Candidate for Aldermen Withdraws from Race After Comments at Board Meeting
John Zepaltas had previously filed for candidacy for Ward 3.
After Wednesday night's regular meeting, a candidate for Ward 3 Alderman was recorded on city video making comments to staff members that may have resulted in his withdrawing his candidacy.
John Zepaltas, who had filed for candidacy last month, approached city staff after the regular meeting was over and the aldermen and mayor had left the board room.
Zepaltis was upset about the cost overruns for the Splash Station project. He asked how the project got past planners.
The city's video camera was still running, and although he was off-camera, Zepaltas can be heard to say, "Mr. Kolb disappointed the hell out of me." He said that if that was the way that projects are administered, the procedures needed to be changed.
"I am just pissed," Zepaltas said. "If I had an AK-47. . "
At that point, procurement director Jerry Hillin interrupted him and said, "End that conversation now."
And Zepaltas added, " . . . I would make a lot of noise."
Zepaltas then left the room.
City Clerk Vi Skillman issued a list of candidates the following day, and Zepaltas was not on that list. Skillman confirmed to Patch that Zepaltas had withdrawn his candidacy.
Interim City Administrator George Kolb spoke to Patch about the incident. Kolb said that he believed that Zepaltas regretted his words and that he'd apologized. Kolb said that the incident "had dealt with itself."
He did, however, emphasize the need for diligent security at city hall, citing events like the Kirkwood city council shootings in 2008 and the recent Sandy Hook tragedy.
"We have to keep our eyes open," Kolb said.
seriously concerned
11:16 am on Monday, January 14, 2013
Mr. Zepaltas should have charges filed against him for making a direct threat involving a gun in a public building during a public meeting! Anybody who is threatening to use an AK47 in a public meeting because he's in his words "pissed" needs to spend some time cooling off in jail!!
Devon Seddon
12:34 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
I have no horse in the race here, except that over-reaction, without rational thinking, is of the biggest problems our country faces today, and I'm sure you aren't trying to be a part of it. So let's clariful it to an extent.
1) It wasn't during a public meeting.
2) It wasn't a direct threat.
3) You can only (at least according to the constitution) be charged for a "threat" if it's against the President.
4) There are plenty of places to cool-off, jail is not the only place.
5) People say things they don't mean all of the time when they are "pissed", I'm sure you don't intend to put everyone in jail for each of those things. (And by the way, the reason he was "pissed" is that he is tired of your money continuing to be mismanaged at every turn, at every level of government. When are you going to get "pissed" at them for that, as you do the people insisting it stop.)
6) Regardless of your "programming", words are still just words. They are said, stupid or otherwise, all of the time. You are upset because someone recorded, and you were able to hear these. What about the words you don't hear, how do you imprison someone for those?
and 7) You have (as is so very often done, so don't feel bad) changed what actually happened here, to make it more severe & extreme. You have turned it into something it isn't. You did it twice. You said that this was "during" & "in" a public meeting. So allow me a 2nd-time as you re-read the story. They were neither "in" nor "during" the meeting.
seriously concerned
2:37 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
Anybody interested in watching the video go to, www.wentzvillemo.org, then click on agendas and minutes, then Board of Aldermen, January 9, 2013 Special Meeting. These comments are at the 1:16 mark.
It was during a public Board of Aldermen meeting being held at City Hall (a government building), the Board was in Executive Session but the meeting had not been adjourned when the threat was made.
I haven't "turned it into something it isn't", ANYBODY who threatens to use an AK-47 while in a government building while attending a public meeting should have charges filed against him! I don't believe that it's up to the City Adminstrator to decide that the incident "had dealt with itself", he doesn't have the expertise or authority to make that decision. What if he's wrong? This is about public safety and the safety of city employees!
I believe Mr. Zepaltas was given special consideration because of the aldermen who were encouraging and supporting his candidacy at the time of the treat.
Devon Seddon
6:37 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
I'll admit, I was not at the meeting, and don't have the minutes in front of me. I was more interested in why more than what, & according to the story, I translated this:
"approached city staff after the regular meeting was over and the aldermen and mayor had left the board room"
&
"The city's video camera was still running, and although he was off-camera, Zepaltas can be heard"
as:
the meeting was over, everyone else had even left the room but (boops) the camera was still running
- sorry I misunderstood.
Devon Seddon
6:30 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
Kolb should have the right to be the one to press those charges or not, though, no? I'm not defending what was said. I think Zapaltas said something stupid. I think at this point he has at least also realized that himself.
Look, locking people up when they haven't acted in any way, but simply said something stupid would CLEARLY become a VERY dangerous thing, VERY quickly, especially in a day & age where there are cameras everywhere. Look into history at days even before cameras where people could be locked-up for something they said in anger. Look at how that turned-out. You wouldn't want to live in any of those places. I don't think we want to live in a country where someone is constantly looking & listening to see if anyone ever says anything for which they can be jailed. In a country where people are snapping left & right, do you really want to be responsible for taking away the freedom to vent as well? Be careful what you wish for is all I'm saying.
Again, save the city employees. Yes, I'm in favor of it. Let's save the city employees, by all means. But let's remember as we do it, that McGuffin in this story, just like in Psycho, is the mismanaged money.
Amazing how we are all now distracted from that little nugget, isn't it?
seriously concerned
11:07 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
You said you "have no horse in the race", well I do and I've paid very close attention to the Board meetings (which are public record) and voting records of the Aldermen (which are public record). I recommend before you comment that you take the time to research the record. I prefer to have the facts instead of making assumptions...but that's just me!
Devon Seddon
9:03 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
Your facts differ from the story.
Is it me who is always pointing out that there is a difference between what actually happens & what's reported? Or is that someone else?
bad politics
3:44 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
KSDK (channel 5) news ran this story on the 5, 6, and10 o'clock news yesterday and the 6 am news this morning. So, I'm guessing SOME people think it's an important story!
The leaders in Wentzville look extremely foolish and irresponsible with the mishandling of this situation. Mr. Kobe stated in his rambling way on the news how "aware" you need to be but turned right around and said they wouldn't be adding any extra security or changing anything in the Board meetings.
I guess the liability will be on the city if anything happens in the future. It's on tape that they chose not to make adjustments or changes!
Thanks to The Patch and KSDK for keeping us informed!