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Council wants safety director
By Nancy Cambria
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/14/2006
O'FALLON — In a move that could pave the way for the return of fired Police Chief Steve Talbott to O'Fallon, the City Council
has quietly taken action to establish the position of director of public safety that could be filled as early as next month.
Without discussion, the council introduced last week a $13,472 amendment to its current budget to cover the new position's
salary and administrative expenses through year's end. John Griesenauer, managing director of administrative services, said
Monday that staff members had been instructed to develop a job description within the $69,700 to $96,500 salary range that
would also include use of a city car. The council will have a final vote at its regular meeting next month.
The job, outside the Police Department, would coordinate emergency management response among fire and ambulance
districts, police, schools, hospitals and other entities throughout the city. Mayor Donna Morrow, who has the power to hire and
fire the police chief, does not possess those same powers over executive city staff positions.
Morrow declined to speculate Monday on whether the council was making room for Talbott.
Council President Peter Cantwell said, "This is in no way, shape, or form a creation of a job for Steve Talbott. Yes, I think he
was unfairly treated. And if he is the most qualified candidate in the pool, then I'd be glad to have him back."
Cantwell said the position would ensure O'Fallon's status as a premier, safe community. Last summer the north side of town
was hit with a damaging storm that left many without power. He said that incident, coupled with the city's growth and the
national concern over terrorism and security, had prompted the establishment of the job.
Members of the current council have often expressed their support for Talbott and said that if they had the choice, they would
reinstate him.
Talbott said Monday that some members of the new council had early on in their tenure asked him about returning to the city.
He said he had not been guaranteed a job but would be interested in the right job.
"I've had conversations with people," he said. "I was aware they were doing something like that."
Morrow declined to comment on whether she would veto the budget amendment or use a line item veto in the future. But she
said the position was not needed and duplicated services already provided by an officer in the Police Department.
"We could be putting officers on the street," she said. "A better use of the money would be to establish a police substation on
the south side of town, so we'd have a better response time."
She also charged that the council was overstepping its bounds and interfering with executive authority.
City Administrator Robert Lowery Jr., who supervises senior staff positions and has the final say in hiring and firing upper level
staff, said the position was a council initiative. He directed all questions about the job, potential candidates and salary to the
council.
The Police Department has four open patrol positions and an opening for an assistant police chief. Cantwell said the council
could not come up with about $240,000 in next year's budget to fill those jobs. The council decided that an emergency
management coordinator would be a better use for limited resources, he said.
Talbott, 54, was fired by Morrow and the former council after she and the former council majority charged, among other
things, that he had delayed a drug overdose investigation involving the daughter of a lobbyist for the Missouri Police Chiefs
Association. Talbott served on the board at the time. In July, Kacie Kissell, daughter of lobbyist and former state legislator Don
Kissell, pleaded guilty of injecting a man with a lethal mixture of cocaine and heroin. She is serving an eight-year prison
sentence.
Talbott claims he was the victim of a political vendetta by Morrow and those who then were a majority on the City Council. He
later sued for wrongful termination. In September the city settled the suit for $250,000. The city was liable for $25,000 of that
settlement via its insurance deductible.
Talbott is working as a night patrol officer in Lake Saint Louis, earning about $38,000 a year. When he was fired, he earned
$103,000 a year.
By Nancy Cambria
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/14/2006
O'FALLON — In a move that could pave the way for the return of fired Police Chief Steve Talbott to O'Fallon, the City Council
has quietly taken action to establish the position of director of public safety that could be filled as early as next month.
Without discussion, the council introduced last week a $13,472 amendment to its current budget to cover the new position's
salary and administrative expenses through year's end. John Griesenauer, managing director of administrative services, said
Monday that staff members had been instructed to develop a job description within the $69,700 to $96,500 salary range that
would also include use of a city car. The council will have a final vote at its regular meeting next month.
The job, outside the Police Department, would coordinate emergency management response among fire and ambulance
districts, police, schools, hospitals and other entities throughout the city. Mayor Donna Morrow, who has the power to hire and
fire the police chief, does not possess those same powers over executive city staff positions.
Morrow declined to speculate Monday on whether the council was making room for Talbott.
Council President Peter Cantwell said, "This is in no way, shape, or form a creation of a job for Steve Talbott. Yes, I think he
was unfairly treated. And if he is the most qualified candidate in the pool, then I'd be glad to have him back."
Cantwell said the position would ensure O'Fallon's status as a premier, safe community. Last summer the north side of town
was hit with a damaging storm that left many without power. He said that incident, coupled with the city's growth and the
national concern over terrorism and security, had prompted the establishment of the job.
Members of the current council have often expressed their support for Talbott and said that if they had the choice, they would
reinstate him.
Talbott said Monday that some members of the new council had early on in their tenure asked him about returning to the city.
He said he had not been guaranteed a job but would be interested in the right job.
"I've had conversations with people," he said. "I was aware they were doing something like that."
Morrow declined to comment on whether she would veto the budget amendment or use a line item veto in the future. But she
said the position was not needed and duplicated services already provided by an officer in the Police Department.
"We could be putting officers on the street," she said. "A better use of the money would be to establish a police substation on
the south side of town, so we'd have a better response time."
She also charged that the council was overstepping its bounds and interfering with executive authority.
City Administrator Robert Lowery Jr., who supervises senior staff positions and has the final say in hiring and firing upper level
staff, said the position was a council initiative. He directed all questions about the job, potential candidates and salary to the
council.
The Police Department has four open patrol positions and an opening for an assistant police chief. Cantwell said the council
could not come up with about $240,000 in next year's budget to fill those jobs. The council decided that an emergency
management coordinator would be a better use for limited resources, he said.
Talbott, 54, was fired by Morrow and the former council after she and the former council majority charged, among other
things, that he had delayed a drug overdose investigation involving the daughter of a lobbyist for the Missouri Police Chiefs
Association. Talbott served on the board at the time. In July, Kacie Kissell, daughter of lobbyist and former state legislator Don
Kissell, pleaded guilty of injecting a man with a lethal mixture of cocaine and heroin. She is serving an eight-year prison
sentence.
Talbott claims he was the victim of a political vendetta by Morrow and those who then were a majority on the City Council. He
later sued for wrongful termination. In September the city settled the suit for $250,000. The city was liable for $25,000 of that
settlement via its insurance deductible.
Talbott is working as a night patrol officer in Lake Saint Louis, earning about $38,000 a year. When he was fired, he earned
$103,000 a year.
Watchdog Response:
It‘s no surprise to the O’Fallon Watchdog this Council is trying to sneak this deal in under the noses of it’s citizens. The
citizens of O’Fallon needs to ask why would they create a job for a person whose employment was previously terminated?
That same employee then sues the city and the new council wants to bring him back. Only in O’Fallon could such a thing
happen. O’Fallon is the laughing stock of the region and getting a reputation for it’s corruption and quite frankly the O’Fallon
Watchdog is getting tired of it. It’s amazing that this Council would reinstate Steve Talbot after the events of the last year.
Does the Council care more about Steve Talbot than the people they are supposed to represent?
The Watchdog has included some excerpts from a KSDK news story and from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from the last few
months.
KSDK 7/10/2006
Dodson was critical of the O'Fallon Police Department's former leadership and its probe into his son's death.
"It was three days before anybody even did anything about the situation or went to find out any information," said
Dodson.
St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Jack Banas says that lag time made the case harder to prosecute and they
lost a substantial amount of evidence.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 7/11/2006
After Monday's hearing, St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Jack Banas said that because the investigation
had not been started soon enough, authorities did not have valuable evidence such as the syringes or immediate
follow-up with victims or medical workers at the hospital. The lack of such evidence would have made going to trial
difficult, he said.
Police should have known they were not dealing with an ordinary overdose case because it involved Kacie Kissell, a
past drug offender, Banas said.
Craig Dodson was more stoic, turning frequently to address Kissell directly and criticizing her behavior as well as the
O'Fallon police department for not opening a full investigation immediately after the death.
Even more revealing was the outcome of Talbot’s lawsuit against the city despite the following comments.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 08/28/2006
"I am not giving up and I will both clear my name and vindicate my rights against all of the people who have
committed this wrong," the statement said.
The O’Fallon Watchdog doesn’t think settling out of court for the for the small amount that he personally received after
paying attorneys and taxes was any kind of name clearing or vindication of his rights. The O’Fallon Watchdog would like to
know why didn’t he hold out for the $2 to $3 million he wanted? Why didn’t he get his job back? Why didn’t he get a public
apology? Why no back pay? Why no damages? Why no admission of guilt by the defendants and why do the defendants
retain the right to sue Talbot? More importantly why not go to trial so that the citizens of O’Fallon could learn the truth?
Furthermore the Watchdog is confused by the following statements by Steve Talbott.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 09/16/2006
"I never felt the citizens of O'Fallon should be punished financially," he said. "Could we have held out for more
money? Sure. But for the best interest of everybody, we thought this was the best thing to do."
The city is only on the hook for the first $25,000.00 of the insurance companies settlement. Is he so concerned about the
citizens of O’Fallon that he will now reimburse the city for that $25,000.00? Was it in Steve Talbot’s best interest not to go to
trial?
The O’Fallon Watchdog has little doubt the once again Peter Cantwell is spreading misinformation again when he says "This
is in no way, shape, or form a creation of a job for Steve Talbot. Certain members of the board have been too
outspoken on this in the past to believe Peter Cantwell’s statement. When Talbott is hired back. Will Cantwell put the
responsibility on the City Administrator and will he tell you if he and the Council gave Lowery the ultimate ultimatum.
This city has many more important issues and real injustices to deal with than return political favors at the citizens expense.
It‘s no surprise to the O’Fallon Watchdog this Council is trying to sneak this deal in under the noses of it’s citizens. The
citizens of O’Fallon needs to ask why would they create a job for a person whose employment was previously terminated?
That same employee then sues the city and the new council wants to bring him back. Only in O’Fallon could such a thing
happen. O’Fallon is the laughing stock of the region and getting a reputation for it’s corruption and quite frankly the O’Fallon
Watchdog is getting tired of it. It’s amazing that this Council would reinstate Steve Talbot after the events of the last year.
Does the Council care more about Steve Talbot than the people they are supposed to represent?
The Watchdog has included some excerpts from a KSDK news story and from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from the last few
months.
KSDK 7/10/2006
Dodson was critical of the O'Fallon Police Department's former leadership and its probe into his son's death.
"It was three days before anybody even did anything about the situation or went to find out any information," said
Dodson.
St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Jack Banas says that lag time made the case harder to prosecute and they
lost a substantial amount of evidence.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 7/11/2006
After Monday's hearing, St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Jack Banas said that because the investigation
had not been started soon enough, authorities did not have valuable evidence such as the syringes or immediate
follow-up with victims or medical workers at the hospital. The lack of such evidence would have made going to trial
difficult, he said.
Police should have known they were not dealing with an ordinary overdose case because it involved Kacie Kissell, a
past drug offender, Banas said.
Craig Dodson was more stoic, turning frequently to address Kissell directly and criticizing her behavior as well as the
O'Fallon police department for not opening a full investigation immediately after the death.
Even more revealing was the outcome of Talbot’s lawsuit against the city despite the following comments.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 08/28/2006
"I am not giving up and I will both clear my name and vindicate my rights against all of the people who have
committed this wrong," the statement said.
The O’Fallon Watchdog doesn’t think settling out of court for the for the small amount that he personally received after
paying attorneys and taxes was any kind of name clearing or vindication of his rights. The O’Fallon Watchdog would like to
know why didn’t he hold out for the $2 to $3 million he wanted? Why didn’t he get his job back? Why didn’t he get a public
apology? Why no back pay? Why no damages? Why no admission of guilt by the defendants and why do the defendants
retain the right to sue Talbot? More importantly why not go to trial so that the citizens of O’Fallon could learn the truth?
Furthermore the Watchdog is confused by the following statements by Steve Talbott.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 09/16/2006
"I never felt the citizens of O'Fallon should be punished financially," he said. "Could we have held out for more
money? Sure. But for the best interest of everybody, we thought this was the best thing to do."
The city is only on the hook for the first $25,000.00 of the insurance companies settlement. Is he so concerned about the
citizens of O’Fallon that he will now reimburse the city for that $25,000.00? Was it in Steve Talbot’s best interest not to go to
trial?
The O’Fallon Watchdog has little doubt the once again Peter Cantwell is spreading misinformation again when he says "This
is in no way, shape, or form a creation of a job for Steve Talbot. Certain members of the board have been too
outspoken on this in the past to believe Peter Cantwell’s statement. When Talbott is hired back. Will Cantwell put the
responsibility on the City Administrator and will he tell you if he and the Council gave Lowery the ultimate ultimatum.
This city has many more important issues and real injustices to deal with than return political favors at the citizens expense.