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General Meeting

August 2026 General Meeting Minutes

Soulard Restoration Group General Membership Meeting Minutes Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 7PM

Minutes prepared by Andrew Paniello, Secretary

LOCATION
Saints Peter & Paul Parish Hall in the Rose Room | 816 Allen Ave

Call to Order/Opening Remarks

President April Flores called the meeting to order at 7:00pm sharp.

April then gave an opening statement, explaining changes that will improve the meetings. These will include trying to limit the meeting to about an hour, loose time limits for speakers, and general guardrails for what we will talk about. A QR form has been added allowing members to submit overflow questions that are unaddressed. April emphasized that we are all in this together.

Police Report

Officer McClendon noted that crime in the neighborhood has decreased compared to last year. There was attempted robbery on South 9th Street. There was a police chase on July 12th. Members asked questions about the chase, parties, speeding, and other topics.

Committee Roundup

  • Membership: The Membership Committee happily welcomed several new members and briefly discussed a potential upcoming mural. There are new name badges for members of the board, committee chairs, and lifetime achievers. General members will eventually get a chance to get one.
  • Safety: Dana Woodall discussed using the St. Louis Citizens Bureau to report non-urgent problems like potholes and broken streetlights. James Simpson noted that you can use the number 311.
  • Beautification: There will be a patio crawl on 9/19 in South Soulard. Soulard Market has made a $600 donation to the committee.
  • Communications: Brenton Henry declared that the website is close to being finished, it will debut later this month. The website rollout will occur in phases.
  • CI&E: Topher Jaworski was happy to declare that Bastille Day was a huge success. The proposed bags/cornhole tournament has been cancelled. There will be a rummage sale on 9/26 from 9-2.
  • Development: Jim Dallas requested for more volunteers at the Oktoberfest celebration. We will once again be working with the American Legion. Boogie Child will be playing a concert on 9/26.
  • Historical: The time capsule was a very successful event–the concrete cap is coming soon. We are finalizing the last details, such as the deed restriction. Additionally, the Second Annual Ghost Tour will take place on 10/17. It will feature six spirited locations in North Soulard.
  • Parlour Tour: Neal Thompson announced there will be a homeowner happy hour on 9/17 at Molly’s. There are a few changes being made, including new positions (such as conductor). The overall goal is to make it as easy as possible to volunteer.
  • PRT: James Sgroi noted that the dirt pile is getting smaller, though there is more work to be done. He also discussed the importance of using pre-1929 examples in all building proposals.
  • Station: the stucco work is still in progress.

Treasurer’s Report

Abbey Bethel, Treasurer, noted that the fiscal year officially began on July 1st. The SRG has about $77,000 in hand, a decrease from the month before due to the concert payment, stucco payment, and merchandise payment.

Secretary’s Report

Andrew Paniello, Secretary, noted the newest minutes have been posted to the website. He called for a vote to approve the minutes, which passed unanimously. Board meeting minutes have also been posted.

Organization Roundup

  • CID/SSBD: Terry Hoffman gave updates for both the CID and SSBD. For the CID, the Economic Development Plan has kicked off–members can use a QR code to give feedback. More traffic claiming efforts are coming, thanks to some Ward 8 funds. Beautification projects are taking place at Pontiac Square Park. The CID is working on the Soulard Triangle; plants are up for grabs. There is an electronic recycling event on 10/31, and more pet receptacles are on the way. For the SSBD, the permit for the police substation was approved. National Night Out is coming up in October–funding is available for hosts.
  • KVV: Levit thanked everybody who attended pride, noting there were 55 vendors and 3500 people in attendance. Halfway to Mardi Gras bingo will take place on 8/8 . The theme will be Mardi Gras around the world. Trunk or treat will take place at the Legion on 10/25 around 1pm. Don’t forget–KVV offers quarterly $750 grants for community projects.
  • 1222 Allen (Committee): the contract with the receivership has been signed. Phase One is in progress and will take about 2-3 months.

Aldermanic Update

Jamie Cox-Antwi gave a brief update. The Mount Soulard takedown is underway. A lot of traffic projects are also in progress, including one on South Broadway. The recent townhall went well. Jamie then fielded questions from the membership, which included topics such as trucks, streets, bumpouts, and lien placements.

President’s Report

April Flores announced that Bob Printz has been reinstated back on the Board. John Hamilton has voluntarily stepped down–the Board is very thankful for his work. This situation arose as a result of our bylaws contradicting Missouri Law, which has prompted the Board to consider an in-depth bylaw review. Wade Weistreich will temporarily chair the Bylaw Review Committee–let him know if you are interested in joining. The Board is also considering an in-Soulard retreat to discuss this and other topics.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15pm–the shortest meeting since I began taking notes in Spring 2025.

Next Meeting

Wednesday, September 2nd at 7pm.