Harlan City Administrator attends final council meeting

 HARLAN — The City of Harlan bid farewell to City Administrator Gene Gettys as he attended his final council meeting Tuesday, November 19. Gettys announced his resignation in October after accepting a new position in eastern Iowa.
 Gettys has served as city administrator since 2016 and was Mayor prior to his hiring. “Thank you to the community for their belief in me when I was first elected mayor in 2012, and thank you to the elected officials for believing in me when I was appointed city administrator in 2016,” he said.
 Gettys said he will miss the people and relationships he has built. “Harlan and Shelby County is a special place with wonderful people. During my tenure we have made some progress, changed some policies, overcome some challenges, and completed some projects, those items are all secondary to the people aspect of my role,” he said.
 He admitted he never envisioned himself as mayor or city administrator early in his career, however, he said, “I found the opportunities aligned very well with my desire and ability to serve and solve problems.”
 Gettys thanked the employees of the City of Harlan for their commitment and support in the City’s mission of serving the community. “Public employees are often times under-appreciated. I am thankful for all of them, and quite frankly, they have made my job easier and made me look good. I extend this same sense of appreciation and thanks to all of the individuals who serve on boards, commissions, and committees which are integral to the oversight, planning, and policies for the services and amenities in the community. Lastly, I have never taken for granted the partnerships with other public and private organizations which consistently work together with a ‘joined as one’ mindset,” he said.
 He expressed his appreciation to the community, and said Harlan and Shelby County has been “incredible” to him and his family. “I am beyond grateful to call this home.”
 “I am hopeful I left things a little bit better than when I started, and I can’t wait to return and see the changes and improvements in this community,” he said.
 “It’s hard to find people who do what Gene does,” Harlan Mayor Jay Christensen said, noting the trust, courage, grace, and dedication Gettys has shown for the community. “We all make some tough decisions in our positions, and I can’t imagine how many sleepless nights he has had. But he’s always made decisions based on us, not him, and that takes a lot of courage.”
  Christensen said the city “needed to put trust back in that chair, and Gene did that.”  
 “I know we will replace the person, but not Gene Gettys,” Christensen said.
 The City of Harlan is currently accepting applications for the City Administrator position, and  will conduct interviews in December.