Aldermen to Discuss Release of More Executive Session Minutes

The Wentzville Board of Aldermen is scheduled to discuss releasing more executive session meeting minutes from past sessions during its 6:30 p.m. meeting on Wed., March 28.

Mayor Paul Lambi proposed the closed meeting minutes release.

“I’m just trying to comply with the board’s wishes to remain open and transparent,” Lambi said. “They were eager to bring out executive session meeting minutes regarding me.”

Ward 1 Alderman Leon Tow said he didn’t know offhand what the meeting minutes included.

Lambi said the minutes did not directly involve the against him, but may involve the reason behind the investigation.

“The long and short of it is that there’s a lot of outside interest in control in Wentzville. A lot of direction and pressure is being put on Wentzville,” the mayor said.

During its last meeting, the board voted to release redacted minutes from the Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and Jan. 11 executive session meetings. The minutes involved the Board of Aldermen-directed investigation into a possible conflict of interest involving Lambi.

Parts of the minutes were blacked out by City Attorney Paul Rost, who said that attorneys must feel free to give advice to their clients without fear that their advice would be used against their clients.

Tow told Patch that the mayor investigation turned up information that has not been released, and the board turned the information over to the Missouri Ethics Commission and the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s office.

The meeting agenda indicates the board will discuss releasing executive session minutes from June 9, 2010; June 23, 2010; Dec. 8, 2010, Jan. 26, 2011; March 9, 2011; and May 25, 2011.

The day after the board released executive session minutes, Ward 3 Alderman Nick Guccione said that the aldermen planned to force Lambi to resign so that Tow, as president of the board, would be appointed mayor.

Guccione is running for mayor against Tow and two other candidates, Darrel Lackey and Bill Schuette, for mayor. Lambi is not seeking re-election.

Tow said Guccione’s accusation is unsubstantiated.

“Why would you even think of doing something like that? That would be a worst-case scenario for the city,” Tow said. He said the city was obligated to investigate an employee’s complaint, and that led to the investigation.