Mary Lou Green who served as the organization's Executive Director since 1990 recently retired after 36 years. During her tenure, Mary Lou led the growth of Brightside St. Louis to its current service delivery which includes graffiti eradication, neighborhood clean ups, recycling outreach and education, a demonstration garden, sustainable landscaping program, and pollinator conservation.

"Thanks to Mary Lou's extensive experience and the network of Brightside partners she built across the region, the organization has an incredibly strong foundation," said Greg Hayes. "Under Joe Cunningham's leadership, the organization has an exciting new chapter ahead. Joe offers the organization a keen understanding of engaging local communities on behalf of our natural assets and is committed to Brightside's mission."

Joe joined Brightside St. Louis as a Program Manager in 2025. His responsibilities have included raising public awareness of Brightside's programs and events and directing the recycling education program for Saint Louis City Recycles. Joe earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Maryville University and a Master's degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

"I'm honored to be entrusted with this role at Brightside St. Louis, which has made such a meaningful impact on improving the lives of City residents for more than 40 years," said Joe. "I look forward to working with neighbors across the region to build on what has been accomplished and to continue to work toward new and innovative ways to fulfill our mission."
 

• Sign up for emergency alerts. NotifySTL is the City's free emergency notification service, delivering urgent messages—severe weather warnings, boil water advisories, and other public safety alerts—by text, email, or phone call. Register at stlouis-mo.gov/notifystl. CEMA recommends residents have more than one way to receive warnings, since no single channel works in every situation.
• Add a NOAA Weather Radio to your home. A weather radio sounds an alarm for warnings in your area at any hour, including overnight when phones are silenced. Most models are programmable and run on battery power when the electricity is out.
• Build or refresh a kit. If you already have emergency supplies, September is a good month to check them. Food, water, medications, batteries, and flashlights all have shelf lives. If you're starting from scratch, Ready.gov has a checklist to work from.

Get trained: City/County CERT

Residents who want to go further can join the City/County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). CERT volunteers learn basic disaster response skills—fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster medical operations—and support their own neighborhoods when professional responders are stretched.

The next session begins the week of September 7 through St. Louis Community College's Continuing Education program. Classes meet Tuesday evenings at the Wildwood Campus or Wednesday evenings at the Forest Park Campus for eight weeks, concluding with a hands-on skills exercise Saturday, November 7, in Fenton.

Registration is $9 and available through STLCC's Continuing Education website.

The City's side of the commitment

Preparedness runs both directions. Over the past year, CEMA has invested in important capabilities our community relies on when something goes wrong.

• The agency formalized proactive partnerships with city, regional and national partners, including the National Weather Service St. Louis office, which provides tailored weather briefings and direct support from meteorologists during activations.
• The Mayor's Executive Order #93 established a two-tier, NIMS-compliant activation system, giving the City a defined structure for scaling its response to the size of the event—including the Winter Weather Unified Command that coordinates snow operations and Code Blue protocols across departments.
• CEMA has also run multiple tabletop exercises with City department leaders to test disaster response procedures before they're needed.

CEMA continues to bring on experienced emergency management professionals. Every position added is a capability the City didn't have before, and most of them exist to do one thing: get accurate information and coordinated help to neighborhoods faster.

"Preparedness isn't something the government does for residents. It's something we do together," said Gregg Favre, Commissioner of Emergency Management for the City of St. Louis. "The City's job is to be ready to coordinate, warn, and respond. Your job is to know how you'll get an alert, and to have what your household needs to get through the first few days. Both halves have to work."

Support from the Department of Public Safety and Mayor Spencer's office has funded the plans, policies, and personnel behind this work.

"This bill is the result of a year-long intensive effort to tackle this complex and contentious topic head-on. By working together—our office, aldermanic partners, the community, industry experts, sustainability advocates, and labor stakeholders —we have developed a robust framework that sets a standard for other jurisdictions to follow," said Mayor Cara Spencer. "We can attract responsible investment while simultaneously upholding our high standards for environmental sustainability and neighborhood protection." 

BB 49 establishes the framework for where, when, and how data centers can operate within the City, addressing the unique land-use impacts of these facilities like energy consumption, noise, light, and community compatibility. This framework was directed by Executive Order 92 ("EO 92"), issued by Mayor Spencer in September 2025. EO 92 addressed the growing concern that the city's dated zoning code treated data centers either as an "office" or "warehouse," by tasking City departments with developing a regulatory framework and establishing an interim framework restricting where they could locate and providing more robust transparency for applicants. 

City departments spent several months researching this highly technical issue, other cities' approaches to regulation, and consulting with subject matter experts. In February 2026, the City's Planning and Urban Design Agency (PDA) published a detailed report and a proposed framework for data center zoning regulations, and held the first of many Planning Commission public meetings to receive community and industry feedback on the proposed framework. This feedback was integrated into the legislative framework the Planning Commission approved in June 2026 and sent to the BoA.

The framework was introduced at the BoA in June 2026 as BB 49, sponsored by Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, and the BoA refined the legislation through committee hearings and floor debate. Today's perfection vote of 13 Ayes and 1 abstention sends BB 49 back to the Planning Commission for approval of final changes at its meeting on September 9th to support the anticipated Third Read and Passage of BB 49 at the BoA's September 11th meeting.

 "This agreement underwent a rigorous process to ensure everyone in the city of St. Louis benefits from thoughtful and inclusive economic development," said SLDC CEO and President Stephen Westbrooks. "Keeping St. Louis nationally competitive through updating our tech-based economy allows the city to attract development and jobs to strengthen the tax base." 

The legislation is structured to balance community protection with economic opportunity, offering clear frameworks for both. For those concerned about data centers, it provides robust protections by ensuring data centers are held to strict operational and environmental standards while guaranteeing public accountability. For those concerned about the city's position as a technology, finance, or business hub, it creates a sustainable, responsible, and predictable development framework.

St. Louis Public Radio recently featured the new Propel Kitchens Registered Apprenticeship, highlighting how the program is creating a pathway into culinary careers. It also spotlights SLATE's efforts to expand Registered Apprenticeship opportunities in St. Louis.

Read the full article on St. Louis Public Radio

Residents who normally have their roll carts collected on Mondays (solid waste) and Thursdays (recycling) will have their trash collected on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 and recyclables collected on Thursday, September 10, 2026. 

Residents who normally have their roll carts collected on Tuesdays (solid waste) and Fridays (recycling) will receive trash collection on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 and recyclables collected on Friday, September 11, 2026. 

The yard waste collection will resume on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

For convenient reference see the Refuse Division website where residents can also find answers to questions about Remodeling and Renovation, Illegal Dumping, Bulky and B.O.A.T. Items (Batteries, Oil, Appliances, Tires), Yard Waste and Christmas Trees, and Recycling.  Also for hazardous waste, please check out our program.

The Tornado Recovery Water Affordability Program will deliver direct relief on water bills to residents impacted by the May 16 tornado. To ease the burden on tornado survivors, they have been prequalified if they have already applied for assistance. Those households can enroll in under 5 minutes. For those with uninhabitable homes, their bills and penalties will be forgiven back to May 16, 2025. Others are encouraged to apply for assistance.

Across tornado-impacted neighborhoods, 4,164 accounts are currently delinquent on their water bills, representing roughly $4.34 million in outstanding water debt. Nearly 1,900 of those accounts owe $500 or less, while approximately 720 households owe more than $2,000. Some of these balances began during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, the Water Division issued a moratorium on delinquent water bills and stopped shut-off efforts for households that fell behind. Today the moratorium is being lifted, and the Water Division will begin addressing delinquent bills. At the same time, this program is being introduced to help households who may need additional support.

"The tornado added another significant financial burden for families already working to recover and regain stability," said Mayor Spencer. "Our goal with this program is simple: help residents achieve a lower balance, a manageable payment, and a lower water bill going forward."

The program was developed by the Water Division in collaboration with the STL Recovery Office and is made possible by Board Bill 25 (Ordinance 72155), sponsored by Alderman Browning and passed by the Board of Aldermen.

"Water is essential, and disconnection is always our last resort," Patel said. "What we are putting in place are the tools, including rate reductions and extended payment timelines, to help residents maintain water service. If you are behind on your bill, there is a plan here that fits your circumstances, but we need you to reach out so we can build it with you."

The program offers several pathways to relief, designed to work together so that no eligible resident falls through a gap.

Letters have gone out to impacted residents that explain what options are available to them through the program.

Tornado Recovery Water Affordability Program

• 50% Affordability Rate. Residents impacted by the May 16, 2025 tornado qualify for a 50 percent reduction in their water rate through December 2028, whether or not they have fallen behind on their bill.
• Repayment Plan with 50% Credit. For accounts carrying a past due balance, the Affordability Rate is applied retroactively to May 2025 as a lump sum credit that reduces the balance directly, paired with a repayment plan of up to 24 months. The Division can extend plans to 36 months case by case for larger balances.
• Full Credit for Uninhabitable Homes. Where a property has been uninhabitable since the tornado, charges accrued since May 2025 are forgiven outright and the account stops accruing fees.
  Fee waivers. Residents who enroll will not be charged interest or late fees, and turn off and reconnection fees are waived as a one-time courtesy.

Enrollment

Enrollment is open now and is the path to protecting water service. Photo ID needed for online and in-person applications. Enrollment options:

• Online at stlrecovers.com
• In person at the STLRecovers Outreach Center, 4401 Natural Bridge, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., where staff will qualify residents and complete enrollment in a single visit. Residents only need to bring a photo ID. Additional enrollment events will be hosted in the impacted neighborhoods.
• By phone on the Water Division Customer Service Line at (314) 771-2255

Other Available Relief Programs

• Temporary Assistance Program (TAP)
  Eligible residents may also receive a one-time payment of up to $500 toward an outstanding balance, delivered in partnership with United Way of Greater St. Louis through ARPA funding. This program closes September 30, 2026, or sooner if funds run out. That date cannot be extended.

Protecting Service

Residents have through October 31, 2026 to enroll in the Tornado Recovery Water Affordability Program. Beginning September 30, 2026 the Water Division will resume disconnection efforts. Enrolling is what protects a household's service.

"Recovery is a lot of small steps, taken one after another. A water bill cut in half is one of those steps, and we intend to keep taking them until this community is whole," said Julian Nicks, Chief Recovery Officer.

Relief for residents outside the tornado zone

Low-income residents who were not impacted by the tornado may qualify for additional assistance, including a 50% affordability rate. That program will begin in the Fall of 2026.

Residents who are enrolled in another utility assistance program, including Ameren, Spire, MSD, LIHEAP, or the Water Division's Temporary Assistance Program with United Way, may present that documentation to qualify.

Residents with questions about their water account or the assistance available to them are encouraged to call the Water Division Customer Service Line at (314) 771-2255.

Several City of St. Louis Recreation Centers are undergoing updates and repairs. These facility-related upgrades will enable the centers to continue providing safe and enjoyable places for children and adults alike to exercise, explore new interests, play their favorite sport, and participate in numerous activities and programs.

"The City's recreation centers have been strongholds in our neighborhoods for decades," said Juakena Callion, City of St. Louis Commissioner of Recreation. "By investing in needed repairs and updates, the City is helping to preserve and extend the life of these centers which offer a place where people of all ages can find positive, healthy activities, throughout the year at no charge."

Please note the following temporary closures:

• Buder Recreation Center to close Aug. 24-31, 2026, in preparation of a new roof.
• Cherokee Recreation Center is currently closed for repairs, and the reopening date is undetermined at this time.
  • Updates and repairs include a new roof, updated locker rooms, new flooring, and a new gym floor.
• Wohl Recreation Center to close beginning Monday, Aug. 24 for approximately six months.
  • Updates and repairs include a new roof, updated locker rooms and multipurpose room, and a new gym floor.

Staying Connected During Closures

Cherokee and Wohl Recreation Centers are within two (2) miles of other City recreation centers. Therefore, City of St. Louis residents who typically participate in Cherokee Recreation Center programs have been encouraged to participate in programs at the Marquette Recreation Center. 

Residents who typically participate in Wohl Recreation Center programs are encouraged to participate in programs at the Tandy Recreation Center.

More information, including locations and hours of operation, can be found at City of St. Louis Recreation Centers.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently highlighted SLATE's Youth Empowerment Program and the experiences of young adults who participated in the program this summer. The article features participants Ismail Botchway and Samuel Condren and explores how paid work experience, mentorship, and career support are helping young St. Louisans prepare for their futures.

Read the full article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The NOFA, supporting materials and zoom webinar information are available in the Procurements section of the AHC website as of August 20.