City Hall gets once over from USDA

Gary Mendenhall, left and Jesus Ortega, Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development office toured the newly renovated Pittsfield City Hall recently. The work done in expanding city hall as well as creating a business incubator space was done with funds from USDA Rural Development. (Submitted photo)

By BETH ZUMWALT

Jesus Ortega, Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development office in Illinois, visited Pittsfield City Hall this week to tour the city’s newly expanded facility and learn more about its recently completed business incubator space.
The City of Pittsfield recently completed an expansion of City Hall, adding two incubator offices designed to support new and growing local businesses. During his visit, Director Ortega toured the new space and met with city officials to discuss opportunities for collaboration on future projects.
Director Ortega was joined by Nichole Mason, USDA Area Specialist, who also took part in the tour and discussion.
During the meeting, Ortega outlined the range of USDA Rural Development programs currently available to communities like Pittsfield, including funding and support for community facilities, business development, and housing initiatives.
“There are programs out there we are going to be looking into,” Gary Mendenhall, mayor of Pittsfield, said. “Some could be really beneficial to us.”
City officials say the new incubator offices reflect Pittsfield’s ongoing commitment to economic growth and supporting local entrepreneurs, and that USDA’s programs may offer valuable resources as the city continues to invest in its community.