Forest Park council adopts zoning, public-health and financing ordinances in unanimous vote

The Forest Park City Council on April 6 unanimously adopted a package of ordinances that reshape local land-use rules, strengthen code-enforcement procedures and authorize lease-purchase financing for city equipment and fire apparatus.

Mayor and council members voted 6–0 to approve Ordinance 04-2026, which clarifies the land-use status of religious organizations by restricting new places of worship from locating in commercial, industrial and office-zoned areas to preserve limited office-zoned land for economic development and protect the city’s tax base. Council Member Brown moved for adoption; the motion carried unanimously.

First Vice Mayor Holt urged adoption of Ordinance 06-2026, a citywide ban on vape and smoke shops that council said responds to growing community concern about shop locations near schools such as Forest Park Square and seeks to protect public health. That measure also passed 6–0.

Council then suspended ordinary reading rules for three additional ordinances (18–2026 through 20–2026) and adopted them by vote. Ordinance 18-2026 revises notice requirements for building- and property-violation enforcement: under the change, the city may issue citations for repeated or ongoing offenses occurring within 12 months without issuing a fresh notice period for each separate citation, a step described during discussion as intended to streamline enforcement and reduce chronic noncompliance. Council Member Adams moved adoption; the ordinance passed 6–0.

Ordinance 19-2026 authorizes the city to enter a lease-purchase agreement to finance various municipal equipment; council described leasing as the city’s best interest for the acquisitions. Ordinance 20-2026 authorizes a similar lease-purchase agreement specifically to finance fire equipment. Both finance measures were described as intended to support city services and fire protection; both passed unanimously.

Across the meeting, procedural motions to suspend reading rules preceded the votes. The clerk confirmed the required postings for the ordinances. The meeting record also shows motions recorded earlier in the meeting to excuse two council members, Clark and Adams, each recorded as passing five to zero during roll call; Adams subsequently participated in discussion and votes later in the meeting, a discrepancy reflected in the meeting transcript.

Next steps: all five ordinances were adopted on April 6 and recorded as emergency or otherwise adopted as stated on the record; implementation actions (contracting for financed equipment, drafting administrative procedures to apply the new enforcement notice rule, and administrative zoning updates) were not detailed at the meeting.