BELLEVILLE — The City of Belleville is accused of breaching a redevelopment contract by allowing its plumbing inspector to approve water main plans for a project that was done by a company in which he held financial interests.
Sonomacap Re Fund II LLC, filed a complaint April 1 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against the City of Belleville, alleging breach of contract.
According to their complaint, Sonomacap entered into a "redevelopment agreement" on July 18, 2016, with the City of Belleville for the redevelopment of a shopping center on West Main. Sonomacap alleges in the suit that the shopping center "had lost its anchor tenant and was in deplorable condition."
The plaintiff claims that the redevelopment agreement included the City of Belleville being prohibited from allowing city employees to have "any power of review or approval authority" over its work if the city employee had a "personal or financial interest." Sonomacap alleges the City of Belleville breached the redevelopment agreement by approving water main plans for the project that "according to the city's plumbing inspector, failed to meet the city's code." It also alleges the city allowed its plumbing inspector, Mike Ehret, to approve the plumbing work on the project done by Ehret Inc., a company in which he has a personal and financial interest.
Sonomacap seeks compensation of at least $54,879.31, plus interest and all other proper relief. They are represented by Robert Eggmann and Tyler Schaeffer of Carmody MacDonald PC in St. Louis.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 21-L-0306