By Sue Moore
Kathleen Hoyle resigned as the Downtown Development Authority’s director at their meeting in February. She cited the need to move on with other projects. “I like to leave things better than when I came,” she said.
“I have really appreciated being part of Vicksburg and working with the community over the last few years to assist in moving the village forward to become the fastest-growing municipality in the state,” she said. “The residents have expressed their vision of Vicksburg’s future, planning was completed and implementation has begun, so now it’s time for me to move on to other projects. It has been an honor to work with the Vicksburg community and I know the future is in good hands.”
Board President John DeBault accepted the resignation. He told the board it might want to confer with all the entities the DDA has worked with. “Maybe we moved too fast, doing three projects last year. Maybe two is enough in 2017.”
Rudy Callen, president of the Vicksburg Foundation, told the board not to forget what the DDA was before Hoyle was hired. “There was little or no money, a skeleton crew and no activity. Great things have happened since then. Now is a chance to step back and get in sync with the village. There is so much potential and so many good people here.”
To that end, the board is getting ready to restart its “Façade Loan” program on April 1. A committee was appointed to handle details of the offer to Vicksburg business owners. Members will report back at the regular March meeting. There is also a revolving loan fund available for building owners to improve their properties. Applications will be taken from March 10 to April 28. Those qualifying will have money released by May 10, Hoyle reported.
A special meeting of the DDA trustees was scheduled to review priorities and begin to chart the authority’s next course.