City Council - Regular Meetings

Exhibit 1 From: Nakazono, Katie To: Rangel, Karen Subject: FW: Dave Buck Remarks at WG City Council Meeting, 9/17/24 Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024 9:34:58 AM Katie Nakazono City Clerk City Clerk phone: (314) 963-5318 From: Dave Buck <dave@buckstl.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2024 9:23 AM To: Arnold, Laura <arnoldl@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Bliss, Pam <blissp@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Alexander, Karen <alexanderk@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Hixson Shepherd, Emily <shepherde@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Hasemeier, Jamie <hasemeierj@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Franklin, David <franklind@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Smith, Emerson <smithe@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Peoples, Marie <peoplesm@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Peterson, Eric <petersone@webstergrovesmo.gov>; njbatty@aol.com; Nakazono, Katie <nakazonok@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Thomas, Tiara <thomast@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Tyler, Renee <tylerr@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Myers, Robert <myersr@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Alpaslan, Sinan <alpaslana@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Davis, Scott <daviss@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Ellis, Brett <ellisb@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Bainter, Gary <bainterg@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Acevez, Vincent <acevezv@webstergrovesmo.gov>; Weimer, Erich <weimere@webstergrovesmo.gov> Cc: Julie LeFevre <JLEFEVRE16@yahoo.com>; Peter Bakker <peterwbakkerarkema@gmail.com>; spencer.evyn@wgmail.org; Jaime Mowers <jmowers@timesnewspapers.com>; Randy Drilingas <randy@timesnewspapers.com>; Don Corrigan <corrigan@timesnewspapers.com>; Kevin Murphy <newsroom@timesnewspapers.com>; Brandi Schubert <schubebm2@gmail.com>; Ree Hamlin <rhamlin@bestversionmedia.com>; rebeccanow@sbcglobal.net; Allen Todd <todd.allen@wgmail.org>; John Simpson <simpson.john@wgmail.org>; Matt Irvin <irvin.matt@wgmail.org>; johnson.chris@wgmail.org; John Gabriel <jgabriel@nerinxhs.org>; Lea Berndsen <redcarlea@charter.net>; Miki McKee Koelsch <peanut1006@sbcglobal.net>; gkrautmann <gkrautmann@sbcglobal.net> Subject: Dave Buck Remarks at WG City Council Meeting, 9/17/24 Caution: This is an External Message - Please be cautious when opening links or attachments Attention: This email was sent to your @webstergroves.org address. Please inform the sender to use @webstergrovesmo.gov Exhibit 1 “THREE things, all of which are personal to me: FIRST, as you know, I am a strong advocate for the indoor pool and I very much appreciate the chance to meet with some of you next week on Wednesday evening, September 25. I want to be absolutely clear, just like water in a swimming pool: we will be focused 100% on revenue, not operating expenses, as a low revenue projection was the chief reason that indoor pool was put on hold by City Council back on August 1, 2023. It’s interesting: the City of Webster Groves has 77 revenue streams, with sales tax being the big one, representing over 30% of city revenues. We figure that the indoor pool has legitimately 14 different revenue streams with a couple of big ones. It will be a fun conversation. SECOND, I have been mentally ill since a teen in high school with my life-long, incurable affliction as a bi- polar manic depressive. I know what it is like to be a teen with mental challenges. I even lost another bi-polar friend to suicide. I am currently walking the Northwest Webster Neighborhood to line-up front porches for our 5th annual “Porchfest” on Sunday, October 6. This neighborhood is Exhibit 1 right across Rock Hill Road from KVC and I am getting a very intense, passionate and heartfelt ear-full regarding the current major KVC controversy. To me, both sides have compelling arguments and rationale for their positions. On one side, mental health problems are on the rise with teens for several reasons and these kids need significant care. On the other hand, nearby neighbors across the street are feeling fear and have a natural primal need to protect their families and keep them safe from any threat of harm. As some of you know, I am an advocate for peace, the peace process and achieving a mutually beneficial and agreeable WIN-WIN solutions – something that Webster, in the 24 years I have lived here, does not do very well. The KVC controversy is going down the same highly divisive WIN-LOSE path of other significant city controversies like The Mills Project, A4 Duplex proposal, and Douglass Hill with packed City Hall meetings and running full-page opposition ads. Thus, can the City LEAD this issue down a different path of mutual respect, empathy, and working together as one in trust to craft a positive compromise solution both sides can agree on, support and live with in peace – versus the Exhibit 1 most assuredly deep division, meanness and negativity??? THIRD (my 3 minutes of fame ran out so this comes from a brief conversation I had with Neil after the regular City Council meeting ended), my life has been impacted by tragic gun violence four times, including 1) the shooting and murder of my two best friends (brothers) by their mentally ill mother when I was 11 years old, and 2) the previously mentioned suicide of a dear friend in 2012 in a playground of a Webster Groves school. I asked Neil about the status of local, potential gun control-related Bills #9255 and Bill #9256 that were not on Council’s meeting agenda. Neil uploaded me that there is more good & needed work going on here with hopefully additional such bills. Suffice to say I was both delighted and heartened to learn of this effort from Neil and I thank and applaud him and City Council & Staff for finding effective ways to help counter the position of the state on guns. Thank YOU!