Breaking news. Bryan Richison, Platte City’s new city administrator stands 6’4” tall. Should make it easy for you to determine which one’s the new guy next time you’re in City Hall.
Today I heard a news report that in a recent survey, 53% of respondents confess to peeing in a public swimming pool. As an adult.
Wut? Gross. Who are these animals that swim among us?
Platte City elected officials voted into office in April of 2026 or later will get a salary increase over what the positions are currently being paid. I often cringe at pay increases for elected positions but I’m not mad about this move. The pay range for these spots has not been increased for 23 years. And if you think $1,000 per month is too much to pay the mayor of Platte City, follow Steve Hoeger around for a while. I’ve noticed over the past few months the guy is seemingly always doing mayoral work and making appearances for the city, so often that at times I’ve wondered how he has time for his real job. And keep in mind, currently Hoeger is only being paid $550 per month. The mayor elected in April of 2026, whether it’s Hoeger or someone else, will be the first Platte City mayor to benefit from the move up to $1,000 per month.
Where are they now?
Two questions that I often get when readers engage me in conversation around the county go something like this:
*Whatever happened to Nan Johnston? Is she still around?
*What is Marji Gehr doing these days?
I can give you somewhat of an update on each of the former local newsmakers, though neither update is all that specific. I haven’t spent any time tracking either one of them, so the information is from sources that I trust and not out of personal observation.
Nan Johnston, the former mayor of Parkville who was always in the news during her tenure and often not for positive reasons (DWI, ethical violations), at last report was living in a development off of 64th Street in southern Platte County, not within the city limits of Parkville. No idea what she does for a living.
Marji Gehr, the former city administrator for Platte City who had an eight month reign of absolute terror before being fired, no longer lives in a subdivision just south of Platte City, which is where she resided while with the city. Don’t know where she makes her home these days but multiple sources have told me she now has a job in the private sector.
How has the local music scene been for you this summer?
My attendance at live music events has been down slightly so far this year compared to last, but I have hit one concert at Zona Rosa, one at Gladstone’s Linden Square, and one at Starlight. Enjoyed all three (the Zeros, Bob Jovi, and Chicago, respectively). Next on my concert agenda are Voyage, a tribute band for Journey; then Rob Thomas at Starlight in late August. And maybe some things in between.
Remember the recent stretch of days when the tap water from any district or municipality that acquires its water through KC Water tasted, and in some cases smelled, so bad?
You’ll recall KC Water says the problem was: “Due to heavy rainfall north of the Kansas City area in recent days you may notice some changes to the taste or smell of your tap water. These changes are typical after heavy rains and completely harmless. This means the river becomes very muddy due to the silt and natural organic matter that is carried downstream by the river. Sometimes, this organic process can result in earthy and musty odors and other natural flavors, as well as a slight greenish tint in your drinking water. KC Water laboratory staff are monitoring the Missouri River, where all our water comes from, very closely and the department is adjusting treating measures as needed. The smell and taste changes will cycle through our system over the next couple days as the Missouri returns to normal. Be confident that your water is safe to drink.”
Wes Minder, current Platte County administrator, formerly worked for the City of KC and in fact was director of KC Water prior to joining the county. As former head of KC Water, Minder has some thoughts about what could be done to help lessen–and possibly prevent–the 10-day stretch of water tasting as horribly as it did a couple of weeks ago.
Minder says almost all the KC Water comes straight from the river in the area of US 169 and the Broadway Extension. “There are some wells which help with temperature but we’re depending on what’s in the water,” he said. “By the time the water come in, it takes 36 hours for it to leave the plant. When they (KC Water staff) see some changes coming from the river they adjust chemicals but not in time,” he explained.
Minder recalls his first winter the river was so low it was getting dangerously close to being below the pumps. “I didn’t want to be the water director on TV explaining why people need to ration. We eventually got the US Army Corps of Engineers to release more water from the Dakotas, which solved that problem.”
As far as a possible way to prevent the periods of nasty taste, Minder says staff told him “horizontal” wells would be the answer. The horizontal wells would be flat pipes under the river that would pull the river water down through the sand and naturally filter out the silt and natural organic matter, providing ‘more reliable’ water for consistency.
So where does KC Water stand in regard to getting horizontal wells? “After I left all bets were off,” Minder said. “Last I heard staff was having a problem with the MBE/WBE (Minority Business Enterprise and Women’s Business Enterprise) quota requirements. These wells are specialized contracting so there’s no M/WBE around that can do the quota requirement.” Another report making the rounds is that the mayor may not have been in favor of the water department issuing the amount of bonds staff requested so the wells have been pushed back.
We’ll keep you posted.
(Find Foley fearing the bathroom habits of adults in the neighborhood pool. Email ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)
