City Clerk

Freeman Journal; Iowa, Northern (LA, KY); Hybrid; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Freeman Journal in Callender, IA seeks a City Clerk to manage all facets of the clerk’s office. The role includes supervising staff, handling correspondence, posting notices, maintaining records, and supporting Mayor and City Council with meetings.

Responsibilities cover customer service, website updates, social media, payroll, accounting, and administration of ordinances and resolutions. Strong organizational and communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Operate all facets of the city clerk's office and supervise staff.
• Coordinate communications with Mayor, Council, and city departments.
• Proficient in office software, records management, and social media as needed.

Responsibilities

• Determine priority of tasks under Mayor and City Council direction.
• Oversee general housekeeping tasks for the clerk's office.
• Back up front desk duties, mail, and customer inquiries.
• Manage website content, notices, and social media as required.
• Prepare meeting packets, post notices, and record meeting minutes.
• Handle payroll, accounting, and vendor payments.
• Maintain official records and assist with ordinances and resolutions.

Job description

HELP WANTED

CALLENDER, IA

CITY CLERK

JOB FUNCTIONS: Responsible to operate all facets of the city clerk's office and also to supervise the other city clerk's office employees as they perform these tasks

JOB RESPONSIBLITIES

The incumbent in this position has the responsibility for determining priority of all tasks listed subject to the direction of the Mayor and City Council.

General Housekeeping

• 1. Open and close the office
• 2. Arm, disarm, and monitor the security system
• 3. Place garbage and recycling out for collection
• 4. Shovel snow and place salt down as needed
• 5. Direct the janitorial staff as needed
• 6. Contact other city staff or contractors when repairs are needed on the building and its systems
• 7. Distribute keys as needed, complete key check-out sheet, and keep supply of keys secure
• 8. Receive notifications from security system for all city facilities
• 9. Make recommendations about the security system

Customer Service

• 1. Backup to initial answering of the telephone
• 2. Take telephones calls, respond to messages, or forward messages to the appropriate person
• 3. Back up to collect and open mail and route mail to the appropriate person and respond to mail if needed
• 4. Wait on customers, provide information, receive information, and receive payments
• 5. Respond to customers' email inquiries or route them to the appropriate person
• 6. Place posts on social media and respond to posts on social media, answering questions and providing accurate information
• 7. Sign for packages and route them to the appropriate person
• 8. Enforce the City's Social Media Policy

Communication

• 1. Keep Mayor and Council informed of current issues
• 2. Communicate information to staff as well as boards, commissions, and committees
• 3. Perform research for staff, management, and customers
• 4. Send out correspondence and supervise other mailings as needed
• 5. Send and receive faxes
• 6. Manage email system and respond or forward when needed
• 7. Backup to report street light issues to utility companies
• 8. Receive formal complaints then forward to the appropriate person
• 9. Design and update website
• 10. Proof read and edit documents as needed
• 11. Back-up to process emergency notifications
• 12. Compose letters and reports
• 13. Develop and assist to maintain a City social media presence - post on Facebook, Twitter, and/or City's website.
• 14. Post messages to the electronic sign at city hall
• 15. Develop and assist to maintain Nixle for mass notifications
• 16. Work with city engineer, city attorney, financial advisor, bonding attorney, and city auditor - this may include doing research, writing documents, and forwarding information
• 17. See that someone reviews the reports from security company and inform staff or management about issues as needed

Monthly FACTS

• 1. Receive and request articles and ads
• 2. Write the newsletter
• 3. Place the newsletter on the City's website
• 4. Assist with the printing and processing of the newsletter
• 5. Distribute information about the newsletter's processes
• 6. Back-up to mail and distribute newsletter

Meetings

• 1. Prepare meeting packets for City Council and other meetings as may be required - this includes scheduling some meetings, compiling the agenda with input, converting all documents to electronic format, placing the packet on the web for access, and notifying the City Council, Mayor, board members, and staff that the packet is ready for viewing on iCompass
• 2. See that public notices are posted or published as required - examples are: agendas, public hearing notices, ordinances, and others as needed
• 3. Attend City Council meetings and other meetings as may be required
• 4. Record, type, publish, and distribute minutes of meetings
• 5. Process paperwork after the meeting - ordinances, resolutions, pay apps, public notices, etc..
• 6. Backup to set up and tear down the room
• 7. Mark recommendations about equipment or software needed in the meeting room

Documentation

• 1. Maintain official records of the City- examples are: minute books, resolution book, ordinance book, personnel files, zoning map, general community maps, software programs, electronic files, and others
• 2. Write resolutions and ordinances as needed
• 3. See that new ordinances are sent in for codification - distribute updates to Code books, place new code on the City's website
• 4. Manage paper files - this involves scanning for electronic retention, filing information correctly, weeding out unneeded information, and selecting information to be archived
• 5. Manage electronic files - this involves determining file structure and procedures to print or scan documents into the computer system as electronic files, contacting software providers for programs and updates as needed, making needed adjustments to the computer hardware to allow capture, use of, and back-up of electronic files, implement new process to streamline the workflow, and determine new areas to use electronic files to reduce use of paper, and more
• 6. Supervise the processing of vehicle titles and registrations
• 7. Review contracts and leases - schedule renewal process to ensure continued service contact vendors and bonding attorney as needed
• 8. Draft various forms as needed - these may be paper or electronic, if electronic, see what business processes may be written to handle of this form more efficient
• 9. Look for grant opportunities, fill out and send grant forms
• 10. Record official documents at the County Recorder's office or instruct the attorney's office to do so
• 11. Administer the property and liability insurance policies and renewals at the direction of the City Council
• 12. Administer health insurance and other employee insurance policies, forms, and reporting
• 13. Sign official documents
• 14. Supervise the development and implementation of a database for issues. - input issues into the database and retrieve information as needed

Employment/Payroll

• 1. Record time accurately on own time card
• 2. Verify time sheet information, calculate distributions of time, and record time sheet information on spreadsheets
• 3. Generate and distribute pay checks and direct deposit notices
• 4. Process employment forms for new and terminated employees
• 5. Process COBRA forms and notifications
• 6. Draft payroll resolution when needed
• 7. Track leave time available and used on a spreadsheet to balance with the payroll system
• 8. Process all required reporting. This includes: weekly, monthly, and annual tax payments to US Treasury; monthly reporting for IPERS; quarterly reporting and payment for state withholding; quarterly 941 report; quarterly state unemployment reporting; and annual reporting of W-2s along with the annual publication of total gross wages
• 9. Process payments to vendors for employee benefit programs - this includes: health insurance, other insurance benefits, IPERS, AFLAC, Colonial Life, and HSA contributions
• 10. Recommend updates for the employee manual, prepare resolution for council adoption, supervise the distribution of updated information
• 11. Update job descriptions, prepare resolution for council adoption, supervise the distribution of updated information
• 12. Keep employee files up-to-date and confidential as needed
• 13. Process required DATA notifications, forms, and reports
• 14. Supervise reporting to the CDL Clearing House

Accounting

• 1. Administer the utility billing system.
  • * Back-up for:
    • * Waiting on customers, opening envelopes from mail and drop box,
    • * Making the deposits, balancing the total with the bill stubs
    • * Checking for online payments
    • * Posting payments, issuing receipts
    • * Collecting water deposit fees and forms
    • * Reconciling customer deposits and customer information
    • * Processing new accounts
    • * Initiating the monthly and as needed meter readings
    • * Revising documents used with utility system
    • * Submit information to the Income Off-set Program
    • * Generate the bills, process penalties, process delinquent notices, generate reports, scan or print all documents related to the utility billing system into Laserfiche
    • * Process quarterly sales tax and monthly WET reporting and payments
    • * Balance payments entered to bank statement deposits
    • * Recommend action regarding delinquent accounts
    • * Process needed liens for uncollected amounts due
    • * Process write-offs for uncollectable amounts due
    • * Present information and recommendation to the City Council concerning utility rates, deposit requirements, delinquent processes, revenues, and expenses.
    • * Ensure code enforcement for utility matters.
• 2. All other payments.
  • * Back-up for: waiting on customers, opening envelopes from the mail, making up deposit slips, issuing receipts, notifying the appropriate department, taking the deposit to the bank, entering information on appropriate spreadsheets, and scanning or printing documents into Laserfiche.
  • * Enter all non-receipt management transactions received into the general ledger.
  • * Balance payments entered to the bank statement deposits.
• 3. Back-up to send out account receivable invoices.
• 4. Track CD maturity dates, call for interest rate quotes, and change CDs as required.
• 5. Send tax exempt certificates to vendors.
• 6. Backup to file for the annual fuel tax refund.
• 7. Perform the monthly bank reconciliation. This is for all bank accounts and the general ledger and bank reconciliation entries.
• 8. Accounts payable.
  • * Back-up to scan or print invoices into Laserfiche
  • * Review the monthly claims list for City Council approval and newspaper publication.
  • * Pay various bills online and enter into the accounting system Issue checks after City Council approval, some can be issued before the meeting and then placed on the claims report for approval
  • * Prepare resolutions for pay requests
  • * Update vendor information
  • * Request and process W-9 forms and do maintenance on invoices if needed
  • * Issue annual 1099s
  • * Provide Purchase Order Forms and inform staff about process
  • * Update Purchasing Policy as needed.
• 9. Prepare and file the financial reports. This includes monthly reports for city council and departments, the Annual Budget, budget amendments, the Annual Financial Report, the Street Finance Report, the Debt Obligation Report, , the Annual TIF Report, and Annual TIF Certification.
• 10. Perform activities associated with the issuance and retirement of bonds - recommend financial planning, provide information concerning TIF areas, maintain a register of all bonds and notes outstanding, record all payments or principal and interest and maintain debt service schedules, work with financial advisor and the bonding attorney
• 11. Assist auditors in preparation of full annual and worker's compensation audits
• 12. Authorize employees to use city charge cards or charge accounts at various vendors
• 13. Sign checks.
• 14. Other Duties:
  • 1. Order or purchase city supplies as needed
  • 2. Register staff for training and travel as needed
  • 3. See that cash handling procedures are followed and secure
  • 4. Be available for contact for emergency situations by residents and staff
  • 5. Operate all office equipment: phone, copier, printer, fax, computers, and more. Some of the software used: Word, Excel, Publisher, Power Point, Outlook, Windows, Internet Explorer, Quick Books, Summit, Laserfiche, and iCompass. See that the computer information is backed up and secure
  • 6. See that computer information is backed up and secure
  • 7. Contact IT or equipment contractor to fix problems
  • 8. Assist other staff members with oper ating office equipment
  • 9. Recommend office equipment and software updates or changes

EOE

415 Thomas St.

Callender, IA 50523