Public Works Director Danny Meadows will serve as New Bern's interim city manager when Bill Hartman retires next week.

Hartman's last day on the job is Tuesday, and he will take a month off before returning as interim city manager on Feb. 2. He could hold that job until his contract ends in September or until another city manager is hired, whichever comes first.

"I'll appoint Danny Meadows as interim manager while I'm out," Hartman said Tuesday. "Of course, the board (of aldermen) has the authority to change that, but I don't see any reason that they would. Danny typically serves as interim anytime I have to be out."

Like Hartman, Meadows is a veteran city employee. He has worked for New Bern for 27 years, and he is one of the city's lead liaisons on the Broad Street construction project.

As such, Meadows often finds himself reassuring residents that the plan to narrow Broad Street from five lanes to two and add a planted median will be a good thing.

When people complain about Broad Street barrels or snarled traffic because of construction, Meadows often responds simply: "This too shall pass."

When New Bern is under a state of emergency preparing for a hurricane or tropical storm, Meadows is always one of the few officials in the "war room" at City Hall. Meadows, Hartman and Fire Chief Bobby Aster were the only three who stayed there all night waiting for tropical storm Hanna in early September. Though the storm left the city with only minor problems, Meadows and Hartman were in a truck surveying the damage by first light the following morning.

"He's a good choice because he's here in City Hall and he's out in the area, too," Hartman said. "He's a good judge of the city and how to handle things."

Hartman said he will be "within telephone range" if Meadows needs any assistance, but said he does not plan to come into the office.

January is typically a quiet month in City Hall, with most of the work having to do with early-stage budgeting for the fiscal year that starts in July. Hartman will be back in time to lead aldermen through the budgeting process.

Meadows said he expects to have more dealings with department heads than he typically would as public works director. Beyond that, he said his goal as interim manager is simply "to look after what needs looking after."

"I just want to keep things running smoothly," he said. "The city is in good shape and I just want to keep it that way until the boss gets back."