March 19, 2022 – West Bend, Wi – As the City of West Bend, WI prepares to announce its new head clerk on Monday, March 21, 2022… we take a look back at the longevity of clerks from the past.
April 2008 – Saying goodbye to Barb Barringer
“She’s going to be missed,” said City Administrator Dennis Melvin reflecting on Barb Barringer Tyree and her 26 years of service to the community.
Melvin was the first person Barringer Tyree told she would be leaving. “No, I did not have an inkling,” said Melvin. “She’s just done a good job. She’s been there when we’ve needed her.”
Last week Friday was Barringer Tyree’s last day. There was a small party in the Clerk’s office, with a good turnout of city employees and even a couple of volunteer poll workers who stopped to wish Barringer Tyree good luck.
No taxpayer money was spent on the event as a huge Nesco of sloppy joes served as the center piece and others brought a dish to pass. A picture of Barringer Tyree sitting behind her desk, sticking her tongue out at the camera hung the wall. “I could do without the sign,” said Barringer Tyree pointing to the big letters ‘THANKS FOR A QUARTER CENTURY.’ It made her 26 years with the city seem like a really long time.
Barringer Tyree was 26 years old when she started with the city in 1982. Donald Gonring was mayor and Jim Skidmore was Chief of Police. “I started with a clerical position in the clerk’s office, was promoted to deputy clerk and then in 1984 became the city clerk,” she said adding she’s seen her fair share of changes over the year.
“A lot of changes technologically. Computerization with public records, going from paper to microfilm to digital records. Keeping things on the computer and storing things digitally and I’ve been through four different election systems in my tenure, through the lever machines to punch cards to the fill in the ovals to the touch screen machines,” said Barringer Tyree.
Hundreds of staffers and elected officials have also come and gone under Barringer Tyree’s watch. She qualified Mayor Mike Miller as one person she really enjoyed working with.
“For the majority of my service as clerk he was mayor and very easy to get along with, very supportive,” she said.
Finding someone who has a good story about Barringer Tyree is tough. Washington County Highway Commissioner Ken Pesch has known Barringer Tyree for 22 years and worked with her for the first 11 years when he was West Bend’s city engineer.
“She was the City Clerk when I started working for the city and she was City Clerk when I left the city 11 years later. In those 11 years I can’t remember a day when she was not the most pleasant and helpful person in city hall,” said Pesch.
Former alderman Robert Motl joked that it was hard to ‘roast’ Barb because “She’s such a professional organizational nut. A good trait though,” he qualified.
People are surprised at Barringer’s announcement, particularly since she’s just four years shy of 30 year’s service to the city. “I think people are envious. If you can get out and do something else, good luck to you,” said Barringer who is 52-years-old. “To me, four years is too much.”
The last 30 days were a bit of a whirlwind for Barringer Tyree. “Getting married helped make it possible, but really I had looked at where I stood financially last fall and made the decision then to leave the city,” said Barringer qualifying the decision as ‘just moving on with life.’
“After the things I’ve been through and I need to do something more with my life because I’ve been doing this job for so long, I want to see what else is out there and what else I can do.”
Questioned whether she was giving up a dream job. “City clerk is the dream job,” she quipped with a you’ve-gotta-be-kidding tone. “It is secure, and that’s one reason I’ve stayed as long as I have. And it is a good job for someone raising a family but I’m at the point in my life where I don’t have those obligations anymore and I have a little more freedom to pick and choose what I want to do with my life.”
One of the changes that prompted her decision, fell on the legislature and ever changing election laws. “The state voter registration system is very frustrating and I just have no patience left for people on the legislature making these changes.”
Barringer Tyree had been moving her belongings the past few weeks. She was still busy last Friday working on microfilm and training her replacement. Deputy clerk Amy Reuteman was unanimously approved by the common council Monday as the new city clerk.
During her going away party, Barringer Tyree received biker chick bicycling socks and a large crystal vase etched with the note; To Barb From your friends at City Hall April 18, 2008.
Barringer Tyree will remain in the area. She’s going to travel within the next few months to Toronto in June and take in the Shakespear festival and see a couple plays. “I’m going to take a couple months off and get my perspective back; see what it’s like in the real world and determine what I can do with my time to make me happy.”
November 13, 2016 – Amy Reuteman leaving City of West Bend
West Bend City Clerk and assistant City Administrator Amy Reuteman is leaving.
An email was sent Friday announcing Reutemen was leaving to take a job in Adams County.
Reuteman has worked with the city of West Bend for 16 years; she’s been the city clerk the past eight years and last November 2015 she was tabbed as the new assistant city administrator in West Bend.
Reuteman replaced Steve Volkert who left for an administrator position in the city of Hartford.
“She’s going to be difficult to replace,” said Volkert. “The challenge for the city is they looked for a qualified replacement for her when she took the step up to be the H.R. director/assistant administrator.”
The city never managed to find a qualified clerk so Reuteman held onto that position.
“Her knowledge is extremely vast in what she does,” Volkert said. “I’ve said this all along that the clerk is the most needed position in the entire city and a lot of times they’re more important than the administrator and having a good one is very tough and West Bend had a great one.”
District 8 alderman Roger Kist said Reuteman is going to be hard to replace because everybody loves her and thinks a lot of her. “Amy brought a lot to the city, and she has always been extremely helpful in many, many ways,” Kist said.
Quite a few people connected with City Hall in West Bend have expressed disbelief when told of Reuteman’s departure. Former Dist. 7 alderman Terry Vrana said Reuteman is irreplaceable and a very stabilizing force.
“I was an alderman when Amy first came to the city and she was impressive then,” he said. “She’s a rare find.”
Reuteman started as an assistant to then city Clerk Barb Barringer. “She was always a high-quality person and got along with everybody and very smart and she fit the job perfectly. That’s going to be a huge loss for the city,” said Vrana. “I always really enjoyed working with her because she was so good at what she did; such a good person and good with everybody.”
John Kleinmaus is one of Reuteman’s trusty poll workers during elections. Kleinmaus was bowled over by the news.
“Wow,” he said. “You’re kidding. I wish her well but wow.”
Kleinmaus said, when it came to elections Reuteman knew her stuff. “If I ever had to call her with a question she was always right there on top of it,” he said. “Her job was very stressful but she handled it in a very cool and professional way. I don’t ever remember seeing her get mad; she was always there to help and we could always count on her.”
Kist read from an email that detailed Reuteman leaving for a position up north.
“Her last day will be December 1,” said Kist.
Justmann started with the City January 23, 2017 following the departure of Amy Reuteman.
Justmann was a trusted clerk in the City of West Bend who oversaw elections, poll workers, and her favorite job swearing in new officers.
“She was great to work with and one of my favorite people at City Hall,” said former Dist. 7 alderman Adam Williquette.
Washington County Clerk Ashley Reichert worked closely with Justmann. “I have been extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with Stephanie over the years, from when she was the Village of Kewaskum Clerk, to her most recent position as the City of West Bend Clerk, she has truly done an amazing job,” Reichert said. “Although we are sad to see her leave, we know she will do a great job in her new role, Dodge County is truly lucky to have her.”
The news of Justmann’s resignation took some elected officials by surprise.
District 1 alderman John Butschlick was stunned by the news. “We’re really going to miss her,” he said. “I always thought she was really doing a fantastic job. I hate to see her go.”
Prior to West Bend, Justmann worked as the clerk in the Village of Kewaskum. At the time her starting salary in West Bend was approved at $65,985.
“I’m leaving to work as the purchasing agent in the finance department in Dodge County,” said Justmann.
Justmann started her career under Dodge County Clerk Karen Gibson.
“She’s very smart,” said Gibson.
Justmann has been a confident, quiet leader at City Hall during several events that rocked the community. She offered stability in October 2019 when Mayor Kraig Sadownikow presented his resignation and she offered strength following the untimely death of District 6 alderman Steve Hoogester.
Justmann added integrity and trust to elections. Poll workers, like John Kleinmaus said she was “intelligent and easy to work with.”
Former District 5 alderman Rich Kasten was shocked with the news of Stephanie Justman resigning. “During my time on the Council, she was excellent to work with and very knowledgeable. The City Clerk’s office ran smoothly, and it was one of those departments I never had to worry about – under her leadership, it just worked. Wherever her career is taking her, they will be very lucky to have her and West Bend will have a large hole to fill. I wish her all the success she deserves.”
City of West Bend Finance Administrator Carrie Winkelbauer said Justmann will be missed. “She was great to work with,” said Winkelbauer. “She did a great job with elections and training the poll workers and I wish her all the best.”
Justmann’s last day at West Bend City Hall is November 26, 2021.
It has been four months and the City will announce Justmann’s replacement on Monday, March 21, 2022.
