Municipal Water Plant Superintendent Award | Bookkeeper of the Year | City Administrator of the Year | Manager of the Year | Conger Award | Municipal Wastewater Operator of the Year | Operator of the Year | City Clerk of the Year | Friend of Rural Water | Most Improved System | Silver Faucet Award

Cheri Peine of Oswego Named KRWA City Clerk of the Year

In keeping with the Association’s award criteria of sustaining the community, Peine has achieved this goal many times over. Her involvement in the day to day operations of a city of over 2,000 people, currently without a city manager, is at a level that any city manager would aspire to.

Peine is the “go to” person in Oswego, attending all City Council, Planning Commission, Airport Board, Housing Committee, Public Building Commission, Economic Development Committee, Tourism Committee and Strategic Planning Committee meetings for the city. She has also been a driving force on the Oswego Chamber of Commerce Board for many years. Peine has served on the League of Kansas Municipalities Board and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Oswego Parks & Community Foundation, Midwest Assistance Program (MAP) and City Clerk’s and Municipal Finance Officers Association of Kansas, as treasurer. There is seldom a passing week that she doesn’t have several evening or out of town meetings to attend.

Cheri Peine is a 31-year employee of the city with 22 years in the position of city clerk. She is a Certified Municipal Clerk and has just entered the second level of the Master Municipal Clerk Academy. Besides continually working to get grants and other funding for the city she is currently working on a Comprehensive Community Development Block Grant involving pool improvement, condemnations, new ball fields, new underground electricity for the city park, a new community center as well as grants for a water plant and distribution project, airport master plan and housing.

“I love the diversity involved in my work, and I really enjoy going to work every day. I have an outstanding staff and the city employees are great to work with. Our Governing Body is progressive and supportive of our efforts. It’s exciting to see so many great things happening in our community, and the people in Oswego are some of the best you’ll ever find. I feel very blessed,” Peine said.

Peine supervises four employees in the city office. She said with the many projects going on, the fourth person hired this past February couldn’t have happened at a better time. Cheri also attends regular training through the City Clerk and Municipal Finance Officers Association, the League of Kansas Municipalities and the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.

Cheri and her husband Dean live in Oswego where they raised their children - her daughter and son, Misti & Marc Blair and his four sons Heath, Brett, Matt and Jarred. They spent many years attending various sport events and being involved in numerous school activities. They are now enjoying their five grandchildren. With their oldest grandchild almost seven they are starting the sports circuit all over again.