BEGINNING SALARY SET AT $200,000
Platte County will now have a county administrator.
County commissioners announced the creation of the position in a press release on Monday. In that same press release, commissioners announced the appointment of a City of Kansas City employee to fill the post.
Wes Minder, commissioners say, has been appointed to the newly-created position of Platte County administrator. He will officially assume the role on Thursday, Nov. 30.
Minder most recently served as the City of Kansas City’s director of water services.
Scott Fricker, presiding county commissioner, told The Landmark that Minder’s annual salary will be $200,000.
“It’s a big hire for us. A big decision for us (to create the position of county administrator),” Fricker said this week.
He said creating the role of county administrator had been talked about among commissioners beginning several months ago, and commissioners had been talking with Minder in detail for a couple of months.
“The $200,000 is a tough nut. It’s a lot more than the next person (on the county payroll),” he acknowledged, but Fricker said a county administrator is “needed for growth” in the county.
“Nobody is managed in that building (county administration building). We (commissioners) are there one day a week. Commissioners have jobs. For the most part everybody is just unmanaged and when Wes is there people will be managed.”
Fricker said the county has been fortunate in that it has good department heads.
Fricker said he believes an example of a benefit of a county administrator will be seen in an upcoming jail project the county is planning, assuming voter approval is gained.
“We are spending $300,000 on an owner’s rep for $20 million in ARPA (federal grant money) projects on county buildings. Wes will be our owner’s rep on the jail. That will save us $1 million on owner’s rep fees,” Fricker said in a telephone conversation with The Landmark.
According to the news release from county commissioners, as county administrator Minder, with oversight from the Platte County Commission, “will play a crucial role in overseeing the administration of Platte County departments under the commission, including administration, facilities, convention and visitor’s bureau, human resources, information systems, parks and recreation, planning and zoning, and public works.”
“With a possible jail expansion on the horizon, Wes’ leadership and project management experience will be advantageous in representing the county’s interests during this construction project,” said Fricker.
“In addition, his track record of winning over $225 millions in grants over the past 20 years to build roads, bridges, parks, trails, and stormwater projects will be invaluable as Platte County, Missouri’s fastest growing county, continues to attract new families and businesses,” Fricker added.
“Wes Minder is a valuable addition to our leadership team,” said Dagmar Wood, first district commissioner. “He is very well thought of in the region for creatively getting infrastructure projects done on a budget, making taxpayer dollars stretch, and for encouraging outside-the-box thinking in his staff. I’m very excited about the addition of Wes to our team.”
County officials say Minder brings a track record for the last 18 years of leading local government infrastructure departments. He has previously served in high level roles as the City of Kansas City’s innovation engineer, as assistant city manager, and as director of water services.
Minder earned a bachelor of science in civil engineering with a transportation and construction emphasis from the University of Illinois and a Master of Business Administration from Rockhurst University. He is also a licensed professional engineer in Missouri.
Joe Vanover, second district county commissioner, commented: “Adding Wes to our management team is perfectly timed. We have a lot of projects in the works. We need his experience and proactive energy to help us serve the people of Platte County.”
Minder stated, “Platte County has a lot of great momentum and I look forward to continuing that momentum by working with the commission, officeholders, and staff to better the county’s public safety and infrastructure and leveraging the county’s budget with other funding sources.”
Prior to being Kansas City’s water director, Minder spent 10 years in the City of Kansas City’s public works department overseeing capital projects. He was then promoted to the city’s innovation engineer for five years where he worked on the I-70 Buck O’Neil Bridge study and worked to find funding to replace the bridge.
Brian Platt, city manager for the City of Kansas City, said: “I am incredibly proud of the success Kansas City experienced under Wes Minder’s leadership.
Beyond his efforts at KC Water, Wes demonstrated his dedication to improving the landscape for many years through his innovative approach to infrastructure funding.
“It is a testament to the organization that our leaders are sought after, and we will look forward to future collaborations with Wes for years to come,” Platt added.
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