T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Riverside Cemetery Interim General Manager Deirdre Gruendler addresses the city council on Monday night about an amended agreement to provide funding for the eventual construction of a pipeline from the Iowa River that will supply water for Lake Woodmere.

After the Marshalltown City Council had approved the rest of the consent agenda on Monday night, they received an update on the situation at Riverside Cemetery as Councilor Jeff Schneider asked that the item be pulled for further discussion.

“I asked to pull this just because it was on the consent agenda, and I thought there might be a lot of people interested in it. This is with the lake at Riverside Cemetery. We had pledged $45,000 to help build a well, and I was just wondering if the staff or the cemetery would like to tell the public what the plan is now,” Schneider said.

Interim Riverside General Manager Deirdre Gruendler, who previously also led the Animal Rescue League on an interim basis, then stepped forward to the podium and noted the cemetery’s continuous operation dating back to 1863. As part of her contract, she is also charged with leading the search for a permanent new general manager along with progress on other major projects such as the Lake Woodmere matter.

The popular artificially created pond has been in place for 120 years. It serves as a habitat for native wildlife and domesticated birds including the now viral sensations Frankie and Blossom.

“It provides for moments of reflection, artistic expression and family members. It has even made Riverside Cemetery and Marshalltown notable as far away as Norway and New Zealand,” Gruendler said.

During a subsequent interview, she added that her team monitors water levels at Lake Woodmere. When a large rock on the west side of the lake is exposed, they call the waterworks to turn on the tap. The head groundskeeper also keeps tabs on the water level.

“We’re currently filling Lake Woodmere and anticipate that this water bill will be $1,700 to $2,000. We also spend $100 to $200 per month in food for the birds. These smaller, but ongoing needs, seemed appropriate for a bit of an experiment with Giving Tuesday and GoFundMe,” she said. “With our Giving Tuesday efforts we invited our local, national and international friends on Facebook to contribute toward the ongoing costs of providing habitat for Frankie and Blossom and friends. We’ve received several contributions via GoFundMe and have heard from a good number of other friends that Frankie and Blossom should be watching the mail. They’re pretty excited.”

Two years ago, Marshalltown Water Works notified Riverside that a previous agreement in place allowing the cemetery to receive free water for Lake Woodmere would be discontinued, and paying the full price for the water represented a “significant financial impact” on Riverside. On Oct. 24, 2022, an agreement for public services was brought before the city council and approved with the city agreeing to contribute up to $45,000 toward the construction of a permanent well.

Since then, however, Riverside leadership learned from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that a well was not permittable.

“The best solution is to install a permanent line from the Iowa River to Lake Woodmere that would allow us to fill the pond on demand,” Gruendler said.

The estimated cost of such a project, she added, is between $100,000 and $110,000 in all. Gruendler explained that Riverside was seeking an amendment to the original agreement to focus on a pipeline instead of a well, but they were not requesting more funding than the previously agreed upon $45,000. She added that the cemetery is pursuing several grant opportunities.

“The goal for the overall project remains the same: to continue to fill the lake with water so that it can contribute to all of our benefits, both for the purposes that the cemetery was initially created as well as the way it’s used as a park area today,” she said.

Mayor Joel Greer thanked Gruendler for her various efforts to serve community nonprofits, and the council then voted unanimously to approve the amended agreement as presented.

Gruendler said that the cemetery has received nearly 50 applications to fill the role of general manager, a position vacated by David Shearer on Oct. 18. He had served on the cemetery board and has returned to his seat. He stepped into the role after Dorie Tammen retired in April 2023. The goal is to have a new hire in place before the end of January.

“My first day was Oct. 21, 2024. I have not served as a member of the Riverside Cemetery board,” Gruendler said. “My contract with Riverside Cemetery includes leading the process to find the next general manager and to lead day-to-day operations. My business, the Liminoid Group, LLC, provides interim leadership, works with nonprofit organizations on board governance, leads strategic visioning retreats, and provides consulting and training on building a culture of respect.”

She previously served as the executive director of the Central Iowa Healthcare Foundation, and then, UnityPoint Health — Marshalltown Foundation from 2014-2022. She provided services to the Arts+Culture Alliance, the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown, the Marshalltown Federation of Women’s Clubs, the Central Business District and 13th Street. She serves on the Arts+Culture Alliance board and Marshalltown Planning & Zoning Commission. In the past, she was on the Chamber of Commerce board and co-chaired the Fisher Art Collection Advisory Committee.

To view the GoFundMe, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/keep-lake-woodmere-a-love-nest-for-frankie-blossom.