Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ordinances topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bridgeton council adopts package of ordinances including billboard lease and age limits on kratom and hemp products
Summary
At its Feb. 18 meeting, the Bridgeton City Council adopted multiple ordinances: a lease with Fox Point Digital for a digital billboard, minimum-purchase age (21) ordinances for kratom and hemp-derived intoxicants, a $856,050 concrete contract (plus contingency), park design services, and a revised special-use permit for a dog daycare that adds trash and dog-waste maintenance requirements.
Bridgeton’s City Council on Feb. 18 approved a series of ordinances ranging from a commercial lease for a digital billboard to local age limits on kratom and hemp-derived intoxicants.
The council adopted an ordinance authorizing a lease with Fox Point Digital LLC for property at 4209 Gladden Lane, near Interstate 270, allowing the company to install a digital billboard and reserving city posting opportunities and revenue. Mike James, an attorney representing Fox Point Digital, told the council he was present to answer questions related to bill 65-29 and would remain for consideration of the item. The roll-call reading recorded aye votes by council members Sottel, Patel, Norris, Luther, Luke, Weshie and Iwanu; the ordinance was adopted as ordinance 26-08. (The clerk’s subsequent summary line in the transcript contains an inconsistent phrase — “5 vote of 7” — that appears to contradict the seven recorded ayes shown in the roll call.)
The council also approved two public-health–oriented ordinances. Bill 65-30, adopted as ordinance 26-09, establishes a minimum purchase age of 21 for kratom products within Bridgeton. Police Chief Mark Massotti told council members that kratom products are not regulated at the state level, that juveniles have been able to buy them from store displays and that “they do have an intoxicating effect, with children being hospitalized as a result of it.” Bill 65-31, adopted as ordinance 26-10, imposes a 21-year minimum for the purchase and sale of hemp-derived intoxicants in the city. Both measures passed on recorded votes.
On capital work, council authorized an agreement with M and H Concrete Contractors Inc. for concrete pavement replacement work in the Saint Gerard and Saint James subdivisions: a contract amount of $856,050 plus a contingency of $143,950 (project total $1,000,000). Staff said the timeline aims to complete most work before the July 4 parade on Benedetta, which is a main parade route; the ordinance became 26-11.
Council approved professional design services with Wise Design Group for Helle Bush Park phase 1 grant work at a cost of $81,797.46; staff said construction would not begin before the Kiwanis fishing derby on May 30, and the ordinance passed as 26-12.
Zoning action: the council considered a special-use permit for a dog daycare at 10937 Saint Charles Rock Road (application 26-PZ-01). Council member Luther proposed and the council approved an amendment to condition 4 requiring that off-street parking and loading facilities be kept free of trash and dog waste at all times, including maintenance of sidewalks and pavement markings. The council briefly tabled the bill and then removed it from the table; it ultimately adopted the ordinance as amended (26-13).
A new bill (65-35) proposing a statement of work with Sikich LLC for accounting services for tax year 2025 was introduced on first reading and tabled for later consideration.
Votes at a glance: the recorded roll calls in the transcript show unanimous recorded votes (7-0) on bills 65-30, 65-31, 65-32, 65-33 and 65-34 as amended; bill 65-29 (Fox Point Digital lease) shows seven recorded ayes in the roll call but contains an inconsistent clerk summary line and is noted above for clarity.
What’s next: the city will proceed with the contracts and permits as adopted; the accounting services statement of work with Sikich LLC remains tabled for future action.
