MARYSVILLE – The city has a new assistant administrator who will spend a lot of his time on economic development.
Corbitt Loch, a former assistant city manager in Des Moines, started in his new position Oct. 18. He will be paid $90,084.
Loch said many of his priorities will need to be set with advice from the City Council, but a number of major projects clearly will be priorities. One is revitalization of the downtown area. Another is supervising completion of the city’s waterfront park and riverfront trail system, now under construction.
Recruiting will also be a responsibility, Loch said.
“The waterfront park will be a large civic investment in the neighborhood,” he said. “We’ll be looking for private investment, and part of my job will be to go out and find that investment.”
He’s also been charged with working closely with business groups, the Tulalip Tribes and other organizations to retain existing businesses.
And he will be responsible for marketing properties near the proposed site for a new NASCAR racetrack.
Mayor Dennis Kendall noted that the city’s 2004 budget allocated money for an economic development director. But he said NASCAR and other issues called for a broader position. In addition to development, Loch will take on a variety of administrative duties and projects.
Loch, who had a lot of city planning duties in Des Moines, said his experiences there should help him a great deal. He said five committees have been working hard on economic development ideas in Marysville for the past two years.
“They did a lot of good work,” Loch said. “Now it’s time for me to pick up the ball and take some of those suggestions and make them a reality.”
Loch has a bachelor’s degree in design and urban planning, and a master’s degree in public administration.
He said he would also serve as an ombudsman for development, ensuring that projects don’t get derailed by problems in the permit or regulation process. “My job is to make sure these projects continue moving,” he said.
The city has a lot of issues and a lot of ideas, Loch said, adding, “There’s a lot going on here, and it’s really exciting.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
