There was a surprise visitor at the second WHN meeting on housing—Mayor Poelker! He praised the work of panelist Joe Clark and commended the goals of neighborhood organization like ours. “We are as concerned about the number of continuances as you are,” promised Mr. Joe Clark, Director of St. Louis Board of Public Safety, at the WHN General Meeting April 18th.
He disclosed the fact that he, Mayor Poelker, Mr. Collins, Clerk of the City Court, and Judge Rosenthal, Housing Court Judge, had been regularly meeting to discuss these continuances, as many as seventeen in one case, which occur in court after his Building Division has completed its inspection process.
“An exhaustive search for owners” is being launched to find “absentee landlords with a capital A,” explained Mr. Clark.
He encouraged residents to jot down the names of owners for reference and rental manager company names from signs in case these people have “started to hide” when violations are written against their buildings.
Filing complaints and reporting violations are also citizen outlets for concern, he added.
When questioned about demolition, Mr. Clark advised, “If you see a building you want to save, you better make inquiries about it and notify us.” He refused to promise that his office would supply a list to WHN officers of buildings considered for demolition.
Inspectors who work in our neighborhood, Mr. Lin Mollering and Mr, Larry Mills, explained the procedure of inspecting the property and working personally with owners to get their buildings into compliance. Each inspector’s combination classroom and on-the-job training was outlined.
During announcement time, Mrs. Sue Tepas and Mrs. Gee Stuart solicited volunteers from WHN to photograph our buildings and research their history.
Clarice Haynes listed proposed neighborhood youth training programs for the summer.
Clinic trash can holders are available for handy builders and the attendance prizes of a hammer and screw driver may help get some jobs done.
The Flower Sale May 12th 10:00 a.m. and Sunday’s post-Art Fair Bar-B-Que were advertised.
Cooperation with Delmar Baptist youth in an alley clean up April 20 was also plugged for potential WHN supervisors.
Originally published in The Paper, May 1974.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1974_05.pdf, printed page(s) 2, 8.
