Construction has stopped completely on the new 5-story Comfort Suites hotel in Sunset Hills after the Mehlville Fire Protection District issued a stop work order on the project that has been in effect for more than two months.
At press time the stop work order was still in effect at the fenced-in construction site, as confirmed by MFPD Fire Chief Ed Berkel. HR Sheevam, the owner of the Days Inn and the new Comfort Suites under construction at 3660 S. Lindbergh Blvd., submitted a new plan that appeared set in late March to win fire district approval, but had not been approved by press time. A new water pipe has to be finished before construction can resume.
The Mehlville Fire Protection District moved proactively to get ahead of production delays at car factories, continuing through at least May, in order to replace an administrative vehicle on time and on schedule.
Don Brown Chevrolet, which holds the state contract for the Chevy Tahoes that the fire district typically uses for its administrative vehicles for chiefs, told the fire district in January that GM has suspended the builds of all state contract vehicles due to a global microchip shortage that is affecting all car companies. The shortage was worsened by multiple fires at semiconductor factories, including one in Japan in March. Production at certain plants has been halted for months due to the shortages.
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MSD
Real all about MSD’s proposals, Proposition Y and Propositions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 here
MSD has a bond issue, Proposition Y, on the ballot. Voters will decide how they want to pay for upgrades required by the federal government: Pay as you go, in which case rates will be much higher, or a bond issue, in which rates will still rise but not nearly as much.
With an uncertain financial future highlighted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Mehlville Fire Protection District has a deficit budget for the first time in many years. The MFPD Board of Directors unanimously passed a $24.18 million budget for 2021 that has a $1.41 million deficit.
“Not a lot went our way when developing this budget, so you’re going to see kind of a recurring theme and that’s that ‘Hey, that didn’t go our way,’” said Chief Financial Officer Brian Bond at the Dec. 23 board meeting.
The fire district may have some tough financial challenges ahead, the CFO noted.
“While many factors worked against the 2021 budget, the good news is that residents of the district are receiving an enhanced level of service. 2022 will be a reassessment year which will hopefully provide additional tax revenue,” Bond said. “But it’s important for us to note that future budgets will be faced with similar challenges. Unfortunately the level of expenses we’re at,
Candidate filing closed Tuesday for a number of governmental positions that are up for election April 6, setting up several competitive races across South County. One of the trends this year is that many incumbents did not file to run again, so there are a number of new faces across local city and school boards.
The Mehlville fire board and the Green Park mayoral seat will see competitive races this year. Incumbent fire board Treasurer Bonnie Stegman is being challenged by a former firefighter.
Aldermanic seats in Crestwood, Green Park and Sunset Hills are also up for election, along with three seats on the Grantwood Village Board of Trustees. Green Park and Crestwood will have a number of new faces on the Board of Aldermen, but no competitive races, while Sunset Hills will have competitive races in all four wards. And for the first time in recent memory, Grantwood Village will have competitive races.