A slate of board positions were filled through appointments and reappointments during the Excelsior Springs City Council’s regular meeting Sept. 6 at the Hall of Waters.

The council unanimously approved Mayor Sharon Powell’s appointment of Mike Edwards to the Capital Improvements/Transportation Trust Authority. Edwards, whose appointment is through September 2025, returns to the board after a year off, the mayor told city leaders.

Brent McElwee also was unanimously approved to serve a one-year term on the Enhanced Enterprise Zone (EEZ) Authority. As City Manager Molly McGovern explained in an Aug. 31 memo to city leaders, McElwee will finish the term vacated by current Councilman

Mark Spohn.

Susan McAuliffe also was approved to fill a position vacated by Spohn. With the council’s unanimous vote, McAuliffe will serve two years on the Tax Increment Financing Commission, a McGovern memo stated.

McElwee and McAuliffe were two of three appointees to fill vacated positions. The third, a one-year appointment of Jeremy Stone to the Vintage Community Improvement District, filled a spot left by Scott Craven, McGovern stated.

In addition, the council unanimously approved two appointments to the Excelsior Springs Hospital Board of Trustees – Jesse Hall and Kathy Roberts.

“Thank you all for agreeing to serve,” the mayor said before the two were sworn in.

Hall and Roberts replace Ed Duncan and Jerry O’Dell. Duncan “has termed out,” the mayor said.

“We thank him for his service,” she said. O’Dell requested “not to be reappointed,” the mayor said.

Hall and Roberts have four-year appointments, McGovern stated.

The council also approved three board reappointments 4-0-1. Councilwoman Sonya Morgan was reappointed to the Community Foundation, with Morgan abstaining. The mayor also was reappointed to the foundation and abstained from voting.

Morgan and the mayor will serve three-year appointments, McGovern stated.

The council also approved reappointing Kent Powell to three boards: the Board of Zoning Adjustment, the EEZ and the Urban Redevelopment Corp. (URC). Because Kent Powell is Sharon Powell’s husband, the mayor abstained to avoid a conflict of interest.

Kent Powell’s reappointment to the URC is through September 2025, and his reappointments to the Board of Zoning Adjustment and EEZ are both five years, McGovern stated.

In other board news, the council approved 15 reappointments unanimously under one resolution. Robert Gerdes and Bill Griffey III were reappointed through September 2026 to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Maynard Moore was reappointed as alternate No. 3 through September 2027 to the Board of Zoning Adjustment. Reggie St. John was reappointed for three years to the Capital Improvements/Transportation Trust Authority.

The council also approved three-year reappointments for Susan Blaser, Betty Bissell and Jason Van Till to the Historic Preservation Commission. In addition, Pam Grubbs was reappointed through September 2026 to the Housing Authority Board. Kelli Kincaid was reappointed for five years to the EEZ and for three years to the URC.

Ambrose Buckman and Mike Edwards were reappointed through September 2026 to the Tax Increment Financing Commission. Completing the reappointments were Tim Cosens, James Hilderbrand and Alan Johnson, who will each serve four-year terms on the 1645 Kearney Road Community Improvement District board.