The City of Kimball, Neb., City Administrator Harold Farrar received the American Public Power Association’s Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award at the Association’s National Conference June 22 in Orlando, Fla.
The award recognizes managers who perform a variety of duties in communities of 2,500 or fewer electric meters. Award winners possess skills in the following areas:
- Planning and design;
- Administration;
- Public relations;
- Field supervision;
- Accounting;
- Human resources; and
- Community leadership.
Farrar credited his co-workers and the residents of Kimball in receiving the award, saying it takes teamwork and much support on the part of the entire community to have the community successes Kimball has accomplished.
Since serving as city administrator since 2006, Farrar worked on several major projects to benefit the city including currently assisting with the development of the Heartland Expressway, a multi-lane regional highway corridor. He also was instrumental in implementing the city’s Global Information System (GIS) for the utility and general fund departments.
Farrar also represents the City of Kimball in its membership within NMPP Energy. Currently, Farrar serves on the Public Alliance for Community Energy Executive Committee and as a Board of Director for the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) and the Nebraska Municipal Power Pool. He served as chair of MEAN in 2009-10. In 2008, Farrar earned the Rudy Hultgren Dedicated Service Award presented by MEAN. He is also active in the Nebraska League of Municipalities.
Along with supervising 40 full-time and three part-time employees and additional summer workers, Farrar is active in the community as well. His community involvement includes working with the Kimball County Ag Society and Kimball Rural and Bushnell-Johnson Rural Fire Districts. He served on the board of directors for the Kimball-Banner County Chamber of Commerce and Kimball County Hospital. He also volunteers his time for the Kimball High School Athletic Program and Farmer’s Day Parade Committee.