ST. LOUIS – The City of St. Louis is turning towards its residents to voice their opinions on what the Board of Aldermen should be working on. While a platform was created to share those thoughts, some are pushing for true change–and others, well, they’re just there to share some laughs.
The Board of Aldermen reconvened for the new session Sept. 12, where they launched “Speak Up, St. Louis,” an online platform for residents to have more transparency and engagement in the legislative process, according to a post from Board President Megan Green.
One of these methods of offering input is through policy proposals for things such as street renaming, art installations, park redesigns, or roadwork construction. Residents can post their proposal, and if it receives at least 150 up-votes, Green’s policy team will review and research the matter.
Some of the most popular proposals include a south city mixed-use district, the re-evaluation of required bike lanes, creating a maintenance plan for Cherokee Street, building a MetroLink station, and more.
But with the serious concerns also comes the humor of St. Louisans.
The only proposal that has met the 150 up vote minimum—with 159 votes—suggests replacing the Board of Aldermen’s opening prayer with collectively singing Thin Lizzy’s number one song, “The Boys Are Back In Town.”
“Picture it, we’re all back here. We’re a rockin’ and a rolling,” the user who posted the idea stated.
Other humorous suggestions that have been proposed, but marked as ineligible by Green’s team, include:
- Placing the entirety of the Rams Settlement Funds into a briefcase, burying it, and letting whoever finds it keep the money.
- Utilizing the city’s $1.4B budget to purchase Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
- Digging a hole in the ground to see how far St. Louisans can go.
- Creating Diet Dr. Pepper fountains to minimize fluoride consumption.
- Illustrating a “legally distinct version of Snoopy” for St. Louis.
Yusuf Daneshyar, spokesperson with Green’s office, provided FOX 2 with the following statement:
“Some jokers are having their moment, but they can’t outlast residents who are trying in earnest to make their city a better place to live. Ultimately, this platform gives residents a meaningful way to engage in the legislative process and we’re committed to working with them to create policies that move St. Louis forward.”
To view all proposed policies, or to submit your own, click here.
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