RESOLUTION NO. 250225
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Sponsor: Councilmember Nathan Willett
RESOLUTION - Requesting the Mayor of Kansas City fill the commissioner positions to the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) from Platte and Clay Counties by the statutory panel selected by the respective county.
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WHEREAS, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) was established by a bi-state compact between the states of Missouri and Kansas, approved by the United States Congress in 1965, to provide a coordinated transit system for the Kansas City metropolitan area; and
WHEREAS, the KCATA is governed by a 10-member Board of Commissioners, five appointed from Missouri, and five appointed from Kansas; and
WHEREAS, under Missouri statutory law, for any KCATA commissioner position that becomes vacant and was previously filled by an appointee from Platte or Clay County, the respective county commission must submit a panel of three residents to the Mayor of Kansas City; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor of Kansas City is required to appoint a successor subject to the approval of a majority of the Kansas City Council; and
WHEREAS, Council ratification of the Mayor’s appointee ensures compliance with the statutory process and upholds the legal framework established by the bi-state compact and Missouri law; and
WHEREAS, the last ratification of a mayoral appointment for a KCATA commissioner from Platte County occurred in 2014, and there have been no subsequent ratifications for Platte or Clay County commissioners; and
WHEREAS, the Kansas City Council does not believe current listed KCATA members representing Clay and Platte County have followed Missouri statutory law; and
WHEREAS, the Kansas City Council seeks to ensure that all appointments of KCATA commissioners from Platte and Clay Counties are made in strict compliance with the statutory process, maintaining transparency, accountability, and regional cooperation; and seeks to properly fill the current commissioners by the statutory process; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
That the Council requests that the Mayor of Kansas City comply with statutory process for current commissioner positions, and when appointing successor commissioners to the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) from Platte and Clay Counties, select the successor from the statutory panel selected by the respective county commission.
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