Council approves Larkey's Park Board nominations

By Allen Edmonds

allen@northcassherald.com

The Belton Council on Tuesday approved Mayor Norman K. Larkey, Sr.,’s slate of new Park Board nominations to replace three members whose terms expired in June over the objections of a contingent that believed the three should have been reappointed.

Prior to the 7-2 council vote supporting nominees Nicholas Anderson, Shannon Locke and Blake Wahlbrink, the board heard from outgoing member Mary Cummings, who said she very much wanted to remain on the board, as well as former Park Board member Mike Miller, who told the council to “keep your fricking change in your pocket,” in reference to governance changes he suspected to be afoot.

Cummings told the council that she was very disappointed with not being allowed to continue her service on the board and that the replacement of she, as well as outgoing members Rusty Sullivan and Zeb Morlock was “political” in nature.

A recurring theme of those protesting the replacements placed the cause of the decision on the board’s negative reaction to proposed development plans for a piece of property on Westover Road that is currently being used for soccer practice. The plans were rejected by both the Planning Commission and City Council, but not before substantial resistance to the proposal was voiced by several Park Board members in the direction of City Manager Joe Warren.

“I do feel like this is retaliatory for pushing back against the city council as it related to Westover, that land deal, which thanks to rumor and social media seemed much further down the river than it actually was,” said Ward 3 Councilmember Allyson Lawson, who despite her comments, ended up voting in favor of Larkey’s slate of nominees. “And so we have three folks who have done a fine job – granted they have different approaches – but if we are penalizing people for being too assertive, then there were some other folks in that meeting that may not get reappointed next year or the year after, and I would like to see if there’s some consistency with this or not.”

Members with terms due to expire in June 2026 are David Daniels, Jennifer Garner and Adrian Hall. In June 2027 the terms of Patti Ledford, Dave Clark and Terry Ward will expire.

Lawson the asked her fellow board members for a show of hands of “anyone willing to reappoint the three folks that are not up for election,” a request that registered surprise from other board members. “I feel like the answer is no, but I just wanted to see.”

“So, you asking us to do a vote before the vote?” asked Ward 1 Councilmember Alex McCallum.

“No, I’m just asking for a show of hands, is that all right, Padraic.” Lawson asked City Attorney Padraic Corcoran.

“I think maybe if there was just a consensus taken of the council, that could be okay. Obviously we only vote on matters after a motion,” Corcoran said, before reminding the council of the two-tiered nature of board appointments. Mayoral appointments are followed by advice and consent of the council, “similar to the federal system of appointments by the President followed by confirmation of the Senate,” he said.

“Obviously, this is not a vote, but just would kind of like people to stand behind their choices on this,” Lawson said. “However, I’m getting the sense that there are not five folks who would reappoint these people to continue in their service, even though they desire to do so. I don’t want to penalize the additional three people who put their names out there are are willing to step in and do a good job.”

However, she then went on to say that “this isn’t just about three Park Board positions. This is going to affect park staff. They’re going to see this and interpret it as the council doesn’t have their board’s back and the council doesn’t have their back, and that is not beneficial to anyone. So, through the lens that I’ve witnessed all this take shape, I’m just really disappointed that it’s come to this.”

Ward 2 Councilmember Carla Davidson said she noticed that several reappointments to other boards were on the agenda Tuesday, and had taken place in previous months.

“I’m concerned that if you want change, why aren’t we changing these other groups. I don’t like to use the term ‘retaliation,’ but there’s got to be a reason. There’s no vision, no plan,” she said.

Larkey then described research he had recently completed regarding board appointments and replacements by previous years that he believed demonstrated decisions such as these are not uncommon.

“In the last 28 and a half years and the last six mayors, there’ve been 50 reappointments to the Park Board. There have been 31 new appointments to the Park Board, 32 new appointments after resignations to the Park Board, one ineligible appointment, three failed appointments. So there’s been 63 new appointments total in the last 28 and half years. So to say that I’m just doing it willy-nilly is not the case. I’ve actually appoint the fewest number of new appointments the last six years,” Larkey said.

Ward 1 councilmember Chris Richardson, who attended virtually from his family vacation, reminded the council that the nominations did not come in time for the June 1 “deadline” as listed in the City Charter. Corcoran said that based on his reading of the Charter and applicable case law, the June 1 date is a “directory” deadline, rather than a mandatory deadline, spelled out to ensure proper orderly and prompt conduct of business, “but nowhere in the section is there a statement of penalty or consequence for failure to comply with the June 1 deadline,” the attorney said.

“We’ve been preached and preached to follow the charter, yet, here we are. The charter is a guideline, it’s all I see. And it changes whenever we need it to change,” Richardson said. “If we’re not going to follow the Charter, let’s throw it out and make up the rules as we go.”

“I will stop you there,” Larkey said. “I did make an attempt, and it took a long time to figure out what I was going to do with these appointments. So to say there was not an attempt is totally wrong and you’re out of order on that.”

Richardson then continued.

“You appoint these people to the Park Board to protect the parks, protect the land. They did that. They protected it,” he said, in reference to the Westover project. “They stood up. They voiced their opinion and now they’re getting punished for it,” he said.

“Do you think the Planning Commission and the Council didn’t protect that land?” Larkey replied. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“Well yeah, everyone on council voted no for this, so why are we punishing them.”

Ward 4 Councilmember Bret White, in a rare show of irritation, replied.

“You are assuming that we are all against, and that’s not necessarily what this vote’s about. So you have already made your mind up that’s what my intent is, and you’ve never asked me what my intent was, and why I might vote as I am,” White said to Richardson. “You want to operate off your personal opinion of what my position might be. That is very disturbing to me that you’re only operating off your opinion and you’re not available to other people’s opinion.”

“I have to join in on that assumption about motivation,” said Ward 1 Councilmember Patty Johnson. “It’s inappropriate and not even consistent with what my vote is and what my reasoning is behind it, and I very much resent the implication that this is for punishment,” Johnson said.

“I too want to address the retaliation aspect of this,” said Ward 4 Councilmember Wanda Thompson.

“I have been elected by the people of Belton to do what I think is best for the city. I use the parks all the time. I look up to the parks and I have to vote with the people in my ward who have told me what they think is best,” she said.

“And I could look you in the eye and tell you, every one of you – shake your heads all you want – but I’m doing what the people have talked to me about,” Thompson said.

Just prior to the vote, Lawson spoke as if it had already taken place, thanking the three outgoing members for their service and welcoming the new members.

“I hope going forward we’ll have some clarity that makes our interactions a lot more productive and a lot less political.” She also added that she did not believe the changes originated with the mayor.

“I think that came from the council and I just think it’s worth pointing out. I may be wring about that, but that is the sense I get was that this is not originating with the mayor. I just think it’s worth pointing out,” Lawson said.

Davidson and Richardson were the “no” votes, while the remainder of the council and mayor, including Lawson, voted in favor of the new slate.

In other business, the council:

APPROVED: Bill 2025-40 (final reading), an ordinance amending Chapter 13, Section 13-355 of the City of Belton Code of Ordinances relating to crosswalks.

APPROVED: Bill 2025-41 (final reading), an ordinance readopting Ordinance No. 91-2073, as amended, Establishing a Procedure to Disclose Potential Conflict of Interest and Substantial Interest for Certain Municipal Officials.

APPROVED: Bill 2025-43 (first reading), an ordinance levying and fixing the rate of tax for municipal purposes, for the Park Fund and for the debt service fund for Fiscal Year 2026.

APPROVED: Resolution 2025-063, a resolution approving a contract for services for the design-build of the Water Mains Project between the City of Belton, Missouri and SDI, LLC.

The next council meeting is set for Aug. 26 at 6 p.m.