UPDATED 4.23.2024

April 2024 Update

The City’s Finest has increased its patrols in April as this is its first full operating month in our community.  As noted in Gus Karagiannis, of the SLMPD, weekly crime report email and covered at the April SBD Meeting: “4/17/2024 @ *0015 hours* at 63xx Murdoch – Secondary officer located two individuals in the alley of this location and conducted a vehicle stop. The two individuals were arrested for possession of burglary tools, stealing, possession of drug paraphernalia and warrants. Their vehicle was towed as well.”  We applaud their efforts and patrols in keeping our neighborhood safe.

The legal firm the represents the SBD is working with AwareNet to finalize contractual language in order for the software to be complaint with various rules and regulations that the SBD is subject to.  Once that hurdle is cleared, that software will be an additional tool for TCF to utilize to be more effective in their patrols.  

Additionally, a funding request in the amount of $5,892 was approved to cover the annual Christmas Tree Lighting event held in Francis Park every year that helps bring our community together. Through funding by the SBD, it helps secure a funding source to continue the event that is open to everyone in the community.

UPDATED 3.21.2024

March 2024 Update

SBD activity is starting to gain steam this month. Effective in March, The City’s Finest replaced Campbell Security Group as the firm providing night time patrols in accordance with a rotating schedule to provide coverage at different daily intervals.

Also, the following projects were submitted and approved for SBD funding, we look forward to working with these neighborhood groups on a continuing basis to further enhance our community.

• $75,000 – Playground Equipment Upgrade Francis Park – Partnership with STL City Parks Dept, alderman ward capital funds, Friends of Francis Park (FOFP), and SBD to provide much needed upgrade

• $4,463 – Stone Wall Repair at Francis Park – 50/50 funding partnership with FOFP to cover repairs of stone walls in northeast section of park

• $9,600 – Pollinator Patch at Willmore Park – Project approved by Parks Department and led by Friends of Willmore Park (FOWP)

• $6,105 – Newsletter to all residents of SBD – Paper newsletter sent to all residents informing them of SBD updates and timelines as well as information from all local neighborhood groups about their projects / goals and information

• $2,705 – Funding for Francis Park Easter Egg Hunt – Funding for supplies and event support for a longstanding event that helps bind our community together

Please refer to the March Meeting Packet posted on the website for more details about this great projects.

UPDATED 1.7.2024

January 2024 Update

The roll out of the SBD is in full swing. Collected funds from the SBD tax will soon start rolling in which will allow the SBD to begin making spending commitments, with initial focus on security. In December 2023 RFPs were posted and sent out for neighborhood security. Security proposals were received from three firms and a proposal was received from a firm to administer and coordinate the security patrols. The SBD Security subcommittee is in process of reviewing the RFPs with the firms in order to prepare recommendation to the Board. If the Board approves, the SBD Security subcommittee will then start the contract negotiation process. This process takes time. Therefore, at the December 2023 SBD Board meeting the Board approved funding thru 1st Quarter 2024 to the St Louis Hills Neighborhood Association “SLHNA” on an as needed basis, once all their security funds are depleted, to extend the current security plan until the new approach led by the SBD can assume responsibility which should take place in the first quarter 2024. The goal is to keep continuity of late night security in place while the SBD gets set up. One of the challenges facing the current security plan is ability to keep shifts staffed and covered in their entirely. The plan allows for coverage between differing intervals between 10 PM thru 4 AM; however, there has been challenges with officers not being available or ending their shifts early which has reduced the coverage window. These items are being addressed in the RFP process. Therefore, please stay tuned!

UPDATED 9.26.2023

The SBD Board continues to deliver on its promises!

The links below contain the Certification Letter from the Missouri State Auditor accepting the .35 SBD tax rate for 2023 as well as updated DRAFT parcel listing for the SBD boundary showing the SBD impact per parcel. Only 25% of the parcels in the district are subject to the $250 max cap. Be sure to look up your parcel number on the link below:

MO State Auditor Certification Letter for 2023 SBD rate

REVISED DRAFT parcel listing from Assessor showing 2023 SBD impact

UPDATED 9.22.2023

2024 Budget for SBD officially submitted to St. Louis City, MO Auditor offices, and MO Department of Economic Development:

2024 Budget Submittal to regulatory entities

UPDATED 9.21.2023

2023 Rate authorization and Rate Cap filed with St. Louis City Assessor:

The SBD has a max rate of .50 which was noted on the August 8, 2023 election ballot.  The rate in effect for 2023 will be .35 and subject to a max cap of $250.  The 2 links below are the documents that were submitted and accepted by Assessors office to enact the tax.  

Board Resolution 2023-04 - SBD Max Rate $250

SBD 2023 tax rate of .35 Submittal to Assessor

UPDATED 9.20.2023

DRAFT Minutes of the 1st SBD Meeting on 9.20.2023:

The DRAFT minutes of the 1st SBD Meeting will seek approval at the October 2023 SBD Board Meeting.  

DRAFT Minutes of the 9.20.2023

UPDATED 9.7.2023

Disclosure:

In the Draft Budget framework, Park Central is identified as handling legal, oversight, admin and accounting compliance. In full transparency, Park Central will be utilizing the law offices of Lewis Rice for legal compliance. A representative of Lewis Rice made contributions to Alderman Oldenburg’s re-election campaign. In future reporting, the SBD Committee will create separate budgeted line items to both Park Central and Lewis Rice.

UPDATED 8.31.2023

August Month End Update:

The Board of Commissioners is awaiting appointments to be be sworn in at the City Registers office.   A licensed business owner candidate, Heather Sanders of Rockwell Beer Garden has recently applied for the business owner Board position and is working on completing the background screening process.    This will make the Board complete with 7 Commissioners potentially being filled.   The Board is in process of scheduling public monthly meetings on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at a location within the district.   Agendas will be posted in advance and a public comment period will conclude each meeting.   Please stay tuned for further updates as this progresses, we expect first meeting to be held on 9.20.23.

UPDATED 8.24.2023

Official turnover of the STL Hills SBD website to the SBD Board:

STL Hills SBD website turn over to SBD

The official turnover of control of the SBD website from SLHNA to SBD Board.

UPDATED 8.18.2023

Official Election Results from August 8, 2023 Special Election approving the STL Hills SBD:

Official Election Results - 8.18.2023

The election results were certified by the St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners on 8.17.2023.

UPDATED 8.3.2023

Confirmation by St. Louis Real Estate Tax Assessor regarding the .35 rate selection and $250 max cap per parcel:

Confirmation from Assessor on .35 rate and $250 max cap

The above email was received from the St. Louis city Assessor office confirming the Board resolution document noting .35 rate and $250 cap per parcel is acceptable and they can roll out if SBD vote is passed.

UPDATED 8.2.2023

Original Email Blast from 7.10.2023 Announcing Board applicants and Board selections, and selector info:

List of SBD Board Applicants

List of SBD Board Applications - Updated 8.31.23

The above email was sent out on 7.10.2023 to the email database of SLHNA which contains over 700 unique email addresses of residents.   Although, its not a comprehensive list, it was the best tool available for bulk distribution of information.   The other link contains the file for all Board applications received.

UPDATED 8.1.2023

Link to information related to St. Louis Hills Security Initiative:

https://stlhills.com/security-initiative-qa/

UPDATED 7.31.2023

Email from Board of Elections on decision to have 1 voting location (Buder Library):

Email from Board of Elections on Voting Locations for SBD

UPDATED 7.27.2023

Holly Hills SBD Examples, formed in 2022:

Our friends and nearby neighbors at Holly Hills SBD were our guide for forming and operating a SBD and they have been great mentors to the SBD Steering Committee.   They were formed via election on August 2, 2022.   A lot of the questions we have received are interested in getting more detail how a SBD operates, here are some relevant examples of things you can expect to see which we pulled from their website (www.hollyhillssbd.com)

Holly Hills SBD Sample Ballot 2022

Holly Hills 2023 Annual Budget

Holly Hills March 2023 Financials

Holly Hills Security Patrol RFP

The SBD petition language only specifies the max rate the STL Hills SBD can charge (in our case .50) and as such the ballot language must match the petition. The SBD Board must then select a rate either at the max or below and submit that selection to the City Assessor office. Therefore, a SBD Board was selected and ultimately ratified by Mayor and Board of Alderman. That process was completed on 7.20.2023. Thus, the STL Hills SBD Board can propose the .35 rate and $250 max tax cap.  The Board resolution draft that evidences this was added on the 7.26.2023 update below. A Board resolution does not expire. If SBD vote is passed, the Board signs the resolution and it is submitted to the Assessor office before Sept 1 so they can implement it correctly into their software for the real estate bills. This is similar to Holly Hills SBD who used a rate .5873 in 2023 while their max rate was .65.

STL Hills SBD Sample Ballot

STL City SBD Tax Rates 2023

UPDATED 7.26.2023

The link below contains what will be the 1st resolution passed by the SBD Board to implement the .35 rate with $250 max tax cap per RE tax parcel. 

Max $250 cap will be further permanently memorialized in the SBD By-Laws. SBD tax rate may decrease in subsequent years as a result of the annual budget process:

STL Hills SBD Max Tax Cap Board Resolution 2023

UPDATED 7.24.2023

Check your SBD impact by looking up your address in the file below:

SBD Tax Data by Property

UPDATED 7.20.2023

SBD Board of Commissioners approval from Mayor and Alderman 7.20.2023

See below for Board of Alderman meeting link from 7.20.2023. The vote ratification of the St. Louis Hills SBD Board starts at 3:16 into the meeting and concludes just over a minute later. Due to this ratification from Mayor’s office and BOA, this will allow the SBD Board to pass binding resolution on Day 1 after the SBD election certification (if passed) to enact a tax rate of .35 for Year 1 and max tax cap of $250 as well as formally commence the by-law drafting process that will further adopt the $250 max tax cap each year during the 7 year life, Board member protocols, Board member removal, initial terms and positions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN_jw3joxxk

UPDATED 7.19.2023

Platform Bios from the nominated SBD Board of Commissioners for St. Louis Hills:

Board Member Bios / Goals

UPDATED 7.18.2023

Communication to the community related to the SBD Initiative:

Communication History

UPDATED 7.17.2023

Endorsements of STL Hills SBD from Alderman Tom Oldenburg and State Representative Donna Baringer:

Endorsements

UPDATED 6.30.2023

Proposed 2024 SBD Budget Framework:

2024 Proposed Budget Framework

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BACKGROUND:  During 2022, the Board members of the St. Louis Hills Neighborhood Association (SLHNA) saw increased feedback regarding new concerns of the community which exceeded what the organization could financially cover from the voluntary annual membership dues it collects from its members.   At the Board’s request, a group of SLHNA members formed an exploratory committee that began the process of researching if a Special Business District (SBD) could be a viable option to assist our community not only in sustaining current local event offerings but also assist helping to provide new services to further enhance our community and improve overall safety.   SBD districts were recently adopted in the nearby Holly Hills and Tower Grove South neighborhoods, and there are over 130 special taxing districts within the City of St. Louis.  After initial research and feedback from other SBD organizations, the committee engaged Park Central Development, a well-respected local 501(c)3 community development firm,  to assist the committee to help guide the process of how to form a SBD and how to engage the community.  Park Central makes no financial decisions for the district but rather provides the oversight to ensure compliance with both city and state ordinances governing SBDs.   After thorough review and discussion at the SLHNA Board level as well as consultation and support from local alderman, it was decided to move forward with presenting the SBD option to the community.  

This website was developed with the intent of informing the community about this funding option and how it can be used to keep our community beautiful, safe and vibrant. We want to be as transparent as possible and provide you with all the resources necessary to make an informed decision about whether you would support this effort.

A special election took place on August 8,  2023 that resulted in passage of the SBD proposal. 

SBD PROPOSAL: Create a special taxing district within the proposed neighborhood boundary to last a period of seven (7) years starting in 2024; whereby the district can levy tax not to exceed $ .50 per $100 of assessed property value for the mission of providing additional security, infrastructure, maintenance, and marketing for the overall benefit of the community. Year 1 tax levy is proposed at $ .35 and Year 2 tax levy is proposed at $ .30, with stated goal of raising $500,000/annually.   Additionally, Board to annually ratify $250/annual maximum exposure per parcel.  

The proposed tax rate is expected to drop in Year 2 due to reduction in expenses due to reduction in start up costs from Year 1.  Additionally, unspent funds from preceding year stay with the SBD and help offset funding needs the following year which would allow a tax rate reduction.   The max cap of $250 per parcel further protects residents from future increases in their assessments.   

NOTABLE SBD ENDORSEMENTS: The St. Louis Hills SBD Steering Committee is thrilled that our effort has been endorsed by two St. Louis Hills residents that are also important elected officials: Tom Oldenburg, who was recently elected the new 2nd Ward Alderman (after previously serving as the 16th Ward Alderman); and Donna Baringer, State Representative for the 82nd District of Missouri (who previously served as 16th Ward Alderwoman).   Donna and Tom support the effort to establish the SBD and the goal to keep our neighborhood strong, safe and growing. To that end, we have asked and they have agreed to assist in making final selections for the SBD Board of Commissioners (which will be sent to the Mayor for approval). We appreciate their service to our community and the guidance that their experience can provide in the selection of the SBD Board.

SBD MISCONCEPTIONS: A common misconception of a SBD is that it covers things we are already paying taxes or fees for regarding city services. Another misconception is that it lets the city “off the hook” for its responsibilities for the area. These two misconceptions could not be further from reality. SBDs have special legal remedies from the state of Missouri to ensure that services are not cut. Per Missouri state statue Section 71.798: The governing body of the city creating the district shall not decrease the level of publicly funded services in the district existing prior to creation of the district or transfer the financial burden of providing the services to the district unless the services at the same time are decreased throughout the city, nor shall the governing body discriminate in the provision of the publicly funded services between areas included in such a district and areas not so included.

The primary use of funds for the St. Louis Hills SBD is to provide funding for a locally developed, unique security initiative, using security camera technology from the neighborhood in coordination with a second duty police officer (deployed by Campbell Security), that was tested during a 4 week trial period in 2022 (funded by the SLHNA) and on a part time basis via volunteer contributions in 2023. This initiative allows the second duty officer to be alerted with video clips sent to their iPad, to review before deciding where to patrol to possibly disrupt any questionable activity. The officer cannot leave the boundary of the district during their working hours. The officer is also connected via radio to STL Metro PD dispatch and can call in for back up assistance. This security initiative is not part of regular city services and would be a “new" amenity not covered by any current city taxes or fees.  

SBD TRANSPARENCY: Under the Financial Information header tab at the top of this website, you will find a DRAFT budget framework of the uses of funds as well as interactive calculator so you can measure impacts to your own tax bill.  Under the About tab, you will find the various SBD formation documents as well lists of prior meetings and meeting minutes and previously submitted Q&A’s.   The district is required to undergo an annual audit, publish a budget for each fiscal year 180 days in advance of year end, and timely post meeting notices, minutes and financials for review by members of the community.   This website will be used to publish those documents.   The collected funds are only for used for reinvestment back into the needs of the community and cannot be removed by the city once received by the SBD due to its separate legal protections in state statues.   Park Central will help ensure reporting compliance with governmental regulations and proper protocols are followed on all Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and disbursement requests.