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A Note of Gratitude After 20 Years in Manchester

To my friends and neighbors in Manchester,

It’s hard to believe that twenty years have passed since I first started as your City Manager. As I prepare to move on to my next chapter, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on everything we’ve been through together. I want to send out a huge, heartfelt thank you to the residents of Manchester, the City Councils, and our Mayors for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this community’s story.

The Memories That Stick With Me When I look back, it’s not just the big projects that come to mind, but the way this town handles a challenge. I’ll never forget the summer of 2010. That summer we went from seeing record flooding to hosting 10,000 RAGBRAI riders just 7 days later. That’s Manchester in a nutshell—we don’t just "get through" tough times; we show up, we clean up, and we welcome people with a smile.

Our Changing Landscape I am so proud of how our town has grown. From the evolution of our industrial park and downtown to the new residential neighborhoods, Manchester is thriving. We’ve worked together on street projects, water and sewer system upgrades, and new places to play like the dog park, the skate park, the whitewater park, and the pickleball courts.

However, the transformation of our riverfront is truly the "crown jewel." Thanks to the incredible volunteers with Manchester Good to Great, we stopped looking at the river as a liability and started seeing it as our greatest gift. Watching the whitewater park come to life and seeing people enjoy our downtown again has been one of the greatest joys of my career.

The Heartbeat of the City I want to take a moment to brag about the people who actually help this town run. I have been so lucky to lead a team that functions like a family. Whether it’s our Public Works and Parks crews out in every kind of weather to keep our streets clear and our parks beautiful, our Police and Fire departments keeping us safe, or our Library and Office staff providing essential services with a smile—they are all the backbone of this community. Every single one of them shows up with a common goal: to take care of Manchester. I truly couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work alongside; they are the ones who turn our city’s vision into a reality every day.

Final Thoughts Twenty years is a long time, but it feels like it went by in a blink. Thank you for trusting me to help lead this city for a little while. I’m walking away with a heart full of memories and a deep pride in what we’ve accomplished together. I can’t wait to see Manchester keep going from "Good to Great."

It’s been an honor.

With gratitude,

Timothy J. Vick

Garbage & Recycling

SET OUT TIME: 6:00 A.M.

PICKUP: Trash is picked up weekly on your scheduled day. Recycling is picked up every other week on your scheduled day. Keep a 4-foot clearance around the can to allow the robotic arm to work properly. Avoid setting can by mailboxes, other cans, shrubs, fences, or other obstructions. 

Place can so handles are toward the house and lid with arrow pointing toward the street.

For specific questions regarding your recycling or garbage pickup, please contact:

Phone: 866-525-4506

Website: https://kluesnersanitation.com/manchester-trash-pickup-and-recycling/

(Visit the website above for calendars and more information)

Additional Information

• Holidays: Services will only be affected if the holiday lands on your collection day. Collection will be the day after the holiday. Holidays include New Years Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
• Extra Garbage/Large Items: Call Kluesner Sanitation to arrange for the pickup and payment of extra garbage, large items, construction debris, electronics, etc.
• Hazardous Waste & Metals: Please contact the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency at 563.557.8220.
• Maintenance/Repair of Trash/Recycling Can: Trash & Recycling cans are owned by Kluesner Sanitation and are assigned to your address. Contact Kluesner Sanitation for any concerns regarding your trash or recycling container.
• Start & Stop Service: All residents living within the city limits, with an active water account, are billed for garbage and recycling pickup. Service begins when a water account is activated. Service stops when an account is deactivated.
• Missed Collections: Garbage and recycling must be placed at the curb no later than 7:00 a.m. on the designated pickup day. The hauler will not return to pick up late set-outs.

Garbage or Recycling?

GLASS is considered garbage.

TEXTILES

• Recycle: NONE. Clean, gently used clothing may be donated to a local organization or charity
• Garbage: all soiled, torn, unusable clothing, shoes or bedding, stuffed animals, pillows, leather, nylon

BATTERIES

• Recycle: NONE. mercury, silver or lithium batteries, nickel-cadmium and lead-acid batteries are considered hazardous waste and are only accepted at the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA)
• Garbage: alkaline, non-rechargeable batteries

The City of Manchester, Iowa (5,065) seeks a dynamic and
progressive, collaborative leader who is a great listener and
who has outstanding communication, financial
management, and economic development capabilities for
its next City Manager.

To read the profile in detail, please click the link below: 

Manchester City Manager

The Manchester City Council meeting on Monday night included

a warm farewell and the official swearing-in of elected leaders for the upcoming term. 

Mayor Behnken presented outgoing City Councilperson Linda Schmitt with a Certificate of Appreciation, acknowledging her dedicated service as Councilperson At-Large. 

The ceremony marked the beginning of new terms for three officials:

• City Clerk Erin Learn administered the Oath of Office to Mayor Connie Behnken for her new term, which runs from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2029.
• Mayor Behnken then swore in City Councilperson Mary Ann Poynor, who will continue to represent Ward 1 for a term running through December 31, 2029.
• Finally, Mayor Behnken swore in City Councilperson Diane Hammell, who will serve the City as a Councilperson At-Large.

The regular meetings of the Manchester City Council are scheduled for the second & fourth Mondays of the month at 5:00pm.
Meetings are held at Council Chambers, 204 East Main Street.

The City of Manchester is leveraging the power of Internet to radically improve the governance process while saving time, taxpayer dollars and the environment. The eGovernance initiative replaced the old and costly method of compiling, printing, binding and distributing paper agenda packets by hand. The remarkably powerful, easy-to-use solution enables the City to maximize the effectiveness of their Council meetings with increased transparency, providing a basis for better and more open communication with the public, while dramatically increasing productivity and saving thousands of dollars annually.

The paperless meeting solution, called CivicPlus, is a 100% Web-based service. By making meeting agendas and supporting documents available on the internet, the City of Manchester will be able distribute documents associated with City Council meetings more quickly and efficiently, at a dramatically reduced cost to the City.

Electronic distribution not only saves time and resources, it will also provide unprecedented public access via the City's website to agenda items and other council-related information. This process allows interested parties to review information prior to council meetings. All documents associated with the meeting are automatically archived and can be accessed by meeting date or by using the system's comprehensive search feature.

The new features can be accessed via the City's website by clicking on CivicPlus. For questions regarding the new initiatives, please contact the City Office at 563.927.3636.