Familiar face takes over Byron Utilities Superintendent role

Matt Brekke wants to be the Mayor of Byron one day. He’s made no secret about it.
But for now, and for the foreseeable future, he’s helping the community in a new way as the Utilities Superintendent for the city.
Brekke’s career in public works began in Byron over two decades ago, beginning his career as a maintenance worker, working for the city until 2005, when he went to Mantorville, and then moved up the ladder going to Rochester where he had a 16 year career with the Water Department.
Shortly after being hired in Byron, the first time, the Rochester Mayo graduate moved to Byron with his wife and has lived in the community ever since.
For the past 11.5 years he served on the Byron City Council, until recently when he decided to pursue a new opportunity as the city’s Utilities Superintendent.
Brekke explained at the end of 2023, restructuring occurred at the Public Works Department in an effort lead by City Administrator Al Roder.
“The Utilities Superintendent position was created,” Brekke said.
An individual was originally hired for the position, someone Brekke knew from his time in town, but things didn’t work out and he decided to move on.
“Through events that position became available,” Brekke said.
The position sat vacant for a while, with no successful candidates. After doing some more research, and talking it over with his family, he decided to pursue the opportunity.
Brekke noted his 24 years in public works as a big advantage when it came to getting the position.
“That worked out really well in my favor,” he said.
But in order to take the job, Brekke had to give up his seat on the City Council.
The seat was filled by Dan Mesenburg, a former Byron City Councilor, who will serve out the rest of Brekke’s term which is set to expire in December. The election for the full-term of the seat on the City Council will be voted on in November.
Mesenburg was expected to be sworn in Tuesday.
Since taking the job, about a month ago, Brekke said he has been getting accumulated with the new job.
“It’s been really cool,” Brekke said.
Going into the position he said “I have no agenda, no aspirations of majormajor changes,” noting the success of the department saying it’s done a “great job.”
“I’m certainly not coming in with any types of changes as my main goal,” Brekke said.
Asked if he would ever look to a future in politics, Brekke said he had given it some thought in the past, however, he has since changed his mind.
But there’s one position he said he wants to pursue one day.
“My ultimate goal at some point before I leave this earth is I would like the opportunity to be the mayor of Byron,” Brekke said.
He said he served three terms on the City Council, and thinks he has the personality, thought process, and has a feeling that he would be a good mayor one day.
“We have a great mayor now in Daryl, he does a wonderful job and when my time as a public works employee goes away then I’ll look at it and hopefully get that chance to try it,” Brekke said.