Chesterfield Eagle honored, News Briefs

Chesterfield Eagle honored

A Court of Honor was recently held to recognize David Pruitt’s achievement of the rank of Eagle Scout. His leadership service project was completed for Bonhomme Presbyterian Church. He is a member of Troop 848, Chesterfield, and is a sophomore at Westminster Christian Academy.

Westminster senior Brink Thompson has also earned the rank of Eagle Scout. A member of  Boy Scout Troop 17 out of Salem Methodist Church in Ladue, Brink served as Senior Patrol Leader for over a year, Trek Leader for Philmont High Adventure Camp, and is now Junior Assistant Scoutmaster.

 

BALLWIN

Funeral ordinance passes

The Ballwin Board of Aldermen has approved an ordinance setting strict limits on funeral protests in the city.

Passed on a unanimous vote at the Board’s March 11 meeting, the measure takes effect immediately.

Action on the measure was quick and came with virtually no discussion. However, the concept had been discussed at two earlier meetings in the wake of federal Court of Appeals rulings upholding a similar ordinance approved by the city of Manchester in 2007.

While the Ballwin measure doesn’t prohibit protests and demonstrations, it says such activities cannot be held “within 300 feet of any residence, cemetery, funeral home, church, synagogue or other establishment” within one hour before or after a funeral or burial service at that location.

 

CHESTERFIELD

Register now for Safety Town

Safety Town is a nationally recognized preschool safety program that teaches 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds about a wide variety of safety issues including bicycle safety, water safety, school bus safety and stranger danger.

The program is hosted and staffed by the Chesterfield Police Department in cooperation with the Chesterfield Rotary, the Chesterfield Kiwanis and the Parkway School District. Six two-week sessions will be offered between June 3 and July 19.

All Safety Town sessions for 2013 will be held at Parkway Early Childhood Center, 14605 Clayton Road in Ballwin. Registration preference is given to those children who have not previously attended a Safety Town session. An open registration event will be held on April 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Chesterfield City Hall.

The cost of the program is $10 per child. Included in the cost is a Safety Town T-shirt, bicycle helmet and a Safety Town coloring book.

For further information contact Officer Paul Powers at 537-3000 or email  ppowers@chesterfield.mo.us.

 

 

CREVE COEUR

Input sought on city’s 2013-2015 strategic plan

The public is invited to provide comments on the draft 2013-2015 Strategic Plan to be considered for adoption by City Council at its meeting on March 26 at 7:30 p.m. Questions or suggestions can be directed to Mark Perkins at mperkins@ci.creve-coeur.mo.us or by calling (314) 872-2515.

The purpose of the Strategic Plan is to provide focus to municipal operations over the next three years. The Strategic Plan includes specific organizational goals that are tied to organizational priorities such as financial stability or improved city services.

To read the draft and to learn more, visit creve-coeur.org/index.aspx?NID=678.

 

Capital Improvement Plan under review

A public hearing on the Creve Coeur Capital Improvement Plan has been rescheduled from Monday, March 25 to Tuesday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m.

The CIP is the city’s long-range plan for improvements to infrastructure, parks and other community facilities. The CIP is a tool to assess the long-term capital needs, values and desires of the city and to establish funding of high-priority projects in a timely, cost-effective manner.

For more information on the CIP, visit creve-coeur.org.

 

MANCHESTER

Blattner resigns

The Manchester Board of Aldermen on March 4 announced the resignation of Ed Blattner, city engineer. He plans to start a new position with the city of Arnold as its new public works director, beginning March 22.

Blattner has served the city of Manchester for 28 years. He simultaneously served as the city administrator as well as city engineer, but in 2011 he resigned his city administrator position.

 

Planning & Zoning reappointment

The Manchester Board of Aldermen on March 4 reappointed Tom Brown as a member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

 

WILDWOOD

Opposing the Wireless Communications Act

The Wildwood City Council on March 11 voted to write a letter to Missouri state legislators that would oppose the proposed “Uniform Wireless Communications Act.”

The General Assembly currently is considering the bill, which is in the form of House Bill 345 and Senate Bill 241. The measure would significantly preempt municipal authority to review and regulate the telecommunications facilities. The bills would remove municipalities’ abilities to ensure that property owners and the public are protected from the impacts of telecommunication facilities.

“Basically that act would reverse many of the protections and rights that we currently have as a municipality in regard to municipal cell towers, their placement, a number of operators and things of that sort,” Mayor Tim Woerther said.

 

In support of Prop P

The City Council on March 11 approved a resolution to endorse the Safe and Accessible Arch and Public Parks Initiative known as Proposition P, which will appear on the April 2 ballot.

The proposition asks voters to increase the sales tax in St. Louis City and County by three-16ths of 1 cent in order to increase funding for municipal and county park improvements, construction and improvement of local trails and improvements to the Gateway Arch ground. It also would generate an additional $4 million annually for municipal park improvements, provide $9.4 million annually to the Great Rivers Greenway for trail construction and provide $6 million annual to St. Louis County for county parks improvements.

“The City Council believes that the city of Wildwood and its citizens would benefit from the additional funding that the city would be eligible to receive from grants for direct park improvements and trail construction and would benefit from the additional funds available to St. Louis County for maintenance and improvement of its park properties in and around Wildwood,” the resolution said.

 

WEST COUNTY

MoDOT widens southbound I-270

Crews have begun the process of widening southbound I-270 between Manchester Road to I-44, necessitating a barrier from Dougherty Ferry Road to north of I-44 to protect passing vehicles from construction work, including rock removal.

Four thru lanes will remain for traffic. The barrier will be in place for approximately seven months.

Lane closures for daily work, including blasting, will occur during non-peak hours and run from Manchester Road to I-44.

“There will be 15-minute delays twice a day on weekdays when blasting begins in early April, which will be similar to last summer (when MoDOT conducted widening work on northbound I-270). Blasting will last approximately two months,” said Ed Hassinger, MoDOT St. Louis district engineer, at a press conference on March 7.

The entire construction on southbound I-270 is expected to be complete by late December.

Project cost is estimated at $12 million for both northbound and southbound work.

 

MISSOURI

Tax relief for seniors

According to State Representative Rick Stream, the State of Missouri has a program to help senior citizens, 65 and over, with their property taxes.

The Property Tax Credit in available for seniors with yearly incomes up to $34,000. The deadline to file the PTC form is April 15.

The credit applies to tax years back to 2009. It also applies to individuals who are 100 percent disabled.  For more information on this program, visit the Missouri Department of Revenue’s website (dor.mo.gov/personal/ptc) or call (866) 677-9527 for forms and instructions.