She’ll soon replace Joe Parente
The City of Parkville has found its next city administrator.
At a meeting Tuesday night, the Parkville Board of Aldermen approved an ordinance hiring Alex Barton as the city administrator. She will eventually replace Joe Parente, the current city administrator, who has announced he will retire in March.
The appointment of Barton is effective March 2. Her employment would begin on Feb. 14 “in order to provide for an opportunity for coordination and transition with City Administrator Joe Parente prior to his retirement and departure from the city effective March 1, 2022,” according to city officials.
Parkville officials said Barton will bring more than 19 years of experience to the position. She has served as city administrator in Grain Valley and in Belton.
City officials said Barton brings extensive experience in a broad array of local government areas including strategic planning, economic development, infrastructure improvements and operations. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Park University. Her career has included time with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City as well as in local government with Clay County, where she rose to chief administrator and chief budget officer, Parkville officials said.
According to a packet of information prepared by Matthew Chapmen, Parkville’s finance/HR director, Barton’s annual base salary with Parkville will be $135,000. She will receive a $3,000 per year vehicle allowance and two percent per pay period contribution to a deferred compensation plan.
The city says it hired Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to conduct what it calls a “comprehensive, nationwide search for a new city administrator.”
Additionally, the city formed a search committee consisting of three aldermen: Robert Lock, Greg Plumb, and Phil Wassmer. Parente and Chapman assisted the search committee with the process, city officials say.
SGR received 33 applications and the committee narrowed to an initial pool of eight semifinalists based on qualifications.
“After further meetings and additional vetting by SGR and the search committee, the committee selected four finalists who were invited for an on-site selection process. One finalist withdrew after accepting a position in another city prior to the interview,” according to Chapman’s written report.
The finalist selection process was conducted on Jan. 14 and Jan. 17 and consisted of three parts, Chapman says. Those three parts were:
1. A community tour.
2.An assessment panel gave candidates an opportunity to present a prepared scenario. The panel was composed of the senior leadership team of Alysen Abel, public works director; Melissa McChesney, city clerk; Stephen Lachky, community development director; Jeffrey Rhodes, assistant to the city administrator; and Chapman.
3. A traditional interview was conducted by a panel comprised of Mayor Nan Johnston, all aldermen and Gary Holland, SGR executive vice president.
In late July the Platte County Sheriff’s Department opened a criminal investigation at Parkville City Hall. The sheriff department’s incident report lists Parente and Johnston as suspects in an investigation that appears to be focused on alleged destruction of public records, and also mentions an allegation of perjury. When questioned by The Landmark about the investigation, Parente denied any wrongdoing.
In October, a couple of months after the investigation had begun, Parente announced he would be retiring in March. He has been the city administrator for Parkville since 2017.