Wentzville Public Works Director Fired

Minutes from the July 11 executive session of the confirm that Scott Smith has been removed from his position as Director of Public Works. The minutes of that meeting read as follows:

Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Aldermen voted to accept the Mayor’s recommendation to remove Mr. Scott Smith from his office as Public Works Director and sever his employment relationship with the City effective Thursday, July 12, 2012, with severance in accordance with the terms of his employment agreement.

On roll call, the vote was as follows:

Ald. Shryock, aye
Ald. Gard, aye
Ald. Kross, aye
Ald. Gossett, aye
Ald. Stokes, aye                       

Clerk reports five ayes.  Motion carried. 

Ward 2 Alderman Chris Gard had confirmed to Wentzville Patch earlier Tuesday morning that Scott Smith was no longer the city's public works director, "as of last Thursday or Friday."

Gard said that he was not aware of any official announcement of the vacancy, but thought that the matter would be discussed at the Board of Aldermen work session on Wed., July 18.

Wentzville Patch called Mayor Nick Guccione, who said, "It's a personnel issue, I can't comment on it." When the question was reworded to "Is there an opening for a Public Works Director in the City of Wentzville?" the answer from the mayor was "I'm not going to comment on it either way."

Calls to the city's Interim City Administrator, Dennis Walsh, and Director of Human Resources Amy Mixen have not been returned. A call to city clerk Vitulla Skillman was returned, and the minutes were made available to Patch.

A tip from a reader prompted Wentzville Patch to inquire into the possible dismissal and vacancy. "I would think that’s newsworthy and something the voters in Wentzville need to know," the reader said.

. He had previously been a city engineer for the city of Florissant and a civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.