Agenda Recommendations

The following was emailed to Joint Study Committee members and Elected Officials of Clayton and RH on 9/24/2005.

You may wish to add to the proposed agenda (that was published on the merger website) a review of the purpose for the study and the history leading to the two cities even considering such a significant measure as merger. This would include:

+Defining the critical problems that would prompt even considering a merger
+Tracing the history of each problem
+Discussing what has been tried to remedy each problem
+Indicating why such remedies have failed
+Identifying other alternatives that were considered and elaborating why they were ruled out
+Explaining why it is believed all viable options have been exhausted

Announcement - JSC Agenda for September 28, 2005 JSC Meeting

Joint Study Committee (JSC)
The Cities of Clayton and Richmond Heights
www.mergerstudy.org

September 28, 2005
THE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY CENTER
8001 DALE AVENUE
7:00 p.m.

AGENDA

I. ROLL CALL

A. Welcome and Introductions

II. MINUTES

A. None

III. NEW BUSINESS

A. Review JSC Procedures

▪ Roberts Rules of Order
▪ Vacancies – elected officials
▪ Meeting dates
▪ Other basics

B. Sunshine Law and Minutes

▪ Discussion by City Attorneys

C. Media suggestions

D. Establishment of Subcommittees

E. Public Comments


IV. REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGERS

V. DISCUSSION BY JSC MEMBERS

VI. ADJOURNMENT

PRINT MEETING AGENDA

JSC Meeting - Scheduled for September 28th

The first meeting of the Clayton-Richmond Heights Joint Study Committee will
be Wednesday, September 28, 2005, 7:00 p.m. at The Heights, 8001 Dale
Avenue, Richmond Heights, Missouri

Richmond Heights City Council Appoints 13 Residents to Joint Study Commission

NEWS RELEASE -

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, MO (Wednesday, September 7 2005) — The Richmond Heights City Council has appointed 13 residents to work with the Joint Study Commission (JSC) that will study the benefits and drawbacks of merging the cities of Richmond Heights and Clayton. Seven of the nine elected City Council members will also serve as voting members on the JSC.

The 13 citizens representing the City of Richmond Heights on the JSC are:

Jerome Bollato (Richmond Heights Co-Chair)
Dr. Susan Culican
Lori Fiegel
Doug Fluchel
Marcus Holmes
Sally Kopman
Mark Livingston
Joan Newman
Ed Notter
Alice Provaznik
Thomas Smallwood
Jim Thompson
Greg Vatterott

The following Richmond Heights City Council members will also serve as voting members of the JSC: Timothy Gallagher and Paul Lore of District 1; Michael Jones of District 2; James Beck and Gina Mitten of District 3; Camille Greenwald and Constance Williams of District 4. Mayor Betty Humphrey and City Council Member Lillian Underwood (District 2) will serve as non-voting, ex-officio members of the committee. The Council also appointed Kay Basta to represent the Richmond Heights Chamber of Commerce as a non-voting, ex-officio member of the JSC.

Bollato will represent the city as co-chair of the JSC. He will work with Daniel L. Human, who was selected to serve as Clayton’s co-chair. Clayton also has a total of 20 representatives on the 40-member study commission. Mayor Ben Uchitelle will serve as a non-voting member of the JSC for Clayton.

When completed, the JSC’s findings will be turned over to the governing bodies of both municipalities. If both city governments approve the JSC’s recommendations, each City will submit the matter to voters.

Citizens can make comments and review feedback from others by visiting www.mergerstudy.org. This site is independently maintained. Information is also available on each of the city’s Web sites, which are www.richmondheights.org and www.ci.clayton.mo.us.

Richmond Heights City Council Meets Joint Study Commission Applicants

NEWS RELEASE -

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, MO (Thursday, September 1, 2005) — At a special meeting held on Monday, August 29, the Richmond Heights City Council met a majority of the residents who have applied to work with a group that will study the benefits and drawbacks of merging the cities of Richmond Heights and Clayton.

Twenty-five of the applicants attended the meeting and were given the opportunity to introduce themselves to the council and to ask questions about the study process. At least 12 individuals will be named to serve as voting members representing Richmond Heights on the JSC, giving Richmond Heights a total of 20 representatives. Clayton also will have 20 representatives on the 40-member study commission.

Each of the City’s will select a co-chair to head the JSC. Clayton has selected Daniel L. Human – a former Clayton alderman and son of a former Clayton Mayor – as its representative. The City of Richmond Heights is expected to announce its co-chair when it names the rest of its representatives to the JSC.

Richmond Heights Mayor Betty Humphrey and Clayton Mayor Ben Uchitelle have both chosen to serve as non-voting members of the JSC in order to give the committee more independence.

The JSC’s primary purpose is to look at the possibility of merging the two City governments into one. The two-city study committee is expected to convene for the first time at the end of September at a yet-to-be-named location. The JSC will then meet at least once a month for 18 months. The group has the option of continuing for another six months, if needed, to complete its work. All meetings must be open to the public.

When completed, the JSC’s findings will be turned over to the governing bodies of both municipalities. If both city governments approve the JSC’s recommendations, each City will submit the matter to voters.

Both cities had asked for volunteers to serve on the JSC. Here are the names of the Richmond Heights applicants: Jerome Ballato; Mark Billeaud; Matthew Casey; Dr. Susan M. Culican; Christine Dresch; Lori Fiegel; Mary Lou Fitzsimmons; Doug Fluchel; Elizabeth Foster; Kenneth Gurney; Audrey Helbling; Susan Hilton; Kathy Holman; Marcus Holmes; Nicholas Kannady; Mary Jane Kernan, Ph. D.; Sally Kopman; Michele Kopolow; Mark Livingston; Michael Markenson; Joan Newman; Edward Notter; Robert Pieper; Cynthia Prost; Alice Provaznik; Kathy Rittenbery; Jeff Saeger; Thomas Smallwood; Jim Thomson; Greg Vatterott, Jr.; Joyce Walsh and Kathy Wright.

Richmond Heights City Council Members are Mayor Betty Humphrey; Timothy Gallagher and Paul Lore (District 1); Mike Jones and Lillian Underwood (District 2); James Beck and Gina Mitten (District 3), and Camille Greenwald and Constance Williams (District 4).

Citizens can make comments and review feedback from others by visiting www.mergerstudy.org. This site is independently maintained. Information is also available on each of the city’s Web sites, which are www.richmondheights.org and www.ci.clayton.mo.us.


For More Information, Please Contact:

Bola Akande, Assistant City Manager
(314) 645-5129, Ext. 109
bakande@richmondheights.org

Irene Johnson, Public Relations Coordinator
(314) 646-7658, Ext. 103
ijohnson@richmondheights.org

Reaction to 9-1-2005 PD Article

Email from Dr. J. Martin Rochester

Dear Members of the Joint Study Committee: I read the Post Dispatch article today regarding the proposed Clayton-Richmond Heights merger, and I wish to comment on what I see as an ongoing problem with this process. I continue to be extremely upset with the intellectual dishonesty of this entire process -- in particular, the lack of balance in discussing the issue -- and what seems to be an effort on the part of some to railroad a merger decision (granted it ultimately has to be voted on by the people of each municipality).

Why do I say this? From Day One, I have complained about the fact that all we ever hear from the mayor and city manager of Clayton -- I will allow Richmond Heights citizens to speak for themselves -- is how wonderful a prospective merger would be, i.e., what the potential "advantages" are, WITHOUT ANY MENTION WHATSOEVER OF POTENTIAL DISADVANTAGES !!! For example, Mr. Shoedel in today's PD article, according to the reporter, spoke of "advantages" but uttered nary a word about possible "disadvantages." Indeed, other than the "skepticism" mentioned by Dan Human -- who at least was truly balanced in his views -- there was ZERO mention of ANY disadvantages. We predictably heard from Mr. Denlow and Ms. Eveloff about what the merger had to offer Clayton -- they have been outspoken supporters of the merger, as reflected in their public comments at a meeting I attended -- but there was no mention of any downside. Btw, the committee seems stacked with pro-merger folks, no?

Sorry if I offend anyone, but I will insist on an honest dialogue and discussion in this process. I will continue to complain UNTIL I hear the mayor, the city manager, and other officials be willing to publicly cite possible DISADVANTAGES in the same breadth and with EQUAL mention as they cite advantages. If you are truly being fair and balanced and objective and open-minded about this study as you claim, as opposed to pushing a hidden or not-so-hidden agenda (e,g. the eventual merger of the two school districts, which, if a merger would occur, would receive relentless pressure to bring about and would be a disaster for Clayton based on academic achievement disparities), then let's see evidence of presenting BOTH sides of the issue. I have no problem with a study going further, and I do not doubt there are some potential benefits to a merger of the cities, but my sense is that there are at least as many costs and negatives to a merger. I want these articulated and not spared public discussion. Thank you. --Marty Rochester (7425 York Drive, Clayton)

St. Louis Post Dispatch Article

Clayton-Richmond Heights study will begin
By Margaret Gillerman
Of the Post-Dispatch
09/01/2005

Merger committee may start work as early as this month

View Complete News Article HERE