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Weatherby
Lake board reprimands its mayor
Mayor says action is 'politically
motivated'
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by Kim
Fickett
Landmark reporter
Numerous incidents over the last two years
brought the Weatherby Lake Board of Aldermen to publicly
reprimand its mayor at last month's board meeting.
The board of alderman passed a resolution
for censure on Feb. 21 after identifying numerous occasions
when Mayor Mike Henderson did not consult with the board
or directly opposed the board’s clear direction.
Alderman Mike Moratz commented about the
board’s decision to publicly reprimand Henderson.
“It’s something that’s
been accumulating over some time,” said Moratz. “We’re
not happy to have to wash our laundry out in public, so
to speak. Despite our discussions in public at board meetings,
the mayor decided to ignore or counter the decisions of
the board of aldermen.”
In a letter to the Platte County Commission
dated Feb. 23, City Clerk Juretta Goode noted several
situations that have occurred since Henderson has been
mayor
• June 17, 2004-"Command decision”
to retain previous city clerk for two additional weeks
against the board’s clear directive otherwise.
• May-August 2004-because of the
mayor’s lack of attention to employee health insurance
contract, board of aldermen had to pass the same ordinance
twice, once each in July and August.
• Delayed writing a letter to KCMO
Mayor/City Manager/Public Works Director in regard to
the U Cove sewer lift station. Ordinance to send letter
to them passed July 20, 2004, however the letter wasn’t
sent until the last week of September.
• Dealing privately without board
of aldermen’s knowledge with the developers of Sonoma
Ridge.
• Ambulance District: Board of Aldermen
consensus was negative when given the financial facts.
Lack of communication to the board of aldermen and petition
signers that the city would be included in a possible
district even if citizens vote against it. Mayor did not
give the city a “Riverside Option” to opt out
initially, and be able to opt “in” later.
• Lack of leadership in the city
hall office resulted in a long delay in implementation
of the bi-monthly water billing and overage of hourly
employee work hours, affecting the budget.
• Not responding to an e-mail dated
Jan. 25, 2006 insisting that he do what the board of aldermen
instructed him to do in rectifying the above-mentioned
subject.
• Lastly, dealing with Jim Owens,
a developer, for a second time after the board of aldermen
specifically told him not to do so last June 21. The Board
of Aldermen instructed the mayor to include it in any
further dealings with Owens in the future, and then voted
4-0 on a resolution to oppose his development.
The mayor was seen in Shelter Haven, riding
in Mr. Owens’ truck with him before the Platte County
Planning Commission meeting of Feb. 14, 2006. At the meeting,
the mayor spoke under oath, as the public official that
he is and implied that the city approved of Owens’
latest plat, without consulting the board of aldermen.
Henderson told The Landmark he felt as
though the board’s timing of the censure was political
in nature, with a mayoral election upcoming on April 4.
“I have a board that thinks the legislative
branch of the government runs everything and there is
a separation between the legislative, executive and judicial,”
stated Henderson. “I think everyone knows that. That’s
how we were set up.
“It’s not coincidental that
the censure was done before the election. It’s a
totally political move, and in my opinion, it’s not
warranted.”
Henderson, however, would not speak specifically
to the individual instances that were outlined in the
letter by Goode.
According to Moratz, Henderson’s
statement that the board’s decision was politically
motivated does not explain the issues at hand.
“It doesn’t address his being
responsible for what he’s done,” said Moratz.
“My point of view is he’s done all these things
in full public view and now it’s come back on him.”
Henderson is currently seeking his second
term as mayor of Weatherby Lake in the upcoming April
4 election.
He will face Alan York, who fulfilled a term as mayor
in Weatherby Lake after Pauli Kendrick resigned.
York stated he believes the board did what they felt was
necessary.
“I feel they were sending Mr. Henderson
a strong signal. (That signal is) they expect him to communicate
with them effectively and to not unilaterally do things
without including them in the discussion,” stated
York.
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