Charles City City Council Meets in City Hall for First Time Since January 2025

Wednesday (08.26) night, for the first time in some 19 months, the Charles City City Council gathered for meetings in the council chambers of City Hall.

The last Council meeting in that facility was in January 2025, before work began on a $5 million renovation and remodel of City Hall and the police station. City Hall reopened for City business August 20th.. 

The Council first met in a special session in City Hall Wednesday night, with Mayor Dean Andrews opening  the proceedings.

When City Hall shut down for the remodel, two of the current City Council members were not in office. It was in August 2025 when Krista Noah was appointed to the Council to replace former Councilman Keith Starr, who resigned. Noah then won election to a full term last November.

Jeff Otto also was not a Councilman when the City Hall transformation began and was elected to his first term last November, taking over a seat previously held by DeLaine Freeseman, who retired after some 20 years on the Council.

Also attending their first Council meetings in the remodeled Council chambers Wednesday night were City Clerk Brittney Lentz and City Administrator Tyler Trout. Lentz succeeded Trudy O’Donnell, who retired in April 2025 after 18 years on the City Staff.  Trout joined the staff last December, taking over for former City Administrator Steve Diers, who left in June 2025 to take the same post for the City of Clear Lake.