ERIE -- The town of Erie's board of trustees has approved funding a part-time director for the Erie Economic Development Council.

The town is bankrolling the $30,000 part-time position. The new director of the council will be accountable for moving several action items forward in Erie's overall economic development plan. The plan was created by Upstate Colorado Economic Development, an economic development organization that serves Weld County's 31 communities in a 4,000-square-mile area.

"It's a two-year-plus plan," explained Don Huntress, president of Erie's economic council. "The new director will be responsible for executing certain action items in the overall plan and bringing back results to the town."

Results include identifying retailers the town would like to attract. "A gas station and a grocery store would probably fall first and second on that list," Huntress said.

The new director would also be required to review existing land-use maps to identify opportunities for developers and ultimately, leaseholders and employers.

"The new staff person will need to wear a lot of hats," Huntress said. "The position requires salesmanship and marketing experience, some basic knowledge of real estate, and I'm hoping that he or she will be a former business owner as well. The position could eventually move to full time," Huntress added.

To create Erie's economic plan, the board of trustees contracted Upstate Colorado staff to work for several months with an ad hoc committee that represented the interests of the board of trustees, the economic council, Erie Chamber of Commerce and citizens.