Hackett Mayor Setting Expectations

Newly appointed City of Hackett Mayor Trini Harper has been on the job a little over two weeks. She came into the position with veteran city employees and city council, a positive start for her tenure.

“Everybody does great at their job,” Harper stated. “They know their job and how to do it.”

She came in on day one asking what was expected of her, and in turn her expectations of them. “I asked that they come to me with any issues and to keep me informed.”

One thing she was clear on, that the city will back each of the departments and address any concerns. “I needed to change the hours for the safety of our street supervisor,” she commented. “It was for his safety, I didn’t like him picking up trash on the side of the road in the dark, it was too dangerous.”

The welfare of the city and it’s employees is certainly a priority for Harper, not only as mayor but as a native citizen. Hackett is where her heart is and it is evident in the work she does. After becoming mayor, she relinquished her position on the City Planning Committee, but plans to continue being involved and attend the meetings. However, she does plan to continue chairing the Special Events Committee.

Earlier this month, State Representative Matt Pitsch visited the city to discuss future growth and development with Harper. Part of that discussion included the sports complex and proposed location. “We’ve been in talks over this for three years, and we’ve still got a ways to go,” Harper added.

Currently, Harper is exploring the costs of engineering fees for the grant the city received from the Arkansas Department of Transportation for a sidewalk project. –See related story. Additionally, she’s working towards an expansion at the city park’s basketball court. Lastly, Harper states she remains interested in looking at the prospect of a splash pad.