Year in Review - Becker resigns as Economic Development Coordinator
May 15, 2019
HARTINGTON — The Hartington City Council Monday accepted the resignation of long-time Hartington Economic Development Coordinator Carla Becker.
Becker has guided the Economic Development Corporation for nearly 20 years.
The Council voted unanimously to accept the letter of resignation without comment.
City leaders and the Economic Development Board have had several meetings in the past 45 days about Becker’s duties and responsibilities.
Hartington Mayor Mark Becker said Monday the Council will meet with Economic Development Board members to iron out a job description and determine if the job needs to be filled on a part-time or full-time basis.
Becker had served the city on a 30-hour a week basis prior to her resignation.
She was first hired in 1999 to serve as the “Go To” person for coordinating many of the facets for retaining and attracting businesses to the Hartington area.
The job description included grant writing, and positioning the community for growth by meeting with local business owners to assess their needs and by going to out-of-town meetings and representing Hartington since community leaders didn’t have time as they attended to their own daily business activity.
During her time in the position, Becker helped the Economic Development group obtain a block grant to build a spec building in the industrial park. That building was then sold and the funds from its sale have gone into a revolving loan fund which can be loaned out to other Hartington businesses or prospective Hartington businesses.
Becker also helped the city research and obtain a city sales tax under LB840. Those funds are now used to help the city with its infrastructure expenses and for economic development.
May 15, 2019
HARTINGTON — The Hartington City Council Monday approved a replat of land into three separate lots east of Westfield Acres and approved a rezoning of the land from agricultural to residential.
The action was prompted by Hartington Economic Development. The group recently purchased the property from Avera Medical Group. The land is located directly west and south of the Avera Medical Clinic.
Economic Development President Chris Miller said the lots will have the same protective covenants now in place at WestField Acres to provide consistency to the development.