Webster Groves green-space panel agrees to draft position statement on 'Forever Webster Groves' plan

The Webster Groves Green Space Advisory Commission on Sept. 8 agreed to prepare a position statement explaining how the commission’s activities align with the citywide “Forever Webster Groves” sustainability plan and to circulate that draft to members for feedback. The commission did not vote to edit or rewrite the city document and members said the plan remains the Sustainability Commission’s responsibility.

Commission members said the Forever Webster Groves plan — prepared in 2022 and written to be periodically reevaluated — is a citywide guiding document that other commissions should reference when making recommendations. Several members said they were reluctant to try to change a plan that carries the Sustainability Commission and city-council backing.

Commissioners suggested producing a short, evergreen set of position bullets that show how Green Space projects support the plan’s principles but stop short of changing official policy. Commissioners discussed using those bullets in council presentations and in their annual work-plan submissions so city staff and elected officials can see how Green Space activities align with the larger sustainability goals.

Rory agreed to draft an initial position statement and solicit input from a small volunteer group of commissioners to refine the language before returning it to the full commission. Members tasked the drafter to identify specific sections of Forever Webster Groves that relate directly to Green Space activities — for example, tree-planting and volunteer recognition — and to avoid proposing language the Sustainability Commission would need to formally adopt.

The commission asked staff to consolidate member edits and to coordinate with sustainability staff so the group’s statement could be consistent with council messaging and the mayor’s prior direction to follow the plan’s guidelines. Commissioners also discussed whether each commission should reference the document rather than subsuming its content, and some expressed concern that rewriting the plan could remove an outside reference the commission could use when recommending actions to council.

The group set an internal timeline to produce the draft for review at the next meeting and recommended that any final slide or packet prepared for city council include brief bullets showing concrete Green Space contributions that map to Forever Webster Groves.