Joe Helfenberger

Realtor with Watson Realty Corporation, Real Estate

I am a realtor with Watson Realty Corporation. Please contact me if you need to sell your home or are interested in buying a home.

Joe Helfenberger's Bio:

Joe Helfenberger's Experience:

• Realtor at Watson Realty Corporation

  February 2022 - Present | 5443 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, Florida 32207

  I am a full-time realtor with Watson Realty Corporation in the San Marco Office in Jacksonville, Florida. I would appreciate your business if you need to sell your property or are interested in buying property.

• Government and Business Consultant at Helf Consulting, LLC

  August 2021 - February 2022 | https://www.helfconsulting.com/

  Consultant for businesses and governments concentrating on grants, development, projects, organizational improvements and negotiations.

• City Manager at City of Lake City

  August 2018 - July 2021 | Lake City, Florida

  Lake City is located at the crossroads of Highway 10 and Interstate 75. Lake City is the county seat of Columbia County, which has a population of about 70,000 people. Lake City services much of Columbia County residents and businesses with public water, public sewer, and natural gas. The downtown is undergoing major revitalization with the reconstruction of the Blanche Hotel and retail shopping spaces. With numerous motels and restaurants, Lake City routinely hosts baseball and softball tournaments at its sports complex. It is the first major stopping point for tourists driving down from northern states. Lake City owns a corporate airport the is home to Haeco (a large aviation manufacturing and maintenance firm) and boasts an 8,000 foot runway.

• City Manager at City of St. Cloud

  November 2015 - July 2017 | St. Cloud, FL

  St. Cloud has a city budget of over $137 million with over 500 employees. While in St. Cloud, I secured the restoration of two historic hotels and an agreement for a developer to build a 15-story mixed use building, bringing over $10 million of new investment to the downtown. I worked with the City's lobbyists to obtain the remaining $9.5 million to complete the Florida Turnpike Interchange. Back when I started, the City had a $5 million deficit in its budget, which I eliminated with no tax increase. The development permitting process was shortened significantly through changes in the city code. FAA approval was obtained for a seaplane airport on Lake Tohopekaliga. I led the effort to plan the reconstruction of the downtown in four phases to make it eligible for funding sources beyond using city resources. The City went to an automated building permit process. Self-insurance for workers' compensation avoided a 20% cost increase. I started an annual New Years Eve Celebration, which had 5,000 attendees its first year. My monthly press conferences increased the transparency and image of the City.

• City Administrator at City of Ottumwa

  February 2008 - August 2015 | Ottumwa, IA

  Ottumwa had a city budget of over $80 million with over 230 employees. The City is a commercial hub for 150,000 people in southeast Iowa and northeast Missouri. I worked collaboratively with the Legacy Foundation resulting in facade improvements to an entire block on Main Street at the gateway to the City. I bargained a 25-year sewer separation agreement with the Iowa DNR, one of the longest timeframes in the nation. I worked with City Departments to complete over $71.5 million of infrastructure improvements, with 76% grant funds towards the cost. Strong, persistent negotiations resulted in major retail establishments such as Kohls, Culvers, and the Hampton Inn. Contracting for the management of the city-owned golf course saved $100,000 annually. Bringing in new management for the Bridge View Center saved over $150,000 per year. Timely encouragment of "shovel-ready" projects and having the Planning Department assist with grants enabled the City to capture the highest per capita amount of FEMA grant funding in Iowa after the national disaster of the 2008 Iowa flooding. Due to attrition, I was able to combine the City Attorney and Human Resources Director into one full-time position that saved the City over $40,000 per year and streamlined some personnel processes.

• Village Administrator at Village of Hobart

  July 1997 - February 2008 | Hobart, WI

  Hobart is located in Northeastern Wisconsin on the Western border of Green Bay and entirely within the original boundary of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin Reservation. It offers premium housing with 27-hole and 18-hole golf courses. I fostered the creation of the Southeast Industrial Park, located on the southern border of the Austin-Straubel International Airport. I secured the first tenant, Dean Pickle and Specialty Products, with over 1 million square-foot distribution facility. I initiated planning of the Centennial Center Business Park. I negotiated with state legislators, former Governor Doyle, the Oneida Tribe, and surrounding municipalities, to change Hobart from a town to its current village status through special legislation with no objections. I began a series of bond rating improvements that today brings Hobart's Standard & Poors bond rating to AA plus. I co-created the first-ever service payment agreement with the Oneidas for tribal tax-exempt properties. I created the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department and the Hobart-Lawrence Municipal Court, resulting in very cost-effective services for both communities. I partnered with the Oneida Tribe to save a Class A trout stream, which resulted in Brown County piping the ethylene glycol airport runoff into Hobart's sewer system for treatment. I facilitated the development of Thornberry Creek that added over 400 high-end homes to the community. Public water was installed to about 40% of Hobart between 1997 and 2008.

• Village Administrator at Village of Pulaski

  January 1990 - July 1997 | Pulaski, WI

  I arrived to a stagnant economy and began to create city-owned residential subdivisions, resulting in generating a market for housing that was able to sustain itself without further city residential development. The population and property tax base nearly doubled during my tenure. I led the effort to reconstruct water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and streets with grant funding covering the majority of costs for most projects. I led the DNR mandated construction of a 17 mile sanitary sewer pipeline from Pulaski to downtown Green Bay as the most cost-effective way to treat sewage and more than double the capacity of sewer treatment. I partnered with local state representation which resulted in special state legislation which funded 90% of the sewer pipeline. This allowed the sewer rates to drop about 50%. I led the creation of the Pulaski Industrial Park and used Tax Incremental Financing to cover the cost. I landed the anchor business and several smaller ones while the park was under construction.

Joe Helfenberger's Education:

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

  1983 – 1984
  Master's Degree, Public Policy and Administration

• Florida Real Estate Institute

  Florida Licensed Realtor
  Concentration: Real Estate

• University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

  Bachelor of Science
  Concentration: BS in Political Science

Joe Helfenberger's Interests & Activities: