Board Meeting Minutes, July 16th, 2025 (Draft)

Sep 11

Written By Andrew Paniello

Soulard Restoration Group | Board Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 7PM
Soulard Station | 1911 South 12th Street

Minutes prepared by Andrew Paniello, Secretary

Call to Order/Opening Remarks

Amanda Ramcharan called the meeting to order at 7:00pm sharp.

Sts. Peter and Paul

The board welcomed Anthony D’Agostino, from Sts. Peter and Paul, to speak at the beginning of the meeting. He was requesting a formal letter of support from the SRG, supporting the organization’s plans for a shelter. Anthony believes that a letter of support from the SRG will make it easier to obtain financing from the city, which is his long-term objective.

The board was given a chance to ask questions about the shelter. Notable points of interest include the fact there have been no violent incidents, there will always be 4-5 staff members working at the shelter, there will typically be about 60-80 beds, and that the long-term goal is to move from being an overflow shelter to a year-round shelter.

After thanking Anthony for his presentation, the board unanimously decided to provide the letter of support.

Treasurer’s Report

Neil Putz, Treasurer, reported that the total assets on hand had decreased from about $97,000 to about $94,000. This was expected, given the large number of checks being distributed and events taking place. The SRG is financially sound. An audit will be completed in the near future. The board also discussed membership levels and support for tornado victims.

Secretary’s Report

Andrew Paniello, Secretary, announced his intention to upload more of the minutes to the website. He also thanked Adriano for filling in during the board meeting he missed in June. Andrew also briefly discussed his plans to create a comprehensive Soulard calendar.

Beautification

No updates.

Community Improvement & Events/Development

Andrew Paniello reported that the recent Bastille Day/Concert Series, which occurred on July 12th, went well. Attendance was strong and most attendees had a good time. However, there needs to be more volunteer support for these events-the board will look into the possibility of increasing volunteer-related communications.

Communications

The communications committee is currently working on several projects, including reviewing the current subscription expenses, looking into a nuisance property on Russell, and otherwise optimizing the communication schedule. The board broadly discussed increasing the frequency of communications. We also discussed how some people do not always receive the blaster.

Historical

The Historical Committee is very excited to announce an upcoming ghost tour, scheduled for September 27th. This will be the first ghost tour of its kind, with approximately 100 tickets planned to go on sale.

The Historical Committee is also looking at places to put the time capsule, such as the Soulard Station. We discussed some of the complications related to ensuring the time capsule is never moved, which may require us to meet with a real estate attorney.

Membership

The Membership Committee is organizing a “Welcome Bag” to distribute to new members, which will include coupons to Soulard businesses and other items. Additionally, it was noted that because Christina is making the awards by hand, we have been able to save some money.

Parlour Tour

The Parlour Tour and ghost tours are both looking for volunteers.

PRT

No updates.

Station

The station recently received a $100 donation. There is progress being made on the windows, roof, and secondary condenser. Additionally, the new garage doors are installed and functioning.

Safety
We are still looking for someone to replace Andrea Maddox-Dallas as chair of the Safety Committee.

Old Business

There were two main topics of discussion from old business. The first was regarding the property at 1222 Allen. The SRG has not yet heard a response from the property owner; the plan is to vote on the updates to the bylaws in August and then consider further legal action.

The other main topic was the tree situation. Trees have been getting replaced throughout the neighborhood, with plans for additional replacements. The board also discussed the rights and responsibilities of property owners regarding their trees, as well as how our organizations, such as the CID and Beautification Committee, can help enhance the tree project.

New Business

The board voted unanimously to give the tornado donation to the fund established by the city. The board also supported sending Andrew Paniello, Secretary, along with Maggie Teson to the UMSL Neighborhood Leadership Academy.

The board then discussed several subjects included in an email sent by John Cline:

John’s Email

Topics of discussion included:

The Boy’s & Girl’s Club is likely going to sell their property; if this happens, the board will consider creating an ad hoc committee to ensure the property is used responsibly

We talked extensively about the future of this property, as well as the role that SRG might play during the transition
There are a lot of things that need to be considered, including our legal rights, standing, zoning, bylaws, codes, and more

The board is interested in gathering input regarding the use of this property and might consider asking for feedback via a QR code in the Renaissance
There are a few other possible uses of ad hoc committees
We might also consider creating more formal standards for anyone acting on behalf of SRG