In the first Brentwood Board of Aldermen meeting since the Missouri Ethics Commission announced it fined St. Louis advertising executive Glenn Jamboretz for violating election rules in Brentwood’s 2012 municipal elections, alderwoman Cindy Manestar made a motion to investigate Jamboretz’ allegation that members of Brentwood police and fire staff helped fund his campaign.
Manestar said the allegation puts a black eye on the city in the board of aldermen meeting on Tuesday.
“I personally don’t believe that any police officers or fire fighters were involved,” she said. An investigation would “clear the name of the firefighters and police officers and restore public trust in our city employees.” Manestar is married to a Brentwood Police sergeant.
Jamboretz told 40 South News that he acted for a group of Brentwood residents that included Brentwood police and fire fighters when he sent anonymous mailings to Ward 1 residents targeting then candidate Maureen Saunders.
“They grew to about ten,” Jamboretz was quoted on Dec. 23. “Some cops, some firefighters — some current, some former — and just some people who live in Brentwood that just had some feelings. Just got tired of watching her (Saunders) do her petulant stomp her feet and yell.”
Saunders agreed with Manestar and seconded the motion. She said Jamboretz’ comments, after being fined, makes a mockery of his punishment. She also said there is a history of candidates beings threatened in Brentwood.
“This kind of threatening, to keep people from running, or speaking up, just because they disagree with what is currently going on — it needs to stop,” Saunders said.
Alderman Tom Kramer asked if the allegation was in the ethics commission report, or stated by Jamboretz after the report. Manestar said it came after the report, quoted in the Riverfront Times and 40 South News.
City Administrator Bola Akande said an investigation would need to be done by an outside agency, and there would be a cost to be considered. Also, she wasn’t sure how an investigation would be done.
Alderman Andy Leahy was afraid of an investigation becoming a “witch hunt,” and thought the ethics commission report should be reviewed first. He made a motion to do that, which passed.
Tom- Call they drunk lawyer he’ll explain it to you.
“They drunk lawyer” knows the details of how and why the agreement was reached. I’m wasting my time here.
After watching the video of the last BOA meeting I was admittedly surprised to see the Mayor admit he invited Jamboretz into a Ward election to help Bischoff with his scheduling. Really? In a neighborhood where you can walk the streets in a couple of hours, is scheduling really something someone needs help in doing. Sorry Mr Mayor this one falls straight into your lap. A person who was in the news as violating ethic rules gets brought into Brentwood by you, leaves you as the catalyst for the mudslinging that took place. Somewhere along the way Mr. Mayor you were probably a good public servant. Sadly like so many others it appears that you let power get the best of you. You thought that know one was watching and bam, you got caught. Bummer for you. the only thing propping you up is that you have managed to drag a number of other alderman into your slop and they need to make sure to support you so the truth does not come to light. Time is up Mayor, step aside an allow our city to get back to being above board with honest government.
is there someone in Alderman Toohey’s Ward that could explain to us what is happening with him? Alderman Toohey came in with guns blazing saying he was going to make sure the rules were followed and that he, having passed all these ethics and auditing tests would set the city on the straight path. So far, we have not seen him take any proactive role in improving the city. Watching him at meeting with his eye tosses at the Mayor has some of us wondering if he has been promised the Mayor’s support in the future when alderman Toohey decides to run for Mayor. Toohey has simply voted in lockstep with the mayor. Anybody have any clue why he is telling us one thing while his actions are the polar opposite?
While only my opinion he looks pretty foolish up at the head table with his pompous comments on how he is the smartest person in the room, with all the answers to help Brentwood, and then when it comes time to vote he does the complete opposite.
I have been very proactive in getting a third party CPA firm to review, advise, document and implement an improved internal control structure for the City. As a result Schmersahl, Treloar & Co. are currently working on this project, they will probably present their recommendations in March. When their work is completed, for the first time ever the city will have documented internal controls. In addition to this I am working on having an audit committee made up of Brentwood Residents and Business owners that are CPA’s with a background in audit. All individuals of on this committee will have to be independent of the city. This independent audit committee will provide an opinion if the city correctly followed and implemented the internal controls recommended from Schmersahl, Treloar & Co. If you want to know why this wasn’t done sooner I would advise you to go watch February through April Ways and Means meetings and observe who was trying to make progress on these topics and who was making those meetings a circus. These types of projects are not as sensational and headline grabbing as going to BOA meetings and throwing stones at everybody involved in the city, but these types of actions are what successful well run organizations do.
Tom – not sure what you have been told but you might want to read this article. here is the opening line “For more than 24 years, Brentwood firefighters got hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime pay for hours they did not work”
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/brentwood-firefighters-got-sham-overtime/article_0885832c-cda8-5b6c-8a4d-547d333968a5.html#.Utrq7DmcJ4M.email
That’s the Post – Disgraces poorly written story. What did the state auditors report say?
Tom – The state audit was conducted after the the settlement had been reached and the problem had been fixed. How can they discover a problem after it has already been discovered and corrected. It would be hard for a Dobbs to find a problem with your tire if you already replaced the flat tire. So to rely on the audit after that fact to document issues is foolish. Where they supposed to document problems that were corrected 10 years ago as well?
My question for you… Why would the Fire department union settle with the City if they did nothing wrong? If they were truly innocent you would think they way fight to keep their name clean, instead of settling. From the audit – “The firefighters union and the city negotiated a settlement dated June 2011 which stated the next 8 percent of wage increases received by city employees would be waived by all members of the fire department”
Why allow your pay to be frozen if you have done nothing wrong?
Tom, he means excessive overtime payments, that is what the state auditor called it.
Read the auditors report, there’s no mention of wrong doing on the fire departments part, only bad record keeping. The fire department has never done anything wrong.
Show me where there was excessive over time, what law was broken? The state auditor found NO wrong doing on the part of firefighters.
Our city leaders if they are telling us the truth, that they do not like this behavior, even the Mayor said this at the last meeting, they should investigate and be true to their word. Brentwood citizens should not be paying individuals who create this type of nonsense in our city. Any if in fact there are any first responders involved, no question they should be removed.
Truthfully, I doubt an investigation will happen. The Mayor will work hard to make sure his group of Alderman say no. The whole Jamboretz experiment would end up in Mayor Kelly’s lap. I am sure the Mayor had nothing to do with any of the letters or packages, he is smart enough to keep his distance. Just the fact that he brought Jamboretz into Brentwood puts the Mayor in the spotlight.
Chris
Keep digging. There absolutely needs to be an investigation into the connection between the ethics violations of the last election (and other past elections) and exactly what role those on the Brentwood payroll played in all of it, and not by a law firm like the History Museum farce of an investigation. An independent investigator who knows their way around a government corruption investigation is whats required. Who cares how much it cost it’s got to be done to restore confidence in Brentwood City Hall. Want to move on Brentwood? First clean up the mess behind you.
I’d doubt that any in the police service would be involved in such idiocy but there most certainly look as if there could have been quid-pro-quo with the illegal fire service overtime and favors owed back to the administration.
And finally…..I’d love to see Jamboretz in front of a grand jury.
What illegal fire service overtime ?