by Diane Lowrey
R-T Editor
When talking to retiring Trenton City Administrator Kerry Sampson about city accomplishments, the word “we” is always a part of those comments.
That’s because Sampson truly believes in the “we” attitude when it comes to being in charge of day-to-day city operations. And it’s that attitude that his employees will tell you has led to this 20-year tenure in the city’s top management position.
Sampson will be retiring this Friday after serving four mayors, countless council members and working with what he calls “the best employees around.”
“It’s those employees and the way we help each other that has made this job so enjoyable,” Sampson said. “And it’s probably the reason I’ve been here as long as I have. Twenty years is a long time for someone in my position to stay in one place, but it’s been a great ride and I have to say it’s because of those who I have worked with over the years.”
Sampson came to Trenton in November 1996 as “assistant city administrator for development,” being hired by a city council led at that time by Mayor Tim Whitaker. David Blackburn was the city administrator and would be replaced in 2000 by Sampson after taking a job in Riverside.
“I had known David since our days in the governor’s office, so it was easy for me to come to Trenton,” he said, adding that he hit the ground running with various projects, including one that required lots of work – location of a state prison in Trenton.
“The prison efforts were a big economic development push for us,” Sampson said. “While we didn’t end up getting the prison, we certainly learned a lot about ourselves and what we could do as a community if we worked together.”
And while the city didn’t end up the successful location for the prison, the land purchased has resulted in a shooting range used by many in and out of the community as well as location of businesses such as the Rapid Removal transfer station and the solar farm, which is feeding electricity into the city’s system.
“And because of those businesses, we were able to improve our infrastructure to that site and are ready for other businesses to locate there as well,” he said.
Another project requiring a lot of time for city officials was the TIF project that led to the construction of a building that now houses SkopKo, Orschlen’s and the Cutting Edge.
“Pamida had just announced their plans to come here and we were able to get Piggly Wiggly involved,” Sampson said. “And what made that project so successful was that we did it (TIF) right. We were able to pay that project off in seven years instead of the 23 years it normally takes.”
Other projects in which he and the city have been involved over the years include the relocation of the Coca-Cola Plant, location of Global Instruments, Trickel Construction, the Muff Warehouse and Hope Haven in the IDC’s industrial park as well as the development of the city’s industrial park area.
Sampson also talked about how the city and county were able to work together to get the current law enforcement center constructed, an effort that had been tried several times but was unable to get off the ground.
“That was a big issue,” he said. “We both had terrible jails and we had to do something. Again, this is a project that shows what happens when you get a group of people together to support a project, then work hard to see that project become a reality. We’ve had several projects like that over the years.”
In particular was the construction of the Trenton Family Aquatic Center, which was actually approved by voters prior to the LEC. Sampson said he believes the same concept worked recently with the passage of the fire tax.
“We all worked together to get these things done,” he said. “It’s a matter of educating and selling the idea to the public.”
While Sampson has been city administrator, Trenton was designated as a “DREAM” community by the state of Missouri, which led to a $250,000 grant to initiate a program that he said “is still a work in progress.”
“We still have the plan for downtown and we have done some of those things, if you look at how some of the owners have made improvements to their buildings and put in apartments, which was part of the plan,” he said. “And the TDIA has taken the lead and been very instrumental in keeping these efforts going.”
He is also proud of the city’s efforts to “clean-up” the community. During his tenure, the city has received two Community Development Block Grants which, in combination with city funds, has resulted in over 250 structures being demolished.
“And there’s still plenty more to do, but I think we have made a good start,” he said, adding that the World Changers projects in which homes were fixed up was also instrumental in the city efforts.
Other projects mentioned include construction of a new hospital, improvements to the city’s water and wastewater facilities, replacement of the 22nd Street bridge, efforts to replace the 17th Street bridge and the walking trail.
“Trenton gets things done,” Sampson said. “We’ve had a lot of stuff in the past and we still have things going on. We tend to think the grass is greener on the other side, but we do have a lot going on in town and it’s a good place to live.”
With an interest in the aviation and the military, Sampson also worked with others to institute the city’s first fly-in, which drew hundreds of people to the airport on July 4 to see various aircraft that stopped in as well as view military displays that Sampson also made sure were included each year. He also assisted with a two-day Civil War re-enactment held at the city’s industrial park area and which drew hundreds of people to the community.
As for his plans after retirement, Sampson said his wife, Ann, already has a “honey-do” list ready and that he also will be spending time on some of his hobbies, including woodworking. Traveling is in the works as well.