Debate Sparked Over Non-Motion to Stay Mayor's Impeachment

A motion that wasn't on the agenda nonetheless dominated the conversation Wednesday night at the Ellisville City Council meeting.

Two new council members, Mick Cahill and Gary Voss, requested that a motion to either stay or reverse the previous council's move to impeach former Mayor Adam Paul be put on the agenda. The request was denied after City Manager Kevin Bookout consulted with Special Council John Maupin. 

Maupin said the request failed to meet the standards of Roberts Rules of Order and was "inept" under the circumstances.

"If there was a building to be demolished, a stay would be in order to prevent something from happening before it is too late," he said. 

Paul's attorney Chet Pleban disagreed with Maupin's reading of the law and said Bookout shouldn't have withheld the agenda item request based on Maupin's advice. He instead believed the item should be brought forward, at which point the city's attorney could advice the city council to vote down the measure. 

"How could you unilaterally make the decision to pull something from an agenda without consulting with your client?" Pleban asked. 

Residents also questioned funds spent by the city on public relations, noting the city had spent 400 percent of its 2013 budgeted PR funds in just over a month to Casey Communications.

Mayor Pro Tem Matt Pirrello said he hadn't reviewed the bills but would look into the situation. 

In a session following the official meeting, Pirrello answered questions posed during the public comment period. He said he would "resign from office" if a judge determined the city was in the wrong in regard to the Paul impeachment. 

In other mayoral race news, Pirrello said that due to filing and notification dates, the first available election to fill seat vacated by Paul would be in November.

See more on Patch:

• Ellisville City Council To Hear Permit For Gun Shop Wednesday
• Former Mayor Adam Paul Files Request To Overturn Impeachment
• Lawsuits Come Out At Ellisville City Council Meeting
• What's Next for Ellisville and Adam Paul?
• Ellisville Mayor Ousted from Office