Bench Replacement Won’t Be City Of Bloomsdale’s Problem To Remedy

A longstanding topic of discussion was revisited by the Bloomsdale Board of Aldermen during a short May 14 meeting — apparently for the last time.

In recent meetings, the board had discussed deteriorated benches near Bloomsdale Bank. City clerk Lynnette Randoll has said that residents have approached her in the past about getting the benches, used often by people walking from Bloomsdale Estates to Mary’s Market and back, replaced.

At one time, it was thought it might make a good Eagle Scout project. About a year ago, though, Ward 2 Alderman John Schweigert reported that the bench replacement would not qualify for an Eagle project, which has to start “from scratch.”

“They are crappy looking and little,” Randoll said when the subject came up again last week. “I think we could just get some new benches.”

She said she thought the old benches could be removed and new ones anchored in place.

“I’m not comfortable with just looking at something, ordering it and waiting for it to come in to figure out there’s no way it would work,” Mayor Paul Monia said. “I would want to put somebody in charge of how can we optimize the distance and maybe make ’em bigger than what they are.”

Monia said he was not sure whose property the benches were on. That raised red flags for Ward 1 Alderman Brandon Shortt. …

Shortt and fellow Ward 1 Alderman Chris “Sappy” Basler were the only two present. Both Ward 2 representatives, Schweigert and Monica Rozier, were absent.

Shortt said he did not want to address the issue “with only two people here.”

“You could easily tie up $600 to $1,000 in benches,” Monia said. “You really could. … I’m just throwing that out there.”

As a “steward of the city’s money,” Shortt warned about spending funds “frivolously.”

“I promise you I will never sit on those benches,” Randoll said, “but someone came to me with an issue.”

“I think it’s the property owner’s decision, in my opinion,” Shortt said.

“And I don’t know who that is,” Monia said.

Monia  suggested that if Randoll wanted to pursue it, she could go the Ste. Genevieve County Courthouse and find the property lines to determine on whose property the benches actually sit.

“I’m not that invested in it,” Randoll said.

“I’d say it’s off the agenda, then.” Monia replied.

See complete story on the Bloomsdale Board of Aldermen in the May 22 edition.