RIVERSIDE

On a night when the Riverside City Council formally learned of City Administrator Cole Smith’s upcoming departure, the June 1 appointment of Edgar McGuire as City Council member was challenged.

The City Council went into closed and open sessions at its regularly scheduled meeting Monday for different discussions with Smith, who will leave the city July 17 to become City Administrator for the City of Granger on July 20.

Monday’s meeting also included an announcement that a petition for a special election for a vacated city council seat was submitted to Washington County with a possible election date in early September. Until then, McGuire, who was appointed to Chris Grinstead’s seat June 1, will remain on the council.

Smith, who has been Riverside City Administrator since April 2023, was named the new City Administrator in Granger at a special meeting held June 4 in Granger. His new annual salary will be $115,000.

The Riverside City Council went into closed session Monday for an annual performance evaluation on Smith, then went back into open session to discuss the procedure in its search for a new city administrator.

Smith has played a key role for the city in proposals for a wellness center initiative that will be mostly financed through an $8 million bond referendum passed last November by voters and a Washington County Foundation Grant that was recently approved.

“It’s definitely hard,” Smith told the board. “I love the team.”

Mayor Allen Schneider said the search process will begin with a job posting and likely also include a number of consulting and recruiting calls. The process may take three months to land a new administrator.

Smith plans to fully repay the city for educational expenses incurred at Drake University, where he successfully completed a master’s degree. Repayment terms are $350 per month for six years, per previously contracted, unless other arrangements are made by the Council.

Smith’s relocation to Granger, a growing city of about 1,600 northwest of Des Moines, was motivated by his desire to be closer to his fiancée, Shay Slaska, an attorney located in Des Moines.

Council Election

Edgar McGuire, who had a previous five-year run as City Councilman, will have to run for election, likely in September, in order to keep his seat.

McGuire, who lost a re-election bid in November 2023, was one of five who applied for the seat held by Chris Grinstead following Grinstead’s resignation due to a relocation to Washington. Joining McGuire were Bradley Fuhrmann, Levi Schnoebelen, Nickie Nguyen and Scott Adkins.

McGuire won his appointment by a 3-2 vote, but the special election, which was forced by a petition signed by more than 60 Riverside residents, makes that appointment valid only until a special election is held. The Washington County Auditor will run the election and decide on the special election date.

The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of Grinstead’s term, until December 2029.

Road Closure

The downtown Riverside portion of Highway 22 will be closed for two hours Saturday morning due to the Trek Fest parade.

The east-west traffic on Highway 22 will be detoured north of downtown between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Trek Fest, an annual Star Trek-themed festival, begins a three-day run Thursday.

July 3 Holiday

City Hall offices will be closed Friday, July 3, due to the Fourth of July holiday.

The City Council’s first meeting of July will be held Monday, July 6, the normal date for the session.

Garbage & Recycling

Smith Sanitation Services, of Tiffin, won the city’s new contract for solid waste and recycling collections by a 3-2 vote.

The city is terminating its contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems due to resident complaints.

Smith Sanitation was among five companies attempting to land the new contract and won what is likely to be a five-year contract despite not having the lowest bid; L&R Dumpsters, of Cedar Rapids, was the low bidder at $111,000 for Year 1.

Riverside residents pay the city for trash removal.

Budget Amendment

Following a public hearing, the Council approved a budget amendment for Fiscal Year 2026, which ends June 30.

The amendment includes more than $300,000 in capital improvement projects.

Council Action

The City Council approved a payment of $91,351 to Cornerstone Commercial Contractors, and a number of change orders, for work completed on the downtown revitalization project.

The City Council approved a number of fire department/EMS stipends for emergency calls.

The City Council appointed Levi Schnoebelen to the Board of Adjustment, by a 4-1 vote.

The City Council approved a professional services agreement of $23,800 with Axiom Consultants, of Iowa City, for design work on improvements at Hall Park.

The City Council approved a proposal of $8,207 from Quality Pump & Control for the replacement of a water pump.

The City Council approved an insurance renewal with Southeast Iowa Insurance, of Wellman, for $123,380.

The City Council approved moving ahead with an updated traffic control video system to be installed at Riverside Casino and Highway 22.

The City Council tabled a $30,000 funding request from the Voyage Home Riverside History Center for building rental costs.

The City Council tabled staff wage increase recommendations for Fiscal Year 2027.

Next board meeting:

The City Council’s next meeting is at 6 p.m. July 6.