8-01-2024 4:20pm

City Community Development Director Ben Harrington Leaving Saline for Little Canada

Ben Harrington, Saline's community development director, is leaving the city for the same post in Little Canada, Minn.

Harrington announced the post on his LinkedIn page:

I’m excited to announce that I will be joining the City of Little Canada as their next Community Development Director starting August 29th. The community has many exciting opportunities, and I am eager to get to work! I am also ecstatic to be coming home to Minnesota with my wife as we begin a new chapter in our lives.

It is incredibly bittersweet to leave Saline, where I’ve built some wonderful relationships over the last two years. With the fantastic Community Development staff, outstanding department heads, and a great City Manager, I have no doubt that the City will continue to thrive. It has been a privilege to be part of this community and to contribute to various initiatives. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity.

It has been a great experience to be a member of local government in the Ann Arbor area and Michigan as a whole. I’ve met many amazing professionals who care deeply about their work and the people they serve. Thank you to all of those I’ve had the chance to work with.

Harrington was hired by the City of Saline in May of 2022 and has helped modernize and standardize the city's zoning ordinance, providing tools and flexibility for the city as it attempts to foster development.

At Monday's meeting, Saline City Council is expected to name Mayor Brian Marl and Councillor Dean Girbach as its liaisons to a workgroup tasked with selecting a new community development group.