CLAYTON 鈥 The 狐狸视频 County Council on Tuesday appeared to commit to keeping public any meetings of a three-member working group charged with recommending how to spend $74.2 million in federal pandemic aid.
The decision reverses a proposal three days prior to have the group meet without the public. A Sunshine Law expert told the Post-Dispatch on Monday that the closed meetings would violate open records laws requiring such panels to keep their meetings public.
鈥淚n no way shape or form are we going to exclude the people of 狐狸视频 County from being a part of this process,鈥 said 4th District Democrat Shalonda Webb, who was appointed by Council Chair Rita Days on Saturday to lead the group.
Webb said the working group also will include Councilwoman Lisa Clancy, D-5th District, and Councilman Tim Fitch, R-3rd District.
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Days added that the 鈥渃ouncil commits to ensuring the public will be kept informed as to developments of the work group, and subsequently the council鈥檚 final determination and we will be making sure the public is aware of those decisions.鈥
The idea to keep the working group closed had been suggested by Days and Councilman Ernie Trakas, R-6th District, who argued it would help expedite decisions on how to navigate a long list of proposals for the money.
The state has set aside a total $74.2 million in matching grants for a handful of specific 狐狸视频 County projects. But the council has another list of proposals seeking a total $77.4 million.
Associate County Counselor Margaret Brueggemann had advised the council that she couldn鈥檛 鈥渃ondone the idea that you could be meeting in private.鈥
And Jean Maneke, an attorney with the Missouri Press Association, said the working group would violate open records laws that forbid government bodies from meeting with less than a quorum, or majority, with an express purpose to discuss public business and then ratify decisions at a later meeting.
Paid family leave advances
The council on Tuesday also voted 5-1 to give first-round approval to 12 weeks paid parental leave for full-time county employees, up from the two weeks currently available.
Voting in favor were co-sponsors Fitch and Days, Clancy, Webb and Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway, D-2nd District. Supporters said the change would be a boon for county employees鈥 health and quality of life, and also aid the county鈥檚 efforts to recruit and retain talent.
Councilman Ernie Trakas, R-6th District, voted against the proposal, citing concerns raised at an earlier hearing that the cost of the new policy would be untenable as early as 2024, without other changes to the budget.
鈥淟et鈥檚 find savings first that justify this expense before we drive the county into a greater budget deficit,鈥 Trakas said.
County Budget Policy Director Paul Kreidler told the council that it was not possible to calculate a cost for the proposal, but said the county is running on a $30 million deficit into next year and that the deficit is expected to grow afterward, Kreidler said.
鈥淭he short answer is that, in the mathematical sense, yes, can we can afford this initiative in 2023, but in 2024 that becomes significantly more difficult,鈥 he said.
Fitch, who had asked for the hearing on costs associated with his proposal, said it was a worthwhile cost that the council could find a way to pay for.
鈥淚 do understand the fiscal impact as a former department head,鈥 said Fitch, a former county police chief. 鈥淗owever I look at this no different than I do education, training ... it鈥檚 an investment in our people.鈥
The county bill would expand paid leave for both merit and appointed county employees who are new parents, for birth or adoption of a new child.
The leave would also include 80 hours for prenatal appointments and up to 80 hours for first-year health care appointments for infants, as well for children up to 18 years old who were adopted within the last year.
The bill would also add four weeks of paid parental leave for parents of a child who are both county employees by providing a designated secondary caregiver four weeks leave, in addition to 12 weeks for the designated primary caregiver.
Public transit funding
The council voted 4-2 along party lines to give final approval annual funding to Bi-State Development Agency, the regional public transit operator. The measure passed with the support of Days, Dunaway, Webb and Clancy.
Trakas and Fitch opposed the measure, expressing support for a bill by Councilman Mark Harder, R-7th District, that would have carved out roughly $34.6 million from public transport sales tax proceeds to set aside for the county to use for road and bridge maintenance and repairs.
鈥淚 would have hoped that we could have carved out some funds for our subdivision streets,鈥 Fitch said.
Council Democrats had rejected Harder鈥檚 proposal at the council鈥檚 last regular meeting, arguing tax proceeds were set aside for public transport and that roads could benefit from other funding sources.
Harder was absent from council meeting Tuesday.
Posted at 9:09 p.m. Tuesday, July 12.