St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed introduced a resolution Friday seeking to get to the bottom of why three minority firms who worked to help keep the Rams in St. Louis haven’t been paid.
In 2015, the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority Board (RCSA) voted unanimously on a resolution authorizing the chairman and executive director to, “engage professionals, enter into contracts, and take actions necessary for the planning, development, financing, and construction of a new stadium and related new stadium complex.”
Records show the RCSA spent in excess of $16 million on professional service contracts for architectural, construction management and legal services, with at least 15 percent of all contracts, employment opportunities, professional services and all other special contracts being granted to persons who are members of a racial minority group, under a state statute.
According to Reed’s Resolution 16, during those conversations to keep the Rams in the region, Reed and the board were working hard to make sure there was a significant amount of minority-inclusion in the deal, which is the only way some members would have voted on a deal.
During these conversations, the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority offered to, “engage professionals, enter into contracts, and take actions necessary for the planning, development, financing and construction of a new stadium.”
According to the resolution, several of the groups have revealed they haven’t been paid in that three-year stretch and have been told they won’t be paid for their services.
The board approved the first reading of the resolution and directed it to the Intergovernmental Committee to convene hearings to investigate whether the RCSA has complied with the Missouri Statute.
According to the resolution, the committee will report its findings and recommendations to the full board by Friday, July 13.