Charles City government says farewell to City Clerk O’Donnell

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

Long-time Charles City City Clerk Trudy O’Donnell received a fun farewell on Friday, April 11,  with an open house reception celebrating her upcoming retirement.

Gathering at The Pub on the Cedar, friends, family and co-workers congratulated O’Donnell on her nearly 18 years of service to the city.

“I can’t believe it’s finally here,” said O’Donnell.

O’Donnell came to Charles City after working nine years in Riceville as its city clerk. Since then she has overseen almost two decades of city business, preparing documents and attending countless meetings of the council and various boards.

“I was kind of looking for a challenge and, boy, did I get a challenge here,” said O’Donnell.

“She’s served our city well, that’s for sure,” said Mayor Dean Andrews. “We’re going to miss her.”

Andrews, along with council member DeLaine Freeseman, were both on the council at the time O’Donnell was hired.

“She has been a pleasure to work with,” said City Administrator Steve Diers. “She’s always had the community’s best interest at heart and she’s worked hard to make Charles City the best community it can be.”

O’Donnell’s retirement reception was well attended. Rather than a guest book, visitors at the reception signed a well-worn table that had previously been used in the council chambers and mysteriously went missing during the move out of the building for its current renovations.

“I spent a lot of time around this table,” said O’Donnell.

The table is now covered in messages as a souvenir of O’Donnell’s time as city clerk.

While council members and city officials have for months joked about O’Donnell canceling her retirement and staying on with the city, the change of hands became official last week when the council approved the hiring of Brittney Lentz, the city clerk of Plainfield, to take on the job.

“I think Brittney is going to do a great job,” said O’Donnell, who did end up extending her employment an extra week to finish up a few meetings and help acclimate her successor.

Once officially retired, however, O’Donnell won’t be wasting any of her new abundance of free time, already planning on a road trip to Nashville on Easter Sunday.

Beyond that, O’Donnell said she is looking forward to spending time with her two, soon to be three, grandchildren.

“We have another one coming in October,” said O’Donnell. “I can’t wait.”