Hamilton named city manager

HURON — Remove the interm tag. Replace it with a more permanent nameplate. During Tuesday's public meeting, Stu Hamilton officially became Huron's permanent city manager. He received unanimous support from six present council members. Back in April, elected council members named Hamilton — who served in various administrative capacities with Huron's government since 2021 — as interim city manager, filling a vacancy left by his predecessor, Matt Lasko. "Hamilton has the knowledge, experience and motivation to handle the inner workings of the capital projects currently underway, Huron's financial position, the challenges of Huron's aging infrastructure and the need for stable and reliable utilities," according to a city statement authorized by council members. At the time, Hamilton signed a contract lasting through Dec. 31, paying him $128,000 on an annual basis. Before 2025 ends, Hamilton and council members intend to negotiate a new, long-term contract, presumably keeping him with Huron's government for several additional years. Many council members, including Mayor Monty Tapp, appreciated the way Hamilton provided "steady guidance" these past few months. He also pointed out Hamilton's extensive experience, 25 years in management and a decade in local government, as strong points to keep him with Huron. "Hamilton's leadership is well-respected by both council and staff members, and we look forward to his energy carrying Huron into its next chapter," Tapp said. Hearing from Hamilton Upon becoming a Huron employee, Hamilton never envisioned himself rising through the ranks to lead his government. He remained content serving the city in various other ways. But working as interim city manager during this past spring and summer gave him a newfound outlook for overseeing Huron's government, serving residents and working toward making the city a better place for all. "Huron is a community that values collaboration, growth and the importance of our waterfront," said Hamilton, who lives in Berlin Heights with his wife. "Huron has tremendous potential, and I look forward to working with residents, council, staff and local businesses to continue moving Huron forward." He's come to not only accept but also embrace the government's top-ranking position's many responsibilities. And he wants to carry out the many projects and initiatives he's shepherded and spearheaded with ambitions of seeing them completed, benefiting all who value Huron. "Huron has so many good things going on right now," Hamilton said. "The strength and vision of council, a dedicated staff and a supportive community made the city manager position very intriguing and desirable. It is a privilege to have accepted this new role." Top 3 priorities Whether as interim or the full-time city manager, Hamilton's main goals remain the same. His top three include, in no particular order: • Continue work on downtown's revitalization: "We want to infill the downtown area and make it more cohesive and usable. The South Main Street streetscape project will transform South Main Street and make it feel like part of the rest of Main Street, encouraging residents and visitors alike to frequent and spend money in our local establishments." • Support local businesses: "This comes in all shapes and forms, from expanding Huron Public Power to bringing affordable and reliable electricity to support its continued success; to working with our local partners to help and support marketing, employment and business attractions." • Improve city infrastructure: "Over the last few years, the city has invested a lot of money in our streets and utilities, and we will continue to do so. This would involve the U.S. 6 second-phase project that will improve the traffic flow around the high school and at Center Street to continued investment in our aging water infrastructure and to continue to invest in our streets."