Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Robert Oliver: Ashley Allers, left, and John Marvel, right, both elected to the City Council of Webster City in last November's election, took their seats at city hall for the first time Monday night.

Members of the City Council of Webster City unanimously re-elected John Hawkins as mayor, and elected Megan McFarland as mayor pro tem at their first meeting of 2026 last night. Hawkins has served as Webster City’s mayor continuously since 2016, while McFarland replaces retired councilman Logan Welch as mayor pro tem.

Zach Chizek was reappointed city attorney, a post he’s held since 2015. Chizek also maintains a private law practice in Webster City. The leadership appointments behind them, the council then ratified a number of appointments to city, county and regional commissions.

Adam Dickinson was appointed the city’s representative to North Iowa Municipal Electric Co-Operative Association, a supplier of electrical power to 13 municipal electric utilities in Iowa. Beth Chelsvig, administrative services director for the city, was appointed right-to-know-coordinator. In this role, Chelsvig is responsible for informing city employees of the presence of chemicals and hazardous materials in their workplace.

Hawkins was appointed city representative to the Hamilton County Resource Enhancement Committee.

Brandon Bahrenfuss will again serve as city representative to the MIDAS Transportation Advisory Committee, which oversees public transit service in Webster City and throughout Hamilton County.

John Harrenstein was appointed to the boards of both Webster City Day Care — WCDC, and Riverview Early Childhood Development Centers, which are combining services at WCDC’s facility at 1317 Beach St. A need for more and better day care is an important component of the city and county’s economic development initiatives.

Ariel Bertran, the city’s community and economic development director, was again appointed representative to the Heart of Iowa Local Housing Trust Fund. The fund provides grants and forgivable loans to low-income homeowners seeking to make repairs to keep their homes safe and efficient, such as electrical, plumbing or accessibility improvements.

Hawkins will be the 2026 representative to the Hamilton County Solid Waste Commission, which operates the Hamilton County landfill. Bahrenfuss was named alternate representative.

Webster City will be represented by Hawkins, and Charles Stansfield, alternate, to both the Hamilton County Communication Service Advisory Board (E 9-1-1), and Hamilton County Emergency Management Commission for the year 2026.

The Daily Freeman Journal was again named the official newspaper of the city of Webster City. Responsibilities of an officially-designated newspaper in Iowa include the publishing of public notices, minutes of proceedings of city council meetings, election results, and court decisions.

Such information, once published, can then be declared as “public” under provisions of the Code of Iowa, Chapter 618.3. Official newspapers must be published at least weekly, for at least 50 weeks each year.

The council passed a resolution establishing six depositories authorized to hold city funds, including Availa Bank, First State Bank, WCF Financial Bank and People’s Credit Union in Webster City; United Bank of Iowa, Fort Dodge, and the Iowa Public Agency Investment Trust of West Des Moines. No more than $23 million can be held by any single depository at any one time.

Finally, council agreed to maintain its present bi-monthly meeting schedule, convening on the first and third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in city hall. The date of the first meeting in September 2026 will be changed because the first Monday of that month falls on Labor Day.

In other action, council:

• Passed the second readings of two proposed amendments to City Code section 46-112, establishing special 35 mph and 45 mph zones on Mackinlay Kantor Drive from James Street to the city’s north corporate limits. Council voted to waive the traditional third reading; instead adopting and passing the measure after receiving no comments from the public on either the first or second readings.

• Awarded line clearance and tree removal contracts to Robb’s Tree Service in the amount of $35,000 to maintain electrical line right-of-way in section one of the city’s electrical system. Robb received a contract for a further $5,050 specified for removal of a total of eight trees in the electrical system right-of-way on the following properties: 1202 Broadway (three trees); 815 Elm (one tree); 856 Water (one tree); 854 Bank (two trees), and 811 Prospect (one tree).

City Manager John Harrenstein emphasized, “The city will not remove any tree until it has been examined by an arborist, to see if it can be saved,” a new policy this year.

• Awarded a line clearance contract to Frye’s Tree Service in the amount of $46,350 to maintain electrical right-of-way in section two of the city’s electrical system.