Bova Seeks More Hours For Part-Time Building Inspector

David Bova and Sandra Cabot presented budgets to the Ste. Genevieve Board of Aldermen during a budget work session prior to last Thursday’s board meeting.

It was the second budget work session the board has held since it abandoned  the idea of taking a priority-based budgeting approach — an idea that took about three months and led to frustration and discord.

Bova, community development administrator, presented his budget with $105,784 in total expenditures.

The sharpest debate of the work session took place over his suggestion that building inspector Mike Powell’s hours be increased from 18 per week to 30.

Bova and city administrator Martin Toma explained that until now, Powell has been limited in how many hours he can work without affecting his Social Security benefits.

“Now that he’s reached retirement age, he can work as many hours as he wants without affecting his Social Security income,” Toma said.

“It doesn’t mean he would work 30 hours every week,” Bova said. “There are days right now where he needs a personal day or we need him four days.”

Bova said Powell would still be part-time and would not receive benefits.

It was clarified that anyone averaging more than 30 hours per week has to be offered a benefit package.

“I don’t think he will,” Bova said. “He has several weeks of vacation, and he’ll take a day off here and there. I doubt that he will average 30 hours.”

Ward 3 Alderman Jimmie Jones, who formerly held the building inspector job, questioned the need to increase Powell’s hours.

“We got by many years on 24 hours a week,” he said. “I don’t see the need.”

Bova replied that the city has twice the amount of occupancy inspections it used to have. …

Cabot, the city’s tourism director, presented budgets for the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center and for the Tourism Tax Commission.

This time, no debates sprung up over the merits of city-supported tourism efforts as they had a year ago and earlier this year.

The proposed Welcome Center budget shows a very slight increase from $246,085 in total expenditures budgeted for 2019 to $247,440 for 2020.

See complete story in the July 17 edition of the Herald.