• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Pickem Terms and Conditions
Monday, May 16, 2022
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem!
    • Login / Sign-up
    • Results by Week
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem!
    • Login / Sign-up
    • Results by Week
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish
No Result
View All Result
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
No Result
View All Result

Parkville, Platte County R-3 getting public records scrutiny

Debbie Coleman-Topi by Debbie Coleman-Topi
November 18, 2019
in Parkville
4
SHARES
97
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

wo Platte County taxing entities are unexpectedly linked by a shared practice. Both the Platte County R-3 School District and City of Parkville are accused of possible violations of a law aimed at keeping public records accessible to those who foot the bill—the taxpayers.

Platte County R-3’s recent responses to requests for public information have come under scrutiny in The Landmark. The most recent topic involved requests surrounding the recent separation of employment of Dr. Chad Searcey, who had served as principal at Compass Elementary. Searcey in June sent what were deemed inappropriate tweets to a young school shooting survivor/noted gun control activist. The tweets showed Searcey and his sons holding and shooting guns.

RelatedNews

Criminal probe underway at Parkville City Hall

REAL ID enforcement pushed back to 2023

A business boom in downtown Parkville

Searcey was placed on administrative leave and then months later the district reached a separation agreement with him, in which the district paid Searcey $275,000 in essence to go away.

The Landmark put in a Sunshine request for a copy of the separation agreement. R-3 denied the request, claiming the separation agreement is a “personnel document” and therefore not required to be released to the public. That legal opinion differs from the opinion of the attorney for the Missouri Press Association, and other legal observers.

Ivan Foley, owner/publisher of The Landmark, recently wrote in his Between the Lines column that the newspaper has had no problems acquiring separation agreements reached between other school districts and other taxing entities and employees of those entities. No other entity has made the claim to the newspaper that a separation agreement is a protected personnel document.

R-3 has also recently told an anonymous person who filed a Sunshine request for “any and all emails in the possession of the school district from June 12, 2019 to July 2, 2019 that contain the name of Chad Searcey or any variance of the name Chad Searcey.” that the district would need payment of $709.25 to review and research documents subject to the request. The time frame mentioned is when the Searcey controversy broke.

The Sunshine Law states that such tasks should be performed by “the lowest salaried employees capable of searching, researching, and copying the records.” The law further states that a public governmental body can charge “up to 10 cents per page for standard copies, the average hourly rate of pay for clerical staff to duplicate documents.”

The district had not responded to a request for comment on this topic this week. There are similarities to a situation at the City of Parkville, where an investigation by the Missouri Attorney General is underway to determine if the city has improperly handled requests for public information.

Similarly, the City of Parkville, involved in a more-than-year-long dispute with an organization known as Citizens for a Better Parkville for their handling of a massive development, also has used its highest-paid employee to sift records in response to requests by Jason Maki, head of Citizens for a Better Parkville. The city neglected to utilize the expertise of a paid technology consultant to cull the records, instead preferring to leave the task to City Administrator Joe Parente.

Parente did not respond to an emailed request for comment by deadline for this article.

Ironically, both the school district and the city have “custodians of record,” as referenced in the state statute governing records release.

The city’s is city clerk Melissa Chesney and the school district’s custodian is Vicki Diggs, executive administrative assistant to the superintendent and the board of education.

However, what some might see as mundane record gathering tasks are, apparently being performed by the highest paid employees of both taxing entities, leading those who seek information to wonder if the district and city are selectively deciding which information they want to release.

The law addresses who is to pay for separating opened from closed information due to a Sunshine request and that payment rests with the public body, not the taxpayer, said Jean Maneke, an attorney representing the Missouri Press Association.

A recent St. Louis Circuit Court decision made that determination and a higher court case on the same matter currently is pending, but a decision is still several months away, she said.

Maneke, a former Kansas City Star business reporter, said she has noticed a trend in which voters are more aware of the Sunshine Law after the statute was thrust into the limelight during allegations of abuse by former Gov. Eric Greitens and his staff.

A decline in the number of newspapers and lack of reporting also has led public officials to be less law-conscious since there are fewer gatekeepers covering public meetings.

“I do think it’s a valid concern,” Maneke said, adding that governmental bodies “don’t have as much attention as they used to.” The former journalist added, “This (governmental transparency) is a cause that’s near and dear to my heart.”

Tags: parkvilleplatte countysunshine lawSunshine Laws
Debbie Coleman-Topi

Debbie Coleman-Topi

Debbie’s journalism career officially began at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, where she was trained. Her works have appeared in the Kansas City Star and its former Sunday Magazine, the Independence Examiner and TWINS Magazine. Since 2016, Debbie has written for The Landmark, where she has reported on a wide range of Platte County area issues and people.

Related Posts

45 Years Ago–May 13, 1977

by Ivan Foley
May 13, 2022
0

Dr. Carl Myers purchase the Platte Medical Clinic in Platte City this week and plans to open his office here in the near future. Dr. Nourbaksh will continue to be located in the Platte Medical Clinic. Mr. and Mrs. Louis...

30 Years Ago–May 15, 1992

by Ivan Foley
May 13, 2022
0

Bob Foster, vice principal of Fort Osage Junior High in northeast Independence, has been hired as principal at West Platte High School in Weston. Two girls tied with the same grade point average have been declared valedictorians of the class...

15 Years Ago–May 9, 2007

by Ivan Foley
May 13, 2022
0

It has been a hectic week for Platte County residents and business owners with property in low-lying areas, as heavy rains across the region have forced rivers and streams out of their banks. Areas in and around Parkville, Riverside, Tracy...

The 80's

Kim Carnes and never buy gas on Tuesdays

by Ivan Foley
May 13, 2022
0

Gonna hit you with some pop culture stuff this week. Just because I want to. Season four of Ozark on Netflix. Have you finished it yet? Let's get through this without spoiling it for those who haven't made it all...

Next Post

Park ground process; audit letters; and going Full Ferrelvew

Popular News

  • Large logistics park planned east of I-29

    Large logistics park planned east of I-29

    198 shares
    Share 79 Tweet 50
  • Area distillery releases first new bourbon in 30 years

    20 shares
    Share 8 Tweet 5
  • Memorial Day Weekend Celebration planned

    7 shares
    Share 3 Tweet 2
  • City extends lease on temporary police station

    6 shares
    Share 2 Tweet 2
  • The Landmark enters 158th year of publication

    6 shares
    Share 2 Tweet 2
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Pickem Terms and Conditions
Call us at 816-858-0363

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Online
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem
    • Results by Week
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?