Iowa City hires assistant to city manager

IOWA CITY– Iowa City has hired an assistant to the city manager.

Geoff Fruin, currently assistant city manager in Normal, Ill., will start in Iowa City Nov. 28, it was announced Friday.

Dale Helling, 66, the assistant city manager since 1978, is retiring on Nov. 30.

The assistant to the city manager position represents a reclassification of the duties Helling has held. The pending changes were announced in June.

Fruin, 31, will work with City Manager Tom Markus on City Council initiatives and on special assignments. He will not oversee labor relations nor supervise the city's civil rights, human resources and cable TV divisions, as Helling has.

That's similar to how Helling's career started, and Markus said Fruin's duties could evolve if he shows growth.

The move also saves money. Helling's current salary is $135,741 annually. Fruin will be paid $97,000.

Fruin was an administrative analyst and assistant to the city manager before becoming assistant city manager in Normal. The town has about 52,500 residents and is the location of Illinois State University.

Iowa City is home to about 67,900 people and the University of Iowa.

“I think he has great experience in a university town with some similar challenges that we will be dealing with that they've already dealt with,” Markus said.

That includes having Amtrak service, redeveloping a downtown and economic development, he said.

Fruin said the city has spent about $80 million  on downtown projects since he started there in 2004. They include underground utilities, street improvements, land acquisitions, a children's museum and an under-construction transportation hub for high-speed rail and local and regional transit, he said.

Projects from the private sector have included a Marriott hotel and conference center and new or expanded retail offerings.

Fruin received his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Iowa in 2002 and a master's degree in urban planning and public policy, specializing in economic development, from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

He said his wife also attended the UI and they're excited to return to Iowa City for personal and professional reasons.

“This from a professional point of view is an incredible opportunity," he said.