West Newsmagazine 12-14-16

16 I NEWS I
December 14, 2016
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
Chesterfield takes action on
‘Jake brakes,’ city-county merger
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By JIM ERICKSON
The Chesterfield City Council took final
action Dec. 5 on three measures it discussed
earlier - a resolution opposing the
possible city of St. Louis’ merger with
St. Louis County, an ordinance prohibiting
compression-release braking on large
diesel trucks traveling through the city and
changes in its development code.
On a 6-1 vote, the council approved a
resolution opposing St. Louis becoming
the 91st municipality in St. Louis County,
a step the St. Louis County Municipal
League earlier had endorsed as an idea
that should be explored. The decision
came after several councilmembers
weighed in on both sides
of the measure.
Due to strong feelings
on the issue, Councilmember
Randy Logan [Ward 3]
said he understands why
the resolution opposing
the action came before the
council; however, since
no plan or specific aspects
have been developed on
how the merger would
happen, it is premature to
oppose something without
knowing those details, he
observed.
Councilmember Barbara
McGuinness [Ward
1] responded, “You don’t
need a plan for something that’s a bad idea
in the first place.”
Councilmember Barry Flachsbart
[Ward 1] said arguments supporting the
joining, including a more positive view of
crime statistics spread over a larger area,
are weak. If St. Louis ever abolished its
earnings tax, often blamed for discouraging
economic development, it would
leave the city with a huge financial gap
that county residents likely would be
called on to fill.
The possible merger of basic services,
including police and fire departments, has
been mentioned as being more efficient,
Flachsbart added. If those services are
combined based on the highest prevailing
costs, there will be no gains in efficiency,
he said.
Citing voter demographics in the city and
county, Councilmember Tom DeCampi
[Ward 4] said joining the two would mean
far-left candidates will prevail in county
leadership elections and that conservative
office-seekers will not stand a chance of
being elected.
Logan was the only councilmember
opposing the resolution. Councilmember
Bridget Nations [Ward 2], who sided with
Logan when the issue was raised at an earlier
meeting, was not present when the final
vote occurred.
In other council business, on a 7-0
vote, the council approved an ordinance
prohibiting the use of so-called “Jake
brakes,” often used to slow large diesel
trucks on long downhill grades. Releasing
compressed air in its engine cylinders
effectively slows the big rigs; however,
the resulting rapid-fire, loud noise has
drawn complaints, primarily from Chesterfield
residents living near Interstate 64
and Route 141.
The city already has approval from the
Missouri Department of Transportation
[MoDOT] to erect signs about the new law,
which will apply throughout the community.
Chesterfield must pay the cost of the
signs and place them.
Finally, new provisions in the city’s
development code address instances
when builders fail to complete work they
agreed to do after receiving approval for
various projects. Companies that post
bonds guaranteeing developers’ performance
also will be affected by the revisions.
Developers who do not complete
agreed-upon improvements within the
prescribed time period will not be issued
a building or other permits in the area
involved and potentially elsewhere in the
city. Any construction activity underway
also will be subject to a stop work order.
In addition, the city will not permit or
accept the posting of any bond by a surety
firm or affiliate that has refused to pay all
or part of a claim the city has made in the
preceding 10 years.