West Newsmagazine 11-26-2014

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By JIM ERICKSON
ericksonjim@att.net
The city of Chesterfield is considering
new ordinances to limit the number of
dogs and cats that can be kept on residential
property and to prohibit texting while
operating a motor vehicle. A third measure
under review is designed to tighten the
city’s laws on prostitution.
The animal measure will make it illegal
for anyone to have more than four dogs or
six cats on residential property. The total
number of permitted dogs and cats is six,
with no more than four of those being
canines.
Police Chief Ray Johnson said the
ordinance is the result of continuing complaints
about the number of dogs and cats
that some residents have.
The texting ordinance will prohibit all
drivers, regardless of age, from sending,
reading or writing text or electronic messages
while operating a motor vehicle in
the city. Exceptions include anyone operating
an emergency vehicle or reporting
illegal activity, summoning medical or
emergency help or relaying information
between a transit or for-hire operator and
that operator’s dispatcher. The measure
also does not apply to persons making or
taking part in phone calls while operating a
vehicle in the city.
Manchester as the first local municipality
to pass a texting ban of this nature, which
goes further than current state law. In October,
Ellisville followed suit.
State law prohibits texting while driving
only for drivers under age 21. Missouri
has no law regarding the use of cellphones
NOVEMBER 26, 2014
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE I NEWS I 17
Chesterfield reviews pet ownership, texting while driving ordinances
while driving.
According to Johnson, the prostitution
ordinance is designed to deal with situations
when Craigslist and other Internet
communications are used to solicit interest
and/or make arrangements for the activity.
Under the measure, not only is prostitution
prohibited but patronizing and promoting
that activity also are illegal.
All three measures received a first reading
at the City Council’s Nov. 17 meeting
and will come up for approval at an
upcoming session.
CHESTERFIELD BUDGET, from page 14
schedule to free up the two officers who are
now assigned as elementary school SROs.
City Administrator Michael Herring also
reminded the council that a decision now
to add two more officers likely will mean
they won’t be available until early spring
due to job posting, interviewing and other
procedures in the hiring process.
When a vote was called, the motion
passed with only Grissom opposed.
Chesterfield’s capital improvements fund
is financed by a half-cent sales tax earlier
approved by the city’s voters. While revenues
were down slightly this year, expenditures
also were less than anticipated, boosting that
account’s reserve funds by some $743,000.
Budget proposals in 2015 call for spending
down part of the total reserve and
include a variety of projects such as vehicle
replacements, concrete street reconstruction,
riparian trail channel stabilization and the
second phase of Appalachian Trail work.
The city’s parks fund also is financed primarily
by a voter-approved, half-cent sales
tax. Total revenues this year also are expected
to exceed budget while expenditures will be
below 2014’s spending plan, again yielding
an increase in the fund reserves.
In 2015, total revenues are projected
to increase 3.4 percent, with higher sales
tax receipts accounting for much of that.
About one-sixth of the department’s revenue
comes from fees and rentals paid by
users of the city’s recreational facilities.
Per a council decision earlier this month,
the 2015 budget calls for promoting a current
employee to a superintendent’s position
to oversee arts activities and hiring an entrylevel
person to assist with that program.
Additional projects the council authorized
this year in the general fund were
offset by higher-than-budgeted tax receipts
and other revenues and lower-than-planned
expenditures. The result was that general
fund reserves will not be used as much as
anticipated, leaving that account well over
the minimum level the council has set.
The council expects to take final action on
the budget after a public hearing on Dec. 1.
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