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Record of Proceedings

Kansas City Council Special Session: Removal of City Manager Brian Platt (March 27, 2025)

City Council Legislative Session — Thursday, March 27, 2025
BodyKansas City, Missouri
SessionCity Council Legislative Session
DateThursday, March 27, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Our meeting will come to order.

0:02

This is a special meeting of the city council called under the city charter.

0:06

The topic for discussion is personnel issues.

0:09

Given the nature of discussion on personnel issues if it's a exception to the Sunshine Act disclosure rules.

0:15

So we'll look for a request to go into closed session.

0:18

At the conclusion of our closed session, Council may elect to return to open session for any further legislative activity.

0:25

I'll entertain a motion for closed session.

0:27

Honorable mayor, I move that we go into closed session pursuant to section sixteen dot oh two one of the statutes of Missouri, subsection one, subsection three and thirteen.

0:40

Second.

0:46

Patterson Hasley.

0:47

Rogerson.

0:57

O'Neill.

1:02

Rogers.

1:05

Thirteen eyes.

1:06

We'll go into closed session.

1:14

Okay.

1:31

Okay, they call it some other side.

2:33

We can't say people.

2:41

Yeah, that one was like that word.

2:42

Yeah.

2:44

Exactly.

2:49

Yeah.

2:55

That was hard because I had to go in reservation after that meeting.

3:00

Like that evening where they have a single long council meeting.

3:03

Yeah, that was like listening to the end of the meeting and like my God.

3:07

Like what's gonna happen?

3:08

I don't know, like yeah, I can't even I only have time to session that other reports are like the only thing as much as we make me scroll.

3:21

Well, yeah, that's the day I was talking about it's like three hours.

3:23

Yeah, that's like ridiculous.

3:31

I did I made it and I made it there early.

3:33

I was like one of the first people there.

3:35

It was okay.

3:41

Oh I remember so I live around the corner of Island.

3:45

And then my husband's in our um neighborhood.

3:51

Yeah, and scare it.

3:52

So it's our like scare first.

3:56

That's fun.

3:57

Yeah, I shouldn't have possibly so good.

4:01

So good.

4:08

And now they have a word.

4:11

I think now we know that our hot money's not a problem, like I have a normal guy.

4:30

Actually, I like to make one meeting how we watch more here.

4:48

How did you feel at the end?

4:49

Oh my gosh.

5:12

Yeah, I just love that scene where it was like her sitting next to Dave Mall.

5:20

Yep.

5:22

So you watch the other seen everything.

5:27

This uh and so I hate that.

5:30

I think she's gonna worry about it.

5:33

Do you want to be a little bit more?

5:34

I I don't know why.

5:35

But I guess it's so good.

5:39

Oh, I know.

5:43

Yeah.

5:43

So it's a killing.

5:48

Yeah, oh I know.

5:55

But I love the age.

5:56

She's like one of my favorite both she's got a word grown as a person, so she's not the same, which is like good and also like uh like your reforms.

6:11

I I thought that they went earlier.

6:20

Like you watch the last time.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Miscellaneous█████████████████████████████████████████████67%
Procedural███████████████████28%
Personnel Matters███4%
Pending Litigation█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Kansas City Council Special Session – March 27, 2025

The Kansas City Council held a special session on March 27, 2025, convened at 9:09 AM and reconvened at 10:47 AM after a closed session, to address personnel matters. The sole substantive action was the removal of City Manager Brian Platt by a unanimous 13–0 vote. Acting City Manager Kimiko Gilmore will continue in her role pending further council action.

Discussion Items

  • Closed Session: The council entered closed session at 9:12 AM pursuant to Missouri Revised Statutes § 610.021, subsections 1 (legal matters), 3 (personnel), and 13 (personnel matters) to discuss personnel issues. No public comment was permitted.
  • Open Session and Motion to Remove City Manager: After reconvening at 10:47 AM, Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw moved, seconded by Councilmember Andrea Bough, to remove Brian Platt from the office of City Manager under Section 218(e)(2) of the Charter of Kansas City, Missouri.
  • Mayor's Statement of Reasons: Mayor Quinton Lucas provided a non-exhaustive list of concerns that led to the removal vote, including:
    • A jury finding that Platt encouraged staff to lie to the media (referencing Hernandez v. City of Kansas City), resulting in damage to the city's reputation.
    • Ineffectiveness in handling personnel matters and employee supervision.
    • Failure to establish clear goals and visions for departments and to adapt to evolving risks.
    • Failure to implement risk mitigation strategies.
    • Loss of confidence in Platt's leadership from staff and elected officials.
    • Poor messaging to city employees on values important to the council.
    • Unresponsiveness to elected officials on certain issues.
    • Failure to accept constructive criticism and make substantial changes.
  • Vote: The roll call resulted in 13 ayes from all council members present (Mayor Lucas and Councilmembers O'Neill, Willett, French, Rogers, Patterson Hazley, Robinson, Rea, Bunch, Curls, Parks-Shaw, Bough, and Duncan). No nays or abstentions were recorded.

Key Outcomes

  • Removal of City Manager: Brian Platt was removed from the Office of City Manager effective immediately.
  • Acting City Manager: Kimiko Gilmore will continue as Acting City Manager until the council takes further action.
  • Meeting Adjournment: Following the vote, the mayor adjourned the special session.

Meeting Transcript

Our meeting will come to order. This is a special meeting of the city council called under the city charter. The topic for discussion is personnel issues. Given the nature of discussion on personnel issues if it's a exception to the Sunshine Act disclosure rules. So we'll look for a request to go into closed session. At the conclusion of our closed session, Council may elect to return to open session for any further legislative activity. I'll entertain a motion for closed session. Honorable mayor, I move that we go into closed session pursuant to section sixteen dot oh two one of the statutes of Missouri, subsection one, subsection three and thirteen. Second. Patterson Hasley. Rogerson. O'Neill. Rogers. Thirteen eyes. We'll go into closed session. Okay. Okay, they call it some other side. We can't say people. Yeah, that one was like that word. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. That was hard because I had to go in reservation after that meeting. Like that evening where they have a single long council meeting. Yeah, that was like listening to the end of the meeting and like my God. Like what's gonna happen? I don't know, like yeah, I can't even I only have time to session that other reports are like the only thing as much as we make me scroll. Well, yeah, that's the day I was talking about it's like three hours. Yeah, that's like ridiculous. I did I made it and I made it there early. I was like one of the first people there. It was okay. Oh I remember so I live around the corner of Island. And then my husband's in our um neighborhood. Yeah, and scare it. So it's our like scare first. That's fun. Yeah, I shouldn't have possibly so good. So good. And now they have a word. I think now we know that our hot money's not a problem, like I have a normal guy. Actually, I like to make one meeting how we watch more here. How did you feel at the end? Oh my gosh. Yeah, I just love that scene where it was like her sitting next to Dave Mall. Yep. So you watch the other seen everything. This uh and so I hate that. I think she's gonna worry about it. Do you want to be a little bit more?

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