Iowa City public works director to retire

IOWA CITY - Rick Fosse's notebook will be a little less full and parties a little more enjoyable starting this New Year's Eve.

After 30 years with Iowa City's Public Works Department, including the last 11 as its director, Fosse is retiring at the end of the year, he said Thursday.

'It's been in my long-term plan for quite a while,” he said. 'I'll have 33 years in public service in, and I'm at age where I want to do something else.”

Fosse, 55, said he hasn't zeroed in on anything in particular. He said he will focus on his current job while he remains with the city. He also plans to take time off before pursuing another opportunity.

His department has arguably the broadest reach in city government. It includes streets, trash collection and recycling, water, wastewater and engineering.

Fosse keeps a notepad in his car to jot down things he sees that need to be addressed, such as pavement repair or a water issue. He said hardly a day goes by that he doesn't write in it.

'Because the entire city is our workplace,” he said.

He's also a popular guy at parties - for complaints. People let him know about a street they felt could have been better cleared of snow or a troublesome pothole. But Fosse, who's known for his positive attitude, said it's never been too bothersome.

City Manager Tom Markus said Fosse is a good listener, takes into consideration all aspects of an issue and has no arrogance about him.

'He'll really be missed,” Markus said. 'Beside the fact he's such a strong professional and knowledgeable about everything, he's just fun to be around.”

Fosse started with the city in 1984 as a civil engineer. He became public works director in 2003.

Rather than any projects, it's actions during his tenure that stand out to him most. The two biggest ones were the 2006 tornado that ripped through Iowa City and the record floods of 2008.

The city is a diverse organization that does everything from run a library to put out fires, Fosse said. But in those events city employees came together and helped repair the city, he said.

'It was neat to be part of that,” he said.

Markus said Fosse did the city a favor by giving such advance notice. The city will look for internal candidates first, and Markus hopes officials can move quickly and have a successor picked while Fosse still is with the city.

Fosse's salary is $148,470.