'It's just time'

From carbon paper to computers, Barb Fletcher has seen many changes during her 40-year career as Royal's city clerk. Now she is ready to focus on other things in her life, so she is retiring on July 31.

"It's just time," Fletcher acknowledged.

Her husband, Randy, retired a few years ago, so both can devote more time to family, which includes three children and four grandchildren.

"My husband and I do a lot with our grandchildren," she said. "Our family is all around here so I feel I can keep busy that way."

Although she was city clerk most of her career, Fletcher had previous work experiences. After a year of college she was a telephone operator with Northwestern Bell in Spencer. After that she worked at Eaton Corporation and had other jobs. She was secretary-treasurer of Bethlehem Lutheran Church when she became city clerk in July of 1984.

"It seems like I've done this forever," she said. "I've never been full-time; I never had a 40-hour week here."

She recalled that the clerk's office and library were in a small building on 4th Avenue prior to construction of the community building in 1987.

Office location isn't the only thing that has changed over the past 40 years.

"There is more to do than when I first started. Then I took minutes and sent out water bills," she recalled.

Office procedures have changed tremendously. At the beginning she wrote bills and sent the carbon copies. Means of communication have also changed with the times.

"There was no computer when I started. That's the huge thing," she said. "You communicated by phone and in person. I email and text now."

The financial aspects of the position were "a good fit" for Fletcher, but those have also undergone changes.

"The annual reports and budget were all done by hand and mailed to the state," she said.

A more-recent change was when the city turned over operation of the water utility to Iowa Lakes Regional Water. The switchover in 2023 has meant the city no longer bills residents for water, sewer and garbage collection. It also means Fletcher doesn't see as many residents coming into the office anymore.

"I had so many people come in to pay their bills. I miss that aspect of it. We don't have near as much traffic in here now," she noted.

Fletcher also doesn't see as many salespeople from companies that provide services and supplies to municipalities.

"I really like the different people I get to meet. People would come in to talk about their services. Now you generally get an email," she said.

She also recalled the many elected officials with whom she has worked over the years. Dick Garms was mayor when Fletcher became city clerk, and Denny Galloway served several terms. More-recent mayors included Pam Virelli, Fluff Ihry and Josh Toft.

"I've worked with a lot of council members and mayors over the years. There were seven mayors in 40 years," she noted.

Fletcher has tried to serve the residents of Royal as well as possible.

"I have always tried to make sure I was being economical with the taxpayers' money, and I tried to be accommodating to people who had questions," she said.

Although she will no longer be city clerk after July 31, Fletcher will still have contact with the public. She will continue working part-time in the library, which she started doing in 1995. Her duties include ordering books and filling out reports.

A come-and-go open house honoring Barb Fletcher on her 40 years as city clerk will be held Wednesday, July 31, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Royal Community Building.