Webster Groves Mayor Gerry Welch (Right) explains the council’s move to postpone the public hearings on proposed educational zoning to the public.
With a 9-0 vote at the Oct. 7 city council meeting, the Webster Groves City Council passed a movement to postpone the public hearing on the proposed educational zoning to Nov. 4.
“Tonight, we will not take additional verbal testimony, but we will hold the public hearing open so that we may continue our deliberation over the coming weeks,” Webster Groves Mayor Welch said.
Welch explained to those in attendance that to present a more beneficial ordinance to all parties involved, the council would need more time.
Welch said the city council welcomes any written comments through letters or email to be sent to the city to be put on the public record.
Councilmember Anne Tolan wanted to emphasize the time during the postponement would be used to better the ordinance for Webster University, Eden Theological Seminary and Webster Groves residents.
“The only thing I would like to add to the individuals in the audience is that we are still working on the ordinance (for the educational zoning),” Tolan said. “We have had multiple work sessions and we aim to have something for people to respond to that reflects some of the suggestions and comments through other public hearings and that document would probably be done by Oct. 21.”
Welch said the Nov. 4 date would allow for more time because the council would need to hold work sessions in order to process all of the information brought forth through presentations and comments made by the public. The city council held a public hearing on Sept. 30, which Welch said carried over to the work session held before the city council meeting tonight.
“These work sessions are the next necessary step in our decision making process as we work to reach our goal of useful and effective zoning,” Welch said.
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