Florissant council approves multiple ordinances, will submit CDBG package to HUD

Councilman Keith Shieldroth said the Florissant City Council on May 26 approved a package of ordinances and contract awards intended to move several capital and maintenance projects forward, and that the mayor will submit a Community Development Block Grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"It's a great family business in Florissant," Shieldroth said, recognizing the Marshall (Ruiz) family and their restaurant on its 60th anniversary. He opened the session by congratulating John Marshall and family members Rachel, Alexis and Rudy for operating the longtime local business.

The council approved a second-reading ordinance permitting a sign shop on Hershel Road (in Mr. Egan's district) and an ordinance approving the CDBG for fiscal years referred to in the transcript as "26 through 30;" Shieldroth said the mayor will submit that package to HUD. The transcript does not include vote tallies or roll-call results for these actions.

Several contract awards and ordinances received three readings in the same meeting after recent local charter changes to procurement rules, Shieldroth said. Those items named in the meeting included an audit contract for the fiscal year ending 2024 with a firm identified in the transcript as "Cichlitch CPA," a contract for pool-deck and locker-room flooring with Stonehard (named in the transcript), an ordinance for street micro-surfacing with BMC Enterprises (doing business as Missouri Petroleum Products), and the purchase of a pothole-mix trailer from CMW Equipment.

The council also approved a budget-amendment ordinance to reallocate excess funds across the general fund, the capital-improvement fund, the park-improvement fund and the street-improvement fund to address deferred infrastructure work. Shieldroth said the city retained a healthy reserve while moving available funds into prioritized projects.

An ordinance (No. 10224, per the transcript) authorizing Dacon TMI to install a new HVAC system at the police department was reported as approved after three readings; Shieldroth said the chief had raised the need during budget discussions. The city will also accept a proposal named in the transcript as Shifflin for civil-engineering services to complete various projects.

A special-use permit matter for a petitioner the transcript identifies as Miss Fur was removed from the agenda after the petitioner withdrew her application to open a spa on St. Francis Street; Shieldroth said she may reapply elsewhere. Separately, a first reading for a special-use permit for John Bonds' Happy Cups at Patterson Plaza was amended on the floor by Mr. Caputo and will return to a future meeting with staff-incorporated changes.

Shieldroth urged residents to avoid blowing grass clippings into streets, calling it an ordinance violation that can lead to sewer backups: "Please don't do that and please think about that. Either mulch it or bag it." He closed the recording by offering condolences for the recent passing of Norm McCort, whom the transcript identifies as a longtime local official, and by giving his Ward Five contact information for constituents.

Next steps: the mayor is expected to submit the CDBG package to HUD; amended first readings (including the Happy Cups special-use permit) will return for further council action in June. The transcript does not record vote counts or named movers/seconders for the items reported as approved.