2026-10-01 - Personnel and Administration Committee

47:16We'll now call

47:18>> We'll now call the meeting of the

47:20personnel and administration committee

47:23uh for Thursday, October 1st, 2026

47:27to order. Uh Mr. Clerk, please call the

47:30role. Vice Chair Connor

47:36Boy

47:38>> present.

47:40>> Alderwoman Clark Hubard

47:42>> here.

47:44>> Alman Aldridge

47:45>> present.

47:46>> Alman Devote

47:48>> here.

47:49>> President Green

47:50>> present.

47:52>> Test.

47:52>> Alman Con.

47:55We have five present. We have a quorum.

47:57>> Uh quorum being present. I will

47:59entertain a motion for the approval of

48:01the minutes from Thursday, August 27th,

48:032026.

48:06>> Move.

48:07>> Second.

48:09>> Mr. Clerk, please call the role.

48:12>> Vice Chair Con.

48:16>> Alwoman Boyd,

48:19>> I.

48:20>> Autooman Clark Hubard,

48:22>> I.

48:26Alman Aldrich

48:28>> I

48:29>> Alman Dvote

48:31>> I

48:32>> President Green

48:33>> I

48:35>> Alman Con

48:37have five I votes

48:39>> by your vote you sustain the motion

48:43with that we will go down to resolate

48:46resolutions for review and I will turn

48:50it over to Alderman Devote.

48:57I've got one item with respect to

48:59resolution

49:01and that is resolution number 125.

49:06>> Is it not on?

49:08>> No.

49:12Today we have uh four resolutions for

49:15review. We've got one item on the

49:17agenda. Our item is resolution number

49:21125.

49:24Madame President, you have the floor.

49:28Still,

49:30>> right? I'm waiting for my

49:34comments to load.

49:38Maybe

49:47internet's being weird. Let me

50:00All right. Uh,

50:03thank you, Alderman. Um, resolution 125.

50:09Um, as president of the board, I felt it

50:12was important to swiftly and formally

50:14condemn the alderwoman of the 12th for

50:16her remarks by filing this resolution

50:19shortly after she made them. At the same

50:22time, my office began working with the

50:24city council's office to obtain guidance

50:26on how to best proceed with a formal

50:28censure under the circumstances.

50:31The purpose of this resolution was to

50:33compel the alderwoman from the 12th to

50:34apologize for her remarks. Absent that,

50:38the resolution enters into the record a

50:40formal reprimand by the board of

50:41aldermen, demonstrating that this body

50:43does not stand for violent or hate

50:45hateful rhetoric.

50:48There is ambiguity regarding what

50:50consequences are legally available, if

50:52any, to the board given that the remarks

50:55were made outside of a board meeting.

50:57That being said, the consequences

50:59typically available to legislative

51:01bodies like removing a legislator from

51:04committees to which they are assigned

51:06would not apply here given that the

51:08older woman from the 12th has not

51:10attended or participated in committee

51:12hearings in which she has been assigned

51:14and rarely shows up to city hall to use

51:16our office or parking space. Because

51:19this situation is somewhat unprecedented

51:21at the board, we will also be evaluating

51:23what conduct does rise to a level that

51:25requires action beyond a verbal censure

51:28and what is legal.

51:30With that, I have prepared a committee

51:31substitute to that effect and I would

51:33make a motion to put resolution 125

51:35committee substitute in front of the

51:37committee.

51:44>> Mike, I make a

51:49It's not on.

51:50>> No, the buttons. Press it.

51:56>> Alderman, you gave me a mic that turned

51:59on.

52:00>> Having said that, do I uh do I hear a

52:03motion to adopt resolution number 125,

52:07committee substitute?

52:09>> So moved.

52:11>> Is there a second?

52:14>> Second.

52:18Yes.

52:18>> Second.

52:20>> Yes. And to be to be clear, this is a

52:22motion to put committee substitute for

52:25resolution 125 before the committee for

52:29discussion.

52:30>> Correct.

52:30>> Yes.

52:31>> Okay. So, we have a second. Uh with

52:34that, clerk, uh if you would please call

52:36the role.

52:44Vice Chair Conn,

52:48Alwoman Borwick.

52:51>> I

52:52al Clark Hubbert

52:55>> I.

52:56>> Alman Aldridge

52:58>> I.

52:59>> Alman Devote

53:01>> I.

53:03>> President Green

53:04>> I.

53:06>> Vice Chair Con.

53:09Five I votes. And with five I votes, uh,

53:12committee substitute to resolution

53:15number 125 is now before this committee.

53:18>> Thank you.

53:19>> Madame President,

53:20>> I understand the alderwoman from the

53:2212th believes she was using an analogy

53:24to communicate her frustration. Um, but

53:27for me, what's at the issue isn't her

53:29intention. It's the impact her words

53:31have had on this body and the

53:33constituent that we represent. As the

53:36alderman from the 14th has said before,

53:38residents who have experienced gun

53:40violence know that this is not something

53:42about. My other concern is that in a

53:45time where the temperature around

53:47political issues runs hot, the older

53:49woman's conduct sets a poor example for

53:51people who are desperate for leadership.

53:54I've heard the older one woman invoke

53:56her rights under the First Amendment,

53:58and she certainly isn't wrong about

53:59that. But the same is true of the board

54:01of aldermen, and we have our first

54:03amendment rights, too. I just think in

54:06this case, the older woman from the 12

54:08seems to be more concerned with being

54:09right than doing the right thing, which

54:11I find troubling. We all say things from

54:14time to time that we regret. I know I

54:17have. I also know that I have made it a

54:20point to take responsibility in those

54:21moments. So, in my mind, this res

54:24resolution isn't asking the alderwoman

54:26to do something I haven't done myself as

54:28president of the board. And that's why I

54:31think this body has an obligation to

54:32hold itself and its members to a certain

54:34standard of decency and dialogue. And

54:38with that, um, that concludes my

54:40remarks, but I would like to allow the

54:42alderman 14 um, since the remarks were

54:46directed toward him, um, to be able to

54:48speak.

54:49>> Understood. And thank you, Madame

54:50President. Alderman from the 14th, would

54:53you like to offer any remarks?

54:56>> Uh, yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh

54:58first, thank you uh madame chairwoman,

55:01president and members of this committee

55:03uh for holding this meeting. I want to

55:05start by outlining the history that kind

55:07of brought us here. For years dating

55:10back to before 2023, we have seen

55:13documentation that our seniors at Homer

55:16G. Phillips have suffered under both the

55:18current and previous lease holders.

55:20According to a report conducted by KSK

55:23and personal testimony that I received

55:25from residents, they have endured

55:27central heating central heating outages

55:30during winter storms, no air

55:32conditioning during the heat waves, mice

55:34and roaches infestation, trash shoots

55:38pile up, and no hot water in several

55:40units. On September 14th, a meeting was

55:43held at Homer G. Phillips or Aldwoman

55:45Matias learned that my office filed

55:48legislation amending the lease for Homer

55:50G. Phillips apartment to transfer

55:52management to transfer property

55:55management ownership. Our seniors should

55:57not be left to suffer because Alderman

55:59Taius have failed to advance her own

56:02bill, leaving it stalled since May

56:04despite the current owner explicitly

56:07desire to terminate the lease. After

56:09months of public outcry and suggestion

56:11from city officials, I filed legislation

56:14to begin the lease transfer agreement.

56:16Homer G. Phillips, to be very clear, is

56:18a cityowned complex, which means every

56:22public health and details are immediate

56:26deserves immediate legislative action.

56:28While the facility may not sit in the

56:3014th war boundary, war lines are not

56:34invincible when it comes to human

56:35dignity. As a city, we own this building

56:39and carry the obligation to protect our

56:41seniors, maintain their quality of life,

56:44and ensure they are honored with

56:45respect. However, on September 14th,

56:49Aldwoman Sharon Tyus appeared at the

56:50Homer G. Senior at the Homer G. Phillips

56:53senior apartment monthly meeting to

56:55express her disdain for me introducing a

56:58bill to transfer a lease agreement in

57:00her ward with months of inaction in an

57:03hour and five minute. an hour and five

57:06minute video recorded by residents who

57:09share the video directly with me that

57:11night. Alderwoman Taius launched

57:14numerous attacks not only against his

57:16board, against city officials and me

57:18personally. Those included stating that

57:21I do not belong at the board of

57:22alderman. Remarks that she had not been

57:25a burger flipper before being elected

57:28unlike myself. Note that was when I was

57:31in high school. Most young people um you

57:33know find jobs to support their family

57:36and most of them it's like fast food

57:37jobs and the claims that has been

57:39famously replayed over and over and over

57:42again that she will put a bullet in my

57:44head on September 14th allwoman Tai does

57:48not on September 14th allwoman Tai not

57:50only use harmful and dangerous rhetoric

57:52that she will put a bullet in my head

57:54but that kind of language does not

57:55belong in public service and it should

57:57not be accepted from this board of

57:59alderman. No member of the board of

58:01alderman should speak that way when it

58:02comes to their colleagues. Last session,

58:05the board of alderman passed resolution

58:0734 sponsored by alwoman Clark Huard,

58:09which was voted on unanimously to

58:11recognize June 16th as a national gun

58:14violence awareness day and encourage all

58:16citizens to support their local

58:18community's efforts to prevent gun

58:19violence. What example are we setting

58:22for the city of St. Louis, if one moment

58:24we honor the victims and survivors of

58:26gun violence and then the next moment

58:28sit by by allowing city members to use

58:30dangerous and harmful rhetoric of

58:32violence against their colleagues. And

58:34what example do we set for the next

58:36generation of leaders if we let this

58:38behavior go uncorrected? As someone who

58:41has lost loved ones to gun violence, and

58:43I'm sure many members of this board can

58:46contest to that, these vow remarks

58:48reflect a deep regard for an issue that

58:50continues to plague our city. So today I

58:54urge a p the personnel committee to

58:56support resolution 125. If Aldwoman

58:58Sharon Taius of the 12 does not

59:00apologize at the full board of alderman

59:02meeting where this resolution is

59:04adopted, I ask that the board impose a

59:06verbal censor. Our seniors deserve

59:09better. This board deserves better. And

59:11the people of St. Louis deserve better.

59:13Thank you for your time, Madam Chair,

59:15members of the committee. And with that,

59:16Mr. Clerk, I would like to be added as a

59:18co-sponsor.

59:21>> Thank you, alderman. We appreciate your

59:22remarks. Uh Madame President, before we

59:25moved for any questioning through

59:27members of the committee, do you have

59:28any additional statement or any other

59:30witnesses to ask?

59:32>> I do think there is a couple members of

59:34the public here that may want to testify

59:36and so make sure that we give them the

59:38ability.

59:39>> And Mr. Clerk, do we have members of the

59:41public who would like to testify this

59:43issue?

59:47>> Yes, sir.

59:49uh are are they present both physically

59:52in the room as well as online?

59:54>> Um there's no participants online but in

59:56the room yes there are two um request

59:58for speakers.

1:00:00>> So let's please move to those folks in

1:00:02the uh in the candidate room.

1:00:04>> Okay.

1:00:09>> Um call the first speaker test.

1:00:12>> Please call the first speaker.

1:00:13>> Okay. Um Precious Jones.

1:00:16So, Precious Jones, would you please

1:00:18approach the dis

1:00:26Jones, before you begin, would you

1:00:28please state your name and tell us the

1:00:30word that you live?

1:00:32>> Precious Jones in 12th.

1:00:34>> Thank you, ma'am.

1:00:37>> Good morning, President Green and

1:00:38members of the board of alderman. My

1:00:40name is Precious Jones. I am a

1:00:43chairwoman of Mama's Against Homicides,

1:00:45a community leader and a mother whose

1:00:48son was killed by gun violence. I wrote

1:00:52public servant Sharon Tyers directly

1:00:55after hearing her remarks at Homer G.

1:00:57Phillips. I asked her to publicly

1:00:59apologize. I received no response.

1:01:03Today, I want to be very clear. My

1:01:05concern is accountability

1:01:08and that accountability belongs to

1:01:10public servant Sharon Tyus for the words

1:01:13she chose to speak and the conduct she

1:01:16chose to display. Public servant Taius

1:01:19has explained that her statement about

1:01:21putting a bullet in Alderman Aldridge

1:01:24head was an analogy and not intended as

1:01:27a threat. But intent does not erase

1:01:30impact. For mothers like me, a bullet is

1:01:34not an analogy.

1:01:36A bullet changed my family forever. When

1:01:40we are asking young people across St.

1:01:42Louis to put the guns down, control

1:01:45their emotions, stop bullying one

1:01:47another, deescalate conflict, and walk

1:01:50away from disrespect. What messages are

1:01:53we sending when an elected official uses

1:01:56that kind of language during a

1:01:58disagreement?

1:02:00Public servant's highest leadership

1:02:03requires you to hold yourself to the

1:02:06same standard we demand from our

1:02:08children. Obviously, she's not here, but

1:02:10this is for her. And my concern goes

1:02:13beyond one statement. It is also about

1:02:16how you speak to your colleague.

1:02:18Disagreement is part of government.

1:02:21Disrespect does not have to be

1:02:24belittling colleagues on the floor,

1:02:26talking down to people, bringing up

1:02:28someone's past employment, flipping

1:02:30burgers, or suggesting that you made

1:02:33someone a state representative does not

1:02:36demonstrate strong leadership. And

1:02:38working flipping burgers is honest work.

1:02:41There is dignity in every person who

1:02:43gets up and earn an honest paycheck. A

1:02:47law degree does not make someone's

1:02:49humanity more valuable than a person

1:02:52standing over a grill trying to feed

1:02:54their family. And no elected official

1:02:57makes another person a state

1:03:00representative. The voters do that.

1:03:03Seniority does not give anyone ownership

1:03:05over another elected official. Years in

1:03:08office do not give anyone permission to

1:03:12humiliate someone with fewer years of

1:03:14experience. And it and this is what

1:03:17makes what happened at Homer G. Phillips

1:03:20even more disappointing. The gathering

1:03:22was supposed to be about the community.

1:03:25It was not a political event. Elected

1:03:27officials were not invited there to

1:03:29bring political battles into that space.

1:03:32Yet, the community had to witness

1:03:34political disputes involving caucus

1:03:36seats, seniority, and personal political

1:03:39history. While all of that was

1:03:41happening, the issues facing our

1:03:44community were still right there in the

1:03:46room. Seniors still need support.

1:03:49Families are still struggling with

1:03:51poverty. Neighborhoods are still

1:03:54fighting violence. Mothers are still

1:03:56burying children to bullets. While

1:03:59political power was being argued over,

1:04:02the people were waiting to be served.

1:04:04Public servants highest accountability

1:04:07cannot always mean explaining why

1:04:10everyone misunderstood what you said.

1:04:13Sometimes accountability means saying I

1:04:17said it. I was wrong. I hurt people and

1:04:20I apologize. That does not make a leader

1:04:23weak. It demonstrates the maturity we

1:04:25ask our young people to show every

1:04:28single day. So yes, I support

1:04:31accountability for public servant Sharon

1:04:33Tyas. Not because of political

1:04:35affiliation, not because of caucus, not

1:04:38because of seniority, and not because I

1:04:40have anything personally against her. I

1:04:42support accountability because public

1:04:45service comes with a standard public

1:04:48servant. You have served this city for

1:04:51many years. With that experience should

1:04:53come an even greater responsibility to

1:04:56model the leadership we are asking the

1:04:58next generation to become. You cannot

1:05:01demand accountability from the community

1:05:04while refusing to demonstrate it

1:05:07yourself. The people are watching. Our

1:05:09young people are watching and the

1:05:11families affected by gun violence are

1:05:14watching. Public servant ties, this is

1:05:16your opportunity to take accountability

1:05:19and apologize.

1:05:21Thank you.

1:05:23Thank you, Miss Jones. Clerk Johnson, do

1:05:26we have someone else here to to speak in

1:05:28person?

1:05:29>> Yes. Um, Obisha Nelson.

1:05:33>> Oh, she's not going to speak. Sorry.

1:05:35>> So, Miss Nelson, no statement?

1:05:37>> No.

1:05:38>> Okay, fair enough. Uh, clerk, is there

1:05:41>> I'm sorry. Excuse me. Weren't these

1:05:44speakers supposed to be sworn in?

1:05:48I I don't know that under our rules that

1:05:50it's necessary to swear somebody in.

1:05:52Alder,

1:05:54>> yeah, that they're supposed to swear the

1:05:56speakers in.

1:05:59>> Okay.

1:06:07>> I'm not asking for a change. I'm just

1:06:09asking as the committee to follow the

1:06:12protocol. And so we normally any

1:06:15speakers that come in, they are sworn

1:06:18in.

1:06:18>> I I understand that that's a protocol

1:06:20and that that's a tradition. Alderwoman,

1:06:22let's do that. So, uh, Miss Jones, if

1:06:25you'd please raise your right hand. And

1:06:28do you swear or affirm that your

1:06:30statement, that testimony that you just

1:06:32was the truth?

1:06:33>> Yes, I do.

1:06:35>> And and I trust that you stand by that

1:06:37statement and there's no need to reread

1:06:39it or represent it into the record. Is

1:06:41that fair?

1:06:42>> Yes. Thank you, Miss Jones.

1:06:46>> Uh, with that clerk, is there anybody

1:06:48else uh in person uh to present today?

1:06:52>> There is not.

1:06:53>> And has anybody joined us online to

1:06:56>> There has not as

1:06:57>> Okay. Uh with that, let's move through

1:07:00the the committee uh for points of

1:07:03discussion or questions of the

1:07:05president. Uh in order of seniority,

1:07:08vice president or vice vice chair con

1:07:15uh hearing no hearing no answer

1:07:18alderwoman Boyd.

1:07:20Uh thank you uh um Alderman Devote and I

1:07:25was listening to Miss Jones comments and

1:07:27she is correct but I think in uh

1:07:31transparency

1:07:32and I had spoken to the president in

1:07:36regards to this situation what I did

1:07:39express to her as a board of the city of

1:07:43St. Louis, we are held to a higher

1:07:46standard than the citizens are. And the

1:07:49citizens are look for us to take care of

1:07:51the business of the city. And so what I

1:07:54did express to her was um respect goes

1:07:59all the way across the board. So we

1:08:01can't pick and choose who we want to

1:08:04hold accountable when you have other

1:08:06people that are being disrespectful in

1:08:09regards to uh board members. And so I

1:08:13what I did ask her was if she could

1:08:16ensure that we do something to address

1:08:20adequate professionalism

1:08:22and make sure that it's across the board

1:08:26in regards to elected officials. We

1:08:29should be statesmen. We should be

1:08:32professional and we should be focusing

1:08:34on the business of the board. And I just

1:08:37don't think that's happening because

1:08:39we're so busy in the middle of causing

1:08:43havoc among ourselves. We're losing

1:08:46focus on what's going on. In regards to

1:08:50the mothers that have experienced this

1:08:53and that's traumatic. Anytime they hear

1:08:55anybody talk about gun violence or being

1:08:59shot, it impacts them and it brings

1:09:02stuff back to them. And I don't think

1:09:04that's a good thing for those mothers to

1:09:06have to deal with. But we have to look

1:09:09at the violence that's in our community

1:09:12and how we address it. And I'm glad Miss

1:09:16Jones said that it's we're setting a a

1:09:19goal for our youth and to we telling

1:09:22them to

1:09:24govern oursel. We need to make sure we

1:09:26govern our, you know, we [clears throat]

1:09:28we we want our youth to govern

1:09:30theirself, but we're not governing

1:09:32ourself. And so I just want this

1:09:35committee to understand

1:09:38all the woman tire, she does say things

1:09:40sometimes, and she does kind of go

1:09:42overboard, but we have some other board

1:09:45members that do the same thing that

1:09:47stand on the floor. They might not make

1:09:50those type of statements, but they are

1:09:52disrespectful to other board members and

1:09:55they think it's funny. So, I think if

1:09:58anybody disrespects another person,

1:10:00that's not funny. And so, it needs to go

1:10:04across the board on what we doing and

1:10:06how we addressing this. Thank you.

1:10:10>> Thank you, Alderwoman. Um

1:10:13[clears throat] what I'll say is that we

1:10:14are committed when we uh approve our

1:10:17rules next session um between now and

1:10:20then to be working on uh how we can

1:10:23modify our rules to create a higher

1:10:26level of uh discourse even in

1:10:29disagreement um both within board

1:10:32meetings and for uh comments made

1:10:35outside of them. I I wholeheartedly

1:10:38agree um that we across the board need

1:10:42to hold ourselves to those uh standards.

1:10:44I also believe that you know the violent

1:10:48rhetoric was an anomaly for this body.

1:10:51Uh hence the reason we have um taken

1:10:54this forward at this time. Um, and your

1:10:57point is well taken and you have my

1:10:59commitment to make sure that we are

1:11:01working as a board to figure out what

1:11:02our rules need to like um, as we go into

1:11:06next session to make sure that we are

1:11:08all holding ourselves to the appropriate

1:11:10level of uh, discourse even in moments

1:11:13of disagreement.

1:11:16>> Thank you.

1:11:17>> Thank you, Alderwoman. Alderwoman Clark

1:11:20Huard.

1:11:27Is she present clerk?

1:11:28>> She's off the call right now.

1:11:30>> Okay.

1:11:34Well, if the older woman doesn't have

1:11:35anything to say, uh, it comes down to

1:11:37me, and I will add,

1:11:40uh, to the, I think, very poignant

1:11:43comments that have already been made,

1:11:44including those made by M. Jones, that

1:11:48the type of speech that brings us here

1:11:50today, simply can't be tolerated.

1:11:54Um,

1:11:55as a lawyer, uh, Alderwoman Taius knows

1:11:59that perception is reality, that words

1:12:03matter. Words matter a lot. Uh, and as a

1:12:07leader of the community, which each of

1:12:08us are, we've got to be very careful,

1:12:11extra careful with our language and our

1:12:13tone and how we present ourselves in the

1:12:16comm because folks watch and they listen

1:12:19and they take their lead from us.

1:12:22Um, I would also like to point out as uh

1:12:27as an aside that the kind of speech that

1:12:31brings us here today would not be

1:12:34tolerated of anybody under the merit

1:12:36service uh that we have an

1:12:39administrative regulation, specifically

1:12:42142 that condemns that makes improper uh

1:12:46as a matter of discipline

1:12:49uh not just overt uh conduct but also So

1:12:52threats to fellow workers, fellow

1:12:55employees, essentially colleagues like

1:12:57the alderman from the 14th. And so I

1:13:01think that that's also important for us

1:13:03to recognize that is this type of speech

1:13:06if it was made by someone in the civil

1:13:08service would be subject to discipline

1:13:11including termination of employment.

1:13:14Again, uh it's the kind of thing that I

1:13:17think we must have in mind. We consider

1:13:20a resolution. we consider the conduct

1:13:22that brought us here today. So, uh, with

1:13:26that, I don't have anything else to say.

1:13:28Um, are there any other points of

1:13:30discussion?

1:13:34Uh with that, uh I moved that the

1:13:38personnel committee

1:13:41um pass resolution 125 committee

1:13:44substitute out of this committee a due

1:13:48pass regulation uh uh due pass

1:13:50recommendation. Is there a second?

1:13:54>> Second.

1:13:56Uh clerk.

1:13:59Vice Chair Connor

1:14:03Boydoman

1:14:14Clark Hubbert

1:14:19>> Alman Aldridge.

1:14:21>> Hi

1:14:25Alman Devot. Hi,

1:14:29>> President Green.

1:14:29>> Hi,

1:14:33>> Vice Chair Conit

1:14:37Clark Hubard.

1:14:40>> I

1:14:43have five I votes.

1:14:44>> Five.

1:14:45>> So, with five I votes, resolution 125,

1:14:49committee substitute

1:14:51>> passes out of committee.

1:14:53>> Thank you.

1:14:55And Madam President, I turn it back over

1:14:57to you.

1:15:11With that, we have no further

1:15:14discussions notice for today. Um, Mr.

1:15:17Clerk, do we have any written testimony?

1:15:20>> I do not.

1:15:21>> Is there any announcements from members

1:15:23of the committee?

1:15:26Seeing none, I would excuse uh Alderman

1:15:28Con for necessary absence.

1:15:31And with that, I would entertain a

1:15:33motion to adjurnn.

1:15:34>> So move.

1:15:35>> Second.

1:15:36>> All those in favor signify by saying I.

1:15:38>> I.

1:15:39>> Opposed. Motion carries. We are

1:15:42adjourned.