urbanSTL

The interim COO has been replaced with a permanent hire.

“Ben Jonsson, who's been with the Air Force for more than 25 years, will take over from interim COO Robert Herleth on July 7, the mayor's office announced in a news release Thursday.”

“Jonsson already has experience in personnel coordinating roles, the mayor's office says, serving since 2023 as the chief of staff at the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base. The statement announcing his appointment also said that he "provided crisis leadership during the current Gaza-Israel conflict." Other career accomplishments touted by the mayor's office include his roles as vice superintendent and chief operating officer at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was also a director at the White House National Security Council.”

Anyone have any insight on this: 

https://www.firstalert4.com/2025/05/14/year-later-no-construction-st-louis-emergency-911-center-despite-critical-need/

Addressing longstanding problems, like 911 dispatch, was one of my core reasons for supporting Jones. The article makes it sound like the whole thing was mostly smoke and mirrors.

addxb2 wrote: ↑

May 15, 2025

The interim COO has been replaced with a permanent hire.

“Ben Jonsson, who's been with the Air Force for more than 25 years, will take over from interim COO Robert Herleth on July 7, the mayor's office announced in a news release Thursday.”

“Jonsson already has experience in personnel coordinating roles, the mayor's office says, serving since 2023 as the chief of staff at the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base. The statement announcing his appointment also said that he "provided crisis leadership during the current Gaza-Israel conflict." Other career accomplishments touted by the mayor's office include his roles as vice superintendent and chief operating officer at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was also a director at the White House National Security Council.”

AMC CoS was my nemesis when I was with the 375 Civil Engineer Squadron. A lot of sparring over facility space use. They thought they never had enough and I had data. Should be a good hire if he sticks to what the military usually does, which is find ways around roadblocks. At city gov everyone gives up at the first road block

Actually hilarious and predicted by me a few months ago.

Traffic light at Vandaventer and 44 is still out, in actual news.

Vandeventer and I-44 signals are owned and maintained by MODOT.


Claiming credit for paving that was already scheduled is the type of goofy thing that politicians love to do for some reason (I think we all know why), but Spencer is right that there has never been enough of a reliable funding stream for infrastructure. As practically every thread on this forum ends up covering at some point. It is also good to note that after doing a particularly bad job of paving North Kingshighway last year with Street Division crews, the CIty under Jones decided that they would pay the contractors doing the concrete work to also do the street paving on the ARPA projects. That should get us better quality on smoothness, and better longevity. For the last decade, or maybe even longer, the City crews have been shockingly bad at asphalt paving.

I am pleasantly surprised by how quickly my recent pothole reports were filled. I hope that keeps up. I don't want Suelmann to be the permanent Streets Director, and I don't think he wants to be either, but this type of stuff was reliably handled during his time. He probably isn't the most imaginative guy for design, but he was good at the basic delivery of services. That's the competency an interim director needs.

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

May 15, 2025

SB in BH wrote: ↑

May 15, 2025

Anyone have any insight on this: 

https://www.firstalert4.com/2025/05/14/year-later-no-construction-st-louis-emergency-911-center-despite-critical-need/

Addressing longstanding problems, like 911 dispatch, was one of my core reasons for supporting Jones. The article makes it sound like the whole thing was mostly smoke and mirrors.

BPS handled it and if you’ve been paying attention to any bps handled project with federal money involved (7th street, tower grove connector, tucker) being 1 year delayed is 3 years head of schedule

I think media will press for info about “emergency” award without bids part

Thanks, DB. Not familiar w/ BPS but I'll take you word that they underperform. Care to speculate how they nonetheless keep getting City business?

BPS(Board of Public Service) is the Citys public works department in charge of delivering all construction projects and managing all city owned facilities and vehicles. 

BPS

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

May 16, 2025

BPS(Board of Public Service) is the Citys public works department in charge of delivering all construction projects and managing all city owned facilities and vehicles. 

BPS

Oh good lord--I just assumed it was the contractor the city hired. Shame on me. Now I see the GC is Kozeny-Wagner. Are they a regular with BPS projects?

I asked a couple media members who covered budget hearings about the streets directors presentation….

The sorest of losers.

Baltimore Jack wrote:The sorest of losers.

Except what they said is factual and true. You would be b*tching up a storm if the tornado sirens didn't go off while Jones was mayor.

I think the comments from Tishaura and Virvus are in poor taste.  I was a supporter for another term, MOST of my friends were not.  I didn't like her showing up at an event for Cara and standing with her arms folded.  It is just not professional.

The comments by Virvus and Tishaura are irrelevant but certainly in poor taste. The thing is Cara isn’t asking for any sympathy from them and she does appear to be shouldering everything that comes with the job.

^My thoughts exactly.

They immediately made this comment about themselves.

I've never held high regard for Virvus but this is disappointing from Tishaura.

STLCityMike wrote: ↑

May 31, 2025

I think the comments from Tishaura and Virvus are in poor taste.  I was a supporter for another term, MOST of my friends were not.  I didn't like her showing up at an event for Cara and standing with her arms folded.  It is just not professional.

Poor taste sure, but they are more or less saying that in their comments. Virvus literally says "we will give the same grace". Their point is that while Jones was in office, she fielded bad faith, bad taste attacks all the time, and we saw just how many happened on here alone.

Then it just gets funnier when someone who made it their job to make bad faith, bad taste attacks for months on here is the one who decides to make a comment as if they're somehow morally superior.

Belief is just like morality. People who believe something often think they are superior to others.

― Sadhguru,

Jim Suelman is out as streets director, Jeff Flake, the streets commissioner is now leading the department.

Heard that he was just collecting a paycheck, was uninterested in the job.

I have also heard that Robert Herleth, the chief operating officer, is also just taking a paycheck. No one in the government takes him seriously, so much so that he's not even kept in tne loop. Possibly retiring soon.

In general, none of the interim picks are actually doing anything from what I've been told. They don't wanna be there and they are just in it for the paycheck.

Herleth left, the permanent started.  Suelman left because he wasnt interested in tornado response 

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

Jul 07, 2025

Herleth left, the permanent started.  Suelman left because he wasnt interested in tornado response 

Good. I heard what I posted a few weeks ago, so happy to hear he's actually gone now. Should have never been there at all.