June 25 Board of Aldermen Meeting — Key Updates
The Board of Aldermen met on June 25. Below is a summary of key updates and discussions from the meeting.
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Police: Major Larson reported on calls in the area. There were 163 calls for service. 141 of those were area patrols and 22 were incident based calls.
Financial: KEB reported on the City’s cash balances, as well as the Current Year vs the Prior Year, and the Current Year vs Budget. Mr. Gratza observed that cash increased about 7% from the prior year. The restricted fund balance is negative ~80k, which represents the amount that may be reimbursed by MSD.
Maintenance: The City is picking up brush and mulching regularly. The sprinkler system was tested for leaks and none was found. A spike in the bill is believed to be from seasonal routine testing.
City Attorney: It was reported that further information on the storm sewer easements and project will be communicated after the current lawsuit concludes. The trial is set for August 2026. MORE INFO HERE.
Code Enforcement
Officer Deon Ross was not present at this meeting but is currently working with the Mayor and City Clerk as to the enforcement process.
The Board discussed whether the City’s code enforcement officer should be required to attend regular Board meetings so that enforcement questions and updates can be addressed directly. A motion passed to bring the proposed requirement back for consideration and a vote at next month’s meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
BACA: The Association is planning for upcoming annual events starting in September.
Street Commission: The street repair project was completed May 28th and 29th. Refer to the image below to observe repaired sections.
Photo provided by the City of Bellerive Acres
Ordinance Review Committee
The Ordinance Committee report led to a broader discussion about current code enforcement. Questions were raised about whether existing codes are being enforced consistently and how enforcement decisions are being communicated to the Board.
The Mayor stated that citations are being issued. The discussion also included questions about whether some properties may have prior legal status, exemptions, or “grandfathered” conditions that affect enforcement. Because individual enforcement matters can involve specific properties, the discussion remained general rather than naming addresses.
No final policy change was adopted during this portion of the meeting, but the exchange highlighted a larger need for clear communication about the City’s enforcement process, including how complaints are reviewed, when citations are issued, and how the Board can understand enforcement status without discussing individual properties publicly.
BOARD OF ALDERMAN REPORTS
Proposed Zoning Revision
Board members received a proposed revision to Article II, Section 400.060 (G)- “R” Residential District Regulations, “Parking of Recreational Equipment, Commercial Vehicles and Certain Other Vehicles Prohibited, Exceptions, Permits.
The proposal has not been adopted. It was provided for Board discussion and would need to go through the required process before becoming part of the City Code. A motion was passed putting the discussion and voting on the next agenda.
Because the proposed language concerns residential zoning, residents may wish to review the actual draft text. A copy of the document provided to the Board is included below for reference. A separate Bulletin post will summarize the proposed changes.
VIEW THE PROPOSED REVISION PDF
MAYOR’S REPORT
Mayor Ward announced that before the next board meeting the City will have a second public hearing to hear the County recommendations for use of the CBGB funds. He also announced that the City has received the reimbursement from St. Louis County for the Island improvement project.
There will be no regular Board meeting in July.