The City of Highland Heights has hired Michael Giffen, who currently serves as the city administrator in Dayton, as its first full-time city administrator since the 1980s.
“Our city is in the big leagues now in terms of growth and economic development opportunities and we need an experienced professional to help guide us through these opportunities and challenges,” Highland Heights Mayor Greg Meyers said.
“With the Town Center at Northern Kentucky University ready to kick off at the south end of the city and with the north end of the city a blank canvas for future development opportunities, it’s important we have someone like Michael who is knowledgeable about finances and economic development and issues such as industrial-revenue bonds, tax-increment financing, and grant writing.”
As Highland Heights’ new city administrator, Giffen will manage the day-to-day operations of the city and serve as the city’s chief operating officer, managing an annual budget of approximately $4 million and overseeing 18 full-time and two part-time employees.
Highland Heights City Council passed legislation creating the city administrator’s position at its city council meeting on Dec. 1.
Until now, most of the city’s management duties have been handled by Meyers, who is serving in his 14th year as mayor, and Jim Collins, who has provided management services to the city as a part-time contractor for the past 12 years.
“The mayor has handled a lot of the management responsibilities in the past and no one has been more dedicated or willing to do more to move Highland Heights forward than Greg Meyers,” Collins said. “But there’s a lot more that needs to be done and Greg and I realize the need for a person who can dedicate more energy, expertise, and effort, so the time is right to create and fill this position with a capable young man like Michael Giffen.”
Meyers said city council has been discussing hiring a full-time city administrator for a couple years now and he believes Giffen will be a good fit for the city.
“Michael has been on our radar for at least two years now and we have been closely following his work in the City of Dayton since that time,” Meyers said.
Giffen has served as Dayton’s city administrator since January 2014, after a four-year stint as the city’s Main Street Director and its Code Enforcement Officer. In 2019, he was named Northern Kentucky City/County Manager of the Year by his peers. Prior to working for Dayton, Giffen worked in the finance industry for one and half years after graduating from the University of Kentucky with a finance degree in 2008.
Giffen said his move from Dayton to Highland Heights is the “right opportunity at the right time.”
Want more great content like this?
Become a sustaining member of NKyTribune with a tax-deductible donation today and help us continue to provide accurate, up-to-date local news and information you can depend on.
“I learned a great deal from my work on the Manhattan Harbour project, including dealing with developers from around the country and development financing issues, as well as with working with businesses in our industrial park and in downtown Dayton, so I think I can bring a lot to the table in Highland Heights,” Giffen said.
Manhattan Harbour is a $500-million project along Dayton’s riverfront. In addition to high-end single-family homes constructed along Manhattan Boulevard, out-of-town developers have constructed Tapestry on Manhattan Harbour, a $30-million apartment complex with 162 units, and The Gateway Apartments, an $18 million, 76-unit apartment building along the river.
Other Manhattan Harbour developments that are expected to break ground soon are:
-The Waterfront. 98 for-sale units with an estimated total value of $41.5 million.
-The Lookout. 72 for-sale units with an estimated total value of $25 million.
-Boulevard Flats. 70 for-sale units with an estimated total value of $25 million.
Another program that Giffen instituted in Dayton that helped jumpstart economic development in the city’s downtown area was the Community Commercial Advantage Program (CCAP), which provided economic incentives to local businesses, such as rental abatements and city grants for structural and façade improvements to existing buildings.
“I’m very proud of the CCAP program and what it’s done to revitalize Dayton’s downtown,” Giffen said. “This program encouraged investment in our community and helped bring great businesses to our downtown, such as Trotta’s Steakhouse, Purple Poulet, Kate’s Catering, and Unataza Coffee.”
Giffen said he’s also proud of his work with Southbank Partners to secure $2.2 million in grants that has allowed Dayton to complete the final phases of the Riverfront Commons hiking and biking trail along the city’s riverfront.
“This is this type of economic-development activity and innovative thinking that I hope to bring to Highland Heights, a city I see with a lot of potential,” he said.
From City of Highland Heights