Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008

Administrator begins duties at Valley Falls

by Clarke Davis

Valley Falls’ new city administrator Terry Urban made three trips to visit the town before agreeing to take the job and found the friendliness of its people the most outstanding trademark.

But for a native of the Hays area and coming from the western Kansas plains, the hardest thing to get used to is the trees.

“It’s like I’m boxed in and can’t see out,” he said.

Urban, 57, began his duties Monday and spent the day at city hall with City Clerk Denise Streeter reviewing policies and procedures and learning what the current priorities are.

Urban grew up on a wheat and cattle ranch near the unincorporated village of Loretta and graduated from Victoria High School. He has a business degree from Fort Hays State University.

He has served as assistant city manager at Dodge City and Liberal and was the interim city manager for a six-month period at Dodge City.

For the past 9 1/2 years he has been the airport manager at Hays, taking that job at a time when it was expanding and adding a runway.

Urban and his wife, Mary Kay, who is an apartment manager in Hays, plan to move here soon, but have to sell their house in Hays first.

Urban has two stepchildren and four grandchildren. He is staying with family in Topeka until they are able to either rent or buy a house in Valley Falls.

City hall office hours will return to normal next week, open daily and closing at noon Friday.