Morro Bay city manager resigns after 5 years. Where is he headed?
After about five years serving Morro Bay as city manager, Scott Collins is embarking on a new adventure.
On Monday, Collins will launch into his role as executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo.
The housing authority’s mission is to “provide decent, safe and affordable housing for eligible residents” of San Luis Obispo County, according to its website.
“The city mission is incredibly rewarding, and I’ve been very fortunate to have been here for the last five years,” Collins said. “There’s a lot of crossover between what cities do and what housing authorities do, I think it’s a nice marriage of the skill sets and experiences I’ve gathered.”
Starting March 13, retired El Segundo city manager Greg Carpenter will fill in as Morro Bay’s interim city manager, according to a Morro Bay staff report.
In 2021, Carpenter served as the interim city manager of Paso Robles, the staff report said.
Morro Bay will hire a new city manager within a year, according to the staff report.
Morro Bay city manager talks COVID, wastewater treatment plant
Before coming aboard as Morro Bay city manager in November 2017, Collins worked in local government for years — serving as a senior budget analyst in Denver and deputy city manager in Santa Cruz, among other jobs.
Since then, he’s steered Morro Bay through financial challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic and a recent series of winter storms that flooded parts of the city.
Collins said he’s most proud of his work helping Morro Bay bring its new $160 sewage treatment plant online.
The Morro Bay Water Resources Center, which can process about 1 million gallons of wastewater a day, replaces a 1956 plant located in a tsunami and flood zone.
The California State Water Resources Control Board told the city to move the facility in 1986, and the city started operating its new plant in November 2022, according to a news release.
The project was Morro Bay’s “most expensive and largest and most important capital project in our history,” Collins said.
Collins noted that the project was a team effort that included contributions from city staff, the Morro Bay City Council, advisory board members and consultants. He thanked community members who paid water and sewer rates to fund the project.
The facility was up and running before the Jan. 9 storm, which flooded Morro Bay’s old wastewater treatment plant.
“Had our new wastewater project not been online ... we would have released half a million gallons of sewage into the community and the ocean, and potentially would still be without sewer service,” Collins said. “The forefathers, if you will, had a good thought to say we should think about moving this thing.”
Collins said he’s proud of how his team navigated the novel coronavirus pandemic, which required them to make quick decisions to protect their community and adapt to changing state and federal regulations.
“We were trained for this moment. We just didn’t know it,” Collins said. “All the schooling, all the prior experiences, to be able to bring all of our skills to bear on such a challenging issue.”
He’s also happy to have helped the city achieve greater financial stability, he said, and create a positive working environment for city staff.
“I’m really proud of the work we’ve done to create a welcoming environment for our employees here — one of inclusivity and belonging,” Collins said.
Though Collins is leaving his role in city government, he will still live in Morro Bay.
“You’ll see me walking around,” Collins said. “I have full faith in the council and mayor. They’ll keep things moving along.”
New job as HASLO executive director
The Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo (HASLO) works to connect folks with housing through managing the Section 8 program, building affordable homes and more, Collins said.
“The very complex organization is all geared towards one mission and outcome: which is to provide safe, reliable and good housing for folks who have lower economic means to provide a ladder out of poverty,” Collins said.
In his role as executive director, Collins will focus on opportunities for development and keep track of regulations from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, while monitoring county, state and federal housing policies.
“Right now there’s a lot of momentum, particularly in San Luis Obispo and other cities, to try to create more housing opportunities for all income levels,” Collins said. “Being able to focus on this singular issue at this point in time when the need is so high, and there’s a lot of interest and ... political will to actually work on the problem — that’s where I got really excited.”
Collins said he’s deeply passionate about improving housing opportunities in San Luis Obispo County.
“If there’s adequate housing, you have better schools. You have better economic outcomes,” he said. “If people live closer to where they work, you reduce greenhouse gas emissions. All these things are interconnected.”
