West Newsmagazine 3-14-18

8 I NEWS I
March 14, 2018
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
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Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital celebrated the “topping out” of structural
steel on the 260,000-square-foot replacement hospital and the adjoining
100,000-square-foot medical office building March 1.
news
briefs
BALLWIN
Trees removed at municipal
golf course
Golfers braving late winter’s brisk winds
are finding a little less tree trouble at the
Ballwin Golf Course.
Eleven trees, including seven ash, a large
oak and three honey locust, have been cut
down in recent weeks. The ash specimens
were deemed not worth saving from the ongoing
invasion of the emerald ash borer while
the others were generally in poor condition.
Although the removals are noticeable to
those familiar with the nine-hole layout,
they represent a small fraction of the 427
trees remaining on the golf course property.
Another 18 trees also rated in poor condition
during an overall inventory completed
last year with a grant from the state
conservation department are scheduled to
be cut down during the next two years.
Meanwhile, 15 ash trees in good condition
are being treated with chemicals to
keep the destructive ash borers at bay for
as long as possible.
Plans call for replacing the trees that have
been removed but no decisions have been
made on the species to be added, according
to Linda Bruer, Ballwin’s director of parks
and recreation.
CHESTERFIELD
Street improvements planned
As part of its annual public works
improvements, Chesterfield will replace
selected portions of pavement on a number
of city streets during the upcoming construction
season.
One project includes work on Ladue
Farm Road in Ladue Farm Estates, River
Bend Drive and Shady Valley Drive in
River Bend Estates, and Westernmill Drive,
Millchester Circle and Millbriar Circle in
Westmill Estates.
A second project includes work on
Schoettler Valley Drive in Schoettler
Valley Estates, Countryside Manor Drive
in Countryside at Chesterfield, and Coventry
Farm Drive, Coventry Farm Court and
Coventry Glen Court in Coventry Farm.
The Chesterfield City Council awarded
contracts for both projects to J. M. Marschuetz
Construction Co. of Eureka. The bid price for
both projects was nearly $1.74 million.
Council authorizes two
structure changes
The Chesterfield City Council has given
final approval to measures eliminating a
staff position and changing the structure of
a committee.
At its March 5 meeting, the council
repealed an ordinance establishing the
position of coordinator of alcohol and drug
abuse prevention. Although authorized
many years ago, the position never has
been filled.
The council also changed the structure
of the Finance and Administration Citizens
Advisory Committee from one established
by statute to one authorized by policy.
The changes were part of the council’s
ongoing effort to review and update the
city’s ordinances and policies to make
them current and consistent.
MANCHESTER
Elected official compensation
procedure changes
A bill was introduced at the Manchester
Board of Aldermen meeting on March 5
that would establish a new means of calculating
compensation for elected officials in
office prior to April 3 of this year.
Currently, the mayor receives $450 for
each regular board meeting and the six
aldermen are compensated at $225 per
board meeting. Board meetings occur on
the first and third Mondays of each month.
Under the proposed ordinance, the mayor
would receive $900 monthly and aldermen
would receive $450 monthly. The amount
per month is unchanged; however, the new
ordinance changes the way payments are
distributed. Elected officials would not
receive additional compensation for ancillary
meetings, such as the budget sessions
or special meetings held during the year.
The proposed ordinance adds language
that addresses absences by the mayor or
aldermen at the board’s regular monthly
meetings. Under the proposed ordinance,
the mayor elected on April 3 and his successors
in office may have two excused
absences per year at the regular monthly
meetings. After two excused absences, not
including canceled board meetings, the
mayor will have $450 deducted for each
absence and, following the same guidelines,
aldermen will have $225 deducted
for each board meeting absence.
WEST COUNTY
Annual ‘Trash Bash’
seeks volunteers
The Missouri Department of Conservation
[MDC] hosts the 10th Annual Confluence
Trash Bash from 9 a.m.-noon on
Saturday, March 24.
Volunteers will help clean up rivers and
creeks that lie within the Confluence Greenway.
Past cleanup efforts have drawn
over a 1,000 volunteers who have removed
5,000 tires and more than 61 tons of trash
and scrap from area streams and rivers.
Participants should report for sign up
between 8 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. A free breakfast
is available for all volunteers before
the cleanup begins.
In West County, volunteers can choose
from the following starting locations:
• Creve Coeur Park, 2160 Creve Coeur
Mill Road
• Chesterfield River’s Edge Park, 17089