Reductio Ad Absurdum

I've been thinking about the appointment for the vacant Ward 3 seat, the appointment process ordinance, and Mayor Nick Guccione's stand on both. It's been two months since the election and only last week, did our "people's" Mayor name his appointment. Obviously, things aren't going the way he'd hoped for but the question is; what the hell did he expect.

"It's my appointment! It's my appointment!! It's my appointment!!!" OK, enough already, this is all that has been heard from "the People's Mayor," Guccione since taking office. It's his appointment, I get it, the Board of Aldermen get it, everybody gets it, so what's being done? The Mayor's hard-line stand on naming his hand-picked replacement is being met by the Alderman with a process that is supportive of open and transparent government—"for the people, of the people, and by the people," yet Guccione, "the people's Mayor" is thumbing his nose at it.

My problem is this: Here is a man with no practical experience in managing people, has a head scratching and frightening lack of knowledge about government and how it works, yet for some reason (known only to him) he believes himself to be above the people. This man has taken his less than 50 percent of the vote as some sort of mandate that the people of Wentzville have given him carte blanche to rewrite not only the policies and procedures of Wentzville but the constitution of the United States.

"The People's Mayor" should embrace the people who want to apply for the open seat rather than say "I don't care how many names you put in front of me, I won't accept them. It's my appointment and I'll place who I want." There is a name for this reductio ad abserdum and it doesn't conform to any sort of representative republic / democratic government I've ever known. "The People's Mayor" needs to apologize to the city for having an agenda which does not consider the citizens who would like to serve. You cannot claim to be the people's voice and on the other side of your mouth tell them to go to hell; "it's my way or the highway."

Another subject that has been a burr under my saddle is the discussions had by the Aldermen at the retreat regarding the new city hall project. I asked and asked that the meeting be video taped to be seen by all citizens and was assured that it would be. This year's retreat work session was off-site and as usual, it always seems that the new city hall project is one of those subjects that is talked about at an off-site location. At any rate, the retreat was held Friday May 18th and Saturday May 19th and I had full intention of attending the meeting of the 18th just to hear the discussion about the new city hall. When I learned that it would be video taped, I decided not to go and catch the discussion at a more convienient time. Low and behold, the meeting of the 19th was taped but the meeting of the 18th was not. What pisses me off most about this is that I had the word of the City Clerk, the IT Department, the President of the Board, and two other Aldermen who guaranteed me that it would happen. I should have known better!

Subsequently, I was told that I could read the minutes of the meeting but any one who reads minutes of meetings who attended a meeting knows that minutes are not verbatim and on numerous occasions I've found them lacking in content. It's been almost two weeks since the retreat and I've been told that the minutes will be posted after the Board approves them at the next regular meeting. Wonderful, we only have to wait three more weeks to see the abridged version of the meeting of May 18th. The City has no business taking discussions of such an important nature off-site to a remote location, it needs to be discussed in our City Hall chambers!

A Lesson In Bufoonery

I'm pleased to say; last evening's meetings was (un) conducted almost entirely by our Mayor. For the first time in his mayoral career Guccione had the chance to strut his stuff without the President of the Board of Alderman, Rick "Bulldog" Stokes taking charge. Stokes did need to redirect him occasionally, prodding him back on topic or asking the City Clerk for roll call, but other than that, it was Guccione's shining moment. Mayor Guccione should be proud, he turned a meeting with a relatively short agenda into a free-for-all that ended this morning at 12:05, (six hours and twenty minutes) and then they went into executive session. As predicted the open forum and discussion items were out of control and other agenda items were unfocused.

The regular meeting was prefaced by a special meeting and it's sole purpose was for Guccione to appoint a replacement for the Ward 3 vacancy. Almost two months after taking office he finally gets around to naming the person he wants sitting next to him; Mr Michael Hayes. Those of you who followed the election may remember that Michael Hayes, who was recruited by Guccione to run against Rick Stokes, filed early in the race but withdrew his candidacy December 19, 2011. The only person getting pissed off was Guccione, he was being irrational, making a fool of himself, and the appointment was going nowhere. "Bulldog" Stokes finally had to jump in and asked the city clerk for a roll call to close the discussion.

A vigorous discussion ensued revolving around the process in the "Filling Vacancies in Elective Office" ordinance which was on the regular meeting agenda for its first reading. Thank God the ordinance was discussed toward the end of the meeting or I would have awakened in City Hall this morning. The appointment discussion at the beginning and ordinance debate at the end were the highlights of the evening. Mayor Guccione made a total ass of himself denying an open government process which he perceived would preempt "my appointment."

"The blog" is ingrained in him, he is obsessed with what is written here, he talked about it again: "The blog said; the Aldermen would not accept any of his appointments." Guccione takes speculation and turns it into reality, it's a very strange place between his ears. He has his musk oxen defense on high alert and no amount of logic or reason is going to break through it. He claimed on two occasions; "Not once since I was elected has anyone on the Board worked with me," po po him. He didn't go into how many times he's worked with them, it's all about him. In his head, he is Wentzville. he da man, he be the almighty, great, and powerful wizard of Wentzville, while in reality, he is the pathetic, illogical buffoon behind the screen.

The Aldermen argued for the citizens of Wentzville who may want to apply for the open seat, calling for transparency in government and opening up the process to any registered voter in Wentzville, not just one hand-picked candidate. Guccione would have none of it, he said "it's my appointment," and if it's not his choice, the seat will remain vacant. The "Peoples Mayor" said: "The people elected me and trust my decisions." What an arrogant narcissist, more people voted against him than for him yet he truly believes that the 1,224 citizens who voted for him are the only citizens in this community. The 1,664 residents voting against him, and (in his mind) the 26,182 residents who didn't vote are suddenly discarded or transformed into worshiping their new Caesar Guccione (beware the ides of March!), It's easy for most people to understand that in a democracy when you are the only one against everyone, maybe your thinking is somewhat skewed and it's time to compromise, but that word is not in Guccione's vocabulary. Guccione said: "I lost my power to vote when I became Mayor and this appointment is all I have left," is it only me, or does anyone else see the flaw in his thinking? He should have thought about that before he put so much effort into being elected to his fairytale dream job.

Mayor Guccione is on record saying he's against the open government process and any applicants who may come forward during the process. He is convinced that his choice is the best qualified person in Wentzville and the absolute best candidate for Ward 3. I disagree, he needs to step back, take a look at his narrow-minded thought process and what he's doing to our city government.

Is Wentzville Leaderless?

The long awaited retreat is over and I've refrained reporting anything until I had the opportunity to review the video. Unfortunately, the portion I was most interested in seeing isn't online; Friday's meeting, May 18th. The reason I wanted to see this particular section of the meeting is because it contains the Mayor's vision and direction for the City. For the past ten months I've been trying to get a handle on what our Mayor wants to do with Wentzville but I'm beginning to believe I'm using the wrong preposition, voters and I assume it's "with Wentzville," I'm thinking now that it's actually; "to Wentzville."

According to eye witnesses, Mayor Guccione read from a written script rather than orate his goals. I've been trying to figure out why he just didn't talk about his directives rather than read them and the only thing I can come up with is that he doesn't have a direction for the City. This is consistent with his time on the Board of Aldermen, he didn't say anything because he didn't know what to say. I really wonder why he ran for Mayor?

I watched approximately four hours of Saturday's meeting and through the tedium, Mayor Guccione said nothing. Other than scratch, cough, and drink from a water bottle, he might as well not have been there. Once again, Alderman Rick Stokes led the meeting. I know that they would still be there if they'd relied on Guccione to run the meeting but it's a disappointment that Stokes and the other four Aldermen are not letting our Mayor fail at his fought-for position.

I'll be at the meeting tonight and eager to see our Mayor leading the charge, I can only hope the Aldermen let him do the job he thought he wanted. We're coming up on two months since the election and there's nothing positive to report on regarding Mayor Guccione. Sooner or later he's going to have to take the lead at City meetings, Wentzville can't be leaderless for four years.

I've heard that Mayor Guccione is focusing more on the election of 2013 than his duties as Mayor. His fan club is busy behind the scenes trying to make sure that he gets three of his zombies elected. I will do my best to expose his recruits and hope Wentzville voters are interested in preserving a competent and rational Board of Aldermen. I suggest to the Aldermen up for re-election; take Guccione's intent to replace them seriously.

Hopefully, I'll have things to report on tomorrow about tonight's meeting. Hopefully, our Mayor steps up and does the things he was elected to do. And hopefully, Wentzville won't suffer due to the lack of a leader!

City Hall Opinions

Every year our City government changes with the annual election when  three Aldermen seats come up for bid. Until two years ago City decisions and discussions have been very erratic and unpredictable, simply because there has been dissension in the ranks of our Aldermen. Before that, the Board was so radical left they gave away most of the farm and angered the voters, but after the election of 2009 brought in Ward 1 Alderman Cheryl Kross, things started to change. One year later, Ward 2 Alderman Chris Gard and Ward 3 Alderman Rick "Bulldog Stokes" were elected. With them and Ward 1 Alderman Leon Tow, sanity was beginning to come to Wentzville for the first time in the minds of the old-timers. Now, with the addition of Sonya Shyrock in Ward 2 and Forrest Gossett in Ward 1, the last of the left-wing radicals were replaced and fiscal responsibility is now the term for the day. Wentzville transitioned from chaos to conservatism in only three years.

The old guard listened to special interests and small groups of citizens, in doing so they made some terrible and expensive decisions in the process. This new Board with some Aldermen who are ultra-conservative are not immune to making the same mistakes of their predecessors if they don't listen to the people who have lived in Wentzville through it's growth period. I believe the majority of Wentzville citizens want/demand accountability and  due diligence guarding their tax-dollars but not to the extent of doing harm to our community.

One of the most damaging mistakes made in the last 20 years was to build a new police station and place it out of town on the Wentzville Parkway. The facility they built was ill conceived and poorly designed. In the long-run, this building will cost more to maintain than it was to build. Mayor Vickie Boedeker had a dream to build a civic center (City Hall / Law Enforcement Center [LEC}) that would be the envy of the county and her legacy but in reality it has become the beginning of a nightmare. Had she polled the citizens of Wentzville at that time, that project would never have gotten off of the ground. Her dream, now our nightmare, may be fulfilled if the Aldermen have a mind to put a new City Hall on the Wentzville Parkway in front of the LEC.

Once again the sounds of a new City Hall are being heard coming from the Aldermen, Ward 2 Alderman Chris Gard has been pressing to get the talks going again and has indicated to me that he thinks it should be in the Village Center. This topic has been discussed for the better part of ten years, and after some confrontation and feedback with the residents, the general consensus that it would be built downtown. A resolution was passed by the City almost seven years ago and recently reaffirmed to build a new City Hall in the Village Center if, and when it became necessary. I have railed for the Village Center location longer than any of the current Aldermen or Mayor has served in office, and I will continue to do so until ground is broken.

I have never been afraid to speak out about what I believe is right and I believe the downtown location for a new City Hall is the right decision. There have been only a few topics over the years that have drawn enough passion to compel me to get up on all fours and fight, but the location of a new City Hall is one of them! The question was asked of every Alderman in the City of Wentzville: "In one sentence, tell me where you stand on the location of a possible new City Hall?" The following are the answers given by our representatives of each ward.

Alderman Ward 1, Cheryl Kross: "I don't have sufficient information to make that determination."
Alderman Ward 1, Forrest Gossett: "I'm not convinced we need a new city hall but If we do, I'm leaning toward the Downtown location until a more thorough investigation proves differently."

Alderman Ward 2: Chris Gard: "I prefer it downtown it would be the spark for the Village Center development imitative,"

Alderman Ward 2, Sonya Shryock: "It's the right thing to do."

Alderman Ward 3, Rick Stokes: "It's critical to the revitalization of the downtown area to build it in the Village Center."

Alderman Ward 3, Vacant: "I have no voice on this matter until a certain knot-head (who will remain anonymous) gives me one."

Regarding Mayor Guccione's opinion; I'm not going to ask him again because he's flipped in it twice already, besides, it's not his decision to make and I really don't give a rats-ass about his opinion on the matter.

"I Know What The Citizens Of Ward 3 Want!"

I enjoyed last night's meeting of the Board of Aldermen once I got inside chambers, almost five hours of political bliss. Upon arriving at City Hall I had to cut my way through a cloud of cigarette smoke created by our mayor, Nickolas Guccione. I found it revolting to see him standing right out in front giving lip service to his cigarette—what a way for a Mayor to embrace those coming to the meeting, poisoning them with his second-hand smoke.

Another discouraging situation came right in the beginning of the meeting during the "Ceremonial Matters" while listening to our Mayor floundering over words and sentences trying to read the proclamations. He doesn't read much and it shows every time he flops around in an attempt to sound mayoral. Remarkably, overlooking his unmistakable reading impediment, smokers hack, and lack of knowledge about procedures, the meeting went on, it was out of control, but the Aldermen saved his biscuits and kept it running—four hours and forty-five minutes worth. I found it funny that during discussions, Guccione raised his hand to speak on two occasions, he even tried to make a motion.

Mayor Guccione doesn't seem to remember where he stands on issues as apparent last evening when the Board passed a revised cooperative agreement resolution for Ranken. When the original resolution was presented, Guccione as an Alderman voted for it at all three readings. During his campaign for Mayor, he opposed it and vocalized his opposition at every opportunity saying "I made a mistake." Now he's all for the deal and gave a dissertation about how good it would be for the City. Flip and re-flip, anyone wanna bet on the possibility of a tri-flip?

I also found it interesting that our Mayor doesn't use the gavel to close discussions or votes very much, in fact he only hit it four times last night. I have a theory about this phenomena: He is a staunch union man and perhaps using a gavel that looks like a hammer may cross some imaginary carpenter's union lines. Since he is a member of the meat cutter's union, the City may need to buy a gavel that resembles a meat cleaver, then they could put a rubber chicken on the Dias and he could hack away.

The most important discussion of the night by far, was regarding the appointment for the vacated Ward 3 seat. Guccione reiterated that "it's my appointment" at least half dozen times during the discussion. Alderman Forrest Gossett suggested an "open process" to include all of the citizens of Ward 3 and read state statutes to support setting procedures for appointment. Gossett has a vast knowledge of governmental procedures and led the charge to have an "open government," suggesting the creation of a procedure for future boards to follow when, and if a similar situation should arise. Guccione believed he was being attacked by Gossett and opposed  him by asking the City Attorney, Paul Rost: "How can you write an ordinance that would undermine my authority?"  Rost tried to explain that he would still have the appointment authority but now he would have a pool of diligent citizen to choose from using the application process. Guccione wasn't having any of it, "I don't care how many names you present to me, I have made my selection. I know what the citizens of Ward 3 want and if you don't approve my candidate, the seat will remain open until the election next year!" He hasn't figured out what was said, I don't think he ever will. Gosset had to re-read the statute and Guccione still didn't get it, he's in way over his head and still on the defense.

All of the Aldermen supported open government and agreed upon the application process. They directed staff to create the appropriate ordinance. Opposing "open government" is a crucial underestimation in Guccione's young administration. After speaking with a very good friend, she stated; "Gucionne is being too defensive." He knows the rifts he's created in the board with his dirty campaign and is delusional that the Aldermen are out to get him, he's taking this process way too personal. Being as stubborn as a jackass in a tin barn on issues in an attempt to flex his mayoral muscles in opposition of the Aldermen is not good for the city, it's pure politics and not representative government. He claims to know what the citizens of Ward 3 want just because he was elected, he's sorely mistaken. He needs to listen to the recommendations of our newly reelected Alderman in Ward 3, Rick "Bulldog" Stokes, he knows what we want, he's still there! To reject the "open government" policy will bite him in the ass sooner than he may think when the disenfranchised citizens of Ward 3 start coming before him in open forum to tell him that he does not know what Ward 3 citizens want. Ward 3 residents want representation, not a contrary Mayor hand-picking one of his "buds" to fill a hole.

If our Mayor throws out the citizen's applications for the vacated seat through a newly created "open government" process in favor of "my candidate," it will be the real beginning of his political downfall. But, he knows nothing about diplomacy and doesn't care to learn. I would think that since he's on record as saying he will not consider any of the applicants, he may be setting the City and himself up for being sued. But, I don't think he cares about that either, Guccione is a dangerous Mayor, dangerous to Wentzville.

Throw Us A Bone, Guccione

Last week in the mail I received Wentzville's bimonthly newsletter; The Vision, the May/June 2012 issue. As always, there's the Mayor's Comments article but this time, instead of Mayor Paul Lambi, I see Mayor Nickolas Guccione's newyly elected smiling face with the title: "Serving Wentzville Residents Will be My Foundation." This is his first opportunity to reiterate to the 1224 people who voted for him that he's there for them, as for the 1664 who voted for someone else, and the other 27,336 in apathy, go suck eggs.

In his closing sentence of the first paragraph: "...residents have afforded to me to serve...and I promise to do everything within my power to be deserving of the honor of the office." Watching and listening to Mayor Guccione for over five years gives me a unique view of him and his "deserving" to be Mayor of Wentzville. If he had gotten what he deserved, he would be paying attorney fees, trying his best to keep from having a felony charge and paying huge fines in court. Within 15 minutes of taking office Guccione was pardoned by the outgoing Mayor. That's a hell of a way to start leading a city and in no way is that deserving of the "honor of office." Guccione brought dishonor to the office by being pardoned even before he took office.

Later on in the article he says how excited he is about the next four years and how Wentzville is heading in the right direction, he talks about General Motors adding workers and the new Sam's Club. C'mon Nickolas, why didn't you say how hard you worked to keep Sam's Club from coming to Wentzville. You voted against every item regarding this subject and pandered to the protesters who swarmed City Hall to keep Sam's out. Your campaign supporters gave you money and directed you to vote against it while you were an Alderman. Being a union man, you couldn't afford to go against their wishes, so please don't try taking any credit for Sam's Club being here.

In that same paragraph I caught a line reading: "I look forward to working with City Staff members, the Board of Aldermen..." What Board of Aldermen is he talking about? Surely it couldn't be Wentzvilles. Not the one he badmouthed, trashed, and got fined? The one he will not even consider a recommendation for his vacated seat, not that Board of Aldermen? The same Board he thumbed his nose at when he got pardoned, that Board of Aldermen? Don't say crap you have no intention of doing. When are you going to work with the Board of Aldermen? When they do everything you want, when they kiss your ass?

Now a little about what he's going to do for the City. Guccione writes: "While the specifics on some ideas I have for the City have yet to be defined,..." Mayor Guccione campaigned for at least six months on something, what was it. Throw us a bone, give us something, tell us one thing you are going to do for the City. You must have something you can say that you're going to accomplish that's revolutionary, or even benign, just tell us one thing. You're personnel board was trashed, what's next? Hell you won't even put a name on your appointment for Ward 3 Alderman. Our Mayor will never commit, never take a stand, and will never lead us anywhere but backward!

Ladies and Gentlemen — Start Our Engine

"Any effort at revitalizing our downtown area must take root with the realization that it must unquestionably be done."

—Alan Autry, Mayor, Fresno CA

The subject of a new city hall has been talked about seriously off and on since early in 2006 when the City awarded a contract to Holleran, Suitsman Architects (HDA) in the amount of $272,000 to conduct a City Hall study that would, among other things, choose locations and create conceptual site plans. In 2005 the Board selected the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) location as one potential site, The Whisk property at the far west end of Main Street, and an undetermined site in the downtown area. It is now known that they were talking about the property currently occupied by the City Finance Department at the intersection of Pearce Blvd. and Linn Avenue.

HDA designed a "generic" plan that could be used in any of the three selected potential sites. This works to the City's advantage so when it does have the means to purchase land, it will have a site plan that will work. The plan chosen will occupy two city blocks, one the hall structure, and the other a parking garage. The parking structure will be three levels at approximately 21,600 square feet per level and will house about 200 vehicles. The garage will attach to the City Hall structure, ensuring easier access and protection from the elements. The City Hall structure will be approximately 50,000 square feet, three levels at about 18,000 square feet each. The entrance will be on the corner of the street, and will include a public drop-off semicircle and public plaza.

This plan fits perfectly on the area of Pearce Blvd. and Linn Avenue. It was designed specifically for this intersection and needs to be built there. There are people who claim that it would be more economical to put it on the Wentzville Parkway in front of the LEC because we already own the land. This thinking is faulty on a number of levels. The land owned by the City on the Wentzville Parkway is prime retail frontage. If the city would sell that land they would realize more than enough to buy the two blocks in the center of the village center. Not only that, the City already owns most of the block behind the proposed site which would add space for other structures or parking.

The Village Center site is owned by one family who live out of state and leases it to Commerce Bank and the City. It would be a clean transaction and if not, is a perfect candidate for eminent domain. The Whisk property has serious access problems. To make it work the City would need to get the state to put an entrance/exit on highway 70 from the west and then tunnel through under the railroad tracks to gain access from the north. The least resistance is the LEC location but it has been said that there may not be enough room.

The avenue of least resistance in this project would cut the heart out of Wentzville and is not the best avenue for the future of the Village Center and the City. In 2012 the City of Wentzville will be 157 years old and and will celebrate the 155th-year anniversary of the first train train pulling into our fledgling town. If our founder William Allen, and the good visionary men and women who built our city could see that Wentzville's City Hall would be placed anyplace other than the village center, I doubt very seriously if that first train would have stopped here in 1857.

I urge our great conservative Board of Aldermen to make an  intelligent decision when planting the heart of Wentzville. Speak with our long-time Village Center residents and business owners to get their opinion. Move forward with whatever is necessary to get this project under way, reignite the growth of our village center, and start its new economic engine. Make the Village Center a destination that our forefathers would be proud of, not just another contemporary throw-away building out of town between the strip-malls.

A Sale on Chicken Parts

As I predicted, last evening's Board of Aldermen work session meeting could be considered uninteresting to most, but I had a ball. Watching our New Mayor and seeing his lack of participation and willingness to let the Aldermen run the meeting is right in line with his five years of inactivity on the Board where he did absolutely nothing. I'll will say one thing for Mayor Guccione, he's consistent.

The retreat meeting agenda was fun. After Guccione opened the meeting and the discussion about the retreat agenda, the President of the Board, Alderman Rick "Bulldog" Stokes spoke up and in my eyes, just like the City Attorney Paul Rost last week, ran the meeting while Guccione went into his thousand yard stare. This will be Guccione's operating procedure for meetings during the next four years, I like to think of it as a deer in the headlights form of leadership.

I have to say that if the "Bulldog" hadn't led the meeting, it would be still going on at this writing. The next 30 or 40 minutes was a drag as the Aldermen went through the tedium of listing agenda items and organizing time slots for each discussion.

As the discussion wound down, the "Bulldog" realized that the agenda didn't include a slot for the Mayor. He said to the Mayor that in his report last week, he remarked that he wanted to hit the ground running; "Where would You like to give your direction?" Guccione responded; "You forgot about me, I didn't get a chance to talk." I was right there when he said that, where was he while the Aldermen led the meeting? Where was he when he was supposed to be keeping decorum and leading the meeting. As a matter of fact, at one point he tried to close the discussion before the agenda was even created. "Bulldog" asked Guccione if he agreed with or had comments about the agenda and he replied: "No, this all fits in with my goals." WHAT! What the hell does that mean" He let the Aldermen run the meeting and set the agenda, while adding and saying nothing, and now it all conforms with HIS GOALS? C'mon Mayor, throw us a bone, what exactly are your goals. I have to go to that retreat if for nothing else but to hear him elaborate on his goals.

Now, on to more fun: The Chamber of Commerce holds a ribbon cutting for new businesses in Wentzville and has done this since their founding every Tuesday at 11:00am. Mayor Guccione was invited and agreed to officiate the proceeding. 11:00 came and went with no Mayor when a phone call illuminated that he couldn't make it but would be there by noon. Noon came and went and after receiving another phone call from the Mayor we learned that he couldn't be there until 4:00pm. The Chamber officials decided to wait and went on with the BBQ and other festivities. 4:00 became 4:30, no mayor, 4:30 became 5:00 and still no Mayor. The Chamber could wait no longer so they asked the President of the Board to stand in for the AWOL Mayor.

I've heard that the Chamber President, Mr. Tony Mathews asked the Mayor if there was a better time for him to attend the ribbon cuttings and Guccione said that he's always off work on Wednesdays. I know that the Chamber has board and regular meetings on Wednesdays so this is going to be interesting to see how much they can adapt before keeping it on Tuesdays and invite the Economic Development Director or an Alderman to preside over ribbon cuttings.

I've been sitting here trying to figure out what would keep Mayor Guccione from this event when he said he'd be there at least three times last Tuesday. I need to look in the ad section of the newspaper to see if Schnucks has a sale on chicken parts. If so, that would explain Guccione's absence.

City Hall Sprawl

The work session for the Board of Aldermen scheduled for tonight contains only three agenda items and a "special" executive session meeting. Neither of the regular work session items are overly exciting and I can only guess what's in the executive session but I expect there could be a press release put out immediately following. On the work session, a discussion about the retreat agenda and another regarding the work session topic list. It's difficult to get moist about any of this but if you dissect them, there are some questions that need to be asked, which I will probably comment on after the meeting.

One of the items on the work session topic list is the new City Hall. It pisses me off that every time the Board of Aldermen have a discussion about the new City Hall, they always seem to schedule it at a retreat and even though it's a public meeting, most of those who attend regular meetings will not go because it's usually out of town. This topic needs to be discussed where the most citizens will attend. I asked Mayor Lambi why they have these retreats and he answered by saying that it's a meeting where we can get away from the press and a crowd of citizens listening. As far as I'm concerned, that's a crock of shit, in my thinking it's one way of not worrying about the things they say and do and having their opinions reported.

For the past sixteen years there's been a pattern formed to expand City Hall. Not in a conventional way but to acquire more property and buildings to spread out the departments all over the city. Mayor Vickie Boedeker's dream was to put City Hall out on the Wentzville Parkway. Her first mistake was building that horrendous police department building. It has cost the City more money in roof repairs than than most people spend on their homes. Her plan was to put a new City Hall right in front of it but alas, her dreams were dashed when she lost her re-election bid to Mayor Lambi. Lambi continued the tradition by leasing the old Commerce Bank building on Pearce Blvd. and Linn Avenue in which he placed the Finance, Purchasing, and IT departments. Not counting the Water and Waste Water departments, Wentzville's City Hall consists of four buildings ranging in age from 10 to 60 years old. Compared to having a central City Hall I'd like to see the cost differential of, utilities, maintenance, grounds, communications, duplication of office equipment, personnel, and others every year.

The building and placement of a central city hall has been my focus for the past decade. It is my feeling and that of many others that they should flatten the old Commerce Bank building, acquire the four blocks around it (which is mainly parking lots), and build the new City Hall that has been on the drawing board for the better part of 10 years.

I know that Mayor Guccione wants to revisit Boedeker's dream of putting City Hall on the Parkway, and Aldermen Chris Gard and "Bulldog" Stokes are on board with the downtown location. Alderman Cheryl Kross has me wondering because I've heard other thoughts from her and I haven't had the opportunity to speak with the new Aldermen, Forrest Gossett and Sonya Shyrock about a location, but I will.

I've written numerous times in another life about the building and location of Wentzville's City Hall and will continue to press for the location downtown. I will be watching these discussions very closely to see who opposes or offers anything that will defer the economic engine of a new City Hall from a downtown location.