West Newsmagazine 5-1-24
Local news, local politics and community events for West St. Louis County Missouri.
Local news, local politics and community events for West St. Louis County Missouri.
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12 I NEWS I<br />
May 1, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
YOU’RE INVITED!<br />
MO STATE REP<br />
TOWN HALL MEETING<br />
JUSTIN SPARKS<br />
5:45 pm • Doors Open<br />
Coffee & Cookie Social<br />
May 9th • Marianist Retreat<br />
4000 Highway 109 • Wildwood MO<br />
CRIME and PUBLIC SAFETY<br />
with special guest Missouri Attorney<br />
General candidate and Trump lawyer<br />
WILL SCHARF<br />
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES<br />
Abortion Petitions, Tax Code,<br />
School Choice<br />
CITIZEN INPUT<br />
Q&A Session<br />
PAID FOR BY SPARKS FOR MISSOURI. TREASURER, TIM FITCH<br />
RSVP at sparksformissouri.com<br />
6:15 pm - 7:30 pm<br />
Town Hall Presentation<br />
RISE IN THE FIELD OF<br />
GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY<br />
By CATHY LENNY<br />
The city of Chesterfield intends to sell<br />
approximately 17 acres at 17159 Edison<br />
Avenue to Staenberg Advisors LLC for<br />
$500,000.<br />
The property is located south of Lowe’s<br />
in Chesterfield Commons, which is owned<br />
by The Staenberg Group (TSG).<br />
TSG submitted a proposal to the city to<br />
acquire the 16.95-acre parcel of land.<br />
The property is currently part of the<br />
stormwater reservoir, which drains east to<br />
the pump station into Bonhomme Creek.<br />
However, the city has determined that<br />
the property was in excess of what is<br />
required for the Master Stormwater Plan.<br />
An independent appraisal of the property<br />
obtained by the city determined its value to<br />
be $500,000.<br />
Even if the property is conveyed, not<br />
more than 10 of the total 16.95 acres can<br />
be reclaimed and re-purposed, said City<br />
Administrator Mike Geisel.<br />
It will require approximately 8 feet of fill<br />
across 10 acres and the extension of major<br />
stormwater infrastructure across the filled<br />
portion.<br />
“There are some pretty extreme development<br />
conditions,” Geisel said.<br />
Given the essentially flat basin, which is<br />
@WESTNEWSMAG<br />
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
City to sell nearly 17 acres to<br />
Staenberg Group<br />
Approximately 17 acres of land south of Lowe’s may be sold to TSG for $500,000<br />
(Tracey Bruce photo)<br />
flat and swampy, it has become a nuisance<br />
and is extraordinarily difficult to mow<br />
and maintain, Geisel said. The vegetation<br />
impairs the function of the stormwater<br />
basin, impeding flow and clogging the<br />
pump station.<br />
“Our inability to effectively maintain the<br />
property is an ongoing frustration,” Geisel<br />
said. “The city is eager to divest itself of<br />
maintaining this basin.”<br />
The responsibility for maintaining the<br />
entire 16.95 acres, including the remaining<br />
stormwater basin, would transfer with the<br />
conveyance.<br />
Any development of the property would<br />
require the owner to go through the planning<br />
process.<br />
In 2006, the property was conveyed to<br />
the city by TSG in fee, as opposed to an<br />
easement. The stormwater master plan was<br />
still being developed and the volume of<br />
stormwater storage was uncertain.<br />
Once the Public Works Department<br />
investigated the actual stormwater needs,<br />
it was determined that the reservoir storage<br />
could be reduced by 10 acres without<br />
increasing flood heights above a warning<br />
stage, Geisel said.<br />
The Chesterfield City Council will take a<br />
final vote on the proposed land sale at the<br />
next regular meeting.<br />
You are ready to rise above your current situation<br />
and St. Louis Community College can help you fly!<br />
Visit stlcc.edu/go/geospatialtech or scan the<br />
QR code to learn about courses that will enhance<br />
your expertise or provide you with the foundation<br />
you need to enter the growing field of geospatial<br />
technology as a drone pilot or geospatial specialist.<br />
SCAN HERE<br />
NEWS BRIEFS, from page 9<br />
tual education services is also addressed<br />
and permitted.<br />
The Elementary Literacy Fund,<br />
through an annual appropriation not to<br />
exceed $5 million, will provide grants<br />
through the Department of Elementary<br />
and Secondary Education to school districts<br />
and charter schools for home reading<br />
programs for children in kindergarten<br />
to fifth grade.<br />
Teachers also benefit from provisions<br />
in SB727 that increase minimum wages<br />
from $25,000 to $40,000 for the 2025-26<br />
school year. For teachers with a master’s<br />
degree and at least 10 years of experience,<br />
minimum salaries increase from $33,000<br />
to $46,000 in 2025-26 and by $1,000 each<br />
year until 2027-28, when the minimum<br />
shall be $48,000.<br />
Additionally, SB727 addresses teacher<br />
certification, school board vacancies and<br />
suicide prevention.<br />
To view SB727 in its entirety, use the<br />
“Bill Search” feature on senate.mo.gov.
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