Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Hancock City Council member Will Lytle addresses the council shortly before it accepted his resignation with regret Wednesday.

HANCOCK — Hancock City Council members praised Will Lytle’s work over the past three-plus years before regretfully accepting his resignation from the council Wednesday night.

Lytle is leaving the area to become director of research and sustainability with the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council in Moscow, Idaho.

“They’re about to grow, so they don’t want somebody they’ve always worked with,” he said. “They want somebody with new ideas and is interested in change.”

It was an outside-the-box application, Lytle admitted, but one that aligns with his values. Things such as peanuts and soybeans are great for carbon emissions and use land and water more efficiently than other food sources, he said.

“Think of a product to be a representative of, it’s an unusually ethical one,” he said.

Lytle’s time on the council has coincided with signs of forward progress for the city and region, he said. He thanked City Manager Mary Babcock and the council for their work for the community, and said the city is in good hands. He cautioned the council that as the city booms, they should make sure to protect shared values and the city’s quality of life. Part of that, he said, is making sure the city manager and city staff have the resources they need.

“We need more people to pitch in, we need more resources to jump from a dormant period to a growth period … I don’t think we can just follow the roadmap from another community in the U.P., because we’re going to be doing it faster and better,” he said.

Council members said the next rung on the career ladder for Lytle was a sign of even better things ahead. Mayor Paul LaBine said Lytle is intelligent, does his research, and puts together good presentations. But what impressed him most is Lytle’s strong convictions.

“I know there’s positions you have that you believe in that may not be popular in the area, or even the council, but you stick to it, or you’re reasonable about it,” he said. “You’re willing to listen to opposing views while sticking to your guns, and I really respect that about you.”

The city is seeking someone to fill the rest of Lytle’s term, which expires in November.