by Dennis Dalman
Three weeks before his retirement date (April 4), Sartell Public Works Director John Kothenbeutel was presented with an honorific street sign stating “Beetle Boulevard” by members of the Sartell City Council.
There actually is a street sign indicating “Beetle Boulevard” in honor of Kothenbeutel near the Coborn’s Super Store in Sartell. Kothenbeutel (pronounced Cotton-beetle) is known by many by his nickname: “Beetle.”
At the March 11 council meeting, he received big bouquets of praise from council members who thanked him for teaching them so many things about the workings of the city, for getting seemingly insurmountable jobs done, for his knowledge and expertise and for being a good friend to so many city staff and residents.
Kothenbeutel served for 30 years with the city’s public-works department, first as a maintenance worker, then assistant director and since 2016 as director.
Mayor Ryan Fitzthum had this to say about Kothenbeutel:
“When we think of new roads, when we think of reconstruct, when we think of really anything in the city of how it works or why does it work or why is it done that way, everyone throughout the city has leaned on John and said, ‘hey, keep us guided and help us to pass forward.’”
The other council members agreed with the mayor and offered many additional comments of praise and thanks to Kothenbeutel and his long service to the city.
Lisa Vollbrecht was recently hired by the City of Sartell to become its new public-works director. She is a long-time Sartell resident who worked as assistant director for the St. Cloud Public Works Department since 2007.
John Kothenbeutel holds up the honorific street sign the Sartell City Council gave him as a retirement gift. From left to right are council members Tim Elness, Jill Smith, Mayor Ryan Fitzthum, Kothenbeutel, Alex Lewandowski and Jed Meyer.
