Parkville Politics: Grand Entertainment
How far we have come! As a long time observer and sometimes participant in Parkville government, I have watched and read in these pages about many of the developments. The current City staff and elected officials are, by and large, the most professional and progressive that I have seen since my arrival in 1987.
The varieties of foibles, mistakes and sometimes abuses by those involved have also been a frequent source of amusement, sometimes outright laughter, and occasionally a source of distress. I laughed out loud when an alderman reacted emotionally to lack of support for his issue during a televised meeting, verbally resigned while storming out of the meeting, only to be back at the next meeting filling out the remainder of his term. I also laughed later at his rambling, also emotional letter to the editor over different issues.
I laughed at reports of street arguments and threatened violence (or was there really a fist fight as rumors had it?). The ethics fiasco in the last election caused more laughter, in part because I simply did not believe those claiming innocent mistakes rather than “dirty tricks”. (I will not soon forget the street comment that one (unnamed person) lies half the time while the other (unnamed person) lies all the time.) I laughed recently to learn that a member of the City Planning Commission represented a client who had major real estate issues with the City.
Other examples could be cited. These illustrations confirm that to me, watching Parkville politics is more fun than reading the funny papers.
However, this government of “we the people” is working! The progress is indisputable, and appears to be increasing rapidly. I, for one, am grateful to the many who volunteer their time, abilities and best efforts in governing our city.
My thoughts on improving Parkville government are:
1. Former elected officials need to “let go, and/or be prohibited from appointed positions for a specified period of time after their term of office ends. It seems unwise to allow such individuals to try to continue to dominate some aspects of local government from appointed positions.
2. City resolutions and/or regulations need to again be reviewed regarding conflict of interest, non compete clauses and ethics, prohibiting anyone from doing business (or representing someone who does) with or against the city, while serving in an elected or appointed position. At minimum, such actions should be reviewed and specifically permitted on a case by case basis by the Aldermen, so as to permit business relationships that are clearly beneficial to the City. Absent such endorsement, the individual should be removed from appointed positions, and appropriate action should be taken against those in elected positions.
3.If redistricting has not been reviewed recently, it needs to be soon. All the growth and development west of Highway 9 seems to warrant that this area be more represented on elected and appointed boards, and that the influence of Riss Lake be lessened. If redistricting is not warranted, other ways need to be found to increase the involvement of the many very capable people who now live in the newest and likely the most rapidly growing western side of the city.
4. It is time (some say, past time), for the City Clerk to retire. If the right replacement is found, significant enhancement of our local government would likely occur, probably quickly.
Whether these ideas are implemented or ignored, I will likely continue to chuckle occasionally and laugh out loud from time to time at our version of “small town politics”. But I will continue to applaud the efforts of our elected and appointed officials, even the ones I laugh at occasionally, and like you, will enjoy a better quality of life because of their efforts.