CLAYTON, Mo. (KMOX) - The St. Louis County Council got quite a surprise at the end of Tuesday night's meeting. Councilman Tim Fitch announced he spoke with Sheriff Scott Kiefer and asked whether evictions have been halted since a new ordinance passed in April took effect.
"So, I asked him if he's done any evictions in St. Louis County since May 13th, and he said, 'Yes, 39,'" Fitch explained. That had Councilwoman Lisa Clancy doing a double-take, making sure Fitch didn't mean in the period between when the ordinance was signed by County Executive Sam Page and the effective date.
"Did he say why they were still taking place?" She asked Councilman Fitch, who said he did not ask the Sheriff why.
It was the expiration of an emergency ordinance prohibiting evictions because of the pandemic that was one factor in crafting a new restriction on them. St. Louis County Presiding Judge Michael Burton had ruled evictions could resume after a group of landlords said they were creating a hardship over non-payment.
The ordinance did not take effect until 15 days after it was signed by County Executive Page following the Council's approval.
However, Fitch said, "I think a lot of us thought that when this bill passed that it would stop evictions, and it has not." He had wondering during the debate over the ordinance whether the Council had the authority to tell the Sheriff to follow their ordinance rather than the judge's ruling.
It's unclear how many evictions may have taken place in the 15 days that the original emergency ordinance had lapsed. But as to who's orders the Sheriff is following, that much is now clear.
On the positive side, the Council voted Tuesday night to accept nearly $130 million in federal money to set up a rental assistance program. It was passed as an emergency ordinance, calling on the County Executive and Director of the Department of Human Services to create documents to initiate the program.
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