This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, April 27, 2011 - The St. Louis County Council can't praise enough the response of emergency officials, law enforcement and the public to last Friday's tragic tornado that destroyed at least 250 homes and damaged more than 2,000 others.
But at Tuesday night's meeting, the council unanimously approved a resolution that took aim at another group -- a few businesspeople accused of taking advantage of victims.
Councilwoman Colleen Wasinger, R-Town and Country, warned homeowners to be wary of people who have shown up in affected areas and claim to be contractors, and seek immediate payment. "Be careful of contractors,'' she said.
But council chairman Steve Stenger, D-Affton, said the chief culprit appears to be hotel owners who "are trying to gouge customers"
"Some hotels in the area were charging rates in excess of their normal rates," Stenger said. Some customers have called the county government to complain.
The county has no power to go after such hotels, he said. But the Missouri attorney general's office, which has a consumer division, may be contacted to check into the matter, Stenger said. Gov. Jay Nixon's office also may be contacted, he added.
The resolution, he said, is aimed at alerting the public "to be on the watch'' for such unscrupulous behavior.
County Executive Charlie Dooley said that federal and state emergency-management officials should be in the area by today to be begin assessing how many homes and businesses were damaged by Friday's tornado, and which ones may qualify for state or federal help. He emphasized that private insurance must be tapped first.
