On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Alderwoman Dwinderlin Evans joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to discuss her first few weeks on the board.
Evans represents the 4th Ward, which encompasses parts of The Ville, JeffVanderLou, Kingsway East and Vandeventer neighborhoods. She won a special election in June without opposition to fill out the term of the late Sam Moore.
Here’s what Evans talked about on the show:
- Her journey from the world of public education to the Board of Aldermen. That included tenure as the 4th Ward committeewoman, which featured working hand-in-hand with Moore.
- Why she decided to pursue the aldermanic post. One of her major goals is to redevelop large portions of the 4th Ward.
- Her take on a ballot item that would authorize a private entity to run St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The St. Louis NAACP and the Carpenters Union gathered enough signatures for an initiative petition, but an effort for the Board of Aldermen to place its own plan on the ballot so far has faltered.
- Her opinion of removing the city’s residency requirement, which some believe would make it easier to hire police officers. Others, though, contend it will result in employees moving out of the city. Aldermen approved a ballot item that will be up for a vote in November, while Missouri lawmakers are considering repealing the residency requirement during their ongoing special session.
Evans is a St. Louis native who worked for the St. Louis Public Schools and what’s now known as the Normandy Schools Collaborative.
When Moore died earlier this year, members of the St. Louis Democratic Central Committee picked Evans as the Democratic nominee to replace him. No one else ran for the position, so her nomination was tantamount to election.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Rachel Lippmann on Twitter: @rlippmann
Music: “Julia, Take Your Man Home” by Wolf Parade
