By Carol Arnett

The Florissant City Council passed the bills that would approve the city’s budget for fiscal year 2014. However, Mayor Tom Schneider, who missed the meeting due to medical reasons, has informed the Independent News Tuesday that he will return budget bill 8961 unsigned with a “strongly worded message” to the council urging them to return the essential Public Works equipment that they removed.

Schneider says the equipment was removed “during a hastily called budget meeting” held during his medical absence this past week.

The budget approved by the council removed some new equipment from the budget, including a FLERT bus, salt truck, front-end loader, and skid loader.

Schneider says he “is fighting for essential Public Works equipment needed for emergency snow removal and storm response, essential municipal maintenance, safe sewer lateral work, and the Senior FLERT Bus service.”

He said he is urging the council to reconsider the bill at the Dec. 9 meeting, saying that a veto will cause delays in closing out the 2013 fiscal year.

   In other matters, despite misgivings expressed by some members, the Florissant City Council passed a bill that will allow for the opening of a Miami Grill at 12925 New Halls Ferry Rd. This was formerly a Long John Silver’s; it is at the intersection of New Halls Ferry and Parker Rd.

The council held a public hearing on this project at the last council meeting.

James Woodworth, an architect on the project, spoke to the council on behalf of Miami Grill, the restaurant that would like to move in to the spot. Miami Grill would keep the existing building for a drive-in, carry-out restaurant.

“There will be no physcial changes to the building,” Woodworth said. However, the restaurant has already done some landscaping and made repairs to the parking lot.

“I’m voting for this, but something about this I just don’t like. I feel they were less than truthful,” Councilman Joe Eagan said.

There were concerns about the old drive-through window. Miami Grill said they would not use the window for a drive-through, but for a pick-up window.

Councilman Tim Lee asked City Attorney John Hessel if they could add a one year review to the bill. Hessel said they could not, but they could check at any time to see that the restaurant was abiding by the rules set out. “You can check and make sure that it is being used for a pick-up window and not a dirive-through,” Hessel said.