WAUKON STREETS SUPERINTENDENT TO LEAVE POSITION DUE TO RETIREMENT

In May of 1995, DuWayne Snitker assumed the responsibilities of Waukon’s Street Superintendent and Zoning Administrator. The job had previously been held by Butch Kessel in conjunction with his responsibilities as Waukon’s Water and Sewer Superintendent. The City Council had determined that there was too much to do for one person and reestablished the separate streets job that year. Waukon’s mayor from 1986 to 1990, DuWayne came to the job with experience and insight into the workings of city government.
On June 30, 2000, he will leave that position for retirement. He noted that he has enjoyed the time he has spent in service to the community, and will miss working with the people, city employees, and their elected representatives. “I really enjoyed the mayor’s job, and would have run again if we were not moving out to the country,” he said. “I found the streets job to be challenging, and believe we have made good progress since the one percent sales tax was implemented. We have been able to upgrade and repair nearly twenty-five blocks of city streets each year for the past few years, and more will be completed this year.”
During his service, the implementation of 911 emergency telephone service required review of all addresses in the city, and many address changes. DuWayne also noted that the Zoning Administrator work was always interesting and frequently difficult. “The City has jurisdiction over subdivisions within two miles of the city,” he said. “Unlike larger communities, we do not have to deal with that very often, so each time it was almost like reinventing the wheel.”
There are aspects of the job which DuWayne will not miss. The 2 a.m. inspections of the streets during winter snows to determine plowing requirements will not be missed. Likewise, he said, “I will not miss all the nighttime meetings.”
In retirement, DuWayne and his wife, Laurayne, are looking forward to having more time to devote to attending the activities of their twenty-one grandchildren. DuWayne will be operating the dog pound for the city and the county, and will also do some woodworking and increase the numbers of the livestock he is raising. A Charter Member of the Waukon Lions Club, and a recipient of the Lions highest award for service, the Melvin Jones Award, DuWayne will continue to add to his 24-year record of perfect attendance. In retirement, he will not be without some nighttime meetings.