Roeland Park announces next city administrator

Roeland Park, Kansas will soon welcome a new face to its city staff.

The Roeland Park City Council and Mayor Joel Marquardt announced last week that Keith Moody will be the next city administrator.

Mark Pentz, who had been serving as interim city administrator, was not a candidate for the position.

Moody will assume the role after holding the position in Harrisonville since 2008. Prior to 2008, Moody served as Platte City’s administrator for 13 years.

“Keith was an outstanding candidate whose knowledge of municipal government and depth of experience made him a great choice for the position,” Marquardt said.

Moody said he was eager to begin his tenure with Roeland Park, citing multiple city-owned properties as areas for growth.

“That’s a great position to be in, to be able to drive what that development will consist of,” he said.

Among the initial challenges facing Moody and the city will be the possible departure of the Wal-Mart located off Roe Boulevard.

“Because Wal-Mart is such a large sales tax generator for the community, (city officials) have anticipated that there will be a decline in total sales tax receipts at the time Wal-Mart may leave,” Moody said.

But he is optimistic for the future of the property, saying that should Wal-Mart vacate it, the area will attract new businesses.

“My intent is to meet with those property owners and learn about their plans for redevelopment,” Moody said. “It’s a great piece of property, and that’s not going to change if or when Wal-Mart decides to relocate.”

He added that Wal-Mart’s possible relocation could allow for a conversion of the property from a commercial-only use to a mixed-use style. Moody said the combination of residential and commercial uses in the same building has become popular in Kansas City suburbs.

“It becomes its own node and really mimics a downtown,” he said. “I see mixed use as a benefit to that particular area because it doesn’t create one large business; it would create a variety of businesses so you’re not so dependent on one in particular.”

Moody’s tenure with the city will begin Oct. 12.

“The economy is coming on strong and I think this will be an exciting time for Roeland Park,” Moody said. “And I’m happy to be a part of that.”

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Roeland Park announces next city administrator."