The City of Plainview’s Economic Developer, Susan Norris, submitted her letter of resignation this past Monday, following a discussion in early August from Mayor Bob Smith about not renewing her agreement this year.
In early August, Mayor Bob Smith contacted Norris and said he was “going to end the agreement between [Norris] and the city” but in the following few days, Smith recounted that, saying he would be having the Council review the issue during the annual employee wage discussion this year.
Norris’ current “agreement,” was similar to the previous Economic Developer’s terms – was recalled as being part-time, up to 30 hours a month, at around $18 per hour. The agreement was not clear in the last year, since Norris, though working through the year, had not submitted any hours for payment since June of 2023.
Norris said in her resignation letter that she would be submitting a “final” time card prior to September 30, 2024, estimating the she was putting in around 10-20 hours per month currently, which would have cost the City pre-tax, at most $360 per month.
Norris offered, in her resignation letter, that the City could contract with her for her current rates that she uses for her consulting business for other communities, MCK Ventures. Norris said her current rate for economic development services was $150 per hour, grant writing and administration and development was $225 per hour; and she also carries a minimum retainer of $3,000-$5,000, regardless of grant award or project completion. And that the community would be placed in the same line as her regular customers from across northeast Nebraska.
Norris listed her current projects that will have to be taken over now that she’s no longer working as the local developer including local loan repayments under the Rural Health Opportunities Program; her seat on the local LB840 board; her seat on the C4K childcare discussion board; two local business transitions that are currently seeking USDA funding, and that her services would cease for the local IRP funding, USDA loans, Downtown Revitalization funds, SAM.gov assistance, transition of a local business relying on funding from those sources, environmental review and loan paperwork for the new car wash, current housing projects – and a host more projects, boards and services that Norris had been providing, effectively for free (without turning in pay requests) for the last year and a half to the City.
Mayor Smith indicated that the “current deal riles a lot of people up, so it will end” in his initial text, and he mentioned that he didn’t feel she had time to do “extra things” with her recently opened business adventure, Just Love Coffee Café.
According to the City Offices – since the letter of resignation was received – the Council has not determined what the next step may be for the City and the Economic Developer position, but it will likely appear on future agendas.
Mayor Smith said in his early August text that “[the City] would just use [Pierce County Economic Development]” for the services that Norris was providing locally. According to Norris, who is also the developer for PCED, the Pierce County group does not provide the services she was giving Plainview.
PCED provides county-wide services mainly, and not individual service to communities in a specialized manner – so everything from small business development, site preparedness, individual business assistance, strategic planning, LB840 development, grant writing, marketing (food trucks, shop/buy local campaigns and websites), service in her capacity as economic developer on local boards, loan assistance, business plans and reports specific to Plainview – would be just a few of the services no longer provided to the community.
Norris did, however, offer to finish two projects through or until September 30 – a loan/succession plan for a local business, and a loan for another new business. Mayor Smith indicated via text that “seems like the best thing for both of them for you to finish what you started.”
Mayor Smith declined to comment Wednesday afternoon and evening, saying he would respond to any article next week.