Belleville Council approves Jane Pusa as newest member

Belleville City Council members Monday night approved the appointment of a former alderwoman to take the place left in Ward 2 following the death Nov. 30 of Alderwoman Janet Schmidt.

Jane M. Pusa, who’s lived in Ward 2 her whole life and who represented the ward from 1993-1997, was appointed by Mayor Mark Eckert. Before officially approving Pusa’s appointment, council members voted 12-2-1 to waive a requirement that states the council must have at least ten days notice before approving a permanent replacement. Members had five days notice. Ward 6 Alderman Bob White and fellow Ward 2 Alderman Mike Buettner voted against waiving the rules and Ward 3 Alderman Kent Randle abstained.

With the rules waived, Pusa’s appointment was approved by a 12-1-2 vote. Buettner again voted against, with Randle and White abstaining.

“Never thought I would be standing here today. Janet Schmidt did a wonderful job for our ward. She worked very hard,” Pusa said after the meeting. “When she passed away, I felt I wanted to continue what she started.”

“Am I excited? Yes. Is the city doing great things? Absolutely. Very excited about the whole thing,” she added.

Eckert said Pusa’s previous experience on the council will ensure a smooth transition and said he was “delighted” to have her aboard.

Pusa, 70, worked as a saleswoman for 24 years, employed most recently by Bassett Furniture until her retirement in 2010.

Schmidt was elected to her first term in 2013. That term ends in 2017.

In other business, the council:

▪  Approved of the 2015 tax levy. The city expects to raise $9,050,000 from the levy, most of which is used to pay for employee pensions. According to city figures, residents will see an increase of $8.73 on their property tax bills if they own a $100,000 home or $13.10 if they own a $150,000 home compared to last year. Aldermen approved the measure by a unanimous 16-0 vote.

▪  Approved a bid package for electrical work and the purchase of office furniture for the renovation of the city’s building at 720 W. Main St. The building will soon be the new home of the Belleville Police Department. The council also approved a contract with Stutz Excavating to perform needed earth work at the department’s shooting range. The berm into which officers fired weapons in training came into disrepair in recent months, forcing the range’s closure. The range will reopen once the earth work is complete. Both votes were unanimous.

▪  Approved by a unanimous vote the purchase of new self contained breathing apparatus units for firefighters.

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Belleville Council approves Jane Pusa as newest member."