Brentwood Aldermen Agree to 'Consider' Legal Action Against Chris Seemayer

A vote in last night's meeting made it possible to put the discussion on the agenda of a future meeting. Seemayer's pension, when he reaches 60, is what's at stake.

Close to a hundred Brentwood residents were ready for something to go their way at the board of aldermen meeting last night. They got it at the very end, when alderwoman Maureen Saunders made a motion in an almost “oh by the way” fashion, in the meeting at the Brentwood Recreation Center. “And another thing,” she said, after agreeing to a time change for a joint ward meeting, “In listening to the residents, I am going to go ahead and make a motion that this board pursue civil action against Chris Seemayer.” When Seemayer was found guilty last year of embezzling $30,000 from the city of Brentwood to pay gambling debts, he was allowed to resign instead of being fired, making it possible for him to get sick and vacation pay, and receive an …

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Geoff Peterson

7:15 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2012

Well, it looks like the Library's website posted the most recent meeting minutes (http://brentwood.lib.mo.us/node/1725). Not sure how to frame those minutes in context of the contradicting allegations in this thread, the Library tax article thread and the Board of Alderman and Ways and Means minutes. Anyone care to take a stab at it? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?   more ›

Chris Seemayer Banned From Missouri Casinos

The Missouri Gaming Commission added Seemayer to its involuntary exclusion list on Wednesday.

Chris Seemayer, the former Brentwood city manager convicted of embezzling nearly $30,000 from the city for gambling debts at an Illinois casino, has been banned from entering any Missouri casino, St. Louis Public Radio reports. The Missouri Gaming Commission, on Wednesday, added Seemayer to its involuntary exclusion list. The report also appeared on the Missouri Gaming Commission website. From the commission's website, the list is for persons "deemed to be undesirable from the excursion gambling boat or adjacent facilities,” which includes those convicted of a crime that involves gambling. The St Louis Public Radio article states Seemayer has 30 days to request a hearing on his placement on the list. Seemayer was sentenced to five years …

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Maureen Saunders Wins First Ward in Giant Turnout

Saunders said her win is for everyone who signed the petition that brought about the state audit.

A huge turnout in Brentwood’s first ward gave accountant Maureen Saunders more votes than either Anthony Harper or Barbara Clements got in previous years running uncontested in the ward. Uncertified returns from The St. Louis County Board of Elections Tuesday night show Saunders defeating Jim Bischoff 366 votes to 186. That’s more than 66 percent of the votes cast. “It’s a big win for the residents,” she said. “Everybody that signed that petition, everybody that made their concerns known. It’s a team effort and we are all taking that seat.” Saunders is known in Brentwood for spearheading the signature drive that initiated a state audit of the city of Brentwood last August, following the resignation of city administrator Chris Seemayer for …

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Newcomers Saunders, Manestar, Toohey Elected Brentwood Aldermen

Ward 3 incumbent Andy Leahy also won re-election in an uncontested race.

In the first election since the string of controversies that rocked Brentwood in 2011, three newcomers are set to join the city's Board of Aldermen. Maureen Saunders (Ward 1), Cindy Manestar (Ward 2) and Patrick Toohey (Ward 4) all won seats on the board during Tuesday's municipal election. Andy Leahy, an incumbent in Ward 3, won an uncontested re-election bid. Each candidate was elected to a four-year term. (Get real-time updates about Brentwood City Hall and other news on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MaplewoodBrentwoodPatch) Saunders, who won with 66 percent of the votes cast in her ward, entered the public eye following two stories of financial mismanagement at city hall: former city administrator Chris Seemayer's theft of city …

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Brentwood Ward 1 Candidate Maureen Saunders: "I Have to Be Part of the Solution"

Brentwood's reputation is just bruised, she said.

Maureen Saunders is 50 years old, and doesn’t look it, thanks to her Irish skin. “I wouldn’t change my heritage, I love being Irish,” she said. She’s one of eight children, and now has four of her own. She’s been married 27 years. “My parents did a great job of raising us, because all eight of us are very compassionate, caring citizens,” she said. “They gave me a good foundation.” Her own children range from an eighth-grader at Brentwood Middle School to her oldest, who’s getting married in June and works in economics in Cincinnati. Get the latest from Maplewood-Brentwood Patch with the daily newsletter, free in your inbox every morning. She graduated from University of Missouri, St. Louis with a degree in accounting. She also took …

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State Audit of Brentwood to Start This Month

The process is expected to last five to six months.

The Missouri State Auditor's office is scheduled to begin its audit of Brentwood finances this month, an office spokesman confirmed on Friday. Auditors are expected to meet with city officials within the next two weeks to explain the process and discuss the scope of the audit, said Spence Jackson, media director with the state auditor's office. Specific details about the audit remain unknown at this time, however, because it's still early in the process, Jackson said. Auditors could examine multiple documents—like contracts with vendors and bookkeeping practices, among other things—but those decisions haven't been made yet. The process would likely require five to six months to complete, Jackson said, but that largely depends on what the …

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Mayor Kelly: In 2012, Building Upon the Positives in Brentwood

It's no secret that Brentwood experienced a tumultuous 2011. In this Q&A session with Patch, Mayor Pat Kelly says the city will reach a new level of professionalism in 2012.

In early December, Brentwood mayor Pat Kelly gave Patch a 90-minute interview to reflect on 2011 and discuss what's next for the city. The following Q&A includes highlights from that conversation. Some answers have been condensed for readability. (For instant updates about Maplewood and Brentwood, follow us on Facebook.) -- In a few sentences, what has 2011 been to the city of Brentwood? As a city and as an organization, you grow and you live and learn. We've had our challenges this year, but I still think, overall, the city is in a great position. We continue to build upon our positive aspects and I think we have the opportunity to take Brentwood to the next level from a professional standpoint. That's the direction we're going in. We …

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Editor's Notebook

Top 10 Most-Read Stories of 2011 on Maplewood-Brentwood Patch

Do any of these stories surprise you?

Take a look below at the most-read news stories of 2011. Do any of the stories surprise you? As the year comes to a close, do you have anything else to say about any of these stories? Let us know in the comments section. -- 10) Brentwood Parks Director Ousted From City (Dec. 9) The Brentwood Board of Aldermen voted to fire former parks director Michele Frankowski after she had a heated argument with city administrator Bola Akande. The board was divided 4-4 in firing Frankowski, but Mayor Pat Kelly broke the tie, electing to terminate Frankowski's employment. 9) Chris Seemayer is Still Collecting Benefits From Brentwood (Oct. 12) Former Brentwood city administrator Chris Seemayer, who pled guilty to stealing nearly $30,000 from the city he …

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Sunshine Law in Brentwood Divides Aldermen

Two aldermen sought to waive fees for one Brentwood resident but the motion failed to pass.

Brentwood city officials will ask the Missouri attorney general if they can legally charge some members of the public for copying records while waiving fees for others. The attorney general's office oversees the Missouri Sunshine Law, which guarantees the public's right to access most documents recorded by public entities. The Brentwood Board of Aldermen is divided on how the city should proceed with requests made for copies of different city records. The disagreement began during the public comment period of Monday night's meeting. Brentwood resident Julie Pozzo suggested that the board waive fees that have been charged to people requesting documents related to the recent investigation of former city administrator Chris Seemayer. He was …

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At Aldermanic Meeting, Saunders Squares Off With Mayor Kelly

Brentwood residents spend half of Monday's meeting asking questions and criticizing the city's handling of recent events.

Monday night’s Brentwood Board of Aldermen meeting quickly became heated as residents once again took Mayor Pat Kelly and the board to task about their handling of recent events and the way the city conducts general meetings. The open session lasted roughly an hour, but half of that time was spent on the public comment period. Of the 20 residents who attended the meeting, five spoke. They continued to ask why former Brentwood city administrator Chris Seemayer was allowed to resign instead of being fired. Others asked about purported financial mismanagement in the city. For the most part, Kelly and the aldermen waited patiently to respond while being peppered with questions and none-too-subtle criticisms. Legalities prevented Kelly from …

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