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Hass reflects on 35 years working for city of Manawa

When Cheryl Hass applied to a newspaper ad for the deputy clerk position in Manawa 35 years ago, she had no idea she would still be working for the city.

She was hired as deputy clerk 35 years ago, a position that she described as an assistant to the City Clerk.

“I did a lot of typing,” Hass said. “I did go to the council meetings so I could learn about those things.”

Hass admits that eventually becoming the city clerk was not an ambition of hers. In fact, she quit the deputy clerk job in 1979 after her first son was born.

“I didn’t get sick leave or anything back then,” Hass said.

She said after three or four months, the city asked her to come back to her old job, which she did. During her time as deputy clerk, Hass worked for a few different city clerks. After each of the first couple left, Hass said she was asked if she wanted the city clerk job.

“I wasn’t prepared or ready yet,” Hass said. “I was so new to it yet. It was a lot to take in.”

That changed in 1995, when the city clerk at that time retired. Hass said she was ready at that time and she was appointed city clerk.

As city clerk/treasurer, Hass said a few of her job duties include writing the minutes for the city council meetings, making sure the water bills go out on time, working with the summer rec program in the summer and dealing with the public on a daily basis. She is also in charge of the elections.

“I think the elections are probably the hardest,” Hass said. “There are so many changes in the election laws.”

During her 35 years of working for the city of Manawa, Hass said technology has had a huge impact on her job.

“When I first started, everything was done by paper. We didn’t even have a copy machine,” Hass said. “I did the water bills by hand. It used to take me a week. Now I can get them done in a day.”

Without hesitating Hass said her favorite part of the city clerk job is the people she has met.

“Being personal with people and realizing if they are upset about something you can’t just scream back at them. It’s not personal,” Hass said. “When I first started I would get so mad at everybody because they were mean to me. It doesn’t bother me anymore.”

Hass said she still enjoys her job, but knows that it probably won’t be long before she retires.

“My husband is retiring this year. When he goes on Medicare, I’m hoping to quit at around that time,” Hass said. “We want to do things. I want to travel. We have two grandkids and we want to do a lot of things with them.”

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