By Staff
Bill Nelson and John Lennon share an Oct. 9 birthday, so perhaps it's fitting in assessing the "dreamers" who shape Dowagiac that our departing city manager quickly adds, "But I'm not the only one." He is, after all, the straw who stirs a rather large organization at the behest of Mayor Don Lyons and City Council. He helped deliver their vision of an infrastructure that would serve the city for a generation.
Nelson, 46, announced his resignation Dec. 13, days after his 10th anniversary at City Hall, to return to southwest Ohio to larger and growing Miamisburg. He was clearly uncomfortable being too introspective about his stay in the town where he and Cheryl raised their sons, Daniel and David.
Lyons didn't mince words. He called Nelson perhaps "the best city manager in the city's history." That could be shrugged off as sentimental nostalgia toward a comrade soon parting who strengthened his administration's legacy.
Except it's probably true.
Dowagiac has been blessed with just three managers in a quarter century. Karl Tomion went to Midland after Dowagiac, but recently returned to his hometown, Port Huron. Dowagiac was his training ground. Tomion probably hit his stride after serving here. Jim Palenick was also capable, but his personal style didn't mesh as well with Dowagiac's elected officials as Tomion or Nelson. Palenick went to Bay City, then New Mexico.
Nelson came here in 1996 proven in 12 years experience in Ohio: Tipp City manager, 1992-96; Springdale assistant city manager, 1987-92; and West Carrollton assistant city manager, 1985-87.
As reported in October, during Lyons' nine-year tenure as Dowagiac's 47th mayor, the number of fulltime equivalent employees was pared from 88 to 66.
"We've decreased our employment by 25 percent and have maintained or increased the level of services," Lyons said.
In 2005 Dowagiac won recognition for intergovernmental cooperation for small cities from the 8,000-member International City Managers Association for such efforts as the District Library, a drug enforcement team shared with the Cass County Sheriff's Office and sewer and land transfer agreements.
"Ten years in this profession is not a bad run," Nelson acknowledged, but what a decade it's been for Dowagiac: a new City Hall, industrial park expansion, street reconstruction, the commercial center (AmeriHost Inn and Suites, Pamida, the Pokagon Street extension, Eagle's Wood, Eagle's Trace apartments, Forest Glen Assisted Living, fewer blighted properties and the medical arts facility across from the hospital – an asset the city will own when the bond's retired.
One of Nelson's chief legacies will be the improved city-schools relationship he and Larry Crandall achieved.
It produced the recycling of Lincoln School as a community center for Encore Dance, the Police Athletic League (PAL) and the Council on Aging. Had it happened sooner, when Dowagiac finally got a new middle school it might have been on an educational campus with Union High and Patrick Hamilton, with Inverness Castings Group relocated to the industrial park.
Another collaboration which comes to mind is the joint ownership agreement for a fiber optic network throughout the community – the WAN, or Wide Area Network. That project cost $307,578.23, with $169,168.03 charged to the city and $138,410.20 borne by the school district. It might have cost twice that had each tackled it separately.
Still to come, the housing development on the Central site, the Russom Field sports complex and a recreation authority.
Dowagiac took the first step in July toward long-term development of a comprehensive youth sports complex on Yaw Street in Silver Creek Township by applying for Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) trust fund assistance to purchase the baseball diamonds and eventually incorporate softball, soccer and Rocket football.
Nelson knows Dowagiac is a "good place," so he's confident a strong successor will be identified.
"I have such strong feelings about (Dowagiac) that it's important to me that they find a good manager. It's important to me that the community continue moving forward with good leadership."
As Nelson put it, "There's a really strong mayor and council, a strong staff and a strong community. That's a good combination."
We're glad the Nelsons will miss Dowagiac because Dowagiac will miss them and all they brought to their adopted hometown – personally as well as professionally.