City Considers New Version of Billl Allowing Snowplowing of Private Streets

Hoping to solve some of the problems created by the city's first ordinance to provide for snowplowing of private streets, the Lake Saint Louis Board of Aldermen will be voting on a revised bill.

The new bill defines private streets as "a street having residences with single-family homes, villas, or condominiums that are managed by a Home Owners Association (HOA)."

In an email to Ward 3 residents, Alderman George Rich addressed concerns about the bill:

A lot of false rumors have circulated about this subject. We have been advised by the city lawyer that this Bill does not violate the Missouri constitution as it addresses safety and health of citizens. And no Sunshine laws were violated as notification of all deliberations were given in advance . Nor were there any conflicts of interest just because an Alderman lives on a private street as city policies do benefit all applicable citizens equally.

Two aldermen, Kathy Schweikert and Karen Vennard, both of Ward 1, voted against accepting the first reading.

In an email to Wentzville Patch, Schweikert said that she saw some of the same issues with the revised bill as the original—that the city would be using public funds to pay for private streets.

"There is a mechanism for making their streets public, and they should pursue it as others have done," Schweikert said. She pointed out that the new bill did not cover as many residents on private streets as the previous bill.

"They will need to explain to those residents (many who came up to City Hall and spoke at the meetings), that they amended the bill to exclude them.  That is why some of them did not want to advertise what the new ordinance would cover and would not cover—they knew they would be dealing with some unhappy residents on private streets!" Schweikert said.

"Even though the original bill says for 'health and safety', this bill basically is picking and choosing who benefits regardless to health and safety," Vennard said. " This whole ordinance is so full of issues this amendment was an attempt to clean up the original ordinance and has only made it worse as only a few selected areas will benefit."

The amended bill will receive a second reading and is up for final passage at the Nov. 5 regular meeting.

READ MORE:

• Former Alderman Questions Public Money to Plow Private Streets
• City Passes Bill to Snowplow Private Streets; Mayor May Veto
• Mayor Defends Snowplowing Veto; Board Votes to Override