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Webster Groves council updates: code audit consultant, stormwater commission and interim city manager named
Summary
Council members briefed the BDC on multiple city priorities: the council has moved to hire a consultant to align code with the new comprehensive plan, a stormwater advisory commission will tackle large projects (a speaker referenced about $50 million of potential work), and Davis was named interim city manager. The council also discussed cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and license-plate readers.
City Council members provided a briefing to the Business District Commission covering several ongoing policy and staffing matters, including a forthcoming city code audit, stormwater planning, and a personnel announcement.
Council members said the council voted to move forward with hiring a consultant to audit and align municipal code with the comprehensive plan. The consultant option was described as a 12–18 month engagement versus a more incremental in-house approach. Council member Hasser (as referenced in the meeting) said staff can do the work in-house but it would take longer, while a consultant could accelerate the timeline and expand community engagement. Funding for the contract was discussed as likely coming from reserves but final accounting and a contract negotiation remained pending.
On public-safety and civil-cooperation topics, the police chief briefed the council on the city’s approach to federal ICE operations and emphasized that the city is not participating in 287(g) agreements beyond required law. The chief also shared information about license-plate readers and related documentation for members who wanted more detail.
Council members Franklin and colleagues drafted and read a values resolution describing ways federal policy can affect local government; a speaker noted the resolution "doesn't have teeth but is a statement of values and purpose." Franklin (identified in the transcript as a council member and attorney) was credited with drafting the resolution.
The council also reported progress on stormwater planning: the city received a strong applicant pool for a stormwater management advisory commission and speakers described the scope as substantial, citing roughly "$50 million worth of work" as an illustration of the scale of capital needs. Members said the group will need sustained attention and likely sizable funding over time.
Staff announced Davis as interim city manager and the commission welcomed a new staff liaison who described prior local planning roles and a background in community and economic development.
Next steps: council staff will negotiate a consultant contract and return it to council for approval, the stormwater advisory commission will be populated and begin work, and staff will make documentation (e.g., license-plate reader materials) available to interested commission members.
