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Blue Springs, MO —
Three new Blue Springs Planning Commission members have taken their seats, one of whom replaced Michael Parker.
Mayor Carson Ross said Thursday that the decision to replace Parker wasn’t made in haste, but rather after a relatively long period in which Ross gave Parker time to address personal issues.
Parker – along with his father, Warren, and his mother, Mary – has been charged with defrauding the federal government. He was granted the leave of absence from his service on the commission by Ross in June 2011.
Since then, Ross had allowed Parker to keep his position, but as time went by, Ross said he made the decision to replace him out of practical necessity.
“I wanted to give him the opportunity to get the issue resolved,” Ross said, “but in the end I had to go forward and replace him.”
On Monday, Phil Bartolotta officially became Parker’s replacement, while Latasha McCall replaced Keith Sullivan, who resigned earlier this month following several years of service.
James Wallace, who served on the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustment, replaced Chris Henning, who resigned earlier this year after he could no longer satisfy the residency requirement.
Ross calls his current commission “fully loaded” and ready to work. He said he attempted to contact Parker by phone to let him know of his decision but that he was unable to reach him.
“I wrote him a letter and explained what was going on,” Ross said. “I haven’t seen much of him, to be honest.”
The last year wasn’t very busy for the commission, Ross said, which helped allow him to extend Parker the courtesy of some time off. Now that business is picking up, Ross said the commission must operate without a vacancy.
“It’s becoming busier,” he said. “We needed to have the seats full.”
Meanwhile, Parker’s father, Warren, is scheduled to be sentenced 11 a.m. July 16, while Michael and Mary have hearings the same day. Warren pleaded guilty to the charges in April.
Thomas J. Whitehead, of Leawood, Kan., charged with one count of conspiracy, four counts of major program fraud, eight counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, will also appear on July 16, according to a Kansas federal court spokesperson.
Warren Parker, owner of Silver Star Construction, admitted to winning more than $6 million in federal contracts by falsely claiming to have a service-related disability. He admitted to defrauding a federal program that sets aside contracts for businesses owned by veterans with service-related disabilities.
Warren Parker claimed to having earned dozens of citations and medals of valor in three tours in Vietnam as an Army major, when in fact he only served five years in the Missouri National Guard, reaching the rank of Specialist E-5.
Three new Blue Springs Planning Commission members have taken their seats, one of whom replaced Michael Parker.
Mayor Carson Ross said Thursday that the decision to replace Parker wasn’t made in haste, but rather after a relatively long period in which Ross gave Parker time to address personal issues.
Parker – along with his father, Warren, and his mother, Mary – has been charged with defrauding the federal government. He was granted the leave of absence from his service on the commission by Ross in June 2011.
Since then, Ross had allowed Parker to keep his position, but as time went by, Ross said he made the decision to replace him out of practical necessity.
“I wanted to give him the opportunity to get the issue resolved,” Ross said, “but in the end I had to go forward and replace him.”
On Monday, Phil Bartolotta officially became Parker’s replacement, while Latasha McCall replaced Keith Sullivan, who resigned earlier this month following several years of service.
James Wallace, who served on the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustment, replaced Chris Henning, who resigned earlier this year after he could no longer satisfy the residency requirement.
Ross calls his current commission “fully loaded” and ready to work. He said he attempted to contact Parker by phone to let him know of his decision but that he was unable to reach him.
“I wrote him a letter and explained what was going on,” Ross said. “I haven’t seen much of him, to be honest.”
The last year wasn’t very busy for the commission, Ross said, which helped allow him to extend Parker the courtesy of some time off. Now that business is picking up, Ross said the commission must operate without a vacancy.
“It’s becoming busier,” he said. “We needed to have the seats full.”
Meanwhile, Parker’s father, Warren, is scheduled to be sentenced 11 a.m. July 16, while Michael and Mary have hearings the same day. Warren pleaded guilty to the charges in April.
Thomas J. Whitehead, of Leawood, Kan., charged with one count of conspiracy, four counts of major program fraud, eight counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, will also appear on July 16, according to a Kansas federal court spokesperson.
Warren Parker, owner of Silver Star Construction, admitted to winning more than $6 million in federal contracts by falsely claiming to have a service-related disability. He admitted to defrauding a federal program that sets aside contracts for businesses owned by veterans with service-related disabilities.
Warren Parker claimed to having earned dozens of citations and medals of valor in three tours in Vietnam as an Army major, when in fact he only served five years in the Missouri National Guard, reaching the rank of Specialist E-5.
