Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The vote was one step toward deciding the fate of the aging Recreation Center, built in 1975.
The Brentwood Board of Aldermen, on Monday, got a round of applause for something that was four years in the making. As a step toward deciding the fate of the Brentwood Recreation center, the aldermen voted to keep the ice rink as part of the Rec Center. It was unanimous except for Ward 3 Alderman Andy Leahy, who voted no. Ward 4 Alderman Tom Kramer was absent. Ward 1 Alderwoman Maureen Saunders started the discussion by stating that the Warren Poll indicated the residents are satisfied with the co-op agreement with Maplewood and Richmond Heights. She said Brentwood’s part in that is the ice rink. Ward 3 Alderman Keith Robertson said the city will have to spend a substantial amount of money just to get the building up to code, and spending…
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Brentwood Board of Aldermen voted 6-2 to allow backyard chickens on May 6.
Now that Brentwood has an law regarding chickens, some residents who had them before it was passed said yes to some video of their chicks. Angie Hulshoff got her chickens three years ago after she asked a city employee if it was OK and wasn't told no. She was an outspoken proponent of allowing them. Join Maplewood-Brentwood Patch for more community news or join us on Facebook and Twitter. Marc and Angela Adler have extensive gardens as well as chickens. Take a look at their beautiful coop in the second half of the video. Are you interested in backyard chickens to give you eggs now? Do you already have them? See more chicken-related news in Patch:
Friday, May 3, 2013
The city is still looking for a school crossing guard for the busy morning intersection.
A Brentwood city/school district cooperative effort to have a crossing guard at the intersection of White Avenue and Brentwood Boulevard is still in process. A guard was hired and scheduled to start on Monday, April 29, but called to say they can no longer accept the position, City Administrator Bola Akande said. She said the recruitment effort to fill the position continues. See the city's online ad for the position. The guard was approved by the board of aldermen to help students cross Brentwood Boulevard from approximately 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. "We’ve had some problems, at least the parents have observed some problems, with cars leaving White Avenue in a hurry, making turns right or left in front of kids as they’re trying to cross," …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The Public Works Committee voted to recommend a yes vote to the board of aldermen.
Brentwood is a step closer to following many cities surrounding it, as of yesterday’s Public Works Committee meeting. The committee voted to recommend to the board of aldermen that residents be allowed to keep backyard chickens. The vote was 3-1 with Cindy Manestar (Ward 2), Keith Robertson (Ward 3) and Maureen Saunders (Ward 1) voting yes and Andy Leahy (Ward 3) voting no. Resident Angie Hulshoff has kept chickens in her backyard for three years thinking they were allowed. When she found out differently she pushed for an ordinance to allow it. City Administrator Bola Akande and Lisa Koerkenmeier, a planning consultant for the city, wrote the proposed ordinance with input from Brentwood residents who would like to see it pass. Backyard …
Monday, April 8, 2013
The board of aldermen selected one firm for both services for a three-year contract.
Was it proper for Brentwood to hire the same firm for the city’s accounting and auditing services for 2012, 2013, and 2014? Brentwood Ward 3 Alderman Andy Leahy didn't think so, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office advises to "avoid the appearance of impairments of independence." On March 4 the Board of Aldermen voted to select Schowalter & Jabouri, P.C. for both accounting and audit services for a three-year contract. “That’s not a concern to the city, and I don’t know of any best practices that says the same firm that does your accounting work should not be doing your audit work. It makes it an efficient process because they’re familiar with it,” City Administrator Bola Akande told Patch. Akande said the city’s staff looked at …
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The executive director of St. Louis Boys Hope Girls Hope said about half the kids in the program go to private schools.
Dona Juranek, who lives on the same block of Madge Avenue as a proposed group home for teenagers to live in while they go to school, is concerned. "They come from violent, at risk homes," she said. "It's scary for the people who live right next to it." Boys Hope Girls Hope St. Louis affiliate Executive Director Brian Hipps said the proposed home is far from the general perception of a non-profit group home for teens from disadvantaged backgrounds. He said they screen out any student with a criminal history. “Our kids are hand-picked for their scholarship. They apply for it and we select them based on their academic ability, their positive behavior and the environmental factors that are obstacles to their development of their full potential…
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
A $9 million Rec Center bond issue initiative lost steam in 2011. Now the Board of Aldermen are asking residents what they think.
The City of Brentwood recently announced that randomly selected Brentwood households will be asked to participate in a city survey in April. City administrator Bola Akande told Patch that the Brentwood Community Center is the focus, and there will also be questions on city facilities and services. The Public Works Committee approved a $9 million bond issue to pay for a renovated Brentwood Recreation Complex in 2011, but the initiative stalled out in city hall. Last August the Public Works Committee agreed to poll residents on the Recreation Center, and interviewed firms for the job later in the year. Akande said the survey's cost to the city is $11,800. She said there are around 50 questions and the average time to answer the survey is 10-…
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Toohey sent a letter to Patch, unsolicited, on Monday.
Brentwood Alderman (Ward 4) Patrick Toohey contacted Maplewood-Brentwood Patch to talk about city government, which resulted in an article on Feb. 18. Toohey sent a clarification of the article to Patch on Monday, asking for it to be published. He calls his suggested system "the best possible way to demonstrate to residents that the City is functioning efficiently and correctly." A question raised by the article, from Brentwood resident Jim Pozzo, was "whether it was legal or appropriate for an alderman to talk to the Patch to discuss "possible" recommendations from the closed meetings with the State Auditor's Office?" Media Director at Missouri State Auditor's Office, Spence Jackson, had no comment on the question. He only said, "Our role…
Monday, February 25, 2013
Toohey said good controls would promote trust in the city.
The Brentwood School District will pay for the part time position.
Brentwood Middle School students may soon have help crossing Brentwood Boulevard safely in the morning. The Ways and Means Committee, on Wednesday, approved a crossing guard at the intersection of Brentwood and White avenues in the morning, Brentwood City Administrator Bola Akande said. "It’s busier than others in our town because the Starbucks and the cleaners (Cardinal Cleaners) get a lot of morning business," Assistant Chief Dan Fitzgerald said. The guard, after approval from the board of aldermen, would help students cross Brentwood Boulevard from approximately 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. "We’ve had some problems, at least the parents have observed some problems, with cars leaving White Avenue in a hurry, making turns right or left in front of …
Mitch Aunger
6:35 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Yes! This is excellent news! I've been campaining for years and been to many meetings working to convince people the rink should stay. I'm thrilled with the support the board has finally given officially to the rink. It would be great to improve the locker rooms and add a small food/snack bar - it would make the arena more appealing for our teens to potentially hang out and nicer for parents who … more ›