Hartwig retires, McAndrews comes on board
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, August 31st, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
COLLEGE PLACE — After more than 40 years with the city of College Place, Public Works Director Paul Hartwig retires today.
“Paul has been instrumental in improving our community and the quality of life here in College Place,” Mayor Norma Hernandez said. “In fact, I do not believe that there is one area of our city that has not been impacted by Paul’s hard work and commitment to the future of College Place.”
During his years of service, Hartwig played a key role in the College Avenue/Rose Street Project; the extension of Whitman Drive; and the Southwest Sewer Project, Eastside water booster station and tanks, according to City Administrator Mike Rizzitiello. In addition to his public works duties, Hartwig also managed park maintenance.
Robert McAndrews has been hired as the new public works director. He started his career with the city of Shoreline where he worked as a seasonal maintenance technician for about three years before being hired on full-time in 2006. In 2011, he took a job with the city of Redmond.
At the beginning of 2018, McAndrews relocated his family to Walla Walla after accepting the position of chief of road operations and fleet management for the Walla Walla Public Works Department.
“Throughout my public works career, I have been most heavily involved in streets, facilities, and fleet, but have also worked very closely with water, wastewater, and storm,” McAndrews said. A graduate of Washington State University, McAndrews received a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Phoenix.
