Blog

Joe Eagan, Pat Stinnet

Gain Quick Certification;

Sworn-in to City Council

By Carol Arnett

After a quick certification of last week’s election, two new council members were seated at Monday’s Florissant City Council meeting. Joe Eagan won the Ward 3 seat, and Pat Stinnett won in Ward 6.

Joe Eagan won easily in the Ward 3 race with 480 votes,  Elizabeth O’Fallon was a distant second with 188 votes  and Mark Behlmann came in third with 116 votes

Pat Stinnett won by 66 votes 430-364.. Stinnett and Steve  Purgahn had tied with 470 votes each in April.

Gettemeier’s Granted New Area For Smoking

The first public hearing for the new council dealt with a request by Gettemeier’s Bar and Grill to have outside dining at the restaurant at 1740 Thunderbird Avenue.

The outside dining will allow the restaurant to have a smoking area. It will be created by putting up a wall that will create a small section on the north side of the dining room. The wall at the front of this section will be removed and windows installed. The outside dining area will have a bar and six or seven tables.

Customers will enter the area through the main dining room. A door will separate the smoking and non-smoking areas.

Restaurateur Jerry Gettemeier said that the restaurant’s food sales had gone up since St. Louis County imposed a smoking ban. However, the restaurant’s beverage business has declined “dramatically.”

“I’m not opposed to the smoking ban,” Gettemeier said. “I am opposed to how it’s implemented. People can go down the street and smoke,” at bars that can still allow smoking.

The restaurant is located in Ward 6. Stinnett said he was not opposed to approving the renovation. “This is a local business that has stayed here  and stepped up,” he said.

The council held three readings and passed the bill that allows the renovation.

In other action, the council:

• Passed a bill that sets the salary of the municipal judge at $50,000 per year as of the election on November 8, 2011.

•   Passed a bill authorizing the appropriation of $80,000 from the General Revenue Fund to purchase gasoline for the police department. Mayor Tom Schneider explained that gas prices had gone up since the budget was created.

•  Approved a request by Steve and Elizabeth Purgahn to keep three American Chickens at their home on St. Louis Street.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us