following qualifications: 1. Mayor and City Council shall select members of the Board with attention to their competency for public engagement and the Board’s purpose. 2. Board members shall have a demonstrated commitment to racial equity based on their professional, civic, or personal experience, training, special interest, or exhibited abilities. Board members shall have completed training focused on the role that systems and institutions play in maintaining racial inequity. or shall undergo a full-day training regarding same, at the City’s expense, within the first three months of their term on the Board. 3. In selecting members, the Mayor and City Council shall consider the diversity of the community, possible membership from the not-for-profit institutions within the community, clergy, and civic organizations, and representation that reflects the demographics of the community including race, age, gender, and geographic representation. 4. No fewer Not less than six of the members shall be residents of the City of Webster Groves, and either a residential property owners or residential renters for at least one year; 5. At least one member shall be the owner of a business located within the City, regardless of place of residence; and 6. One member shall represent the school district within the City, regardless of place of residence (shall be recommended by the school district); and 7. One member shall represent Webster University, regardless of place of residence (shall be recommended by Webster University); and 8. One shall be a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.), psychiatrist, psychologist, or other person skilled in issues that relate to community or police officer well-being, mental and behavioral health, and behavior.; and 9. In selecting members, the City Council shall consider the diversity of the community, possible membership from the not-for-profit institutions within the community, clergy, and civic organizations, and representation that reflects the demographics of the community including race, age, gender, and geographic representation 109. The Chief of Police or theirhis designee shall serve as an ex-officio member. The ex-officio member may participate in the Police-Community Engagement Board meetings and deliberations at the invitation and discretion of the Board but will not be a voting member; and 1110. The Mayor and City Council shall select by vote a City Council liaison, who shall not be a member of the Board but mayshall attend all meetings of the Board, aside from citizen-only listening sessions convened by the Board. The liaison shall keep the Mayor and City Council apprised of matters relating to the activities of the Board. 2  1211. In addition to the above, a Youth Liaison shall be appointed. The Youth Liaison must be at least sixteen seventeen years old, reside within the boundaries of Webster Groves, and be a junior or senior in high school during at least part of his or her their term. The Youth Liaison is not required to attend school within the Webster Groves city limits. The Youth Liaison shall serve for a term of up to two years one year and may not be reappointed. The Youth Liaison shall be entitled to participate in all board meetings but shall not have a vote and shall not be counted towards a quorum. b. Appointment Members shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. Existing members of the Board shall have an opportunity to review applications from prospective members and may make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council. c. Terms 1. Three members of the initial Board shall be given a three (3) year term. Two members of the initial Board shall be selected for a two (2) year tem1. Two (2) members of the initial Board shall be selected for a one (I) year term. Thereafter members Each Board member shall be appointed for a three (3) year term. All Board members may shall continue to serve until their successor is appointed. 2. If any Board position shall become vacant prior to the expiration of its term for any reason, the Mayor and City Council shall appoint a replacement to serve out the remainder of the absent Board member’s term. 3. No member shall serve more than two consecutive three-year terms. d. Compensation The Police-Community Engagement Board Members shall receive no compensation for their services. The Board members shall have no authority to make any expenditure on behalf of the City or to obligate the City for payment of any sums of money. Section 4.1210 Organization a. Officers The membership of the Police-Community Engagement Board shall annually select one of its members to serve as Chairperson and one as Vice-chair. The Chairperson shall collaborate with the Vice-chair to set the agenda for Board meetings. In addition, the Chairperson and Vice-chair shall serve as points of contact for the public, with contact information posted on the Board’s webpage. 3 Section 4.1215 Meetings The Chairperson shall call a minimum of nine meetings per year on a regularly scheduled day. Meetings of the Board shall be called by the Chairman and shall be held as the Board deems necessary but not less than quarterly. The Board shall coordinate with the City Clerk to post notice of all meetings as required by law. All meetings of the Board, except closed meetings as permitted by Chapter 610 of the Revised statutes of Missouri, as amended, shall be open to the public. The Board shall have the authority to convene citizen-only listening sessions outside the presence of Police Department representatives and other City officials. [Concept of listening sections moved to another section.]¶ The Board shall keep minutes of its proceedings showing the vote of each member upon each question as well as other notes and records it shall deem necessary in keeping with the Board’s purpose of public engagement. Section __ 4.1216 Annual Plan The Board shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of an annual plan of action for its work. Section ___ 4.1217 Annual Report The Board shall annually report to the Chief of Police, Mayor and City Council, and City Manager a summary of its activities from the preceding year. Section 4.1220 Duties The duties of the Police-Community Engagement Board shall be include the following:, offering advice and making recommendations via the Chief of Police or his/her designee on issues concerning public safety, and police services, and the relationship between the police and the community within the City, as follows: a. Suggesting methods to enhance relations between the Police Department and the people citizens of Webster Groves, including to promote healing of past personal and historical trauma; b. Creating and publicizing a process for community members to bring concerns, values, and priorities to the Board;. c. Providing the Chief of Police, Mayor and City Council, and the City Manager with a community perspective and related recommendations concerning Police Department policies, practices, and programs and their effectiveness; d. Promoting public awareness and discussion of the City's police Police Department policies, services, and programs, including, but not limited to, business and residential crime prevention programs, officer safety training, officer anti-bias training, domestic violence prevention, and school district/police/community programs, and officer recruitment; 4  Serving as a liaison between the Police Department and the community; and e. Encouraging individuals and community groups to assist the Police Department in implementation of police programs and services; f. Facilitating Police Department transparency and accountability to the community in the event of a police-involved incident causing community concern, as defined by the Board, within the legal bounds of any ongoing investigation. This may include listening to community members, reviewing materials such as Police Department reports, policies, and camera footage, consulting with Police Department representatives, and making recommendations to the Police Department, Mayor and City Council, and the City Manager. The Police Department will make a good faith effort to share materials requested by the Board in furtherance of this duty. g. Monitoring local data in the Missouri Attorney General’s annual Vehicle Stops Report, facilitating public understanding of the same, obtaining additional data and information from the Police Department as needed, and consulting with Police Department representatives regarding ongoing efforts to close the racial and economic disparities reflected therein. Section ___ 4.1221 Communication and Transparency The Board shall promote community engagement through specific means of communication, including but not limited to the following: a. Maintain a Board website with meeting dates and locations, Board news and updates, Board Annual Reports, Board minutes, and an email address that enables community members to communicate directly with the Board. b. Convene at least one citizen -only listening session per year, providing a space for open, honest dialogue among the people who live, work, and play in Webster Groves. Sessions should be designed to promote a sense of comfort and safety for those sharing. outside the presence of Police Department representatives and other City officials. Section 4.1225 Limitations Notwithstanding the duties of the Police-Community Engagement Board as described within this section, the Board shall have no power or authority to investigate, review, or otherwise participate in police personnel decisions.matters involving specific police personnel or specific police related incidents.14 The Board shall in no way receive or stand in review of complaints initiated against personnel of the Police Department, nor have any role in civil or criminal litigation. The Board shall have no involvement in the personnel decisions of the Police Department. 5 Section 4.1230 Sunset The Police Community-Engagement Board shall terminate, and the provisions of Sections 4.1 2 00 to 4.1225 shall have no further effect, after October I , 2021, unless reauthorized by the Council prior to that date Section 2. This Ordinance shall be printed in the Code of Webster Groves. Section 3. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval according to law. Section 4. Except as expressly amended by this Ordinance, the Code of Webster Groves, 2018 shall otherwise remain in full force and effect. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith (including Ordinance #9039, 9132 and 9160) are hereby repealed. PASSED AND APPROVED this ___ day of ________________ 2022. ____________________ Mayor ATTEST: ______________________________ City Clerk 6  CITY OF WEBSTER GROVES February 16, 2022 The City Council met this date in a regular session, in the City Council Chambers, which was available to the public via teleconference, at 7:38 p.m. Present at Roll Call: Mayor Gerry Welch Councilmember Laura Arnold Councilmember Pam Bliss Councilmember David Franklin Councilmember Emerson Smith Absent at Roll Call: Councilmember Karen D. Alexander Councilmember Sarah Richardson A quorum was present. Also present: Dr. Marie Peoples, City Manager Mr. Neil Bruntrager, City Attorney Ms. Katie Nakazono, City Clerk REMARKS OF VISITORS Councilmember Emerson Smith read a statement [See Exhibit A]. Councilmember Arnold stated that she wanted to follow up on one thing. In terms of the DEI study and the Compensation and Classification study, those have been critical pieces of information for us to get in the last year. Especially as we go into a new collective bargaining agreement with the firefighters and really figure out how we can retain employees salary wise. Also, because our community has made it clear that we believe in DEI and this is the starting point for us as a city to do that. So, I just wanted to take a minute and thank our staff because they invested significant time on those projects and I wanted to assure them that from my perspective that was time well spent. Sebastian Bellomo, 118 Summit, stated that he extracted budget data and created a spreadsheet of revenues and expenditures for FY 2012-2022. In all those years the budgets adopted by Council show general fund expenditures exceeding revenues. I understand the same is true for 2002-2011. The general fund was balanced by transfers in from other funds and dipping into reserves. There is no question that the city’s financial situation is dire. Reserves are receding. Expenditures for wages and benefits are about 76% and a big piece of it is public safety. I served on the Council from 2016 to 2020 and accept responsibility for the situation and my fiduciary responsibility because I did not push hard enough to make changes to the budget format. Perhaps some of the impending problems would have surfaced. I know there is no easy solution and the Council and City Manager have a tough and unpleasant problem, raise new revenues, reduce the size of the workforce, or a combination of both. February 16, 2022 Clark Hotaling stated that the Mayor’s comments at the last meeting directed at the City Manager were not appropriate. From my lens this is a time to work together to build on t he City’s past to move it forward. This should not be a time of division and division is what those comments propelled. I want to thank Dr. Peoples and Eric Peterson for taking a chance on us. Thank you for your experience and for the fresh approach you bring to our city. I want to thank every Webster Groves employee for the gifts and talents you bring to Webster Groves. In my workplace we know each of us is not as smart as all of us. Finally, I want to thank the City Council. You are addressing tough issues while being open to new ways of doing things. Talking about Webster Groves becoming a more inclusive community as well as celebrating long-standing and healthy traditions. Public admonishments and full-page ads in the Webster Kirkwood Times filled with half truths and scare tactics are not appreciated in my household. It is time we look and move forward as opposed to wanting to preserve the past. Farrell Carfield read a statement on behalf of the Alliance for Interracial Dignity [See Exhibit B]. Dave Buck read his remarks on creativity [See Exhibit C]. Councilmember Smith clarified that he said the City doesn’t have internet, but he meant to say they don’t have wi-fi. NEW BUSINESS – MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER Mayor Welch stated that as of March 1, we are coming back to in person board and commission meetings, including Council meetings. UNFINISHED BUSINESS BILL #9179 – THIRD READING On motion of Councilmember Smith, seconded by Councilmember Arnold, BILL #9179 ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE LEVYING THE COST OF ABATING CERTAIN NUISANCES (CUT/TRIM, REMOVE TRASH AND DEBRIS, DUMP FEES, ETC.) AS SPECIAL TAX BILLS AGAINST THE PROPERTIES HEREINAFTER DESCRIBED AND CONSTITUTING LEVIES AS LIENS ON THE RESPECTIVE PROPERTIES, having been introduced and read twice on February 1, 2022, was taken up its title read a third time and placed upon its passage to become Ordinance #9179. Mayor Welch called for the vote on Bill #9179. MEMBERS VOTING: AYES: ARNOLD, BLISS, FRANKLIN, SMITH, WELCH NOES: NONE ABSENT: ALEXANDER, RICHARDSON Mayor Welch stated Bill #9179 was approved. CONSENT AGENDA A motion was made by Councilmember Bliss, seconded by Councilmember Arnold, to approve the Consent Agenda. 2 February 16, 2022 Mayor Welch called for the vote on the Consent Agenda. MEMBERS VOTING: AYES: BLISS, FRANKLIN, SMITH, WELCH, ARNOLD NOES: NONE ABSENT: ALEXANDER, RICHARDSON Mayor Welch stated that the Consent Agenda was approved. The following consent agenda was approved: • Approval of Minutes – February 1, 2022 • Liquor License (Temporary) – Application by Mary Queen of Peace Church, 676 W. Lockwood Ave., to Sell Beer and Wine by the Drink for Consumption on the Premises Where Sold at Their Spring Festival on April 30, 2022 (Rain Date: May 1, 2022) • Liquor License – Application by Fuzzy's Taco Shop, 8073 Watson Road, to Sell Liquor by the Drink for Consumption on the Premises Where Sold, and on Sundays (New Owner) • Liquor License (Temporary) - Application by the Lions Club to Sell Beer at Community Days, July 1-4, 2022, at Eden Seminary, 475 E. Lockwood Ave. • Liquor License – Application by Amy’s Cake Pop Shop, 7967 Big Bend Blvd., to Sell Liquor Not to Be Consumed on the Premises Where Sold (2nd Location) APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS • Jeff Mazur was appointed to the Personnel Board. • Michael Buechter, Christopher Michael and Annie Tierney were reappointed to the Plan Commission. EXECUTIVE (CLOSED) SESSION Councilmember Arnold made a motion, which was seconded by Councilmember Bliss, to go into Executive Closed Session per Attorney-Client Privileged Communications [MO Statute 610.021(1)] and Negotiated Contract [MO Statute 610.021 (12)]. Mayor Welch called for the vote to go into Executive (Closed) Session. MEMBERS VOTING: AYES: FRANKLIN, SMITH, WELCH, ARNOLD, BLISS NOES: NONE ABSENT: ALEXANDER, RICHARDSON Mayor Welch stated that they would go into Executive (Closed) Session. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the City Council, the meeting was adjourned at 8:38 p.m. on motion of the Mayor, duly seconded. PASSED AND APPROVED this _______day of ____________________ 2022. ________________________ Mayor _______________ City Clerk 3  Exhibit A The purpose of my comments is to respond to the comments made by our mayor at our February 1, 2022, City Council meeting. 1. The sick leave policy- The city's sick leave policy was outdated, requiring a change. My main issue is that the city has an unfunded liability of $867,631.00 of sick leave cost. No assets were accrued to address this liability, and this amount is not recorded as a liability. This amount has increased the city's deficit. 2. Budget woes- The city had deficient spending for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,2014,2016,2019; note: 2018 was not a deficit spending year because of the Prop P funds. Then there was the pandemic, and the city revenue streams were crippled. Placing blame on Dr. Peoples and her administration for the loss of income due to the pandemic is wrong. a. I do challenge the number of years of clean audits, and this is an area I recommend the City Manager and Council discuss with our auditors. We need to determine how an $867,631.00 unfunded liability escaped their audit. 3. Spending Spree - The Council, including our Mayor, supported each hired position she mentioned. HR Manager, Communications Director, and Assistant City Manager. All the positions are vital to the city. a. DEi - Consultant - The city had already started the DEi process before Dr. Peoples' arrival. We used an organization named Beloved Community, and the purpose was to engage staff in systemic change. Beloved Community performed an Equity Audit, and the City Council also participated in the audit. The current administration just took the process to the next level, and the entire Council supported this move. b. New Technology- City Hall's infrastructure is very outdated. Staff requires the tools to do their job, and technology will only improve job performance. i. Television in the Chamber-City Council approved funding for equipment for the Chamber in 2019 or early 2020, with the past administration. Dr. Peoples completed the project. The city council's goal was for the community to participate in Council meetings via some streaming method. ii. Office 365 - Office 365 is used worldwide, and I do not classify this purchase as a spending spree. Office 365 will provide our staff with the most up-to-date technology (tools) to perform their jobs. If the proper technology had been in place, some staff would have been able to work from home during the most critical peak of the pandemic. iii. Forensic Analysis - Without spending money on a forensic analysis - The scope of.errors in the Fireman's pay would not have been resolved. The forensic analysis revealed errors totaling $157,388.00, and the errors in the Fireman's pay happened in prior atiministrations. iv. Compensation and Classification Consultant- The Council approved hiring a consultant to provide current salary information. The goal was to make sure that our staff wages were competitive in the market.  c. Destruction - The only destruction is spreading incorrect information and blaming the current administration for bringing forth errors that happen in the past administration or past Councils. There is no hidden agenda to blarne past administrations or city councils for effors, and the errors are not manufactured. It is the responsibility of the current City Manager and her management team, and the City Council to address these issues. I thank Dr. Peoples and her administrative team for open and honest dialogue with the Council and Community.  Exhibit B Conrad, Jennifer From: Farrell Carfield <farrellcarfield@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2022 8:23 AM To: Nakazono, Katie; Conrad, Jennifer Subject: Remarks of visitors, Alliance for Interracial Dignity Caution: This is an External Message ‐ Please be cautious when opening links or attachments Good morning! Here are the remarks I delivered at last night's meeting. Thank you! 2/16/2022, Remarks at City Council Farrell Carfield, 542 Sunnyside Ave., on behalf of the Alliance for Interracial Dignity. Dear Council members. Thank you for your vision in establishing the Police Community Engagement Board (PCEB). This new body has shown much promise in advancing fair and professional law enforcement that is responsive to community values. Just this month, the Hicks-Carter-Hicks report showed community recognition of the importance of this ongoing work. The Alliance for Interracial Dignity wishes to share our support for statutory amendments that would strengthen the Board and focus its mission. For over a year, we have collaborated with the PCEB and Chief Curtis to find ways to codify lessons learned in the early years of the Board and ensure that hard-earned progress is not lost as Board members and city leaders come and go. The loss of two Black women leaders from the Board during this time underscores the difficulty of the PCEB’s work and the importance of establishing a Board design and culture that honors diverse voices. We are grateful to the PCEB for all the meeting time they dedicated to examining these questions and forming the proposals you now consider. The Alliance began asking for the PCEB after a community-wide conversation about public safety back in January 2018. Webster Groves has made good progress since then, but we should try to move forward with a greater sense of urgency. We look forward to expeditious passage of these amendments and to ongoing partnership in service to our shared community. One final note on a separate but related topic. The Alliance commends this Council for devoting city resources to transparency and communications, to pursuing equitable compensation structures, and to the diversity/equity/and inclusion audit. We are also grateful for Dr. Peoples’ exceptional leadership in shepherding these priorities through challenging times. These are long-overdue investments in pursuit of inclusive democracy that benefit all members of this community. It is frankly devastating to see the Preserve Webster group and Mayor Welch undermine community support by calling this a “spending spree,” especially because we know our mayor fundamentally supports this work. We ask Council to stay the course in tending to our most valuable human resources. Thank you. 1 ‐‐ Farrell Carfield (she, her, hers) 2  Exhibit C Conrad, Jennifer From: Dave Buck <dave@buckstl.com> Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2022 8:21 AM To: Welch, Gerry; Laura W. Arnold; Pam Bliss; Alexander, Karen; Richardson, Sarah; Emerson Smith; David Franklin; Peoples, Marie; Peterson, Eric; njbatty@aol.com; Perry, Mara; Starkey, Jenny; Nakazono, Katie; Conrad, Jennifer; Davis, Scott; Rehg, Todd; Curtis, Dale; Ellis, Brett Cc: Sebastian Bellomo; Clark Hotaling; Farrell Carfield; Elyssa Sullivan; Sarah Riss; addison.david@wgmail.org; simpson.john@wgmail.org; croftrj@sbcglobal.net; Toni Hunt; Kevin Brackens; Eric Hayes; wendybruner@peaceuccstl.org; stroble@webster.edu; dkrause@eden.edu; Jaime Mowers; newsroom@timesnewspapers.com; derek.bastian@wrhm.org; linda.WRHM@gmail.com; Mary Taylor; Mark Langston; Margo Murphy; Wynn Miller; preservewebster@gmail.com; Webster Groves; emily@emilyforwebster.com; John Eppers; Karen Beck Subject: Dave Buck City Council Mtg. "Remarks of Visitors", 2/16/22 Caution: This is an External Message ‐ Please be cautious when opening links or attachments There is a whole lot of seriousness going on in Webster Groves these days: serious people, serious issues, serious conversations, and a serious election coming up. It's all good and all important. But, as a 20‐year veteran of our community, I think, at times, it is absolutely necessary for our collective mental health and happiness to pause, smile, look for the good, and remind ourselves that life in our wonderful town is often too creative, fun and mysterious to be taken so damn serious! Which is why I like to sing (based on the song, "Gary, Indiana", from one of the greatest Broadway musicals of all time, "The Music Man"): "Webster Groves, Missouri, as Shakespeare would say, trips along softly on the tongue this way. Webster Groves, Missouri, Webster Groves, Missouri, Webster Groves, Missouri, Let me say it once again. Webster Groves, Missouri, Webster Groves, Missouri, Webster Groves, Missouri, It's the town that knew me when. If you'd like to have a logical explanation, 1 How I happened on this elegant synchopation, I would say without a moment of hesitation, There is just one place that can light my face. Webster Groves, Missouri, Webster Groves, Missouri, NOT Louisiana, Paris, France, New York or Rome! But Webster Groves, Missouri, Webster Groves, Missouri, Webster Groves, Missouri, OUR HOME SWEET HOME!!!" Thank YOU...Thank YOU very much! 2