Katie James who was so concerned about the expense of a recall? wastes the time and money of the city on this?

But hey, she's unwittingly organized a meeting of the Adam Paul Fan Club and the anti-TIF forces in the city, so it won't be a total waste. I'll get to see people I haven't seen in a few months.

Good job!

It will be the anti Walmart freak show.

We know Dawn Anglin will vote for removal.

The risks are high. This bypasses recall. This is essentially a mutiny. The city council reviews a "complaint", and will recommends a full council vote, up or down, on immediate removal from office of the target - in this case the mayor.

Make no mistake, Katie James and Dawn Anglin, along with Perrillo are playing the nuclear card to remove Mayor Paul from office - against the will of the people who elected him to office.

This Charter Enforcement Commission (Dawn Anglin, Michelle Murray and Linda Reel) will decide if "probable cause exists to believe that a violation of the City Charter has occurred." It is important to note that determining probable cause is something that district attorneys do, not city council members. Basically, it is whatever Anglin, Murray, and Reel decide. And we already know that Anglin and Murray were pro-TIF, pro-Walmart, and anti-popularly elected Mayor Paul from the get-go.

So this is a lock on the council getting to vote our duly elected mayor out of office because Katie James didn't like a cop telling her she was disruptive at a city council meeting.

The charter also says "the Mayor or Council Members shall deal with City officers and employees who are subject to the direction and supervision of the City Manager solely through the City Manager."

Note that this also applies to City Council members. If it works for getting Paul out of office, it could work for getting a Council member out of office. However, if they succeed, there won't be enough left to get rid of them using the same tactic.

The critical question is that if only the City Manager can direct police officers (do they report to the City Manager or the Chief of Police?), then it becomes clear that the city manager is the ONLY authority that can direct police officers to maintain safety and order at council meetings.

And isn't the city manager an outsourced, unelected position, hired under a contract?

Asking a police officer to enforce the city ordinances, to protect, and to serve the public (which includes the Mayor), is not "directing" an employee, in the sense that the Charter is defining.

If Katie's allegation were taken as a valid reason for the council to justify removing Mayor Paul, then it concludes that under no circumstances, can ANY council member or the Mayor -- call the police to assist them in any way, because that would be "directing" in the exact same manner as alleged.

We might find numerous instances of the council directing City Manager employees to do things at city council meetings -- the city clerk for example, the janitors to move things around, etc. Because that means *EVERYTHING* must go through the City Manager.

That is if Anglin, Reel, and Murray followed by a council majority get their way to remove Mayor Paul from office under this ridiculous assertion.

Big Mike and Caff,

You've both pointed out the patent absurdity of seeking the permission of Kevin Bookout for every little thing that occurs at a city council meeting. My understanding of Roberts Rules of Order places the Mayor in charge as the presiding officer at city council meetings

If someone should be hurt or injured at a city council meeting because Kevin Bookout wouldn't order the Chief or an officer to do their job as a peace officer, I wonder if the City and Bookout are prepared for the onslaught of litigation to follow.

It's as though discretion and power to enforce the law has been removed from the department charged to enforce it. That makes the Chief and the rest useless puppets.

Who issued Kevin Bookout a law enforcement commission?

To help clarify something, the council adopted roberts rules of order revised and it is codified in city code and backed up in our charter under 3.13 (b)
SECTION 110.050: ADOPTION OF ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER
The City hereby adopts the Scott, Foresman newly revised "Robert's Rules of Order" in all particulars excepting where there is a conflict with the State Statutes or ordinances of the City. (R.O. 2005 §2-20; CC 1997 §2-19)

This is from a RROR Reference Book (easy to understand terms regarding ch 73 of RROOR:
"Removing nonmembers from the meeting"

"You have the right to conduct your meeting without the presence of nonmembers, and to that end, the chair has the authority (on his own initiative) to require nonmembers to leave the meeting. He should be ready to use this authority in the event that the peanut gallery (or individual peanut) becomes rambunctious. Just to make sure that the chair doesn't act in opposition to the will of the assembly, however, any member may appeal the chair's order for nonmembers to leave, and the question becomes one for the members to decide. After a removal has been ordered, whether it's a removal of a member or nonmember, the char may exercise whatever reasonable means necessary to execute the removal. If those removed don't leave of their own accord, he may appoint a committee to escort them from the meeting, or, if necessary, the chair may summon peace officers to remove the offenders and restore peace to the assembly."

This is the actual ch. 73 language from Robers Rules - Revised
73. Right of an Assembly to Eject any one from its Place of Meeting. Every deliberative assembly has the right to decide who may be present during its session; and when the assembly, either by a rule or by a vote, decides that a certain person shall not remain in the room, it is the duty of the chairman to enforce the rule of order, using whatever force is necessary to eject the party.
The chairman can detail members to remove the person, without calling upon the police. If, however, in enforcing the order, any one uses harsher measures than is necessary to remove the person, the courts have held that he, and he alone, is liable for damages, just the same as a policeman would be under similar circumstances. However badly the man may be abused while being removed from the room, neither the chairman nor the society is liable for damages, as, in ordering his removal, they did not exceed their legal rights.

I respect Mr. James as a resident and respect her or any anyone else’s right to file a complaint. A resident complaint that is filed under oath and notarized by our city clerk that asks for my impeachment and invokes the charter review committee is a very serious matter. Please know that I will be fully defending myself due of the severe repercussions that this complaint could yield. I must protect my integrity, reputation, and most importantly the ability to represent the many people who elected me into office.

Good luck with this Mayor Paul.

You're my odds on favorite to prevail at 2:1.

Will histrionics totally supplant wisdom? Will Ballwin and Wildwood divy up the spoils?
Tune in Monday. Good grief.

The whole thing is such a joke...I mean seriously...who takes Katie James serious. The people of Ellisville know what they want and that is to have Mayor Paul IN office.
If those 3 vote him out they won't be on the council very much longer! The city council needs to LISTEN to the people of Ellisville. We voted for Mayor Paul and want him to be our Mayor. Katie James is nothing but a big fish in a very little pond and she is the big-mouth bass!!

From what I understand, Ms James has the wrong interpretation, or at least doesn't understand the spirit of the charter provision. Its not designed in regards to the police department, it is designed in regard to telling staff to do things. Yes, yes yes...the chain of command goes City Manager, then to Department, then to staff members for daily work/responsibilities However, that should never be the case when there is safety at question! (crowd control, threats of violence, etc)

This society has no place for bullies like soon to be ex Mayor Paul. Apply the rules fairly regardless of his arrogance of Ellisville citizens and remove him from office the sooner the better. Perhaps he can take his brand of politics to an area better suited for his bully style like East St. Louis.

Mike K don't count your chickens before they hatch! I think with your ridiculous mindset and mouth you need to pack up and head on out to the East St. Louis your are referencing with your prostitutes waiting on-call.

Back to the real issue, Kevin Bookout and Ada Hood obliterating the beauty Ellisville has to offer. Start looking for another job that you can actually do!

"your prostitues" - you have a dirty mind and a foul mouth. Get therapy before it's too late for you.

I am an Ellisville resident and it just seems to me that the "mob", i.e. the mayor and his cohorts, are attempting to stonewall a project that has already been approved. We had a vote, the vote was in the affimative, and the building should progress. As I read statements fro mr Paul, he sounds like he is from Chicago scholl of politics. (That's right he is from Chicago). He moves into our community, (I lived here for 40 years) and begins to rearrange the deck chairs to suit his anti-business ideas (remember, Chicago does not have 1 Wal-mart). As we see more and more business closings in Ellisville, but I see more and more business opening inBallwin, we politicians and some in the community that wish overturn votes already made because of their stupidity.

"....the mayor and his cohorts, are attempting to stonewall a project that has already been approved. We had a vote, the vote was in the affimative, and the building should progress..."

The city council had a vote. "We, the People" had no such vote in the issue. In a straight up or down popular vote it would have failed miserably.

But, "We, the People," ( the "mob" ) voted 70%+ for an anti-TIF mayoral candidate and elected Paul.

"..but I see more and more business opening inBallwin, we politicians.."

You a politician? THAT explains why your reasoning is so twisted.

"we politicians and some in the community that wish overturn votes already made because of their stupidity."

And WE THE PEOPLE, a 70%+ super-majority wish to overturn votes already made by stupid, arrogant, and self-important "politicians and some in the community" like yourself.

Mayor Paul was just the first step in replacing your kind in our city government.

"your kind" .... typical bully comment, Seig Heil much

How many puffs of Raid do you think it would take to put Katie out???

Hey little mikey kkk,

Wal-Mart Says February Sales "Total Disaster", Worst Monthly Start Since 2006; Stock Drops

Wal-Mart shares are plunging as the firm reports a 'total disaster' in its February sales. Bloomberg obtained internal emails that note:

"In case you haven’t seen a sales report these days, February MTD sales are a total disaster,” Jerry Murray, Wal-Mart’s vice president of finance and logistics, said in a Feb. 12 e-mail to other executives, referring to month-to-date sales. “The worst start to a month I have seen in my ~7 years with the company.... That points to our competitive landscape, which means everyone is suffering and probably worse than we are”

It gets better:

“We have to fight against the tougher economic environment to earn a bigger share of a smaller consumer spending pie"

So much for Walmart "saving" Ellisville. Walmart doesn't even sound like much of a "destination" for run of the mill Walmart shoppers these days.

lately my biggest purchases have been from Savers and Red racks, Goodwill and garage sales, Any one know of any good Estate sales? I am not too proud to buy dead peoples things or things rich people with more money than sense are putting in the donation box. After being unemployed with a Master's, Walmart is too expensive for a fixed income person like me. I have a feeling I am not the only one is this situation either. so, no Walmart is not my "destination " for shoppping. Aldi maybe.

Smart shopping GrandmaBunny. And no sales tax. Starve the Beast from Within until we get a City Council that will listen and not blow our tax dollars.

Try my favorite

http://www.estatesales.net/estate-sales/MO/St.-Louis.aspx

Craigslitst too.

Just remember if you make less than the $88K median, little mikey kkk wants you out of Ellisville. That’s half of Ellisville, so aren't alone.

News flash. Wal-Mart is going in, no matter what the derelicts of Clarkchester Apartments say.

It's in court. Then probably to Appeal.

I've heard any number of people say it's a done deal, ETC

So far they've all been wrong. I still don't see a store and hope I never do.

Dismissed. Unanimously. Commission acted properly despite the histrionics of Mayor Paul's lawyer getting thrown out by the police chief at the request of the city attorney.

A nice bit of theatre but a bit over the top. Once the meeting got started, they did the right thing. Otherwise they were all next and we would have a new mayor every week and they realized the stupidity of sitting a precedent that will irrevocably abdicate their power to the city manager.