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Janesville city manager Steve Sheiffer at his retirement party at the Rotary Gardens on September 5.
Janesville city manager Steve Sheiffer at his retirement party at the Rotary Gardens on September 5.
JANESVILLE — A cross section of Janesville notables turned out to wish Janesville City Manager Steve Sheiffer fond farewell on Friday.
Business people, school board members, former and current city council members, county government officials, county board members and city staffers filled Rotary Botanical Gardens Parker Visitors Center for the public open house.
While people chatted, a power point presentation ran continuously, silently showcasing Sheiffer’s accomplishments over the years. Another large poster board featured photos of Sheiffer off the job—running in a race, posing with friends or standing with family members at special events.
Friday was Sheiffer’s last day as city manager, although he may act as a consultant at times through the end of the year if called on by the council. It is a post he has held for more than 21 years.
At his last city council meeting Sheiffer said he was most proud of the “no smoking” ordinance, and the results of the 2004 referendum in which voters by a large margin maintained Janesville’s council/ manager form of government.
Jackie Wood remembers when he came to the city in the mid 1980s.
“We had just established the Courthouse Hill historic district and we had raised money for a commemorative marker in the park,” Wood said. “I called him up and invited him to the ceremony, and being Steve he said, ‘no, the council represents the city, and they’re really the ones (who) should be there.’”
But she encouraged him to come, and he did—both to the commemorative ceremony and to the party that followed the event.
Most people had a difficult time pinpointing Sheiffer’s biggest accomplishment.
Christine Rebout, executive director of the Janesville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said his consistency and commitment made all the difference.
“He really thought long term,” Rebout said. “He was willing to do the hard thing; to make the hard decisions.”
Wood also had trouble picking Sheiffer’s biggest accomplishment.
“Oh, there was the things he did for downtown; he was involved with Rotary Gardens—this land used to be city land, ” Wood said. “He’s also hired very, very good staff.”