West Newsmagazine 5-20-20

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COVID-19 impacts Ballwin’s
recreation, events, finances
By JEFFRY GREENBERG
Like countless get-togethers over the
past several weeks, the May 11 Ballwin
Board of Aldermen meeting was solely
available for viewing through Zoom video
conferencing.
Modern technology aside, the first half
of the meeting was representative of how
the city has conducted its business over the
long-term. It was audit presentation time.
Rich Gratza and Allison Weems, of the
accounting firm Kerber,
Eck and Braeckel, took
turns praising Ballwin
and its finance committee,
led by Finance Officer
Denise Keller. Their
major points reflected
Ballwin’s continued
progress in multiple areas
while maintaining balance
sheets in which expenditures
are consistently
exceeded by revenues.
Due to COVID-19,
Ballwin is set to be even
more stringent in its
spending in the last half
of 2020 while balancing
health concerns with
future fun.
In answer to emailed questions after the
meeting, Keller provided a wide variety of
updates.
“Concerning upcoming events, we
have canceled our Ballwin Days Festival
and our Memorial Day program,” Keller
replied. “We are working on plans to
schedule an event in the fall that has some
of the elements of Ballwin Days, but on a
smaller scale. Our Summer Concert Series
has been pushed back to the fall as well.
We anticipate still holding our Craft Beer
Festival in September, but with modifications.
New events we are adding include a
Celebrate Summer Drive-Thru Parade and
a Virtual 5K Run.”
Keller also said the city will consult
more with St. Louis County before deciding
when to reopen The Pointe at Ballwin
Commons Recreation Center, North Pointe
Aquatic Center and its summer camp programs.
Each of those opportunities also
will include modifications.
Increases in the admission fees/membership
rates were decided upon several
months ago to help offset some of the mandated
minimum wage increases the city
expected to incur as a result of primarily
summertime employment. Since they have
already been implemented, Keller said the
city would take a wait and see approach for
The Pointe at Ballwin Commons
[File Photo]
any potential fee adjustments based on factors
such as when venues might open and
what allowable capacities will be.
“The city is reducing costs when and
where we can to offset the revenue shortfalls
we are experiencing from our closed
recreation facilities and the anticipated
reductions in sales tax receipts,” Keller
said. “We have a strong reserve fund balance
which is enabling us to maintain our
full-time staffing level, although we have
implemented a hiring freeze for full-time
positions.”
A few other COVID-
19 related items were
revealed at the board
meeting.
A motion was passed
unanimously for Ballwin
to go to what Mayor
Tim Pogue described as
a ‘summer schedule’ for
near future board meetings.
The first meeting
of the month will be canceled
in June, July and
August, with meetings
taking place only on the
fourth Monday in those
months.
“Hopefully, we’ll be
able to hold those meetings in person with
social distancing instead of these Zoom
meetings,” Pogue said.
Another item that was unanimously agreed
upon was the extension of the end date for
long-time City Administrator Bob Kuntz’s
final term of office from May 31 to June 30.
Keller said the board was in the process
of interviewing candidates for the position
so Kuntz could retire, again. Interviews are
currently being conducted through Zoom,
but finalists will be interviewed in person
after restrictions have been relaxed, she said.
Ironically, Kuntz was in the limelight
just prior to the board meeting’s adjournment.
“Thanks to Mr. Conway [director of parks
and recreation], I have very attractive city
of Ballwin face masks for each one of you.
They are personally engraved, so you won’t
confuse them with others. If you go to any
official function, you have your official city
of Ballwin face mask,” Kuntz said. “I can
arrange to get them to any of you. They are
very attractive for this situation!”
At the request of Keller, Kuntz even
modeled one of the dark blue items with
white lettering.
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“I’ll be here first thing in the morning,”
Alderman Mark Stallman [Ward 2] said,
noting when he would arrive to pick up his
mask.
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