Economic development director previews Build Vernon County plan; council narrows city manager search

Economic Development Director Tina Cochran provided a semi‑annual update on July 7, outlining the Build Vernon County framework, the Heartland Rural Innovators Initiative, and the office’s five‑to‑seven‑year vision for housing, working groups and organizational participation. Cochran summarized next steps for housing strategy and community engagement and described participating organizations and working groups involved in the initiative.

In reports, Mayor Carol Branham said she, Councilperson Miranda Selby and Interim City Manager Mary Wilson have been reviewing requests for qualifications for the City Manager search firm. The list was narrowed to four firms to be interviewed; after interviews the final two firms will come before the council for recommendation and approval. Interim City Manager Mary Wilson reported a drainage concern at the Austin sidewalk project near Sonic and said she will meet with the engineer and contractor the following day to discuss status and remediation. City Treasurer Bill Denman provided an overview of the city’s financial report to the council (monthly details included in the packet).

Mayor Branham also presented a proclamation recognizing local resident and veteran George Yarn on his 100th birthday and thanked volunteers and participants in the city’s Ignite the Night Fourth of July event.

Why this matters: the Build Vernon County framework and Heartland Rural Innovators Initiative outline local economic and housing priorities for the coming years. Narrowing the city manager search to four firms moves the hiring process forward and sets the stage for council interviews and a future recommendation.

Next steps: staff will schedule interviews with the shortlisted search firms; the council will consider the final two recommended firms following interviews. Wilson will meet with project engineers and contractors to address the Austin sidewalk drainage concern.