Rathdrum city clerk retiring
RATHDRUM – When Judy Hollenbeck first went to work for the city of Rathdrum as city clerk, the town’s population was about 2,000, City Hall shared space with the police station, and utility billing was done by hand.
Sixteen years later, as she gets ready to retire as city clerk and treasurer, City Hall is already straining the seams of the new building built on Main Street in 1995, the population has soared to more than 6,000 and all billing and city records have been computerized.
Hollenbeck’s 23 years’ experience in the banking industry qualified her for the financial and bookkeeping duties required of the city’s treasurer, but over time the job grew to include many other duties. “There are many facets to this job,” she said. “I serve as liaison to the mayor, the council and the administrator. I arrange for City Council meetings, sending out meeting announcements and writing up the minutes, and I keep the records for the city – ordinances and resolutions.”
“I bill the utility payments, handle accounts payable and the city payroll. I maintain the personnel files and deal with the insurance,” she said. “I also maintain the books for the city and do the investing.”
In fact, the essential duties and knowledge requirements listed on the job description for her job are extensive – and intimidating.
Hollenbeck earned her certification as a municipal clerk in 1996, and has kept her certification current by meeting continuing education requirements. She said much of her learning took place on the job.
Through her clerking duties she became knowledgeable about state mandates, local ordinances, miscellaneous laws and parliamentary procedure. She acquired human resource skills while searching for and hiring employees and maintaining personnel files and records; and added managerial skills while supervising, training and evaluating city employees. And, when the job of running city elections fell to her, she added knowledge of election procedures and protocol.
Hollenbeck said she enjoyed all the responsibility, and that there wasn’t any part of her job that she didn’t look forward to.
“I especially liked to do the bookkeeping,” she said, glancing around her small, homey office. She said her biggest challenge during her years with the city “was getting the utility billing up and running on the computer system,” adding, “it was a big deal.”
Her job changed quite a bit last year when the city hired Brett Boyer, its first full-time city administrator. “Brett took over some of the hiring and personnel duties,” she said, “and now he answers all the questions people come in with. That freed up a lot of my time.”
Hollenbeck served as city clerk during the administrations of four mayors – Norm Heitstuman, Tawnda Bromley, Joe Hassell and Brian Steele.
“Each had their own way of doing things, so you just adapt to the way they want things done,” she said.
Outgoing Mayor Brian Steele praised Hollenbeck as an employee and said she’ll be missed.
“Working with Judy has been a privilege,” Steele said. “Every time I went to her with a question, she answered it. It was just super working with her.”
Although Hollenbeck has enjoyed helping guide the city through the rapid changes of the past few years, she is anticipating finding new ways to spend her days.
“My husband has been retired for five years and we are looking forward to having more time to travel and go camping,” she said. She has plans to enjoy more activities with her three grown children and 7 1/2 grandchildren, all of whom live in the area. She said she is especially looking forward to a 10-day trip to Maui, planned for this summer.
Retiring though, does hold some challenges, admits Hollenbeck. “I’ve worked a long time – full time – and it will be an adjustment, I’m sure,” she said. After a moment she added, “I’ve enjoyed working for the city, and my job – I’ve really enjoyed my job – so I hope I’ll enjoy retirement …”
Her pauses make it obvious she will find it hard to leave a job she loves.