Simonson dismissed for misconduct in Ottumwa, Iowa

OTTUMWA — The City of Ottumwa has fired Zach Simonson from his position as community development director. The decision was made due to misconduct related to a performance improvement plan. Simonson was dismissed after a phone call on March 3, 2025, which the city identified as a violation of his performance improvement plan. City officials stated that Simonson had displayed gross misconduct during that interaction with a subordinate. He had been under a performance improvement plan since December 30, 2024. There was no indication that Simonson resigned before being terminated. At the time of his firing, he was earning over $115,000 and had worked for the city for almost eight years. During his time in office, Simonson led projects such as the new Bonita Avenue apartment complex and the Cobblestone Hotel near Bridge View Center. He had also previously been a finalist for the city administrator role in Fairfield in 2023. Recently, he applied for the city manager position in Oskaloosa but did not get the job.