Advertisement

At that time, the DDA director will leave his Imlay City position to become assistant to the government relations director at Oakland University in Rochester.

"It's bittersweet and sad. I'll miss the people," Barrett said Friday. "There's some projects I won't see completed."

Barrett was referring to the downtown mural that received grants in the amount of $5,000 from the Lapeer Community Foundation and $2,500 from the Four County Community Foundation, the wayfinding study.

"I won't see the end of the farmer's market, movies in the park," he said.

Barrett listed a host of activities the DDA has been busy with in the last year alone: The recipe walk, concert series, farmer's market, ice-cream social, Easter egg hunt, merchant's trick or treat, scarecrow decorating contest, and movies in the park.

"I'm proud of everything since I've been here and we've done something major every year: The streetscape, Depot Drive, this year the facade improvements," he said. "On top of that we added more community promotions. We'll have a 10-week concert series and nine weeks of movies in the park and now we have a six-month farmer's market."

Steve Teets, chairman of Imlay City's DDA, said the director position will need to be posted and an ad for Barrett's replacement will need to be ran.

"We're all glad of the job he's done," Teets said. "We're a small city and sometimes a stepping stone."

Barrett has been DDA director for Imlay City since August 2005. During a recent satisfactory employee evaluation, he was given a 3% raise bringing his annual salary to $36,050.

"He is a very talented person, and has done a great job for Imlay City. I'm sure he will do well in his new position," said Imlay City Manager Amy Planck about Barrett.

He recently earned his master's degree in public administration from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Jennifer Decker can be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8125 or jennifer.decker@lapeergroup.com.