Connor LaPointe, left, stands in front of the Wells Municipal Building, home of the city offices.

Connor LaPointe officially began his duties as the new Wells city administrator on Nov. 22.

It is not the first time he has worked for a city located in Faribault County.

“I interned in Blue Earth for about four months in 2018,” LaPointe says. “I worked under the guidance of Tim Ibisch.”

LaPointe is a native of Union Grove, Wisconsin, where he was the oldest of three children born to Erick and Nicole LaPointe.

“My younger brother, Carson, is 21 years old and my sister Reagan is 16,” LaPointe mentions.

According to LaPointe, Union Grove is about 30 minutes south of Milwaukee and 20 minutes north of the Illinois border.

“It is located in the southeast corner of the state,” LaPointe notes.

He graduated from Union Grove High School in 2014 where the six-foot-three LaPointe was a three-sport athlete, participating in football, basketball and track.

“I was really into sports in high school,” he comments.

Following his graduation from high school, he continued his education at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh.

“I really did not have a major while I was there,” LaPointe offers. “I was not sure what I wanted to do. I attended school there for two years and then I went home. I think I had some growing up to do and I needed to figure out what my vocation was going to be.”

However, he did not stay idle while he was home. In fact, he was hired for a job which led him to his current profession.

“I worked for the city of Kenosha,” LaPointe explains. “I was employed by the Wastewater Treatment Department and did a lot of landscaping.”

When he resumed his education one year later, he decided to cross Wisconsin’s western border and enroll at Minnesota State – Mankato.

“I decided to pursue a career in local government management,” he says. “I majored in Urban and Regional Studies and because I had gotten many of my general education classes out of the way at Oshkosh, I only needed two years to get my degree from Mankato.”

After completing his studies at Mankato it was on to Blue Earth for his internship.

“I enjoyed Blue Earth,” he shares. “It was educational.”

Right after completing his time in Blue Earth he interviewed for the position of city administrator at Madison Lake.

“I was told I finished second among the candidates,” LaPointe comments. “It was a good experience to go through the interview process. The person from South Central Service Cooperative told me I did well in the interview but said he felt I needed more financial experience. He was able to get me an internship with the city of Mankato in the City Manager’s Office. It is where I got budgeting and financing experience.”

He was in the middle of his internship at Mankato when the city of Claremont advertised they were looking for a new city administrator.

This time LaPointe was hired for the job and began his employment in Claremont in 2019.

“It was my first full-time job as an administrator,” he recalls. “Claremont had a lot of planning and zoning issues because so many houses and buildings were built over the years without people getting permits. Boundaries were non-existant.”

He says housing was another big issue in the city.

“They had lined up a developer and then, in 2007, the guy pulled out,” he explains. “The city started giving away the lots.”

He feels Claremont still has great potential.

“They just completed the Highway 14 bypass which will make it easier for people who want to live in a smaller city like Claremont to commute to work in larger cities like Owatonna and Rochester,” he remarks. “They also have an ethanol plant which has done well. When the TIF (Tax Increment Financing) District closes in three or four years, the city will see a big benefit.”

Now, as he begins his job in Wells, he says it will be a little different experience.

“Wells has many more city employees so one of the things I want to work on is getting acquainted with the workers,” LaPointe says. “Next, I will need to identify the issues the City Council wants me to address.”

And that is just the beginning, he notes.

“The biggest thing I would like to see happen is for the city to develop a long-range plan and set some goals,” LaPointe offers. “I will also be digging into the planning and zoning and financial areas.”

And, he already likes what he sees from the City Council.

“They have a diverse background and bring different views to the table,” LaPointe mentions. “But, they still get along with each other.”

He has found an apartment to live in and has been busy getting settled in.

“I have met my neighbors and they are nice people,” LaPointe says. “They give me a good sense of community.”

Being part of the community is something LaPointe is looking forward to.

“I want to be active and get to know people and give back to the community,” he shares.

It is the same goal he has for his new job.

“One of the things I like about people in this field is they enjoy giving back,” he says. “It is something I hope to be able to do some day – by teaching or mentoring others who choose to be in this field.”