City council approves interim city manager’s pay, advances baby box initiative
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The Kansas City Council finalized pay for interim City Manager Kimiko Gilmore and approved a resolution to explore the feasibility of installing Safe Haven Baby Boxes at fire stations across the city.
The vote Thursday on Gilmore’s salary comes just one day after the city officially closed applications for the permanent city manager role, a position vacated following the council’s unanimous decision to fire Brian Platt earlier this year.
Gilmore, who had served as deputy city manager, stepped into the interim role shortly after Platt’s dismissal. The council approved her pay at $15,078.41 through May 17, then transitioning to $10,192.31 beginning May 18. For comparison, Platt earned just over $300,000 annually during his tenure.
Mayor Quinton Lucas, who sponsored the ordinance outlining Gilmore’s compensation, voiced support for her leadership during this transitional period.
Gilmore is one of three finalists for the permanent city manager position. The other two candidates include current Assistant City Manager and Director of City Planning and Development Mario Vasquez, and former Assistant City Manager and Aviation Director Patrick Klein.
Meanwhile, the council also passed an ordinance directing city staff to study the feasibility of installing Safe Haven Baby Boxes—secure, climate-controlled compartments built into fire station walls that allow parents to anonymously surrender a newborn.
Currently, Missouri law allows newborns under 45 days old to be surrendered at hospitals, police stations, or firehouses, but the process in Kansas City requires in-person interaction, which advocates argue can be a significant emotional barrier for struggling parents.
The resolution identifies 10 newer fire stations, including Fire Station 35 on Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard, as possible locations for the boxes. Once installed into an interior room, but separate from the rest of the station, a silent alarm would alert first responders when a baby is placed inside, allowing for immediate medical care.
“I think you have to do at least three to four, at least one north the river, one South, Central and East to make sure that we have all covered,” ordinance sponsor and Councilman Nathan Willett said. “It’s not going to just be folks in Kansas City. It can also be anyone from around the state of Missouri, probably even some folks in Kansas too.”
If implemented, Kansas City would join a growing list of Missouri cities offering Safe Haven Baby Boxes, with the closest current location in Savannah, about an hour drive north of the downtown.
Public interviews will be conducted by the council for each finalist and they will begin Thursday morning, May 1 inside city council chambers.
The City Council will conduct public interviews of each finalist on the morning of Thursday, May 1, 2025, in the City Council Chambers.
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