ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.--American Rescue Plan Act funding could be requested to fund a number of projects in St. Louis County Tuesday night, for issues ranging to an outdated officer for the county’s Medical Examiner and the demolition of the former Jamestown Mall.  

The Department of Public Health is asking County Council members to approve $300,000 in ARPA funding to study the future of the North Central Community Health Center, located at 4000 Jennings Station Road and the Thomas J. Gartner building, which houses the medical examiner’s office at 6059 North Hanley Road.

“Within the past six years, DPH has worked with the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) for multiple repairs to the roof, HVAC system, sinkholes in the parking lot, and moisture accumulation in the flooring, among many other issues. These are, and will continue to be, perpetual costs for County, further burdening taxpayers, and are safety hazards to the patients, staff, and other visitors,” Acting DPH director Dr. Faisal Khan wrote in a letter to County Executive Sam Page last month. 

In the same letter, Dr. Khan said the Gartner building hasn’t seen major improvements since 2006.

“The opioid epidemic as well as increases in homicide rates and other factors have strained the ME’s office, compromising its ability to properly store decedents, maintain necessary staffing levels, and complete death reports in a timely manner. The Gantner building is severely outdated and no longer suited to face the challenges of modern ME’s offices,” he wrote.

The Council could take a final vote on legislation which would add five assistant prosecuting attorneys and three staff members, using $909,842 in ARPA funding. Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell last spring asked for nine attorneys and five staff, at a cost of $1.131 million.

Fourth District Councilwoman Shalonda Webb will introduce a bill Tuesday that would commit up to $50 million for a North County Health and Wellness Recovery Program that would address chronic health concerns, vaccine hesitancy in North St. Louis County, bring holistic wellness centers to two locations in North St. Louis County, and would also bring mobile health units back to North County. Webb will also introduce legislation that would use $6 million in ARPA funding to pay for the demolition of the former Jamestown Mall site in North St. Louis County. 

Redeveloping the site has run into obstacles in recent years as lawmakers disagreed about best community uses for the property.

Tuesday’s meeting will be the first since votes were tallied in last Tuesday’smunicipal elections, including a change to the County Charter which strictly prohibits the County Executive from holding outside employment. Page announced on Wednesday that he was leaving his anesthesiology practice, effective immediately.