Mayor Ronald Frederick recently announced City Administrator Andrew Takata will retire in January. Mr. Takata will remain in his current position until a replacement is found, but his last physical day will be February 9, 2024.
In a letter to the Mayor, Takata wrote, “Serving the community is a worthwhile endeavor, and as stressful as it can be, the fulfillment you receive is indescribable. My fondest memories will be the staff I worked with and the difference they made in the lives of our residents and the Councilmembers and Mayors who serve as representatives of the community with minimal rewards for the criticism they receive. I have many great memories of community members who wanted to help in any way. Having had a great career, I look forward to my next adventure, retirement.”
Mr. Takata’s experience in municipal government spans more than 43 years, with over 27 years as a City Manager. In addition to his current position with the City of DuPont, he has served as City Manager for the Cities of Atascadero, Newcastle, Yucca Valley, Banning, and was the Chief of Staff District 2 Supervisor for the County of San Bernardino. He served as an Interim City Manager for the cities of Twentynine Palms and Calexico.
Some of the accomplishments of Mr. Takata during his five years with the city are the construction of the new Public Works Facility, rehabilitation of the Water Towers, the widening of the DuPont/Steilacoom Road, road overlays on Center, and a Granulated Activated Carbon Water Filtration System (commonly referred to as PFAS). During his tenure, the city received $13,465,670.29 in grant monies. (State Grants, US Department of Transportation Road Grants, Federal CARES Act Grant, Federal Coronavirus Relief Fund Grant (ARPA), State: Granulated Activated Carbon Grant (PFAS)).
Also, during his tenure, DuPont became the first city in Pierce County to have body cameras for police, security cameras were installed in all city parks and buildings, DuPont held its first Farmers Market, and new playground facilities were installed in the summer of 2023.
Under his leadership, the city navigated the ups and downs of the COVID pandemic, retaining all the staff and continuing the regular operations of the city. He worked towards creating a virtual City Hall and allowing residents more ways to access information and business through the Internet.
“City Administrator Takata will be greatly missed in the City of DuPont as he departs on his next life adventure. He brought a wealth of experience to the city over the past five years, which was instrumental in creating a wonderful work environment for city staff and elected officials. His competency was unsurpassed in solving issues that arise in city government, and we will miss his good humor and warm smile,” said Mayor Frederick.
The City of DuPont has hired SGR Consulting Services to assist in recruiting a new City Administrator.
