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BB131 Boyd Rams Settlement Board Bill

What amendments would you offer on this plan to spend the Rams Settlement?

This board bill authorizes expenditures of funds to support reinvestment in downtown and disinvested neighborhoods, including North and Southeast St. Louis, meeting certain thresholds under the Economic Justice Index; directs the investment of funds while agencies program and plan for necessary expenditures consistent with the Board Bill; and provides that the City shall seek a return on any funds used for real estate rehabilitation projects in disinvested areas.

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Endorsement
I believe public safety should be at the top of any bill so this one could use more of that. I am, however, in favor of this as I can see the benefits for city residents, not just individuals. Rams' money should benefit areas and neighborhoods and promote growth. I believe this bill does that better than the other.
Concern
This bill does not consider all the feedback that citizens across the city provided at all. The Board of Aldermen unanimously agreed to following a citizen engagement process... but few of the top five ideas are even being considered.
Suggestion
Great to hear about infrastructure repair. I support prioritizing walking/biking/public transportation options when modernizing city streets.
City residents have waited long enough. Invest in Downtown STL.
Endorsement
Fully support
Endorsement
Fully support
Endorsement
The Downtown streetscape needs to be modernized. I support
Endorsement
Fully support
Endorsement
We endorse that the Rams Settlement funds are used for Downtown
Suggestion
The Board of Public Service doesn't have the skills or capacity to make decisions on how these funds are used or manage these funds effectively. However, this proposal is a clear indication of the loss of faith in the St. Louis Development Corporation to make sound decisions and manage funds. The final bill needs to address transparency and accountability in very specific terms in specifying the decision-making, management, and administrative arrangements for expenditure of Rams settlement funds. If it is to be SLDC, there must be an effective oversight mechanism, since the agency's board has proven incapable of independent oversight.
Concern
Save this money and use the interest on investing in North City for infastructure, businesses, and safety.
I fully support this bill as an employee who works in the City daily.
Endorsement
I have worked downtown for 27 years. In that time, the downtown area has steadily declined. The Rams settlement provides an opportunity to draw business and visitors back to downtown as well as invest in the disinvested neighborhoods in the City. I support and urge the Board to pass legislation proposed by Ald. Pam Boyd that provides for investment in Downtown ($100M) and disinvested neighborhoods ($130M).
Endorsement
I support Bill 131 and investment in the City of St. Louis.
Endorsement
100% support for this Bill, as absolutely necessary to keep people working and visiting downtown. Full support.
Endorsement
I strongly support the bill. As the key to growing the entire City, downtown needs substantial support now to reverse businesses moving out of the City. Disinvested areas need support now.
Endorsement
Passing this bill is critical to the future of Downtown, St. Louis, and the region. Please do not miss this opportunity to make a difference in the future of St. Louis.
I hope the bill goes through its much needed
Suggestion
Overall I am in favor. Downtown needs to be the economic engine of the city. Partner with Greater St Louis regarding this. Fix infrastructure everywhere, not just disinvested areas. However, provide additional assistance to disinvested areas beyond infrastructure.
Focus more on the area around the National Geospatial Intelligence center. It was disinvested, but now presents a great development opportunity. DO WHATEVER is necessary to resolve the Paul McKee situation—that could be aggressive litigation, it could be by a settlement or a partnering. But DO WHATEVER it takes to get that situation improved, so development can occur, and spending part of the Rams settlement money could certainly be part of that.

Dan Tobben
Endorsement
This is very needed. I hope we get to work quickly! Many of these items have been needed for 10+ years so my personal hope is that is doesn't take 10+ years to put this to work! Thank you all for working on this- I endorse and hope it gets approved.
Suggestion
If the objective of BB131 is to determine a blueprint or framework in order to establish general objectives and strategies for the fund, with details to be hammered out later, then as it stands, BB 131 needs to be rewritten.

The problem with the board bill is that it creates a very unstructured, yet still defined process for managing the spending through the Board of Public Service, and gives the President of said board all discretion in the disbursement of funds. Yet, it gives no direction to that office on how to inject the capital into projects, or what metrics should be used to measure effectiveness, nor any means of ensuring that funds are recycled so that they can become force multipliers over time.

Instead, the board bill leaves it up to the discretion of one person. This is a recipe for disaster. If the goal is to provide a framework, then the BB should be rewritten to establish subsidiary funds (such as for downtown infrastructure or downtown building rehab), but then prescribe a process for establishing detailed strategies, objectives and measures for evaluating success that must be approved separately in future bills or redevelopment agreements before capital is actually disbursed from the fund.

This is essential.
Endorsement
Much has been made of the suggestion that Rams settlement funds should be used for purposes that are “transformational”. To meet that goal, it is important that the funds be leveraged in a way that contributes to long-term, sustainable improvements in the economic and social well-being of City residents, and/or in improving fundamental conditions in distressed city neighborhoods (including downtown) that will contribute to continuing economic growth. These one-time funds should not be used to fund recurring expenses that only offer temporary benefits and will create future financial obligations that the City cannot possibly meet.

Board Bill 131 is intended to be a framework for committing the Rams settlement money, rather than a blueprint for the processes by which ensuing decisions regarding expenditures would be made and the money would be administered. It serves as a conceptual alternative to the as-yet to be revealed but much discussed idea to create an endowment with the funds. In the case of the endowment, funds will be disbursed in relatively small amounts over many years, and nothing has been revealed about how decisions would be made far into the future. And nothing about the endowment proposal suggests that it remotely meets the definition of "transformational".

BB 131 provides the conceptual framework for investments in the City that meet the definition of “transformative” far better than any of the other “plans” that have been suggested. We now need to work together to use that framework to structure a plan that is truly “transformative” and provides the kind of transparency, effective decision-making and accountability that has been recently lacking in city government.
Endorsement
Please support BB131. More than most areas of the city, downtown benefits from investment. Money invested downtown has a multiplier effect because new projects clustered in a relatively small area attract additional investment, visitors, residents and jobs.
Endorsement
I endorse this bill!
Endorsement
It's time that our City leadership shows some real leadership on this subject and puts the funds to work. Without a reputable downtown engine, our city and region will continue to underperform its potential. Let's do this!
Endorsement
This is needed to drive tourism and downtown business.
Endorsement
We need better housing in downtown STL
Endorsement
This is sorely needed.
Endorsement
This is sorely needed
Endorsement
I wholeheartedly approve of this proposed legislation. It's high time we stop the infighting and take action to help move the City forward. Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth. We won the lottery here. Let's put these funds to work for the community as soon as possible! The longer we wait, the farther we fall behind.
Endorsement
Let's get to work!
Endorsement
I fully support this bill utilizing the funds for improvements to the city as a whole, especially downtown. The money needs to be spent to make St. Louis safer and allow it to become a destination city. Tourism/new business/new resident dollars will then raise the city's income permanently allowing for other investments in the city. These funds should not be spent on specific demographics (ex: housing). It should be to improve the city as a whole. I do, however, feel the funds should not be invested in city areas that have not responded well to investment in the past. Money should be spent on the areas that will give us the most bang for the buck. Bring in those new sources of revenue and more challenged areas can then be addressed.
Endorsement
I support this bill. It is imperative that we invest in downtown especially with matching funds coming from the private sector. Would like to see some incentives for major employers to relocate downtown.
Endorsement
I support Bill 131. As the economic engine for the City we must invest in Downtown.
Endorsement
I am providing my endorsement for this bill! Downtown is the economic engine of our region. Supporting downtown will support the greater St. Louis region and lift the needs of the whole city. My belief is that we have a once in a generation opportunity to use these public dollars to turn the tide for Downtown. It is critical that these funds are obligated to Downtown to leverage the past, present, and future private dollars by our organizations and others that care about our city and region.
in reply to Jill Buehler's comment
Suggestion
Spreading around funds everywhere implies equality not equity. There needs to be a large focus on disinvested neighborhoods first.
Endorsement
I fully endorse this bill. Investing in our Downtown is pivotal to the future of St. Louis.
Endorsement
I am in favor of the Greater Saint Louis use of the Rams Settlement.
Endorsement
I fully endorse this proposal. It is imperative that St Louis City allocate these dollars to provide more affordable housing for all residents.
Endorsement
Downtown is the economic engine of not just St. Louis City, but the entire metropolitan region. We have a once in a generation opportunity to invest in that engine and leverage private dollars to increase that impact. Strongly endorse.
Endorsement
I endorse this bill. Downtown is critical to our City and entire region, and this is key to Downtown's future. Northside needs this investment now.
Question
How does this allocation differ from the ARPA funds that were allocated to downtown?
Question
Infrastructure repairs were ranked #1 by the respondents. Sections 2 and 3 seem to be duplicates and allocate a total that exceeds the infrastructure repairs. Can more details be provided related to sections 2 and 3?
Endorsement
Dr. Francis Onukwue, President of Hi-Tech Charities, and member of the Good Neighbor Partnership & Collaboration support the Board Bill Number 131 Introduced by Alderwoman Pamela Boyd.
For questions or additional information, please call Dr. Francis Onukwue at 314-922-7139.
Endorsement
Endorse!
Endorsement
I support Bill 131
Endorsement
Endorsement - there are other phases in the process before anything is finalized to add more specifics but please, listen to business leaders and citizens and take action now with this bill. Give people like the Wall Street Journal something positive to write about instead of a downtown doom loop, we have the chance to change the narrative with future headlines like "$232M investment in St. Louis". It would make both those outside and in St. Louis take ourselves serious in a turn-around and hopefully, drive economic growth for the region in the process.
Suggestion
FUNDING ALLOWANCE FOR SENIORS TO MAKE REPAIRS TO HOMES ,SUCH AS ROOF REPAIR , ROUTINE YARDWORK NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO LIVE SAFELY IN THEIR HOMES.THAT THEY CAN NOT AFFORD
Endorsement
I support this bill. We need to invest in Downtown to generate more tax revenue to support the services the city needs. A big expenditure is needed to turn the tide. The neighborhood investments serve us all in the end.
Endorsement
I fully support the concept of this bill; the downtown area certainly needs attention and the neighborhoods on both the north and southeast sides can benefit as well.
I would like to hear more about specific projects that this bill would target.
In addition, I would like to hear more information from Greater STL about the proposed match from downtown stakeholders to double the amount of funds available to tackle specific projects downtown.