Dale McDowell, the Seaside public works director, announced on Nov. 14 that he plans to retire as of Jan. 31.

The Seaside Public Works Department employs 20 people and two to three additional employees during the summer. The director oversees wastewater treatment, water treatment, street and public facility maintenance and other city tasks.

McDowell joined Howard E. Johnson & Sons/Larson Construction in the 1990s as an estimator and project manager for WorldMark Seaside.

He and his wife, Sherrill McDowell, built their home in 1998 and moved to Seaside full time in 2001. Sherrill McDowell is an elementary school counselor at Pacific Ridge Elementary School. Dale McDowell was named public works director in 2015.

Along with his role as the public works director, Dale McDowell serves as Seaside Municipal airport manager. He is staff liaison to the airport advisory committee, transportation advisory committee, parks advisory committee and the city tree board. He served as a member of the 2021-22 Homelessness Think Tank Seaside, which addresses issues that arise from homelessness.

Dale McDowell said he is working with city staff on work they’d like to see finished before his departure. He will work with Jon Rahl, the assistant city manager, on succession planning and employment advertising. “I’d be glad to help with whatever they need.”

Mayor Jay Barber thanked Dale McDowell for his work with the city. “I think all of us on the council want to say, ‘We dreaded this day to come,’” Barber said. “But you deserve a good retirement. We’re going to miss you.”