He said he had always hoped for an early retirement and, at 62, and with another staff restructuring under way, it seemed like the right time, even though his job was not expected to be restructured greatly.
He trained as an architectural draftsman in his native Switzerland before coming to visit relatives in New Zealand in 1972, and staying.
After meeting his future wife, who was from Herbert, he moved to Dunedin and started a job with the council in 1975.
He worked initially as a draftsman, then in technical support for general works engineers and as an engineering officer in drainage before taking on a job in asset management in 1996.
The man who largely managed to avoid wearing a tie and closed-in shoes during his 38-year tenure was last in charge of a team of four that managed information about the location, maintenance and state of the council's $1.6 billion of water and waste assets.
Looking forward to a life of travel, gardening and more volunteer work, he said he would miss the camaraderie of the office and the openness of the council, which had been a good employer.
