You, editor, asked for a “last hurrah” column as the outgoing mayor. Parting is such sweet sorrow — that’s a lot of alliteration. Here ’tis, mostly in lists.

Challenges

Tornado, derecho, COVID pandemic, Legionnaires, legislative cutbacks, the loss of three top level city staff, and the never-ending need for road repairs. It was a bit of a personal challenge to serve as acting city administrator for many months, while still having an active civil jury trial job, but it was survivable by the help of Jessica Kinser and Cindy Kendall, who were temporary contract hires.

Accomplishments

the police/fire building, YSS moving into the old police space, Roundhouse expansion, joint city and school district tennis/pickleball complex, MCC improvement vote, Lennox rebuild, Coliseum rebuild, courthouse rebuild, library national award, senior center move to a brighter space with more space, River’s Edge Trail, improvement of health providers including the new UnityPoint Hospital, Primary Health, Center Associates, McFarland Clinic, Veterans Medical Clinic, airport terminal and hangar, MACC, second story living such as the Willards Building, and State Street. We now have ice skating, and more safety and flock cameras that solve crimes. To address serious needs, we established a homeless task force, approved the joint police and YSS MPACT program, and welcomed God’s Way and Prairie Ridge to Marshalltown. In process are Main Street, Miller Middle School and Franklin Field on 13th Street, the Apgar Water Plaza and trailhead, and a revival of our old mall with new stores and improved theaters. Events and gatherings have grown, including Octemberfest, CBD events like the Holiday Stroll, the 4th of July, and softball and tennis tournaments and cross country meets. Our major employers are at or near full employment. We have superb dining including restaurants with the best burger, and Italian, Greek, Asian, and Mexican. Our Y is the best in Iowa, if not also in the Midwest. Coffee shops abound. And, despite retirements, our present city staff are great (see below).

Proudest personal motions and votes in the 12 years as councilor then mayor

The motion to switch from weekly to twice monthly council meetings, making the job more attractive to prospective councilors, and the motion to have the city take title to the recreational trail, which required me to incorporate and populate the 22-volunteers board of TRAILS, Inc., allowing for the future 34-mile lineal park. I am also extremely proud of the hires of our police and fire chiefs, city administrator, city clerk, public works director, public housing director, and park and rec director, and our expansion of the nuisance officer position to include a second person. We have about 40 fewer city staff members than in the 1980s, but our present staff do a fantastic job. Let me also take personal pride in never failing to respond to questions or requests by emails, texts, calls or in-person appointments, and in donating more than the mayor stipend pays.

Disappointments

A city council that included a majority of four very smart, under age 45 councilors proposed a franchise fee as the best way to catch up on street repairs. The city council watch group led the charge to vote No, and they prevailed. We have, as a result, fallen behind on road repairs. I am disappointed that four years ago, none of the females I asked to run for mayor did so. To this day, our city has never had a female mayor, and though we will now have at least two females on the council, we have historically had just one or two. We have, at least, improved diversity representation on the council. My attempt to convert the old hospital into a regional mental health center never got off the ground. We applied for but failed to get a federal trail grant that would have sped up the completion of the 34-mile trail. The council failed to continue the annual support of the MACC, recently resulting in the sale of some of the best art pieces we have enjoyed for decades. And compared to cities our daughters live in, we do not have an effective or enforceable recycling program.

Hopes and predictions

In five years, we will have safer 2-way streets and roundabouts and more parking. Sooner than that, we should have the Martha-Ellen Tye Theatre renovation completed, and our community theater group should move back to its home, which reminds me that another disappointment was that the renovation did not include space for props and costumes. Two summers ago, I was one of six Iowa mayors at a 3-day ISU workshop on trail building, and my personal goal was and is to complete the in-town trail, connecting it from Riverview Park through to the north end of the Veterans Home. It would also be great to have a bridge over Linn Creek that connects parking at the Y with parking at the MACC, to accommodate large events like state swimming meets. Some day, we should have a homeless shelter. Ultimately, the seven city councilors will have gender, diversity and age mix that represents our population, but meanwhile, you will like our new mayor and council for the next four years.

Thanks. The voters allowed me the opportunity to learn how well our city is run by its staff, and to appreciate how well the leaders or our city collaborate. Thank you.

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Joel Greer is the outgoing mayor of Marshalltown.

When his term expires at the end of the year, he will have served two four-year terms and served one term as a

city councilor prior to that.