Council selects new city administrator

The Washington City Council has chosen Brent Hinson of Garner to be its new city administrator. The council interviewed Hinson and four other candidates Saturday during a closed session. Upon entering open session, the council voted unanimously to select Hinson. Hinson will begin work Oct. 17.

The five finalists for the position met at the Washington Free Public Library Friday afternoon for a meet-and-greet with the public. It was the first time the city councilors had met any of the candidates because prior to that time an executive search firm was in charge of selecting the finalists. Each candidate shared information about his background, education, employment history and hobbies.

Hinson said he was raised in Mediapolis and graduated from high school there. He then attended the University of Northern Iowa where he obtained a bachelor?s degree in political science in 2000. He followed that with a master?s degree in public administration from Drake University in 2002.

?I?ve always known that I wanted to get into public service of some sort,? Hinson said. ?When I was growing up, my dad was on the city council and he was a volunteer firefighter and volunteer EMT. I definitely looked up to him.?

Hinson considered a career in politics and state government before finally choosing a career in local government.

?I think I?ve found my niche in local government,? he said.

Soon after obtaining his master?s degree he became the finance director and city clerk at Iowa Falls. The population of Iowa Falls is about 5,000. Hinson worked at Iowa Falls for two years and then moved to Garner to become its city administrator. He has been the administrator in Garner for six years. Garner is in north central Iowa ? 20 miles west of Mason City ? and has a population of just over 3,000.

Washington Economic Development Group Director Ed Raber gave four separate tours of the city to the candidates Friday before the meet-and-greet. Raber drove the candidates around town and showed them the projects the city had just completed and places where future projects are to occur.

?I thought all the candidates that the city interviewed were very strong,? Raber said. ?I could see each of them working in Washington.?

Raber said Hinson asked good questions on the tour and demonstrated that he was familiar with Washington.

?He had a keen understanding of the things that towns our size can do and how to do them,? Raber said. ?He talked with some depth of knowledge about Washington?s finances.?

Hinson and his wife Misty had taken their own tours of Washington since learning of the opening earlier this summer. In fact, the two came to Washington on Thursday and heard the municipal band perform its final concert of the year.

?We were familiar with a lot of the things we saw, but it?s nice to get a tour from a local person,? he said. ?The square is beautiful. The library is a great building.?

Hinson said he is excited about living in a bigger town.

?There are opportunities here and things to do,? he said. ?People have already been doing things. It?s not like the city hasn?t done a project in 20 years and now you have to get people shaken up.?

Hinson said he was aware of the mammoth wastewater project the city has begun and said he is no stranger to such projects.

?I?ve done quite a bit of research and I know what I?m getting into,? he said. ?We?re just completing a new wastewater plant in Garner.?

Hinson said the wastewater project in Garner cost $4 million. The new wastewater facility, the gravity sewer and the interest on the debt are expected to cost Washington more than $20 million.

?Garner is a smaller town and our project was on a smaller scale,? he said.

When he?s not managing city affairs, Hinson likes to spend time with his wife and two children, a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy.

?I like the Chicago Bears and I like to play guitar,? he said. ?I also read a lot.?

Hinson said he?s not quite ready to play his guitar at an open mic night.

?That might be a good opportunity to throw tomatoes at the city administrator,? he said.

Washington Chamber of Commerce Director Tim Coffey went to Friday?s meet-and-greet and spoke with all five candidates. He was especially impressed with Hinson.

?He was the first one I spoke with and he left a positive impression with me,? Coffey said. ?I walked out of that room and he was truly my first choice.?

Ninety-one people from 30 states applied for the city administrator position. Coffey said the large number of applicants is a tribute to the town?s attractiveness.