Community members share concerns over aldermen conduct, city polices

By Roxie Murphy, Staff Writer
Posted 5/31/23

BELLE — Several members of the Belle community on May 9 addressed the aldermen about the unbecoming conduct of some of its members.

Rebecca Withouse was present to first ask the board for …

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Community members share concerns over aldermen conduct, city polices

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BELLE — Several members of the Belle community on May 9 addressed the aldermen about the unbecoming conduct of some of its members.

Rebecca Withouse was present to first ask the board for permission to close Belair Avenue on June 3 so that her neighborhood may have a block party. When that was approved, she asked permission to address the board on another matter.

“I want to also talk about the council’s behavior in the meetings and even how they have been responding to citizens’ concerns,” Withouse said. “I called to talk to several people on the council about the misleading information that was mentioned during the 4/17 special meeting.”

Withouse said she called the following Friday, April 21.

“I was able to talk to the mayor, the same guy I called,”Withouse said. “Tony (Baretich, former public works director), called me back the following business day.”

However, Withouse pointed James (Pudd) Mitchell and said he hadn’t called her back.

“I had to call a second time and ask again that I be contacted,” she said. “Listening to citizens’ complaints and concerns is unfortunately a big part of the job. I feel like there has been a lack of respect, compassion, and concern over what citizens have been saying.”

Withouse said she is not trying to make the board feel bad.

“I just think things could be handled better,” she said. “Which leads me to my next thing. Is there a limit to how many motions can be made? I have noticed that often during the council meetings, people seem hesitant to make a motion. You were elected to act and make things happen. Why are things not being dealt with and allowed to fester? Such as the Martin Subdivision. It was stated numerous times that our infrastructure couldn’t handle it. Yet it was still discussed even after mentioning ‘we can’t do it.’ It still took up a large portion of the meeting.”

Withouse said they could have suggested to the subdivision owners to research other funding. She understands they didn’t want to dismiss the idea out-of-hand.

“But you can’t keep letting things just sit,” Withouse continued. “We have to have progress being made and that is what we elected you guys to do. There was no one stepping up saying ‘it’s done’ or anything. Again, just allowed to fester. The same thing with the time clock. People want to complain about the situation, but not taking steps to do something. I’m not saying things aren’t happening behind the scenes, but unfortunately all that is being seen right now is the drama, the infighting. The outfighting. Council members saying things in public about citizens’ complaints.”

Withouse said it isn’t the first time and she knows some of the board members personally.

“You’re better than this,” she said. “You’re better than what we see. You’re better than what’s been coming across.”

Mitchell said he wasn’t able to call Withouse back because he was given an incorrect number the first time.

“Things happen,” Withouse said. “Please don’t think that I am trying to shame you guys. I just expect better.”

Withouse apologized.

“You are absolutely right,” Mayor Daryl White, Jr., said. “We have a lot of room to improve.”

White said he saw no problem closing the street down for the neighborhood event for safety  reasons. The board said they didn’t see a problem, but asked that they have a plan to allow emergency services if needed. Withouse agreed to make accommodations.

No action was taken.

Dave and Doris Klein were present to complain about a sitting alderman coming to their home on a Sunday to look at their recently erected privacy fence.

“We did not know he was a council member,” Doris Klein said. “Harassing us about putting up a fence, which is on our side of the yard. We asked our neighbors multiple times to help us put this fence up and they wouldn’t do it.”

Doris Klein said she has small dogs that are always trying to get out and they wanted to be able to keep them in.

“It ain’t that they wouldn’t do it,” Dave Klein clarified. “I asked them when she was married to her husband and he wanted to do it. But then they got separated. Now she got a new boyfriend. I talked to him about it. He said, ‘I’ll help you. We’ll pay for half.’ But then probably a year went by.”

Dave Klein said when he approached his neighbors recently to ask if they were ready to build the new fence he was told they can’t afford it currently. He waited a few more months and asked again, but was told they would rather have a plastic fence than a wooden one. He said he has had previous property damage issues with the neighbor that were accidents but took a long time to get fixed, if it was fixed at all.

“Then this guy over here,” Dave Klein pointed at Mitchell,” This Sunday, waited for my wife to leave, and is over there cussin’ at me, ‘I’m gonna have that fence tore down’ and I didn’t appreciate that. We shouldn’t be like that. We’re adults.”

Mitchell agreed.

“You’re on the council, you had no business doing that,” Dave Klein continued. “If you wanted to do that you should have had the law there or Mr. White there. You didn’t have no right doin’ that and you’re lucky it turned out the way it happened. Because you had me upset.”

Alderman Jeanette Struemph asked if the Kleins called Dig Right before they set the fence posts. Dave Klein said he didn’t. He didn’t know he had to.

“Their fence is on the property line and I put mine on my property line,” Dave Klein said. “It’s a brand new fence, they should be happy with it.”

Dave Klein said he had pictures of the fence and it looks good. White agreed.

“If it was a junky fence, I could understand,” Dave Klein said. “But it isn’t and I didn’t do it for them. I did it for my dogs.”

Struemph said she put a fence up several years ago and made sure she knew where the property line was and that she built the fence 18 inches off of the property line to be able to maintain both sides of the fence.

“If you put your fence 18 inches away from your property line, which the fence is already on the property line, I put it up against theirs. But if I give ‘em 18 inches, two foot, whatever, when they put their fence up, I can’t get over it and ain’t goin’ to give ‘em my land.”

Dave Klein said Mitchell spoke with a neighbor who is also a good friend and claimed that Mitchell was cussing and making threats about the fence to his neighbor.

Mitchell said he spoke with the Klein’s neighbor, but didn’t say all of those things.

“This man is lyin’ to you all,” Dave Klein said. “You’ve got two complaints on ya and you’ve been on the board for three months. Now you’ve got three.”

Mitchell asked Dave Klein if he called the city board a bunch of m-fers. Klein said he shouldn’t have to.

Doris Klein said she came around the house to Mitchell cussing at her husband.

“But you didn’t hear him cussing me,” Mitchell said.

“There was a lot of cussing,” Doris Klein said.

The Kleins argued that both fences are on the property line.

“We spent the money, we took the time to put the fence up,” Doris Klein said.  “We asked them numerous times to help us with the fence.”

Mitchell said their neighbors couldn’t help with the fence because the house wasn’t in her name.

“It just got in her name, the divorce just got final,” Mitchell said. “So she couldn’t do nothin’ if she wanted to.”

Doris Klein said they are worried about a fence when homes are falling apart in the city.

“I’ve driven this town, I see homes falling apart,” Doris Klein said.

Dave Klein said if they want to tear the fence down they can use their fence on that side.

“I am getting old and I don’t need all this stress,” Dave Klein said. “I don’t need all the drama.”

Struemph said the fence being on the Kleins’ property line means it is also on their neighbor’s property line.

“No, theirs is literally on their property line, ours is not,” Doris Klein said.

“If they tear the fence down, they are going to gain six inches,” Dave Klein said. “We’re loosing six inches.”

Mitchell said the fence has to be far enough off the line that they are still on their own property for maintenance.

“She couldn’t get to the other side because there was a whole fence,” Dave Klein said. “We’re not on their property.”

Mitchell said when he came to the Kleins’ residence that Sunday he told them he was there out of respect.

“No, you did not,” Dave Klein said. “Don’t sit up there and lie. You was cussin’ and swearin’ and everything.”

White said stopped the conversation.

“What’s going to happen over this fence?” Dave Klein asked. “Am I goin’ to hear more about this? This is getting ridiculous.”

White asked Marshal Jerry Coborn what he did on May 9 regarding the matter. Coborn said he spoke with the Kleins, White and Mitchell.

“They got the same letter I gave you,” Coborn said. “I just need to know whether the building permit actually went through. He says it’s approved, you guys said it’s not approved. I just need to know where we stand.”

White said their next step should be somebody identifying the markers so they know where they are.

Dave Klein said the city’s permit person spoke to him and said he approved the permit and that the mayor approved the permit, but on the bottom of the paper he has to put denied because they don’t want nobody else to be able to do that.

“That’s not the way we talked about it,” White said. “He told me this morning that it was denied because it was built before a permit.”

White said he would like the city to use a metal detector to the fence and find the pins so they can shoot between them.

“I put poles where the survey markers are,” Dave Klein said. “When the Greens did their surveying they surveyed ours again.”

White said he and Coborn can go up and look at it together.

“If you guys want to go too, you are welcome to,” White said.  “The council.”

Dave Klein said he would rather Mitchell not be there.

“He ain’t welcome on my  land,” Dave Klein said. “After what he did, I have no respect for ‘em.”

Mitchell said he has no respect for Dave Klein either.

“That’s enough,” White said. “Let’s stop it here, guys.”

The Kleins’ neighbor Judy Ridenhour said she has never complained about the fence.

“I don’t care that they put the fence up,” Ridenhour said. “Yes, I know the fence that is there is an eyesore, I get that. I was advised by my attorney not to touch anything with that house until my divorce was final and the papers were in hand. Now my divorce is final and I get ‘I can’t have everything I want.’ I don’t want a wooden fence. That’s my choice, it’s my property.”

Ridenhour said she doesn’t have an issue with the fence, and yes, they have had their issues in the past.

“We were nice enough to let them put their fence up against ours and use our fence for their dogs. I don’t mind that, and I still don’t mind that. My whole thing is, if we take our (fence) down and don’t replace it and he is saying theirs is on their property line, it is on the line, how is he supposed to maintain the side to us?”

“The same way it is maintained today,” Dave Klein said. “You cut your grass and I cut the grass on my side. That’s what we’re doing right now with the old fence. Same thing.”

Ridenhour asked why, when they went to buy their fencing, there was no communication ahead of time.

“Because I am done dealing with you people,” Dave Klein said. “It’s been going on three years.”

No action was taken.

Sharon Hicks was present to ask why the park bathrooms were not open at the grandstand field.

“Because Ameren hasn’t put the electric in and there are no lights in them yet,” White said.

Hicks said she understands, but there are 10 hours of daylight and a lot of people are up there throughout the day.

“We’ve had grade school kids up there for their field days,” Hicks said. “Now we have the TCYA (Tri-County Youth Association) kids up there on the ballfields, they’re playing ball up there in the early evening. You don’t need a light up there to go to the bathroom during the day.”

White asked if they  aren’t open during the day and Struemph so no, they are locked.

“I was under the impression they was open during daylight hours,” White said.

Tony Baretich, former public works director who resigned on May 19 said no, it is a safety hazard for the bathrooms to be open without lights.

“The floors aren’t perfectly even,” Baretich said. “There’s only the side windows, no roof lighting. You go up there during the day and it’s not as light as it is in here right now.”

Hicks said she understands it won’t be a bright place. Baretich said they could be open, but from a safety point, if someone gets in there and falls down over one of the cracks in the floor —.”

Hicks wanted to know what the delay was about.

“Ameren UE is donating new electricity for the park,” White said. “They are going to set poles, transformers and everything, and it’s a several thousand dollar thing. They are doing it for free so we can’t really push them to get it in. They know about the Swap Meet and the Fair is coming. It would cost us several dollars to put it in and take it right back out when they come.”

Baretich said it wouldn’t take them long when they do come in. White said Jimmy  Zumwalt, park board president, has been in contact with them.

“We have talked about a couple of emergency options before the Swap Meet and the Fair. There is an under ground box that we can put in and stuff, but we was hoping —,” White began.

Hicks said it is just sad.

“You have all these people up the park, all these people walking, you’ve had little kids playing ball,” she said. “How many times did you not have to take them to the bathroom. Now they have to go all the way  down to the Tiger Field if they are playing on the softball field. That’s a long ways for a little kid.”

White said he was at a little league game the night before and there were a lot of people upset about it.

“I don’t know why we couldn’t set up some dusk till dawn lights,” Struemph said. “A motion light is a plug-in.”

Baretich said there isn’t any electricity to the building.

“The electric was on the corner of the grandstands,” White said. “When we took the grandstand out we had to disconnect just the bathroom and the pavilion.”

Struemph asked about placing a Porta Potty. Baretich said they have had issues previously with the Porta Potties being tipped over.

No action was taken.

Zumwalt said on Wednesday that the grandstand bathrooms have since been opened up, but there is still no electric to the building.

Mark and Paulette Fricke submitted a letter to the board regarding Tony Gieck’s request to allow semi tucks and trailers to be parked at his house in the evenings. Gieck has a logging business.

“The stress, the wear, the tear it puts on the streets having excess travel from a heavy commercial logging truck is a concern as a taxpayer and a homeowner on the street. The taxes on the lot would be very minimal in comparison to the cost of having to repair the city street. Also please keep in mind it has been stated by a real estate agent that it will decrease property values. It is also a concern for the children at play in the subdivision. Please note we are not opposed to anyone’s entrepreneurship or business endeavors, but we believe that this type of business, a logging business, would be best outside of a city subdivision. Note that an alternate solution was raised that a logging truck may be parked on the town community  commuter parking lot.”

No action was taken.