The need for a new EDC Director is necessary after the firing of the former EDC Director, Jay Meashey, earlier this year. Meashey was also performing the duties of the Main Street Manager, where he was responsible for the revitalization of the downtown area which included managing the Main Street advisory board, coordinating volunteers, managing administrative tasks, and acting as the community's representative.

After months of miscommunication, arguments and questionable ethics surrounding the Main Street board, Meashey, and the entire Main Street board were disbanded. This meant the Program itself came to a grinding halt. Council members spent the better part of last year working on a plan to revamp the Program, starting with combining the positions of the EDC Director and Main Street Manager into one position. Then finding the right candidate to fill the position.

Although Miller was initially intending on choosing the candidate himself and asking for Council approval after, he retracted that decision after Council pushed back asking for a proper job advertisement and for whomever qualified to get a chance at applying for the position. One comment made at previous meetings was whether the Council needed to increase the EDC Director’s salary to encourage more applicants or to leave it at $58,000. They discussed boosting it up to $70,000 in March, however, the Council couldn’t agree whether it was reasonable to do so, and the salary was kept at $58,000.

By the June meeting the Council had nine applicants for the position. After a vote Robert E Jones was appointed Director of the EDC, and he will be responsible for overseeing and planning the City’s economic growth. He will be in charge of developing the local economy, attracting and retaining businesses, as well as working with the creation of a new Main Street Program designed to boost the downtown business area.