Those visiting City Hall have probably seen City Administrator Steve Crowell walking around, talking to Jefferson City Council members and city staff, or problem-solving issues with residents.
Crowell came on with the city in March 2014 after serving in city administration roles in various cities in Nebraska, Texas, Colorado, Florida and Georgia. He previously worked with the GAP company, opening various stores around the country.
With 2018 coming to a close and his five-year anniversary nearing in a few months, Crowell reflected on his time with Jefferson City and discussed his goals for the city in the coming years.
Q: What drew you to Jefferson City initially?
A: "It was just the opportunity of different things going on. My (wife and I) love the Midwest values, love the ability to get things done. So, we did a lot of research and just really enjoyed what I was able to find out about people, certainly about the projects and the resources that were available. When I came for the interview I was able to walk downtown and talk to some folks. One of the things I noticed was people had a very positive outlook of the city. The ones that had some suggestions also had solutions. A lot of times, I get people in different cities that say, 'Well, you've got to do something.' Well, something's not a strategy. Now, whether I agreed with them or council agreed with them, that's another thing, but they had some suggestions and I thought, 'Well, that's different.' That's a different feeling from a lot of the cities where they receive suggestions. So, it was a combination of the city itself but also the organization and (people)."
Q: What were some of the projects back then that intrigued you?
A: "The convention center was one of them. It was just after the vote, so that whole thing. But I came in on a Wednesday and saw some of the court stuff going on. I said, 'You've got to be kidding me. This is not customer-friendly for the people who need to use court,' so the municipal court was one of those things. There were some of those kind of projects, but it was really priorities that had been established by the mayor and City Council.
Q: What are some of your roles as city administrator?
A: "There is certainly the discussion and planning process. We do a lot of that at a committee level or some of that individually, talking and being out in the community, hearing some of the things going on and putting the pieces together. For me, some of that is trying to make sure I hear and listen and try to convey and articulate what I'm hearing and seeing in different ways to the City Council. Part of my job here is to help the mayor and City Council accomplish the things they want to do. I can help guide a little bit or make some suggestions. Sometimes, I'll take a contrary point of view, just to get somebody thinking about that."
Q: What are future goals you have for Jefferson City?
A: "Outcomes are different than goals for me. The outcomes are the ultimate purpose, the why something is being done or achieved. The real outcome is to improve quality of life. (The) goals piece is certainly the projects council wants to have done, certainly maintaining the financial stability of the city and part of my obligation is to help City Council see some of the things that may be coming and be able to work on things to address those things."
Q: What are some projects or items you foresee?
A: "I don't want this to be a critical thing because it's not a critical thing, but the areas of emphasis are certainly on facilities, on vehicles and on people. I think there (is) opportunity to be able to focus differently on some of those kind of things. For example, we went through and identified what's the potential problem or potential component and what's coming at us and try to help council see, understand and feel that. It's one thing to be able to say - and I'm not saying this is our case - but, 'We've got a deficit of whatever it is,' but it's another thing to say, 'This is what it looks like and this is the impact on the quality of life. This is what it could mean to us.'"
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your job so far?
A: "I think just being able to know and see some of the things that happen behind the scenes. Trust me, you've got a talented group of department directors and certainly employees out there working so hard on cold days and hot days. Being able to have some direct impact and making their jobs easier, hopefully, and being able to accomplish the things they want to do. I really mean that. Sometimes for folks in a city, it's the big projects or big X, Y and Z. I think it's really being able to contribute to the overall quality of life."
Q: What has been the most challenging part of your job?
A: This city is very good about having the conversation at different levels about, 'Here are the pros and cons and actions,' and the staff makes a recommendation on how it should go one way but council thinks another way. That's a council decision, and we need to support that. They get to make those priorities, adjustments and (tough decisions). That's challenging because I wish there was enough money to do everything that council wants to do. That would make life easier, but even if we had a billion dollars, we'd still have other things that need to be done."
Q: How do you feel about serving as Jefferson City administrator for nearly five years?
A: "I'm very fortunate, and I enjoyed being here in Jefferson City. Time flies, but we have a great staff, mayor and City Council."