Pete Whipple walked into Thursday's Elizabethtown Borough Council meeting with a smile on his face.

Over the course of 32 years, he estimated, he's attended 1,056 council meetings. Thursday's was his last — but Whipple, 54, isn't done yet.

The longtime borough manager plans to work right up to the end of the year. "I just scheduled two meetings for Dec. 30," he said. "There's a lot to do."

But when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, Whipple is officially out of a job.

"It's bittersweet," he said, speaking moments before his final council meeting began. "I am ready to move on, but I'm really going to miss working with these people."

Whipple, who made the decision to step down from the post more than a year ago, won't be taking it easy over the holidays. "There are transition meetings to attend. I'll be wrapping up business and continuing with the work until the end."

A native of Massapequa, N.Y., Whipple started working as an administrative assistant for the borough in 1977 while attending graduate classes at Penn State Harrisburg. He shared the manager's post with Nick Viscome from 1980 to 1996, then assumed the post alone.

He has a lot of fond memories of his years shepherding the borough, from the redesign of the town square at High and Market streets to the ongoing revitalization of the Amtrak train station.

On the other hand, he won't miss "the enormous number of state and federal regulations … and the unfunded mandates that go along with them. That has really sapped a lot of the enjoyment from this work."

The 2010 budget, which was approved Thursday night, was Whipple's last and was also the hardest spending plan he has helped to prepare.

He's proudest, Whipple said, of "identifying and working with a really great staff over the years. It's not just the projects, it's the people. And it's the people I will miss most."

Roni Ryan, assistant borough manager, is poised to take over the job come January.

"We had the transition planned," Whipple said. "Roni is well prepared to take over … but it's hard to transfer 32 years of institutional knowledge."

And Whipple, who has no immediate plans to leave the area, is willing to lend a hand when needed.

"Any time she wants to call, I'll come in," he said. "I will be happy to assist."

As for the future, Whipple is still open to suggestions.

"I have no career plan," Whipple said.

"Hopefully, something will open up in the not-too-distant future."

Whipple said he might consider another municipal job if the opportunity presents itself — although he is quite sure he will never run for public office. He also has no intention of attempting to run a town again.

"I've been doing this since I was 22," he said. "I had a great gig here. I wouldn't want to try to recreate that somewhere else."

Besides, he said, when he wakes up unemployed in January, he won't be an entirely free man.

"I'm told my wife, Linda, already has prepared a list for me," Whipple said, somewhat ruefully.

"It's not just borough projects. There are home projects that have not been accomplished over the last few years.

"I won't have more than five minutes at home before I'll be held accountable."

tknapp@lnpnews.com