MONROE - Monroe's new director of public works, Colin Simpson, will slip into his chair on Monday, Dec. 16, and reignite the engines of a top city position that has sat empty for nearly three years.
Simpson said the City of Monroe is mostly "self-sufficient" when it comes to providing services and maintains a "full array of public works," both of which he was happy to find here. Current public works departments are streets and sanitation, parks, engineering, water, storm water and wastewater.
"It's way easier and simpler to coordinate" projects, compared to dealing with intergovernmental and multiple public utilities coordination, Simpson said in a phone interview Nov. 12.
In his previous position as superintendent of public works for the Village of Machesney Park, Ill., Simpson supervised 10 integrated divisions, including administration, engineering, streets, parks, traffic, signals, storm water management, municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4), fleet management and emergency management. During his tenure, Simpson also oversaw the construction of a road salt storage facility and the creation of an erosion and sediment control permit program.
Outsourcing components of public work, which he saw in Machesney Park, has both "good and bad points," Simpson said. But for the most part, "it makes sense to keep it in-house."
"Smaller work is always better to do in-house - like one pothole," he said.
During the city's hiring process, Simpson toured Monroe with Engineering Supervisor Al Gerber to get a public works perspective. He said he was impressed not only with the city's infrastructure but also with Gerber's candidness in pointing out problems the city knows it's facing.
"It doesn't have a thousand-pound gorilla in the room," Simpson said. "Its development has been well thought out, and there are no large problems," he added.
Simpson considered himself a "numbers guy."
"I like to watch (the numbers) and then make financial decisions that, in the long-term, make sense," he said.
Monroe is the right kind of town Simpson said he was looking for, a "medium-sized" community in an "up-and-coming" area, making "progress in developments" and "moving forward." Simple things, like the city's new interactive website, were also an indication, he added.
Simpson believes in keeping work "in-house" on a smaller, personal scale, too. He's in a five-year project to convert a barn to a home, and doesn't hire outside help. He's sharing the experience - which he said is rather like "camping out right now" - with his girlfriend and two cats, Bentley and C.J.
"I enjoy the work myself," he said. "It's like a relief after coming home from work."
He also likes rebuilding Jeeps to take on off-roading vacations.
Simpson is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.), vice president of the American Public Works Association (APWA) Northwest IL Branch, and a 2007 graduate of Valparaiso University, Indiana, with a degree in civil engineering.
He began his career as a project engineer for McShane Construction Company, Chicago, Ill., managing subcontractors for major developments, including a $36 million luxury apartment development in Downers Grove, Ill., and a 213,000 sq. ft. public works facility in Naperville, Ill.
He returned to his hometown, Rockford, Ill., as a project manager for the city's public works department, where he supervised a five-member team to complete more than $7 million annually in city-wide infrastructure improvements. Key contributions included the creation of a custom project management and construction documentation system to minimize project risk and improve public transparency of procedures. Select projects include a $3 million annual street resurfacing program that covered 15 miles of roadway, and the design and construction of a "green" alley program featuring the use of permeable pavement technology.
Monroe's last director of public works, Kelly Finkenbinder, retired in February 2011 after 30 years of service.
The Monroe Salary and Personnel Committee opted in May 2012 to re-fill the DPW position and leave supervisors or lead operators in charge of day-to-day operations of the city's five public works departments. Later that month, the committee delayed expediting their decision, after department supervisors indicated public works had been running smoothly without a DPW. The city, instead, hired a water utility director to help oversee the $20 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade project. The city fired the water utility director in September 2013.
Simpson said the City of Monroe is mostly "self-sufficient" when it comes to providing services and maintains a "full array of public works," both of which he was happy to find here. Current public works departments are streets and sanitation, parks, engineering, water, storm water and wastewater.
"It's way easier and simpler to coordinate" projects, compared to dealing with intergovernmental and multiple public utilities coordination, Simpson said in a phone interview Nov. 12.
In his previous position as superintendent of public works for the Village of Machesney Park, Ill., Simpson supervised 10 integrated divisions, including administration, engineering, streets, parks, traffic, signals, storm water management, municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4), fleet management and emergency management. During his tenure, Simpson also oversaw the construction of a road salt storage facility and the creation of an erosion and sediment control permit program.
Outsourcing components of public work, which he saw in Machesney Park, has both "good and bad points," Simpson said. But for the most part, "it makes sense to keep it in-house."
"Smaller work is always better to do in-house - like one pothole," he said.
During the city's hiring process, Simpson toured Monroe with Engineering Supervisor Al Gerber to get a public works perspective. He said he was impressed not only with the city's infrastructure but also with Gerber's candidness in pointing out problems the city knows it's facing.
"It doesn't have a thousand-pound gorilla in the room," Simpson said. "Its development has been well thought out, and there are no large problems," he added.
Simpson considered himself a "numbers guy."
"I like to watch (the numbers) and then make financial decisions that, in the long-term, make sense," he said.
Monroe is the right kind of town Simpson said he was looking for, a "medium-sized" community in an "up-and-coming" area, making "progress in developments" and "moving forward." Simple things, like the city's new interactive website, were also an indication, he added.
Simpson believes in keeping work "in-house" on a smaller, personal scale, too. He's in a five-year project to convert a barn to a home, and doesn't hire outside help. He's sharing the experience - which he said is rather like "camping out right now" - with his girlfriend and two cats, Bentley and C.J.
"I enjoy the work myself," he said. "It's like a relief after coming home from work."
He also likes rebuilding Jeeps to take on off-roading vacations.
Simpson is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.), vice president of the American Public Works Association (APWA) Northwest IL Branch, and a 2007 graduate of Valparaiso University, Indiana, with a degree in civil engineering.
He began his career as a project engineer for McShane Construction Company, Chicago, Ill., managing subcontractors for major developments, including a $36 million luxury apartment development in Downers Grove, Ill., and a 213,000 sq. ft. public works facility in Naperville, Ill.
He returned to his hometown, Rockford, Ill., as a project manager for the city's public works department, where he supervised a five-member team to complete more than $7 million annually in city-wide infrastructure improvements. Key contributions included the creation of a custom project management and construction documentation system to minimize project risk and improve public transparency of procedures. Select projects include a $3 million annual street resurfacing program that covered 15 miles of roadway, and the design and construction of a "green" alley program featuring the use of permeable pavement technology.
Monroe's last director of public works, Kelly Finkenbinder, retired in February 2011 after 30 years of service.
The Monroe Salary and Personnel Committee opted in May 2012 to re-fill the DPW position and leave supervisors or lead operators in charge of day-to-day operations of the city's five public works departments. Later that month, the committee delayed expediting their decision, after department supervisors indicated public works had been running smoothly without a DPW. The city, instead, hired a water utility director to help oversee the $20 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade project. The city fired the water utility director in September 2013.