DeKalb City Manager Jim Connors may have had his office cleaned out by Monday, but the opinions he formed in his six years as city manager linger.

Although Connors said he will miss the people he worked with, this past year has been a disappointment to him – professionally and personally.

“I am concerned about the future integrity of the council/manager form of government in DeKalb,” Connors said.

He said the city council needed to concentrate more on the issues citizens are concerned about.

“We get sidetracked on special-interest issues,” he said, citing the the liquor license and bar hour issue as an example.

Connors also said the city should look into building a new police facility to fit the growing department and community. The current building opened in 1967.

“It’s the same for the [public works],” he said. “Since 1990, our street miles, or lane miles, have increased 40 percent.”

With that comes 40 percent more streets to be plowed when it snows and 40 percent more surface area to be cleaned. Yet the number of personnel working for the department remains the same or fewer, Connors said.

“Even with the growth, [citizens] expect the same kind of service,” he said.

Connors also said he hopes the city and NIU have better communication between them, especially when it concerns campus expansion.

“NIU is within the city,” Connors said. “It has the spill-over effect.”

One thing he will miss about his job is the people that he worked with. He interacted mostly with the heads of each department.

“The current heads were appointed by myself,” Connors said.

Those department heads will answer to a new city manager once the position is filled – most likely by Mark Biernacki. Biernacki received initial approval in a divided vote at Monday night’s city council meeting.

Connors said he still plans on sticking around DeKalb and being involved in local government – this time as a private citizen.

“When I decided to retire about four or five months ago, I got contacted for jobs outside of the area,” Connors said. “But DeKalb is my home.”

During his last days on the job, Connors said, he prepared Monday’s city council agenda, passed out ongoing projects and tied up loose ends.

In his retirement, he plans to visit with family. He also will continue to participate in the Kishwaukee Kiwanis and be the adviser for NIU’s Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.