Support Barrick for city administrator
To the Editor:
Marengo needs to have Barb Barrick as the next city administrator. She has worked for the city for nine years and during that time, trained four city administrators. She was raised here, has lived in Marengo for the last 17 years and is raising her children here. She has an involved interest for the betterment of our town. She is not going to use the position as a stepping stone to something better.
Barb is just a few credits away from her B.S. with a double major in business administration and public administration (she takes college classes part-time in addition to working full-time). The job description says the position needs to have a bachelor’s degree in business or public administration or a closely related field, plus five years’ experience or an equivalent of experience, education and training that would provide the level of knowledge and ability required for the position. How could she train four city administrators if she didn’t have the level of knowledge and ability required for the position? In fact, Barb was the unofficial city administrator in between city administrators, from October 2002 to February 2003; from May 2003 to December 2003; and from April 2005 to June 2005. Once more, from April to June 2005, she was the only person at city hall, doing all three jobs at once.
Although Barb is not the “official” Marengo city clerk (the clerk is the city administrator), she performs all of the city clerk’s duties. She is a State of Iowa certified municipal clerk and she has received an international master municipal clerk certification (there are 23 people in Iowa that have achieved this). Governor Tom Vilsack appointed Barb to a four-year term on the state’s city finance committee and Governor Chet Culver just re-appointed her to another four-year term. Barb also was recently elected to the state’s Iowa Municipal Finance Officer’s Board of Directors. She serves as a mentor (training other city clerks) and as a strategic goal setting facilitator with the Iowa League of Cities. Barb is admired and respected by her peers in the municipal field.
Barb does the grant writing for Trees Forever, and has secured grants that have enabled residents to purchase trees at a reduced rate, replace trees in the city park and plant new trees at the Marengo Public Library and the Gateway Park arboretum. She was able to get Blaine Foundation funding for the new steps to the city park bandstand and was able to obtain DOT funding for a portion of the Eastern Avenue resurfacing.
Barb gets along well with her co-workers at city hall and with the general public at large. She is unbiased, treats everyone fairly and will always listen to the other side of the story. However, she is not afraid to stand firm and will not back down if necessary.
I don’t know why the council hasn’t given Barb the position before, but I know that our town needs Barb at the helm. Please contact your council members: Mike Curry, Bill Kreis, Adam Rabe, Candi Schmieder and Kelli Krutsinger and let them know your opinion — that they need to put Barb in the position this time. The city council meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at city hall. On each council agenda, there is a place for the public to speak. Let them know what’s on your mind.
s/Hollie Waterbury, Marengo,
and 42 other signatures