UNIVERSITY CITY, MO — Just a handful of business owners showed up to a meeting in University City Tuesday morning to find out how a proposed $200 million development will affect businesses along the Olive Corridor in the city's third ward. That stretch is currently home to dozens of small businesses, including restaurants, grocery stores and beauty parlors. Many of them are minority-owned, and some will be forced to relocate if the development goes forward.

The city told Patch it mailed postcards to Olive Boulevard business owners publicizing the meeting, but the city's website contained no mention of the meeting, and Patch couldn't find any notice published elsewhere. That seems to be in violation of the state's Sunshine Law, which calls for notice of public meetings to be posted at least 24 hours in advance. The law defines a public meeting as "any meeting of a public governmental body...at which any public business is discussed, decided, or public policy formulated," and further says its provisions "shall be liberally construed and their exceptions strictly construed to promote this public policy." An expert on the Sunshine Law tells Patch that the city is likely at risk for having violated the state's transparency statutes, but that there is enough wiggle room that a judge could rule either way.

City manager Gregory Rose told Patch he didn't believe the meeting violated the Sunshine Law. "No one has given me any legal reason why a notice needed to be posted," he said. "We hold public meetings all the time with staff and community members [that aren't posted]." John Mulligan, the city's attorney, said the meeting wasn't an official city council meeting, so notice wasn't required. "It's my understanding that they're not going to be having a meeting about public policy, so I would think the Sunshine Law wouldn't apply," he said. "The intent of this is for the administration to meet with residents, and the city council[members] are simply attending to hear what they have to say and not to engage in a policy discussion...."

Councilmember Bwayne Smotherson said the meeting was posted, but couldn't say where. Councilmembers Paulette Carr and Tim Cusick refused to answer questions. (For more local coverage, subscribe to Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. You can also download the free Patch app for iPhone and Android.)

In any event, in a room with more than 60 chairs, business owners filled only three of them, with a fourth arriving late near the end of the meeting. No Asian or minority business owners were present at all. Less than half a dozen others, not including city officials and staff, were there. Scores of bagels went uneaten.