My Cheerios Taste Funny!

 

Sometimes when I'm watching Wentzville's Board of Aldermen meetings I just sit and shake my head at the utterly stupid things that come out of Mayor Nickolas Guccione's hole. Last night was one of those nights and it all happened in the final half hour of the meeting. It amazes me how anyone could spend the better part of seven years in public office and know so little about how things work, but that's our beloved King Nickolas. In high school I'm sure you remember when the bell rang for the next class there was always that one guy who would wake up and leave a puddle of drool on the desktop for the next unfortunate student who may have to sit in that seat—you get the picture.

 

Item XV, No. 2, (ID #4594) Draft Ordinance for Increased Safety Areas. This is just a kinder way of saying; "Double Fines for Speeding." Everyone agrees that safety is paramount on our streets, but some drivers don't obey the posted speed limits in our subdivisions. So, a couple months ago Guccione began championing double fines in posted areas of our city. I thought it interesting that Guccione wanted to postpone the discussion until Alderman of Ward 2, Sonya Shryock returned from her trip to California (we may now know why he and Shryock had lunch together last week), he probably should have postponed it—given what transpired.

 

Alderman of Ward 1, Forrest Gossett asked if they might still have some discussion and he said, "Mr. Mayor, I appreciate the passion you have for your agenda, but I don't hear anything about the other wards." Immediately, without hesitation Guccione jumped in, "It's not my agenda," like the word "agenda" had become a dirty word to him. He's pressed this issue at every opportunity for months and now that it's called what it is, he gets all huffy.

 

On several occasions Guccione referred to paying for the signs and the increased police presence needed to enforce the program by using the fines generated by the new ordinance. Someone must have pissed in his Cheerios  that morning because he really got hostile with President of the Board, Rick Stokes, when Stokes said, "Mayor, I hope I heard you wrong when you said this program will be funded by the fines collected by it. I thought this was a safety issue, not a revenue generator. If that's what you said, I will not support it." Guccione's blood pressure shot up, "I never said that. I said, the fines could be used to pay for it." What the hell did he say, what's the difference? He said the program is a revenue generator to sustain the program regardless of semantics. Then Guccione said, "You're making this a political issue and I'm offended by it." WHAT! Where the hell did that come from? He still has an unbearable 1050 days in office, is he campaigning for 2016 already? Leave it to Guccione to bring politics into it, that's all he knows. This heated discussion went on for a few minutes before Guccione finally got so flustered (that he couldn't defend his asinine statements) he banged the gavel to end it.

 

But that wasn't the end of it. After Guccione told staff he would talk with them about the issue, like a little kid who needs to have the last word on everything, he said, "I guess I can't offer an opinion, so I'll do it in private." So now he's implicating the staff in his plot to use the double-fine program as a revenue generator.  As said on numerous occasions, Guccione can't handle pressure and he doesn't think well on his feet. All he had to say was; he misspoke and that the funds to support the program will be taken from the general fund. It probably wouldn't have been a bad idea to apologize to the President of the Board, Aldermen, and city, but he's not too good at admitting he's wrong, about anything.

 

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The board voted to allow the Mayor to take over certain duties of the City Administrator, one was to approve liquor licenses. Now he doesn't need to pardon business owners who don't file on time, he can just sign it, and say "vote for me, or anyone I support."

 

Normally, The City Administrator takes down a list of board actions and keeps the work session topic list so this task has fallen to our mayor. Well, I see he's delegated those tasks to our already overburdened City Clerk. I guess that means everything Guccione inherited when he took over the duties from our City Administrator will be piled on his staff mules to keep his time free to campaign, politic, and strut around city hall with his chest pushed out and head held high. All Hail King Nickolas!

 

__________

 

In retrospect, it's going to be difficult for today's police department to cover these double-fine streets effectively and I'm sure they will need more officers, patrol cars, and equipment. I believe our police department does an outstanding job protecting our citizens, whether it's dangerous drivers or armed criminals, but I also think they have reached their saturation point. If they take officers away from their regular duties to handle double-fine areas, something has to give. I personally know many members of our law enforcement community and I know they do a lot of overtime just to do their job. Chief Lisa Harrison has her hands full just trying to keep this city safe, if Guccione insists on making this "Safe Zone" work, it means putting a strain on our police protection.

Our Public Works Department is strained to the max., there is a shortage in manpower and budget. I know somehow they'll get the signs made and posted but the Public Works Director, Ms. Susan Mueller has a radically reduced staff and hiring new engineers to replace the two who left should be of the highest priority for our mayor. We have now given contracts to outside firms to handle the manpower shortage at $145 per hour. The clock is ticking.

Unfortunately, our mayor has ignored the current staffing problems at Public Works and the strained situation with our Police Department to work within their budget, and he's elected to go for the feel-good "Safe Zones." The bottom line is that Mayor Nickolas Guccione's priority is VOTES!



Statistics Are Like Bikinis...

 

In this this morning's mail I received the city's newsletter, The Vision. A delightful publication giving all sorts of good information, colorful photographs, and Mayor Nickolas Guccione's personal publicist's spin (Mayor's comments) on what's going on. His spin is well written, informative, and leaves a plethora of questions about what he's doing (and who's actually doing the writing).

 

During the Board of Aldermen meeting this past July 24th, there was a young boy scout there who was trying to earn his citizenship merit badge. He led the pledge of allegiance and afterward he was introduced to the board.  Alderman Forrest Gossett asked him, "What do you need to do to earn this badge?" The young man responded, "To find out what the Mayor does." I understand that he was there to earn his badge and could really care less what the mayor does but I thought his answer innocently naïve. At any rate, I hope he found out because after watching Guccione for a year and a half, I'm still wondering what he does.

 

Back to the "Mayor's comment." In The Vision, he gave a rosy report on the state of Splash Station, and devoted a short paragraph on Heartland and Peruque Valley Park. His author's comments about Splash Station were so inviting, they had me running to get my swimsuit out of mothballs, the short introduction of the other two parks was vague and perhaps filled with the patented Guccione style of gloss.

 

He failed to mention that Splash Station is a year late in opening due to "unforeseen rock excavation." He took no responsibility for the rock issue being unseen when he didn't mention that he led the charge to hasten the building of the station at all costs. Guccione brought groups into city hall to pressure the aldermen to proceed by using his chant, "Start moving dirt, start moving dirt, start moving dirt." Had he not badgered the board so much, the Splash Station would probably not have been in its current location and just might have opened on time if he hadn't kept on chanting and pandering to voters to make him the Parks King.

 

One other slight omission in The Vision; "Mayor's comment" was that the Great and Mighty Wonderful Wizard of Wentzville , Mayor Nickolas Guccione neglected to tell voters that because of his chant, Splash Station is almost a half-million dollars over budget.  He also ignored telling the voters that because of his chant, all of the parks will suffer the loss of at least half-a-million dollars worth of amenities, that's a lot of beach umbrellas.

 

I know I'm going to take a load of crap from die-hard Guccione Kool-Aid drinkers about this post, but I defy any of them to prove my facts wrong. Guccione's personal agenda to make the aldermen look bad cost the taxpayers $500,000, and all of the parks completion dates pushed off one year.

 

Statics are like bikinis, what they reveal is interesting, but what they conceal is vital. On January 15, 2013 I posted "Unanticipated Anomalies" (click here) which discussed the overrun problem and Guccione's responsibility in forcing this project forward knowing there was a mountain of rock just beneath the surface. Mayor, get off your ass and start leading this city, stop campaigning, read the materials presented to you, and do something other than fire employees and divert the blame. Take responsibility for your miserable record!



Bust My Britches, They Actually Did It!

 

I probably should digest what took place at last night's Board of Alderman meeting for a few days, but I think fun times are ahead and I couldn't wait to give you my take on it right now. I still cannot believe what happened simply because its ramifications are so staggering. Mayor Nickolas Guccione, our Mayor Nickolas Guccione, the one who's most challenging task of the day is counting how many chicken parts to put in each package, is going to be serving a dual role to include that of City Administrator.

 

You heard me right, Guccione will now be responsible for everything. Alderman of Ward 1, Chris Gard suggested it and it got enough support from the board that it happened. When the aldermen discussed his new role Guccione said he could handle it, but as talks turned to duties he started back-peddling. "I'm only here one day a week, but I come here every evening." So here's the story; we now have a full-time mayor who only works one day a week, doesn't that sounds exciting!

 

It is my belief that Guccione wanted to be Mayor and Interim City Administrator with the fat paycheck that comes with it, but—and this is a big BUT—he will only get his mayor's salary which is somewhere in the range of $14-$15K a year, which some believe to be too much. That's a real let down for Guccione, four times the work at a tenth of the rate, but it's a real good deal for the city (if it works out). I'll go out on a limb here and say; Nickolas Guccione is the lowest paid City Administrator in the history of Wentzville!

 

Guccione's bubble burst when the City Attorney, Paul Rost said: "According to statute, being a 4th class city, you cannot hold both jobs at once. If you were to take the interim City Administrator job (with the fat-fat paycheck), you would have to resign from office, and visa-versa." So now he has the responsibility of being mayor with all the work and responsibility of a City Administrator piled on. Mayor Guccione is a much better man than I ever gave him credit for because he's going to do all of this in one day a week (and evenings of course), Bravo Mayor Nickolas, you are truly the King of Wentzville!

 

The Aldermen, as I, have confidence that our city directors will step up and keep the day-to-day functions of the city going. They are intelligent, capable, and highly-educated in their various fields. The problem I see is the day-to-day interface between them with their City Administrator who will be cutting and packaging chickens four days every week, where will they go to get answers or decisions? This is going to be interesting to watch.

 

I smell disaster for the city and I don't know how it can function when Guccione has to make snap-decisions...right now. It ain't happenin'. Are the aldermen setting him up, knowing that he can't possibly do the job? What happens if he screws something up? I know that employees don't like working with (or under) him, that may be why he can't get any of the Directors to take the interim job. They don't want him messing up and blaming them, he is famous for excuses and always has a fall-guy. You watch, when he blunders he will use his famous, "I didn't do it," or "I didn't know, nobody told me." And now he can use the old: "Hey, I'm doing two jobs here some things are going to fall through the crack." A note to staff: Gird your loins, you're about to get something you really, really don't want!

I'll be watching more closely now than I ever did to make sure the blame goes where it belongs. After all, he said he could do it. When things start to go south in our city, I'll make sure you get it first.

 

 

Running Out Of Options!

 

I've been doing a great deal of thinking about the vacancy left in the City Administrator position since the unexpected passing of T. Michael McDowell earlier this month. Since 2011 Wentzville has been without a City Administrator more than it has had one.

 

A little history: Wentzville has had a problem with keeping a City Administrator since Andy McCown announced his retirement on January 23rd, 2008. Dianna Wright started June 2nd, 2008 and in an executive session held August 24th, 2011, Alderman Nickolas Guccione made a motion (which passed) to terminate her services. On Thursday August 25th, at 1:30 in the afternoon she was officially fired by Mayor Paul Lambi. Since that time Wentzville has been served by numerous interim City Administrators until the appearance of T. Michael McDowell this past May.

 

Now, what is happening: Mayor Guccione appoints Chief of Police, Lisa Harrison and it is approved by the board of aldermen. Less than a week after that, Chief Harrison resigns as City Administrator and resumes her duties as Chief of Police. Last Friday, August 16th, Guccione appoints Doug Lee who has been serving as the assistant City Administrator and assistant to the Public Works Director, Susan Mueller. That appointment would need approval of the board, but I've heard that Mr. Lee does not want the job. So what now?

 

Normally, a vacancy of that sort would fall to the Finance Director but in this case our Finance Director, Jeff Lenk has only been with the city for about two months, so who's next? Director of Planning and Zoning, Mr. Doug Forbeck who has been with the city longer than any Director, Alderman or Mayor, but I don't think he would take it. So here we are, waiting for the company who provided McDowell to present a replacement.

 

After some deliberation, I've begun thinking about cities around the country who have an all-in-one Mayor/City Manager. Could our Mayor serve as both, and if he could, should he? I know Guccione doesn't have the educational qualifications, but he has served five years on the Board of Aldermen and a year and half as Mayor, he must have learned something.  Almost seven years of public service as a legislator and administrator, could he do the job? Personally, I think he should give it a shot, even if it's to prove that he is competent and dissuade beliefs that he should have stayed a butcher at Schnucks. Guccione serving as Mayor/Interim City Administrator would solve a great deal of the problems currently facing the city.

 

PSS: What do you think?

 

Gotta Ho-Lotta-Mo

 

As promised, I'm back with more from our Wentzville City Hall. Seems we are having another rash of employees abandoning Mayor Guccione's dingy. Wednesday night's meeting brought the news that a key engineer to the Heartland Park handed in his resignation.

Public Works Director, Ms. Susan Mueller asked the board to grant $26K to hire an outside firm to continue work in the engineer's absence, in order to avoid delays. Purchasing Director, Jerry Hillin stated; "There's an emergency clause in the purchasing policy that allows for the mayor to sign the contract so there would be no construction delay. I will have the document on your desk for your signature first thing in the morning." As I expected, Guccione would prove—once again—that he is incapable of doing his job, part of which entails making "emergency" decisions. "I won't sign this without a head-nod from the aldermen," Guccione replied. In response to Guccione's ridiculous request, President of the Board, Rick Stokes said, "You're the mayor, this topic is not on the agenda for a consensus of the aldermen."

God help the City, and all of us, if we were endangered by a real emergency and waiting for our pseudo-mayor to get his nod from the aldermen. Does anyone sense a trend in his brand of lack-leadership, or as some say, am I picking on him again? I've said it a thousand times; these aldermen need to stop bailing him out! Let him do his damn job by himself. So what if the city falters, the citizens need to know just who they elected.

In a later discussion about revising the ethics policy, Alderman Sonya Shyrock asked, "Can we add something in the Ethics Policy about morals?" I wonder who she was talking about Mr. Mayor? It's funny because as the discussion went on, it got into policemen being able to run for office and still keep their cop job. One point made was that they could campaign but weren't allowed to say or advertise that they were officers of the law. Guccione said "If they were campaigning and had a friend with them, the friend could mention it. I guess there's a way around everything." Leave it to a pardoned, well-practiced, unethical, political sneak to dwell on sidestepping the law—God help us.

In his alderman report, Stokes talked about a developer who would like to build up the Wentzville Parkway near the intersection of Highway 61. This end of the Parkway has been overlooked for over fifteen years while the City offered tax-incentives to everyone and their brother to build at the other end near Highway 70. Stokes asked the board if they would consider investigating the possibility. After some discussion, every board member, save one, had a positive response, that one was Ward 1 Alderman, Cheryl Kross.

For some unknown reason, Kross has it in for Ward 3. Last year she flipped on her vote to accept Guccione's unpopular appointment of Michael Hays to the Ward 3 seat, and now she's against investigating tax-incentives to develop the Ward 3 end of the Wentzville Parkway. Last May I noticed certain changes in Kross' deportment and it inspired an article entitled; TTC (Third Term Crazies). Today, I'm convinced that she thinks; it's ok for her to interfere with the development of other wards but roars like a tiger if any other alderman is against benefiting her Ward 1. Five Aldermen saw the advantage of investigating tax-incentives for the possible development of the ignored section of the Parkway including her ward-mate Alderman Forrest Gossett, but she doesn't even want to let the city look at the possibility. I have a question for Alderman Kross: What has Michael Hays contributed to the meetings, or city, in the ten months he's been in the Ward 3 seat, that you thought was worth flipping your vote for? And, why would you oppose the obviously needed injection of commerce on the Ward 3 end of the Parkway? I'm now convinced that she is deeply in the grip of the third-term crazies.

I've run on a little longer than I wanted to today because there was so much to come out of the meeting of August 14th, but I did want to leave you with one more little tid-bit: There were comments made about Ranken Technical College and how in their first year they have exceeded their three year projections regarding enrollment. In this time of reflection, I can't help but quote our illustrious Mayor Nickolas Guccione; Ranken was a great partnership." He couldn't be more correct, but it begs the question; Mr. Mayor, why did you oppose Ranken coming to Wentzville, and vote against the Ranken partnership at every single opportunity you could find (three times)? You even campaigned against it, I'm surprised someone doesn't need to remind you to breathe.

PSS: The fuse has been lit and I got a ho-lota-mo, see you soon.

 

Humpty-Dumpty



As the City of Wentzville mourns the passing of its new City Administrator, Mr. T. Michael McDowell, our government is once again trying to fill vacancies in its staff. Mr. Mcdowell had filled the job of City Administrator since May after a series of interems held that position for almost two years. My first hand experience with Mr. McDowell was that he was highly skilled at the job and an excellent addition to Wentzville's staff. Things seemed to be on track for our city for the first time since the middle of Mayor Lambi's final term.

Wentzville has been bailing the boat trying desperately to fill holes in the staff for the past three years. In that time, every single director position with the exception of two has been replaced for one reason or another. In just the past month, the City of Wentzville had finally accomplished procuring a full compliment of Directors. Things were looking up until the passing of Mr. McDowell.

Now, during the search for a new City Administrator, yesterday they received the resignation of it's Economic Development Manager, Mr. Larry Tucker. I could speculate for months on why Wentzville cannot keep high level staff employees but it all comes back to poor leadership, and that lays smack in the lap of our last two mayors. Lambi with his ethics problems and now Mayor Nickolas Guccione with his total lack of leadership qualities.

Guccione will suffer with the loss of McDowell because now he has no one to tell him what to do, or how to do it. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall. This little nursery rhyme speaks volumes about Wentzville's personnel problems and the fact that King Guccione will never be able to put Wentzville back together again.

I'll be back later with more from Wentzville.