By Per Peterson
Tracy City Administrator Erik Hansen is on a short list of finalists to become the new city manager in Sterling, CO.
Hansen’s decision to apply for the position, he said, is strictly a personal one.
“My reasons for looking at this opportunity are more personal than anything,” Hansen said Tuesday. “My son is at Colorado State, my significant other lives in Colorado. Ultimately, this is a personal choice more than anything else.”
Sterling’s current city manager is retiring at the end of August.
Hansen has been Tracy’s city administrator since March 2020. Before that, he served in various roles, including council member, county commissioner ,and consultant and general manager for the Todd Creek Village Metropolitan District in Colorado. He also has been in management roles in a number of businesses.
Hansen signed a two-year, at-will contract upon getting hired in Tracy. This type of contract allows either Hansen or the City to cancel it at any time. If hired, Hansen’s contract stipulates he give the city council 30 days notice.
“Right now, I’m committed to this job,” Hansen said. “I would only do something different if it were for specific, personal reasons and that’s what this would be. This doesn’t mean that my departure is imminent.”
Sterling, which Hansen called a rural hub, is located in northeast Colorado and is a bit larger than Marshall; it is just under two hours from where his family lives.
The other finalists for the position include one man from Colorado and one from Virginia. The finalists will take part in a tour of the city and a meet-and-greet with Sterling residents on Aug. 5.