The Crestwood Board of Aldermen will hold a special meeting Tuesday to vote on an ordinance to transport and relocate the Joseph Sappington Cabin and discuss the city’s parental leave policy.
The Board of Aldermen will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 20 via video conference. The meeting can be accessed at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3147295000, meeting ID: 314 729 5000. The meeting can also be accessed by phone at 1-646-558-8656 or 314-729-5000.
Aldermen will consider an ordinance for consultant services from Case Engineering Inc. to further review what it would require to transport and relocate the Joseph Sappington log cabin, 10734 Clearwater Drive in Affton, to the Historic Sappington House Museum in Crestwood, 1015 S. Sappington Road. The consultant service fees would not exceed $26,000.
Cabin owner Jim Freund offered to give the house to the city if it covered relocation costs and at a board meeting in March, aldermen approved a letter of intent 5-0 to move the cabin. The letter of intent is nonbinding, but showed that the city was still interested in the project.
At the board’s April 13 meeting, two ordinances pertaining to the cabin were discussed: the ordinance approving the consulting services with Case Engineering, and an ordinance contracting with FGM Architects to redesign the cabin into a public-facing museum.
The ordinance for the redesign with FGM Architects was tabled for a future meeting, while the ordinance with Case Engineering failed 4-3 on a first reading, with Ward 1 Alderman Mimi Duncan, Ward 2 Alderman Justin Charboneau, Ward 3 Alderman Scott Shipley and Ward 4 Alderman Ismaine Ayouaz against the proposal. Ward 1 Alderman Richard Breeding, Ward 3 Alderman Greg Hall and Ward 4 Alderman Tony Kennedy were in favor. Ward 1 Alderman Mary Stadter was absent.
After some further discussion, Ayouaz made a motion to reconsider the ordinance for a first reading. An ordinance that fails can only be reconsidered if an alderman who originally voted against it makes a motion to reconsider.
The ordinance was held over for a second reading and if it passes Tuesday, Case Engineering will begin working on drafting a specification to outline how the relocation of the Sappington cabin will occur, City Administrator Kris Simpson said in an email to The Call.
From there, the city would go out to bid for that relocation work and once bids are received, aldermen will consider an ordinance approving a contract for the relocation.
In addition to the Sappington cabin, the board will also hold a second reading on an ordinance establishing a parental leave policy for city employees. The Civil Service Board recommended the establishment of a parental leave policy in March and under the ordinance to be considered by aldermen, eligible employees may take up to 160 hours of parental leave, except for full-time shift Crestwood Fire Department employees, who may take up to 240 hours. Parental leave will be compensated at 100 percent of the employee’s regular rate of pay.
