St. Louis residents will help design the game plan for how the city spends its windfall from a settlement of a lawsuit filed against Los Angeles Rams owner and the National Football League.
Megan Green, St. Louis Board of Aldermen president, has announced that the final score on settlement fund allocation will follow “a robust public engagement process.”
Aldermen spelled out that community involvement was mandatory through a pair of resolutions (R 171 & R 48), and Green’s office has engaged the assistance of community engagement platform CitizenLab.
It will “facilitate and track the ongoing conversation between residents and city government.”
“These resolutions also commit elected leaders to invest the funds—$250 million plus accruing interest—in a way that creates generational change,” according to a release from Green’s office.
“Intentional, meaningful engagement with the community is critical to ensuring these funds are used for equitable and innovative solutions to our city’s biggest problems,” said BOA President Green.
“Equally important, this process offers a much-needed opportunity for residents and local government to work together and rebuild trust.”
An online survey, which is now available, kicks off the process by asking residents to share the challenges they feel living in St. Louis. Survey results will provide data on residents’ priorities and serve as a guide as the decision process goes forward. The survey is available through October 13, 2023.
An Ideas Portal will also allow residents and organizations to submit their ideas for how the Rams Settlement funds could be used. This forum will be open for the entirety of the community engagement process.
“We encourage everyone to share their ideas and provide their feedback to help develop strong proposals for serious consideration by the Board of Alderman and the public,” says Cristina Garmendia, Green’s policy director.
The full Board of Aldermen will also invite citizen participation. It will meet as a Committee of the Whole to hear from residents, community leaders, and elected officials.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Comptroller Darlene Green, who join BOA President Green on the Board of Estimate Apportionment, have been invited to participate in the meetings.
The meetings will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, September 25, 2023, 6 p.m. Wednesday, October 25, and 11 a.m. Saturday December 2. Details on how the public can participate in these meetings will be announced later.
The Los Angeles Rams move to St. Louis in 1995, and its lease at the then TWA Dome said the stadium must remain in the top 25% of stadiums in the league, according to Pro Football Talk.
In 2013, the Rams and the city of St. Louis went to arbitration over the deal. The arbitrators sided with the Rams and called for a $750 million investment in the dome. The investment was not made, putting the city in violation of the lease. The Rams would relocate back to Los Angeles in 2016.
On April 12, 2017, the city sued the NFL for the team’s relocation process.
The NFL and all 32 teams were listed as defendants in the case, with St. Louis seeking damages and restitution of profits from the Rams’ move.
In November 2021, the case was closed with a $790 million settlement to be split between the city, St. Louis County, and Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority. The attorneys that represented the plaintiffs netted a reported 35% of the settlement amount which came to $276.5 million.
