What do Crestwood and Wildwood have in common? I pray not the same problems!
Well we share the same Gentleman for the duties of City Attorney! If you will please click on the header of this thread, you will be directed to a story in today's Post Dispatch which references possible "big problems in little Wildwood!"
I know the story is a bit long, but PLEASE take a few minutes to read all of it(it gets really interesting at the "More Tests" and below area,) because it certainly is Germain to the current question (on the blog) of whether we should retain Mr. Golterman or not.
I am going to allow you to read the story and decide for yourselves if we can afford this sort of thing (decision wise) to happen in Crestwood in the future. In my humble opinion we must start looking for a new City Attorney, and the sooner the better.
Tom Ford
NO. 536
I know the story is a bit long, but PLEASE take a few minutes to read all of it(it gets really interesting at the "More Tests" and below area,) because it certainly is Germain to the current question (on the blog) of whether we should retain Mr. Golterman or not.
I am going to allow you to read the story and decide for yourselves if we can afford this sort of thing (decision wise) to happen in Crestwood in the future. In my humble opinion we must start looking for a new City Attorney, and the sooner the better.
Tom Ford
NO. 536
posted by Crestwood Independent at 13:52
23 Comments:
Site in Wildwood can't shake its toxic past
By Stephen Deere
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
08/17/2008
"Robert Golterman, the city attorney, told the council in a memo that he didn't want to name the URS client that allegedly pressured the company not to do testing for the city. He said he feared the city would be sued. But some council members think there was another motivation — they believe he was protecting a more important client.
"Mr. Golterman, have you ever had any dealings with Solutia?" asked Salvatore during the June 9 meeting.
Golterman said he would discuss it only in closed session.
"It's public record, eight months ago," Salvatore said, referring to an employment case Golterman worked on for Solutia. Golterman declined to comment to the Post-Dispatch."
Is that why the City of Crestwood has several leukemia cancer cases?
Did Bliss do any illegal dumping in Crestwood, Gravois Creek, Storm Severs, or in any construction sites?
Is it true that Bliss picked up used oil from Wuellner's Gas Station under Kohl's and City Hall?
Who are Attorney Golterman's clients?
Is he working to protect the City of Crestwood and Wildwood or protect his clients?
How much longer can Mr. Golterman hide behind those two words 'closed session'?
Site in Wildwood can't shake its toxic past, By Stephen Deere
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 08/17/2008
"Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Town and Country, sent a letter to the EPA's regional administrator outlining a list of concerns he had with developing the property. "Some local residents report having noted a distinct 'chemical aroma' in the vicinity of the tract ... in recent years," Akin said in the letter."
What is the 'chemical aroma' from Gravois Creek? Same odor? How many times has EPA assessed Crestwood for pollution and illegal dumping?
"A few City Council members had their suspicions. One decided everyone should know what she had heard. So, at the June 9 council meeting, Councilwoman Tammy Shea leaned into the microphone and revealed the company in question: Solutia Inc.
Some of her colleagues sighed and rolled their eyes. One stood up and glared at her.
"That was a closed-discussion item," Councilman Jim Baugus said.
The city attorney suggested discussing the matter in private, but Shea refused: "You can't hide under the cover of closed meetings."
How can we recruit Alderman Shea for Crestwood?
Sounds like ur Crestwood meetings.
Is Attorney Golterman setting the tone for our meetings by training our City Officials how to glare and "shut up" in BOA sessions?
Please don't copy in paste large parts of articles into your blog. It clutters and distracts from your point.
It's assumed if you're reading these posts, you've read the article.
Are we spending $1000 a day in lawsuits?
Which law firms are getting paid by Crestwood and Wildwood?
Same lawyers?
How about hiring a retired lawyer with experience of how to run a government by obeying both our own ordinances and the Sunshine Law?
Tom, Can you teach the Sunshine Law to Attorney Golterman? He may not have had this course in law school?
Ah, Folks, please let's confine this to Crestwood! I couldn't care less who in Kirkwood was indited for what!
If I get one more "off topic post" on this, I will delete it!
Tom Ford
Front page story in the Post Dispatch today!
Tom Ford
If something that happens in another city is in any way relevant or comparable to what happens here, why can't it be put on this blog?
What law firm is advising some of the cities in St. Louis County?
Armstrong Teasdale?
Lewis Rice?
It is all connected.
What law firm is advising some of the cities in St. Louis County?
Armstrong Teasdale?
Lewis Rice?
It is all connected.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you don't know what you're talking about.... Neither Lewis Rice nor Armstrong Teasdale represent more than a handful of cities. Another firm, which specializes in Municipal Law, represents well over a dozen cities.
something really must be done about the city attorney. his penchant for hiding information in closed sessions and bullying those who question him is simply unacceptable behavior. is he really the best we can do? the sarbannes-oxley bill recommends changing auditors every 5 years at least. shouldn't we change attorneys at least as often? the charter should be altered so that the attorney reports to more than simply the mayor - that in itself creates an environment for collusion that is just ridiculous. tom, how about a petition to be presented to the board and mayor? mr. golterman has become more than an embarrassment - he's become dangerous to the best interests of the city.
5:45 PM blogger: I agree wholeheartedly! I suggested to two Alderman that possibly I could introduce a motion of "no confidence" from the floor at a Board meeting.
They both said I would just be shouted down by the Mayor, and others, and it wouldn't be effective!
I think we are at the stage when a petition of "Removal from the office of City Attorney, for no confidence" might indeed be in order.
At the last BOA meeting the Mayor said he was perfectly happy with the City Attorney, and he told the massed citizens that anyone who didn't like it could just sue!
I will talk the petition idea up, and see who might be interested in doing just that.
By the way, who is the Attorney of record for the Perma Jack Company in Crestwood? I would like to know just for my edification.
Tom Ford
Where is Ms. Casey now when the Mayor so needs her?
6:27 PM blogger: I don't know about MS. Casey, but where is the MAYOR now that WE need him?
Tom Ford
Make your motion of "no confidence" anyway, Tom. At the very least, it'll be a matter of public record then. That's how these things get rolling. Even if the board votes it down, the media reports of it will no doubt get back to Golterman's firm and the bosses WON'T BE HAPPY. We're talking about a guy that got blasted in the St. Louis Post Dispatch this week about his dealings in Wildwood and is getting blasted by the citizens and the Call in Crestwood. Trust me, Tom. Your motion probably won't get the board to vote him out, but it'll send a message. And it'll force the board to take a stance. With election coming up next April, we need to know where they stand on the "esteemed" city attorney anyway! Go for it!
7:28 PM blogger: Good points all! Well, please start saving for my bail money!
Tom Ford
We will ALL bail you out Tom-and then some.
perhaps we should draw a chart for the mayor like this:
the attorney reports to the mayor
the mayor reports TO THE CITIZENS
someone should check the charter regarding aldermanic meetings - by the nature of their title it seems to me to be a meeting of THE ALDERMEN - it's not called the MAYOR MEETING. He's not supposed to do anything other than run the meeting - not answer questions placed to the aldermen etc. All power is vested in the aldermen if I remember correctly. He has no right to shout anyone down at the meeting and I would hope any alderman would speak up in support of a citizen from their ward.
Poster 5:29 From personal experience, I can not agree with you more! You are 100% correct, the power is in the Aldermen, and the Mayor will cut off the microphone or shoot an Alderman down if he disagrees with them.
However, our current Mayor for some reason seems to feel the BOA just gets in the way of his greater knowledge. He along with most of the BOA does not seem to know or care to learn our Charter and the City Code. I would venture a guess that the only copy of the Charter and Code book at a BOA meeting is the one Mr. Golterman carries.
While I realize that I must have seemed to be a pain the neck over the use of Roberts Rules of Order for the meetings, the BOA did vote that the Mayor should use them to run their meetings. A vote I might add that was ignored, go figure out why.
tim trueblood
Why? Because his is Roy Robinson-Mayor. As he has said before, you don't like it-go someplace else.
Enough is enough! The alderman should all get together, if that is possible, and sit his Honor down and tell him to keep his mouth shut!
Roberts Rules? Isn't that something that tells you how to deer hunt?
The Charter and the Code of the City provide for the actions that can be taken against elected officials of our City, if anyone at City hall is willing to take the steps needed.
I feel sorry for the women working up with Roy in charge, first he dissed Vicki Cross, then he is letting Ms. Ingold twist in the wind for him and then he shuts up Martha Duchild. That's a real man for you.
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