Sunset Hills Aldermen Meeting Goes to the Dogs

The Board of Aldermen meeting in Sunset Hills on Sept. 13 went to the dogs.

Not literally, but a measure to change the law on the books concerning pet owners who do not scoop up after their pets on walks generated much more discussion among the board members than did measures about taxes and other civic concerns. What pet owners need to do when their dogs do what dogs do is a matter of great import, apparently.

Other measures acted on included setting the real estate tax rates for 2011 in Sunset Hills, a proposal to change the setback distance for homes, an ordinance to change the salary for the city collector, and an ordinance to maintain the business license taxes on the receipts of electric companies.

One of the key issues of the night was a proposal to set the property tax rates for 2011. The rate for 2010 was $0.054 per $100 for both personal and commercial real estate. Former Alderman Mike Sawicki was at the meeting and he addressed the board. Sawicki, who is a member of the finance committee that has some oversight on the budgetary process for Sunset Hills, said that the budget they are working on looks to have a shortfall of at least $100,000, and that is after they have already recommended cutting $300,000 in spending for projects that are deemed necessary. “We have looked at the expense side and beat it to death,” Sawicki told the board. He urged the board to consider raising the personal real estate tax from the $0.054 it was in 2010 to $0.063 for 2011.

Sawicki noted that this would be a “revenue neutral” proposal and that homeowners wouldn't be paying more in 2011 than they did in 2010. This is because the state reassessment of homes in Sunset Hills lowered their assessed value by about $7 million. What Sawicki proposed would raise the tax on a home valued at $200,000 about two dollars, total, so that it would match what the homeowner paid in taxes in 2010. He also said that Sunset Hills has the 17th lowest personal real estate tax of the 91 municipalities in St. Louis County.

After some discussion the board passed the bill and kept the personal real estate tax rate at $0.054 but raised the business real estate tax rate to $0.063. The measure also set the tax rate for agricultural real estate at $0.060.

The proposed amendment to the ordinance that requires pet owners to clean up after their animals when their animals defecate on any public or private property generated much discussion. The amendment adds language that requires the pet owner (or person in control of the animal) to not only clean up the fecal matter but to carry it back home to dispose of it in the pet owner's personal trash.

City Attorney Robert Jones commented that it might be difficult to enforce. He said evidence might be needed. That prompted Mayor Bill Nolan to address a question to Police Chief William LaGrand. “Will your officers have to go and bag the evidence?” he asked. Mayor Nolan also asked where the police would store this evidence. Police Chief LaGrand said the police would only gather the evidence if instructed to do so by the judge.

Parks Director Gerald Brown noted that Sunset Hills has placed trash cans and bags for the specific use of collecting and depositing animal feces in its parks. He said pet owners could use those rather than carry home the feces. The bill was then amended to exclude parks from the provision. The bill was then passed.

The board listened to City Engineer Anne Lamitola discuss amending an ordinance that requires homes in Sunset Hills be set back 40 feet from the curb. Lamitola recommended that the ordinance be amended so that the required setback be 30 feet instead. Lamitola said 68 percent of the homes in Sunset Hills were currently not in compliance and amending the ordinance would result in far fewer petitions from home owners. Lamitola said most of the homes that were not in compliance were in areas that were annexed by Sunset Hills in 1995. The board will hear a second reading of this amendment at the next scheduled board meeting.

Other business included the board granted the new owners of the Sunset Hills Golf Course and Banquet Center a business license and liquor. Alderman Claudia Svoboda did ask the owners if they had retained the existing staff. The owners assured her they had.

Growlers Pub asked for and received a one day extension of premise to their liquor license for their Oktoberfest event on September 24 of this month. This will allow them to sell alcohol on their property outside of their restaurant.

October 8 will be a busy day for runners. Both St. Justin Martyr Parish and Saint Catherine Laboure—Sappington Parish received approval to conduct 5K runs that day. St. Justin Martyr also was granted a picnic license.

The meeting concluded, but a closed meeting not open to the public commenced afterward.