Despite a searing letter comparing parts of a regional job plan to “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,†St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann said he fully supports the planning effort.
“I was not trying to pick a fight,†Ehlmann said of to former Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton, who chairs a planning committee for the . “I’m supportive of their efforts, but I think that for a plan to be successful, it really has to represent the whole region.â€
Ehlmann’s deck-chairs comment was aimed at a proposal called the STL Pledge. The plan, overseen by civic group Greater St. Louis Inc., envisions asking major businesses to do things like buy from area vendors. It also asks them to locate some jobs in the urban core.
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In a phone interview, Ehlmann said he’s suspicious of any proposal for moving jobs from one part of the region to another, especially when such moves are accompanied by incentives from local governments. He doesn’t, however, oppose encouraging companies to invest in the urban core.
“If you can put 50,000 new jobs in the city of St. Louis, that would be fine with me,†he said. “A number of those people are going to live out here, and we are going to get our share of any new development that’s good for the region.â€
Ehlmann’s letter caused a stir when made it public Dec. 10, but it doesn’t appear likely to disrupt the STL 2030 planning process. Ehlmann said he wants to be helpful, and Jason Hall, chief executive of Greater St. Louis Inc., said he’ll meet with Ehlmann and discuss his concerns.
Bruce Katz, the plan’s lead author, views the letter as constructive. “It’s already changing how I’m thinking about the final deliverable here,†said Katz, who works for consulting firm New Localism Associates. “I don’t think we’ve done a good enough job reflecting the assets of the metropolitan area and how they’re distributed across the metropolitan area.â€
GROWTH AGENDA: Greater St. Louis Inc. has issued a draft of its STL 2030 Jobs plan, which aims to promote inclusive growth. Jim Gallagher fears that it's another empty gesture from civic leaders, while David Nicklaus argues that the plan will help the area make better use of its considerable resources.
Ehlmann’s criticisms were partly about process. The draft report’s cover features a map that doesn’t extend west of Interstate 270, and he complains that too few people outside St. Louis and St. Louis County were consulted as the plan was being written.
He’s not the only one with that complaint. Tim Brinker, Franklin County presiding commissioner, said he had “no input whatsoever†into the planning process. “It’s lacking content from the region, especially from collar counties such as Franklin that contain a large part of the workforce,†he said.
Brinker intends to submit detailed comments and wants the effort to succeed. “We all both benefit and suffer from the reputation that St. Louis has,†he said.
Katz emphasized that the plan is a work in progress and will be revised to reflect comments from political leaders and the public. It won’t be everything to everybody, though.
Ehlmann and Brinker, for example, both see crime as a major deterrent to investments in the urban core. Hall said public safety issues are important but are beyond the scope of a jobs plan.
In a way, the controversy that Ehlmann provoked illustrates why St. Louis needs a comprehensive jobs plan. We haven’t had one for a decade, and our fragmented political system seems to highlight differences rather than set common priorities.
The STL 2030 planners need to do a better job of listening to diverse voices from all parts of the region. If they can get city, suburbs and exurbs rowing in the same direction, they stand a good chance of accomplishing the plan’s ambitious goals.
