The Festus City Council on May 26 met for nearly four hours in a work session, a public hearing and a regular meeting with much of the time spent on discussion rather than approving motions.
About an hour and a half of the regular meeting consisted of a citizens comments section, mainly focusing on an approved date center development project.
Council members did vote 7-0 to approve authorizing the mayor to execute an engagement letter with the Armstrong Teasdale law firm of Clayton to serve as special counsel for the city.
This motion gained passage after significant discussion among council members, as well as with Brian Malone of the city’s law firm, Lashley & Baer, concerning the matter during the work session and meeting. It gained approval once the motion was amended to hire Armstrong Teasdale to advise city officials only on a data center agreement with CRG.
The bill was to have the special counsel also advise on recall petitions, but council members voted 7-0 to remove those duties. Malone had advised the council to allow Armstrong Teasdale to handle both matters.
However, Malone said he would have no problem advising city officials on matters concerning the recall.
Ward 4 Councilman Rick Belleville suggested removing the recall portion of the bill. Michael Cook, who also represents Ward 4, said he wanted to make sure the new council members would be comfortable with Malone advising city officials on the recall.
“We’re comfortable with that,” Belleville said. “Mr. Malone seems to be very capable.”
Another agenda item that drew attention was a resolution that would amend the council’s rules of decorum “for the conduct of the council’s business” and the request to speak form for citizen comments at meetings. Council members voted 7-0 to table the matter.
Malone said the proposal would change the deadline for citizens to sign up to speak at meetings. The existing resolution gives deadlines for citizens to register to speak on agenda items by 2 p.m. the day of the regular session meeting and by 4 p.m. the Wednesday prior to the meeting for non-agenda items.
Malone said the proposal creates one deadline for both agenda and non-agenda topics of 2 p.m. the day of the regular session meeting. He added the resolution “also amends the definition of disorderly conduct to include obscene or disruptive gestures or loud, threatening or abusive language.”
Council members also voted 7-0 to approve a rezoning request by Laiben Homes, on behalf of JLG Partners, to rezone about 8 acres of land from I-1 Industrial to R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District on Horine Road. According to city documents, the applicant proposes a 10-lot single-family dwelling subdivision.