With no incumbent on the ballot, the seat of Parkville mayor is sought by four candidates, including one with extensive experience in both Parkville government and in the larger Kansas City metro area.
Dean Katerndahl, 76, hopes to open a new chapter in Parkville’s history after the contentiousness of the past several years.
“I believe the city needs a person with both my experience and my approach to governance,” he said. “The last few years have been challenging for the city and it needs someone that can build trust and get things done.”
Dean Katerndahl
Married, with one adult son, Katernahl is the current chair of the Parkville Planning and Zoning Commission, having served for 14 years on that board.
During his professional career, Katerndahl worked as director of development for the City of Kansas City, Kan. for nearly 25 years. He also worked nearly 20 years as director of the government innovations forum for the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC).
“I have extensive experience working with and for local governments,” he said. “I have a calm, but firm, demeanor that works well to engage residents and build community consensus.”
He wants to use his experience to help the city adjust to a new time, with a new city administrator and at least three new aldermen on board after the April election.
“The number one issue is rebuilding trust in our city government,” he said. “This is absolutely necessary in order to tackle other issues. Our parks are one of our greatest assets and we need to put the management of our parks on sound footing.”
To begin this new era, Katerndahl said he wants to improve communications between the city and its residents.
“I am committed that the mayor, aldermen and city staff meet periodically with each of our neighborhoods and residents of each ward,” he said.
He also advocates for openness in government by live streaming and recording committee meetings, opening up the budget process to more resident participation and providing more opportunities for residents to become active in city government.
He is also in favor of hiring a parks director — which has been an additional hot-button topic among residents over the past year.
Katerndahl said the city should develop a maintenance strategy for existing parks and reaffirm the vision for the future of the city’s parks with the residents.
Candidates Jason Sears, Andrew Barchers and Emily Boullear did not respond to the Citizen’s candidate questionnaire.