最新杏吧原创

ST. LOUIS 鈥� After more than a year of ideas and speculation, city leaders are offering some early hints of plans for their $250 million share of the NFL Rams settlement:

A new plan emphasizes investing in disinvested neighborhoods, building the city鈥檚 workforce, loaning money to small businesses and reversing 鈥渉istoric wrongs,鈥� according to a resolution that could be passed by aldermen on Friday.

The resolution, sponsored by Alderman Shameem Clark Hubbard and Board President Megan Green, calls for officials to spend the summer asking residents how to use the money. Officials said they won鈥檛 limit the public鈥檚 input. But the resolution specifically seeks comment on topics like lifting up the poor, fixing roads, revitalizing neighborhoods and ensuring 鈥渂asic needs of residents are met.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 plenty of that work to be done,鈥� Clark Hubbard said. 鈥淎nd what better use of this money than to make sure that we鈥檙e doing it.鈥�

The new resolution is the latest entry in a debate that has been raging across the region ever since leaders learned that a lawsuit against the NFL related to the Rams departure would net it $519 million after attorney fees in late 2021.

The city announced in November it would split the settlement with 最新杏吧原创 County, which got $169 million, and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, which owns the downtown Dome where the Rams played and got $70 million.

Since then, regional leaders have floated all sorts of plans, from plugging a county budget hole to making college more affordable to funding a guaranteed basic income program in 最新杏吧原创.

The resolution at the board on Friday fits right in with Mayor Tishaura O. Jones鈥� agenda. Jones鈥� administration has used similar language to describe efforts funded by federal pandemic aid to encourage development in north 最新杏吧原创, send cash payments to low-income families, repave streets and shelter the homeless.

A spokesman for Jones, Nick Desideri, emphasized that no actual spending plan has been proposed. He said that right now, his boss just wants to gather community input and let the settlement cash gain interest.

Clark Hubbard, the resolution鈥檚 lead sponsor, also said she wants to hear from people before making any spending decisions. But she said she鈥檇 like to see the Rams money expand on things the city has started to address with federal pandemic aid.

鈥淚nevitably, it鈥檚 still not enough,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always an additional project that needs to be done.鈥�

Even with tens of millions of dollars budgeted to repave major thoroughfares like Kingshighway and Union Boulevard, people in her ward, on the near northwest side, are still asking about improvements to Skinker Boulevard, she said.

The priorities in the resolution, however, could be broadened.

Alderman Annie Rice, of the Shaw neighborhood, asked in a committee hearing on Thursday about mentioning early childhood education.

Alderman Anne Schweitzer, of far south city, told Clark Hubbard she wanted to see city workers mentioned in the resolution.

The city has been struggling with a massive labor shortage since the pandemic that has hobbled its ability to answer 911 calls, pick up trash, dispatch ambulances and fight crime. The board previously voted to put pandemic aid toward helping them cover down payments and closing costs on homes.

Alderman Tom Oldenburg, who represents southwest city, said the real debate won鈥檛 come until after the spring elections, when at least half of the aldermen will be gone due to ward reduction.

鈥淲hoever is in those 14 chairs,鈥� he said, 鈥渢he NFL money is going to be the big fight.鈥�

Editor's note: This story corrects the spelling of Shameem Clark Hubbard's name.