Mayor Defends Snowplowing Veto; Board Votes to Override

The voted 4-2 Tuesday night to override Mayor Mike Potter's veto of a .

Before he explained his reasons for the veto, Potter commented that his veto had little power, since city statutes allow four votes out of the six to overturn the veto—the same number that passes the bill in the first place.

The bill was originally passed by the board at the Aug. 20 regular meeting by a 4-1 vote. The only nay was cast by Ward 2 Alderman Kathy Schweikert. Her fellow Ward 2 Alderman, Karen Vennard, had been outspoken in her opposition to the measure but was absent from the original vote.

Vennard addressed some of the audience members who spoke up during the public comment session, saying that if they didn't realize that their streets were private streets when their purchased property in Lake Saint Louis, it was a civil issue, not a city issue.

"I'm a realtor," she said. "I make sure that people do their due diligence." Vennard said that prospective buyers should have read their covenants and restrictions. "You were not given the proper information," she said.

"It’s not a fair bill," Vennard added. "It sets us up for huge liabilities." Her remarks were met by applause, but also by a number of "boos" from the audience.

Ward 3 Alderman George Rich said that the board had been told that the bill was not a violation of the state constitution, . He said that city staff had expressed concerns about the bill that would be addressed, as well as the liability issue.

One resident thanked the mayor for his veto, questioning the bill's definition of a private street. "Is my driveway a private street?" he asked. "Where do you limit it?"

Ward 1 Alderman Tony Zito said that the issue of health and safety was basic to the ordinance. "Residents of private streets still get police, fire, street cleaning and ambulance services . . . It's very constitutional for a city to provide these types of services."'

"It's an issue of fairness," Zito said. "We pay the same taxes as do other residents. We don't get the same services."

Zito also addressed an issue from a previous meeting, when he was asked to recuse himself from the vote because he representated a homeowners' association that might benefit from the bill.

"Personal financial gain? Where would I get that from?" Zito said. "I am not  member of the board of the HOA. I have no voting rights."

When the question was called, Vennard and Schweikert voted nay. Zito, Rich, Ward 2 Alderman Ralph Sidebottom and Ward 3 Alderman Rick Morris voted aye, overriding Potter's veto.