St. Louis Works Street Improvement Fund (BB 78)
At a glance
- What: Board Bill 78 sets how money in the street improvement fund (known as St. Louis Works) is allocated, creates cost centers and sets standards for deploying the funds. Sponsors: Devoti (5th Ward), Browning and Clark Hubbard.
- Where it stands: Sent back to the Public Infrastructure and Utilities Committee on October 16, 2026 by unanimous voice vote, on Devoti's motion seconded by Tyus. Before that it sat on the informal calendar after Devoti asked on October 2 to move it there.
- Next: Committee rework; no hearing date stated. At the October 21, 2026 committee briefing the mayor's office hoped to pass the bill next quarter as the main funding source for the planned Department of Transportation (see Department of Transportation Transition), but aldermen voiced distrust and reluctance to give up ward control.
- Concerns raised October 21: each ward received an equal $270,000 this year, about half of the roughly $6 million raised; the rest funds a paving team, Board of Public Service positions and forestry equipment. Devoti and Vice Chair Schweitzer said some aldermen doubt past allocations were spent as promised; staff said recommendations would rest on street condition data (Street Condition Assessment Pilot) with aldermen choosing projects. Chair Browning argued centralized funding would let the city match federal and state grants.
Floor history (from the minutes)
- October 2: on perfection, Devoti asked that BB 78 be moved to the Informal Calendar; the President directed the Clerk to do so.
- October 9: listed on the Informal Calendar; no request to take it off.
- October 16: Devoti asked that it move to the Regular Perfection Calendar; at perfection he moved to send it back to the Public Infrastructure and Utilities Committee, seconded by Tyus, carried unanimously by voice vote.
Sources
- Board of Aldermen minutes, October 16, 2026 (preliminary): https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/city-laws/upload/legislative/minutes/Minutes%20October%2016,%202026%20Updated.pdf
- Board of Aldermen minutes, October 9, 2026 (preliminary): https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/city-laws/upload/legislative/minutes/Minutes%20October%209,%202026%20Updated.pdf
- Board of Aldermen minutes, October 2, 2026 (preliminary): https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/city-laws/upload/legislative/minutes/Minutes%20October%202,%202026%20Updated.pdf
- 2026-10-21 - Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee (committee video, auto-captions)
- 2026-10-16 - Board of Aldermen (full board video, auto-captions)
Discussion time
About 26 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-21 - Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee | 24 |
| 2026-10-16 - Board of Aldermen | 2 |
Log
2026-10-21 - Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee
No hearing on the bill; discussed as the DOT's funding source, with questions on trust, the $270,000 per-ward split and centralizing funds.
2026-10-16 - Board of Aldermen
Minutes: moved from the informal to the regular perfection calendar at Devoti's request, then returned to committee on his motion (unanimous voice vote). Taken off the informal calendar, then returned to committee on the sponsor's motion.
2026-10-09 - Board of Aldermen
Minutes: listed on the Informal Calendar; no change.
2026-10-02 - Board of Aldermen
Minutes: at perfection Devoti asked that it be moved to the Informal Calendar.
- 2026-09-25 - Board of Aldermen - Reported out of Public Infrastructure and Utilities with a do-pass recommendation.
- 2026-09-22 - Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee - Committee heard the sponsor and Streets staff; $5.4 million unallocated across ward sub-accounts; do-pass recommendation 4 to 1 (Boyd no).