Rams Settlement Proposals Enter Final Phase of Public Engagement
Board of Aldermen set to make plans for allocating the Rams settlement funds using public input.
After more than a year of soliciting ideas and feedback from the public, the Board of Aldermen will now determine how to direct the Rams settlement to address a range of resident-backed, city-wide priorities.
Members of the public identified six priority areas for funding in January 2024. The most important issues to residents were water and street infrastructure, Downtown streets and sidewalks, subsidized child care for city residents, and the establishment of a revolving redevelopment loan fund to support distressed areas throughout the city.
Public hearings on specific topics began in May 2024 where experts and advocates presented the estimated cost of those ideas and their feasibility. Previous public hearings held in Fall 2023 reported on data collected on priority challenges identified by residents and which resident-submitted policy ideas received the greatest support.
The final online phase of the public engagement process invites the public to review legislative proposals for allocating the Rams settlement. The public can now comment directly on Board Bill 131, sponsored by Alderwoman Pamela Boyd and supported by Greater St. Louis, Inc. Another comment period will follow for a bill sponsored by Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, cosponsored by President Green, and supported by Mayor Jones.
For the first time, residents can offer their thoughts and feedback directly on legislation through the online Rams settlement portal. Since launching this feature on Monday evening, more than 72 comments have been made on BB 131 by 32 participants. All feedback collected during this phase will remain available to the public and distributed to bill sponsors for consideration.
Once proposals have been assigned to the appropriate aldermanic committee, the public will have another opportunity to provide comments by submitting written testimony or attending hearings in person or virtually.
St. Louis City received its portion of the Rams Settlement in 2022 and placed $250 million in a Missouri Securities Investment Program where it has accrued approximately $22 million in interest. During that time, Resolution 48 passed at the Board of Aldermen reflecting President Green, Mayor Jones, and the Board's commitment to an extensive public engagement process to determine how the funds could create generational change for city residents.
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Contact Information:
Yusuf Daneshyar
Director of Communications
Office Phone: (314) 622-4114 -
Department:
Board of Aldermen
President of the Board of Aldermen
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Topic:
Policy Making