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BY JEANETTE EBERLIN RIZZELLO

A tie vote among Hazelwood city council members has left the Ward 8 council seat vacant until April of 2008.

After interviewing two candidates at a public meeting, seeking appointment to the seat, the vote of the council was tied.

Mayor T. R. Carr explained the situation to those in attendance by saying,
that the city council, by a 4 to 4 vote, “has deferred appointing an interim council member for Ward 8. The result is that now the residents of the ward will elect a council person to represent them in the election next April.”

Dan Casmaer, one of the applicants for the position, has resided at 1915 Timberwood Crossing with his wife, Pam since 1999. They have two children, Lindsay, who is a graduate of Hazelwood West High School, the University of Pennsylvania and is working as a researcher at Washington University. Their son, Carter, attends the University of Missouri Med School .Lindsay was Miss Hazelwood in 2000 and recently was named Miss Missouri to compete in the Miss America Pageant in January.

Casmaer is an independent contractor and is currently serving on Hazelwood’s Industrial Development Association. “Since I am my own boss, I feel free to find the time to attend meetings and carry out the duties of a council person,” he said.

When council members asked why he had applied for the position he said, “I have been on the IDA for four years and it gave me some knowledge of the process of expanding economic growth in Hazelwood. “I am loyal to Hazelwood and I want to give any service that I can provide to the citizens of Ward 8. I will listen to their needs and help them solve any problem.”

In 2002 Councilwoman Pat Piotrowicz was appointed to replace her late husband, Richard, who represented the ward at that time. She recently resigned from the seat, effective on Sept. 24. Casmaer had applied to fill the position in 2002, but at this recent meeting he told the council, ” I understand why the council did that.

Because of her husband, Pat already had experience and knowledge of the different problems. She was deserving of the job and has represented the ward well. She has my high regard.”

Also seeking the appointment was Bob Cocks of 3945 Charbonier Rd.

He has resided there 11 years and his wife, Lyn, has lived there 37 years. Lynn has a daughter and a two and a half year old grandson from a previous marriage who live nearby. Cocks is semi-retired and a consultant.

When asked why he is seeking the council position, Cocks said, “I have become more interested in the activities of the City of Hazelwood, and their impact on the citizens of Hazelwood and I decided that if I was going to play a role, now is the time.”

“My concern is about maintaining a balance in the city between our heritage of agriculture with open space and the ever present pressure for development.”

Cocks pointed out that 34.1 percent of the land in Hazelwood is agriculture and parks make up over 12 percent.

“This balance has to take into consideration the whole of the city and will be both difficult and delicate to maintain into the future,” Cocks concluded.

After the meeting, when asked her opinion of the result, former councilwoman Pat Piotrowicz said, “As my deceased husband (Richard) and I held the Ward 8 council seat for 10 years, I care who takes my place. After conferring with my neighborhood trustees and hearing from some residents in the agriculture area it is my firm opinion that Dan Casmaer was the best person suited to be councilman.

“I am very disappointed that the seat is not going to be filled and I feel that certain members of the council did not have the best interests of the City of Hazelwood in mind when they voted this vacancy.”
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