Five Questions: Collin Quigley

Q: What brought you back to Springfield?

A: I’m from Springfield, and so is my wife. We’ve both lived our whole lives here, with the exception of going off for school. Moving from Ozark to here is a huge step up in overall responsibility. ... There are so many things going. What the city has been able to do in redevelopment – the downtown area, the Vision 20/20 plan, Jordan Valley Park – creates tremendous opportunities. I wasn’t looking to leave Ozark. It was a great environment and a great situation. But for me, this was a huge opportunity.

Q: What during your time in Ozark are you most proud of?

A: Everything in Ozark is growth-related. There are so many issues where the groundwork was laid while I was there. Ozark’s downtown has the new streetscapes, the new sidewalks, the new pedestrian-friendly environment for businesses. The groundwork is in place for the continuation of that on the other side of Third Street. The city has acquired all the property from willing sellers for that project, and that project is in its infancy.

Q: What about Ozark’s infrastructure improvements?

A: We built several new elevated storage towers for water and new wells. We completed a master plan for the water system for the city in the growth areas, we did a master plan for the sewer (system), and we eliminated many lift stations while I was there. We spent several million dollars to add capacity to the system. In Ozark, we made plans for a new wastewater treatment plant. The land is purchased and the engineering is complete. Twenty years from now, that will be the only plant for the city. Long-range planning was a key improvement.

Q: You’ve participated in state and federal government internship programs – why have you focused on local government?

A: It’s the level closest to the people. You’re dealing with basic services – police and fire protection, road construction and maintenance, highways, water and sewer, things people don’t even think about on a routine basis. You can see the impact at the local level a lot more easily than you do at other levels. I enjoy that. I like to see things accomplished, things come about.

Q: What qualities are essential for a successful city administrator?

A: You have to be able to understand the issues, be patient enough to work through the process, and then not be too quick to make a decision about a particular issue until you really know everything involved. A lot of issues at the local level are emotional, and you can rarely solve an emotional issue with facts and figures. To get to a consensus or resolution, you have to deal with the emotional side. Overall, you have to bring all of those things together to be successful at this job.