STE. GENEVIEVE – Ste. Genevieve’s assistant city administrator Dave Bova has been named the interim city administrator with the departure of City Administrator Happy Welch.
Happy Welch
David Bova
Bova’s salary as assistant city administrator was $65,707 a year. Welch said he is now taking on additional duties as interim city administrator. The aldermen approved an increase of $1,500 a month for the time it will take for the aldermen to select and hire a new city administrator.
The action was taken during Thursday’s regular meeting.
Welch will be moving to the Chicago area to be closer to family. He is taking a job as village administrator with a small town there.
The vote to name Bova interim city administrator was 7-0-1 with Aldermen Jeff Eydmann absent.
Another item on the consent agenda was approved along with the other items. It was Resolution 2025-42 authorising the city administrator to enter into an assurance agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A request for a street closure for Octoberfest removed from the consent agenda. The event will be held on the Audubon parking lot and not involve any city streets.
An official from Alliance Water Resources reported the findings of smoke testing. He said smoke was detected in communications boxes on Basler Drive. A crawler camera will be brought in to check the sewer lines in the area for possible defects.
Police Chief Daniel Hadel presented his report.
Michael “Buck” Jokerst appeared for public comment.
A public hearing was held on the city’s tax rate.
Old Business:
Bill No. 4681: a zoning change for the Progress Pointe Subdivision on Progress Parkway from single family residential to planned urban development was given a second reading and passed 6 -1-1. Teddy Ross voted no. He said he did not like the new design, which eliminates cul-de-sacs which had been included on the original plan.
Before the vote a representative from the developer, McBride Homes, requested a slight change in the measure to allow for minor changes in the plan. The board decided to leave the ordinance as it was.
Bill No. 4682; the annexation of a small parcel owned by the Ste. Genevieve Housing Authority was approved 7-0-1.
New Business:
Jameson Walker’s appeal of a ruling by the Ste. Genevieve Heritage Commission was denied. He had wanted to install architectural shingles on a contributing structure at 170 Seraphin Street.
Bill No. 4683 levying a tax on the residents of the city for 2025 was given both first and second round votes. Alderman Joe Steiger opposed putting the matter to a second vote, but then voted in favor of it at the second vote. The tax rate is a reduction from the previous year’s rate. The 2024 tax rater was 2.0034 per each $100 assessed valuation. The 2025 rate is $1.5844 per each $100 assessed valuation.
The SteGenTV video of the meeting is available here: https://www.youtube.com/live/JBa4hrMD9Uk?si=0ORIT77on7UU1474