Former Mayor becomes new City Public Works Director

CRESCO - Dave Brenno has officially stepped down as Mayor of Cresco, and instead has taken on the role of City Public Works Director. 

Brenno was the Mayor of Ridgeway for 20 years previously. There, he was able to obtain a grant, which aided in building the community center and bike trails. He also added a full-time maintenance staff member, which had previously not been done. His time as Mayor for Ridgeway was a “great experience” and really “hands on”. He served for over 20 years as their Mayor. Being a part of the town and helping the people was his favorite part of the job.

Dave moved to Cresco in 2013. He eventually joined the city council in 2016, and later held the title of mayor in 2022. 

Completed projects around the town have strengthened his resume during his time as Mayor. For example, sand-blasting the water tower, removing all the lead paint on the tower, and paying for the removal of said paint. As well as the rebuilding of sidewalks,  walkways, and the new waste water system for 7th street. These were all within the last year or so. With strict budgeting and balancing from the City Clerk, Cresco was able to make a lot happen in that short amount of time and give the city vast improvements. 

The switch from Mayor to Public Works Director was not an easy decision to make. Seeing the role stand open for several months, Dave went back and forth on it. On one hand, it may help him develop his career by specializing in a certain department, but on the other hand, he had so much experience being mayor and was just re-elected. Eventually, it came down to the simple fact that maybe it was just time for something a little different. After decades of being a successful leader and years of serving the town of Cresco, Dave decided to selflessly step down and move over to become the Public Works Director. 

Brenno describes feeling “prepared” and spoke a lot about how thankful he is, as the employees he oversees are very skilled and have a lot of experience. He will still be attending city council meetings and plans to receive the certifications that are usually required of his team due to the line of work that they do. He describes the need to be involved and understand their work so that he can be an effective leader. Personal goals have been set, which include learning more about water, waste water, and the department as a whole. 

Future projects for the town may include the replacement of aging equipment for the waste water system. This project has the potential to cost several million dollars, however, the city is looking to the state of Iowa for a grant.  The funding will also come from the regular payments made by the citizens from their water and sewer bill.