Ryan Thamert is taking the reins of Ridgefield’s public works department as the city lays critical groundwork to support an anticipated 26,000 residents in the next ten years.
On July 1, Thamert officially stepped into the role, following the retirement for former director Chuck Green, bringing nearly a decade of hands-on experience with Ridgefield’s infrastructure and operations.
Thamert began his public service career in Ridgefield in 2016 as a maintenance worker, focusing on parks and city facilities. Prior to that, he spent 12 years running a landscaping company.
Since joining the city, Thamert has advanced through the Public Works ranks. He became the city’s first stormwater supervisor during his career, and played a central role in building the department and hiring much of its current staff. In early 2024, he was promoted to utilities manager, overseeing both the city’s water and stormwater divisions.
“Most of the jobs that we do in public works and maintenance and operations and the utilities department I have personally done,” he said.
The Public Works Director role itself has changed since Green’s retirement. Historically, the position also served as Ridgefield’s city engineer, but that’s no longer the case.
“My role is really on managing the personnel in the organization, as opposed to doing engineering functions,” he explained.
Engineering work will now be handled by a consultant city engineer and supported by internal staff within the department, according to Thamert.
Just days into his new position, Thamert helped coordinate a local partnership to support the American Legion ahead of the Fourth of July parade, one of Ridgefield’s biggest annual events.
According to Thamert, transporting the Legion’s hundreds of American flags for the annual parade has been challenging.
Unable to find indoor storage, Thamert and the city’s operations team identified space in a downtown storage yard near the waterfront. They partnered with the Port of Ridgefield to purchase a shipping container, which was delivered just in time for the American Legion to move in before the Fourth of July.
Thamert heard directly that having the flags, downtown made setup and takedown far easier for the parade.
Now fully in his role, Thamert is focused on overseeing several major capital projects. The Pioneer Street widening project is set to wrap up in the fall. A new water reservoir, located east of I-5, is also nearing final design. At 2.5 million gallons, it will nearly double the city’s water storage capacity.
Also in progress is the development of the Kennedy Well, a new drinking water source on the city’s south end.
“We have done testing on it, completed testing, and we are working on securing water rights for the well,” Thamert said. “Then we’ll go into design and construction for the permanent well.”
These projects are part of a broader strategy to prepare Ridgefield for the next chapter of its development.
“Really, it’s about taking the city of Ridgefield to the next level as we grow,” he said. “We’re having to make the transition from a small city to a more medium-sized city.”
“It’s been a privilege to work for the city for the last 9 years, and I’m really looking forward to continuing to work for the city and to serve the residents of Ridgefield,” he added. “I’m grateful for this new opportunity.”`
