Retired City Inspector Charges tax dollars misused, substandard work accepted, wrongdoing by City inspectors
By Tony Brockmeyer
At a City Council meeting several months ago, Joe Buehrle, a retired City construction inspector who wants to be called a Citizen Advocate, told the Council members he had evidence of wrongdoing going on in the City. Buehrle asked for an opportunity to present his evidence to the Council so that they make take action.
Buehrle was employed by the City from August 8, 1972 until his retirement on July 1, 2003. He started in the street division and worked in various levels until he retired as a construction inspector for the St. Charles Public Works.
Buehrle told the First Capitol News that sometime after the Council meeting Councilman Brown and also Councilwoman Greer contacted him but that he did not give them the evidence because he wanted to offer it to the City Council as a group. He also received a copy of an e-mail sent by Councilman Riddler to Administrator Williams suggesting Williams set up a meeting for Mr. Buehrle to lay out his documentation and then for Public Works and Williams to respond. Mr. Buehrle told the First Capitol News that Williams would not set up a meeting and wrote him to have some outside agency conduct an investigation.
Mr. Buehrle said, “It pertains to a development that Public Works calls the Thoele tract down at the corner of Little Hills Expressway and Little Hills Parkway. Steve Bender, the City Engineer, and Scott Sharp, one of his construction inspectors both have said in front of credible witnesses, myself and on video that there are some Council members and City Administrator that are telling the City not to enforce any rules against Thoele’s development. They have been told to tear up citations. They have been letting them work for over two and one half years without grading permits and he is still in violation of a stop work order that was issued December 30, 2005. He has been allowed to continue without bringing the site up to compliance and without getting the proper permits. He has been allowed to continue.”
Buehrle told the First Capitol News, “I met with City engineer Steve Bender in his office and he told me Councilman Hoepfner and former City Administrator Jim O’Connor had stopped City inspectors from making Thoele comply with City ordinances. In January Steve Bender told me that Allan Williams was also telling him if there were any violations not to do anything with it. They do not have the proper grading permits, they are not complying with the December 30th stop work order when he was told he had to bring the site into compliance with erosion control, which is your silt fence and straw bales, and was assured by Deborah Alysworth, the Acting Public Works Director at the time that Roy Thoele had complied with everything he needed to resume work on his property which I do have proof that he is still not in compliance with the City’s grading permits, the department of natural resources permits. I have pictures where he has buried tires and railroad ties which are not allowed to be put in any normal fill site and again he is being allowed to work without being in compliance with grading permits issued by the public works department.”
When asked if anyone else was in attendance when Mr. Bender was giving him the information Buehrle replied, “The first time no. It was just me and him in his office. The second time there was Mr. Bender and one of his inspectors Scott Sharp and myself and I had a video camera with me taping the development. We had been on site at the Thoele tract and I had confronted him and his inspector about telling me who the other Council people were who were giving them the okay to not issue any citations or anything like that. According to the video you can tell that the inspector stumbled and couldn’t speak and then finally Steve Bender said don’t tell him anything. And also the inspector met with myself and two businessmen next to this development in December 2005 and Scott Sharp the inspector admitted in front of all three of us that there was two Council members and his boss Steve Bender telling him not to bother this place. To find other places in town to work.”
Buehrle said, “I repeatedly, at least four times I clearly asked who the Council people and different bosses who were telling him not to bother with that site down there and he told us, ‘I am afraid I’m going to get in trouble if I say anything.’ Every time I have asked questions at City Hall no body wants to answer them. “
Buehrle says he has been pursuing this matter wanting an official investigation for at least five months. He has only received an e-mail from Allan Williams telling him to seek someone from outside to investigate his claims.
Buehrle said that at one time when he was questioning Steve Bender at the site in January and videotaping the interview, Bender refused to make any comments on tape and according to Buehrle, Bender slapped the video camera back into his (Buehrle’s) face. “I did go out and file assault charges against Steve Bender and am still waiting for a reply from the Prosecuting Attorney’s office. There was a police report made.”
Buehrle, who resides in St. Charles has asked his Councilman, Larry Muench Ward 2, to help but according to Buehrle Muench has avoided taking any action on his Complaints. Buehrle has no intention of dropping his complaints and has stated he will do whatever necessary to see that his complaints are investigated and that taxpayers are protected.
