West Newsmagazine 11-13-19

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8 I NEWS I November 13, 2019 WEST NEWSMAGAZINE @WESTNEWSMAG WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM The Bathroom of Your Dreams in as Little a a Day Custom Molded Bath & Shower Liners • Walk-In Tubs Get the Look of Marble & Granite • Carefree - Mold Resistent Non-Porous and No Grout • Over 100 Design Choices & Colors 2424 Hwy 94 South Outer Rd. | St. Charles, MO 63303 636-947-0177 | www.BATHPLANET.com FIRST 25 CALLERS SAVE $ 750 OFFER EXPIRES 12/31/19 On Nov. 6, Chesterfield Police Officers Todd Lantz, Matt Adams and Greg Rupp were recognized by MADD [Mother’s Against Drunk Driving] for their dedication to removing impaired drivers off the streets. [Chesterfield Police photo] news briefs BALLWIN City projects modest revenue increase for 2020 There are several variables involved in today’s city budget estimations. Regarding revenues, ones mentioned at the Oct. 28 Ballwin Board of Aldermen meeting included the variation in fuel costs, TV viewing choices, online sales vs. storefronts, and even fluctuations in the weather. While each of those has the potential to lessen city income, Finance Officer Denise Keller said she expects 2020 revenues to increase approximately $184,000 to roughly $21,157,000. “It’s the policy of the city to budget revenues rather conservatively,” Keller said of the modest increase. Factors that residents might never consider – such as cable vs. Direct TV – do play a role in the city's budget forecasts. Keller explained that the city collects a higher rate of taxes on regular cable than it does on Direct TV. Another area for potential revenue shifts is in the number of fines collected for traffic violations. Keller said the city police department has been more lenient, of late, in handing out traffic tickets; opting, instead, to hand out more warnings. Online shopping habits also are reducing the sales tax revenue generated by brick and mortar stores in the city. Currently, Ballwin does not charge a use tax on internet purchases [over $2,000] as some municipalities do. Use taxes mirror sales tax rates and help to offset revenue now lost to internet sales. While 2020 planning and projections are well underway, Keller noted that her department still was looking toward the holiday shopping season. “Economic forecasts are saying that we’re going to have a really big holiday season this year,” Keller said. “Obviously, a lot of that is going to be online sales, but they supposedly make up one-fifth of the in-store sales. So, we’re hoping that’s going to bring us in good at the end of this year.” Next year, some of the revenue pluses surely will be negated by the passage of Proposition B, which raises the minimum wage by 85 cents per hour in each year through 2023. “Recreation revenues are the last big pie piece [of the revenue pie chart],” Keller said. “There’s a little bit of a dip in 2019 compared to the last two years. That’s because in June we had 20 days of rain, which has a big impact, obviously on ball grounds and for aquatics. It reduces daily admissions, and that’s the month [June] that people tend to buy pool passes. But if it’s raining, they’re not coming in and they’re not buying pool passes. “Next year, we’re looking at an increase in summer camp programs of about $44,000. That’s due to a couple of factors. They’re increasing the fees by $10 in part to recoup part of the increased cost of labor [from Prop. B]. Also, they’re adding five specialty camps and a whole extra week of camp next year because school is starting later in August." State law now requires that school starts "no sooner than 10 days before the first Monday in September.” Once Keller was finished with her presentation, she opened the floor to questions and comments. Alderman Michael Finley [Ward 1] thought of yet another positive with the 2020 budget. “It’s really nice that we’re getting over $100,000 in revenue for the police services from Winchester,” Finley said, referring to a recently passed agreement between the two communities. Winchester previously had contracted its police services through St. Louis County. CHESTERFIELD City Council approves McDonald's site plan With a couple of minor changes to its site plan, the McDonald’s fast-food restaurant at 13559 Olive Blvd. will be allowed to proceed with its renovations, including a second drive-through lane. After the developer met with property owners, they came to an agreement to eliminate one of the required fences. Under the latest revision, the required 150-foot-long, 6-foot-high screening fence on the western property line would not be required. “The Woodsmill Pointe condominiums already have fencing around their pool and its homeowner’s association decided it did not need a second fence,” said council member Barbara McGuinness [Ward 1]. In lieu of the fencing, McDonald’s has agreed to provide more intensive landscaping in that area. Farnsworth Group engineer Bob Polk said that McDonald’s and the homeowner’s association will have a shared maintenance agreement that includes maintenance of the fence and replacement if necessary. Homeowner JoAnn Smith said that after doing research and speaking with residents and an attorney, the homeowner’s association decided that having dual fences would be taking a step backward. The space in between the fences ends up getting cluttered with grass and weeds and it attracts pool hoppers, she said. However, McDonalds still will be required to install a 6-foot-high screening fence along the northern property line, along with landscaping to enhance the required buffer. Other requirements in effect include removal of the existing non-conforming pole sign, not allowing non-security lighting to be on earlier than 30 minutes prior to the restaurant's opening and not later than 11:30 p.m., and providing cross-access to all adjacent properties. An added amendment prohibits construction vehicles from using Coliseum Drive. The city council voted to approve the zone change request for the development. Mayor disputes sales tax rumors Mayor Bob Nation wants to ensure residents that the city is not hiring a public relations firm in an effort to increase taxes. At the City Council meeting Nov. 4, Nation addressed the rumors that he said have been spread on Twitter and KMOX radio. “Nothing like that could be further from the truth,” he emphatically stated, about the accusations. The city is currently awaiting a decision from the Missouri Supreme Court on the St. Louis County sales tax distribution formula, commonly referred to as the “tax pool.” Chesterfield sued the state in December 2014, claiming the municipality should be able to keep the full 1% sales tax collected in the city rather than share it with the pool. The city lost that suit but appealed the case to the state Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court finds in the city’s favor and invalidates the statute authorizing the pool tax, it would take away approximately 15% of the city’s revenue, the mayor said. If so, a replacement tax would be on the ballot. “Since the maximum sales tax rate is 1%
FACEBOOK.COM/WESTNEWSMAGAZINE WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM and the current tax is 1%, there is no way we could have a tax increase,” Nation said. “That information is completely false.” Although he didn’t mention him by name, the mayor was referring to council member Ben Keathley [Ward 2], who he accused of “throwing the city under the bus.” “To accuse me of lying and cheating is wrong,” Keathley said. On Oct. 30, Keathley posted the following statements to Twitter: “Last night @ChesterfieldCH council discussed hiring a PR firm to market a sales tax increase to voters. Using tax dollars to convince taxpayers to pay more taxes is nauseating. Discussion took place a half hour BEFORE the posted start time. Not ok.” Keathley denied the mayor's accusations and stated that he simply had expressed concern from elected officials about the upcoming court decision. A discussion about hiring a PR firm did take place at the recent Finance and Administration Committee meeting; however, it focused on explaining the Supreme Court ruling to the public, not pushing for a tax increase. That discussion happened early in the meeting when the mayor was not present. While the website calendar stated the meeting was to start at 6 p.m., it started at 5:30 p.m. “Twenty people were there on time, the mayor was late,” said council member Barbara McGuinness [Ward 1]. “He missed the entire discussion.” Wings of Hope receives $1 million gift The Wings of Hope Soaring to New Heights Endowment Campaign recently received a boost thanks to a $1 million gift from the William R. Orthwein, Jr. and Laura Rand Orthwein Foundation, growing the endowment to nearly $8 million and moving it closer to its $10 million phase-one goal. “We are beyond grateful for this important gift and the generosity of the Orthwein family,” Bret Heinrich, Wings of Hope president and CEO, said. “This is a major gift for Wings of Hope but even more meaningful for the countless families and children whose lives will be forever changed for the better because of it.” The goal of the endowment campaign is to provide Wings of Hope, a Chesterfieldbased nonprofit, the capital to secure the planes and resources needed to expand the organization’s Medical Relief & Air Transport [MAT] program–allowing it to serve 50% more people with free transportation to health care. “My family has deep roots in the St. Louis community and we are committed to caring for it,” Foundation President Nettie O. Dodge said. “The Foundation made a significant initial investment in Wings of Hope in 2007 and a more significant additional investment in 2010 for the same reason we are investing in their endowment today. We believe in Wings of Hope and its mission. Our investment in Wings of Hope today will help to ensure that they will be able to provide their excellent services well into the future.” Senator Elizabeth Dole, honorary chair of the endowment campaign, also praised Wings of Hope and its network of support programs. “By providing free medical air transportation, they lighten the immense burden families shoulder when caring for loved ones in serious medical crises,” Dole said. “They replace helplessness with hope and give families the support they need to navigate what can be a long and terrifying road to healing.” Wings of Hope, headquartered in Chesterfield, utilizes aviation and volunteer efforts to bring care and resources to isolated communities in need across the globe. In the U.S., they provide free medical air transport services to individuals in need of specialized medical care. The organization also works with in-country partners in countries around the world to fly people in remote areas to emergency medical care November 13, 2019 WEST NEWSMAGAZINE I NEWS I 9 and fly doctors into communities with no local health care. Wings of Hope has been twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2018, they served over 67,000 people worldwide. CREVE COEUR Trip planned for Jewish teens The Jewish Federation of St. Louis is accepting applications for Israel Bound 2020, a three-week trip to Israel bringing together Jewish high school students from the St. Louis community. Participants will have the opportunity to explore ancient Jerusalem and modern Tel Aviv, float in the Dead Sea, climb Masada at sunrise, ride a camel in the Negev Desert and sleep in a Bedouin tent, surf in the Mediterranean, reflect at the Kotel, the Western Wall and much more. The trip will run from June 1-21, 2020, making Israel Bound 2020 one of the earliest trips available for teens that get them back in time for camp programs, work and other activities. To view a video about Israel Bound, visit JFedSTL.org/Local-Trips. The trip will cost $6,075 all-inclusive including air fare. Early-bird pricing of $5,675 is available through Dec. 31, 2019. See NEWS BRIEFS, page 10 NEW OWNERS - NEW ATTITUDE - NEW RESULTS PLEASE WELCOME DAVID TAYLOR TO OUR COMMUNITY! 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