GRANITE FALLS — He was part of city leadership for more than 25 years. But Dave Smiglewski’s impact on the community of Granite Falls went beyond his office as mayor, area residents said.

Smiglewski, who had served as Granite Falls Mayor since 1996, died Friday in Washington, D.C. He was 70. Smiglewski had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) about three years earlier.

“He was a wonderful leader. It’s going to be a big loss for our community,” said John Berends, a Yellow Medicine County Commissioner and Granite Falls resident.

Smiglewski was in Washington attending events with the Southwest Corridor Coalition, seeking highway funding, the West Central Tribune reported.

Smiglewski has been part of Granite Falls city government since 1979. He was 26 when he was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the city council. When Mayor Roy Lenzen died in 1996, Smiglewski became mayor, and has held that position ever since.

“Dave and I used to joke that I had been mayor longer than he was mayor, but he was on the city council longer than I was,” said Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes.

“Dave was a very good friend,” Byrnes said. “Dave was just a good person to be around. He had kind of a positive outlook, always.”

The two mayors would work together on regional issues, and share updates with what was going on in their respective cities. “We found many times, we were dealing with the same things,” Byrnes said.

Berends said Smiglewski was a friend, too. “He was a good mentor when I got into politics,” he said. Although they didn’t always see eye to eye, “I didn’t doubt his heart was all for the community of Granite Falls,” Berends said. He said Smiglewski was down-to-earth, and people felt good talking to him.

As mayor, Smiglewski helped lead Granite Falls through three different natural disasters – floods in 1997 and 2001, and a tornado in 2000.

“The recovery from the floods really transformed downtown Granite Falls,” Byrnes said.

Berends said Smiglewski also played a role in civic projects like the construction of Granite Falls’ community center, the new city hall building, and renovations of the city’s hydroelectric facility.

Smiglewski was respected by both Granite Falls city staff and fellow city council members, said Granite Falls city manager Crystal Johnson. In a statement, the city of Granite Falls said Smiglewski demonstrated exceptional leadership.

“He always went above and beyond the requirements for an elected official,” the statement said. “His impact on the community will continue to be seen for many years to come and he will be deeply missed by all.”

Outside of city government, Smiglewski worked for the BNSF Railway for 30 years, and later became the publisher of the Granite Falls Advocate-Tribune newspaper from 2004 to 2016. Byrnes said Smiglewski’s career with the railroad gave him a lot of knowledge about the history and geography of the region.

Berends and Byrnes said Smiglewski loved public speaking.

“He had a way of speaking just right off the cuff, at any given time,” Berends said.

Even though ALS eventually affected Smiglewski’s speech, Byrnes said, “He always got his point across.”

In 2016, Smiglewski was awarded a Bush Foundation Fellowship, which he used to further his education and study ways to grow civic engagement, especially among young people.

“He was passionate about that,” Berends said.

Smiglewski was active in a wide range of organizations supporting the Granite Falls community, and advocating for Minnesota cities. He was involved in the Kiwanis Club and Project Turnabout, as well as serving on the board of directors for the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and the League of Minnesota Cities.

Smiglewski was active with the League of Minnesota Cities, said LMC executive director Luke Fischer. In particular, he had a talent for bringing groups of people together from around the state.

“Dave was somebody who cared about other people,” Fischer said. He was always looking for chances to connect with people, whether they were from rural Minnesota or the Twin Cities metro area.

Fischer said Smiglewski often traveled together with his wife Cindy. “Their relationship was something that was so special to see,” he said.

Funeral arrangements for Smiglewski are still pending.

Granite Falls City Council member and vice-mayor Steve Nordaune will take on the duties of mayor after Smiglewski’s death, said city manager Crystal Johnson. Smiglewski had about a year left in his current term as mayor.