On Thursday, September 26th, 2013 The Wentzvillian posted "I'll have No Truck With Plot" —Sheldon Cooper (click here). This post recorded only a portion of the beginning of what may be the most damaging Board of Aldermen meeting held in Wentzville in its 158 year history, and it is the work of Mayor Nickolas Guccione at his absolute worst. I will remember this meeting as long as I cover government here and I'm sure it will become the apex of Guccione's legacy of lunacy. This meeting will have far reaching negative consequences for our city and its residents, so let me begin, or should I say continue?
The video was finally posted for the Board of Alderman Meeting of September 25th, 2013 and I invite all interested citizens to take a gander at government at it's worst (click here). Pay particular attention to; "NEW BUSINESS, Item 6, (ID#4799) Municipal Legal Services (City Attorney)," and see the outright disrespect our City Attorney, Paul Rost, endured at the hands of Mayor Nickolas Guccione, Aldermen Cheryl Kross, Sonya Shryock, and Michael Hays.
Paul Rost has represented his firm; Cunningham, Vogel, and Rost as Wentzville's legal counsel for over ten years. In all that time, I've never heard anything negative about the job they've done for our city, there have been some who didn't like this or that, but a very good score overall. I have nothing but respect for Rost and the way he's conducted himself trying desperately to explain rudimentary legal matters to Kross, Shryock, and the living dead; Hays and Guccione. He represented us through some pretty dysfunctional boards and now a dysfunctional mayor. I've seen times when I thought he should have stood up and walked out on the utter lunacy going on around him, but he continued to do his job in a helpful and exceptionally professional manner, he deserves a lot of credit. I've never met Special Attorney Tom Cunningham but I've sat through numerous presentations regarding bond issues, TIFFs, NIDs, and CIDs, etc., this man knows his stuff.
If you read the post entitled: "I'll Have No Truck With Plot —Sheldon Cooper," you know that there was a split board with Guccione casting the deciding vote not to accept the recommendation of the Professional Services Committee for Cunningham, Vogel, and Rost. This decision was wrong from where I sat, but the discussion to reevaluate the selection process was painfully messed up. Not only to those watching, but I'm surprised Rost didn't take his brief case, set it on the dais in front of the mayor and say, "Mayor Guccione, here, you take over, I'm outta this nut-house!" I've seen some pretty screwy things come from city meetings but this meeting takes the prize. The way our mayor does business I'm thinking a first year law student could win a lawsuit against Wentzville.
Well, after that meeting of September 25, 2013, the law firm of Vogel, Cunningham, and Rost, has decided against an offered six month extension on their current contract and I've heard that they handed in their termination of services effective November 8, 2013. It looks like Guccione's job got a little bigger. Not only is he missing a City Administrator, Assistant Finance Director, Accounts Payable Manager, Economic Development Director, retirement of the Purchasing/IT Director, and two key Engineers, he can now add; City Attorney, Bond Attorney, and Litigation Attorney to the list. Splash Station Aquatic Center is a half-million dollars over budget and a year late, does anyone sense a trend here with Mayor Nickolas' administration? Watching Guccione run this city is like watching a fish riding a bicycle ... interesting.
The consequences of displaying a lack of faith in the law firm of Vogel, Cunningham, and Rost by rejecting their contract bid and subsequent termination of services could have a devastating effect on our credit rating. I wonder if any of the Unholy Alliance; Kross, Shryock, and Hays, had any thought that Special Attorney, Cunningham handles all of the bonds of the city or that there are numerous lawsuits against our city currently in process. Whatever happens going forward is the responsibility of our genius Mayor Guccione simply because he broke the tie. When our credit rating goes down and interest rates go up, we can thank King Nickolas.
So how did we get here? The simple answer is, ego, and that's going to take some explaining. Kross is still burning after not receiving the Board President job, she seems to think it's something that gets passed around like an attendance prize. The board voted unanimously to have a Professional Services Committee who do the selection process and it was added to the purchasing policy which was passed just a few months ago. But now all of a sudden, Shryock doesn't like the fact that the aldermen didn't get to interview the candidates for the legal services contract and wants to reevaluate the process, which is problematic. Then you have Guccione who is desperately trying to force respect on the board and he has Hays in his back pocket. Anyway, the group just mentioned decided to vote in a block with Guccione breaking the tie, just to teach the other aldermen that they aren't in charge. They voted not to accept the recommendation of the committee until the selection process can be modified, and after some vacillation, offer Cunningham, Vogel, and Rost law firm a six-month extension on their contract.
I'm sure that when Rost took this back to the partners, they weighed their options. Probably something like this: Do we accept the extension knowing that in that time Wentzville will be seeking out other representation? What would that look like in the business world for us to hang around settling for scraps until we're replaced? These men are intelligent business men, they know that their business image is extremely important and they decided to pack it in and pull out on the city's offer. Rost told me that they would still work with the city in an effort to make for an easy transition, but I think there will be problems even when they do get a new legal services firm. Maybe it's time to hire some lawyers and have them work as employees. I'm thinking, had the city offered a one year contract extension, everything would have been fine. Kross, Hays, Shryock, and Gucciione must have thought that Cunningham, Vogel, and Rost would just roll over after talk about three-month or a six-month extension. Wrong!
The Unholy Alliance didn't see far enough to even think that this company would reject their offer. Now, they don't have time to reevaluate the selection process, go out for bids, and have legal representation after Nobember 8th. They have put the City in serious jeopardy and there's some heavy-weight scrambling going on. Guccione is now blaming the aldermen or anyone else he can designate as the fall-guys. His memory isn't long enough to realize that it was his vote that put Wentzville in trouble.
November 8th marks the last day of the extension contract, after that, Vogel, Cunningham, and Rost are willing to continue working for the city on a straight time and expenses basis. Wentzville may need to contract attorneys to cover anything new that will come in from now on and that ain't cheap. Guccione and the Unholy Alliance just started writing more checks with taxpayer dollars, so much for Kross' conservative values. Special executive session meetings are being called in rapid-fire trying to unscrew what this ego-driven group of poltroons screwed up. It's going to be interesting to watch the scramble, but it's not good news for Wentzville.
There are numerous other problems as a result of this meeting. I've heard drums beating ... there are more than one director who has sharpened his/her resume and getting ready to pull the trigger to get the hell out of Dodge, so to speak. Guccione is the Captain of a ship that is taking on water faster than President of the Board, Rick Stokes, can pump it out. Me thinks Kross is behind it, and all because "If I can't be President of the Board, I'm bringing you down." I wonder if she thinks now, after what has just transpired that she still has what it takes to be President of the Board? Things are falling apart rapidly in Guccione's administration, it's entirely possible that soon he may have no subjects to command.
The video was finally posted for the Board of Alderman Meeting of September 25th, 2013 and I invite all interested citizens to take a gander at government at it's worst (click here). Pay particular attention to; "NEW BUSINESS, Item 6, (ID#4799) Municipal Legal Services (City Attorney)," and see the outright disrespect our City Attorney, Paul Rost, endured at the hands of Mayor Nickolas Guccione, Aldermen Cheryl Kross, Sonya Shryock, and Michael Hays.
Paul Rost has represented his firm; Cunningham, Vogel, and Rost as Wentzville's legal counsel for over ten years. In all that time, I've never heard anything negative about the job they've done for our city, there have been some who didn't like this or that, but a very good score overall. I have nothing but respect for Rost and the way he's conducted himself trying desperately to explain rudimentary legal matters to Kross, Shryock, and the living dead; Hays and Guccione. He represented us through some pretty dysfunctional boards and now a dysfunctional mayor. I've seen times when I thought he should have stood up and walked out on the utter lunacy going on around him, but he continued to do his job in a helpful and exceptionally professional manner, he deserves a lot of credit. I've never met Special Attorney Tom Cunningham but I've sat through numerous presentations regarding bond issues, TIFFs, NIDs, and CIDs, etc., this man knows his stuff.
If you read the post entitled: "I'll Have No Truck With Plot —Sheldon Cooper," you know that there was a split board with Guccione casting the deciding vote not to accept the recommendation of the Professional Services Committee for Cunningham, Vogel, and Rost. This decision was wrong from where I sat, but the discussion to reevaluate the selection process was painfully messed up. Not only to those watching, but I'm surprised Rost didn't take his brief case, set it on the dais in front of the mayor and say, "Mayor Guccione, here, you take over, I'm outta this nut-house!" I've seen some pretty screwy things come from city meetings but this meeting takes the prize. The way our mayor does business I'm thinking a first year law student could win a lawsuit against Wentzville.
Well, after that meeting of September 25, 2013, the law firm of Vogel, Cunningham, and Rost, has decided against an offered six month extension on their current contract and I've heard that they handed in their termination of services effective November 8, 2013. It looks like Guccione's job got a little bigger. Not only is he missing a City Administrator, Assistant Finance Director, Accounts Payable Manager, Economic Development Director, retirement of the Purchasing/IT Director, and two key Engineers, he can now add; City Attorney, Bond Attorney, and Litigation Attorney to the list. Splash Station Aquatic Center is a half-million dollars over budget and a year late, does anyone sense a trend here with Mayor Nickolas' administration? Watching Guccione run this city is like watching a fish riding a bicycle ... interesting.
The consequences of displaying a lack of faith in the law firm of Vogel, Cunningham, and Rost by rejecting their contract bid and subsequent termination of services could have a devastating effect on our credit rating. I wonder if any of the Unholy Alliance; Kross, Shryock, and Hays, had any thought that Special Attorney, Cunningham handles all of the bonds of the city or that there are numerous lawsuits against our city currently in process. Whatever happens going forward is the responsibility of our genius Mayor Guccione simply because he broke the tie. When our credit rating goes down and interest rates go up, we can thank King Nickolas.
So how did we get here? The simple answer is, ego, and that's going to take some explaining. Kross is still burning after not receiving the Board President job, she seems to think it's something that gets passed around like an attendance prize. The board voted unanimously to have a Professional Services Committee who do the selection process and it was added to the purchasing policy which was passed just a few months ago. But now all of a sudden, Shryock doesn't like the fact that the aldermen didn't get to interview the candidates for the legal services contract and wants to reevaluate the process, which is problematic. Then you have Guccione who is desperately trying to force respect on the board and he has Hays in his back pocket. Anyway, the group just mentioned decided to vote in a block with Guccione breaking the tie, just to teach the other aldermen that they aren't in charge. They voted not to accept the recommendation of the committee until the selection process can be modified, and after some vacillation, offer Cunningham, Vogel, and Rost law firm a six-month extension on their contract.
I'm sure that when Rost took this back to the partners, they weighed their options. Probably something like this: Do we accept the extension knowing that in that time Wentzville will be seeking out other representation? What would that look like in the business world for us to hang around settling for scraps until we're replaced? These men are intelligent business men, they know that their business image is extremely important and they decided to pack it in and pull out on the city's offer. Rost told me that they would still work with the city in an effort to make for an easy transition, but I think there will be problems even when they do get a new legal services firm. Maybe it's time to hire some lawyers and have them work as employees. I'm thinking, had the city offered a one year contract extension, everything would have been fine. Kross, Hays, Shryock, and Gucciione must have thought that Cunningham, Vogel, and Rost would just roll over after talk about three-month or a six-month extension. Wrong!
The Unholy Alliance didn't see far enough to even think that this company would reject their offer. Now, they don't have time to reevaluate the selection process, go out for bids, and have legal representation after Nobember 8th. They have put the City in serious jeopardy and there's some heavy-weight scrambling going on. Guccione is now blaming the aldermen or anyone else he can designate as the fall-guys. His memory isn't long enough to realize that it was his vote that put Wentzville in trouble.
November 8th marks the last day of the extension contract, after that, Vogel, Cunningham, and Rost are willing to continue working for the city on a straight time and expenses basis. Wentzville may need to contract attorneys to cover anything new that will come in from now on and that ain't cheap. Guccione and the Unholy Alliance just started writing more checks with taxpayer dollars, so much for Kross' conservative values. Special executive session meetings are being called in rapid-fire trying to unscrew what this ego-driven group of poltroons screwed up. It's going to be interesting to watch the scramble, but it's not good news for Wentzville.
There are numerous other problems as a result of this meeting. I've heard drums beating ... there are more than one director who has sharpened his/her resume and getting ready to pull the trigger to get the hell out of Dodge, so to speak. Guccione is the Captain of a ship that is taking on water faster than President of the Board, Rick Stokes, can pump it out. Me thinks Kross is behind it, and all because "If I can't be President of the Board, I'm bringing you down." I wonder if she thinks now, after what has just transpired that she still has what it takes to be President of the Board? Things are falling apart rapidly in Guccione's administration, it's entirely possible that soon he may have no subjects to command.
It seems that the city and the Unholy Alliance of Kross, Shryock, Hays and Guccione are acting like nothing more than bunch of teenage girls fighting and trying to get their way and only THEIR way at the expense of the city. The lack of maturity is preponderantly overwhelming in the 'girls' (Unholy Alliance) personalities that their egregious desire to bring the city to its knees is all they care about. There is no desire to see the city succeed in their deformed hearts. The Alliance is nothing more than the embodiment of SATAN'S Grandchildren joyfully prancing about in triumphant glee at their destruction of the City of Wentzville.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the Archangels when they are needed?????
Amen Brother!
DeleteThere is probably no consequences for those who put Wentzville in this position other than to remember at election time who put us there. I would be voting for anyone opposing Kross, Shryock, and Hays. Incompetence must be rewarded.
ReplyDeleteThis is the band wagon everyone in Wentzville should be on to get Kross,Shryock and Hays out of office.They add no value to Wentzville city government.
DeleteAlderman Hays, of the Unholy Alliance, has a level of business knowledge from being on the Planning & Zoning Board for many years, working for a major telecommunications company in its technology department and currently for a major financial corporation in risk assessment .His experience has given him a broad bandwidth of looking at and assessing issues and potential outcome --risk management. He has forgotten all his skills when he sided with Aldermen Kross and Shryock against the recommended renewal of the contract of the current city attorney. The city will face a significant budget problem in replacing the city attorney, bond attorney, litigation attorney and other tasks currently handled by the departing attorney. Mr. Hays and his co-voting alderman have forgotten that one of their resposibilities is to watch over the city budget for its citizens. They obviously have lost sight of the large cost that will be incurred in the loss of legal acumen. These aldermen/women are failing in their responsibilities and the oath that they swore to follow upon being elected . All the decisions they are making lately is doing nothing more than aiming the city down a road to self-destruction and financial failure.
ReplyDeleteIt's time to cut out the gamesmanship and act responsibly for the citizens. The Aldermen have primary mandate of managing the city with care and diligence and not playing games because things did not go the way they wanted each and every time.
CHIDREN, CHILDREN, CHILDREN, IT IS TIME TO GROW UP AND LIKE ACT AND BE ADULTS IN YOUR POSITIONS WITH THE CITY!!!!
Hays didn't forget his skills. You forgot that Gooch put him in office in the first place, do you think Hays would go against Nicky Boy?
Delete