When it comes to the messy details of running a city - picking up the trash, for example, and finding a place to put it - most residents just assume that city workers will step in with a big truck and haul the stuff away.
But how do several cities clustered together deal with tons of kitchen garbage? Or share drinking water? Or deal collectively with any of vital details of modern urban life?
Taxpayers count on cities. And who do cities turn to for help?
For the past 38 years, one of their key resources has been a trim, intense New England native named Art Collins, executive director of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.
At their offices in Chesapeake's Greenbrier section, Collins and his staff serve as a kind of community brain trust for Hampton Roads. They provide research to local officials, including city managers and mayors, that helps them understand the problems they face and how to deal with them.
Sometimes the issues are dramatic, like responding to threats to shut down Oceana Naval Air Station, or the threat of terrorism. Other times they're less ominous, like what's the best way to build a regional jail.
All of that changes a little this week when Collins retires, after 29 years as executive director.
"I am sad to leave, but without regrets," Collins said. "I'm 66. It's time for new leadership."
Many city managers are not so sure.
"Art has made an enormous contribution to the progress we have made as a region," said Virginia Beach City Manager Jim Spore. "He has been involved in so many things."
From the creation of the regional trash authority, to the merging of south side and Peninsula transit services, to coordinating regional answers to new federal regulations, Collins and his staff at the planning commission attend to the countless details of running Hampton Roads.
"The public does not see it, but there are dozens of technical committees that develop protocols for firefighting, sampling air and water quality, even building code standards so developers in Portsmouth have the same regulations as those in Newport News," Spore said.
Some of the accomplishments are surprising.
Hampton Roads was the first American region that developed a plan to pre-deploy emergency medical equipment that would be used in the event of a radiological or biological attack. The agreement was reached in September 2001 - before the date that month that gave anti-terrorism efforts unprecedented urgency.
"Talk about ironic," Collins said.
But there have been disappointments, Collins said, and top on the list is the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority, which was created after great legislative effort - and no small amount of civic lobbying - but had its power to impose new taxes and fees shot down by the Virginia Supreme Court.
Collins, whose group stood on the sidelines but provided data the cities needed to argue their case for the regional agency, said the transportation debate has been deeply frustrating.
"Can you imagine what shape we'd be in if the General Assembly had been in charge of providing water?" he said.
If local governments were given the power to raise transportation money, he said, "We would not have these problems."
Jim Oliver, who held city manager positions in Norfolk and Portsmouth, praised Collins as a "candid person in an environment that is laden with rules and regulations."
Most people at the top of a bureaucracy tend to rely on process, but "Art always tried to find solutions and push people into choices."
Although Hampton Roads has a regional planning process, the commission does not have much actual authority, he said.
"Everything depends on voluntary collaboration, so in Art's world, 'no' comes very easily," Oliver said.
But Collins has an ability to bring people together and let them air out their ideas, and that may be his greatest strength, he said. "He's not appreciated at all by the public; yet I think he's a progressive person, although one that not all people have had access to."
As with anyone in a position of influence, Collins has critics.
Robert Dean, a former Virginia Beach councilman and head of the Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance, concedes Collins' expertise.
"Art is a very strong-willed person," Dean said. "He is very knowledgeable. But what I have a real problem with is that he's also very autocratic."
Dean recounted a story about the time Collins denied a reporter access to a lunch meeting of the chief administrative officers of local governments. The group gathers after regular sessions of the planning commission to eat cold-cut sandwiches and potato chips and talk shop.
It's an exchange that few see but mayors and city managers insist is vital because they're free to openly talk - and complain - about their work. The meeting is closed to the public, a fact that Collins closely guards.
As director of the planning commission, Collins has tried to strike a balance between public access and private discussion. He is careful about controlling the message, allowing only a specified number of commission executives to speak publicly.
That bugs Dean, who views the commission as an unwieldy and unelected branch of government.
"Collins does not promote transparency in government," Dean said.
As evidence, Dean cited an ongoing dispute the commission has with the Federal Highway Administration over public access to meetings like the lunch group and the role of some technical committees. Federal authorities think there is a bit too much secrecy and have told Collins that changes are needed.
Collins does not see it this way.
For him, it's a matter of defending the work.
"I don't like being bullied by the federal or state government," he said. "When I know the quality of the work and the decision-making that has been done locally, it has frustrated me when people criticized and they don't know what they're talking about."
Tom Holden, (757) 446-2331, tom.holden@pilotonline.com
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Well John, I believe that
Well John, I believe that the legislation that created the HRTA and the NVTA were held in utter contempt by the voters of Tidewater and Northern Virginia. I was vehemently opposed to it's creation. The concept of an unelected body of "elected officials" who could dictate who's jurisdiction would pay taxes on what was simply repugnant. In Virginia, state government is the only legislative body that has that power and it should stay that way.
I agree with most
Most of the comments that I read here ,I can agree with in principle. Principles are the basis that this Great Nation was founded. Most of us desire to have our way about what we perceive are the interests of Hampton Roads and all should be heard and seriously considered. After consideration of the industrial, community and region requirements, if it is correct and feasible, the legislators who represent us must craft a constitutionally correct bill to correct the issue or to make it more palatable. This was previously done in referendum with a resounding NO by the voters. If the legislatures cannot agree among themselves or if they can, it needs to be presented to the majority of the voters for decision on its merits. In the case of this Transportation Act, the legislature presented and managed to get approved by the Governor and Act that was against the Principle of the Sovereign, The people, who create and decide the rule of law by completely bypassing the Citizens. The General Assembly created and the Governor signed a bill that was repugnant to the people and was found to be unconstitutionalby the Supreme Court. The entire bill was not found unconstitutional and the right to v
Not that simple Mr. Barrett
To be fair sir, we must include the members of the state senate who voted for this unconstitutional taxing authority. That would include the republicans that voted for it as well as 14 members of the state senate who are democrats. After all, the state senate had the opportunity to kill this legislation but chose not to. 14 democrats voted for it as well as 15 republicans. So we may as well start over with the hole lot don't you think?
MPO, HRPDC and HRTA and Art Collins
Mr. Collins may be well thought of by the city managers and local politicians of the region, however he is held in low esteem by many citizens. Many are pleased to see him retire from the HRPDC. The only question is he planning to take the position of executive director of the HRTA. The MPO, HRPDC and the HRTA are separate organizations that are joined at the hip, like siamese triplets. The Chairmen of all three organizations during the formative years of planning and creation of the HB3202 projects is Mayor Fraim of Norfolk. The other common elected officials are Mayor Frank of Newport News and Vice Mayor Jones of Virginia Beach. They have maintained and appointed Art Collins to the executive director position of the HRPDC and with his retirement, are now positioned to appoint him to the executive director position in the HRTA. Mr Collins is the action person within the HRPDC who is collecting, screening and recommending the candidates for the position in the HRTA. Perhaps, the reason for the retirement from the HRPDC is to enable his eligibility for the HRTA position. The selection of the executive director of the HRTA will be made by the executive commitee of the HRTA (Fraim/Fra
Art Collins
For the past 30 years, I have held positions in planning and economic development for communities in Hampton Roads and for the past eight years I served on the Courtland Town Council. I have always been impressed with Art Collins and his ability for gettting things accomplished for the region. He stood up to many politians who were only looking what was best for themselves or their indiviual communities. Art had to look what was best for over 15 communities together. He worked endless hours and served on numerous Boards. On the Boards I served with Art, we always respected his position because of his wealth of knowledge and his non-bias views. He always spoke from the heart and never had any hidden agendas. He hired a support staff any organization would be envy of. Hampton Roads is going to experience a huge leadership void as Art retires. I know many of us will miss his leadership and wish him all the best in the future.
Ah, Keith, finally we have
Ah, Keith, finally we have something to agree upon. Since the House of Delegates was the reason that the Commonwealth had to go around its elbow to get to its shoulder, I agree that the republican caucus from that body, the majority that brought us the HRTA and the funding plan that financed the regiional improvements, are in office by false pretense and ought to either fix the problem or resign their office. Those delegates ran on the solution that they had crafted, and many won office because they had finally taken a step forward to improve our transportation assets. Of course, it all unraveled. I don't think they thought it would, but it did, and since it was their invention, they are in office because they promised a solution that did not work. Vote to fix it now, or resign so we can elect delegates who will.
HRPDC
So Mr. Collins has no regard for The Virginia Constitution. Well, why should he as an unelected entity. It's my way or the highway. Any official whether elected or appointed who supported an unelected unaccountable taxing authority such as HRTA or NVTA should resign immediately. I say good riddance to Art Collins. If only the rest would resign.
Art Collins has had an
Art Collins has had an exemplary career, one characterized by a firm dedication to recommend action in the public interest, which is what one would do if one saw clearly, thought rationally, and acted dispassionatley. Politicians do not always want to act that way because there is a real difference between the public interest and public opinion. The latter is often determined by sticking one's finger in the air to see which way the political winds are blowing; the former by hard work, data collection, analysis, discussion, and consensus. That is what has characterized the work of the Planning District during Art's tenure there, and every citizen who values the product of deliberation and expert advice and opinion should be thankful for his service. I know I am most thankful for his service and wish him the best in whatever endeavor he choses from now on.
"For him, it's a matter of defending the work."
Such is proof positive that Art Collins fundamentally doesn't get it. If it was good work that would improve citizens lives, there would be no blowback from airing it. Showing it publicly could allow public comment that would provide the opportunity to amend the work so that it does have public support.
In hiding the HRPDC and MPO's work, Art Collins is telling everyone that he has something to hide.
Art, we disagree because we do know what we are talking about
We need major reforms due to the lack of accountability at the HRPDC and the MPO. Art is in the center of the mess we find ourselves suffering because he is hostile towards citizens that disagree with him. How ironic that Art doesn't want to be "bullied" by elected state Delegates and Senators, but he bullies Tidewater citizens when trying to force us into paying for his wrong-headed 6 MPO highway projects. I agree that Art knows a great deal about regional issues. But Art fails to understand that government exists to serve it's citizens, not to try to force non-elected regional government down everyone's throat because Art and his fellow regionalists delude themselves into believing that they alone have all the "best" answers. Robert Dean was right, Art Collins is a non-elected person collecting a high salary from our region's taxpayers while he feels that government held accountable to the taxpayers gets in the way of his plans. Art doesn't just sit by the sidelines, he aggressively advocates against the will of the majority of citizens in our region.