JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC

It’s unfortunate, in a way, that Chris Hernandez’ legal allegations that Kansas City Manager Brian Platt enthusiastically endorsed lying to reporters as an an acceptable “media strategy” is getting overshadowed by the news swirling about the Kansas City Police Department and Board of Police Commissioners.

Make no mistake, however, that the civil allegations by the former city communications director have significantly damaged Platt, and his future in Kansas City is extremely tenuous.

I don’t see the 37-year-old executive making it through 2023. He will either resign or be fired.

At this point, it’s fair to say, the City Council members, including Mayor Quinton Lucas, have their fingers in the air to see if this story “has legs,” and they are trying to gauge how strong public reaction will be and how long blowback will last.

Here is how the political chess board lines up in this intriguing situation…

• Lucas, who was Platt’s strongest advocate when the Council hired Platt on a 9-4 vote two years ago, is now clearly holding Platt at arm’s length. Lucas has defended Platt only in broad generalities, saying things like, “We are into truth telling,” and “I’ve never heard the city manager say that.” What he has not said is, “I don’t believe the allegations” or “I have spoken with Brian, and he assures me he did not advocate lying to the media.” I have sent emails to Lucas’ chief of staff, Morgan Said, and to Lucas himself, asking if he has spoken directly to Platt about the case, and neither has responded.
• Platt is not well liked by many people at City Hall. That is not particularly unusual for city managers, who have to make difficult decisions affecting many employees, but I have heard an unusually high level of grumbling about Platt — both about his style and substance.
• His personal life has not been stable, either. He filed for divorce in September from his wife Margo Aaron, who has family ties to Kansas City, and a hearing is scheduled for early next month. The divorce is uncontested, but last week Platt filed a motion to close the case file, and today the judge denied the motion. The couple, who lived in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, has a young child.
• Platt started out on unsteady political footing, with four of the five Black City Council members — all except Lucas — voting against him. The four who voted “no” — Lee Barnes Jr., Melissa Robinson, Ryana Parks-Shaw and Brandon Ellington — complained that they were not consulted on the selection and that it was rammed through by Lucas and a majority. There is no reason to think any of the four have warmed to Platt.
• All 13 Council posts will be up for election next spring, and at least six new members will be coming on board when the new Council takes office in August. (Six current Council members are “term limited,” meaning they are finishing up their second consecutive terms.) The upshot? If the current Council members don’t fire Platt, the next Council, with several new members who might want a city manager of their choosing, well could. (See Phil Cardarella’s comment below regarding the number of votes needed to fire a city manager.)
• The Hernandez lawsuit, which was filed in Jackson County Circuit Court, will not have a clear cut resolution. These cases seldom go to trial. We can expect numerous filings in the case, and it will probably end in a settlement. If it’s a large settlement, say $250,000 or more, it will be a major embarrassment for the city. If it is dismissed for some reason, or if it is a low-six-figure settlement, it will mitigate the embarrassment.

Whatever happens, though, this issue will be hovering over City Hall for months, and I don’t think the Council — either the current one or the next one — will want to wait around for judgment day. In the end, the city very likely will be writing a check to Chris Hernandez, and the Council will not want the man responsible to still be calling the shots on the 29th floor of City Hall.

Note: Minutes before the start of today’s meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners, Lucas responded to my email. He really didn’t say anything new, and he didn’t answer my question about whether he had spoken directly with Platt about the Hernandez allegations. He also said this: “As the matter is currently the subject of pending litigation, I will not discuss specific details of the case. I would expect if they’re listening to their lawyers that neither the City Manager nor Mr. Hernandez will have further comment beyond that which has been shared.” That means we will hear nothing from Platt other than what is filed in court, and the mayor will continue to be vague.