Conversations With Clerks: Angela V. McCormick

The Municipal Clerk truly is a community’s jack-of-all-trades, often overseeing multiple departments and performing numerous tasks daily to keep local governments and public services running smoothly and efficiently. Conversations With Clerks is a continuing DeCoder series in which we talk with Municipal Clerks from across the country to learn more about their unique experiences and what it takes to be effective and successful in their roles. This issue’s featured profile: Angela V. McCormick, City Administrator, City Clerk and Planner, Crystal Lake Park, MO.

Can you tell us a little bit about Crystal Lake Park?

Crystal Lake Park is a small city about 20 minutes west of St. Louis, Missouri. Back in the 1920s – in its heyday—it was quite the area for entertainment and as a vacation resort. The Crystal Lake Country Club golf course provided a resort-type atmosphere from 1929-1979. In 1938, it was incorporated into a village and then in 1957 it became a City of the Fourth-Class, recognized by the State of Missouri.

What are some unique things about the City?

Crystal Lake Park is a 100% tight-knit residential community. Today, the golf course is gone, and what remains are forty-five condominiums and 180 homes. It’s very family-oriented and many of the original homeowners still live here. The Hunter family were original architects of many of the bungalows. Vincil Francis Hunter, Sr. was the first Mayor and served four terms from 1958 to 1966. Today we have a beautiful park named for the Hunter Family.

What was your path to becoming a City Clerk/Administrator?

Both my parents were elected officials in my hometown in New Jersey, so I grew up around local government. As a kid, I had one of those old-fashioned typewriters and I typed a letter to the mayor because I was concerned about trash. He mailed me back a nice letter saying he was going to look into it. So, my real interest in government started there.

In college, I entered a pre-law program and quickly discovered that actually getting into law school was challenging. I decided to make a little bit of a right turn and instead I earned my master’s degree in public administration. My first job out of graduate school was as a planner for the City of Chesterfield, which is another municipality in Saint Louis County. If you had told me back then that I was going to be working in municipal government instead of a lawyer in a court room, I would have said no way. But I’ve never looked back and I’ve loved what I do ever since. I am now in my 12^th year with Crystal Lake Park.

You hold multiple positions with the city as Clerk, Administrator, and Planner. How do you balance all these roles?

I wear many hats for sure. I am the sole employee for the city serving in these different roles. I can go from making decisions in terms of determining agenda items, to drafting legislation, to an executive decision on a problem or knowing when I need to engage the mayor on a matter.

Being a city clerk – in my situation – is keeping everything on track. The administrative part of it is ensuring that items such as agendas, public hearings, and the like, keeping up to date with what’s going on in the city and what needs to be on future agendas. Being highly organized is key, I map out my board meetings for the entire year and keep a spreadsheet of our contracts and bids through 2034. Being the planner is rewarding because it gives me a role in preserving the unique character of Crystal Lake Park, adhering to the zoning and design guidelines. We always do the best due diligence we can – going line by line, checkbox by checkbox – with everything that is built in the city because we want to keep it the special place that it is.

What do you appreciate most about your job?

I love the city and the people. I don’t live in the city, but it’s my community, my city, I take looking after it personally. The residents trust me in my role and look forward to seeing me. That’s very important to me because there are so many good people in Crystal Lake Park and I want to make sure that they’re always taken care of. I also appreciate the people I work with. I’m close to my board members and my mayor. I have a great working relationship with the commissioners and resident volunteers. I appreciate the rapport that I have maintained with former mayor and alderpersons. Overall, I appreciate their trust in me. That’s both rewarding and humbling.

What are the most challenging aspects of your job?

We are a small city with approximately 500 residents and a budget under $1 million, so what may apply to larger communities in Saint Louis County may not apply to us. I think the biggest challenge is making sure that we are current with statutes pertinent to fourth class cities, reviewing and updating our own policies and purchasing procedures in a timely fashion. I appreciate the opportunities I have to regularly meet with my city attorney and mayor to regularly talk about the city’s needs and the best plans of action.

How much of an asset has your online code been in your work?

We have a link on our website to our General Code eCode, and I love it because I do not have to page through the large paper copy. [Our eCode] is like a one-stop shop and I use it every day. I can enter a keyword, and it gives me everything that’s reflective of my search. So, if someone calls me and asks, for instance, the requirements for Zoning District D, I can just go on the website, click on Zoning District D in our Code and I can tell them everything. I especially appreciate the ability to email links to code sections to my board, residents, and developers for their review. They can then just call me back if they have questions.

What is something you’re especially proud of in your time at Crystal Lake Park?

When I started here, they were about to file a grant for the redevelopment of the local park, with a new playground, a rubberized surface, and other amenities. My first task was to write this grant, and we were eventually awarded $250,000 for phase one of the park. We’ve recently completed phase three and have allocated approximately half a million dollars in grant money to make this park into a jewel of the city. I am so proud to have been part of that process with my park commissioner to see this beautiful place come to life and be enjoyed by our community.

How do you stay up to date on issues affecting the city and state?

Crystal Lake Park belongs to the Missouri Municipal League and the Saint Louis Municipal League. These are great sources of information as far as state and local matters. General Code also sends me emails from time to time about legislation and other items to look for. The City also belongs to the St. Louis Area City Management Association and the Missouri City Clerks and Finance Officers Association – both are great networking organizations and resources. Our yearly budget includes funds to attend local and state conferences which are also valuable resources for staying up to date on issues.

You’ve been nominated to General Code’s Municipal Clerks Honor Roll on multiple occasions. That must be a great feeling.

I am very appreciative. I’m in a position where you do not always know if you’re having an impact. Seeing that so many people took the time out of their day to fill out a survey about me and the role I play for Crystal Lake Park is amazing. I am so grateful they have confidence in me and my work on their behalf.

What is on your bucket list?

I am a competitive axe thrower and have been competing for three years. It’s an exciting sport with an amazing community. We’re an “axe family!” Every year I watch World Axe Throwing League Tournament on ESPN and I know a lot of the people who are competing. My bucket list goal is to get to the point where I am good enough in this sport that I absolutely love and someday get to compete on ESPN.