The City Council of Webster City holds its first regularly-scheduled meeting of 2026 tonight.

Heading the short agenda are the election of a mayor and mayor pro tem, and appointment of officers and representatives to various commissions.

Under Webster City’s council-manager form of government, city council members elect a mayor from among themselves, who then serves a two-year term. Since 2016, John Hawkins has served as mayor of Webster City.

Zachary Chizek, a principal of the local law firm Groves & Chizek, has served as city attorney since 2015. In Webster City, the city attorney is appointed by city council, serving a term determined by council, rather than a fixed term. Council will determine whether to appoint Chizek for an additional term at tonight’s meeting.

The city attorney advises the council, city manager and city staff in legal matters involving the city. Chizek has been especially busy during the last year working on matters involving abandoned and derelict residences in Webster City.

This work, in addition to brick buildings downtown that have needed work, has resulted in a tightening of the city’s nuisance and vacant building ordinances over the last year.

In addition to appointments to a number of local commissions, council will again authorize the city finance director, Dodie Wolfgram, to invest city funds and issue and deliver warrants for certain types of expenditures during 2026.

Only three matters are on the general agenda. Two of these will be handled as second readings of a proposal to establish new 35 mph and 45 mph speed zones on Mackinlay Kantor Drive between James Street and the city’s north corporate limits.

The third issue deals with the appointment of local tree trimming companies to clear the right-of-way of city electrical lines in sections 1 and 2, both of which are north of Second Street.

The Iowa Utility Board requires local electrical utilities to trim around electrical lines and structures at a minimum of every five years. The Webster City electric utility handles this on a rotating basis to meet requirements of the law.

In addition, the 2026 Line Clearance program calls for removal of eight full-sized trees on residential properties across the city.

The meeting will be held in council chambers at City Hall, 400 Second St., beginning at 6 p.m. All meetings of the City Council of Webster City are open to the public. The meeting will also be livestreamed for anyone wishing to watch the proceedings remotely.