CONNEAUT — City residents were invited to meet the new city manager at an event on Wednesday afternoon.
Conneaut City Council voted last month to hire Nick Sanford as the new city manager, after former city manager Jim Hockaday left the position earlier this year.
Sanford said his first week and a half has been “exciting, busy and exhilarating all at once.”
He said he has not bee able to put into words the level of energy he has felt from the community.
“I feel a level of support behind me that is almost sublime,” Sanford said.
Refreshments were served at the event, and Sanford spent time speaking to those in attendance.
“For everybody to come together, break some bread, share ideas, even as much as to say ‘hello’ and share the day, is tremendous, even if I just saw them a few days ago, or a couple hours ago, in some cases, I love it,” he said.
Sanford said he would not be opposed to participating in informal events with the community, such as town hall meetings, in the future.
Sanford previously worked at CT Consultants, the county Department of Environmental Services, and Aqua. He also served on Conneaut City Council in 2018 and 2019.
Sanford was hired at a council meeting on April 24, and he started May 6.
“I want to make sure that all our departments have the tools and resources they need to provide the services that are essential to their mission,” he said. He also wants the city to have a climate that is welcoming to businesses, and is conducive to growth.
Sanford said code enforcement will be a focus.
“I know that that has been a priority of council, I’m going to see to it that it continues,” he said. “It starts at home, with our buildings.”
He said the city has a good team in place.
“In every role that I’ve been in, I’ve had the high honor of working with some exceptional people, and it comes down to how you empower them to do their job, and it comes down to providing them with all the resources that they need,” Sanford said.
