June 2017 Message from the Mayor

June 2017 Edition

The rainy, cold weather could not dampen the spirit of the nearly 350 people who turned out for the dedication of the Veterans Honor Park on May 3. It was a moving ceremony and I’m proud to have had a part in this newest addition to our City. We hope that as you come to the concerts this summer and pass by the Honor Park, you will take some time to reflect on the sacrifices made by our veterans and appreciate the beauty of the Veterans Honor Park.

I think anyone in their right mind is happy that municipal elections are over with and we are pleased to announce that we have two more new Councilmembers in Ben Keathley from Ward II and Michelle Ohley from Ward IV. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to them or any of the other Councilmembers if you have any questions or concerns regarding the City of Chesterfield. With these changes, combined with the other changes we’ve seen in the last couple years, it is an opportunity to reset and re-focus on where we want to go and what we want to be as a city.

It seems as though exciting and/or controversial issues continue to come our way, the most recent of which is a proposal of an apartment complex to be located at the Chesterfield mobile home park. At the public hearing held on April 24, Council Chambers were packed and there were many speakers in opposition to the request for re-zoning. Obviously, many residents are concerned that the residents of the mobile home park would be forced to relocate if the re-zoning is approved. I trust that our City will do all it can to assure an equitable outcome.

Police Contract with Clarkson Valley
We are pleased to announce that as of July 1, the Chesterfield Police Department will be providing law enforcement to the residents and businesses of Clarkson Valley. This will be done on a contractual basis. Both St. Louis County and Ballwin also bid on the contract and St. Louis County previously provided the service to Clarkson Valley. Obviously, this is a credit to our Police Department and we congratulate them on providing a comprehensive and competitive successful bid.

Chesterfield Valley Infrastructure
During the height of the early May rainfall, I thought I would drive by the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex to see how much water there might be as we expected the agricultural levee to be overtopped. Although I had stood on the agricultural levee earlier in the day and witnessed how high the water was, I was surprised to see that hundreds of youth were playing baseball and softball on all of the fields. I reflected on how fortunate we are to have the drainage system in the Valley that evacuates the water as it accumulates, unlike some other areas of the county.

This, in turn, made me think of so many of the infrastructure improvements that have been made in Chesterfield Valley that make Chesterfield such a great place to live. Many of these improvements have been financed by the Chesterfield Valley Transportation Development District (TDD) – a 3/8 cent Valley-wide sales tax. With the exception of a planned full interchange at Long Road and Interstate 64, all authorized projects are funded and the TDD bonds are expected to be fully paid for by 2025 or 2026. Projects that have already been completed or are currently in progress include realignment of Long Road/Kehrs Mill/Wild Horse Creek Roads, widening of Long Road, realignment of Wild Horse Creek Road and Chesterfield Airport Road (near Ascension Church), realignment of Old Olive Street and Eatherton (near Chesterfield Blue Valley), paving of the Monarch-Chesterfield Levee Trail, and the installation of bus shelters. Feel free to contact me or our City Administrator if you have any questions regarding the TDD. I hope to see you at one of our many events!

Sincerely, 

Mayor Bob Nation