The first six months on the job have been busy ones for Hart City Manager Nichole Kleiner. At the May 12 Hart City Council meeting, Kleiner provided council members with the following report.
“My role as city manager, zoning administrator, and TIFA administrator began with back-to-back flooding events at City Hall, followed shortly after by a major data and technology incident that the city continues working through,” Kleiner began. “It was an eventful introduction to the position and required immediate focus on emergency response, technology recovery and maintaining continuity of city services.
“Work has also been underway to help organizations historically supported by the city, including The Starting Block and the Hart Historic Preservation Group, move toward greater operational independence while maintaining strong community partnerships.
“At John Gurney Park, we’ve focused our efforts on an operational 'reset,' including reevaluating budgeting, operations and long-term sustainability planning."
Kleiner listed the following major projects and initiatives that have been advanced within the last six months:
• 3 E. Main St. redevelopment and selection of a preferred developer for a proposed 60-unit housing project.
• Hart Plaza/Downtown Streetscape project coordination.
• Continued progress on the Safe Routes to School Trail project.
• State Street Turnback preliminary engineering in partnership with MDOT and Prein & Newhof.
• Resolution of a long-standing water tower easement issue.
• Utility infrastructure planning, including transformer ownership discussions, diesel generation upgrades and coordination with Hart Solar.
Additional operational efforts included:
• Development of a formal right-of-way permit process.
• Updated purchasing, contracting and operational procedures.
• Property transactions, easements and industrial park development activities.
• Staffing, labor agreement and personnel matters across multiple departments.
• BS&A cloud conversion planning, website improvements and strengthened digital security measures.
Other actions taken within the past six months include updating water rate schedules to support future infrastructure investment, Act 425 expiration planning, HydroCorp compliance coordination, hazard mitigation planning, and continued support of TIFA, the Planning Commission, the Power Board, HEART and other boards and commissions.
“Overall, the past several months have involved infrastructure planning, redevelopment projects, operational restructuring, emergency response, and a great deal of problem-solving along the way. While there is still significant work ahead, meaningful progress has been made toward strengthening city operations and positioning the city for long-term sustainability and growth,” Kleiner concluded.
