Bring Your Pillow

I'm looking forward to the Board of Alderman meeting this coming Wednesday evening for several reasons. There are some extremely interesting and contriversial subjucts being discissed however, get there early because it may be standing room only. Next, bring your pillow, given the length of the agenda, this meeting may set a record by lasting well past midnight—I'm bringing my jammys but I'm not looking forward to being there all night.

Early on, they will be discussing the possibility of hiring an interum City Administrator (CA) presented by Mr. Mike Schoedel of Interum Public Management, Inc., after which there will be another presentation by Mr. Gary Holland of the Mercer Group who will talk about recruitment of a new CA. I see these presentatations taking an hour or so. Our Mimesis Guccione is working hard behind the scenes to get one of his buddies hired into this position. It is known that he is having him attend the meetings so he can introduce him to city staffh and also hawking him to the Aldermen. I am not sure if he needs to approve the hiring of a new CA but if he does, it will be just like the vacant Ward 3 Alderman seat (which still pisses me off), it won't be filled this year.

Unless the Aldermen pull off something from the "Consent Agenda" to discuss, they'll go into "Unfinished Business." Of the nine listed items in "Unfinished Business," nothing stands out taking a long time but I can't see them getting through it in less than an hour, especially since Gooch is at the hammer. So now it's a little after 8:00 pm, just one hour until my jammy time and we haven't even hit the real fun stuff yet.

The "Mayor's Report" will gather yawns but if past meetings with Gooch directing traffic is any indication of things to come, the "Alderman's Reports" could be a shot of caffine. It's difficult to predict what they are going to say but I've found them extremely entertaining over the last eight months or so. Alderman Gossett is emerging as a strong member of the Board and his well thought out and calculated statements have brought Gooch to his knees on several occassions.

Now it's ten minutes to jammys and it's "New Business" time. Of the nine items on the agenda, the one I expect will get the most attention and pack the house is; item 5, "Employee Benefits Contract(s) Review."  From prior meetings regarding this subject, I see the lion's share of the audience to be employees. Since this discussion deals with contracts it will no doubt involve our Purchasing/IT Director, Jerry Hillin. I would expect it will be a detailed account of the state of employee benefits in Wentzville. I would think this subject will probably be scrutinized by citizens during "Open Forum." It's going to be noteworthy to see where the Mayor and Aldermen shake out on this subject, many citizens will be watching and I'm sure it will be a hot topic with local news services the next morning.

Finally, now it's approaching eleven o'clock and we get to agenda item "XV Information/Discussion," ten subjects. Even if you only give each of then ten minutes, it's getting near one in the morning. This discussion is going to have to have fireworks or the Memisis will be banging his little hammer to stop the snoring coming from the back row. Jeeez, I'm getting tired just thinking about it.  I'm not even going into "Board Directives" or the possibility of "Executive Session," It's going to be a long night, a very long night.

Election 2013...Already?

I received an email from an anonymous person who only goes by the handle; "The Mole." I have posted a number of his/her comments on this blog over the months and he/she has made some insightful observations that I want to share with you:

The Wentzvillian:

"It is a known fact that Nick Guccione has done his best to manipulate every election for the five years he has been in office. In the past election, besides pressing the truth to voters for his own election, he put great effort into ousting our strongest Alderman Rick Stokes and in addition, put his troupe of conspirators in all of the wards.

Let it be known: His conspiracy to dominate the election of 2013 is in high gear. His number one target is Ward 1 Alderman Cheryl Kross. He is hoping that Chris Gard, Alderman Ward 2, will win his try at becoming State Representative and leave another vacancy. He fully intends to mount a strong campaign against Kross and Gard and will do anything unethical or even illegal to accomplish getting three of his candidates to equalize the current Board of Aldermen.

Alderman Kross needs to start now if she wants to overcome the barragee of lies, ethics violations, and vicious attacks to be made by Guccione's goons. Of course as always, he will make every effort toward plausible denyability. Mark my words, Guccione's fingerprints will be all over the coming election. Beware!"

—The Mole

I know that Guccione and two others are making contacts for candidates to run in all of the wards in the Wentzville 2013 election. I agree with "The Mole" that Alderman Kross needs to strengthen her hold on the voters by doing exactly what she has been doing—implimenting the will of her constituents. I will be digging around to obtain the names of those recruited by Guccione and divulge this information to my readers as soon as they are known.

Should Alderman Gard win his bid for State Representative, I hope he supports a candidate to fill his vacated seat. Gard is an honorable, hard-working Alderman for his ward 2 constituents and an asset to his seat, he has earned the respect of our city through his work here. I think he would make an outstanding State Representative, but if he leaves there will be a huge void left to fill. Please don't let Guccione put a moron to take your place!

More On The June 13th Meeting

Back on the meeting of the 13th, there were some really positive items discussed and I'd like to thank the Aldermen for bringing them forward. But first; why can't the city find an audio system that works? It seems to be getting worse with static, feedback, and what sounded like a Heuey strafing the City. Most of the Aldermen can be heard every time but the others hardly come through or are intermittent. What's worse, the Mayor is barely audible, I'm not sure it isn't by design because he mumbles so badly that nobody can understand his mutterings. I'm fairly positive that he isn't saying anything anyone wants to hear but just the same his blathering should be discernible if for no other reason than public record. I'm sure his lack of leadership would be enhanced to the public if we could hear and understand what comes out of his hole. The headsets don't seem to be working, why can't they mount microphones on the Diaz?

"ID # 3687 Business License Purpose" was of interest. I posted; "Business License Discussion" on February 6th of this year so I won't go into more detail other than report on what happened. The fee for a business license in Wentzville is currently $50, after a lengthy back and forth it the Aldermen decided to reduce it to $25. I believe it is a good start but still don't understand why small and micro-businesses pay the same as GM and WalMart. Is it too difficult to base business licence fees on revenues?

It was entertaining to watch this discussion, especially Mimesis Gucione, his head looked like it was mounted on a lazy-susan while the meeting drove on with Bulldog Stokes at the reigns, Guccione was content to lean back watch the meeting and look for opportunities when he could call a smoke-break so he go out front and burn another cigarette. I've watched a lot of Wentzville Aldermen meetings but I can't remember any of them requiring three breaks in one session, but they did that night. Three ten minute smoke breaks is cutting into every one's sleep Mr. Mayor, get on the patch.

I was pleased to see the City aggressively address the dangerous intersection of Highways P and 61. Ward 1 Alderman Forrest Gossett authored a letter to Governor Jay Nixon which was signed by all of the Aldermen and the Mimesis. He requested the Mayor to read it into record which he attempted to the best of his ability, unfortunately for him when he finished, Bulldog Stokes had to remind him that it was two pages long and he needed to read the second page. It is hoped that with the number of fatalities and injuries at this intersection, this letter will bring to light the seriousness of it's need for improvement.

Another interesting discussion was brought forward by Ward 2 Alderman Chris Gard regarding a change to City policy to disallow "campaigning in taxpayer funded city buildings." As you may know, Nick Guccione and his side-kick (campaign manager) Donna Sherwood made a habit of pandering and campaigning to employees during working hours in city facilities, namely the Law enforcement center. A number of changes to policies of the City are in process because of Guccione's unethical campaign strategies. Using City logos on campaign literature, illegal sign placements, and campaigning in City buildings are but a few being addressed. I've heard from some long-time former City politicians who say Nick Guccione's campaign was the dirtiest they had ever seen. I have to agree.

In conclusion, on my last blog I reported on the email which Acting City Administrator Dennis Walsh sent to the directors and Alderman at the order of our Commander and Chief Guccione. I urge my readers to watch the video of the discussion that evening. It's on the City Website: http://www.wentzvillemo.org/. Look under "Alderman Reports / Forrest Gossett." I would like you to see and judge for yourself the motives and or agenda of our newly elected Mayor.

The Mimesis

It's been a while since I've posted a report and after much prodding from my personal advisor, mentor, friend, and critic, Mr Skip Sanchez, I am now prepared to report what I've seen and heard in the past two weeks involving what's going on in City Hall. There's a lot happening, most of it confusing but much of it is crucial to the future of our city, so here goes:

I'll start out with the Aldermen work session of June 6th. The City invited the Public Education Director of the State Attorney Generals Office, Mr. Tom Durkin to give a presentation on the Sunshine Laws. Mr. Durkin spoke for approximately an hour and I found it most interesting and revealing. One segment he addressed was city emails and the fact that they are public record. I watched the Mayor during this presentation and when the subject of emails was brought up it was like catching a weight watcher with a half-eaten Twinkie in his hand, Guccione's deportment changed.

Guccione was so visually shaken when he found out that emails are a matter of public record I immediately assumed he had something to hide. I have the feeling he was asking around about how to delete those emails from the City system so, I immediately put in a request for information to obtain copies of all emails, to and from Guccione from July 2011 up to June 6th, 2012. I have a hunch that our mayor, Guccione, has been indiscreet during his use of the City email system. I'll get back to you on that one, he he he!

Before I get to the meeting of June 13th, I want to discuss something that has been puzzling me since the famous evening of April 25, 2012 after which I wrote "A Poke In The Eye" when Mayor Lambi gave the Aldermen an eye-poke saying: "'I'm ordering a pardon,' and with a crack of the gavel, 'This matter is closed.'" I've had time to think about this deal and I'm not so sure that the pardon Guccione received from Lambi was legal. I have put in another request for information asking for the signed and dated document that gives official pardon to then Alderman Nick Guccione. Something tells me, it doesn't exist.

The meeting last Wednesday was another marathon event. I finally left at 11:10 pm with three more items on the agenda. During the ten years I've been following Wentzville City government I can't remember a single meeting lasting until after 11:30 pm, and now we've had two with the first adjourning after midnight. Gooch needs to get his shit together and learn how to move a meeting along or this will become the norm rather than the exception. Surely, the Aldermen will grow weary of Guccione's lack of leadership skills. Our Public Works Director Scott Smith announced that housing was picking up, the City received 168 applications in the past month which equates to having longer agendas, consequently meetings in the near future will be going on into the wee hours of the morning if something isn't done. I can see nonuniform chicken parts going on sale at Schnucks meat department after a bleary eyed butcher tries desperately not to cut off any of his fingers.

There were many important items discussed but a few stand out: The recruitment of a new Major on the police department is first on my list. The Acting City Administrator Dennis Walsh stated that they have the money for this new position this year without impacting the budget. It's interesting to me that they have 100,000 unallocated dollars laying around, but OK. My problem is next year and the years after that. Adding this new layer of personnel is going to be a budgetary problem that will create a quandary for the taxpayers and budget manipulators. The budget has been hammered for three years by this Board of Aldermen and frankly it baffles me how quickly they folded on their premise.

Another item that has me scratching my head is bill #3392, concerning the consumption of alcohol by persons in a moving vehicle which was under consideration for the first reading. No one wants drinking while driving or drunk driving but this bill doesn't address that, it pertains to a passenger with an open container in their posession. Ward 1 Alderman Forrest Gossett spoke out against this at least twice yet when it came to the vote, Ward 1 Alderman Cheryl Kross was the only one to vote "nay." Personally, I don't understand the need for this ordinance and can't figure out why it is being brought forward.

One thing I saw at the meeting that is disturbing; A lady came forward to complain about a contractor and the City Code people siding with it. After she finished, Mimesis Guccione stated; "This is the first time I've heard of this." To this I say; bullshit! Guccione served on the Board for five years before his current mimenic activity and during that time I have seen this lady at least two other times in open forum with that exact same complaint. I knew he didn't pay attention in meetings but why in the hell would he lie about something like this? The Mimesis likes to pass the buck, and he's good at it.

On Thursday, June 7th, at about 2:00 pm, the Alderman received an email from Acting CA Walsh, in which he wrote that the Directors were no longer to talk with the Aldermen without first going through the Mayor and/or himself. This email was directed by Guccione to set his "chain of command," which he said over and over during the ensuing discussion. Mayor Lambi did the same thing with then CA Dianna Wright, it didn't work for him and it ain't working for the Mimesis.

Alderman Gossett read a statement which called Walsh on the carpet saying; "this is poppycock!" He will have nothing to do with funnelled and filtered information. After some discussion, Walsh admitted he may have written it incorrectly. Guccione jumped in to admit that it was his words to set his "chain of command." General Guccione has started his regimented and orderly disruption of the staff, by the time he's done, there will be chaos looming large in Wentzville government. Every Alderman spoke on this matter and every one of them respectfully said to the Mimesis: Up yours!

There was much more to report on but this will have to do for now, I'll be back in a couple days, this is my vow to Ms. PSS.