The District is located in western St. Louis County, approximately 19 miles northwest of the City of St. Louis and approximately 5 miles west of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The District is situated wholly within St. Louis County, Missouri and is bounded on the west by the Missouri River, to the south by Interstate Highway 70, to the north by Norfork Southern Company's rail embankment and to the east by the bluffs along the Missouri River flood plain.

The District contains, 1,891 acres of which 1,107 acres (58%) are located in unincorporated St. Louis County and the remaining 784 acres (42%) are within the City of Bridgeton, Missouri.

Day-to-Day Management

The District has contracted with A.M.C.I., Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, to handle the day-to-day management activities of the District, including the operations, maintenance and repair of the District's flood control system.

Established in 1989, A.M.C.I., operates as a commercial real estate management company and consultant. The District engaged A.M.C.I., Inc., in January, 2002.

A.M.C.I., Inc., has engaged John R. Basilico as an independent special consultant to assist A.M.C.I., in its management activities. During the period of June, 1980 through December, 2001, Mr. Basilico was responsible for the day-to-day management of the flood control system protecting the 1,891-acre District.

Engineering Services

The District has engaged two (2) highly qualified St. Louis engineering firms to assist in the day-to-day activities of the District. Both firms have been involved in various aspects of the District's flood control system since development of the system began in September, 1971:

Horner & Shifrin, Inc.: Established in 1933, Horner & Shifrin designed almost all of the District's flood control system, including the 2.6 mile, 500-year earthen levee and pump station. They have been engaged in numerous other flood protection, levee, lock and dam projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, other levee Districts and others. Today, Horner & Shifrin, Inc. reviews civil plans for all new construction in the District for compliance with the District's storm water handling standards. They are also engaged for special District projects.

Reitz & Jens, Inc.: Established in 1963, Reitz & Jens, was engaged by St. Louis County to monitor the early development of the flood control system. Later, Reitz and Jens designed and monitored the installation of most of the District's 83 relief wells. Today, they continue to test and monitor all of the District's relief wells and the underseepage berms. Reitz & Jens conducts annual inspections of the District's levee system.

Development within the District is commercial in nature consisting primarily of industrial and distribution style buildings, service centers, office buildings, hotels along with some service related retail and specialty facilities. The District has no residential buildings or residential population.

For administrative purposes only, the 1,891 acre district is divided into four areas.

As of January 1, 2006, the key demographics of the District were as follows:

Financial Information

The District's fiscal year is July 1 through June 30. However, for budgeting purposes, the District operates on a calendar year basis.

The District has engaged a St. Louis certified public accounting firm to audit the District's financial records and to issue an audited financial report on a fiscal year basis. The firm also prepares budget reports.

The District is exempt from Federal and Missouri income taxes.

Improvement Bonds

On December 27, 1997, the District sold $2,435,000 of tax-exempt, 10-years series bonds with a blended interest rate over the 10-year period of slightly above 5%. An annual principal payment and semi-annual interest payments are required. The final payment on the bonds was made on March, 2007 -- one year earlier than scheduled. Currently, the District has no debt.

Annual Taxes

Except for nominal interest earned on District bank accounts, the annual taxes of all landowners are the sole source of District revenue for operations and debt service. As noted above, currently the District has no debt.

Currently, the District levies a maintenance tax (e.g. operations budget).

The Board of Supervisors in August each year sets the tax levies for each landowner in the District. This action determines the taxes for each landowner in the District. The St. Louis County Collector of Revenue prepares and mails the tax bills, usually by October 31, to each landowner in the District. The County Collector collects all taxes and transfers the revenue to the District.

Taxes are due by December 31 and become delinquent if not paid to the County Collector by that time. All property on which delinquent taxes are due are charged a penalty of 1% per month.

Until paid, all levee taxes and penalties constitute a lien upon the property.

The District's tax rates per $100 of assesed benefits since 1995 are:

Tax Basics

Six times since the District's organization in January, 1994, the Circuit Court of St. Louis County has approved a reassessment of benefits affecting all landowners in the District.

Each time, the Court appointed three independent commissioners to: (1) determine the fair market value of each District property, and (2) determine the benefit each District property receives from being protected by the District's flood control system, stated as a percentage of the fair market value assigned by the commissioners.

Historically, the commissioners have set the assessed benefit at either 10% or 8.5% of the fair market value for over 95% of the District's properties. A much smaller percentage has been applied to the 5% balance of the District's properties. Assuming a $1,000,000 property valuation, and using a 10% assigned benefit percentage, the assigned benefit amount is $100,000.

Once an assessed benefit figure is determined, it will not change until such time as District petitions the Court for another District-wide reassessment of benefits.

The District is required to notify all District landowners by certified mail of a reassessment of benefits. After the commissioners have completed the reassessment process and filed their report with the Court, all landowners are again notified by certified mail of the report filing and any landowner has 10 days to review the report at the Court's office and they may file an objection with the Court if they disagree with the commissioners' finding for their property.

The District's assessed benefits total for all District properties for the past six (6) commissioners' reports follows:

At its August meeting each year, the Board of Supervisors approve the District's operations and debt service budgets for the next calendar year. As a result of this action, and using the District's current assessed benefits total, the Board of Supervisors sets the tax rate for the operations and debt service budgets.

Board of Supervisors Meetings

Board of Supervisors meetings are held four times a year; February, April, August and December. All meetings are open to the public and public attendance is encouraged.

The Board may meet at other times as necessary to consider special matters of interest to the District.

April, August and December Meetings.

Place: Administrative offices of the Pattonville Bridgeton-Terrance Fire Protection District located in the District at 13900 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO 63045.
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Date: Set about three weeks prior to meeting date.

February Meeting

This meeting is held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the property owners. The meeting starts about 15 minutes after the conclusion of the annual meeting. Refer to annual meeting of property owners.

Annual Meeting of Property Owners and Election of Supervisor

In accordance with State Statutes, the Board of Supervisors schedule an annual meeting of property owners in the District in February each year to review District business and to elect a Supervisor to the five-year term expiring that year.

Place: Administrative offices of the St. Louis Auto Auction located in the District at 13813 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044.
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Date: Set about six weeks prior to meeting date. The meeting historically is held during the last week of February.

A notice for the meeting is mailed to each landowner in the District three weeks in advance of the date of the annual meeting. The notice will include a voting proxy form and a sample ballot.

The following are the rules and procedures for the election of a Supervisor:

1. Voting by acreage - Each landowner is entitled to cast one vote for each whole acre of land owned in the District.

2. Voter Qualifications - A landowner may be a single individual, multiple individuals, a partnership, a trust or a corporation. In the case of individuals, all persons must be present to cast a valid vote. A partnership may vote through a managing or general partner. A trust must vote through a majority of it's Trustees. A corporation may vote through and authorized officer or proxy.

3. Use of Proxy - Landowners may authorize another person to vote on their behalf by using a proxy provided by the Board of Supervisors with the Notice of the annual meeting mailed to each landowner in advance of the annual meeting.

4. Voting - All ballots and proxies must be voted at the annual meeting. Voting by mail is not permitted.

Duties of a Supervisor and Qualifications to Serve

Duties of Supervisor - The five member Board of Supervisors is responsible for the operations, maintenance and repair of the flood control system which protects the 1,891 acre District. Each Supervisor serves a five-year term and receives no compensation for their services.

Qualifications to serve as a Supervisor - A Supervisor must be a landowner or a designated representative of a landowner. An individual owner or Trustee is considered to be a landowner for voting purposes. If a property is owned by a corporation, partnership, joint venture or any other form of ownership other than individual ownership the property owner may delegate to an individual the authority to serve on the Board of Supervisors if elected. Please contact the District's office prior to the annual meeting for additional information regarding such a delegation.