69传媒

His responses are edited for length.

What was your ambition at the beginning of your career? Did you start out wanting to be a city manager?

Oh no. I started out at K-State. Coming out of high school, I was the youngest in our family and grew up on a farm. I had two older brothers and a sister who was the oldest. I love the outdoors and hunting, fishing, all that. Canoeing, all that kind of stuff, hiking. And I was pretty dead set that I think I69传媒檓 going to go into forestry.

K-State had a pre-forestry program. And as much as my high school adviser tried to convince me otherwise, I said 69传媒淣o. If you put your mind to it, you can find a job.69传媒�

I went into the K-State pre-forestry program, which was designed to go to Missouri at Columbia on in-state tuition. So we had a reciprocal program where they sent forestry over there, and they sent architecture and landscape architecture here on in-state tuition. So I was lucky enough to get a summer job.

My adviser at K-State told me to apply someplace very unpopular with the Forest Service, or the BLM, or Park Service, whoever, right? Or someplace really big. So I researched stuff which I really didn69传媒檛 want to necessarily go to, mostly unpopular places are pretty blah. So I went big, and so I applied to the Bridger-Teton National Forest. And I got a call a couple months before summer. Work started, actually, about 3 months, and it was from the Big Piney Ranger District, which was a misnomer, but they offered me a range aide job for the summer, and based mainly based on my farm background. So that was OK.

So that summer, I spent most of my time fighting forest fires all over the West. It was really a dry year, but when I got to Big Piney, and I was getting closer and closer and closer, and I seen the mountains further away, I was going, 69传媒淲here are all the pine trees?69传媒� And so then they told me, well, 69传媒減iney69传媒� was an Indian word for land of many streams. So, all the streams came down and they all met, they69传媒檙e like, five forks that came together to form a big piney. So I said, 69传媒淲ell, that69传媒檚 really good advertising.69传媒�

I did every summer, except one I went back out, but the next year I got on the forestry crew and I had a squad boss who was also a seasonal, but he was hired to work through the fall. We went on this pack trip 69传媒� horse pack trip 69传媒� into the back country, and we were cutting poles for the sheep herders69传媒� tents, and he put an axe into his foot, and he wasn69传媒檛 going to be able to do all the field work necessary.

And they looked at me and they said, 69传媒淩on, you69传媒檙e the only one that69传媒檚 trained to do this work.69传媒� And would tell him he was like, a GS-5. He said, 69传媒淲e can69传媒檛 really elevate your pay, but we69传媒檒l do the best we can for you.69传媒� I was getting ready then to transfer to Missouri, and so I called my adviser at K-State and my new adviser at 69传媒, and I said, 69传媒淵ou know, this sounds like something I should do.69传媒� And they both said absolutely.

And then ultimately, I went to 69传媒 and got my undergraduate degree there. But while I was at K-State I took an urban forestry class from Dr. Griffinius, who was from California and was a big influence on me.

How did your career with the city government start?

I was working after graduation in the fall, trying to decide what to do next. At that time the professional registers were frozen because of the economy, so the feds weren69传媒檛 hiring any full-time people. So I was doing extended seasonal work. My brother (who was in 69传媒 and worked at K-State) sent me a picture out of The Mercury of a big aerial truck that had tipped over loading a big log off of a tree. And it was our forestry crew.

And he had writing on there, 69传媒淩on, 69传媒 needs you.69传媒�

I didn69传媒檛 think too much about it, but interestingly enough, a couple months later, he sent me a position announcement. And so I started looking at it. And it was more of an article about they formed the new parks and rec department, and it wasn69传媒檛 necessarily position announcement, but here were some positions they were expecting to fill based on this new department. And so I did an inquiry and talked to the new director.

I was in passing through town. I was out in Wyoming and my brother got married, so I came back for his wedding and interviewed with those folks and just said, 69传媒淗ey, are you willing to talk to me?69传媒� And they said, you know, 69传媒淵ou really ought to wait, because we69传媒檙e going to hire this new director of Parks and Recreation.69传媒� So I just kind of followed just through news sources about how they were progressing.

And then they had a job open for a city forester.

So anyway, I got that and started out in January of 1982 with the city as a parks and forestry supervisor. And then we had a lot of quick growth in that department, obviously a new department, a lot of new, new folks. And so I was in that position, I think, for about four or five years, became park resources superintendent, and then was assistant director of parks and rec for about five years.

And that69传媒檚 when I was really interested in maybe becoming a parks and rec director someday.

When did you begin working outside the parks department?

So I started working on my master69传媒檚 in public administration, and the city manager at the time was Mike Conduff, who had taken over from Don Harmon, who was the manager when they built the mall, which was a big focus when I first got here. And so I started working on my master69传媒檚, and Mike says, 69传媒淵ou know you can have my job after you get that MPA.69传媒� And I said, 69传媒淲ell, that69传媒檚 not the plan.69传媒�

A couple years later, he left, took a job down in Bryan, Texas. And then Jim Pearson, who was the assistant city manager, was promoted to manager. And I was, I think, the only one on staff that had an MPA. And he asked me to come over and be his assistant city manager, right? And said if I didn69传媒檛 like it, I could have my old job back. I said, 69传媒淲ell, that sounds like a pretty good deal.69传媒�

Fehr had held a number of leadership positions before.

I was in student council all four years and student body president my senior year. So I had that interest and even in college, I was in the Agriculture Student Council and was our Forestry Club president, both at K-State and at 69传媒. The politics of student government, anyway, kind of worked into that interest aspect of it.

So Jim was in that position for about two years, and then he was actually fired from his position. Which isn69传媒檛 unusual for managers, by the way, right?

He was a bilateral amputee and a Marine, former Marine, and a great guy. I learned a lot from him, but one of the things I69传媒檝e learned about this is relationships are important. Building relationships, especially with your five bosses, the elected officials (city commissioners), is pretty important, as well as others in the community.

That all happened from one governing body to the switchover of a new governing body, about 5 minutes before the new governing body was supposed to start meeting and take the oath of office. That69传媒檚 why they did all that.

So I kind of got sprung in that chair because I was the only one there. And actually, you know, Mr. Pearson had been working on trying to kind of negotiate a resignation with the Temporary Job Economic Development and convinced three of them to go that way.

And someone told me, 69传媒淩on, the commission69传媒檚 interested in hiring you as acting city manager, as long as you69传媒檙e not going to be a candidate.69传媒�

And I said, 69传媒渘o problem.69传媒� I said, 69传媒淚69传媒檝e only been in this position a couple of years, so I don69传媒檛 feel like I69传媒檓 ready, especially after what just happened.69传媒�

And I became assistant city manager in late 1992. Gary Greer was here for about five years, and he actually resigned and took a position with Steel and Pipe and has, since gotten back into city government, but that was unusual because, you know, usually in managers, you either leave and go to another city, or you get terminated. Or sometimes you retire, right?

So that was an opportunity. And after that I felt like I had a much better feel, and so I became a candidate, and they did name me interim since I was the assistant. So I felt like I had experience in the community and knew a lot of what was going on at the time. And so that was beneficial.

That was a time when Fort Riley was downsizing and moving the Big Red One to Germany. And so things were interesting to say the least.

The school district broke grounds on both middle schools and Bergman Elementary, and I got married (to his wife, Renee) in 1993, and we built a house in 1994 next to Bergman. I said, 69传媒淲ell, they69传媒檙e not going to close the newest school.69传媒� We got the Big Red One back, and we continued to grow. So that was in 69传媒�99. It was like July of 69传媒�99 when I took over as acting (manager).

If you69传媒檇 ask me when I started if I had aspirations to even be a city manager, you know, that I69传媒檇 spend my whole career in this town? Have kids in the same house, and all graduated from 69传媒 High? That69传媒檚 great, though. I would have never have predicted that. That69传媒檚 pretty cool, though.

What has kept you around?

We had great, I think, intergovernmental and community participation between the city, the chamber and the university. You know, going after NBAF (the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility) and that expanded to the state and federal level. And I just really felt like we were accomplishing something. And we69传媒檙e doing something you could have a lot of pride in. And obviously we69传媒檝e been surrounded by very talented staff at department heads, and who really do the bulk of the work to really get projects done and get grant money and stretch the local dollars.

It helps to live in a great place for recruitment. It does make a difference when trying to persuade people to come, for sure.

What strategies and attributes help a person maintain a job like this over the decades?

It69传媒檚 really establishing those relationships, and trying to stay positive regardless of the situation and focus on that, and treat people the way they69传媒檇 like to be treated.

To me, it wastes a lot of energy to get all worked up about stuff. So, try to find common ground with folks on various issues. And sometimes you can, and sometimes you agree to disagree and move on. You know, even with commissioners who may be in the minority, but it69传媒檚 important for you to hear where they69传媒檙e coming from and understand that, because the next issue it may be just the opposite.

So that69传媒檚 important. And I think the other aspect is, managers have got to be politically savvy without being directly involved in the actual politics of it.

And so, you know, in my opinion if the manager69传媒檚 doing a good job, they69传媒檙e not in the paper a lot, you know? They69传媒檙e in the background trying to get stuff done and just not bring a lot of attention to themselves. Right?

How have you dealt with controversy?

You know, I think the key there is, you know, if you make a mistake, you69传媒檝e just got to admit it. And sometimes, you know, from my perspective, it69传媒檚 important for me to do that with the commissioners. And, you know, it69传媒檚 even more important as we get into this era of social media and having to deal with instantaneous news, or somebody69传媒檚 version of news, which may not be the case, which may not be accurate.

So, that69传媒檚 where you see some of that in social media. So that69传媒檚 the challenge. And so, maintaining that communication with the commission and, and understanding, and again, you know, if there69传媒檚 controversy or something, just understanding your perspective of things. And I69传媒檝e always thought there69传媒檚 two sides to every story, and it69传媒檚 important for you to hear both.

What have been your biggest challenges and biggest triumphs?

So, challenges, you know, the flood of 69传媒�93 was huge. I mean, it69传媒檚 something that you can do emergency preparedness, just planning and do table top exercises. But until you actually experience it, it69传媒檚 a whole new thing.

You know, we almost had the same thing happen in 2019. And they promised me, you know, this is a once-in-a-career event, the 69传媒�93 flood.

In 1993, we didn69传媒檛 have topographical maps and models to help us. We have models now. We69传媒檝e built them.

And so our predictability and our ability to evacuate people or give people notice about, you know, what they should be doing is, is much easier than it was then. So I was glad that it didn69传媒檛 happen in 2019. We were a lot more prepared in 2019 than we had been before. And that69传媒檚 a situation where you69传媒檙e preparing for a catastrophe or potential catastrophe, and you69传媒檝e got some time, as opposed to the 6-inch rain that gives you a flash flood on Wildcat (Creek) and you don69传媒檛 have time to get people out of harm69传媒檚 way as quickly as you69传媒檇 like to and give people advance warning.

So stormwater management and some of those events and the couple of tornadoes during my career here, those are hardships for the community. But it also, I would say, brings out the best in a lot of people who provide a lot of help to folks and assistance to put their homes and their lives back together because it69传媒檚 a mess. And so that made me feel good about it, that I was doing something to help them.

Fehr discussed economic development initiatives, particularly the Downtown Redevelopment. He also mentioned working on various measures including the ball fields at Annenberg Park when he was working in parks and rec, separating the dog pound from Sunset Zoo so it could be accredited, upgrades to the City Park, CiCo Park and Northview pools.

There was money left over from that, that went to the Nature Exploration Center at the zoo and created that, and that also really help give them better opportunity. And so those are, those were some early initiatives that I think made a big difference and kind of set the framework that that sales tax then was subsequently renewed for the Eisenhower and Anthony rec centers.

Do you feel like there is any unfinished business? Projects you haven69传媒檛 gotten to?

You know, as I talk to others who have retired or try to make that decision about when69传媒檚 the best time, you know, the train69传媒檚 always moving, and sometimes that train is loaded down with a lot of projects, which is the case now. And we69传媒檙e kind of at the tail end of a lot of those, you know, the levee projects. It69传媒檒l probably be complete by summer.

We got the runway rebuilt (at 69传媒 Regional Airport), and still had the airline. That was one you sweat over, you know. Are they really going to come back? And then are all the people gonna come back? And, that worked out well.

We had the joint maintenance facility. We69传媒檝e got the North Campus Corridor. We69传媒檝e got Aggieville project. You know, some of those trains are, were starting to drop some boxcars off, right?

So it69传媒檚, I guess it69传媒檚 in theory, it should be speeding up, but it69传媒檚 supposed to having more boxcars that slow you down. But at some time you69传媒檝e just kind of got to pull the brake and say, 69传媒淲ell, that69传媒檚 it.69传媒�

So what are your plans for retirement?

You know, for me, I turned 65 in October. My wife69传媒檚 been retired for four years now. And the other big one for me was in 2010, I had prostate cancer, and it was an aggressive cancer. I ended up going down to MD Anderson (Cancer Center in Texas) and I did a three-month pre-surgery clinical trial there. It ended up being a godsend because I ended up being a top 5% performer in that clinical trial.

And so had the surgery, and that69传媒檚 all been successful. So I just do an annual PSA check. The last few years, the number didn69传媒檛 move very much, but this last time, it jumped from 0.3 to 0.6, which was doubling. And that69传媒檚 what you start to look for. So doc says, 69传媒淟et69传媒檚 measure it again in six months, instead of a year, and see what happens.69传媒� So in six months, in January of this year, it jumped from 0.6 to 1.2.

And so we talked about some options, usually radiation, something you do after surgery for prostate cancer. Lo and behold, the whole team that I had in 2010 is all still there. And I go, 69传媒淥K, that69传媒檚 a good thing,69传媒� you know.

The PET scan just showed that there were two small areas in the prostate bed that showed up, and so there was no spreading anywhere else in the body. And the key to cancer is early detection, and then earlier you can catch it, the more success that you69传媒檒l have in battling it. So we did six months of hormone treatment. And through about the first four for seven weeks, I did low-dose radiation treatment, and that gave me some time to think, and that all went really well.

But I turned 65 while I was down there. And I just said, 69传媒淵ou know, you just never know when stuff like this is going to happen.69传媒� And so I think it69传媒檚 a good time to get off the train and enjoy some senior years with the wife and family.

So, definitely, well, if you can, you should. And just part of it was, I have two older sons and my daughter69传媒檚 the youngest. And so she came home from Johnson 69传媒 Community College after she was a senior COVID girl, so frustrated with school, but she went to Johnson 69传媒 in pre-interior design.

And even her first year, a lot of her classes were remote. And she came home and said, 69传媒淒ad, I found a new school.69传媒� And it69传媒檚 an English-speaking school in Florence, Italy.

We took her over there in January. Originally, I was going to work till she graduated. But then she came home this summer for a couple weeks, and said, 69传媒淚69传媒檓 thinking about getting my master69传媒檚 while I69传媒檓 over there, too.69传媒� I said, 69传媒淲ell, I69传媒檓 not, I69传媒檓 not interested in working that long.69传媒�

And so that was really my motivation for it too, and I think it69传媒檚 a good time.

We69传媒檝e got great staff, great department heads, a lot of great community efforts going on.