2026-10-06 - Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee

02:16Thank you. Good morning. We'll call

02:17today's housing, urban development, and

02:19zoning committee meeting to order. Madam

02:21clerk, please call the role.

02:23>> Alderman Conn,

02:26Alderwoman Schwitzer,

02:28>> present.

02:29>> Vice Chair Sonier,

02:31>> Alderman Browning,

02:33>> present.

02:34>> Alderman Aldridge,

02:37>> present.

02:39Chair Clark Hubard

02:40>> here. Alderman Conn, Vice Chair Sonier,

02:44we have four present. We have a quorum.

02:46>> Thank you. With that, I'll accept a

02:47motion to approve the minutes from

02:49Tuesday, September 29th, 2026.

02:53>> So move.

02:54>> Second.

02:54>> It was moved by Alderman Aldridge and

02:56seconded by Alderman Browning that we

02:59accept approve the minutes from Tuesday,

03:01September 29th, 2026. Madam clerk,

03:04please call the role.

03:05>> Alderman Con.

03:07Alderwoman Schwitzer

03:09>> I.

03:11>> Vice Chair Sonier,

03:13>> Alderman Brownie

03:14>> I.

03:15>> Alderman Aldridge

03:17>> I.

03:18>> Chair Clark Hubard

03:19>> I.

03:20>> Alderman Conn. Vice Chair Sonier. We

03:23have four eye votes.

03:24>> Thank you. With that we've successfully

03:26approved the minutes from Tuesday,

03:28September 29th, 2026. Alderman Aldridge,

03:31you are recognized on board bill A.

04:00All right. Good morning, Madame Chair,

04:03members of the HUDs committee. Uh, today

04:05in front of you, I would like to present

04:08uh board bill 80. And board bill 80 is a

04:13board bill that would transfer the

04:16current lease agreement uh from Eagle

04:19Point that is the currently or the

04:21current lease holders to CI uh Homer

04:26LLC.

04:27Before I begin, I want to one center

04:30this conversation about what's in front

04:33of us. What's in front of us today is

04:37the city having an obligation with

04:39owning the area to make sure that we are

04:43supporting our seniors and our residents

04:45at Homer G. Phillips.

04:48We have an obligation to make sure today

04:50that I hope that we pass Bill 80, which

04:53there will be an amendment to ensure the

04:55residents at Homer G. Phillips uh start

04:57to turn a new page when it comes to the

04:59conditions in their community.

05:02We also here today, I think more

05:04importantly, to hear from the actual

05:07residents that live in this building

05:10that have been enduring the current

05:12conditions that they've been under with

05:15Eagle Point and to hear from them on

05:17what they would like to see move

05:19forward. I'm not here to do the

05:21politics. I'm not here to go backwards

05:24of anything that's happened in the past,

05:26but here today to move forward so that

05:29the residents can have a new lease owner

05:31who is planning to make uh a a large

05:34amount of upgrades to Homer G. Phillips.

05:37Shortly, we will hear from the new lease

05:40holder that is coming in from CIG. Um in

05:43front of you all, you have various

05:45documents. One of the documents talks

05:48about the capital improvements that the

05:50CIG uh individuals plan to do. I want to

05:54thank them for flying in and also want

05:56to thank them for attending a meeting

05:58that we had yesterday with over roughly

06:0120 residents of Homer G uh hospital and

06:05uh CIG for residents to hear directly

06:08from the leasees of what they plan to

06:11do. And it's also very clear what is on

06:14the capital improvements uh paper is not

06:18the end, it is the start. I know uh the

06:22owner from CIG will also be at national

06:24night out because he is committed to

06:26ensuring that while he may have an idea

06:29of the upgrades that are needed in Homer

06:31G. What's important more what's the most

06:33important part is ensuring that the

06:35residents um that actually live there

06:38that have been enduring the conditions

06:41of several vacant units that have not

06:44had heat in the wintertime and sometimes

06:48not AC in the summertime. Um not just

06:51having adequate furniture in their

06:53common grounds area. So when people come

06:55over, you know, they have to see, you

06:57know, couches that nobody would probably

07:00have in their household. Uh and it's

07:02important to make sure that like I say

07:04we center oursel around the residents.

07:07Also in uh the documents that I

07:10presented I will have at some point a

07:12staff from the comproller office to talk

07:14about how we got here. And this has been

07:18a conversation uh that has been going on

07:21way before I filed the board bill. Uh

07:23this has been a conversation going on at

07:25this point for over a year of Eagle

07:28Point asking the city uh to come out of

07:31their lease and CIG stepping up to want

07:34to take over to improve the conditions

07:37of Homer G. Phillips Hospital. Again,

07:40this is an obligation of the city

07:42because we do own the land and at the

07:45end of the day, we've seen too many

07:48senior buildings um go down in disarray.

07:51We've tuned we've seen too many senior

07:53buildings have issues where seniors had

07:56to abruptly move and we can't stand by

07:59that in my opinion at the board of

08:01alderman to allow these seniors at Homer

08:03G. Phillips not to have progress. Um, I

08:08think what's also important is making

08:11sure as we hear from the residents, but

08:13as we also move forward with this board

08:15bill is that again that residents have

08:19to live with the current state that is

08:21at Homer G. Phillips. While we talk

08:24about it on the board of alderman floor

08:25on Fridays, while we're talking about it

08:28up here at this committee meeting, once

08:30it's all said and done, the residents

08:32that are behind me still have to go back

08:34to the deplorable conditions at Homer G.

08:36tails. This is no slight on the old

08:39lease holder Eagle Point, but this is

08:41about how do we move forward? How do we

08:43move forward to ensure that there are

08:45upgrades made uh at Homer G Phillips

08:48Hospital so that residents have uh a

08:50better quality of life. Before I filed

08:53the board bill, I will say I did not

08:55know who CIG was. I had no dealings with

08:58them. Just recently met Jason over the

09:01last few weeks. I will say I have

09:03personal experience though with CI

09:05because Sullivan Place uh that they

09:08recently took over is in the 14th ward

09:11and Sullivan Place was a senior building

09:13that um honestly is in a worse condition

09:17of Homer G. Phillips and what I've seen

09:20is how CIG has been able to step in and

09:23make some upgrades. I wouldn't say this

09:25is a penthouse but they have made

09:27significant upgrades to change the

09:29quality of life of seniors. uh at

09:32Sullivan Place and I'm hopeful and I'm

09:34committed to making sure that not only I

09:37work with CI moving forward, but also

09:40make sure that I work with the residents

09:42um to make sure that they actually have

09:44the necessary items that they need in

09:47their apartments, the necessary items

09:49that they need in their community space,

09:51the necessary items that they need to

09:52just have a better quality uh and

09:55dignity of life. So the bill is a again

09:58it's a transfer of lease um that is

10:01obligation of the city to transfer it

10:03from Eagle Point to CIG and I want to be

10:06clear we know that as this process move

10:08on as we get to the board of alderman

10:10it's going to take a few weeks and even

10:12once this bill is passed it's going to

10:14take at least two to three months for

10:16CIG to come in the building and start

10:19making those initial upgrades. is going

10:21to at least take after they come into

10:23the building six to eight months to

10:27complete some of the capital project

10:28improvements that they need. So, the

10:30moral of the story of the timeline, it

10:32is upon us and it's urgent that we act

10:35because at the end of the day, the

10:36longer that we sit on not transferring

10:38the lease uh from the previous lease

10:41holder to a new lease holder, the

10:43residents are the one that's going to

10:44have continued to live with the

10:46deplorable conditions that they

10:48currently have. Before I bring up any of

10:51uh the speakers, Madam Chairman, I know

10:53I do have an amendment to the bill that

10:56I do want to bring forward uh to adopt

10:59the amendment uh to board bill 80.

11:04>> I'll accept a motion to adopt amendment

11:07number one.

11:08>> I am moved that we adopt amendment

11:09number one to board bill.

11:11>> Second. It was moved by Alderman

11:13Browning and seconded by Vice Chair Sier

11:16that we adopt amendment number one

11:19to board bill 80.

11:22All in favor?

11:23>> Can I ask a question?

11:24>> Oh, go ahead.

11:25>> I just was curious about the fees or

11:27charges. Do you have an idea of how much

11:29that will be?

11:30>> So, amendment number one on an annual

11:32basis uh

11:34>> I think we should go ahead since we have

11:35the question now to just go ahead and

11:37read. Madame Clerk, can you read

11:39amendment number one and then we can let

11:42Alderman Aldrich speak to it?

11:45>> Amendment number one to board bill 80

11:48[clears throat] sponsored by Alderman

11:50Rasheen Aldridge introduced by Alderman

11:52Rasheen Aldidge to amend said board bill

11:54page two line 10 as follows. To amend

11:58said board bill page two, line 10 by

12:00inserting the following section. Section

12:03three. All revenues derived from fees or

12:06charges collected by the city associated

12:08with the Homer G. Phillips senior

12:10apartments shall be held in a special

12:12fund to be used for repairs and

12:14maintenance of said apartments. The

12:16controller is authorized and directed to

12:18establish a special fund for such

12:21purpose. Monies is monies in the fund

12:24shall be used solely for the

12:25maintenance, repair, rehabilitation,

12:28renovation, capital improvement,

12:30preservation and or operation of Homer

12:33G. Phillips senior apartments subject to

12:35appropriation in accordance with

12:37applicable law. All subsequent sections

12:40shall be renumbered accordingly.

12:43>> Thank you, Madam Clerk. So to explain

12:45what amendment number one does on an

12:47annual basis um

12:50uh Homer G. Phillips provide $50,000

12:53that typically goes back to the city of

12:56St. Louis general revenue. what we're

12:59doing and I do want to thank the

13:00comprollers's office uh for being

13:02collaborative partners in this amendment

13:05and also in the legislation since I

13:07filed it is this would create a special

13:09fund that the comproller office is ready

13:12to be able to set up that this fund will

13:15be called the Homer G. Phillips fund

13:16where that $50,000 that typically go

13:18into general revenue would now go into a

13:21Homer G. Phillips fund so that those

13:23dollars can be used to help and continue

13:25the upgrades that are needed in Homer G.

13:27Phillips. Again, since this is a

13:29city-owned building, we do bear,

13:31regardless of the lead, we do bear some

13:34responsibility of making sure that the

13:36upkeep in the building of Homer G.

13:38Phillips is up to standard. So, what

13:41this amendment would do is instead of

13:43that $50,000 going into um general

13:46revenue, it would then go into this new

13:48Homer G. Phillips fund or it could be

13:50used directly for repairs and upkeep in

13:52Homer G. Phillips.

13:55>> Thank you.

13:56>> Thank you, Alderwoman.

14:00I don't know Miss Spice, Alman Browning,

14:01do you have any questions on amendment

14:03number one?

14:04>> No.

14:10>> All right.

14:12Chair, what was what was the vote count

14:14on that? Amen.

14:14>> We didn't vote yet because we had a

14:16question. So, we'll go ahead and do

14:19>> I'll make a motion to

14:21>> We already had the motion

14:23>> discussing.

14:25So, we can call for the role. Alderman

14:27Conn,

14:29>> Alderwoman Schwitzer,

14:31>> I.

14:33>> Vice Chair Sonier,

14:34>> I.

14:36>> Alderman Brownie,

14:37>> hi.

14:38>> Alderman Aldridge,

14:39>> I.

14:40>> Chair Clark Hubard,

14:41>> I.

14:43>> Alman Conn, we have five eye votes.

14:46>> All right. Now, we have before us bill

14:4980 as amended. Alman Aldridge, if you

14:52want to move forward with your speakers.

14:54>> Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, and members

14:55of the committee. Uh for my first

14:57speaker that I would like to have come

14:58up is potentially would be the new uh

15:01lease holder if Mr. Jason can come up

15:03and talk about his plans uh that he

15:05planned to do uh hopefully once he take

15:08over. Again, I do think him I thank him

15:10for being present at the meeting we had

15:12with uh over uh 25 residents for them to

15:15be able to hear it first before it came

15:16in front of the committee. But Mr.

15:18Jason, if you would like to come up and

15:20say some words.

15:24Jason, can you raise your right hand for

15:25me and swear to tell the whole truth and

15:27nothing but the truth?

15:28>> Yes.

15:29>> Thank you for being here. State your

15:30full name and your title and then you

15:32can proceed.

15:33>> Um, Jason Schneider, the owner of CI

15:36Properties.

15:42>> Um, Jason Schneider, owner of CI

15:45Properties.

15:48>> You spell your last name, please.

15:50>> S C H N E D.

15:54Thank you.

15:57>> First off, thank you for having us um

16:00giving us the platform to um explain our

16:03plans and how we got here. Um so we have

16:07been engaged with Humper G. Phillips um

16:11I would say for approximately two years

16:12at this point.

16:15um many hurdles to get past and as well

16:18as getting familiar with the property

16:20and seeing seeing if it's something

16:22we're willing to take on. Um

16:26we recently I would say around three

16:28years ago

16:30engaged with um taking on many LITC um

16:34low-inccome housing tax credit

16:35properties which often after the initial

16:39compliance period run into operational

16:42issues in terms of

16:44limitations on

16:47um income limitations and rent

16:49limitations uh rent restrictions while

16:52rise in costs

16:54while having to deal with the rising

16:55costs. Um, and there's often times, more

16:58often than not, difficulties in

17:01operating. Um,

17:04in this specific situation, I understand

17:06Dominion previously owned Homer G.

17:08Phillips and then shifted it onto Eagle

17:11Point. Um, currently I believe a lot of

17:15the issues stem from many changes to

17:20the on-site employees and current

17:21management in conjunction with the

17:24building operating at a fiscal loss. Um,

17:30um, we're looking to enter

17:33this property and sort of reposition it.

17:37Many of the issues also stem from

17:40significant vacancies

17:42um as they let it go which is a cycle

17:47that's just continuous continuously

17:50downward cycle where more vacancies

17:53allow for more crime and obviously

17:56there's limited revenue to operate with.

17:59Uh so with that being said, a I believe

18:01a large focus we've been able to many of

18:05the tenants concerns um which primarily

18:08seem to focus on a lack of security and

18:12lack of attention from management.

18:14Um and we're looking to shift gears by

18:18coming in with making some cap

18:21significant capital improvements. Um,

18:23for starters, we're looking to um

18:26implement major security enhancements

18:29with AI generated

18:32um monitored security systems,

18:36new access gates

18:38um

18:40along with a more attentive staff. Um,

18:46specifically, I don't have our chart. do

18:48have

18:51so I can run through some of the

18:52upgrades.

18:54Um

18:58so generally speaking there's some

18:59deferred maintenance

19:02such as um the parking lot not being

19:05maintained, security entrances not being

19:08maintained,

19:09some roof issues

19:11um

19:16um and significant heating issues to the

19:18mechanical systems. So we are coming in

19:21well aware of these issues and have a

19:24plan to tackle them within the first six

19:26months. Um

19:30as well as general you know increase in

19:33curb appeal and increase in tenant

19:35amenities. Um, many of the amenities

19:38that the project was built with,

19:41renovated with included a grocery store,

19:44nail salon, fitness center, and I

19:47believe many of these items have been

19:48taken offline. So, our plan is to

19:51reinstate those.

19:54Um, and lastly, which I think is one of

19:56the most important items, is obviously

19:58always a disconnect between ownership,

20:00management, and tenant concerns. So one

20:04thing that we're looking to put a lot of

20:06focus on is

20:08implement and retain a tenant liaison

20:12which would have direct access for the

20:15tenants to speak to someone in ownership

20:19in real time when issues arise and have

20:22the ability to bypass the on-site

20:24management if the need arises.

20:29And

20:33pretty much

20:35I believe the communication is one of

20:37the major concerns and the lack of

20:39communication is what

20:41created this issue with Eagle Point. Uh

20:46and I'm looking forward to getting

20:48involved and changing the narrative at

20:51Homer G. Phillips. Um I would like to

20:54address Sullivan Place Apartments. We

20:57acquired that property roughly a year

20:58ago um which was in severely distressed

21:02condition um from drug dealers,

21:04squatters

21:06um large u outstanding bills

21:10and we've come in at this point we are I

21:14would say we're around 85% complete as

21:18far as it relates to our upgrades. We've

21:21managed to implement

21:25new security systems and get rid of the

21:28problem the squatters and other tenants

21:32which posed an issue to the existing

21:35um occupants of the property. And we're

21:38at the tail end of the repositioning

21:40process where we have self-funded um a

21:45complete renovation

21:47and upgrade to all the vacant units and

21:51common areas.

21:53And at this point, we're looking to

21:55release and

21:57that's sort of a testament to our um

22:00product and what our plans are. um that

22:04was much more of a challenge property. I

22:07believe this Homer G. Phillips is

22:09there's a lot less to do to get it over

22:11the finish line and we're looking

22:14forward to get involved and I don't know

22:16if anyone has any questions for me.

22:21>> Okay, Adam, did you want us to kind of

22:24go through questions per speaker? Okay,

22:27>> sure.

22:30>> And then you want to go to question?

22:31Okay. Okay.

22:35Um, next up I'll have a staff member

22:39from the comproller office here to speak

22:42a little bit about the timeline. Again,

22:44you all received a document um stating

22:47how these have been conversations

22:50um going back with the comproller uh and

22:54an older person back from May.

23:00All right. Good morning, Madam

23:02Chairwoman, members of the committee. My

23:04name is Mackenzie Looney, executive

23:06assistant to the Comproller. I would

23:08just want to start by saying that the

23:09Comprollers's office recognizes that

23:10this is not simply another city-owned

23:12building. This property carries

23:14significant historical and community

23:16value. Uh since before Comproller

23:18Behinger even took office, residents

23:20have reached out to her with their

23:22complaints. Um so this has been one of

23:24her number one priorities. Uh, Eagle

23:27Point has done everything that they

23:28could, but they agreed that a lease

23:30transfer is the necessary next step. So,

23:33in doing so, they've spent many months

23:36identifying CIG. They brought CIG to our

23:38office. We saw capital improvement plan

23:41and agreed that that was the best path

23:43forward. So, we worked with the

23:45alderwoman from the 12th, but when the

23:46board bill did not advance before the

23:48summer recess, we had to pursue other

23:51options. Uh we met with the law

23:52department to see if an interim

23:55management agreement would be possible.

23:57Um unfortunately we were advised against

23:59that and had to wait on legislative

24:01action. Um while we were waiting on

24:03legislative action, Eagle Point actually

24:05sent President Green a letter and in

24:08response, President Green called a

24:10meeting uh informed Alderman Aldridge

24:13what was going on. And so we would just

24:14like to thank the alderman for his

24:16partnership in this uh the amendment

24:19which sets up that fund will hopefully

24:21create additional monies so that we can

24:23pour back into the building and most

24:25importantly into the residents. I also

24:27want to say thank you to President Green

24:29for her leadership on this and her quick

24:32movement. Um

24:34yeah, so I will take any questions if

24:36anybody has any. Thank you.

24:45And then uh unless there's questions uh

24:48to the previous um lease holder, we or

24:51if those do come, we also do have um the

24:54CEO from Eagle Point uh online. I don't

24:58know if they want to say anything or

25:00just hear for more questions.

25:05It should say Brian. We could go ahead

25:07and get him sworn in just in case

25:09because some people might have questions

25:10if he can turn his camera.

25:29>> Good morning.

25:31>> Good morning. My name is Laura Burns.

25:34I'm the CEO of Eagle Point.

25:36>> And I'm Brian Shabai.

25:38>> And can you raise your right hands and

25:39swear to tell the whole truth and

25:40nothing but the truth?

25:43>> I do.

25:43>> I do too.

25:44>> Okay. Okay. We um if you don't have any

25:47opening, you don't have any general

25:49context, we can just know that you're

25:51ready and willing to answer questions

25:53from colleagues.

25:54>> Absolutely. Happy to answer any

25:56questions. Thank you for having us here.

25:58>> Thank you so much.

25:59>> And I know we have uh a lot of people

26:01here to testify. So before questions for

26:03me, I don't know if we want to shift to

26:05public comment, but it's your call,

26:06madam chairman.

26:07>> You know, I always want to hear from the

26:08public first. So um if anybody has any

26:11pressing questions they want to ask

26:14prior to hearing from the public, please

26:16let me know.

26:20Alderoman Tus, you know, you don't have

26:21to raise your hand to speak. You're our

26:23colleague. So if you wanted to speak,

26:25you're welcome to speak, but we did want

26:28to hear from the public first before we

26:30have our context.

26:33Okay.

26:37>> Do you want me to wait and speak with

26:39when the colleagues come and will I be

26:41able to also question these witnesses?

26:44>> You're our colleague. So, absolutely.

26:45You know, you have a seat here like all

26:47of us.

26:49So, Madame Clerk, if we can hear from

26:51the

26:54public online and in

26:57online and in the room, I'm going to

26:59swear as many of us in at the same time

27:02so that

27:05we won't have to do everyone

27:07individually. We can just call by name.

27:09So, everyone that's in the room for the

27:11public um that would like to speak and

27:13everyone online that would like to

27:15speak, if you can turn your camera so

27:17that we can see you and see you raise

27:19your right hand.

27:21>> Do we have any online, madam clerk?

27:23>> Yes, I'm I'm transferring to over who

27:25has

27:25>> Okay, their hands raised.

28:07I I I moved everyone over had their

28:09hands raised.

28:10>> Okay.

28:12Please turn your cameras on to those who

28:15would like to speak. Mr. Coleman and

28:20Darius Redmond.

28:25Yeah, I'm I'm here. Am I able to speak

28:28right now? Am I getting the floor?

28:31>> We can hear if you just hold on until we

28:32call your name again, but your camera

28:34needs to be on. Mr. Mr. Redmond need to

28:36have your camera on and raise your right

28:38hand.

28:39>> Sounds good.

28:48>> All right. So, am I uh providing some

28:50evidence or do I need to raise my right

28:52hand or

28:52>> No, just just raise your right hand

28:54right now, Mr. Coleman, and then we're

28:55going to call you when it's time to

28:56speak.

28:58>> All right, sounds good. Thank you.

29:01[snorts]

29:03>> Is the other person going to turn their

29:05camera on?

29:06>> He's on the side, but he hasn't

29:09he hasn't turned his camera.

29:11>> Yeah, I was I'm on on two I'm on on a

29:13laptop and a cell phone. So maybe I need

29:14to take that off of the the c the

29:17computer cuz I wasn't allowed to get on

29:18on the cell phone.

29:19>> Mr. Coleman.

29:20>> Mr. Coleman, I see you. I see you're in

29:22two locations. I only moved you over

29:23once. We're looking for Darius Redmond.

29:27>> Oh, okay.

29:29>> Yeah,

29:29>> we can mute that person. Thank you. Can

29:32everyone raise your right hand

29:35and swear to tell the whole truth and

29:36nothing but the truth?

29:39>> All right. Thank you.

29:41We can start in the room. Madame clerk,

29:44>> our first speaker is

29:46Miss Williams

29:53in support.

29:58>> Good morning everyone.

30:00Uh my name is uh Sharon Williams and I

30:03am the president of the resident

30:05association at Homer G. Phillips. Um I

30:09want to thank you all for being here.

30:10present with us today, having us to come

30:13here today because we have been waiting

30:14a long time um to get this message to

30:18whomever it is that can help us uh in

30:21our plight to uh get what we need where

30:25we live. Um I want to say that um Homer

30:29G. Phillips is a very historic place. Um

30:32most of the residents a lot of the

30:34residents who live there were either

30:37they were born there um they worked

30:39there and some have come back to live

30:42there. Um it's very important because it

30:45was the first place where um black uh

30:49doctors and nurses trained in the city

30:51of St. Louis and um it was the only

30:54place where they could be served.

30:57A lot of people who have come to our

30:59building don't understand the historical

31:01value of that building and so they don't

31:03take it as seriously as we do. So this

31:06is why I'm explaining to some of those

31:08who may not know how important that this

31:11building is to us and to this community.

31:15I want to say what happened. This

31:17building was once a hospital and then it

31:21became a senior place for residents to

31:24live. It was a beautiful, immaculate

31:27building with chandeliers and everything

31:30that the residents could hope for in

31:32their building. It was full. There was

31:34220 units. It was full of full to

31:37capacity and it was very hard to get

31:40into this building to live.

31:43After a while, things started changing

31:46and the company that was there,

31:48Dominion, wanted to go ahead and leave.

31:50They've been there for a long time, over

31:5116 years. and without informing the

31:55residents,

31:57they went in with um city officials and

32:02brought in a new management company,

32:04Eagle Point Management Company, LLC.

32:07And we were told that they were going to

32:09be wonderful. They were going to help

32:10us. They were going to move this along.

32:12Um as time went on, after a year or so,

32:15we saw things depleting. Um, residents

32:19were leaving

32:20apartment building, how they were hot,

32:23how they were, which we did. We asked

32:25how they were hot, how they were, which

32:27we did. We asked for our uh, Alderwoman

32:30Sharon Talus who helped us. We asked

32:32Kimberly Collins who helped us. We asked

32:35uh, Tashara Jones, who was Maritime, to

32:37help us. We helped. We asked everybody

32:40that we could that we accosted on the

32:42streets that knew anything about what

32:45was going on at home of D. Phillips to

32:47help us and they did. Some of them came

32:49to the meetings. Some of them did bring

32:51certain things to help us. But in the

32:54end, we still lost out as a group of

32:57people living there. And we have seen a

33:00lot of things happen. Um people dying in

33:03their apartments. Nobody knew about it.

33:05We've seen um we've seen the um current

33:10people in the office.

33:11>> Miss Williams, that's your time.

33:13>> I'm gonna extend her time. M I'll hurry.

33:16We'll seen

33:17>> Take your time, M.

33:18>> Okay. We've seen how um the u the

33:21residents have been emotionally

33:23distraught over them not knowing why

33:25their be their rent was being uh raised

33:29up and while their their their payments

33:32were being lost and and while their cars

33:34were being vandalized on the lot and um

33:39it was very emotional. We've seen them

33:41fall out on the floor. We've seen them

33:44in the hallways not being able to get

33:46up, light fixtures out, parking lights

33:48out. And the most devastating thing that

33:51happened was when we had that tornado.

33:54When that tornado hit,

33:57Eagle Point management staff left us in

34:00that building by ourselves.

34:03They left. They walked out. The

34:06elevators weren't working. We had seven

34:07floors of people that could not get

34:10down. And we had to rely on ourselves,

34:14the people in the community, the

34:16security that we had there to get food

34:18and water and everything that we could

34:20because the fire department was busy

34:22everywhere. They couldn't come get us

34:23out. It was horrible for the first two

34:26to three days. Kimberly Collins helped

34:29out a lot. She started sending people to

34:31the place. We were calling around

34:33getting other people to come to the

34:35place. BGP, she came over and barbecued.

34:39They brought a lot of things to us and

34:41we were so grateful and when management

34:43came back on Monday I guess they decided

34:45that they would try to start helping

34:47too. But over the process things

34:50continued to go downhill and they are at

34:52they went downhill very very quickly

34:55until I decided somebody else needs to

34:58hear this. So I started approaching the

35:00attorney generals. I started calling

35:02hood myself. I started sending pictures.

35:05We started protesting and we finally got

35:08their attention and Miss Sue Hackett

35:10called me from Eagle Point and she said,

35:12"Sharon, can we reset? Can we try to do

35:15some things?" And so we have been

35:17working with her diligently trying to

35:19get some things done. It has not what we

35:21really everything that we need, but

35:23we're doing it slowly, but we're still

35:25suffering in this building. And at our

35:28meeting, we were told once again without

35:31our voices being present that there was

35:32going to be another board bill come in

35:35after we have gone through a board bill

35:37with Miss Tyus, which we were trying to

35:39get them held accountable for what they

35:41were doing and what they weren't doing.

35:44So, another bill comes forward and a

35:46bunch of things happen that had nothing

35:48to do with us. We're not into politics.

35:50We don't care about what happens on

35:52their end. All we care about is

35:55transparency and accountability.

35:58And we have not been given that. Our

36:00voices have not been heard. We asked

36:03them to include us in on what needed to

36:06happen moving forward. And if our voices

36:09weren't heard, we're not supporting

36:10anything. If our voices are not being a

36:13part of it, we listen to Miss Tyus. We

36:15agree with her. Everything needs to be

36:17everybody needs to be held accountable

36:19for what needs. We agree with the things

36:21that uh Aidge brought in Rashid Aidge

36:24all the things that CGI wants to do. We

36:26agree they need to happen but there are

36:28additional things that need to happen as

36:30well. And we would like to see a

36:32combination of all of that take place

36:35but we have to start from somewhere. We

36:38have to get this done. We no longer can

36:40sit there and suffer like we have been

36:41suffering over the years. And we demand

36:44that this take place. We demand that

36:47there be included additional addendums

36:50so that the people in that building can

36:52be taken care of, feel safe,

36:55feel like they want to stay there and be

36:57in that community and be held and and

37:01those who need to be held accountable be

37:03held accountable for where the money

37:06went and why these things got to this

37:08point in the first place. I thank you

37:11today for allowing me to speak.

37:14Our

37:20[clears throat] next speaker,

37:21undetermined,

37:23Miss Wilson.

37:24>> Um, Alderman Browning said he has a

37:27question that he would like to ask

37:30Miss Sharon before we proceed. I'm

37:32sorry. Just a little.

37:34>> Miss Williams. Miss Sharon,

37:36>> you have a question.

37:43Miss Williams, I'm I'm apologize for

37:45having to make you get up again. I just

37:46uh had a quick question. Uh have you

37:48seen this capital list that they

37:50provided and does this capital list

37:52address the needs that you think your

37:54bill

37:54>> it address some of the issues? We met

37:56with uh Mr. Schnee yesterday and it does

37:59address a lot of the issues but it does

38:01not include a lot of issues that need to

38:03be taking place and we were able to avo

38:06those those uh things to him that we

38:08need communication system. We there's no

38:11way to talk to anybody in that building

38:12or tell people to get out if it's a

38:14fire. We we've never the fire department

38:16we've been begging them for years to

38:18come and do a fire drill. That hasn't

38:19happened. You know, there are a lot of

38:22things that need to be put in to make it

38:24more valuable for us and we understand

38:27that this is a start and it's a

38:28beginning, but we're hoping that there

38:30can be additional things added to that

38:32to make this complete for us all.

38:35>> Thank you. That I just appreciate that

38:38your perspective. I think you are most

38:40likely the expert when it comes to what

38:42your building needs and uh I share your

38:45concern. I want it to be safe for the

38:47residents. I want you to have that

38:48accountability and transparency. So, I

38:50appreciate you coming here today and

38:51sharing uh the story with us and uh just

38:55exactly what you expect. I hope that we

38:57can get to that place.

38:58>> Thank you. Thank you,

39:06>> Miss Wilson.

39:11Good morning.

39:14Um, [clears throat]

39:16I'm acting as secretary for the last few

39:18years. Before that, I was the president

39:20of the resident association and I've

39:23been in that building. Let's say let's

39:26say I'm going to tell you first of all

39:29that I was born there

39:32in 1946

39:34and the building had only been open to

39:37uh for patients in 37. So nine years

39:42after I was after it opened, I was born

39:44there. That kind of tells you how old

39:46the building is. I also worked there

39:50at doing billing and doing uh

39:52admissions. And when it was um we were

39:55moved out, we were one of the first

39:57departments that were moved out and we

40:00moved to city hospital. I continued the

40:03work of home and G Phillips from city.

40:05They combined the the billing offices,

40:08money crunch, you know, but always came

40:10back. I came back for my services even

40:13as a little girl. That's where I got my

40:16health services. And as an adult, I have

40:19been in the hospital there, too. And I

40:22remember, oh, let's see, right after it

40:25opened as a facility for seniors, I was

40:28visiting there with my husband, and I

40:30said, I want to live here. I love it

40:33here. It's beautiful. Unfortunately,

40:36I didn't get a chance to move in there

40:38until 2015.

40:42By then, my husband was very sick and he

40:44never made it in, but I was hoping he

40:46would. He died 12 days after I got

40:48there. The problems just didn't start

40:52with Eagle Point.

40:55The problem started with Dominion

40:58and I was there when they started

41:00started declining.

41:03That's when Eagle Point I mean um their

41:06first company Dominion pulled out and we

41:08were we worked with Eagle Point and they

41:12made a lot of promises again to us.

41:14Eagle Point did but we haven't seen a

41:18lot of those promises come through. So

41:20the building has I remember the building

41:23as one of the most beautiful places I

41:25have ever seen. It is a national an

41:28historical site and that's one one

41:30reason that I I feel that the people

41:33outside of the city of St. Louis don't

41:36understand the importance of Homer G.

41:39Phillips

41:40hospital or senior building. Even when

41:43uh Eagle Point was there, there were

41:45things that had to be done. And when um

41:49not Eagle Point, Dominion was there were

41:50things had to be done. Eagle Point took

41:52over and promised a lot of things, but

41:55we didn't get all those things. Not even

41:57the smoking sensation program they were

41:59supposed to do. So now it's been about

42:01another five years and the building has

42:03really went down and decline and even

42:07more with the storm.

42:09Now, as far as uh GIA taking over, GIA,

42:12I think that's the name of it. CIG, I'm

42:15sorry, taking over, I'm not for or

42:19against because I don't know them. I

42:22don't know enough about that company,

42:24another company from outside the city.

42:27And I don't like the fact that we're not

42:31working in conjunction with our alder

42:33person

42:36that the city has come in with another

42:38bill instead of trying to bring these

42:41things together with alderman Tyus to uh

42:46figure out something for us to really be

42:48able to do and you know good for Homer

42:51Phillips. I don't even know if the um

42:54putting another company in there to

42:55manage would work.

42:57So, I'm kind of undetermined about that.

43:00I think that uh Eagle Point has a lot of

43:04things that they should be should answer

43:06for because

43:08as they see as you see it now and

43:11they're the managers,

43:14that's the problem. But I don't know if

43:16a new company wanted to come in and do

43:19any better. I heard a lot of things from

43:22the CI yesterday, but I know there's a

43:25lot more to be done in that building

43:26because I've been in walking through

43:28that building many years.

43:29>> Miss Wilson, extra time on issue.

43:32>> So hopefully uh we can find a company

43:36that will provide us with what we need,

43:40but also the city has a lot to answer

43:43for or the way that building looked

43:46looks now.

43:48Our

43:51next speaker is online EMTT Coleman.

43:59>> Hello.

44:05Thank you for allowing me to speak uh to

44:08the board and to the committee members.

44:11Um the word of the day to me is like

44:14accountability. Okay. Um, you know, I

44:17have some pressing questions as a

44:19resident of St. Louis, city of St.

44:20Louis. Um, you know, I I know as a a

44:24property management company, the

44:26property manager uh is under direct

44:29direction of the property owner, right?

44:32So, you know, when we talk about uh you

44:35know, what's going on with property

44:37management, the lack of property

44:38management, uh where funding is coming

44:40from and where funding is allocated, um

44:43you know, we have to be accountable to

44:45to the property owner because the

44:48property management company can only get

44:49away with what the property owner allows

44:51them to to get away with, right? So, you

44:54know, why are we trying to uh, you know,

44:58switch property management companies

45:00without first talking about what can be

45:03done better uh with the city and the pro

45:05because I mean the the property

45:06management company gets a contract with

45:09the property owner, right? So the

45:11property owner has direct influence on

45:14conditions of properties, rents, uh you

45:17know the accountability aspect, uh the

45:20improvement aspect, everything that any

45:23property management company is allowed

45:25to do is allowed to do under the

45:26direction of the property owner. Right?

45:28So this is something that hasn't been

45:31discussed. I mean why would you change

45:32property management companies? Why has

45:35anybody even looked at the financial

45:37records? how much money was allocated

45:39for certain things, what it was

45:41allocated for, um you know, who's

45:44receiving funding for different uh

45:47things like who's what account are they

45:49collecting rents? Um you know, how are

45:52they

45:53uh conducting this this responsibility

45:56that they're supposed to be it's that's

45:57a contracted service, right? So I

46:00haven't seen anything regarding to you

46:03know what money was allocated for what

46:05who was using what kind of uh allocation

46:08of money for whatever service. I mean we

46:10don't even know I know there's some

46:12discrepancies on some funding issues

46:13with between the property management

46:15company and their account. Um who's

46:17monitoring that account? You know

46:19there's a lot of things that that

46:21haven't been said in this in this

46:23committee meeting or in any meeting per

46:25se that I've even uh you know been a

46:28part of. So, I mean, I think we have to

46:30start look look within first and figure

46:33out what what's failing on our end

46:36before we even get to that point because

46:38it doesn't matter what property

46:40management company you change to like

46:41the lady just said, you know, it was

46:43well before the Eagle Point, you know,

46:46and and and [clears throat] the problem

46:47lies with the owner, not the property

46:50management company. We have to hold them

46:51accountable and we have to hold uh our

46:53city accountable to make sure that we

46:55change and and improve and be more

46:58effective with our with our prop with

47:00our business and with our properties,

47:02you know, and with our residents before

47:03we even look at other property

47:05management. They can only do what

47:06they're allowed to do and that starts

47:08with us. So, thank you.

47:13>> Our next speaker is

47:16Roslin Guy.

47:24Good morning.

47:26I'm glad to be before y'all today. But I

47:30think you can remember I was down here a

47:32few months ago and I was at the meeting

47:35at Julia Davis and I had written a

47:39proposal for $3 million requesting

47:45requesting $3 million to do some

47:49upgrades at Homer G. Phillips. To be

47:52honest, I don't care who's at

47:57Homer G management doing the management

48:00as long as they respect the the

48:03residents there. I think the top

48:05priority like I shared with Jason is

48:09customer service because they create an

48:13environment that creates dissension.

48:16and Alderman Aldrich, I know you asked

48:18me not to bring this up, but I have been

48:21trying to do what all I can to bring

48:25awareness and like people were given

48:27history. My history goes back to prior

48:30to the hospital being closed where I was

48:33out there in the 100 degree weather with

48:35other first with Wa Musa, Zenobia

48:38Thompson and in fact the mayor even

48:41chased us out of his office, Zenobia and

48:44I. But the bottom line is I have to go

48:48along with this because to me it's u

48:52it's like a revised version of the $3

48:55million

48:58proposal I submitted and I did another

49:02one. But one thing that I want to say

49:04and the security people wanted me to

49:09um

49:10write a statement but

49:14and I had asked Alderman Aldrich to make

49:17a statement yesterday because since that

49:21tape was released of Alderman Alderwoman

49:24Taius I've had threats. I have people

49:28that have told me that they're trying to

49:30form find a way to get me out of the

49:33building. And to be honest, like I have

49:36shared with with Alderman Aldridge, when

49:39I saw Alderwoman Ty come in, I was happy

49:43because I thought she was bringing me

49:46the letters of support that I need to

49:49submit to CDA for funding. And it's

49:53amazing to me. I had talked to her

49:55legislative assistant that morning. So,

49:57I thought she was bringing me the

49:59letters. But what amazes me is that I

50:02did submit my proposals to uh CDA and

50:07they told me while Homer G. Phillips is

50:10built on

50:12um city land, it's not owned by the

50:15city, but it is. Okay. But I had no

50:20intentions. I had no idea how that tape

50:23was going to be used. It was not used to

50:26vilify anybody

50:29and I feel I'm owed an apology to be

50:32honest because people that I thought

50:34were my friends at Homer G are no longer

50:37my friends. I have even been unfriended

50:41on our Homer G. Phil's resident

50:44association page, you know, and all I'm

50:46trying to do is help to get some money,

50:50some improvements done because when I

50:52worked at the housing authority and went

50:54on the went to the ribbon cutting,

50:57I was going like, I want to live here.

50:59It was beautiful in 200 now. And the

51:03people they Eagle Point, I'm glad to see

51:05Dr. B. I've written her, too. Um, but

51:09they don't even do walkthroughs with

51:11clients. Uh, they everything looks okay

51:14until you actually need heat in your

51:17bedrooms or air conditioning in your

51:19bedrooms or you need hot water or water

51:23pressure. But I've been blessed to get

51:26some of those things corrected. And I

51:29just thank you for allowing me to be

51:31here today. Thank you.

51:37The next speaker is

51:40Kim Gillian.

51:44>> Gillian.

51:47>> Good morning everybody.

51:48>> Good morning.

51:49>> Just want to thank everyone for giving

51:51us this opportunity.

51:53>> Miss Gillan, could you speak into the

51:54mic, please?

51:55>> I'm sorry. I just want to thank

51:56everybody for giving us this opportunity

51:59come and voice our opinions about our

52:02conditions. And I would like to first

52:05say I was too born at Homage Gy

52:07Phillips. And like Sharon was saying,

52:10Miss Williams, I don't think a lot of

52:12people understand the history of homage,

52:16the historic history of homage.

52:20Um, and first of all, I'd like to thank

52:23Representative Kimberly Collins and all

52:25the other people that Sharon spoke about

52:28who um have come over to, you know,

52:31they've been with us through thick and

52:32thin. the good times and the bad times.

52:35And Miss Collins has very well been very

52:39handson with us over at home.

52:42Um,

52:45I like to say when I was a kid growing

52:47up, um, [clears throat] my parents

52:50always made sure, you know, we had a

52:53comfortable place to stay. And that's

52:54what I'm accustomed to. We had heat in

52:57the winter. We had air in the summer.

53:00And that's just what I'm accustomed to

53:02living uh in a comfortable and nice

53:05environment.

53:07And now at home with G, you know, when

53:09you come out your apartments, you know,

53:11it's a lot of things that

53:14just looks horrible. It doesn't the the

53:17conditions are deplorable. The carpet,

53:20the furniture, and I'm too I'm not

53:23accustomed to that. Now, when Homie G.

53:25Phillips first opened up, it was a

53:28showplace. And it breaks my heart when

53:30people tell me

53:33how that building has. That's really

53:36went down. It breaks my heart. It

53:38[snorts] was a show place. It was very

53:40nice. They had the kitchen. The

53:42furniture was nice. It was just a nice

53:45place to stay.

53:47I guess Dominion was they was the um um

53:54management company. [snorts] Then when

53:56Eagle Point took over,

53:58um [clears throat] they had made us a

54:01lot of promises. They was going to do

54:03this, they was going to do that. And

54:05then they start backing out of things.

54:08You know, our gates and light Sharon

54:11fought so hard to get the lights up.

54:14They finally got them up after years and

54:18years. They finally put the lights up.

54:20[snorts] They said they were going to

54:21never do the gates. So, you know, and

54:25they advertising certain things on the

54:27internet about the property. That's not

54:29true. So,

54:32I I don't know. I am I guess I'm for

54:36this proposal, [snorts] but I just hope

54:38that you know this company come in and

54:42the things they wrote down on the paper

54:44and like Sharon says a whole lot of more

54:46things need to be done that's not on the

54:48paper. uh CI CI properties and I just

54:53hope that uh you know Josh, we spoke to

54:56Josh yesterday and I think he'll be at

54:58the building today and he he's here now

55:00and I thank you Josh and I just hope

55:03that they stick to their word and and

55:06make this a better place for us to live

55:09and don't get me wrong the residents we

55:12you know we have a responsibility too in

55:16keeping up our place but I know

55:19Everybody need a place to stay,

55:22but they they just don't screen people.

55:24And

55:25>> Miss Gillan, invest your time.

55:27>> Take care of them like they could. Thank

55:28you,

55:29>> Miss Gilliam. Did you have anything else

55:31you wanted to say? I want to make sure

55:32you

55:33>> That's it.

55:34>> Okay. Thank you. And thank you, Madam

55:36Clerk. I know we do usually stick to

55:37time, but in reference to these

55:39residents who live in Homer G, I want to

55:43extend the grace and time to them as

55:44Okay. Thank you.

55:46>> Um, our next speaker is online. and he

55:48hasn't been sworn in yet. That's Mr.

55:50Sterling Miller. [snorts]

55:52>> And anyone who has entered the room that

55:54wants to speak, please make sure that

55:56you u sign the paper so we can get you

55:59up to speak as well.

56:02You swear to tell the whole truth and

56:03nothing but the truth.

56:05>> I do.

56:07>> Please proceed.

56:09>> Um yeah, I want to kind of follow up on

56:11one of the previous speakers. Um I'm the

56:1512th ward committeeman and I've been

56:17involved with Homer G. Phillips for most

56:19of my life. I've lived in the

56:20neighborhood and um I'm also a longtime

56:24member of Landmarks Association

56:27and it's in one of the um Miss Williams

56:30was was talking about the beautiful

56:33interior of the building during the

56:35renovation.

56:36Um, one of the concerns I have is the

56:40proposal I heard about putting window

56:42air conditioners in Homer G. Phillips. I

56:44mean, we had a building that was

56:46designed, it was a historic building,

56:48received historic tax credits. The city

56:51is the property owner. And I look upon

56:55this whole process as the owner is the

56:57one who failed the residents. When a

57:00management company or a developer fails

57:03and the city is the owner, it's the

57:06owner's responsibility. I'm a landlord

57:09and when things go wrong and the capital

57:11[clears throat] side, it's my

57:12responsibility

57:14and the city

57:16has not shown in this presentation. I

57:18heard the young lady from the

57:19controllers's office get up and to me

57:22her context was that the building just

57:24fell out of the sky and all of a sudden

57:26there were problems.

57:28Well, the controllers's office, the

57:31previous controller, this controller, we

57:34all share

57:36some responsibility for not addressing

57:38these issues sooner. And I know there's

57:41been a lack of reporting. The board of

57:43alderman were supposed to get reports on

57:46the condition of Homer G. Phillips every

57:48year, and I know Alderwoman Ty has

57:51looked for them, and there there are

57:53none.

57:55um the city SLDC,

57:57the controllers's office, there should

57:59be financial reporting.

58:01What's going to be different with this

58:03landlord? I know as a owner, they could

58:05have all the good intentions and they

58:07could have a crisis in their business

58:09that doesn't have anything to do with

58:10Homer G. Phillips, but it can cause a

58:13calamity or failure. The city is the

58:16owner and we're the ones who should be

58:17backing up and documenting and setting

58:20metrics. So the board of utman should be

58:22setting benchmarks for the new owner

58:25timelines. I haven't heard any of when

58:28things should happen, when funds should

58:30be transferred, and are there any funds

58:33being transferred? I I just hear more

58:35questions. I hear more questions than I

58:38heard any answers in the presentations

58:40that occurred earlier. And I feel for

58:43the tenants. I know we've been over

58:46there. My wife has delivered blankets

58:48and heaters and food to Homer G.

58:49Phillips over the last two and a half

58:52years

58:54and getting no very few answers from the

58:57city as to what's going on in terms of

58:59the breakdown. But it is the city's

59:02responsibility. So now is the time

59:04before a contract is signed to ask hard

59:08questions and the hard questions

59:10shouldn't be just to the develop to the

59:12new operator but to the city. What's our

59:15commitment to having reports to setting

59:18benchmarks and timelines for

59:20>> that's your time?

59:22>> We can go ahead and finish

59:25his husband. Mr. Mr. Miller, you can

59:27finish.

59:28>> Okay. Thank you.

59:30>> But that is my um concern that there are

59:35no benchmarks, no timelines for these

59:38capital funds and there should be

59:41transparent reporting. We did this for

59:4420 years and the building went down and

59:47and down and down and everybody knows it

59:50costs more to bring it back than it does

59:51to keep it where it was. But nobody

59:54intervened.

59:56Um there were complaints by the

59:57residents by the complaints by the

59:59resident as young lady said earlier, one

1:00:01of them said fingerpointing by the city.

1:00:04Oh, we don't own that. We don't operate

1:00:06it. No, we have the city has

1:00:07responsibility and now is the time to

1:00:10get detailed answers. not after the

1:00:13contract is signed. You can't get the

1:00:16answers that you want and do anything

1:00:18about it. And I know the residents are

1:00:21in a hurry and they've been in a hurry

1:00:22and they've been needed, but let's not

1:00:24give them fool's gold that everything is

1:00:26going to be all right and then a year

1:00:28later we're sitting here again. So

1:00:30that's my comment. Thank you.

1:00:34>> The next speaker is Miss Amber Cole.

1:00:44Good morning, committee. I coming in.

1:00:50I'm asking you to back up before you

1:00:53accept the amendments, the proposal,

1:00:56because there's too many unanswered

1:00:58questions. Is where is the money? Number

1:01:02one, you your rent went down to $50,000

1:01:07and nothing was done.

1:01:10As like some of my sisters have said, I

1:01:13too was born in Homo G. So I take great

1:01:17pride in Homo G. My brother used to stay

1:01:20at home G. And

1:01:24about five years out he moved because

1:01:27his car got broke into. He got robbed.

1:01:32And after 20some years, you have not the

1:01:35owners right now has not corrected the

1:01:38problem. If you have not had those those

1:01:41hard questions of where is the money,

1:01:46where is the money? Ask them where the

1:01:48money is. You keep on passing down

1:01:51different

1:01:52uh lease owners or changing up names and

1:01:56it's the same things going on. If you

1:02:00keep on doing the same thing you've been

1:02:02doing, they calling us fools.

1:02:05So when I'm looking at I'm not I don't

1:02:08live in

1:02:10um homage, but I'm a potential person

1:02:13that might be in homogene.

1:02:16So and it is just a a pivot for me to

1:02:20not be in there. So if we looking at the

1:02:23$400

1:02:25million

1:02:28payable in the rears,

1:02:32where is the money? Why are we giving a

1:02:35lease to somebody and you have not

1:02:37clarified that? Why are you want to give

1:02:39a lease to somebody that you don't know

1:02:41no corrected action? Why are you giving

1:02:43a lease that you selling somebody that

1:02:46now you can fix the security but you

1:02:48couldn't fix the security in 20 years?

1:02:52Why are you giving somebody another

1:02:54lease and let them make the city needs

1:02:56to be accountable for their action? You

1:02:58as all the persons are our physical

1:03:02agents that's supposed to watch doll

1:03:05this money where it's being done what's

1:03:08being gone. So when you start doing this

1:03:11kind of thing, that's why people start

1:03:13talking about I don't believe in in

1:03:15government. I don't believe in why

1:03:17should I vote? Why should I? If you're

1:03:19going to keep on doing what you want to

1:03:21do and not listen to the people and do

1:03:24what the people have asked,

1:03:28what is the people crying out for over

1:03:31the years? So when we look at all this

1:03:33and we look at you having accountable

1:03:36for nothing the CI you talking about CI

1:03:39supposed to take over. I haven't seen

1:03:42said that's outside that they could have

1:03:45done.

1:03:47So tell me why would you invite another

1:03:50all you didn't invite the older person

1:03:53yesterday to a meeting. Maybe you did.

1:03:55I'm sorry. Did you did you invite the

1:03:58alder person over that area

1:04:02on what she thought?

1:04:05Why can't you come together?

1:04:08Thank you.

1:04:14Our next speaker is Miss Ali Stewart.

1:04:21I could have got up. Good morning and

1:04:23thank you. I'm here to talk about the

1:04:26Older American Act, the safety of the

1:04:29seniors that living in that building. Uh

1:04:33under the Old American Act, nobody's not

1:04:35to receive funding of being paid unless

1:04:38in the seniors are in a safe

1:04:42place, quiet safe place before they

1:04:46collect the money. Now if the ones who

1:04:49are getting taking money and the money

1:04:50do come is federal dollars they supposed

1:04:53to make sure that the seniors have the

1:04:55service that is needed. No seniors

1:04:58supposed to be in a hot place with no

1:05:00air condition or cold place with no

1:05:03heat. That is under the old American act

1:05:06the funding that they receive for the

1:05:08rent that is being paid. And that's what

1:05:11I'm complaining about. And I think it's

1:05:13if it's not if the seniors is not

1:05:15getting the care they need, it need to

1:05:17be reported to the federal government.

1:05:20Thank you.

1:05:26Our next speaker is Edward McFallin.

1:05:30Edward Mcfallen.

1:05:40Good afternoon.

1:05:42Um, I like many of the people that have

1:05:45spoken today, I was born at home of

1:05:48Phillips. Uh, as a matter of fact, I'm

1:05:51still in the neighborhood on the four

1:05:53blocks of home.

1:05:55Excuse [clears throat] me. As a elected

1:05:58official back in the day, uh, I was

1:06:00called by Miss Wilson because of the

1:06:02problem that they had at home. We

1:06:04addressed those, we tried to address

1:06:05those problems, but they still exist. U

1:06:09I've gone through uh your leadership,

1:06:12Miss Jill Richards, Alicia Deville,

1:06:16uh

1:06:18Jill Richards, as I said, and Miss Kim

1:06:20Sutton. These are the people that I've

1:06:22dealt with over the years trying to

1:06:24solve some of those problems.

1:06:26Unfortunately,

1:06:28the problems still exist. Uh we've gone

1:06:31through ups and downs. We've dealt with

1:06:32the uh elected officials at that time.

1:06:34We dealt with board of that time. We

1:06:37dealt with everybody, but the problem

1:06:40still exists. So, I think it goes back

1:06:42to what Mr. uh Coleman and Mr. Miller

1:06:44said earlier. It comes down to checks

1:06:47and balances.

1:06:48We don't have that here in this

1:06:51situation. Uh the system is set up to to

1:06:54have checks and balances, but it's not

1:06:56being imple not been implemented. So,

1:06:59thank you. So um I just believe that uh

1:07:04from what you're hearing today uh

1:07:07something needs to happen but not only

1:07:10as as been stated that go to just

1:07:12another uh management company checks and

1:07:15balances where where's the money going

1:07:18uh what services are or are or or are

1:07:21not being provided

1:07:23um the same people that are here today

1:07:26are the people that I see every day

1:07:28because I live for block I

1:07:30Well, my friends live in home imp right

1:07:33and they're from the neighborhood also.

1:07:35They deserve better. We deserve better.

1:07:37Um I learned a long time ago that when

1:07:41the person votes for you, they don't owe

1:07:42you anything.

1:07:44You owe them. And the people that have

1:07:46put this organization in office,

1:07:51you owe us. Thank you.

1:07:55Our

1:07:58next speaker is Kimberly Collins.

1:08:17>> You swear to tell the whole truth and

1:08:18nothing but the truth. I do. Thank you.

1:08:22Um, so my name is Kimberly Anne Collins

1:08:25and I serve as the Missouri State

1:08:26Representative representing the city of

1:08:28St. Louis in the Missouri House of

1:08:30Representatives 103rd General Assembly.

1:08:32I am a 12th Ward resident having lived

1:08:35in the Vil neighborhood all 33 years of

1:08:38my life. So, I'm a lifelong resident and

1:08:41I'm coming today to um support the

1:08:45residents association, support Miss

1:08:48Sharon Williams, and to speak in support

1:08:51of this bill. Um this is I was asked to

1:08:54come speak in support of this bill and I

1:08:55always want to come make sure that I'm

1:08:56giving back up to my residents. Um I

1:08:59have been going into Homer G. Phillips

1:09:01ever since I got well before I got

1:09:03elected into office but also ever since

1:09:05I got elected into office and showing up

1:09:07to all of the neighborhood resident

1:09:10meetings that they have. Um they have

1:09:13these meetings monthly and these

1:09:15meetings are meetings to um congregate

1:09:19and to bring about um different issues

1:09:22that are happening in the building but

1:09:24to also bring up other things that are

1:09:26taking place across the city of St.

1:09:27Louis. So these meetings are not just

1:09:28tailored to what's happening at Homer G.

1:09:31Phillips. These meetings are also um a a

1:09:33space where elected officials can come

1:09:35in and provide support. Um and they have

1:09:38welcomed me to do that. There have been

1:09:40a variety of issues taking place at

1:09:42Homer G. Phillips um especially under

1:09:45the current management Eagle Point um

1:09:48who I've specifically dealt with. Um,

1:09:50and I understand that this building is a

1:09:53200 plus um, unit um, in which uh, it is

1:09:58involved with the low-income housing tax

1:10:00credit program that is operated by the

1:10:01state of Missouri. Um, in which the

1:10:03state of Missouri has a role to make

1:10:05sure that this building is operating in

1:10:07a safe and compliant manner. Um, I think

1:10:10that I've done what I can in my official

1:10:14capacity and authority as a state

1:10:16representative. Um, I think that there

1:10:18are other ways to support Homer G.

1:10:19Phillips outside of the state role of

1:10:21course with the city of St. Louis and of

1:10:23course with federal authority. Um what I

1:10:26will say is that um what I did not like

1:10:29um that Eagle Point did and I' I've

1:10:31probably never really expressed this but

1:10:33I remember uh when the May 16 tornado

1:10:36had hit and um those residents were left

1:10:39alone in the building to fend for

1:10:42themselves. And I understand that it is

1:10:45an independent living um center. Um but

1:10:48I do not like that management walked

1:10:51away. They walked away from something

1:10:52that they could have helped out with. Um

1:10:54and so that put a big stain on a lot of

1:10:56residents hearts as many other issues

1:10:58that have taken place. There have been

1:10:59individuals that have been sleeping

1:11:01inside of Homer G. Phillips that are not

1:11:03residents at Homer G. Phillips.

1:11:05Individuals who um do not have current

1:11:07leases with Homer G. Philips that we

1:11:09have had to run individuals out of

1:11:11different units that they were not

1:11:12authorized to live in. Um there have

1:11:15been individuals who just walk right in

1:11:17and don't sign into the concier's desk.

1:11:19There have been a number of amenities

1:11:21that have been taken away from those

1:11:22residents. And so uh there was one point

1:11:24in time where there used to be a chapel,

1:11:26a prayer space. There used to be a

1:11:28grocery store downstairs. There used to

1:11:30be a hair salon, nail salon. Of course,

1:11:32they do still have their computer space

1:11:33and there used to be computer

1:11:35opportunities where individuals can go

1:11:36in, look for jobs or utilize the

1:11:38computers. We know how a lot of senior

1:11:41citizens are not techsavvy, but um

1:11:43there's there are a lot of things that

1:11:45could be placed within that building

1:11:46that should be placed in that building.

1:11:48These are things that are identified on

1:11:49the Homer G. Phillips website. If you

1:11:51Google Homer G Phillips and they'll tell

1:11:52you that they offer all of these

1:11:54amenities, but these amenities are not

1:11:55offered in real time. Um so, um I

1:11:58support the residents. I support this

1:12:01board bill um 100% and I think that

1:12:03there is space and room for us to grow

1:12:05and to continue to work together and uh

1:12:08make sure that we're working with the uh

1:12:09new property management company to um do

1:12:12everything that we can to make sure that

1:12:13they have a safe living space.

1:12:16Thank you.

1:12:17>> Thank you, Representative Vice Chair San

1:12:19is as to ask a question.

1:12:21>> Yes.

1:12:24Thank you, Representative Collins. Um

1:12:26first I just want to thank you for being

1:12:27here and being present. I don't No, I

1:12:29think you were on your way still, but

1:12:30many other residents in their testimony

1:12:31just sorry. I wanted to thank you first

1:12:34and foremost for being here and being

1:12:35present. I think you were still making

1:12:36your way here, but prior to you coming

1:12:38up and your presence, uh, many of the

1:12:40residents spoke up and said that they

1:12:41saw you and that you've been there on an

1:12:43ongoing consistent basis. And so I just

1:12:45want to ask you, obviously as elected

1:12:47officials, sometimes we can do on behalf

1:12:49of residents, get access to Eagle Point

1:12:51and other folks who are major

1:12:53stakeholders that are maybe not being

1:12:55responsive to residents. Um, I would

1:12:57just love to have, you know, obviously

1:12:58today we're making a decision about uh

1:13:00changing in lease and things like that.

1:13:02I would love to know more about your

1:13:04communications with Eagle Point as they

1:13:07were owners. Did you try to reach out to

1:13:09them? Did you try to raise issues? Um,

1:13:11did you get responses? I was able to

1:13:13find a letter actually from the city of

1:13:17St. Louis that dates back quite a while

1:13:19where it looks like they were responding

1:13:21to a nuisance complaint um that was sent

1:13:24in. And I see a NIS here um mentioned

1:13:27and there's a number of commitments made

1:13:29and so I'm just generally curious about

1:13:30your engagement and communications with

1:13:32the current owners and as well as your

1:13:34engagement and communication with the

1:13:36proposed I'm sorry not owners the

1:13:37current property man and your

1:13:39communication um if you've had any with

1:13:41the new proposed

1:13:43>> uh property managers.

1:13:44>> Thank you Alderwoman Sonier for that

1:13:46question and I do want to thank you all

1:13:48too. You know, we've had a number of V

1:13:50meetings, uh, Vil and Greater Vil

1:13:52neighborhood meetings, and each and

1:13:54every one of you um, standing at this

1:13:56sitting at this table have shown up

1:13:58every time that I've asked to come and

1:14:00give us um, updates of what's going on

1:14:02at the board of alderman. Um, but I have

1:14:05been in communication with Eagle Point

1:14:06for a number of years now. I have a ton

1:14:08of emails with um, and I think that the

1:14:11individuals who are working inside the

1:14:12building can only do so much, can only

1:14:14do what higher up allows them to do. Um,

1:14:16but then also there is a quick turnover

1:14:18of management inside of the Homer G.

1:14:21Phillips building. So sometimes you may

1:14:22see a property manager one day, they may

1:14:24work a couple of weeks and then you'll

1:14:25see a new property manager. Um, and so I

1:14:28believe that Eagle Point has a a high

1:14:30turnover of who they are allowing to um,

1:14:33work and operate that office within the

1:14:35the uh, facility. But I have

1:14:38communicated with Homer with um, Eagle

1:14:40Point before. I have a number of emails

1:14:42with Eagle Point. And then I also sit

1:14:44inside of all of the resident tenants

1:14:46association meetings that Miss Sharon

1:14:48Williams hosts on a monthly basis. Um,

1:14:51and sometimes management does come to

1:14:54the meetings and sometimes they are not

1:14:55at the meeting. But I have engaged with

1:14:57management on a number of times when

1:14:59they were at the meetings pulling them

1:15:00to the side or either having a

1:15:01conversation with them. And um I mean

1:15:04we've we've had back and forths, but

1:15:05like I said, I've done I believe I've

1:15:07done what I can at the state level. And

1:15:10um it is time for city leadership to

1:15:12intervene and to um take a new route and

1:15:15a new path to get new management. What

1:15:17my expectations would be for CIG

1:15:19properties. We had a meeting yesterday

1:15:21that I was invited to and I showed up

1:15:23just like I show up to every Homer G.

1:15:24Phillips meeting and um we had a good

1:15:26thorough conversation with the proposed

1:15:29property manager. Um, again, I think

1:15:31that we still have space where we can

1:15:33grow and and there are still some things

1:15:34that need to be tweaked and worked out.

1:15:36Um, but I'm looking forward to

1:15:37developing a good relationship with

1:15:38whoever comes in next, whether it's sick

1:15:40properties or whoever, um, to make sure

1:15:43that we're providing the best care for

1:15:45my residents at Homer G. Phillips.

1:15:47>> And do you feel that the legislation has

1:15:49the necessary guard rails to perhaps

1:15:51prevent some of the instances that have

1:15:53happened with the current management?

1:15:56Um, I think that, um, I've read through

1:15:59the board bill and I think that the

1:16:00board bill is is a good board bill. It's

1:16:02a good start. I think that again there

1:16:04are some things that need to be tweaked

1:16:05and I know through the board of alderman

1:16:07process, you all can do that by way of a

1:16:09um, and I think that this is a good

1:16:11space for us to come in and show what we

1:16:13see is lacking in the current board

1:16:14bill. That way you all as board of

1:16:16alderman members and as HUD committee

1:16:17members can go and do the good research

1:16:20and get that information that we need

1:16:22inside that bill to make it a better

1:16:23bill. same process that we go through at

1:16:25the state level. Thank you.

1:16:27>> Thank you.

1:16:32>> Our next speaker is Precious Jones.

1:16:38These last three speakers needs to be

1:16:40sworn in. Awoman,

1:16:44Miss Jones, can you raise your right

1:16:46hand?

1:16:48>> Swear to tell the whole truth and

1:16:49nothing but the truth.

1:16:50>> I do.

1:16:51>> Thank you.

1:16:56Good afternoon.

1:16:59I stand here before you again for yet

1:17:02another week requesting something that

1:17:05should not be difficult from a public

1:17:07servant, a public apology.

1:17:12Public servant Sharon Tyus, I emailed

1:17:14you. You did not respond. I spoke at the

1:17:18last board meeting. You did not show up.

1:17:21Our community has repeatedly requested

1:17:25accountability from you and you have

1:17:28continued to ignore us. So today, I'm

1:17:31here once again asking for a public

1:17:34apology for your vile words and your

1:17:37continued disgusting behavior.

1:17:41What troubles me most is not just what

1:17:43you said, but that you have never once

1:17:46taken accountability for it.

1:17:51what we're talking about.

1:17:56>> You can continue with your public test.

1:17:58>> Thank you.

1:18:00>> You have not acknowledged the horn. You

1:18:03have not apologized. You have not change

1:18:06and you have not changed how you

1:18:09communicate.

1:18:10Instead, you continue to belittle people

1:18:14and disrespect your colleagues every

1:18:17chance you get. This morning I woke up

1:18:20and I cried. Not because today was

1:18:23special. Not because it was an

1:18:26anniversary. Not because something

1:18:28happened. I cried because this is

1:18:31another morning and another year that I

1:18:35woke up without my son. Because a bullet

1:18:38was put in his head. A bullet.

1:18:48imaginative public servant and to hear

1:18:50you in back of me saying and I'm not and

1:18:53[clears throat] I'm not is disgusting.

1:18:56It's belitting. The 12 war deserves so

1:18:59much better. St. Louis deserves so much

1:19:02better. And you say you a Christian?

1:19:06No.

1:19:11I cry because I miss him, my son.

1:19:15I cry because I am tired of grieving.

1:19:19[snorts]

1:19:22I cry because I thought about his

1:19:25children.

1:19:27I thought about my grandson who still

1:19:30talks about looking for his daddy's

1:19:32house and can't understand why he can't

1:19:35find it anymore. He's 4 years old.

1:19:40[snorts]

1:19:48>> [snorts]

1:19:49>> I'm sorry.

1:19:55I'm sorry.

1:19:57[snorts]

1:20:01That's the things [snorts]

1:20:04about this pain. It doesn't ask

1:20:07permission. It doesn't send a calendar

1:20:09invitation.

1:20:11>> [snorts]

1:20:11>> It shows up when it wants to.

1:20:14There's no amount of therapy, prayer,

1:20:18medication, work, or staying busy that

1:20:22can erase it. The pain is permanent.

1:20:26[snorts]

1:20:27This heartbreak is forever.

1:20:31So, [snorts] I genuinely cannot

1:20:33understand

1:20:35what made you think

1:20:37comparing a disagreement to putting a

1:20:39bullet in someone's head was acceptable.

1:20:43I should not have to explain why this

1:20:45that is offensive. Your humanity should

1:20:49have told you that. Your decency should

1:20:52have told you that. Have you become so

1:20:56comfortable in your seat that you've

1:20:58forgotten

1:20:59the people you serve? Have you become so

1:21:02comfortable in your seat that you think

1:21:05you cannot be unseated? Because let me

1:21:08be clear, public office does not place

1:21:11you above accountability. I am angry. I

1:21:15am disgusted and I am embarrassed by the

1:21:18example you continue to set. When you

1:21:22demean people working in hospitality by

1:21:25calling them burger flippers, what

1:21:28message are you sending to young people

1:21:30that honest work is somehow beneath

1:21:33them? That they should be ashamed of

1:21:36earning a paycheck? Those are the exact

1:21:39attitudes that push too many young

1:21:42people toward bad decisions because they

1:21:45are desperate not to be looked down on.

1:21:49Leaders are supposed to uplift. Leaders

1:21:52are supposed to encourage. Leaders

1:21:55[snorts] are supposed to pour into

1:21:57people, not tear them down. You have

1:22:00publicly claimed that people are putting

1:22:03you on the back, patting you on the back

1:22:05for what you said. Well, I would like to

1:22:08know what is wrong with anyone who

1:22:10believes threatening language and

1:22:13disrespectful behavior are acceptable

1:22:15from someone elected to represent the 12

1:22:18W. Because from my side, I've gathered

1:22:20over 50 signatures in one single day

1:22:24demanding that you apologize to the

1:22:27community to grieving families. 50

1:22:30signatures, over 50 signatures in one

1:22:32day. That should tell you something. The

1:22:35people are speaking and today I stand

1:22:37here again not asking for excuses, not

1:22:40asking for explanations but demanding

1:22:43accountability. Public servants highest

1:22:46do the right thing. Apologize to the

1:22:48community, to the grieving families, to

1:22:51your colleagues, and to the office you

1:22:53have dishonored through your words and

1:22:56behavior. And to Sharon Williams, who

1:23:00also lost a son to gun violence. Thank

1:23:03you.

1:23:24Our

1:23:53next speaker is Crystal Barrett.

1:23:56>> I'm sorry.

1:24:03Why is not showing up in here though?

1:24:19Raise

1:24:27your right hand. Swear to tell the whole

1:24:28truth and nothing but the truth.

1:24:30>> Yes,

1:24:31>> please proceed.

1:24:32>> All right. Um, I'm Crystal Barnett. I'm

1:24:36also the founder of Bridge the Hope

1:24:37Parent Institute. I am a 44 year uh 12

1:24:41resident. I also have an aunt who lives

1:24:43in Homo G Phillips. So, I'mma read this

1:24:46to y'all. Um, I'm here because of the

1:24:49people who live in Homer G. Phillips.

1:24:53One being my aunt, somebody I dearly

1:24:55care about. And our seniors have dealt

1:24:58with a lot of failing heat, air, broken

1:25:01doors, unsafe sidewalks. [music]

1:25:04>> You are in the meeting now.

1:25:09>> Go ahead.

1:25:10>> Unsafe.

1:25:10>> Hold on. Let's wait just in case. Chris,

1:25:13make sure. Tony, are we good?

1:25:18Okay, let let's hold Chris because I

1:25:19want to make sure our colleagues can

1:25:20hear testimony.

1:26:13Good.

1:26:14>> Okay, please proceed.

1:26:15>> We all good? All right. Our seniors have

1:26:18dealt with failing heat, air, broken

1:26:20doors, unsafe sidewalks, trash, pests,

1:26:24invaders, some of them for years. These

1:26:27are our elders who have raised us in

1:26:29this city and many of them still anchor

1:26:32their families in the veil. They deserve

1:26:34better than winter heat than winter with

1:26:37space heaters. Let's be clear about what

1:26:39it means to really care for our

1:26:41residents. Care isn't press releases or

1:26:44ribbon cutings or broken promises or

1:26:46boxes of blankets when the heat goes

1:26:48out. Care is a building that works

1:26:50before anyone has to complain. a person

1:26:53that's over their building that's taking

1:26:55care of them and staying on top of

1:26:56things they know needs done and someone

1:26:59that answers the phone and the residents

1:27:01and are treated as partners and not

1:27:03problems. It means that our seniors can

1:27:05age with safety, comfort, and dignity in

1:27:08the community that they've built. If we

1:27:10wouldn't accept these conditions for our

1:27:12own mothers and grandmothers, we should

1:27:14not sit by and watch it happen to

1:27:17others. We also have to tell the truth

1:27:19about how we got here. Me being a

1:27:22long-term north side city resident, I

1:27:24have watched over my 44 years how this

1:27:26thing has been very intentional to the

1:27:29disinvestment in my community, one

1:27:32decision at a time. Owners who can

1:27:34collect but don't reinvest. Let

1:27:36buildings decline while residents absorb

1:27:38the cost and then blame us for saying

1:27:41that we don't care about where we live.

1:27:43The cost shows up in the health and

1:27:45safety of our people and in their peace

1:27:47of mind. When land owners are careless

1:27:50and over and have oversight is weak, it

1:27:53is not just a building that suffers. Our

1:27:56neighborhoods lose, our families leave,

1:27:58and our blocks empty. This investment is

1:28:01not neglect by chance. It was a choice,

1:28:04and our community has paid for that

1:28:06choice through the generations.

1:28:08That is why I'm asking for three things.

1:28:11First, do not make our residents suffer

1:28:13while we handle political standoffs.

1:28:15Whatever bill moves forward, it needs to

1:28:17move with urgency. However, repairs

1:28:20delayed or repairs denied. Secondly,

1:28:23there is an amount of money that has not

1:28:25been accounted for. And I think we

1:28:27should uh pursue that amount of money.

1:28:30We also should not allow for uh past

1:28:32property owners to leave without

1:28:34rightsizing what they promised to do

1:28:36during the through the reduction of the

1:28:38rent. Any approval must come with clear

1:28:41and transparent reporting on finances

1:28:44including where the dollars are going,

1:28:46where the new dollars will come from,

1:28:48transparent reporting weekly or monthly,

1:28:51helpful to the folks who live there, and

1:28:53also to the folks who support them that

1:28:55don't. And we need clear benchmarks to

1:28:58when all of those repairs will be

1:29:00conducted and by what date those things

1:29:02will be finished. Knowing that the SLDC

1:29:05is supposed to be held responsible for

1:29:07oversight, I also should think they

1:29:09should take more precedent and what's

1:29:10going in Homer G. Phillips. Third, the

1:29:13accountability

1:29:15and progress are not opposite. The

1:29:17public has a right to know whether

1:29:19obligations under this current lease

1:29:20were met and if not what's going to be

1:29:23done about that and ask for past

1:29:25financials to pursue them and to hold

1:29:27them accountable to making sure all

1:29:29repairs are done before they lose and

1:29:31have to be legally nonresponsible.

1:29:34Don't make residents hold their breath

1:29:35until paperwork arrives. However, this

1:29:38building carries the name of a man who

1:29:40fought for black St. Louis receive care

1:29:42and dignity including my aunt who I care

1:29:45very much about and we cannot let people

1:29:47living under that name go without it. So

1:29:50transparency and repairs need to come

1:29:52together both now and thank you.

1:29:57>> Our next speaker is Miss Julia Adams

1:29:59online and she needs to be sworn in.

1:30:04>> Miss Adams, could you turn your camera

1:30:05on please and your mic?

1:30:09Okay, I'm unmuted.

1:30:12>> Need to turn your camera on as well.

1:30:15>> Uh, I don't see how to do that. I'm on

1:30:18my on this phone.

1:30:21Um,

1:30:23>> to testify in person.

1:30:25>> I see I see I see the I see the unmute,

1:30:28but I don't see the camera button.

1:30:33>> Well, we can come back to you when you

1:30:35figure it out cuz you have to

1:30:36>> you have to show your face to tell you

1:30:38in person. One second. Our next speaker

1:30:40is Ebony Williams.

1:30:51>> How you doing? My name's Ebony Williams.

1:30:54I'm a 12th W resident.

1:30:57Ebony. Nice to see you. Can you raise

1:30:59your right hand? Swear to tell the whole

1:31:01truth and nothing but the truth.

1:31:02>> Yes, I do.

1:31:03>> Thank you.

1:31:05>> We ready now? All right. I'm Ebony. I'm

1:31:07a 12th world resident. I came here today

1:31:10in support of the residents and the

1:31:12people that's been supporting Home G.

1:31:14Phillips. Um, my only main concern is

1:31:19compensation for the residents. I think

1:31:21that

1:31:23talking about a lot of stuff, I think

1:31:25what's most important is if I go and I

1:31:28run an apartment and my apartment tell

1:31:30me that I have all these amenities. Um,

1:31:33I'm guaranteed safety. Uh, I got a gated

1:31:36community. Um,

1:31:37>> Miss Williams, maybe raise the mic up a

1:31:39little bit.

1:31:40>> Can you hear me now?

1:31:42>> Yes. So, if I go to apartment and the

1:31:44apartment tell me that I'm guaranteed

1:31:46these amenities, which is nine times out

1:31:48of 10 why I chose that place to live and

1:31:51I don't receive those things. In fact,

1:31:54what I receive is heat waves and cold

1:31:57shivering nights. That don't feel fair.

1:31:59And I know that the city is an owner and

1:32:02we not just saying that y'all the only

1:32:03people that's responsible, but the

1:32:05people that own it need to find some

1:32:07type of compensation to give to those

1:32:08residents for the rent that they have

1:32:10paid in the time that they have not

1:32:12received those amenities. I think at

1:32:14least we can make a point to that that

1:32:16if they pay and they're supposed to

1:32:19receive amenities that they have not

1:32:20received such as broken gates and not

1:32:23feeling safe or any of that. Like I

1:32:25could not imagine my grandmama calling

1:32:28me talking about people that don't live

1:32:31in her apartment complexes sleeping

1:32:32outside of her apartment complex. How

1:32:34she supposed to take her trash out of

1:32:35fields? How she supposed to walk to her

1:32:37car? Some of them uh are not mobile

1:32:39enough to like you know be able to

1:32:41protect themselves. And like if we

1:32:43saying that we care about the seniors

1:32:44cuz I heard everybody talking about how

1:32:46they love the seniors. It don't feel

1:32:48like it.

1:32:50It it just don't feel like it. Like it

1:32:51shouldn't have to come to a point where

1:32:53we even have to come and be even talking

1:32:55about like why they not safe at night

1:32:57when they go to sleep when they supposed

1:32:59to be first priority. They took care of

1:33:01us. They the reason why we here like the

1:33:03our elders is our reason. And so we

1:33:06should be making sure that they are safe

1:33:08at all times. And so yeah, that's what I

1:33:11wanted to say. And then just like you

1:33:12know I'm a new I'm a young person

1:33:15community person in the 12th w. So I'm

1:33:17I'm definitely thankful to all y'all who

1:33:19have uh been working in the 12th ward

1:33:21and helping the uh residents out in home

1:33:23G fillers. But definitely y'all I expect

1:33:26y'all I know a lot of y'all do real good

1:33:28work. So I know y'all going to advocate

1:33:30but like make sure that that's a

1:33:31priority too. Like don't let them walk

1:33:33away without being held accountable to

1:33:35them residents that's been paying their

1:33:36rent. Like cuz we don't get a choice to

1:33:38pay no rent. If we if we don't pay the

1:33:40rent, we get put out. If we don't follow

1:33:42by lease, we get put out. So like they

1:33:44shouldn't be able to do.

1:33:48Our next speaker is Zaki Barui Barudi.

1:33:59[clears throat]

1:34:00Uh good afternoon. I hope I'm uh

1:34:02coherent. I had to run up here to

1:34:04[laughter] make sure I'll be able to say

1:34:06a few words. Um

1:34:07>> Mr. Varudi, can you raise your right

1:34:09hand? Swear to tell the whole truth and

1:34:10nothing but the truth.

1:34:12>> Yes.

1:34:13>> Thank you. Please proceed.

1:34:14>> Okay. My name is Zaki Bud. I'm a

1:34:16community active. I'm uh head of the

1:34:19Universal African People's Organization.

1:34:20I just had to be here. First of all, I

1:34:23was on Zoom and I tried to tap in to be

1:34:27make a statement there, but for whatever

1:34:28reason, it didn't work and I had to pick

1:34:31up my wife from the hospital. So, but

1:34:33anyway, past that, uh this is a very

1:34:36dear issue to me uh on two levels. First

1:34:40of all, I was a organizer in apartment

1:34:44complex that I used to live in called uh

1:34:47it's right now on Canfield Green, but at

1:34:49that time was the Village Apartments,

1:34:51which the com complex which was changing

1:34:55demographics from predominantly white to

1:34:57black. the management and the owners let

1:35:00it go down and I took it upon myself to

1:35:05organize the tenants and we were able to

1:35:08bring about change even though they

1:35:10didn't renew my lease and I had to move

1:35:13out but most recently at the heritage

1:35:16house our organization was very involved

1:35:20in that disastrous situation with

1:35:22seniors which touched my heart touched

1:35:26my heart for our elders others who have

1:35:29to suffer. But I had to be here because

1:35:33the bottom line out of the Heritage

1:35:36House, we end up having I was able to

1:35:38secure an attorney to sue both the

1:35:41owners and the management. And I'm here

1:35:44to say that the bottom line is the

1:35:48conditions are led by the owners.

1:35:52The owners. If the city is the owner,

1:35:54let's just take a responsibility

1:35:56that should have been on the case for

1:35:59our seniors,

1:36:01our grandparents, our grandmothers.

1:36:05And whatever you do, you got to hold

1:36:08yourselves accountable

1:36:11along with poor management,

1:36:14along with that.

1:36:17It's a damn shame

1:36:20that our seniors will have to face the

1:36:24conditions that they have had to have at

1:36:27the homage fellow hospital. So I just

1:36:30came here to emphasize that point in

1:36:34terms of ownership and whatever comes

1:36:37out of here

1:36:39that's elevated to another level and

1:36:42that should not just be for home. It

1:36:44should be for wherever we have housings

1:36:47for our seniors. So that's that was my

1:36:50bill. Okay, now I'm out of breath.

1:36:54>> Thank you, Mr. Bud. I'll be praying for

1:36:56your wife.

1:36:58>> Our next speaker is Joe Palm.

1:37:09Raise

1:37:15your right hand. Swear to tell the whole

1:37:17truth and nothing but the truth.

1:37:19>> Always try. Yes, ma'am.

1:37:21>> Please proceed.

1:37:22>> Okay. Uh, thank you, Madam Chairwoman,

1:37:25members of the committee.

1:37:28Mad. Welcome. I'm Joe Palm. I'm the

1:37:31legislative assistant to all the woman

1:37:33Sharon Tus. Um,

1:37:37when I arrived in this position, we had

1:37:39a major tornado

1:37:42and after dealing with that tornado,

1:37:44I've been to every meeting at Homer G,

1:37:50uh, except one. I've worked with Miss

1:37:54Sharon, her mother, the residents, of

1:37:57course, the alder woman. I can tell you

1:38:00that uh the conditions are deplorable.

1:38:05They've been deplorable. Uh we've worked

1:38:09uh with various people because they kept

1:38:12switching management. Uh everything from

1:38:16uh the gates weren't working. Uh and

1:38:20they still don't work.

1:38:22The lighting was so bad that it was

1:38:25pitch black on the whole parking lot

1:38:28where someone could have robbed our

1:38:29seniors

1:38:31and killed them

1:38:34and nobody would have seen who did it.

1:38:39And so the alder woman and myself had to

1:38:42work with Amron to get those lights on

1:38:45so the seniors could see. And now they

1:38:47tell me they're too bright.

1:38:51I can tell you that the elevators have

1:38:53not worked in various times. Uh I tried

1:38:58to bring healthc care there but was too

1:39:00hard to navigate and work and the

1:39:03alderwoman and myself we understand

1:39:07what needs to happen and the bill she

1:39:10introduced the reason it was delayed is

1:39:13because we were asking Eagle Point

1:39:15Management to give reports to talk about

1:39:20what they would uh pay and repair and

1:39:23those different things. And we even met

1:39:25with the new proposed owner who when we

1:39:29sat with this man sitting right here and

1:39:32we told him about the things that need

1:39:34to happen, he said it was not in his

1:39:36budget to do so.

1:39:39So whatever he writes down don't matter

1:39:43to me because he told us he was not

1:39:46willing to do it.

1:39:49He never followed up or that. And

1:39:52somebody can tell you anything, but that

1:39:55don't mean they going to do it. The

1:39:57alder woman, Sharon Tyus of the 12th

1:40:00ward, holds people accountable, and I

1:40:04help her do that. And the seniors do not

1:40:07deserve to be in those conditions with

1:40:10space heaters, with window units.

1:40:15One apartment had a ceiling tile out for

1:40:19over a year.

1:40:22It's unacceptable. There were rodents in

1:40:24there. I had to fight with them to seal

1:40:27up drywall.

1:40:29I mean, I could go on and on and on.

1:40:33And I really feel as though that the

1:40:38board of alderman should look at this.

1:40:41The city should look at this and they

1:40:43should allow Alderwoman Tyus to lead

1:40:46this bill and move her bill forward. let

1:40:50her handle it. Because if you pass this

1:40:53bill,

1:40:55then [snorts] they're not going to be

1:40:57able to call Alderman Rashene A and get

1:41:01the help they need cuz he DON'T

1:41:03REPRESENT THEM. WHY WOULD YOU HAVE

1:41:05somebody does not represent the ward do

1:41:08that? I was elected 20 plus years in the

1:41:12mighty 26 war and I'm telling you right

1:41:16now I ask that you put your pride aside

1:41:20and I get things have happened and all

1:41:23THAT BUT THINK ABOUT the people

1:41:25>> Mr. Palm, that's your time.

1:41:27>> Well, thank you for cutting me off for

1:41:29all that I've done for the city.

1:41:36>> I'm sorry.

1:41:41>> Our next speaker is online. She needs to

1:41:42be sworn in. Miss Yolanda Owens, could

1:41:44you please turn your camera on?

1:41:54Um, Miss Owens.

1:41:58>> Hi. Can you hear me?

1:42:00>> Yes. Can you raise your right hand?

1:42:01Swear to tell the whole truth and

1:42:02nothing but the truth.

1:42:05>> I do swear to tell the whole truth and

1:42:06nothing but the truth. And thank you for

1:42:08allowing me to speak.

1:42:09>> Good to see you. Please proceed.

1:42:12You as well. Hi, my name is Yolanda

1:42:14Owens and I'm a part of the Pinrose

1:42:16Neighborhood Association in Ward 11 and

1:42:1812 and I support Alder

1:42:23Alder Aldridge bill concerning this

1:42:26matter. I also want to kind of give a

1:42:28shout out to State Rep. Kim Collins

1:42:30because she's been assisting our elderly

1:42:33um in so many respects. And then on the

1:42:37other hand, um I haven't seen Alderwoman

1:42:40Ty out

1:42:43kind of pushing for this effort until

1:42:45now and we have to look at the seniors

1:42:48and change change needs to be made.

1:42:50Sometimes change is good and I really

1:42:52wish that the parties can work together

1:42:55to get this done but Mr. Aldridge has

1:42:58been like a standup alderman. He's put a

1:43:01lot of time into this bill. It looks

1:43:03like it's supporting um what's needed

1:43:05for our seniors at home of G. Phillips.

1:43:08And I think we really need to look at

1:43:09that and put whose ward is what aside

1:43:13because if if if it if she had really

1:43:16done anything for Homo G Phillips, it

1:43:18would have been done now. And yeah, it

1:43:20may be her ward, but we're all one St.

1:43:23Louis. Follow the mayor's um lead on

1:43:27these things. It's not division. So, I

1:43:30support Alderman Aldridge. I support

1:43:32state rep Kimberly and Collins in this

1:43:34effort. and we need to put everything

1:43:36aside and make this thing better for for

1:43:39our seniors and stop with the division.

1:43:41Thank you.

1:43:45>> Our final speaker is Alderwoman Sharon

1:43:48Tyus.

1:43:52>> Well, we all know that Alderwoman Tyus

1:43:54doesn't have to be considered a speaker.

1:43:56Just for clarity, we are all colleagues

1:43:58up here. We all have the freedom to show

1:44:01up at any committee hearing at any time

1:44:04and speak. Not even from the dis where

1:44:07she's choosing to speak. We can come

1:44:09back here. We can speak. So just for

1:44:10clarity for the media for everyone to

1:44:12know that nobody needed permission as an

1:44:15alderman to speak at a public hearing.

1:44:18Nobody needed an invitation as an

1:44:20alderman to speak at a public hearing.

1:44:23And with that, if we are finished with

1:44:25all other public comment because I want

1:44:27to make sure cuz I know Alderwoman Ty

1:44:28says she had questions for people which

1:44:30is part of the dialogue that we have as

1:44:32alders. I want to respectfully make sure

1:44:34the public is finished and then we'll

1:44:36move into this part. Yes, that was that

1:44:38was the last

1:44:40>> Did you have anything you wanted to add

1:44:41before

1:44:41>> Excuse me. Um,

1:44:42>> proceed. Is there another public

1:44:44comment? Can you hear me?

1:44:46>> We can hear you, but we need your camera

1:44:48on, Miss Allen.

1:44:54>> Never mind. Cuz I don't see I don't see

1:44:56the camera option on my on my uh face on

1:45:00on this uh iPad.

1:45:03It's just limited options that I have.

1:45:05So I can send a a written statement in.

1:45:09>> Are you on Zoom, Miss Allan?

1:45:12>> Yes.

1:45:12>> So if you're on Zoom,

1:45:14>> do you do you see three dots at the top?

1:45:17>> What it looks like?

1:45:19>> Three dots at the top of the screen.

1:45:28[snorts]

1:45:31>> There we go. Thank you, Jesus. We just

1:45:34saw you, Miss Allan. Come back on,

1:45:37Miss Allen. Now, I really ain't going to

1:45:39let you go now, Miss Allen. Bless you.

1:45:42>> You know we want to hear from you.

1:45:44>> Amen.

1:45:45>> Okay.

1:45:46>> You swear to tell the whole truth and

1:45:48nothing but the truth.

1:45:50>> I do. Please proceed.

1:45:53>> Okay. Uh I've been an advocate for um

1:45:56the older the elderly because I'm

1:45:58elderly, too. But I've worked for the

1:46:00city with the St. area agency on aging.

1:46:03Uh I know Anna Lalisa Stove personally.

1:46:06Uh I've been in and out of Homer G.

1:46:08Phillips uh on numerous occasions

1:46:10because we do tours there about the

1:46:13history of Homer G. Phillips. Uh I've

1:46:16lived in the neighborhood all of my

1:46:17life. I've seen the building completely

1:46:20go down to the to where there's safety

1:46:23concerns over there at that building.

1:46:26The residents have safety concerns. I've

1:46:28attended a couple of meetings over there

1:46:30and I've raised questions even to the uh

1:46:34present uh management company about

1:46:37having some kind of document that

1:46:40explains processes and things that go on

1:46:43in the building and they they stated

1:46:45they never had anything like that. I

1:46:48mean, I I personally I think that when

1:46:50when you're leasing that you should have

1:46:53at least some some kind of rules,

1:46:57regulation, a panel about certain things

1:46:59about safety

1:47:01uh and and just different issues that

1:47:03come up come up in that building. Um I

1:47:06was born there at Homer G. Phillips

1:47:08Hospital. And like I say, I'm in and out

1:47:10of that building uh quite frequently

1:47:12because we do do tours and I have seen

1:47:15the safety issues where people are

1:47:17outside where where you know that that

1:47:20aren't authorized to be there um during

1:47:23after after normal hours 8:00 at night

1:47:27people are congregating out there. the

1:47:29doc the the biggest issue another issue

1:47:32is that gate that gate was was secure

1:47:36but the the the company stated they

1:47:38didn't have the funding to repair the

1:47:40gate and then they said that the tenants

1:47:41said they didn't want the gate repaired

1:47:44the gate has not been repaired that I

1:47:46think that was a big safety issue uh

1:47:49also

1:47:50uh and and the tenants have expressed

1:47:53concerns I' I've had girlfriends that

1:47:55have moved out of that building because

1:47:57of safety issues cause rules have been

1:48:00broken. Uh things like people smoking

1:48:03marijuana and different things like

1:48:05that. So you don't know if it's

1:48:06attendant to who's in the building at

1:48:08the time. Uh in one the one meeting they

1:48:11talked about security. They only have 12

1:48:13hours worth of security there. Uh we

1:48:16were under the impression that there's

1:48:18supposed to be 24 hours worth of

1:48:20security. So I think these are these are

1:48:23you know serious concerns. Uh, and I've

1:48:26attended meetings with with the uh,

1:48:28state rep, Kimberly Anne Collins.

1:48:31uh she forces me to come to these

1:48:33meetings. But

1:48:35[laughter]

1:48:36uh I just just you know I think that

1:48:38that we you know the the alderman

1:48:42Aldrich has also shown up in our

1:48:45community at our community meetings and

1:48:47different other people on your committee

1:48:49have shown up at our you know at our

1:48:51community meetings to show interest in

1:48:53what's going on in the neighborhood and

1:48:55how they can help that you know they

1:48:57provide time where we can talk to them

1:49:00one on one and ask them questions. We

1:49:02don't have, you know, we don't have

1:49:04neighborhood uh meetings like we used to

1:49:06when Dwin Dwyn Evans was in office and

1:49:10Sam Moore was in office. And I

1:49:11understand that, you know, with the re

1:49:14redistricting of the boards and

1:49:15everything, sometimes it it it's time

1:49:18consuming, but at least the residents

1:49:20should know what's going on. And, you

1:49:23know, maybe uh we can help with some of

1:49:26the solutions that, you know, that that

1:49:28that are are going on. And if we don't

1:49:31have somebody to talk to that represents

1:49:34us to tell them about our issues and

1:49:36things, then you just feel like kind of

1:49:39lost. So I would imagine the the people

1:49:42at Homer Phillips or any any of the

1:49:45aging u buildings in in our neighborhood

1:49:49feel it lost if they you know if you

1:49:51can't get answers to your questions, if

1:49:53there is bad management, if you have

1:49:55safety issues. So, I'm in support of of

1:49:59um the bill that that is on the table

1:50:01now and I just want to thank you for the

1:50:03time for letting me a old person speak

1:50:06that don't know how to operate

1:50:08technology. Thank you.

1:50:10>> And thank you.

1:50:12>> And now that was the final.

1:50:14>> Okay. So, Alderman, do you want to go

1:50:16into now questions from our colleagues

1:50:19after we hear from Tyus? What? Okay.

1:50:32Alderman Tyus is requesting to be sworn

1:50:35in just again I want people to not be

1:50:38misled by things that are having some of

1:50:41these things become performative and

1:50:44that's not the case. We are all

1:50:46colleagues down here. We work down here

1:50:48and she has no barrier, no restriction

1:50:54on who she can talk to, when she can

1:50:56talk to, when she can question, when she

1:50:58can come to a committee, when she can

1:51:00speak on the floor, when she can speak

1:51:01on the hearing. So per her request, we

1:51:05will swear her in. But I don't want you

1:51:07to be confused on the outside looking in

1:51:10that any of us would have wanted her or

1:51:13demanded her to be sworn in. Alderwoman

1:51:16Tus, do you swear to tell the whole

1:51:17truth and nothing but the truth?

1:51:19>> No, I do not. I affirm to tell the truth

1:51:22because I do not swear and we cannot we

1:51:24are offered either an affirm or a swear.

1:51:26I affirm to tell the truth, the whole

1:51:28truth and nothing but the truth.

1:51:29>> Bless your heart.

1:51:30>> First of all, um there's no

1:51:32performances. I've been sworn in before

1:51:33when I come before committee meetings.

1:51:35So you lot a lot of you just got here,

1:51:37haven't been here very long. So you

1:51:38don't know the history of the board. So

1:51:41there's no need to explain all of that.

1:51:43I never made any accusations. Sometimes

1:51:45people to me protest too much because

1:51:48that was not I want to be sworn in to be

1:51:51a witness. When I become an older person

1:51:54back there, then that's something

1:51:55different. But I want to be a witness

1:51:57because there's been misinformation.

1:51:59There are four ordinances that have

1:52:01pertained to Homer G. Phillips. They

1:52:03started back in the 1990s. Um, and I've

1:52:06read every last one of them and gone

1:52:09through them and marked them up and

1:52:10they're very difficult because it's very

1:52:13been very hard to understand what went

1:52:15on that they started back in the 90s

1:52:17passing these ordinances and then when

1:52:19it finally opened and uh they did the

1:52:23redevelopment and then in 2003 and four

1:52:25it opened up. Um, then the ordinances

1:52:28start to uh talk about what kind of rent

1:52:31the tenant would pay to the city, the

1:52:33owner. I inherited Homer G. Phillips in

1:52:362023. In April, I about about June or

1:52:40July, I start to hear from Miss Williams

1:52:44and Miss Wilson and others about all the

1:52:47problems that's going over at home.

1:52:48Phillips. I've been to HomeG Phillips so

1:52:50many times, it's not funny. Um, I have

1:52:52seven senior buildings. I've been to all

1:52:54those senior buildings. The people who

1:52:56want to testify about where I have or

1:52:57have not been have no reason to know

1:52:59because they're not in those buildings.

1:53:01But if you ask Miss Williams and Miss

1:53:04Miss uh uh Miss Wilson and others, they

1:53:06will tell you I've been there on many

1:53:08occasions. When I'm not there, I

1:53:10actually hired my legislative sister,

1:53:12Mr. Joe Palm, because he has an

1:53:14expertise in seniors. He's worked for

1:53:17the state, the uh f the local mayor, the

1:53:20state, and then um President Joe Biden.

1:53:23So, I wanted somebody because we had so

1:53:25many seniors in the community and in the

1:53:28senior buildings that to be able to

1:53:29address things. But I want to start with

1:53:32what we're talking about here. The first

1:53:34thing I thought I heard from the

1:53:35alderman from the 14th that this shows

1:53:37you he hasn't been into the weeds.

1:53:40He is incorrect about who is responsible

1:53:43for maintaining this building. In each

1:53:45of these leases, there is something

1:53:47called maintenance and utilities. The

1:53:49tenant is the person who has the lease.

1:53:53The owner is the city of St. Louis.

1:53:55Tenant at its own cost and expense shall

1:53:58maintain the premise and improvements on

1:54:00and on. The city has no responsibility

1:54:03responsibility and shall not have any.

1:54:05We put that in a lease. We put that in

1:54:08all our leases. We then said you have to

1:54:11pay $4,950,000.

1:54:14Now, I am an attorney and I have managed

1:54:16property for 30 over 30 something years.

1:54:20So, I'm very I write my own leases. I've

1:54:23worked for legal services. I've worked

1:54:25at the public defenders office. I've

1:54:27worked at other places. You have an

1:54:29ordinance and a lease for a reason. When

1:54:32you then get an ordinance and a lease

1:54:35that's not been followed at all, it's

1:54:37mindblowing. So, when I have never seen

1:54:40anybody's rent be uh lowered from

1:54:44$4,950,000

1:54:47to $50,000 a year. When I thought saw

1:54:50that, I started calling the then

1:54:53controller Darlene Green in her office

1:54:56and talking to everybody trying to

1:54:58understand what had happened because I

1:54:59did not I was not the original alder

1:55:01person when this went on. She couldn't

1:55:04find things. I talked to Miss Sharon

1:55:06Williams. We all looked for stuff. I

1:55:08have never talked to the comproller uh

1:55:11Donna Behringer and I wrote her a letter

1:55:12about that about Homer G. Phillips. I

1:55:15have talked to Ryan Coleman who is

1:55:17conveniently not here. When he asked me

1:55:20about um that they wanted to sell the

1:55:23building, I'm sorry, the lease, I said,

1:55:27"We don't have all the financial

1:55:28documents. I am a financial document

1:55:31person. If somebody was supposed to be

1:55:33paying n 4,950,000

1:55:37and now they're only having to pay

1:55:3950,000, can we find out if they've paid

1:55:42the 50,000?"

1:55:44We surely know that 4,900

1:55:47has not been put into the building. Any

1:55:48of you all can go there. I have pictures

1:55:51and everybody has testified what the bad

1:55:53the bad repair. So, we did not hold them

1:55:57responsible. And then we let this

1:55:59management team that everybody has said

1:56:01and owner said is horrible say, "Well,

1:56:04now we don't like that she's pressuring

1:56:05us." When I came into the situation in

1:56:09June or July of 2023, they had no air

1:56:12conditioners and they put in air

1:56:15conditioners in the windows and I work

1:56:17with this management team and the

1:56:18autowoman from the seventh says she

1:56:20wants to hear see correspondence. I

1:56:23correspond. So I have all my

1:56:25correspondence. I'm writing back and

1:56:27forth to them. Hey, what about the air

1:56:29conditions? And they saying give me

1:56:30time. A year goes by, a year and a half,

1:56:34two years, I'm there. I'm there on

1:56:36Christmas Eve with Joe Palm on his

1:56:38birthday this past Christmas Eve because

1:56:40they're giving out space heaters. Space

1:56:43heaters are dangerous in a senior

1:56:44building. So, I said, "No, we can't do

1:56:46that. Let me go and get with the city

1:56:49and we're going to buy uh uh electric

1:56:52blankets because we can put maybe the

1:56:54space heater in the living room, but we

1:56:57need to put the electric blankets in the

1:56:59bedroom so that they won't trip over

1:57:00them and have a fire." All of this is

1:57:02very documented. And any of you all want

1:57:04to see any of my correspondence, you

1:57:06can. But I did tell Mr. Ryan Coleman

1:57:09that I I actually met with the proposed

1:57:13new owner. We got along. We had a

1:57:15threehour meeting there. That's not what

1:57:19this is about. What I'm opposed to is

1:57:21that we are not making the people who

1:57:24are supposed to be transparent about

1:57:27what has happened to this money. It

1:57:29could be up to 1123

1:57:31million. when I asked for documents,

1:57:34which I have sent a letter to the

1:57:35comproller. I have sent a letter to

1:57:37SLDC. I sent a letter to our own clerk,

1:57:40Sharita Rogers, I sent a letter to the

1:57:44uh budget, Paul Payne, budget director.

1:57:47I've asked them, everybody, where are

1:57:50the documents? If we have an ordinance

1:57:52and we have a lease, how are we letting

1:57:54them get a by with this and not doing

1:57:56what they're supposed to? One of the

1:57:58things in the lease says that besides

1:58:00the maintenance which is not the city,

1:58:03it is the current tenant. It talks about

1:58:07that you have to make um reports about

1:58:11what happened. Okay.

1:58:14It says in order to ensure compliance

1:58:17with the provisions of this lease

1:58:18amendment which which we lowered the the

1:58:20rent $4,900,000

1:58:25the owner the tenant shall submit

1:58:27annually no later than June 30th of each

1:58:29year to the St. Louis Board of Auburn

1:58:31and the St. Louis Development

1:58:32Corporation audited financial statements

1:58:36showing the management has not received

1:58:37no debur dispersement of cash flow cuz

1:58:40what they were supposed to do with that

1:58:42$4 million $4,900,000 was fix up this

1:58:46building. So if they have not fixed up

1:58:48this building where is the money?

1:58:52Everybody can talk about all the other

1:58:53things and of course they've beaten the

1:58:55tenants down so much. Of course they

1:58:57want to get rid of this management. I

1:58:59want to get rid of it too. But so what I

1:59:01want them to do is produce the documents

1:59:04and produce uh a financial statement

1:59:07that you've made payments because what

1:59:09Mr. Ryan Coleman told me conveniently

1:59:11not here is that sometimes they didn't

1:59:13even make the $50,000 payment. So we

1:59:16basically let somebody pimp our be

1:59:18building and pimp our seniors and didn't

1:59:21care about it. So everybody wants to

1:59:23indicate that I didn't care. I cared

1:59:25enough that I stayed up nights,

1:59:27evenings, whatever. And Sharon Williams

1:59:29can tell you this. I called her on many

1:59:32occasions saying, "Hey, how does this

1:59:34work? What has happened with this?"

1:59:36Because it's so convoluted. And she even

1:59:39found another ordinance that I didn't

1:59:41even know about that wasn't in the

1:59:43sequence of things. And all of this we

1:59:45put together trying to make sure that

1:59:47people are held accountable. We talk

1:59:49about accountability down here all the

1:59:51time, but if we do a new lease and we do

1:59:55not make the people financially

1:59:57accountable with proper scrutiny and

2:00:00financial information, then we have just

2:00:02let them take over maybe $112 million,

2:00:06$13 million. That's ridiculous. There's

2:00:09also some other things required in the

2:00:11lease. They haven't done it. So, who are

2:00:13they to get mad because what happened

2:00:16again?

2:00:17Heat doesn't get fixed. Air condition

2:00:19doesn't get fixed. So, I am a landlord.

2:00:22I own property. At some point, you have

2:00:24to replace things with new things. That

2:00:27cost a lot of money. That cost a lot of

2:00:30money. You cannot continue to replace

2:00:32used air conditioner parts. At some

2:00:35point, you have to buy a whole new

2:00:36condenser. The first thing this proposed

2:00:39new owner asked me was about putting

2:00:41window units. I said, "No, I would not

2:00:43support that. I will not because they

2:00:45don't cool correctly. You'll have one

2:00:47room that's cool, the rest is hot. The

2:00:49same thing with space heaters. This

2:00:51building was set up to have central air

2:00:53and central heat. And if you give people

2:00:55$5 million back because they were

2:00:58collecting rent any place a month from

2:01:00200 to $300,000 or more. And so when

2:01:04you're looking at that, you don't make

2:01:06them pay the rent. If we don't hold them

2:01:09responsible for making sure if they they

2:01:12want to sell it, if the new owner is

2:01:14going to sign a document that says we

2:01:16are taking responsibility for everything

2:01:18they didn't do and we're going to have

2:01:20it done in a certain amount of time, and

2:01:22that's one of the things I said, I'm

2:01:24good. But if you're not going to take

2:01:26responsibility, I'm not letting the

2:01:28seniors down. I do understand the senior

2:01:30saying, I want just something else. But

2:01:32this has been passed down. This is the

2:01:34third owner I believe it is. And you

2:01:36continue passing it down and there is no

2:01:39financial information. How do we the

2:01:42people who are always talking about

2:01:44proper uh uh financial obligations and

2:01:47paying them in accountabilility and

2:01:49transparency? How do we think this is

2:01:52okay? and especially based on that the

2:01:54city now is going to put up a 50 thou

2:01:56the $50,000 that is in direct

2:01:59contradiction to our leases before we

2:02:02have the city put in $50,000. What we

2:02:05need to do is make these owners come up

2:02:08and show the show us their books. If

2:02:10they do not, we can at we have a

2:02:13recourse take the lease back. They have

2:02:15violated the lease. Excuse

2:02:24They have violated the lease. They

2:02:25should not be unjustly enriched. They

2:02:28should not be unjustly enriched. Do we

2:02:31know how much rent they have collected?

2:02:33And if they haven't paid the $50,000 all

2:02:36of these 20 years, why not? If they have

2:02:38not done upkeeps, which clearly they

2:02:40have not, why not? So, why don't we just

2:02:42do what we do with other tenants? evict

2:02:44them and then make them show us all of

2:02:47their money and then hold that money in

2:02:50a a escrow account. And I again, I'm not

2:02:54mad at the new owners. I'm just mad that

2:02:56we don't have this $112 million

2:02:58accounted for. And that is wrong. And

2:03:01that is what I've been doing. And that

2:03:03is what I've handed out to the people

2:03:05there. And the comprollers's office, I

2:03:07wrote them. They have not responded.

2:03:09Paul Payne, who always gets back to me,

2:03:12has not responded. Our clerk came back

2:03:14and said, "Aldderwoman, we don't have

2:03:16the documents. Why doesn't the board of

2:03:18alderman have the documents that are

2:03:20required in in the ordinances and lease

2:03:24that we get every year?" So, they are

2:03:27supposed to been doing this since 2011.

2:03:30When I started asking about it was when

2:03:32clerk Kennedy was still there and he

2:03:34said, "I don't have anything. How do we

2:03:36let the people who have done wrong drive

2:03:40the engine of what should be done? We

2:03:42should not be doing that. Now you can do

2:03:45it and you got the votes. It is wrong.

2:03:47It is not looking out for the community.

2:03:49I did not become a lawyer and real

2:03:51estate was actually what I became a

2:03:53lawyer about so that I can sell my

2:03:55community out. And by the way, I have

2:03:57been at meetings and the meeting that I

2:03:58was at. I asked everybody that was there

2:04:01and Sharon Williams knows this. Did they

2:04:03want Rashene Aldridge or myself to carry

2:04:06that bill? Is that that's correct?

2:04:08Right. And what I they said is they

2:04:10wanted me. We know what you're doing.

2:04:12You've given us all of this stuff. But I

2:04:14told her as recently as today, if you

2:04:16want me to get out of the way, I can.

2:04:18But once we pass this ordinance and we

2:04:22let those people not pay this rent, then

2:04:25we're not going to get it back. In the

2:04:26meantime, I do have some standing

2:04:29because I'm owed these documents. So,

2:04:33the new the current owner sent me a

2:04:35thing saying, "Oh, we're going to come

2:04:37to the hearing and this is what we're

2:04:39going to say." And I'm not talking about

2:04:40this hearing cuz we have another hearing

2:04:42and he sent me nothing as though he's

2:04:44not going to give me anything. He is

2:04:46going to give me something. I'm going to

2:04:47find out who owns this property, who

2:04:50owns this lease, who own where's the

2:04:52documents, where's the money. If the

2:04:54comproller doesn't give me an

2:04:56accounting, I will look for a rid of

2:04:58manipus. If the uh SLDC Steven Westbrook

2:05:02is want is saying he's going to work

2:05:03with me. Our clerk doesn't have any.

2:05:06That's a violation of the lease. There

2:05:08are so many violations of the lease

2:05:10about finances is not funny. So if we

2:05:13cover up all of this stuff about we're

2:05:15going to fix all these things, that

2:05:17still doesn't mean they don't owe you

2:05:18the money. You still need we need as a

2:05:21city to recruit this money some kind of

2:05:24way. And if they doesn't if they don't

2:05:26have it and they can't show us what

2:05:28we've done they've done then we are

2:05:31financially irresponsible and we're not

2:05:33good uh stewards of a city money and all

2:05:36of us should be removed. It is

2:05:38imperative that we make sure that we

2:05:41know all of the money and we don't know

2:05:44any of it. We have no reports now. Um

2:05:47after I start kept pushing pushing

2:05:49pushing Ryan Coleman didn't send it to

2:05:52me. Um, and Miss Jones talked about me

2:05:54not being at a meeting because I wasn't

2:05:56invited to the meeting. But what he did

2:05:57do is send to Sharon Williams a little

2:06:00thing saying, "Well, they sent 50,000

2:06:03for the last few years." But nothing to

2:06:06me. I'm the person you asked to carry

2:06:08the bill. And I told him, I am not going

2:06:11to carry this bill without financial

2:06:13accountability, without the community

2:06:15being involved, without the residents

2:06:17being involved. I'm not from St. Louis,

2:06:19but I've been here for a lot of years

2:06:21and I respect that Homer G. Phillips was

2:06:23a black attorney who lost his life

2:06:26building an hospital and then lost his

2:06:29life before he could see it come to

2:06:30fruition. So even though the tenants may

2:06:34not understand the financial

2:06:35obligations, many people do. And I heard

2:06:37people talk about that and if we want to

2:06:39go around, oh, we're just going to get

2:06:41new ones and this is what they're going

2:06:42to do. That is not what landlords do.

2:06:44They said, that's great. We got a new

2:06:46tenants going to do all of this. Um, but

2:06:50you owe us $112 million unless you can

2:06:53show us what you did with it. And that's

2:06:55why I wanted to be uh sworn in. And I

2:06:57was not Somebody made a statement. I was

2:06:59given uh uh space heaters. I don't give

2:07:02out space heaters. They're very

2:07:03dangerous. I don't like my tenants to

2:07:05use them. I gave out uh electric

2:07:08blankets cuz that was a alternative to

2:07:10the people freezing to death because by

2:07:13the time it gets to be winter, they're

2:07:14cold and in the summer they're hot. And

2:07:17that is wrong. And that be building was

2:07:20beautiful. And we ought to be ashamed of

2:07:22ourselves if we don't recoup that money.

2:07:24If we pass it out and we act like this

2:07:27money doesn't exist and the press ought

2:07:29to be ashamed of themselves cuz they not

2:07:32talking about it. Uh the radio kx

2:07:35whatever the call letters are. He came

2:07:37Sean Malone and he came and talked to us

2:07:40and he said well irrespective of the

2:07:42money. How can we be irrespective of the

2:07:44money? That's how you pay bills. you

2:07:47collect rent from the tenants and if

2:07:48you're not giving it to the city of St.

2:07:50Louis and you're not uh repairing the

2:07:53building, you're pocketing the money and

2:07:56that's ill gotten gains. And that's all

2:07:58I want to say at this point except for

2:08:00we are not following our own ordinances.

2:08:02So putting new ordinance before us

2:08:04doesn't mean a damn thing unless we

2:08:06follow the ordinances that about

2:08:08finances that are already before us.

2:08:10Thank you.

2:08:19All right,

2:08:21Alderman Aldridge. Uh I know you have

2:08:24some statements and then we have some

2:08:27we'll go into questions um from our

2:08:29colleagues.

2:08:36>> Yes, Madam Chairwoman. Um, I wanted to

2:08:38see if uh there's been a lot of

2:08:41statements about money. Uh, we've we've

2:08:44been hearing 3 million, 4 million.

2:08:46There's been like a lot of numbers out

2:08:48there. So, I want to see if Eagle Point

2:08:51can speak on um the the statements of

2:08:55money not being accounted for. So, that

2:08:57there is another um

2:09:01the other side of the story as well.

2:09:03>> Thank you. Thank you. Eagle Point you

2:09:06can please proceed.

2:09:09>> Thank you.

2:09:10>> Thank you. Thank you alderman uh Aldrich

2:09:12and members of the board. Uh we

2:09:14appreciate the opportunity to uh share

2:09:17our point of view. It is very

2:09:18complicated. I agree with Alias that the

2:09:21the language in the various amendments

2:09:24to the lease can be confusing. Um, but

2:09:27the lease as written in 2001 was a

2:09:3099-year lease with a total amount of

2:09:33rent to be paid of $4,950,000

2:09:36payable in equal installments of $50,000

2:09:39per year time 99 equals $4,950,000.

2:09:44We have been paid $50,000 per year on

2:09:47total release in 2020.

2:09:50Um I think that $113 million that's

2:09:53being um discussed I I was confused

2:09:56about where that number came from but I

2:09:58think in 20 years times 3,950

2:10:03and I think that's again an easily

2:10:05easily to misunderstood but we're

2:10:08looking at the lease right in front of

2:10:09us and it says the tenant shall pay the

2:10:12landlord the rent of $4,950,000

2:10:16on the last bit payable in equal annual

2:10:18installments of $50,000.

2:10:20So, we have been honoring the lease

2:10:22since we took it over in 2020. There was

2:10:25an amendment during the prior ownership

2:10:28during the prior um owner of the

2:10:30leasehold interest uh which I believe is

2:10:33amendment number three which said in

2:10:362010

2:10:38um the the first 10 years of the lease I

2:10:42think were deferred. So, they were

2:10:43supposed to start paying rent in 2010

2:10:45and they offer the city agreed to allow

2:10:48Dominium a 10-year delay in making those

2:10:51payments, but that delay expired in

2:10:542020, the year we took over. So, we

2:10:56began paying rent as soon as we uh were

2:10:59brought in as the lease holder. And the

2:11:01language that's in amendment three that

2:11:03talks about submitting financial

2:11:05statements is related to that period of

2:11:07time when the tenant minion was not

2:11:09paying the $50,000 per year. Um, if we

2:11:13had financial statements, we would share

2:11:14them. We don't produce financial

2:11:16statements for this asset. It's owned by

2:11:17a fund and so simply don't have

2:11:20financial statements. The city has not

2:11:22asked us financial statements. Uh, we

2:11:25shared copies of every single cancel

2:11:27check with the city for their

2:11:28convenience of the $50,000 we paid in

2:11:31December of each year since 2020. Um, we

2:11:35we believe we're in full compliance with

2:11:38the lease and continue to support

2:11:41Alderman Aldrich's effort to support our

2:11:44plan to transfer this lease to CI. Cig

2:11:47will be an excellent manager of this

2:11:49property. Um, and we'll we'll do many of

2:11:52the things that are necessary for Homer

2:11:54G. Phillips and its res.

2:11:58>> Thank you to Eagle Point. Um, also to um

2:12:00just get some more clarification. Um,

2:12:03since once these payments are made, they

2:12:05go to the comproller. Um, McKenzie, are

2:12:08you able to verify that all payments or

2:12:11cancel checks uh have been made to Eagle

2:12:14Point? And the $50,000 that is supposed

2:12:16to go to the city of St. Louis on a uh

2:12:19yearly basis, which the document that I

2:12:21have for you all shows the last time

2:12:23that Eagle Point has paid at 50,000. All

2:12:26those checks have been cleared and

2:12:28cancel checks have been also made aware

2:12:30to the comproll office.

2:12:32>> I think we should have Mackenzie or give

2:12:34her the microphone. Absolutely.

2:12:36>> Yes. And if the committee would like to

2:12:38see those canceled checks, I'd be more

2:12:40than happy to provide them.

2:12:45>> Okay. Um I'm going to save my uh final

2:12:47statement for closing, but at this point

2:12:50I will open up to questions from any of

2:12:52my colleagues.

2:12:55All right. Uh, is Alderman Con on?

2:12:58Madame Clerk.

2:13:00>> Yes, he is.

2:13:01>> Okay. Alderman Con.

2:13:06>> Uh, thank you, Alderman Aldridge, uh,

2:13:09members of the committee and others from

2:13:11the public that have testified today. Um

2:13:15this is obviously an issue that's very

2:13:17important to many people in our city and

2:13:20um in particular to the residents of

2:13:23Homer G. Phillips. Um, you know, I've

2:13:26had the pleasure of being there and

2:13:28hearing from many of the residents and

2:13:31um, seeing firsthand some of their

2:13:33concerns with respect to um, the wear

2:13:36and tear, the broken windows, the safety

2:13:40concerns with regard to the lighting and

2:13:42the fence and um, you know, certainly

2:13:45heard their concerns around heating and

2:13:47cooling and water damage to various

2:13:49units. Um, and so I I guess my question

2:13:53would be for

2:13:56uh the folks that are currently uh

2:14:00managing the property or uh the lease

2:14:03holders of the property. You know, why

2:14:07has the building gotten to the position

2:14:10that it's in? And I I understand that

2:14:13you're testifying in favor of this, but

2:14:15[clears throat]

2:14:16what is going to prevent the new lease

2:14:20holder from ending up in the same

2:14:22situation that

2:14:24you've been in and that subsequently the

2:14:27tenants have been in.

2:14:30>> And that's a question for either one.

2:14:31>> Yes.

2:14:33>> Sure. Um well again we entered this this

2:14:36we acquired this lease of interest with

2:14:38the best intentions um at a time when uh

2:14:42the world was a little different. Um we

2:14:44had um we imple implemented to spend

2:14:47about a million dollars in upgrades. We

2:14:49upgraded the elevator central cooling

2:14:51and the heating system. Um it wasn't

2:14:53enough. We continued over the last five

2:14:55years of our ownership to continue to

2:14:57invest in the property. Um I heard some

2:15:00testimony about changing management

2:15:02staff and that is that's absolutely

2:15:04true. The last several years has been

2:15:06very difficult for us to retain staff.

2:15:08You know that's been an issue for other

2:15:10management companies and other

2:15:11businesses. Um we think that this

2:15:14property will be better managed, better

2:15:17owned by CI and their management company

2:15:20who's local to St. we will have more

2:15:22access to staff to avoid some of the

2:15:26backwards momentum we sometimes had when

2:15:28we had changing staff or no staff at

2:15:30all. Um so some of the some of the

2:15:34components of this building are older

2:15:36and so when we have a a heat pump out an

2:15:39HVC system out in one unit it sometimes

2:15:42takes six or eight weeks to get that

2:15:44individual unit configured and specially

2:15:46produced. Um, so I understand that CI is

2:15:49looking to a full replacement of of many

2:15:52of those units and I think that that's

2:15:54welcomed. We encourage them and we u be

2:15:58as responsive as we could with the staff

2:16:00we had. Um, we have spent as much money

2:16:02as was needed for whatever repairs came

2:16:05in front of us. We worked hard to

2:16:07finish. Um, I certainly agree we were

2:16:09not 100% successful and that's why we're

2:16:12encouraging the board to move forward

2:16:14with the strength.

2:16:17So I guess to maybe be a little bit more

2:16:19direct though,

2:16:21you know, the the rent that's being

2:16:23collected, you all were the recipients

2:16:26of that.

2:16:27>> Correct.

2:16:28>> Say that again, please, sir.

2:16:30>> The rent that the tenants were paying,

2:16:33you all would have been the recipients

2:16:34of that rent.

2:16:35>> We receive that rent. You use that rent

2:16:37to pay the expenses of the property and

2:16:39the expenses have been more than the

2:16:41rent. And have you turned over I I know

2:16:46that you said that you know this is part

2:16:49of an investment fund and things of that

2:16:50nature, but have you turned over those

2:16:52financials to the comprollers's office

2:16:55for an audit? Uh you know cuz I think

2:16:57one of the concerns that people have is

2:16:59what happened to the rent money? Why,

2:17:02you know, why has the building

2:17:03deteriorated to the point that it is now

2:17:06when people are paying their rent?

2:17:11So con I think the when we first one of

2:17:16the things that's different now is u

2:17:19we're not in the middle of a pandemic

2:17:21right and then when we came into which

2:17:24when we came into the prop with our set

2:17:27ofations

2:17:28we immediately hit with our staffing mis

2:17:32expectations and our first step into

2:17:35property was a giant misstep because the

2:17:38world would cig has the benefit of

2:17:41stepping into a stable retirement. Um

2:17:44when when we collect the rent, um part

2:17:48of collecting the rent is collecting on

2:17:51as many occupied units as possible. Um

2:17:54part of collecting the rent comes from

2:17:57actually collecting the rent from the

2:17:59people who are occupying

2:18:01and and for us that's it's a bit of a

2:18:04challenge sometimes. Um, and then with

2:18:06that rent, there's there's a sort of

2:18:09order of where the rent goes. It goes to

2:18:12the mortgage payment. It goes to

2:18:15insurance over the past several years,

2:18:17uh, has escalated massively. Um, and

2:18:21then it goes to, you know, the

2:18:23maintenance and the payroll of the

2:18:26staff. And so um with those escalating

2:18:28costs with the collections with the

2:18:31occupancy all compounded by you know

2:18:34this side factors those uh worked

2:18:39against us um and you know you know it's

2:18:42our expectation that with the different

2:18:44management style C has and their local

2:18:48ability to be right there with sources

2:18:51um fortunately for everybody be more

2:18:54successful.

2:18:57Okay. I thank you uh for the additional

2:19:00information. I I do we still have the

2:19:03representative from CIG?

2:19:06>> Yes, we do.

2:19:12>> I can't see the room for some reason. Uh

2:19:15>> you can go ahead.

2:19:19So can you just uh you know we've we've

2:19:22heard a lot in the you know last two or

2:19:26so hours. Um

2:19:29how are you going to address the

2:19:31concerns of the residents of the

2:19:33hospital that

2:19:36they are going to have adequate living

2:19:39conditions. You know that they're not

2:19:42going to have holes in their roof that

2:19:44they're not going to have HVAC that

2:19:46isn't working. that they're going not

2:19:48going to have, you know, plumbing or

2:19:50other water damage related issues in

2:19:52their units. Um, you know, there have

2:19:55been reports of, you know, rodents and

2:19:59roaches and, you know, other vermin. Um,

2:20:03broken windows, broken security gates,

2:20:06lighting that's inadequate on the

2:20:08parking lot. uh how are you planning to

2:20:11address all of these and uh make sure

2:20:15that not just maintenance but any other

2:20:18additional concerns? I I heard at the

2:20:20beginning when you were talking about

2:20:22bringing back some of the amenities as

2:20:24well that just it it seems like a lot of

2:20:28uh wonderful talk. I'm just interested

2:20:31in the numbers.

2:20:32>> Sure. Um so to echo what Brian

2:20:35referenced um which is

2:20:39a frequent um frequently happens with

2:20:42low-inccome housing tax credit

2:20:44properties um during the initial

2:20:46development. They're well funded with

2:20:49public funds. Um and then it leads into

2:20:52a restricted property that needs to be

2:20:55maintained. Um for example just on the

2:20:59basic economics if the rent isn't coming

2:21:01in and you're dealt with many vacancies

2:21:05the and there's certain systems retired

2:21:08and require replacement and there are

2:21:11different buckets of funds. So there's

2:21:13the operating funds. Usually we would

2:21:16allocate a small a nominal amount on a

2:21:19per unit basis into a replacement

2:21:22reserve fund for roof replacements and

2:21:25other things that may come up in later

2:21:27years. Um but from the operating funds

2:21:30and I can assure you I don't believe

2:21:32based on the financial we've financials

2:21:35we've seen I don't believe any

2:21:36distributions have been taken out. it's

2:21:40uh complicated property to run. Um and

2:21:46that those problems are compounded by

2:21:48vacancies and lack of rent collection.

2:21:50Um the difference is where we stand and

2:21:55we're not here to promise the world or

2:21:58come with a magic wand but we are are

2:22:00coming with fresh capital for the

2:22:04clearly identified issues that have been

2:22:06presented to us by the tenants based on

2:22:08our research based on engineering

2:22:10reports. So, we've identified

2:22:14specific items which

2:22:17limit the tenants um

2:22:20enjoyment or proper experience at the

2:22:22property and as we've identified them in

2:22:26the in our spreadsheet

2:22:29um leading into something that Mr. Palm

2:22:32referenced is yes there is a budget and

2:22:35we're not here to promise the world and

2:22:37claim we're going to be putting gold

2:22:38door knobs in and you know there are

2:22:40limited funds it is a privately operated

2:22:43entity um initially when there are tax

2:22:46credit funds available there's

2:22:48substantial amount of funding to make

2:22:51improvements and you know go to 110%.

2:22:56But being that we are in the situation

2:22:58that we're in, um we're here on our own

2:23:02valition to present a plan that can

2:23:06remedy some of the issues that we've

2:23:09learned about

2:23:11um as we've identified them in our, you

2:23:14know, with our capital. We have a

2:23:18reasonable budget. We're not coming in

2:23:21with $10 million claiming to gut the

2:23:24building. Um later on there's definitely

2:23:27the ability to

2:23:29assess the ability to obtain new tax

2:23:32credits and conduct a new low-inccome

2:23:35housing tax credit syndication. That's a

2:23:38very long-term process um that needs to

2:23:40be assessed and that process can

2:23:43accompany a buildingwide renovation.

2:23:46However, we've identified from what

2:23:47we've learned, we've spent a lot of time

2:23:49meeting the residents and learning about

2:23:52the property. um from just a local

2:23:56community perspective as well as a

2:23:57physical perspective. And based on that,

2:24:00we have learned about specific items at

2:24:03the forefront of which is crime. Um and

2:24:08between the crime, the financials, lack

2:24:10of occupancy,

2:24:12um and most importantly tenant

2:24:13communication, we feel we can fill a

2:24:15void. Um can we accommodate every single

2:24:19request?

2:24:21I can't say that we've have identified

2:24:24specific items that can improve the

2:24:25tenants experience

2:24:27um that's reasonable um and realistic

2:24:32and has a time and end in sight to

2:24:36accomplish these goals.

2:24:39>> So just uh talking a little bit more

2:24:42about the vacancy what is the current

2:24:44vacancy rate?

2:24:46So it has fluctuated. I would defer to

2:24:48Brian. There were points where I think

2:24:50it has got had gotten down to around

2:24:5360%. And I think

2:24:57>> well currently 75% occupied to 25%.

2:25:00>> Yes. So we're involved consistently

2:25:03during I guess the last 18 months 18 to

2:25:0624 months and the occupancy has

2:25:09significantly risen. Um, and I think

2:25:12from a financial perspective that helps

2:25:14stabilize the building. Um, as well as

2:25:16the general crime, um, once there's a

2:25:19full fully active community with

2:25:21participating residents, um, and no

2:25:24vacancies, you limit the ability for

2:25:28crime issues, squatters, etc.

2:25:32>> Yeah. I I mean, what would be your

2:25:34target? That's good to hear that, you

2:25:37know, occupancy has gone up. Obviously

2:25:39that helps with the bottom line when

2:25:41you're talking about you know uh

2:25:43maintenance and other costs. Um but also

2:25:46depending upon tenant screening

2:25:48processes and other issues uh you could

2:25:51be looking at you know other concerns

2:25:54that can impact you know the amount of

2:25:57money that you're bringing into the the

2:25:58building to support the you know tenants

2:26:00and residents there as well. Um so what

2:26:04would be your ideal occupancy rate and

2:26:08what is your plan to get the building

2:26:10occupied to that target number?

2:26:13>> Sure. So to clarify our initial capital

2:26:18improvement plan is not dependent on

2:26:21occupancy or operating

2:26:23um income. So we've had that we've

2:26:26allocated two separate buckets of funds

2:26:28so we're able to accomplish our capital

2:26:30improvement plan independently of future

2:26:33occupancy. Um having said that once we

2:26:36are able to improve the asset

2:26:39um along with putting some of the

2:26:40amenities back online um with some

2:26:44community support such as you know some

2:26:46of the amenities were identified outside

2:26:49partners which does not uh would not

2:26:52require funding from ownership or

2:26:54management um and it would give us the

2:26:56ability to get those back online. Um

2:27:00most specifically I would say is our

2:27:03you know from operating in St. Louis and

2:27:06based on our other operating assets uh I

2:27:10would say the most prominent issue would

2:27:12be crime. So the intent is once we are

2:27:17able to implement our improvements which

2:27:20has a primary a core focus on security

2:27:23that would be able to bring residents

2:27:26back make them feel comfortable and

2:27:28increase occupancy.

2:27:34So

2:27:36my question, so what is your target

2:27:38occupancy rate and what is your I we've

2:27:42already talked about what improvements

2:27:44you're going to be making to the

2:27:45facility is it your intent that you know

2:27:48once those capital improvements are made

2:27:49then you won't have an issue or once the

2:27:52capital improvements and safety

2:27:53improvements are made that you won't

2:27:55have to deal with you know uh tenant

2:27:58recruitment in order to reach that

2:28:00occupancy limit.

2:28:02you know I guess or occupancy goal

2:28:06what is your ultimate occupancy goal and

2:28:08what is the plan to get there

2:28:11>> um so the answer is yes I think it's a

2:28:14cycle that you know it's a broken window

2:28:17theory once we put our money in once we

2:28:20put our improvements in place I do think

2:28:23and provide a solid product and a

2:28:27pleasant tenant experience I think the

2:28:30occupancy will based on our experience

2:28:33um from other assets that we've turned

2:28:35around.

2:28:37>> Okay.

2:28:40I I really uh do hope as well that we've

2:28:46had, you know, the conversations that,

2:28:48you know, have been referenced in terms

2:28:50of uh the the financials and um you

2:28:55know, I know that the controller's

2:28:57office and, you know, the sponsor of

2:28:59this bill have had some conversations

2:29:01around using that $50,000 rent payment

2:29:04in terms of establishing a fund for um

2:29:08you an emergency fund, if you will, to

2:29:10help with, you know, any types of

2:29:13situations that might arise with the the

2:29:15building. I think that, you know, that's

2:29:17something that I certainly would be

2:29:19supportive of. Um, since the land is

2:29:22owned by the city, uh, and we have this,

2:29:24you know, long-term lease arrangement,

2:29:27um, I think it's still prudent upon the

2:29:29city since it is our land, um, that we

2:29:32have, um, some,

2:29:35uh, emergency cash on hand to help, um,

2:29:39and and situations. But uh you know I

2:29:42really

2:29:45uh

2:29:46implore you to make sure that you have

2:29:49you know not just a we will build it

2:29:52they will come mentality when it comes

2:29:54to you know uh those those goals with

2:29:58occupancy. And so, um, you know,

2:30:01especially when you have an asset that

2:30:03has

2:30:05depreciated as much as it has, uh, and,

2:30:09uh, the reputation that has been out

2:30:12there for, you know, several years now,

2:30:15um, if you're not actively engaging in

2:30:18the community and marketing that that

2:30:20new product, you're going to have a very

2:30:22difficult time uh, filling those those

2:30:25units up. And I think it's really

2:30:28incumbent upon you as the new operator

2:30:30to make sure that you have a plan in

2:30:32place to do that.

2:30:33>> So I would like to add um for the vacant

2:30:35units we are there are upgrades

2:30:38in the plan to make them more appealing

2:30:42to new residents. Um and more

2:30:45importantly a large part of the what I

2:30:49believe contributed to the vacancy is uh

2:30:51lack of tenant retention due to crime

2:30:54and due to so it's a

2:30:56It's a twofold problem. Um, also another

2:31:00I the another element that we have in

2:31:04our management team is tenant

2:31:07assistance. So there are evictions.

2:31:08Obviously we landlords need to collect

2:31:10rent. Um, but tenants do fall behind

2:31:13unfortunately. Um, and we do have a a

2:31:16team that's dedicated to

2:31:19tenant outreach, local charity outreach,

2:31:22payment plans. We don't take the

2:31:24approach of non-payment equals eviction.

2:31:28We try to take a very hands-on approach

2:31:30to maintain occupancy. Um,

2:31:33and

2:31:35you know, and assist the tenants to get

2:31:37back on track. So, I think between all

2:31:39those factors, we can, you know, we can

2:31:42bring increase the occupancy at the

2:31:44property.

2:31:46Um, and I I want to give my colleagues

2:31:49the opportunity to ask questions as

2:31:52well, but um, one of the other concerns

2:31:55that was brought up, I think Mr. Palm

2:31:56mentioned this in his speech, um, you

2:32:00know, the historic integrity of the

2:32:01building and, uh, making sure that any,

2:32:05you know, future capital improvements

2:32:07that are made with the property are in

2:32:09line with the historic character of the

2:32:11building. Um I think he mentioned window

2:32:14units. Um can you speak [clears throat]

2:32:17more to what your

2:32:20>> intention is that front as well?

2:32:22>> Yes. So um we had the pleasure of

2:32:25meeting Miss Tus alderman woman Tus and

2:32:28Mr. Palm but it was quite some time ago.

2:32:30So I don't exactly recall the

2:32:32conversation. Um I do think there was a

2:32:34conversation as to if that was an option

2:32:37when discussing budgetary concerns. Um

2:32:41however

2:32:43um the older woman and alderman have

2:32:47asked me that question numerous times.

2:32:49We do not intend on putting window units

2:32:52in. Um the goal is and it's actually

2:32:56identified in our capital budget to

2:32:59replace um the interior heat pumps which

2:33:01are specific um dedicated unit byunit

2:33:05systems. Um and we have allocated I

2:33:07think for 25 units um that we have

2:33:12deemed based on our research to require

2:33:15replacement.

2:33:18>> Okay.

2:33:20All right. Uh that's all the questions I

2:33:22have for now, Madam Chair. I'll allow my

2:33:24other colleagues the opportunity to

2:33:26inquire.

2:33:28>> Okay. Thank you. Before we go to another

2:33:30question, I just want to touch circle

2:33:32back to um the controllers. Probably saw

2:33:34some things that were said because you

2:33:36know I like to it's not it's not going

2:33:39to be for you. But don't go far. I'm

2:33:40sure you'll have more questions, but you

2:33:42know how I am. I don't like to be

2:33:44deflected by things that are just thrown

2:33:46out there. I like us to be guided by

2:33:47facts here. And I know under the

2:33:49ordinance um that we're operating on now

2:33:54because I don't want the perception that

2:33:55the clerks hadn't done what they were

2:33:57supposed to do, Clerk Kennedy or Clerk

2:34:00Rogers. Now, um that the the financial

2:34:04and I know the Mackenzie is who can

2:34:05verify this for me. Financial statements

2:34:08weren't required because the payments

2:34:10were being made and that started in

2:34:122020.

2:34:13>> Yes.

2:34:14>> Okay. You said yes.

2:34:16>> Yes. Sorry.

2:34:17>> And and I want people to understand that

2:34:18this was a 99year lease.

2:34:22A 99year lease. Over the 99 years, that

2:34:27was the $50,000 payment. So, McKenzie,

2:34:30can you um again, you did state with

2:34:33Alderman Aldidge, but I want to make

2:34:35sure for the record and for media and

2:34:37for people that are watching to be fully

2:34:39understand where we are with this.

2:34:41Have they been paying?

2:34:43>> Yes. And I have five checks in front of

2:34:47me. The first one dated, as you said,

2:34:4920.

2:34:50>> Okay. And

2:34:54I know that Aldwoman Ta said that she

2:34:57hasn't gotten that information. has she

2:34:59requested that information? We want to

2:35:00make sure because we guide, we do talk

2:35:03about transparency and we do talk about

2:35:05holding people accountable and if we ask

2:35:07for something, we want the answer. Has

2:35:09she been afforded the opportunity? Has

2:35:11you given her that information?

2:35:13>> Yes. So, the older woman received a

2:35:15letter dated September 30th. It was

2:35:17placed in her mailbox on October 1st.

2:35:20Uh, Miss White signed a receipt for it.

2:35:25>> Okay.

2:35:27Who do we know who Miss White is? I'm

2:35:29not Oh, Chanel, Miss White, our board

2:35:31secretary, one of our board clerks.

2:35:33Okay. Okay. Well, thank you. I just want

2:35:35to make sure that we clarify that for

2:35:37the record. Thank you, uh, Alderwoman

2:35:39Swisser.

2:35:41Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, and members

2:35:43of the committee. I I appreciate the the

2:35:46discussion we've had today and the

2:35:47numerous people who've come to speak

2:35:49with us. Uh, it's especially uh, moving

2:35:52to hear from residents and I appreciate

2:35:54all of the testimony. I think that has

2:35:56been um really telling uh about the need

2:35:59for um just increased scrutiny and and

2:36:02more time to spend on this. So I I

2:36:04appreciate the time. Um a lot of the

2:36:06questions that I had Alderman Conn had

2:36:09asked as well. Um I would just really

2:36:11like to hear more about the experience

2:36:13of CI um and more about what they've

2:36:16done. And I I did a little bit of

2:36:17research here and see numerous

2:36:19properties that they've purchased or

2:36:21become involved in over the last few

2:36:22years and I just wanted to hear more

2:36:24about um their experience and anything

2:36:26they feel is is similar to this that

2:36:28they've worked with elsewhere.

2:36:32>> Um

2:36:34so not sure where to start. Um we're a

2:36:38small smaller firm um with I would say

2:36:41or very organic growth. Um we I've

2:36:45started the firm in 2007

2:36:48um with smaller one to two family

2:36:51properties in severely distressed areas

2:36:53um specifically Newark, New Jersey. um

2:36:56at that time um much more very

2:36:59significant crime. Um and we've

2:37:04since expanded so we slowly um at that

2:37:08point we purchased vandalized completely

2:37:11blighted blocks and have turned around

2:37:15full complete blocks in New York and

2:37:16Irvington, New Jersey. Um and our real

2:37:20estate portfolio crosses many sectors.

2:37:23um within the last I would say around

2:37:25three years ago we started um an afford

2:37:28affordable housing portfolio um with HUD

2:37:32projectbased projects as well as um

2:37:36low-inccome housing tax credit projects

2:37:39um we've stepped in to situations

2:37:43similar to that of Homer G Phillips and

2:37:46even more severely distressed property

2:37:49such as Sullivan Place Apartments um

2:37:51Sullivan Place specific specifically was

2:37:54a very challenging project. It was uh it

2:37:58was developed under low-inccome housing

2:38:00tax credit program. The developer, I

2:38:03believe, folded um defaulted on the loan

2:38:07and a lender took it over. So, it was

2:38:10essentially a free-for-all for around

2:38:12two years. Um overrun by squatters. Um,

2:38:15we purchased it out of receiverhip

2:38:18somewhat blind

2:38:20at I would say the rental collection at

2:38:23the property when we took over was

2:38:25probably around 20%.

2:38:28Um, and very very significant crime

2:38:31that, you know, all the good tenants

2:38:34left and we really had to figure out in

2:38:37a legal way how to deal with all the

2:38:40existing occupants. um who was legal,

2:38:42who was there legitimately, who was

2:38:44causing problems, etc. Um and it took us

2:38:47quite some time. We did it in a very

2:38:49positive manner manner without um

2:38:52negative negatively displacing tenants

2:38:56um at this point. And then we once we

2:38:58got to that point, we're able to

2:39:00implement our renovation plan um and

2:39:03we've expended significant private

2:39:05capital to improve the common areas, to

2:39:07improve um all the vacant units. Um and

2:39:11we're right now we're in the lease up

2:39:12phase. Um and it seems like it's going

2:39:15to be a very successful project. Um and

2:39:18we've done this um that's specifically

2:39:20in St. Louis. Um we've done this in

2:39:23Almyra, New York, in in Governor New

2:39:26York. Um we've had many similar

2:39:27projects. Um unfortunately

2:39:30um the tax credit program leads into

2:39:34this leads into an issue after the

2:39:37initial compliance period um where the

2:39:40rents are restricted and the initial

2:39:44developers

2:39:46um have limited resources to continue

2:39:48out to operate the property. Um so with

2:39:52we come in with a small set of fresh

2:39:55capital to

2:39:58stabilize it um and then try to cut

2:40:00costs and operate it more efficiently.

2:40:02Um and we've been successful in doing

2:40:05that.

2:40:07>> And do you have on the ground management

2:40:09here in St. Louis or are you mostly

2:40:11based elsewhere?

2:40:13>> So specifically for this project um and

2:40:16in St. Lewis at our other projects um we

2:40:19have retained and contracted with

2:40:20Sansson Group

2:40:23um to handle the day-to-day management.

2:40:26Um however,

2:40:28you know, many companies are more

2:40:30corporate. I would say we're a smaller

2:40:31firm and that gives us the ability to

2:40:33have a more hands-on approach. Um we

2:40:37have um we actually brought Steven over

2:40:39here as our heads our asset management u

2:40:43and is directly involved on a daily

2:40:45basis ensuring compliance from the

2:40:48management team. Um we conduct frequent

2:40:52physical site visits. Um myself

2:40:55personally as the owner um we try to get

2:40:58there at least um on a monthly basis. Um

2:41:01each week there are very encompassing

2:41:03calls that go through detail by detail

2:41:06to ensure you know proper operations.

2:41:11Um one thing I didn't add that's

2:41:14important that I forgot to reference

2:41:16earlier um a lot and this goes to

2:41:19Sullivan Place and I believe Homer G.

2:41:21develops when the properties have crime.

2:41:24I think it's um the management is more

2:41:27limited to have an on-site employee

2:41:29full-time. Um we also intend to keep a

2:41:33maintenance one of the maintenance

2:41:35employees will be living on site to tend

2:41:37to emergency situations after hours.

2:41:41>> Okay. Um Alderman Alders, can you say

2:41:44Sullivan Place Apartments is in your

2:41:45ward. Can you speak to any changes

2:41:47you've noticed since they've been

2:41:48involved? Yes, you was reading my mind.

2:41:50Um, I will say so Sullivan Place before

2:41:54CIG got involved. Um, I know Homer G.

2:41:57Phillips is in a a bad condition. I can

2:42:00tell you Sullivan Place was like even

2:42:02worse. Um, the lack of security, the

2:42:05common ground postco, they took away all

2:42:08the furniture. Uh, and they never

2:42:10replaced the furniture. Um, the hallways

2:42:12was filthy. Uh, there was never like any

2:42:15security. the the management team was

2:42:17very piss poor. Um even when I tried to

2:42:20get in to have meetings to just engage

2:42:23with residents, it was not very

2:42:25communityfriendly. Uh the units was

2:42:28outdated since the CIG. And again, I've

2:42:32I've uh just recently learned as I've

2:42:34been meeting with Jason around Homer G

2:42:37that they were the individuals behind

2:42:39Sullivan Place and the upgrades that

2:42:41have been taking place. So, I didn't

2:42:42even know they were the warrants. Uh but

2:42:44the security is uh one of the biggest

2:42:47thing I think we hear probably a homer G

2:42:49but I hear it I have several senior

2:42:50buildings. I have about five to six

2:42:52myself. If it's Till, if it's um uh

2:42:55Cambridge, if it's City Park, I think a

2:42:58lot of these senior buildings struggle

2:43:00with security. And that's one of the

2:43:02things that I know is not only an issue

2:43:04at Homer G, but has been an issue at

2:43:06Sullivan and the technology and the

2:43:08equipment that Mr. Jason has installed

2:43:11upgraded key fobs um where they're able

2:43:14to actually um see what is going on on

2:43:16the cameras that has been installed in

2:43:18Sullivan Place has made like a night and

2:43:20day because at the end of the day, you

2:43:22know, sometimes it's very easy for folks

2:43:25who do not live in these senior

2:43:27buildings to see a door open and then

2:43:29just kind of walk up. Um the management

2:43:31team is completely different. uh the

2:43:33carpet, uh the lighting. I know it's

2:43:36those small things um that may not sound

2:43:39like it is important. Um but for

2:43:41residents uh who's walking down a

2:43:43hallway at 8:00 at night and there are

2:43:47some folks just like in our neighborhood

2:43:48that always probably don't mean well,

2:43:51having those small I think amenities and

2:43:53more in my opinion, not even amenities,

2:43:55safety measures in place has gone a long

2:43:57way. Um so like I'm impressed what has

2:44:00happened at Sullivan Place. I think

2:44:02there absolutely can be more done,

2:44:05right? And I'm hopeful that the changes

2:44:09that are set and this is just a capital

2:44:11plan. Um that I also want to say when we

2:44:14was at the meeting at Homer G. Phillips

2:44:16that Jason also took notes from

2:44:18residents that where he needs to also

2:44:20add and go further and beyond u that

2:44:23some things will probably need to change

2:44:25in the Homer G. Phillips uh capital

2:44:27plan, but I could tell you if the work

2:44:29that he's done at Sullivan Place um will

2:44:32also happen at Homer G and they're not

2:44:34in a worse condition. There is some

2:44:36things that need to be upgraded. Um I

2:44:38think they're going to see changes uh

2:44:41very soon when we're talking about who

2:44:43is at the table now. Um I think it's

2:44:46going to be a benefit and I will say I

2:44:48think kind of we've heard about check

2:44:49and balance. I think the benefit that

2:44:51CGI have and this is no shade to Eagle

2:44:53Point. And I know Eagle Point is the lei

2:44:55but also kind of like management too.

2:44:57you know there will be as Jason is the

2:45:00le person he's bringing in Samson and I

2:45:03you know struggled to be like is Samson

2:45:06you know the best to bring in um but the

2:45:09work that Samson has done at Sullivan um

2:45:13the bar was extremely low and they have

2:45:15raised the bar and I think having that

2:45:16checkin balance like at Sullivan place

2:45:19also at Homer G whether or not the lease

2:45:21and the management folks is going to be

2:45:23that good checkin balance so I'm very uh

2:45:26uh proud of the work that I've seen at

2:45:29Sullivan Place and I know that I could

2:45:31tell you the residents um definitely are

2:45:34appreciative of the work that has uh

2:45:36happen but of course you know more can

2:45:39always be done.

2:45:41>> Thank you. I appreciate that feedback.

2:45:43Um my last question is for the

2:45:44controllers's office.

2:45:48>> You got to get up.

2:45:50>> Thank you.

2:45:54>> Thank you. I would I would just be

2:45:55interested in hearing more from them

2:45:57about um the type of background and

2:45:59scrutiny that goes into these contracts

2:46:02and um anything that we should know

2:46:04about what what research they do and and

2:46:07things that they've thought of when

2:46:08putting this together.

2:46:10>> Yeah. So, Eagle Point actually found CIG

2:46:14and brought them to us. So, we were able

2:46:16to review the capital improvement plan.

2:46:19We reviewed the security plan that they

2:46:21had set forth and found out that they

2:46:23contract with the Sandstone Group. Um,

2:46:27and so yeah, that was the extent of our

2:46:30research on that. Uh, looking at their

2:46:33financials, figuring out with Eagle

2:46:35Point, you know, is it time to trans

2:46:38also part of our due diligence. Um, Jim,

2:46:41do you want to speak to any? Okay. So,

2:46:43yeah. So, working with Eagle Point to

2:46:46identify the different financials and

2:46:48what CIG was going to have to do

2:46:50differently was a part of our due

2:46:51diligence and ultimately the comproller

2:46:53decided that CIG would be the best

2:46:56management company.

2:47:00Okay. Thank you for taking the time to

2:47:02answer my questions.

2:47:08Okay. Adam Brownie.

2:47:12>> Thank you. Um, first I I want to thank

2:47:14the residents of Homer G. Phillips and

2:47:17the 12th Ward who came here today to

2:47:20speak. It is honestly an honor to hear

2:47:23from you. Um, I think Homer G. Phillips

2:47:26as a as a building is one of the most

2:47:30significant historical buildings in

2:47:32North City, if not the entire city. And

2:47:36it is heartbreaking to hear you speak

2:47:38today about how beautiful it was and

2:47:42what has happened in the ensuing

2:47:44decades. I think it is a shame because

2:47:46it bears the name of Homer G. Phillips

2:47:49and that is

2:47:51is it's just hard for me to hear the

2:47:53name continue to set again and again and

2:47:55and have that put on the man that he

2:47:58was. And I think that now the people who

2:48:02live in that building need to be our

2:48:04focus and making sure that you I think

2:48:07someone said that you deserve a safe

2:48:09place to live that you deserve a

2:48:10well-maintained place to live and I

2:48:13think that's got to be our focus today.

2:48:15Um this has been a really difficult day.

2:48:19There's a lot of testimony we're hearing

2:48:20and a lot of different testimony.

2:48:23And so it's it's we're going to ask

2:48:27these questions to try to get to the

2:48:28bottom of this and try to make sure

2:48:30we're doing the right thing, but just

2:48:33know that I view the right thing as

2:48:35what's right for the residents of Homer

2:48:36G. Phillips. Um my first questions I

2:48:41think will be for um the comprollers's

2:48:45office.

2:48:48Miss Looney, you can stay seated. I I

2:48:50know you're currently

2:48:53>> slightly immobile.

2:48:55>> Um my first question I think uh although

2:48:58when Schwitzer asked my question which

2:48:59is how uh CIG was determined to be the

2:49:04uh the potential new lease holder. Um

2:49:08there's been a lot of testimony today

2:49:10about who owns Homer G. Phillips. And so

2:49:13can you clarify the city owns the

2:49:17property? The city owns the building.

2:49:20Who owns Homer G. Phillips? And what is

2:49:24what does that arrangement look like for

2:49:27the city?

2:49:28>> Yes. So, the city owns the property and

2:49:31because it owns the property per the

2:49:33charter, the comprollers's office

2:49:35manages all city assets. We then

2:49:38contract with a property management

2:49:40company to come in and actually operate

2:49:42the building for us.

2:49:46So, you've been contracting with Eagle

2:49:48Point for the last

2:49:51how how many years?

2:49:54>> I believe it's started in 2020. That's

2:49:58prior to comproller Behringer.

2:50:00>> And before that, it was Dominion.

2:50:02>> Yes, I believe so.

2:50:05>> So, residents have been saying today

2:50:07that there's a lot of money that they

2:50:08feel is unaccounted for. Um, can you

2:50:12speak to the city's ability to track

2:50:14down that money?

2:50:17>> So, I can speak to the rent payments

2:50:19that we received from Eagle Point for

2:50:21the past five years. I have those

2:50:23checks. I think where we're getting into

2:50:25the accountability piece is that money

2:50:27goes back into general revenue. It's

2:50:30hard to account for that because it's

2:50:31going right back in, which is why the

2:50:33alderman has proposed his amendment

2:50:36creating a fund so that we are able to

2:50:38visibly see those funds moving through

2:50:40the process.

2:50:42>> I do have a question about that

2:50:43amendment um that we didn't quite get to

2:50:46while we were doing it. Uh so typically

2:50:49and the lease that Eagle Point is

2:50:51currently under states that they're

2:50:52responsible for the maintenance of the

2:50:54building. Um why then would we move to a

2:50:57new model where the city is going to

2:51:00have a special fund where it pays for

2:51:03the maintenance of a building that is

2:51:05actually under the management of of a

2:51:07different company.

2:51:09>> That's a very good question. I think

2:51:10it's more of an emergency fund. So

2:51:13things like the gate that they were

2:51:14talking about, Eagle Point was not able

2:51:16to get that up and running and then

2:51:18heard things that the residents didn't

2:51:19want it up and running again. So that

2:51:22way the city would at least have funds

2:51:23set aside should an emergency like that

2:51:26happen.

2:51:27>> So it won't confuse who's really

2:51:29responsible for the maintenance. CIG

2:51:31will be responsible for maintenance of

2:51:33>> Yes, CI will still be responsible for

2:51:35the maintenance of the property.

2:51:37>> And were there any annual reports or

2:51:39anything that were required under the

2:51:41lease that Eagle Point had uh that they

2:51:45have provided have not provided? Was

2:51:47there a requirement for reports to be

2:51:49issued to the city?

2:51:51Not to my understanding. They were uh

2:51:54they were supposed to provide annually

2:51:55like a rent certification which they

2:51:58have provided to the city.

2:52:01>> Okay. I think that's my questions for

2:52:03the contours office. Um

2:52:06>> thank you.

2:52:07>> And I'm going to because I know you said

2:52:09we didn't talk about the amendment. If I

2:52:11could add on. Yeah.

2:52:12>> Um

2:52:13>> yes, the amendment is not to uh

2:52:15subsidize CIG for maintenance. um even

2:52:18as you look at some of the the capital

2:52:20plan of just doing some interior work

2:52:22while 50,000 um will be a help but it

2:52:26doesn't stretch far. So, uh, CIG will

2:52:29still be responsible of doing

2:52:31maintenance and I think the point um of

2:52:34this special fund I think as you or

2:52:36maybe you mentioned or not like this is

2:52:38a city obligated building. While we

2:52:40lease it out, it is still outside of the

2:52:44CI being held responsible if we move

2:52:46forward or Eagle Point. there is some

2:52:49responsibility on the city as well um to

2:52:52make sure that we are making sure that

2:52:54the residents are getting the need uh

2:52:56when it comes to repair. So, it is a

2:52:59creative way. Um, I think instead of

2:53:01allowing that $50,000 go back into

2:53:04general revenue, if we're taking um

2:53:07those that $50,000 coming from Homer G,

2:53:10instead of it going back into general

2:53:11revenue, the thought was um as you talk

2:53:13about the historic context, how this has

2:53:15been, you know, the first black

2:53:17hospital, how these funds can be a help

2:53:20when there are emergencies. Uh the gate,

2:53:22I think all four gates, how much that's

2:53:25probably going to cost?

2:53:30about 40,000 just to fix the gates if

2:53:32that was in the uh I think the capital

2:53:35plan. But when emergencies come up, this

2:53:37is just to um try to do our part as a

2:53:40city to make sure that we are supporting

2:53:42um the residents when it comes to

2:53:43repairs and emergency things that do pop

2:53:45up.

2:53:47>> Thank you. I I do agree that we need to

2:53:50have funds available to upkeep the

2:53:52building and make sure that there's

2:53:54never a situation where it this is to

2:53:56the detriment of the residents. Um

2:54:01I think my next questions are for uh cig

2:54:07Mr. Jason um is it Schneijide?

2:54:11>> Yes.

2:54:12>> Thank you Mr. Schneider for being here

2:54:13today. I really appreciate um that

2:54:15you're here in St. Louis, you're in

2:54:17person. I understand you're going to be

2:54:18at the National Night Out later tonight.

2:54:20I appreciate that kind of

2:54:22>> engagement with people that you're um

2:54:24hoping to manage their property and I

2:54:27think it's good to to get to know those

2:54:28people and let them get to know you. So,

2:54:30I really appreciate that you're you're

2:54:32present. Um you had stated that uh

2:54:36there's a I we have this list here of of

2:54:39significant capital investment that

2:54:41you're going to make into this building.

2:54:43Uh and we heard from the last owner uh

2:54:47or the last operator uh Eagle Point that

2:54:50the rents that they were collecting were

2:54:52not covering the cost of maintenance for

2:54:53this building. Uh so you're not only

2:54:55going to put in a significant almost

2:54:58almost $600,000 of initial improvements

2:55:01into the building. Uh and you're hoping

2:55:04that you'll see more occupancy as a

2:55:05result of that. But what is your plan

2:55:07going forward to make sure that the

2:55:10rents will be able to cover the

2:55:12maintenance of this historic building

2:55:15and will that mean rent increases on the

2:55:18residents?

2:55:19>> Um so there will be you know with

2:55:22inflationary costs um there will be very

2:55:24minor rent increases. Um under MHDC I

2:55:28believe it's limited to 7% for the

2:55:31self-paid tenants. Um there is

2:55:35some additional revenue that we believe

2:55:37can be captured from SLHA that will not

2:55:40shift and that burden will solely rest

2:55:43on St. Louis Housing Authority for the

2:55:45tenants who receive a housing choice

2:55:48voucher. Um that tenants should not

2:55:51would not bear the burden. So, we should

2:55:54the we anticipate the ability to collect

2:55:56additional revenue from SLHA

2:55:59um in conjunction with some cost cutting

2:56:01measures um such as on-site employees

2:56:04that are living there. We feel we could

2:56:05cut some operating costs on that end. Um

2:56:08some of the fresh capital, some of the

2:56:10initial capital improvements should

2:56:11lessen the operating costs. Um and our

2:56:15model, everything combined seems that it

2:56:19we would be able to stabilize the

2:56:20property. So, you stated that there will

2:56:23be on-site management that Sandstone

2:56:25Group is going to be managing and that

2:56:27there will be someone living on site to

2:56:29manage it. Uh, but you also just said

2:56:30that you're going to be reducing on-site

2:56:32employees to try to cut costs. So, not

2:56:35necessarily reducing on-site employees.

2:56:38There's a hybrid um with third party

2:56:42items uh and on-site employees. um the

2:56:46on-site employees shift from office

2:56:49staff to maintenance employees. Um a lot

2:56:54of items also occur

2:56:57when they're not on site. So there's

2:57:01definitely when there's a bigger

2:57:02presence um I wouldn't say bigger uh

2:57:06more of a presence which would be 24

2:57:08hours um they would be able to tend to

2:57:12items after hours and prevent

2:57:15other issues such as door breakins you

2:57:17know it's a hybrid of you know many

2:57:20factors that come together.

2:57:22>> Okay that that's that makes a little

2:57:24more sense. Um, and you mentioned that

2:57:27you own um a number of properties in New

2:57:29York and New Jersey. Um, I I don't

2:57:32expect you to know the exact number, but

2:57:34how many units would you say total is in

2:57:37your portfolio?

2:57:39>> Um, I would say between two and 3,000.

2:57:43>> Two and 3,000. Okay. And

2:57:45>> are low income.

2:57:46>> And um, you usually contract out to like

2:57:49a third party like Sansone to manage

2:57:52them or do you manage some of them

2:57:53yourself? some um we have offices in New

2:57:57York and New Jersey. Um though

2:57:59residential those residential properties

2:58:01we manage directly

2:58:03um and the out ofstate properties we

2:58:05have the day-to-day operations run by a

2:58:08third party um and we are involved on

2:58:10the asset management side.

2:58:14>> Okay, that that is helpful. Um you also

2:58:17own Sullivan Place uh in the 14th ward

2:58:21and um

2:58:22>> yes

2:58:23>> in in part of just doing due diligence

2:58:25again trying to make sure that we are

2:58:28putting the residents first um I was

2:58:30looking up the properties and I noticed

2:58:32that there's a combined uh there it sits

2:58:34on two parcels. There's a combined taxes

2:58:37owed from 2025 of $62,537.39.

2:58:43Um,

2:58:45normally when we're trying to do city

2:58:47business with people, we want them to

2:58:49have paid their taxes. Um, I'm just

2:58:52asking this because in my mind, if there

2:58:54is 62,000 of unpaid taxes and you're

2:58:58proposing $600,000 of improvements, it

2:59:01makes me question the capital available.

2:59:03And so I was wondering if you could just

2:59:05speak to that uh those owed taxes and

2:59:07whether those paid uh hopefully soon.

2:59:11>> Yes. Um, since we've acquired Sullivan

2:59:14Place, uh, there's the the property is

2:59:17heavily vouchered. Um, there's an

2:59:19allocation for improvements and, um,

2:59:22operating expenses. Um, currently, I

2:59:25believe the St. Louis Housing Authority

2:59:28still has a

2:59:32a balance in excess of a half million

2:59:34dollars. That's in the process. Uh, that

2:59:37keeps getting kicked down the road. Um,

2:59:39so that's sort of in the bucket of the

2:59:41general operating expenses um that's

2:59:44used to balance the budget. It's on the

2:59:46books and we're waiting to receive those

2:59:47funds.

2:59:49>> So you're expecting that to be paid.

2:59:53>> It is it was represented that it was to

2:59:57be paid on a monthly basis for the last

2:59:59three to four months. So,

3:00:01>> so um

3:00:03>> so we're having

3:00:04>> could we maybe get I I I understand this

3:00:09this transfer of the lease needs to move

3:00:11forward. Um, but I think that

3:00:16what I'd like to see by the time this

3:00:17bill moves to perfection, uh, that

3:00:19there's a payment plan in place with the

3:00:21with the collector revenues office.

3:00:24>> We can make, you know, we were

3:00:27budgeting in, um, taking those funds

3:00:30into consideration, but we can make

3:00:31arrangements to ensure it's paid within

3:00:33the next 30 days.

3:00:35>> I appreciate that

3:00:37um, receipts. You know, I I think it's

3:00:40it's clear that the the current

3:00:43management has not been keeping the

3:00:45building up. Uh

3:00:48this capital improvement plan gives me

3:00:50some hope that some of the issues that

3:00:52are most urgent are going to be

3:00:54addressed, but I'm also hearing

3:00:55residents that there is much more. And

3:00:58so your continuing involvement uh here,

3:01:02I understand you saying you're going to

3:01:04make, you know, monthly visits and

3:01:05you're going to make sure you're staying

3:01:07in touch. Um, I will I will be watching

3:01:10to hopefully make sure that happens. I

3:01:13want to make sure that this does lead to

3:01:15improved conditions for the property

3:01:17because

3:01:19I I can I know you've sat here all day

3:01:21today and I've I think you've heard what

3:01:23people have said and I again appreciate

3:01:25that you have sat here listened because

3:01:27this building means a lot to our city

3:01:31and the people inside of it, the people

3:01:34who live there, the people who in some

3:01:36cases were born there. Uh it it would

3:01:40mean so much to I think our whole city

3:01:43to see this building return to its

3:01:45former glory.

3:01:47Uh and uh I I think just by sitting here

3:01:51today, you've probably absorbed that. Um

3:01:55I I don't have any more questions. I

3:01:58just want to again emphasize that um

3:02:02this is this is a tough situation. I I

3:02:06think we've heard a lot of competing

3:02:08ideas today, but I want to emphasize

3:02:10that, you know, the focus has got to be

3:02:13on the people and uh when we get to the

3:02:16point where that improves for them,

3:02:18that's when matter settled.

3:02:20>> Sure. So, just on that note, you know,

3:02:23obviously we're well aware of the

3:02:26importance of the property um and more

3:02:29importantly the residents and the

3:02:30surrounding community. Um, and to

3:02:34highlight that this plan wasn't pulled

3:02:36out of thin air. This plan was crafted

3:02:39around tenant visits, tenants commun

3:02:41tenant communications. Um, specifically

3:02:45the older woman TAS was very helpful. We

3:02:46spent a lot of time learning about the

3:02:48building from her experience from

3:02:50Alderman Aldridge. Um, and we spent a

3:02:52lot of time during the last 18 months

3:02:54learning about the building. Um, when

3:02:56we're not coming here to, you know, sell

3:02:58a bridge or make false promises. the

3:03:01plan was carefully crafted to and

3:03:05tailored towards the reference concerns.

3:03:08Um,

3:03:10>> well, thank you uh thank you again for

3:03:12being here today and thank you uh

3:03:14alderman for the long meeting uh

3:03:17answering our questions. I I think it's

3:03:18very

3:03:20uh it's been an educational day. I hope

3:03:22that with this conversation continue,

3:03:24but um in the meantime, I just

3:03:26appreciate all the people who have uh

3:03:28testified today. I I think this means a

3:03:30lot uh to me and and the whole board

3:03:33that we've been able to hear from you,

3:03:37>> Vice Chair S.

3:03:40>> Thank you. Um I also just wanted to echo

3:03:45[clears throat] my uh I think someone

3:03:47who testified earlier said, you know, I

3:03:49feel like I wrote an apology and you

3:03:52know, I just wanted to say that I I

3:03:53personally do take a great

3:03:54responsibility. Um, one of the reasons

3:03:56that I try to as best as possible, um,

3:04:00keep my messaging about policy and about

3:04:02people and budgets is because I think

3:04:04when you pray from that and make it

3:04:05about something else, you open up the

3:04:07door and the window for people to

3:04:08deflect and make it about anything else,

3:04:10which it should have been, which is a

3:04:11Homer G. Phillips. So, I do just want to

3:04:14say to the residents, you know, I the

3:04:16situations you guys have described sound

3:04:18absolutely horrendous. Um, and I can

3:04:20only imagine what it is like to um, live

3:04:23within that. the things that you have

3:04:24described as far as cars being stolen

3:04:26out the lot, random people in and out of

3:04:28your building, nobody adhering to the

3:04:29check-in points. Um, just things that

3:04:32are absolutely serious extreme public

3:04:34safety emergencies. But I'll say the

3:04:36thing that really like is sitting with

3:04:37me that is really dry with me is that

3:04:39when the tornado happened, you were left

3:04:40on your own. Um, I think that's

3:04:42incredibly um, disappointing. I don't

3:04:45really want to necessarily ask a

3:04:47question to the current property

3:04:49managers because I don't think there's

3:04:50an explanation for that type of

3:04:51behavior. I think it's unacceptable. I

3:04:53think that you had living human beings

3:04:55who were within your facility and for

3:04:57whatever reason when a natural disaster

3:04:59happened that we didn't even have the

3:05:00siren go out for the city the folks

3:05:02responsible left them there for

3:05:04themselves. And then obviously we are

3:05:05talking about seniors where there are a

3:05:07number of mobility challenges and so now

3:05:09folks can't even make it down and get on

3:05:10the elevator. like that deeply

3:05:12disappoints me and I would say that

3:05:14because of that action alone whatever

3:05:16actions available for recourse I would

3:05:18support because I just think that is

3:05:20just that's just hard. I cannot imagine

3:05:22what it's like to be in that situation.

3:05:24So I do just you know apologize to the

3:05:27residents for those experiences. Um and

3:05:30you know I do think that the board of

3:05:31alderman and all the entities mentioned

3:05:33one of our responsibilities is to be the

3:05:35oversight board and is to check in and

3:05:37make those things happen. Um, I'm a

3:05:38research girly. So, I went and I looked

3:05:40up, I believe I found kind of the

3:05:42history of the four ordinances um that

3:05:45have happened with the facility dating

3:05:46all the way back to our 1998

3:05:49999 um session and kind of read through

3:05:51them to try to get an understanding of

3:05:53what the original thoughts was and see

3:05:55their timeline how it's developed over

3:05:57you know the most recent ordinance which

3:05:59was in our 201920 section which would be

3:06:01board bill 151 um that was filed and

3:06:04perfected by uh Samuel Moore. So, I was

3:06:07able to kind of read through that and

3:06:08get a little bit of of an understanding

3:06:10as well as there's been three ordinances

3:06:13um or three resolutions filed, some of

3:06:16which um by the alderwoman of the 12th

3:06:18ward um that I was able to kind of read

3:06:20through and get a little bit of a of a

3:06:22context that dates back to 24 just to

3:06:25kind of see what we actually had on our

3:06:27record and what were those

3:06:28representatives thinking when they were

3:06:29taking action. Um, I guess my first

3:06:32question would just be for the alderman

3:06:35in terms of the alderman or controller.

3:06:37I do want to be really clear on record

3:06:39for residents moving forward. Who is the

3:06:42entity that is responsible? So, we're

3:06:44about to maybe enter into a new

3:06:46agreement. Who is responsible for making

3:06:48sure that the things that are in this

3:06:49lease are honored and adhered to? Who's

3:06:51who what's the entity or department that

3:06:53is ultimately responsible for that?

3:06:55>> So, CIG is responsible for maintaining

3:06:58the building. The comprollers's office

3:07:00is overseeing that. It's a city asset

3:07:03and per the charter, the comprollers's

3:07:05office oversees all city assets.

3:07:07>> In some of the resolutions that I've

3:07:10read that were filed recently, it looks

3:07:12like those resolutions are getting at

3:07:13accountability. Has the controller

3:07:16had conversations around what

3:07:18accountability would look like for the

3:07:20pre for the current property manager or

3:07:22is the controller's findings that um

3:07:25technically the the lease was honored.

3:07:27So there is no there there's nothing uh

3:07:29necessarily that was wrongdoing to be

3:07:30held accountable for.

3:07:32>> Yes. So we were advised by the city

3:07:34councelor's office that the lease was

3:07:35honored. Eagle Point did make the

3:07:37payments that they were supposed to and

3:07:38there have been conversations move

3:07:40forward what accountability would look

3:07:41like which is why the alderman was able

3:07:44to come up with his amendment to create

3:07:46that special fund. And do you feel like

3:07:48the things that are within the current

3:07:50lease of the proposed management company

3:07:53that it provides the proper safeguards

3:07:55and rails necessary for conversation to

3:07:58happen for accountability if anything is

3:08:00not honored?

3:08:01>> Yes, absolutely.

3:08:02>> Okay.

3:08:03>> Thank you.

3:08:04>> Thank you. Um

3:08:06and then I would just say too I would

3:08:08just want to give my commitment to the

3:08:10public that is watching. you know, if

3:08:14there's a situation where this does not

3:08:15happen,

3:08:17there's, you know, I know people

3:08:18mentioned I paid my rent, I couldn't get

3:08:20a receipt, or just other numerous

3:08:21issues. Um, you know, I and I know Miss

3:08:24Roslin, who I seen earlier, I know she's

3:08:26actually reached out about this a couple

3:08:28times and done it. You know, one of the

3:08:30things that we do have the ability to do

3:08:31is what we're doing right now. Um, and I

3:08:33wish that we maybe didn't wait until

3:08:34this point to have this conversation.

3:08:37You have representatives on this board

3:08:38of alderman. We have committees. This is

3:08:40a HUD committee. we have the ability

3:08:42while an an agreement is in place to

3:08:44call folks in and to have these

3:08:46conversations. Um and I I just want to

3:08:48make sure that I make my commitment to

3:08:50that because if this building was um

3:08:52within, you know, the area that I've

3:08:53been elected to directly represent, we

3:08:55would have had multiple committee

3:08:56hearings. I would have filed several

3:08:58resolutions. I mean, people would be

3:08:59tired of me. They would be like, "Oh my

3:09:01gosh, she coming my way. She fa to talk

3:09:02about that again." I would do whatever I

3:09:04needed to to have those conversations.

3:09:06And so I just hope that a part of what

3:09:07happens from today's committee hearing

3:09:09is that you guys understand that that is

3:09:10a mechanism available to you. Um that if

3:09:13you're not there's agreement in place

3:09:14that the city has a hand in. We can have

3:09:16these committee hearings and the board

3:09:18of alt goes all the way up to subpoena

3:09:19power. So if somebody is not coming and

3:09:21not responding, we even have the ability

3:09:22to have discussions around whether or

3:09:24not we would like to subena the entity

3:09:26that's required. Um it does not have to

3:09:28get to this point um in order for us to

3:09:30begin this conversation. And of course

3:09:32that should absolutely start with your

3:09:33direct representative elective. Um uh

3:09:36but if it doesn't happen for whatever

3:09:38reason, you know, I just think that's an

3:09:39expectation that I hope you all put in

3:09:41place for all of us as a board of

3:09:43automan and your direct rep that we

3:09:45should be having these conversations and

3:09:46I'm always just keeping in mind of the

3:09:48ways that oversight and accountability

3:09:50should be in the conversation that they

3:09:51have not. So thank you all.

3:09:56>> Thank you.

3:09:59So now if you have any comments if not

3:10:02we'll move to Alderwoman Matias.

3:10:04>> I'll just wait for my closing. I'll just

3:10:06say um when it comes to I think this is

3:10:10unique and I think it's important like

3:10:12you say alderwoman we be clear on the

3:10:14record of what's happening to

3:10:15>> Yeah. Absolutely.

3:10:16>> So we are here to hear board bill 80

3:10:19that has been amended in committee. Um

3:10:22it's been very clear that there was a

3:10:24previous bill filed by Alderwoman Tus.

3:10:27Um, as we know, as as newers newer

3:10:30members know how the process work when a

3:10:32board bill is filed and someone sendes

3:10:35to committee, there's a hearing. I'm

3:10:37sure that's why the resident is here.

3:10:39I'm also sure that's why the alderwoman

3:10:41is here. I may be new but I haven't seen

3:10:43in my time where an alder person can not

3:10:46only give a statement

3:10:49beyond 3 minutes when the reality is

3:10:51we've been here for hours and it should

3:10:53be focused on the folks that have showed

3:10:55up from home for them to be able to

3:10:57speak but then to turn around and also

3:11:00sit behind this dis and then also take

3:11:05more time up asking questions and

3:11:07actually get into the so

3:11:10I won't be entertaining ing it because

3:11:13right now I feel like that's what is

3:11:14becoming entertainment and I am here I

3:11:17think like the alderman said to try to

3:11:18do something on behalf of the residents

3:11:20that's why this legislation is here if

3:11:22there was genuine questions that's

3:11:24whether in my opinion all woman should

3:11:25have started on that side when members

3:11:27are not part of piou like myself and

3:11:29allwoman sier other folks show up to

3:11:32that committee we sit on that side we

3:11:34listen because we know this side is for

3:11:37the public which do not have opportunity

3:11:39like we do to testify on legislation or

3:11:42also when we get to the Florida

3:11:44imperfection to also speak. This was

3:11:46their moment and with that unless she's

3:11:49going to direct her questions to um

3:11:52other folks I I don't I don't think this

3:11:54is the best use at the moment. So that's

3:11:56where I'm at.

3:11:58>> Thank you, Alvin. Alias.

3:12:07>> Thank you.

3:12:10Testing

3:12:16>> testing, testing. Okay. Um

3:12:20I don't have any need to uh ask the

3:12:22automan for 14th any questions. I've

3:12:24been working on these different leases

3:12:27uh for

3:12:29three and a half years. I think the

3:12:31people who are sitting out there know me

3:12:32from working on these leases, especially

3:12:35Miss Sharon Williams and Miss Sandra

3:12:36Wilson. They know how many times I have

3:12:39called and asked, "Hey, what about this?

3:12:41How did this happen?" Because when you

3:12:43inherit this mess, it's a mess. And um

3:12:47the other one from the seventh saying

3:12:48what she would have done, maybe she

3:12:50ought to know that I have besides the

3:12:52seven senior build 14 neighbor which she

3:12:55does not have. So people are quick to

3:12:57speak about what they would have done,

3:12:59but they don't really know the

3:13:00circumstances. and going into trying to

3:13:03um learn 14 neighborhoods and five new

3:13:06senior buildings is a lot more. I

3:13:08actually represent about three North St.

3:13:10Louis boards. Now, my questions are to

3:13:13um the current holders of the lease. And

3:13:16what do you go do you go by? So, what do

3:13:19you go by? What is the um entity name

3:13:23that you go by?

3:13:26>> You actually eagle point. You can call

3:13:27us Eagle Point all the time. You go by

3:13:30Eagle Point.

3:13:32>> Yes, sir.

3:13:32>> Okay. And when you go and so Eagle

3:13:35Point, when did you first purchase this

3:13:37lease?

3:13:42>> January 2020.

3:13:44>> Okay. January 2020. You first you first

3:13:47purchased the lease. And who owned it

3:13:49before? Who did you purchase it from?

3:13:52>> Dominion.

3:13:54>> Dominion. And so when you purchased it,

3:13:57I need some electric.

3:14:01When you purchased the lease in 2020, um

3:14:04you signed a lease which was already in

3:14:08the electrical outlet. Is there one in

3:14:11place?

3:14:14Oh, here it is. Right here.

3:14:19Here it [snorts] is.

3:14:28So, how much did you purchase the lease

3:14:30for?

3:14:33>> $4,650,000.

3:14:35>> You purchased the lease for $4,650,000.

3:14:40Okay. And then you took over the lease,

3:14:42which was already in effect and under

3:14:44the ordinances. Is that correct?

3:14:47>> Correct.

3:14:48>> Okay. And how much are you selling the

3:14:51lease for now?

3:14:54approximately the same price,

3:14:57>> $4,650,000.

3:15:01>> It depends on it depends on uh the

3:15:03occupancy at the time of the sale, but

3:15:06it also involves assuming a three and a

3:15:08half million $3.5 million mortgage. It's

3:15:11a little more than that, $3.7 million

3:15:13mortgage.

3:15:14>> Okay.

3:15:14>> So, uh mortgage is part of the purchase.

3:15:18And so you had a you got a $3.5 mill

3:15:21million dollar mortgage cuz you're the

3:15:23people that when you got it, you

3:15:24mortgaged it and we had to change other

3:15:26rules because of Fanny May's rule. Is

3:15:28that correct?

3:15:29>> Was it Fanny May?

3:15:31>> I'm sorry.

3:15:33>> Freddy M.

3:15:34>> Freddy Mack, I'm sorry. Okay. So, um,

3:15:37and so, um, you don't know how much

3:15:40you're going to receive because you got

3:15:42to pay that mortgage.

3:15:44How much is your mortgage? or not.

3:15:46>> The uh the buyer CIG is going to assume

3:15:48the mortgage and then pay us the

3:15:51difference between the purchase price

3:15:52and the mortgage balance and those

3:15:54dollar amounts will be used to pay the

3:15:57brokers and most of it will be used up

3:16:00in transactions.

3:16:01>> So how much

3:16:02>> there will be some money that goes to

3:16:04Eagle Point and far less than what Eagle

3:16:07Point has invested in Nebraska.

3:16:09>> How much is the mortgage?

3:16:11>> Uh I it's approximately $3.6 million. I

3:16:14don't I don't know the number off the

3:16:15top of my head.

3:16:17>> Okay,

3:16:17>> we can get that information useful.

3:16:20>> And so I heard just heard something that

3:16:22was interesting to me. You found the new

3:16:27uh people who are purchasing it and how

3:16:29did you find them? Did you go online and

3:16:30look for them or did you already know

3:16:32them? Is this a long armed transaction

3:16:34is the question I have for you. We

3:16:37>> did not know them. We hired a national

3:16:39affordable housing broker, SVN

3:16:41affordable realy who did a national

3:16:44search. Uh I think there were eight

3:16:46different groups that were seriously

3:16:48looking at the property. We had three

3:16:50offers to purchase and our brokers

3:16:53recommend CI as the best candidate to

3:16:55move forward and had some experience

3:16:57with C.

3:16:58>> And how much monthly rent did you

3:17:01receive approximately during those five

3:17:02years? Do you know?

3:17:05>> Oh, maybe yearly. Let's talk about

3:17:07>> Yeah.

3:17:08approximately yearly. Let's I want to

3:17:10strike that monthly. Um so you had it

3:17:12for five years. Approximately how much

3:17:14did you receive in rent yearly?

3:17:17>> I I really don't know that. I'm sure we

3:17:19could we could look into it and provide

3:17:21that information, but I don't know off

3:17:23the top of my head.

3:17:24>> You don't know how much you received?

3:17:27You don't have a rent register or

3:17:29anything?

3:17:30>> Well, of course we do. I don't have it

3:17:31in front of me, ma'am. That's all.

3:17:33>> Okay. Um but um because that's something

3:17:36I've been asking for for a long time

3:17:38like um I've heard all these uh

3:17:40complaints. So I've been asking for

3:17:42writers, proof of payment. I've heard

3:17:44people say you lost my payment, you got

3:17:47it mixed up, all of this. So one of the

3:17:49first things I would have done if I were

3:17:51you was I would have provided that to me

3:17:52rent register. This is how much money we

3:17:54got in and this is how much what did you

3:17:57spend on um capital improvements or

3:18:00improvements or repairs? Do you have any

3:18:02idea of what you spent on repairs?

3:18:05>> How much?

3:18:05>> When we purchased the building, we had a

3:18:07budget of $800,000 to invest in repairs.

3:18:10We spent more than that and over the

3:18:12last several years, we spent several

3:18:14million dollars more in our own money

3:18:17than we collected in that.

3:18:19>> So, do you have any of that in writing?

3:18:22>> We have internally prepared materials.

3:18:24We don't have annual audits because we

3:18:26don't we're not required to have them.

3:18:28And

3:18:28>> I'm sorry. Um,

3:18:29>> that would be an additional expense. I

3:18:31can't hear you. You're not a what?

3:18:35>> We We don't have any audited statements.

3:18:37We have internally prepared statements.

3:18:39Yes.

3:18:40>> But you don't have any audited

3:18:41statements.

3:18:43>> Correct.

3:18:44>> But the lease I'm sorry, the ordinance

3:18:45in the lease requires that you have

3:18:47audited statements. Why don't you have

3:18:48them? Because that is a requirement

3:18:50>> required that it requires that of the

3:18:52lease holder up until time when rent was

3:18:55paid. That's in amendment number three.

3:18:59It no longer requires a Yes.

3:19:02>> I'm sorry. It require

3:19:04I want to hear what she said.

3:19:05>> It no longer requires

3:19:06>> Wait a minute. I want to hear what she

3:19:07said.

3:19:09>> What does it

3:19:09>> I said the same thing.

3:19:11>> What did you say?

3:19:12>> That requirement stopped in 2020 when we

3:19:15acquired the property.

3:19:17>> That requirement

3:19:19>> you begin paying the lease payment of

3:19:21$50,000 not $4,950.

3:19:24Right.

3:19:26Well, alder the $4,950,000

3:19:30was split into equal payments of

3:19:33$50,000. If you continue reading the

3:19:35sentence in the original lease, um

3:19:37you'll see that it splits it up into

3:19:40equal $50,000 payments over whichever

3:19:42the lease

3:19:42>> the 99 years. So 99 years,4,950.

3:19:47>> That term was in the lease from all the

3:19:50uh ordinances from the beginning. And I

3:19:52So it was always the same. Okay. It

3:19:55didn't change. It didn't get amended. It

3:19:57was the same. And they they said the

3:19:59reason that that they decreased the

3:20:02requirement of the payment from 4,950

3:20:05to 50. And I want to quote what it said.

3:20:08Says so that I'm sorry, my thing gone

3:20:11out. Um I want to

3:20:15It said, let's get it up here.

3:20:22The lease payment was 4,950,000 divided

3:20:25by 99 years or $50,000 per year intended

3:20:29to start in 201.

3:20:32>> I'm sorry, there's no question on the

3:20:33table. Let me finish reading. So, it

3:20:35says that so you could keep it in uh I

3:20:38want to use the requirement that they

3:20:40say shall maintain the pre premises and

3:20:42improvement in good condition and repair

3:20:45cuz $50,000 is no money. $50,000 no

3:20:49matter what the rent you're receiving is

3:20:51not a lot of money. There are people

3:20:53downtown who pay $3,000 a month for

3:20:57their apartments. So that gets to like

3:21:00four four let's see 3 * 12 is 36. So

3:21:0342,000 for one apartment. So you have

3:21:06like any place from 20 225

3:21:10apartments or so. And I know you had um

3:21:14uh vacancies, but that 50,000 for a year

3:21:16was not a lot of money. So, you were

3:21:18collecting rent of which a lot of people

3:21:22had concerns about that you were

3:21:24collecting rent, but [snorts] you're not

3:21:26making any kind of accountability and

3:21:27you're saying, "Well, we don't get

3:21:28audited statements." That is not what it

3:21:31says. It says that you have to do it

3:21:33until you can um make the final payments

3:21:36uh and show that you're not getting any

3:21:38uh payouts. Yes, it does. And you can

3:21:40disagree with me all you want, but

3:21:42here's my other thing. Why would we let

3:21:44you just pay 50,000? Why would the city

3:21:46say 50,000? That's all you have to pay.

3:21:49That's no money because it's so much

3:21:51thing so many things that need to be

3:21:53improved in that building. So, let's

3:21:55just say you had

3:21:58uh 200 units. And at that time, you also

3:22:00had commercial units. We're not even

3:22:02going to talk about the commercial

3:22:03units. You had 200 units and they were

3:22:06paying

3:22:07$900 a month. Okay. Or let's just say

3:22:10thousand to round it up. So that means

3:22:12you're getting $200,000 a month and

3:22:14you're only paying $50,000 a year. What

3:22:18is happening to the rest of that money?

3:22:20That's why I I've been asking you for a

3:22:22long time like what happened? Where's

3:22:25the money? Why isn't there any

3:22:28improvements? You're trying to tell us

3:22:30that the city meant for you to pay

3:22:32$50,000 and then not do any

3:22:35improvements. just let the apartments

3:22:37fall into disrepair. That is absolutely

3:22:41ridiculous. They did not mean for you to

3:22:43do that. They did that from and I know

3:22:45the first owner was Sharon Robnet. She

3:22:47was the first owner. You all are the

3:22:49third owner, I think it is. Are you the

3:22:51third owners, right?

3:22:53>> I don't I don't know.

3:22:54>> Yes. So, it was uh WA uh it was uh

3:22:58Sharon Robinette and her father, Bill

3:22:59Thomas, was a very well-known developer

3:23:02in the city of St. Louis. Then it went

3:23:04to Dominion. Then it's you and you're

3:23:06telling me that all this time that they

3:23:08only wanted all these people to pay

3:23:10$50,000 and then you would collect the

3:23:13rest and do what with

3:23:16>> pay the expenses of the property.

3:23:18>> Alderwoman Tus we're responsible for

3:23:20paying the expenses of running the Homer

3:23:22J. Phillips apartments

3:23:24>> and expenses

3:23:27crystal clear that the city gets $50,000

3:23:31a year from us. That adds up to a total

3:23:33of

3:23:34>> 494,94

3:23:35>> $4,950,000.

3:23:37And I'm sorry that it's not fully

3:23:39understood, but

3:23:40>> it is

3:23:42I understand the city didn't mean for

3:23:44you to do that. The city me and they say

3:23:46so that you can fix the property up. The

3:23:49reason why they say they're reducing it

3:23:51to that is so that you could do repairs

3:23:53and keep it in good condition and also

3:23:55so you could keep the rent down to a

3:23:57reasonable amount. It is in all of the

3:24:00ordinances and leases. It was not for

3:24:03you to pocket the money. And I when you

3:24:05got that mortgage, I guess you didn't

3:24:07have the money to purchase the property

3:24:09in the first place. Is that why you got

3:24:10a mortgage? Cuz why did you need a

3:24:12mortgage?

3:24:14>> We we borrowed money and then we put

3:24:16money in addition to the mortgage into

3:24:18the purchase of the lease held interest

3:24:19and then continued for the next five

3:24:22years to put more money into the

3:24:23property. Um

3:24:25>> like what what did you do?

3:24:28You paid the expense of the property

3:24:30>> like what? Okay. So I understand you're

3:24:32responsible like personnel like

3:24:34insurance like real estate taxes like

3:24:36maintenance

3:24:37>> like utility

3:24:39you you're you're responsible for the

3:24:41personnel not the personnel was very

3:24:44weak. Okay. You can walk in that

3:24:46building just like anybody's business

3:24:49anytime you want to. Nobody asks you who

3:24:51you are. You walk in and out of it. The

3:24:53maintenance was horrible. I have all

3:24:55these pictures of water running down the

3:24:57wall of uh bed bugs of uh and the whole

3:25:01thing about the heat. When I first met

3:25:02you was in July of 2023 and I reached

3:25:06out to you because I've heard from all

3:25:08the tenants about how they do not have

3:25:11any uh air conditionings. So, we get in

3:25:13there. You're telling me I'm working on

3:25:15it. I'm working on it. It's going to be

3:25:16done in a few months. It wasn't done in

3:25:18a few months. I uh waited for a year.

3:25:21You still didn't do it. That's when I

3:25:22introduced my first resolution. let's

3:25:24investigate. You said, "Oh, give me some

3:25:26more time. We're going to get it fixed."

3:25:27So, you went from summer to winter to

3:25:31summer again to winter again. And when

3:25:33it got to be winter, um this this past

3:25:36January, I'm sorry, a uh December of

3:25:392025, you're in there with all these

3:25:41people who don't have heat. You're

3:25:43talking about giving them space heaters,

3:25:45which is very dangerous for senior

3:25:47citizens. Um, and so I was in your

3:25:49building, uh, in our building all day

3:25:51with my, um, legislative assistant, Joe

3:25:54Palm. We're passing out blankets and

3:25:57everything else, electric blankets,

3:25:58which I got the city to purchase because

3:26:00that's dangerous to put those space

3:26:02heaters in there, and that's how you

3:26:03have fires. So again, you're taking the

3:26:07position that the city only meant for

3:26:09you to pay $50,000 for a building that

3:26:11size.

3:26:11>> Excuse me, woman. Can you speak into the

3:26:13mic? money and the only thing you had to

3:26:14do you didn't have to do an improvements

3:26:16because you didn't fix in three years

3:26:18you didn't fix the air you didn't come

3:26:20>> excuse me alder woman could you speak

3:26:21into the mic

3:26:22>> I'm sorry you didn't come and see the

3:26:24people when the um tornado happened my

3:26:27LA was over there every day we were over

3:26:29there trying to get stuff so um I don't

3:26:32see repairs it's dirty in there um the

3:26:36guard sits way in the back of the

3:26:38building there was trash all around the

3:26:40back of the building I've walked through

3:26:42the building and taking all these

3:26:43pictures. So, that wasn't your

3:26:45responsibility to have somebody that

3:26:47cleaned the units up, that fixed the the

3:26:50and done did the repairs, that uh fixed

3:26:53the air conditioning, that's a lot of

3:26:54money to fix heating, cooling. So, when

3:26:56you've gone over three years, you cannot

3:26:59just keep replacing the old units. So, I

3:27:02own apartment buildings when our things

3:27:03cannot be fixed, we go in our pocket and

3:27:06we replace them with new. If it's a

3:27:08refrigerator, if it's a stove, is um um

3:27:12heating and cooling, you cannot keep

3:27:14just putting the parts because they'll

3:27:15keep breaking down. And that building is

3:27:17not set up for uh space heaters, and

3:27:20it's not set up for um uh window air

3:27:23conditioning, not just because of the

3:27:25aesthetics, cuz that's one of them,

3:27:26because it's a historic building,

3:27:28because it just doesn't work. When you

3:27:30put a space heater in the living room,

3:27:31it doesn't heat the whole unit. So, um,

3:27:36for you to tell me that you think that

3:27:37that was all right to get $50,000 and

3:27:40not fix the building up and not keep it

3:27:41in good repair and not

3:27:43>> over time.

3:27:45>> We we we didn't write the agreement.

3:27:47It's an existing agreement that we

3:27:48stepped into and it's we're we're simply

3:27:51following the agreement. I I think I see

3:27:53the language that you're getting

3:27:55confused by though, and I understand the

3:27:56confusion. the the language in the

3:27:58agreement says the intent of deferring

3:28:02ground lease payments is to minimize the

3:28:04need for rent increases. It's not the

3:28:07intent of recent payments and so I think

3:28:09that's maybe where your confusion's

3:28:11coming from and that refers to a period

3:28:14before our ownership

3:28:16because the previous owners well the

3:28:18first owner kept it up. She kept it

3:28:20beautiful and that's why people moved

3:28:21in. And when you have a units later on

3:28:24in which people move in in a month, um,

3:28:26one of our former colleagues, Antonio

3:28:28French's stepg grandmother moved in and

3:28:30she moved out within a month. She was

3:28:32like, I'm out of here. And I got calls

3:28:33all the time about people, I have to

3:28:35leave from here. I cannot stay here.

3:28:38That's not doing that's that's no, we

3:28:40did not mean for you to pocket any

3:28:41money. And I don't want you to pocket

3:28:43any money now. I want you to put all the

3:28:45money in a a fund in some kind of

3:28:48holding fund and then we make sure that

3:28:51we are getting every dime we can from

3:28:53you because it's just sickening. That's

3:28:55what I've been mad about. I don't

3:28:56dislike the new owners and I had a great

3:28:59uh time talking and we agreed on a lot

3:29:02of things, but I don't like that you

3:29:04went to find them and you did it after I

3:29:07kept pressuring you and the autowoman

3:29:09from the seventh is asking for it. So I

3:29:11got emails and everything. Okay, send us

3:29:14back.

3:29:14>> Excuse me, Al Matias. So, what this

3:29:17sounds like is probably just a outside

3:29:20conversation and I want to make sure

3:29:22that my colleagues stay in Germaine to

3:29:25board bill 80

3:29:27>> as amended get all of their questions

3:29:29answered um as we move towards a vote

3:29:31here. And I know the controllers's

3:29:33office has to leave. So, colleagues

3:29:35online or colleagues, do you have any

3:29:37questions?

3:29:38>> Can I ask the comproller a question? I

3:29:40have a question for them.

3:29:41>> Okay. Thank you. So, um, you're saying

3:29:45you I'm sorry, I can't see the young

3:29:47lady. Is she still here?

3:29:51>> She's here.

3:29:52>> Okay. You are not the person that was

3:29:54dealing with me. I was dealing with Ryan

3:29:56Coleman mostly. Is that correct?

3:30:00>> Okay. And did you have any conversations

3:30:02with me about what I required? Because

3:30:04people, the altman from the 14th is

3:30:06saying, "Oh, well, you held this." Did

3:30:08you have conversations with me about

3:30:09what I required to move a bill along and

3:30:12what I would not do? Did you ever have

3:30:14that conversation?

3:30:15>> No, Alderwoman. I did not have that

3:30:16conversation.

3:30:16>> Did Ryan Coleman tell you the the the uh

3:30:19conditions that I said I would move

3:30:21along along and the conditions that I

3:30:23would not?

3:30:24>> Yes, Alderwoman. Ryan Coleman.

3:30:26>> Okay. And so one of them was about a

3:30:28financial accountability and

3:30:29transparency, but the other one was

3:30:31about making sure the residents were

3:30:32included and also about the community

3:30:35because I wasn't from here and I wanted

3:30:37to make sure that the community was

3:30:38involved. Did he tell you those things?

3:30:40>> Yes, Alderwoman.

3:30:41>> And when you all first started meeting

3:30:43with the uh people at the um uh Homage

3:30:46Ge Phillips, you were out there. You

3:30:47never even talked to me about it at all.

3:30:50And only I only interceded when emails

3:30:52came my way. And then I finally said to

3:30:54you guys, to Ryan, "Hey, you keep

3:30:57sending these emails, but they haven't

3:30:59kept their words about fixing the air

3:31:01conditioning from two and a half years

3:31:02ago. Before that, I never heard anything

3:31:04to from the comprollers's office." They

3:31:06never said, "Hey, what are you doing?

3:31:07What have you worked on? Let me see what

3:31:09files." Did you know that?

3:31:12>> I was not aware of that. Uh, my

3:31:14understanding from Mr. Coleman was that

3:31:15he was reaching out to your office.

3:31:18Well, I have every email he sent me and

3:31:20the emails I sent back, he was not

3:31:22reaching out. I did meet with the uh

3:31:25current uh lease holders because I was

3:31:27there instead of talking to them. But I

3:31:29never heard from Mr. Coleman until I

3:31:32interceded with the email saying, "Why

3:31:34is this stuff not why are you talking

3:31:35about this stuff? It should have been

3:31:36done." So, you did not and that whatever

3:31:39you gave me in my box on October the

3:31:411st. This is just October whatever 6.

3:31:44So, I haven't seen it. But before that,

3:31:46I hadn't seen anything. You also say you

3:31:48have a legal opinion from the uh the

3:31:50city councelor about they've done what

3:31:52they supposed to do under under the

3:31:54lease.

3:31:55>> No, Alderwoman. I don't have a legal

3:31:57opinion advised by the law department.

3:31:59>> You were advised, but nothing in

3:32:01writing?

3:32:01>> No, ma'am.

3:32:04>> Okay. Thank you very much.

3:32:06>> Thank you.

3:32:06>> I don't have any further questions. I do

3:32:09have something for the for um Miss

3:32:11Williams if I can.

3:32:14Miss Williams, I need for you to have a

3:32:15mic.

3:32:20This is now this is really there's a lot

3:32:23of things that we've been

3:32:23>> well there's been a lot of things said

3:32:25so I want to get this clear about Miss

3:32:27Williams did you keep me from being an

3:32:29elected official that represents

3:32:30>> Audible Tyus respectfully I do not want

3:32:33to put Miss Williams in that position

3:32:35here I I have to respect who she is and

3:32:38where she is and her position in her

3:32:39committee she did not come here for that

3:32:41came here engage you have an objection I

3:32:43have a question for her if you Because I

3:32:46have been you all can have conversation.

3:32:48>> Is it your

3:32:49>> but this is not about feel about

3:32:51somebody saying something to you. This

3:32:53is about Bill.

3:32:54>> This was testimony that said I didn't

3:32:56show up and they haven't seen me and

3:32:58that's just not true. And Miss Williams

3:33:00and Miss Miss Wilson.

3:33:01>> Miss Williams. You don't have to respond

3:33:03to that.

3:33:04>> Do you want to

3:33:08>> I just asked her. Do she I'm not talking

3:33:09to you, Miss Jones. Do you want to

3:33:11respond?

3:33:12>> Alman,

3:33:13>> do you want to respond or not? Do you

3:33:15have anything?

3:33:16>> Do you want to respond or not?

3:33:17>> I'm I'm going to go to my

3:33:19>> Do you want to respond or not, Miss

3:33:20Williams? If you don't,

3:33:22>> Miss Williams, you don't

3:33:23>> at this point. Um, members of the HUDs

3:33:26committee, I

3:33:26>> They want to make accusations, but then

3:33:28they don't want answers cuz that's not

3:33:29true. I've been at all your meetings. I

3:33:32responded to all your emails. I'm going

3:33:34to re show all the emails so we can see.

3:33:37I'm talking with you all the time. I'm

3:33:39talking with Miss Wilson. I'm talking to

3:33:40the people. If I wasn't there, Joe is

3:33:43there. So anybody who's saying something

3:33:44else is not telling the truth and I'm

3:33:47not trying to put you on the spot. You

3:33:49were always reaching out to me mostly

3:33:51and asking me

3:33:52>> if we miss m this is this is out of and

3:33:55the only woman from 12 to at this point

3:33:57this

3:33:58>> and they don't want you to say anything

3:33:59cuz they want to be able to throw dirt

3:34:01and then not hold themselves accountable

3:34:03for misinformation. It is misinformation

3:34:06and she says she wants to do it. So why

3:34:08don't you let her

3:34:08>> okay for me to close.

3:34:09>> Why don't you let her testify? But she

3:34:11can say yes I did or no I didn't HUD

3:34:14committee.

3:34:15>> You don't want them to say anything to

3:34:18let them attack

3:34:20but not true.

3:34:21>> Let her testify. Let her testify.

3:34:33>> Thank you. Um again to proceed uh what I

3:34:38want to say first off I think it's

3:34:40important that again we think about the

3:34:43residents that this is impacting that we

3:34:46think about how folks um at Homer G

3:34:51Phillips need help now this isn't about

3:34:54what emails or whatn not the back and

3:34:56forth about a personal individual

3:34:59um my goal of this

3:35:02board bill is to support the residents

3:35:05of Homer G. Phillips and to ensure that

3:35:08at the end of the day,

3:35:10there's also information that Eagle

3:35:12Point has provided that they have been

3:35:14in communication with the city for a

3:35:17year now trying to come out of their

3:35:18lease. There are, I'm sure, questions

3:35:22about finances. I think some of those

3:35:24got answered. You may like them or

3:35:26don't, but at the end of the day, we

3:35:29need to do something. We need to move

3:35:31forward because there's a leasey that is

3:35:35ready to help the residents of Homer

3:35:37Phillips by making upgrades.

3:35:40And again, more importantly, I just want

3:35:42to thank you all for being here, for

3:35:45coming out. I know some are undecided

3:35:48because they want to actually see the

3:35:49action. And that's

3:35:52>> and and and very well put. Um, but we

3:35:55have an obligation as a city of St.

3:35:57Louis to do something. And when I met

3:35:59with the residents yesterday with state

3:36:01representative Kimberly Anne Collins, it

3:36:04was a large support that they want to

3:36:07make sure that a new lease comes in. So

3:36:12I want to thank um the residents for

3:36:14inviting me. Um and I would ask for a

3:36:20favorable consideration on board Bill 80

3:36:24as amended in committee.

3:36:31With that, I'll accept a motion

3:36:34for board bill 80 as amended in

3:36:36committee.

3:36:39>> So move.

3:36:40>> Second.

3:36:41>> It was moved by Alderwoman Clark Huard,

3:36:44seconded by Vice Chair Sieray that we

3:36:46move board bill 80 as amended with a due

3:36:49pass recommendation out of the HUDs

3:36:52committee. Madame clerk, please call the

3:36:53role. Alderman Con.

3:36:59>> Alderwoman Schwitzer.

3:37:01>> Hi.

3:37:04>> Vice Chair Sonier.

3:37:06>> Hi.

3:37:08>> Alderman Browning.

3:37:10>> I

3:37:11>> Alderman Aldridge.

3:37:13>> I.

3:37:14>> Chair Clark Huard.

3:37:15>> I

3:37:16>> Alderman Conn.

3:37:18>> I.

3:37:20>> We have six eye votes.

3:37:22>> All right. With that, we successfully

3:37:24passed our board bill 80 as amended in

3:37:27committee with the due pass

3:37:28recommendation.

3:37:29>> Thank you, members of the HUD committee.

3:37:34>> Uh, do we have any resolutions for

3:37:36review?

3:37:37>> We have none.

3:37:38>> Any additional committee discussions?

3:37:41>> We have none.

3:37:42>> Acknowledgement of any written

3:37:44testimony.

3:37:45>> We have one written testimony from Eco

3:37:48Point Properties.

3:37:50the uh announcements. Any announcements

3:37:53other than that it is national night

3:37:55out. We already heard about the one that

3:37:58that's going on tonight at Homer G.

3:38:01Phillips. Are there any others?

3:38:05>> No. Okay.

3:38:08All members are present. So don't we

3:38:10don't have to excuse anyone. So I'll

3:38:12take a motion to adjurnn. So moved. It

3:38:16was moved by vice chair say and seconded

3:38:18by alderman Browning that we adjourn.

3:38:23All in favor? I

3:38:25>> I thank you everyone. Have a blessed

3:38:27day.

3:38:29[snorts]

3:38:30>> Jesus Christ.