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.
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.
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.
CORRECTION: In the 7th paragraph above I reported: "Ward 1 Alderman Forrest Gossett spoke out against this at least twice..." this statement, is untrue. I was reminded by Alderman Gossett that he was always for the ban on open containers in vehicles, he was never against. To him I offer my humble apology. I have stricken through that statement.
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