West Newsmagazine 5-3-17

10 I NEWS I
May 3, 2017
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
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Serving St. Louis & surrounding communities
New councilmembers took the oath of office on April 19 in Chesterfield.
From left are Barbara McGuinness, Ben Keathley, Bob Nation, Dan Hurt and
Michelle Ohley.
[Jim Erickson photo]
news
briefs
BALLWIN
Ballwin joins group
considering tax lawsuit
The city of Ballwin has joined a coalition
of Missouri cities investigating the possibility
of a class action lawsuit targeting telecommunications
firms.
Approval for the step came at the April 24
Ballwin Board of Alderman meeting after a
report on the issue from City Attorney Bob
Jones.
Prompting the move is the decline in
revenues from gross receipts taxes telecommunications
firms pay to Ballwin and other
municipalities in which they operate, more
specifically local taxes owed by the companies
for added services and surcharges
beyond historical landline offerings.
In recent years, settlements of class action
lawsuits over the issue have run in the tens
of millions of dollars, including a $65.4 million
settlement with AT&T in 2007.
Although the telecommunications industry
is growing rapidly, tax revenues from
this source continue to erode, Jones said.
One of the factors involved is the rise in
voice over internet protocol [VOIP] service.
VOIP is subject to different tax rules, but
there is disagreement over when, how and if
local taxation can or should apply.
With all the legal arguments involved
and many millions of dollars at stake statewide,
a quick resolution of the issue appears
unlikely. What’s more certain is that many
Missouri municipalities are experiencing
the same revenue crunch, are looking for
ways to resolve it and may opt to climb
aboard the class action bandwagon.
It’s also a virtual certainty that any additional
taxes telecommunications firm pay
will be passed along to their customers.
Parade participants sought
Groups interested in participating in the
Ballwin Days parade on Saturday June 10,
can register online at www.ballwindays.
com. This year’s theme “40 Years and
Going Strong!” celebrates four decades of
change and fun in Ballwin. The parade will
start at 9 a.m on Steamboat Lane proceeding
North to Kehrs Mill Road where it will
travel East into Vlasis Park ending on Park
Drive near the police station. Parking for
parade viewing will be available at Target
on the east side of the parking lot.
CHESTERFIELD
Councilmembers, mayor sworn in
Two new members and three re-elected
members of the Chesterfield City Council
took the oath of office at the council’s April
19 meeting.
Sworn in for a second four-year term was
Mayor Bob Nation, while councilmembers
Barbara McGuinness [Ward 1] and Dan
Hurt [Ward 3] took the oath of office after
being re-elected without opposition to twoyear
terms in April 4 balloting.
Nation defeated Councilmember Randy
Logan [Ward 3], who has another year
remaining in his two-year term.
Also sworn in for two-year terms were
Ben Keathley and Michelle Ohley. In the
race for the seat formerly held by Bridget
Nations, Keathley defeated three other candidates
in Ward 2. Ohley received the most
votes in a three-person race in Ward 4 that
included recently appointed councilmember
Nathan Roach who finished second. Roach
was appointed to complete the term of Bruce
DeGroot, who was elected in November to
the Missouri House.
Conducting the swearing-in ceremony
was Richard K. Brunk Jr., Chesterfield’s
municipal judge.
After the swearing in, Councilmember
Tom DeCampi [Ward 4] nominated Hurt
to serve as the council’s president pro tem.
Hurt’s nomination received unanimous
approval.
WILDWOOD
City to vote on
smoking legislation
Wildwood’s City Council is set to vote,
on May 8, on first reading of legislation that
would amend city smoking regulations to
restrict smoking only to those aged 21 and
older and to prohibit smoking within city
parks and trail corridors.
The council, on April 24, voted 15 to 1 –
with only Councilmember Jeff Levitt [Ward
7] opposed – to prepare the legislation.
Levitt said he supported the age change but
was concerned whether the city was following
St. Louis County’s lead on the park and
trail ban.
City Administrator Ryan Thomas told the
council during a work session on April 24
that the St. Louis County Council passed
legislation at the end of 2016, which raised
the minimum age to purchase tobacco and
vapor products from 18 to 21.
He said the County can enforce these
new regulations through the County Court
system, but, in order for Wildwood to have
authority to prosecute offenses at its Municipal
Court, the council should consider
amending the city code to match County
regulations.
In April, the city’s Board of Public Safety
recommended both the proposed changes.
Thomas said the changes would further
promote Wildwood as being a community
valuing healthy living, while at the same
time reduce the potential for wild fires from
discarded cigarette butts.
However, Levitt said – in response to
Thomas saying he wasn’t sure about the
County’s stance on banning smoking within
parks and trail corridors – that the city
shouldn’t have legislation that differs from
the County’s “on something as personal as
smoking.”
Business appreciation
award considered
Wildwood’s City Council, on May 8, will
vote on legislation that would set up a business
appreciation award program.
Julian Jacquin, the city’s economic development
manager, told the council during an
April 24 work session that the program is
intended to honor local businesses in the
community and also is meant to improve
the city’s business retention and expansion.
The program would be used to recognize
one business with the award at regular intervals,
he said, adding residents, businesses
and officials could nominate the business,
and a city review team would then select the
winner and recognize that company with the
award for that period.
All other nominees would be placed into
a “pool” for consideration at the next period,
along with any new ones submitted, Jacquin
said.
Selection criteria would include significant
business growth, successful employee
retention and recruitment practices, out-