June 30, 2005

EDITORIAL

Hillard had fruitful tenure here

Yellow Springs’ loss is the city of Allegan’s gain. That’s certainly true when one considers Rob Hillard’s performance as the manager of the Village of Yellow Springs since he came here at the end of 2000. Though his tenure lasted less than five full years, he did an exceptional job during a period of challenges and change for both the Village and the community.

His accomplishments as Village manager will continue to affect the Village government, and Yellow Springs, long past his tenure, which will officially end on Sept. 1. He’s returning to Allegan, Mich., to serve as that city’s manager, a position he held for five years before coming to Yellow Springs. Mr. Hillard said the primary reason for his resignation is to move closer to his family, many of whom live in Michigan. Mr. Hillard’s description of his resignation as bittersweet is certainly appropriate, since we wish Mr. Hillard well in his new venture, though the Village is losing a competent and talented manager.

During his tenure here, Mr. Hillard wore many hats as Village manager, at one time or another overseeing the Public Works Department and zoning matters; handling economic development issues; organizing activities in the parks department, including at Gaunt Park Pool; and providing support for Village boards, including the Planning Commission.

Within the Village organization, he made many changes and constantly seemed to be making adjustments to meet the needs of the organization and the public. He moved his office at least three times, his last relocation putting him closer to the finance department and utility office. He reorganized the Public Works Department, moving the heads of electric and water and roads and sewer to the Bryan Community Center, and, with Village Council’s support, creating a new planning and zoning office. He also selected two competent police chiefs, Carl Bush and John Grote

From Day 1, he emphasized the need for the Village to offer Yellow Springers excellent service. As he said in an interview for an article recapping his first year with the Village: “We’re here to serve the citizens of Yellow Springs. They deserve our respect and our response, even if that response isn’t what they want to hear. Do the best you can to be respectful and tell the truth about the situation and do it in a timely fashion.”

His emphasis on improving communication was made clear when he revamped the phone system in the Bryan Community Center and changed the Village’s main phone number to the manager’s office. This move, while subtle, created a better system for tracking requests, complaints and questions of the Village.

Mr. Hillard made a significant impact on Village financial issues, bringing stability to the Village’s budget, which has experienced flat revenue over a number of years. With Council’s urging, he emphasized long-range planning and provided a clearer, broader picture of the extent of the Village’s capital needs and the state of the Village’s infrastructure. He also improved the Village’s budget documents so that they are easier to understand. And perhaps most important, he had a healthy habit of presenting this information in an unbiased manner.

In addition, he displayed a passion for his work and this community. He strived to make Yellow Springs a better place to live and work.

One of the objectives of those who run organizations like the Village government is to leave it in a position that is better than when they arrived. On this front, Rob Hillard has succeeded in Yellow Springs. And it’s understandable why the city of Allegan would want him back.

—Robert Mihalek