WB01542_.gif (729 bytes) RUTGERS-NEWARK Graduate Department of Public Administration
WB01542_.gif (729 bytes) About NCPP
WB01542_.gif (729 bytes) Join NCPP
WB01542_.gif (729 bytes) NCPP Staff
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
WB01541_.gif (712 bytes) Conferences & Events
WB01541_.gif (712 bytes) Citizen Driven Government Performance
PUBLICATIONS JOURNALS & RESEARCH
WB01540_.gif (632 bytes) Public Performance & Management Review
WB01540_.gif (632 bytes) Public Voices
WB01540_.gif (632 bytes) NCPP Related Publications
MODEL PROGRAMS
WB01539_.gif (682 bytes) Best Practices Worldwide
WB01539_.gif (682 bytes) Exemplary State and Local Awards Program
WB01539_.gif (682 bytes) Multi-Lingual Performance Aids
WB01539_.gif (682 bytes) Public Administration Teaching Roundtable
   
WB01542_.gif (729 bytes) Comments/ Feedback

NCPP EXSL

NCPP home: http://newark.rutgers.edu:80/~ncpp/, email: ncpp@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Campus at Newark
Graduate Department of Public Administration
National Center for Public Productivity

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Home Page


EXSL Home

1997 EXSL Application Form

EXSL 1995 Winners

New Jersey 1995 Winners

EXSL 1994 Winners

New Jersey 1994 Winners

New Jersey 1993 Winners

EXSL 1992 Winners

EXSL 1991 Winners

EXSL 1990 Winners

EXSL 1989 Winners

1989 Exemplary State & Local
Award Winners

APERCU, Loveland, Colorado
Summary: The "City of Loveland's Training and Development Program (APERCU)" provides training and development opportunities to enhance employees' insights into and understanding of their jobs, skills, community, health, safety, and personal and professional development.
Text: The "City of Loveland's Training and Development Program" is also known as "APERCU," which is French for "insight and understanding." The program was initiated in 1988 by the City of Loveland Personnel Department as a public and private employer partnership in employee training and development. Employees from 26 area employers have attended APERCU programs. This cooperative program allows the City to offer comprehensive, high quality training at a very low cost. As an internal service fund the Personnel Department receives funding from other Departments for our services. Fees paid for classes attended are in addition to monies currently paid to fund the department. Participants from other employers pay registration fees on a per student/cost recovery basis. The City's Personnel Department provides all program design, publicity, marketing, registration, set-up, evaluation and billing. The City provides the meeting facilities and training sites. Training sessions are conducted by in-house experts, personnel from participating organizations, and independent training consultants. To determine the needs of the City and other employers, surveys were conducted of employees. The topics currently explored include Work Safety, Health and Wellness, Supervisory Skills, Management Development, Communication Skills, Computer Literacy, etc. Opening the APERCU program to area employers and centralizing the training function has had a dramatic impact on the program and the organization. It has resulted in an increased awareness of what other departments and employees do and the issues they face. There is an increased sense of belonging to the group of City employees. There is a more global view of what issues and situations face the City. There is an increased awareness of other businesses which operate in the community. The exchange of ideas, suggestions, concerns and challenges has also positively impacted the community's perception of the City's ability and willingness to solve problems. Relationships with the public has improved, fewer complaints are received, and in a 1988 annual survey of citizen satisfaction with services, the city received its highest evaluation ever. CONTACT: Todd Gamble Senior Personnel Analyst City of Loveland Personnel Department 500 East 3rd Street Loveland CO 80537 303/667-6130

Automated Juror Selection and Jury Tracking System, Athens, Georgia

Summary: The "Automated Juror Selection and Jury Tracking System" provides a model for computerized system which uniquely tracks juror eligibility, suitable for smaller governments. This system has resulted in administrative efficiency and cost savings.
Text: The program described is an automated on-line and batch juror selection and unique tracking system such that the innovative part of the system, apart from simply automating the selections process on a random basis, is the ability to track juror eligibility for both the Traverse and Grand Juries for the State Court and the Superior Courts. This automated Jury Selection and Tracking System was designed to comply with all legal requirements, has never been challenged, and represents considerable savings in money estimated now at $46,000-$55,000/year. It further has resulted in a savings of time (about 2-3 equivalent full-time people (EFT), is efficient and rapid, and has the "blessing" and approval of State and Superior Court Judges using it as a vast improvement over the prior, cumbersome, costly, time-consuming manual process. The Juror Tracking subsystem is the only one known in its tracking of juror eligibility throughout the life of a given Jury Box (file of potential jurors) and including Box Exhaustion and Turning of the Box (when the jurors in the Box are all used or ineligible, and a new Box has not been authorized, the Box continues to track eligibility of all Jurors, and selections continue until a new Box is prepared and certified for use). All judges are very pleased with the accuracy of a given jury panel selected; the fact that a juror's history is completely and accurately tracked; a juror's eligibility status is tracked; juries drawn are truly randomly and impartially selected; juries are free from tampering and human error; juries may be drawn and processed at any time; the same jurors do not appear repeatedly panel after panel; and jury responsibilities are shared by a representative population.
CONTACT: Dorothy G. Harrison Manager City of Athens Data Processing PO Box 448 Annex Room 350 Athens GA 30603-0448 404/354-2690

Bureau of Administrative Adjudication, New Orleans, Louisiana
Summary: The "Bureau of Administrative Adjudication" provides an alternative to the criminal prosecution of individuals who fail to correct public health housing and environmental violations in New Orleans, Louisiana $17,050 in fines and hearing costs have been collected.
Text: Facing the dire need of an alternative to the criminal prosecution of individuals who fail to correct public health, housing and environmental violations, the Bureau of Administrative Adjudication was created within the Environmental Health Division of New Orleans, Louisiana Health Department. Cases are generated by enforcement agencies; they are submitted to the Chief Clerk of the Bureau, processed in accordance with legal requirements as set forth by State Statutes and City Ordinance, and a hearing date is assigned. On the assigned date, a Hearing Officer is provided sworn testimony by the enforcement agency and the defendant, and renders a decision. If the defendant is found guilty, a hearing cost along with a fine are levied against the defendant. In addition, the defendant is given a specific time to correct the violations. The use of the Municipal Court prior to the establishment of this Bureau in 1988, had involved a tremendous amount of man-hours, and had created a sense of apathy among personnel. Having access to an in-house prosecutory avenue that is not hindered by the rigid requirements and limitations of a disassociated Municipal Court, has resulted in a more efficient and timely system. Interagency cooperation has been greatly enhanced, and of the hearing costs and fines imposed through administrative adjudication, $17,050 has been collected.
CONTACT: Herb Bayhi Director City of New Orleans Health Department City Hall, Room 8W02 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans LA 70112 504/565-6887

Caring for Kids Neighborhood Day Care Home Project, Jacksonville, Florida
Summary: "Caring for Kids Neighborhood Day Care Home Project" in Jacksonville, Florida is a collaborative neighborhood day care effort to increase options for welfare recipients to attain permanent self-sufficiency by becoming licensed family day care home providers, resulting in savings of $11,000 per recipient in welfare payments.
Text: Jacksonville, Florida has 8,634 Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients. It is estimated that there are approximately 50,300 children who are 13 years of age or younger and in need of day care. The Caring for Kids Neighborhood Day Care Home Project addresses the issues of long-term unemployment/welfare dependency, inadequate job skills and educational training, and an inadequate supply of neighborhood home day care services. Interested welfare recipients have the option of becoming licensed family day care home providers, thus achieving economic self- sufficiently. This entrepreneurial project has provided a myriad of classroom/work experience and support services, and is funded mainly by the City of Jacksonville, which guarantees each participant a child care subcontract from $13,000-$15,000 annually. Through the partnership between the City and the private sector, the program has been able to provide welfare recipients with a meaningful occupation, thus building a sense pride and dignity. It has been able to lower unemployment, has saved taxpayers $11,000 per recipient in welfare payments, and provides additional day care capability in the low-income areas where it is most needed. Begun in 1988, the program boasts a 100% success rate.
CONTACT: Camilla Sims-Jones Division Chief, Child Services City of Jacksonville Human Services Department 421 West Church Town Center Building, Suite 401 Jacksonville FL 32202 904/630-3647

Carlsbad Growth Management Program, Carlsbad, California

Summary: The "Carlsbad Growth Management Program" is an effective approach to managing City growth by ensuring the adequacy of public facilities and services, using public facility performance standards and a comprehensive approach to facility planning and financing. Text: The City of Carlsbad's Growth Management Program responds to the growing concern of residents about the tremendous growth the City has experienced in recent years. In 1980, the population of this 40 square mile community was a mere 30,000. Today in 1989, over 60,000 people inhabit the city. For three years in a row, the City had an average growth rate of 10%. Citizens complained of congested streets, lack of parks and overcrowded schools. With this as the setting, the Carlsbad City Council, staff, citizens and development community worked together to design and implement a Growth Management Program which would effectively address the concerns of all parties. The most unique feature of the Program is its use of public facility performance standards and its comprehensive, detail-oriented approach to facility planning and financing. By adoption and implementation of the Program, the City has developed a way to absolutely ensure that adequate public facilities and services will be provided concurrent with the demand created by growth. The program goal is to manage residential, commercial and industrial growth based upon compliance with eleven facility-based performance standards. The program uses a three-tiered comprehensive planning approach: 1. CITYWIDE FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS PLAN -Adopted eleven public facility performance standards -Divided the City into 25 Facility Management Zones -Detailed existing Citywide public facilities -Projected ultimate Citywide public facility needs 2. LOCAL FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ZONE PLANS -Implements the provisions of the Growth Management Plan -Prepared by property owners within each of the 25 zones -Phases all development and public facility needs in accordance with the Growth Management Plan -Details financing mechanisms to provide for the public facilities 3. INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS -Must comply with the provisions of the Local Facilities Management Plan -Must implement the provisions of the Citywide Facilities and Improvements Plans After implementing its Growth Management Plan for nearly three years, the accomplishments include: 1) 14 of the 25 zones in the City have adopted Local Facilities Management Plans 2) One new community park has been developed. The entire acreage for another community park has been dedicated rather than piecemeal dedication as was done previously 3) A Citywide traffic analysis has been prepared and an annual monitoring program is in place to measure on-going service levels of all major roads and intersections 4) Major road improvements have occurred in numerous areas in the city 5) A financing plan has been adopted to fund improvements to the three freeway interchanges in the city 6) A new fire station has been constructed and another is under construction 7) A site has been acquired to build a new branch library 8) The city has adopted a 25 year, build-out capital improvement program (CIP) rather than just a 5-year plan The City of Carlsbad's Growth Management Program precisely and comprehensively links growth with adequate public facilities. Unless all eleven public facility standards are satisfied within a zone, no development permit may be approved. The eleven facility standards are not just goals or guidelines, they are precise performance standards. Although each city must decide what standards are best for their community, the principle of strictly complying with performance standards for public facilities and services could serve as a model for other communities.
CONTACT: Michael J. Holzmiller Planning Director City of Carlsbad Planning Department 2075 Las Palmas Drive Carlsbad CA 92009 619/438-1161

City Wide Service Request System, Syracuse, New York

Summary: The City of Syracuse has initiated the computerized "City Wide Service Request System (CWSRS)" which channels complaints and requests for various services to a centralized telephone system, enabling the city to track the disposition of the service request.
Text: The City Wide Service Request System (CWSRS) was developed using an IBM System 38 with several terminals located at various City departments. The function of this network is to channel all incoming calls into one centralized bank of telephones. Calls are screened for the seriousness and nature of complaint. Emergency calls are given top priority. All calls are data-entered as soon as they are received and each given a status code. The address and description of the complaint is recorded and the information is sent to the appropriate department for immediate action. Seven departments within the city make up the network. These departments received the vast majority of complaint calls as well as calls for information. CWSRS makes it virtually impossible to lose work orders. Verification of all calls with their date, time, and address are key punched. Accountability is further enhanced by the Five Day Overdue Report (which is designed to report all complaints not resolved within five working days), perhaps the single most important facet of the program, generated on a weekly basis. CWSRS handled 20,650 complaint calls in 1988. Because of the efficiency of the computer program and the easy to follow training manual, the city needs only to employ four full time operators to handle the very large volume of calls. City residents no longer must make several calls to reach the proper department with which a particular complaint should be registered. A good example of the system's effectiveness is displayed in the reduction in size of the Five Day Reports since implementation. The reports had initially averaged three or more pages (with 8-10) complaints per page) a week to each bureau. Presently, the average size of the weekly reports has been reduced to approximately one page. This indicates clearly that two thirds of the complaints left unresolved after five business days at the time the program was initiated are now resolved in that period of time.
CONTACT: Linda J. Dombrow Director City of Syracuse Bureau of Research 422 City Hall Syracuse NY 13202 315/448-8020

Employee Assistance Program, Buena Park, California
Summary: The "Employee Assistance Program" provides "in-house" counseling to employees of Buena Park, California in the areas of stress, alcohol and drug abuse, family and marital crisis, job problems, child and spousal abuse and money and credit management problems.
Text: A unique and innovative program for small city government, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a holistic approach to meeting the personal needs of the city employee. The program is provided and managed "in- house" by the City Psychologist for all types of crisis intervention. Efforts are also made to assess the potential employee as they enter the system through psychological screenings, and to continue their development both personally and professionally through exposure to the in-service training program, "Investment in Excellence". The variety of problems receiving assistance include: family and marital crisis; stress; alcohol and drug dependency; job problems; child and spousal abuse; legal problems; care of and issues relating to elderly or infirm relatives; death and dying; and money and credit management problems. The change that led to significant cost savings was the institution of EAP. Prior to EAP the City Psychologist worked in crisis intervention with the City Police Department. The vehicle for handling the general employee population problems did not exist. Consequently, problems with employee absenteeism due to accidents and illness were rising. The city noticed the growing trend and decided to address it. Since the introduction of EAP, the program has been directly or partly responsible for over $2 million in savings, most of this being realized in a reduction in disability retirements from four to one. Most agencies this size have traditionally "contracted-out" their EAP services because the up-front per employee cost usually appears lower. This program demonstrates that a smaller agency can have an "in-house" program, and can save considerably more money in doing so. CONTACT: Tom Abbott Program Director City of Buena Park Administrative Services Dept. 6650 Beach Boulevard Buena Park CA 90620 714/521-9900

Enhanced Budget Presentation, Stamford, Connecticut
Summary: For "Enhanced Budget Presentation," The Commissioner of Finance for the City of Stamford, Connecticut developed an annual book of information relevant to sound budget decision-making.
Text: An annual book developed by the City of Stamford, Connecticut, serves as an explanatory back-up to the 200 pages of computer- printed dollar figures that had traditionally been the City's budget decision tool. This book sets forth: a description of the mission of each department; selected operating statistics; a ten-year history of actual departmental expenditures, the budget for the current year, and the Mayor's request for the coming year; a ten-year departmental revenue history, the budget for the current year, and the estimated amount for the coming year; a five-year history of full-time positions in each department; and a detailed explanation of selected line item budgetary requests for the coming year. This volume has become invaluable to the fiscal boards as they make their budget decisions, as it enhances the original computer-printout (which is still also prepared). The result is that taxpayer dollars are spent more wisely, resources are allocated on the basis of demand for services and on the basis of government policy, as defined in the missions of the various operating departments of the City.
CONTACT: Paul A. Pacter Commissioner of Finance City of Stamford Finance Department PO Box 10152 Stamford CT 06904-2152 203/977-4182

FAST, New York, New York

Summary: "FAST" is a 26-member unit, composed of architects, engineers and tradesmen, that has served as the in-house construction team of New York City's Bureau of Facilities Management (BFM). FAST is a time-efficient and cost-effective alternative to the City's capital process.
Text: In FY 1988, BFM's director developed the Facilities Action Strategy Team (FAST), an in-house design and construction team to respond to facilities problems. FAST has addressed the problem of efficiently completing the construction and conversion of space to meet the City's changing needs. The City's capital construction process, while imbued with the best intentions, has sometimes proven too protracted and too costly. The crises that New York City has undergone have required efficacious construction of new facilities, and without FAST, the process of constructing them would have been significantly prolonged. Utilizing FAST has allowed the City to save money, increase the quality of construction and ultimately improve City services in a wide variety of projects. Such projects include the construction of emergency holding pens for alleged criminals awaiting arraignment at the Manhattan Criminal Court, the building of a facility to test would-be firefighters, and the design and construction of wire centers for the City's planned telecommunications system. FAST's efficient construction of emergency holding pens, which drew praise from the district attorney, allowed the City to expand quickly an innovative program to expedite criminal cases through the justice system. FAST is currently responsible for 19 projects with an estimated total worth of $12,000,000. Past projects have resulted in time savings of 50- 67%, and have resulted cost savings from 20-50%. However, FAST's most critical contribution has been in providing the City with capability to respond to a variety of facilities problems which must be solved immediately. For example, without the construction of arraignment facilities, the City's criminal justice initiative, the Tactical Narcotics Program (TNT) would have been less effective. FAST's flexibility insures that they can respond to a variety of facilities issues. Ranging from the expansion of existing court facilities to a mayoral print shop, each is considered a high priority. As the FAST team performance indicates, the efficiency of an in-house construction team provides an invaluable service.
CONTACT: Rudolph J. Fatutta Director City of New York Bureau of Facilities Management 1 Centre Street 16th Floor North New York NY 10007 212/669-7292

Fast Track Residential Street Reconstruction Program, Schaumburg, Illinois Summary: The "Fast Track Residential Street Reconstruction Program" is a pavement management computerized system which "fast tracks" and evaluates the status of street repair in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Text: The Village of Schaumburg has experienced rapid growth from its population of 2,000 in the early sixties to the current residential population of 65,000. The same growth has occurred in the commercial and industrial development. This expansion produced inadequately designed streets, many of which were under construction at the same time, increasing traffic flows, and deferred maintenance. As a result, 10-15 years later, Schaumburg was faced with a large percentage of streets in need of major repair. How to determine which streets to repair first under existing budget constraints and ease community inconvenience became a monumental problem. In order to support the theory that many of the streets were reaching a critical stage and convince the elected officials that major funding was required, a pavement management system that would "Fast Track" this repair problem was needed. The Public Works Department selected and modified the FHWA/Caltrans Flexible Pavement Management System, a computer software package compatible with the department's AT&T 6300 PCs. In November, 1986 all village streets were surveyed by employees trained in-house and the data was entered into the system. Data included five types of visual pavement failure as well as drainage and curb problems. The Caltrans System generated a report assigning each street a priority number, a rating (good, fair, poor, failed) and a suggested strategy for repair (no repair, patching/crackfill, resurfacing, reconstruction). This information was then loaded into a D-Base III+ program (developed in- house) which gave a listing of streets by priority and repair strategy, as well as a cost estimate for work to be completed. The Village then contracted with InfraStructure Management Services of Arlington Heights, Illinois to determine the actual condition of the pavement, sub-base and sub-grade through non-destructive testing. This verified what the in- house survey revealed and lent authenticity to the results of the modified CALTRANS program. The reports identified 15.3% of the streets (23 miles) to be in poor condition (needing resurfacing) and 27% (41 miles) of the network in a failed condition (needing total reconstruction). With these reports in hand, a proposal was made to the elected officials. It was apparent that the current funding (mainly State Motor Fuel Tax) was not going to be adequate to correct these problems. Based on the information supplied by the Department of Public Works, a plan was presented to repair 42% of the entire street system over a three year period. The Village Board approved a Bond Issue for $30 million in 1987 of which $20 million was allocated for street reconstruction.
CONTACT: Robert H. Miller Director Village of Schaumburg Public Works 714 South Plum Grove Road Schaumburg IL 60193 312/894-7100

Home Ownership Program, Greenville, South Carolina
Summary: The City of Greenville, South Carolina "Home Ownership Program" is a public-private venture which provides for the construction of modestly priced homes for purchase by low-income citizens, and has produced 22 new homes (of a total of 38 planned homes).
Text: This program addressed the lack of quality housing in low income over several years. As the housing conditions deteriorated, owner occupants moved away from the areas. Disinvestment continued and housing conditions became progressively worse in the community. A second problem was the conversion of homes from owner occupancy to rental units, creating a vicious cycle. The Home Ownership Program provides for the construction of moderately priced housing by families of low income. It combines Federal Community Development dollars for down payment and site improvement assistance from human service agencies, below market financing provided through the South Carolina State Housing Authority and competitive bidding for home construction to produce a low purchase price ($30,000) and affordable monthly payments ($236.06) for program participants. The program is sponsored and coordinated by the City's Community Development Department. The program has been operating for four years and has produced 22 new homes in two different communities (a total of 38 are planned), and has made a significant contribution to neighborhood stabilization and revitalization. The City has approximately $10,000 invested in each home and believes that it has received a significant return on that investment. No owner has defaulted on mortgage payments or has been delinquent. The program benefits all participants: 1) Low income families gain a new home that they otherwise would never have been able to afford; 2) Their children thrive on the stability provided by growing up in a home in which the head of the household is working to purchase the home; 3) New homes help stabilize and revitalize the neighborhoods which stimulating private investment; 4) The city government gains a new tax base and a solid core of people dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of life in city neighborhoods; and 5) Home contractors benefit, because the program supports small business. CONTACT: Jim Campbell Communications and Training Manager City of Greenville Communications and Training PO Box 2207 Greenville SC 29607 803/240-4524

Law Enforcement Evaluation System, Paramount, California
Summary: The City of Paramount, California has instituted a citizen "Law Enforcement Evaluation System", which has resulted in improved service accountability and service delivery, more productive community interaction, and reduced crime levels.
Text: In 1982, the Rand Corporation published a HUD sponsored study on conditions of U.S. suburbs of over 10,000 people. The City of Paramount ranked as one of eight disaster American suburbs, scoring in the bottom in 9 of 16 disaster indicators, ranking 31 in the State of California in the category of highest number of serious crimes committed per 100,000 population. Gangs were running rampant, graffiti was everywhere and crime was on the increase. Because of the cosmopolitan nature of the community, with its large Hispanic population, it was difficult for law enforcement to relate to the community; and the community was outraged at the poor service it was receiving. Public perception of poor service delivery was exacerbated by the use of County deputies from L.A. County. Deputies were not specifically assigned to patrol Paramount; there existed a large turnover of officers. Because a deputy might only work in the city one or two days per month, they appeared apathetic and did not seem to care about the quality of service delivery. To combat this situation, the City implemented several programs. To make the Sheriffs recognize that they were working for the City, specific officers were assigned to Paramount. The City seal was affixed to the officers patrol cars. And, to create more accountability, to improve the quality of service delivery, and provide a more effective, efficient and productive law enforcement service delivery, the City initiated the Law Enforcement Evaluation System. This program requires the deputies, upon completion of service, to hand out evaluation forms to every victim or complaining party after each call. All the resident has to do is put check marks in boxes and mail the already addressed post card to the Sheriff's Station in order to evaluate the City's law enforcement service. Every three months a recap of the data is provided to the City Council. Each deputy also receives a copy of every returned card evaluating his/her performance. Whenever a negative comment is received on an evaluation form, the Lieutenant calls the citizen to resolve or respond to the complaint. The results of the Citizen Satisfaction Survey Forms have been phenomenal. With a 20% rate of return, 93% rated the deputy as courteous. Seven percent rated the deputy as "other" while only 1% rated the deputy as indifferent. In 83% of the cases, the deputy's performance was rated as excellent. In 13% of the cases, the deputy's performance was rated as good, in 1% the deputy's performance was rated as fair, and 3% rated the deputy as "other". The deputies previously thought because of all the complaints, residents hated them. They have found instead that they are overwhelmingly appreciated. This has improved their attitude towards the community. Instead of hundreds of complaints and gripe sessions, there is now only an occasional complaint, productive Neighborhood Watch meetings, and praise and understanding for deputies. Additionally, gang activity has been drastically decreased. Major crimes for FY 1987/88 have been reduced to FY 1978/79 levels despite the fact that this year Paramount is the eighth fastest growing city in Los Angeles County. And most importantly deputies are providing a higher quality of service with open communication with residents. CONTACT: Patrick H. West Deputy City Manager City of Paramount Public Safety 16400 Colorado Avenue Paramount CA 90723 213/220-2039

Local Government Program, Austin, Texas
Summary: The "Texas Comptroller's "Local Government Program" provides a manual to help city and county governments of every size set up a standard accounting system, as well as a team of one-on-one consultants who offer city, county and other local officials technical assistance in the interpretation of changing state regulations.
Text: Originated in 1975, the Local Government Program began with the development of the Standard Financial Management System for Texas Counties, now called the " Red Book," a manual to help any of the state's 254 counties develop an accounting system. The Red Book offered a double-entry system for larger, more sophisticated counties, and a "simplified" system, using a combination journal-ledger that any county worker with no previous bookkeeping experience could keep. Positive response to the Red Book resulted in the development of a traveling Comptroller staff that traveled statewide to help counties evaluate their financial management systems and make improvements. When the staff wasn't out in the field, they were readily available for consultation by phone. Regional workshops were added, and the Standard Financial Management System for Texas Cities, the Blue Book, was developed to help cities with their accounting procedures. Since 1985, the program moved in a new direction with the creation of a newsletter for Texas local governments, "City and County Financial Management Systems". This new thrust of the Local Government Program allowed the Comptroller to provide a higher level of service to more local governments at a savings --a timely solution for cost savings when Texas faced serious budget problems. The quarterly newsletter updates state laws and regulations and includes news analysis and technical aids for local government financial management. It regularly discusses areas of mutual endeavor between the Comptroller and cities and counties and specifically explains the application of state laws and regulations to local government financial management. Written in plain English, it is offered free of charge to over 11,000 subscribers, including 10,000 City and county officials, hundreds of local government managers and employees, CPA firms and others interested in local government financial management. CONTACT: Tom Nilsen Supervisor City of Austin Local Government Division 111 East 17th Street Austin TX 78711 512/463-4000

Mayor's Handicap Parking Enforcement Team, Flint, Michigan

Summary: The "Mayor's Handicap Parking Enforcement Team (HPET)" of Flint, Michigan was established in August 1988 to help meet the educational and enforcement concerns of handicap parking issues. A plan in which volunteers were trained and authorized to issue tickets to violators of handicap parking laws was established. As a result of budget constraints due to a high unemployment rate, declining population and decreasing revenue, the Flint Police Department has experienced a dramatic reduction in the number of its officers on the street. This factor, along with a high rate of crime, often necessitated making the enforcement of handicap parking laws a low priority within the department. The citizens and public officials of Flint recognized this dilemma and enthusiastically supported the establishment of the volunteer enforcement team. The HPET volunteers, by working cooperatively with the Police Department, the Secretary of State's office and Department of Building Inspections address four major problem areas concerning handicap parking 1) enforcement, 2) the addition of correctly signed spaces, 3) public relations and 4) distribution of handicap parking permit information. Through funding received from the City Council, donations, fundraisers and ticket revenue the project is completely self-supporting. Revenue from all of these sources was $34,096 and total expenses were $16,150. The Flint Police Department, by providing administrative support, has 44 well trained volunteers in the community who address the concerns of a special population. There is a dramatic change in the availability and number of handicap parking spaces in Flint. Four hundred additional handicap parking spaces have been placed at local businesses, through labor provided by UAW Job Bank volunteers.
CONTACT: Joanne M. Hartranft Director City of Flint Mayors Office on Aging 1101 South Saginaw Street Flint MI 48502 313/766-7276

Medical Care of Children Project, Fairfax County, Virginia

Summary: The Fairfax County, Virginia, "Medical Care of Children Project (MCCP)" provides affordable medical services to children from indigent families who lack Medicaid, health insurance, cash or other resources.
Text: The Medical Care for Children Project (MCCP) is a public/private partnership that provides low-cost medical services to children from indigent families which lack Medicaid, health insurance, cash or any other resources to pay for health care. MCCP has two components, namely: 1) acute care, which consists of services for acute illnesses provided by private physicians and medical laboratories at a cost to the clients of $1 per service; and 2) comprehensive services, which consist of preventive, general care, inpatient, physical therapy, mental health, and pharmacy services provided by a health maintenance organization at no cost to clients. Non-profit community organizations identify eligible children, broker and arrange the services (e.g., recruitment of physicians, client appointments, transportation) and process payments. The goals of the program are to reduce the incidence and consequences of late, inadequate, or lack of treatment of children's illnesses and to facilitate family efforts to become self-supporting. In an effort to achieve these goals MCCP has increased the number of poor children receiving low or no-cost pediatric services, increased the number of health care providers who deliver services to low-income children at reduced or no cost, increased the continuity of health care for low-income children, increased family's resources for food, clothing and shelter and reduced costs for health care, transportation, and other medical costs. The budget for FY1988 is $106,646, which came from the County's general fund and included the costs of the care provided by the HMO and private physicians as well as costs to identify eligible children, recruit providers, pay pharmaceutical and medical laboratory costs, and administer the program. MCCP provides health services to indigent children at minimal cost to the County as follows: 1) Private physicians agree to provide services at 50% of usual charges; 2) HMO agrees to provide services at cost below County's contribution for County employees enrolled in the HMO; 3) Medical laboratories and pharmacies provide services at 50% of usual charges or at cost; and 4) To reduce costs further, County and community organizations tap existing community resources for medical care (e.g., the Lions Club for funds to pay for eye care, the American Cancer Society for screenings).
CONTACT: Jean M. Van Devanter Director City of Fairfax Office of Public Affairs 4100 Chain Bridge Road Fairfax VA 22030 703/246-3187

Medical Quality Assurance Program, Lee County, Florida
Summary: The Emergency Medical Service of Lee County, Florida's "Medical Quality Assurance Program" is an ongoing comprehensive medical quality assurance program, designed to achieve and maintain an optimal level of pre-hospital patient care.
Text: The problem addressed by the "Medical Quality Assurance Program" is the inability to qualitatively measure pre-hospital patient care provided by Lee County, Florida's Emergency Medical Service. Prior to the implementation of this program, problems of improper patient care were dealt with in a reactionary nature. This required a change from a reactionary to a preventative orientation. Components of this program include direct review of all run reports, in- field observation, as well as the evaluation of medications, medical equipment, protocols and procedures. During the analysis of certain medical equipment it was found that their use was ineffective in certain cases. By narrowing the inclusion criteria regarding the employment of this equipment, a significant reduction in expenditures is being experienced. As part of this quality assurance program, a follow up reporting system was established with the local medical facilities. This opened a channel of communication with the medical professionals of those facilities which had, until then, remained unused. As a result of this intercommunication, Lee County Emergency Medical Service is able to measure the true caliber of care given to their patients. Through the intensive scrutiny of run reports, Lee County EMS is able to identify undesirable trends in patient care and inform their personnel of it. Once the personnel is informed of a deficiency, the appropriate remedial actions can take place. This heightened awareness, coupled with a positive work environment, decreases the likelihood of costly medical malpractice litigation.
CONTACT: M.K. Wilkinson Acting Director City of Fort Myers Public Safety/EMS PO Box 398 Fort Myers FL 33902-0398 813/332-3111

Note Sale Directly to Residents Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey
Summary: The "Note Sale Directly to Residents" issued high yield tax exempt notes to both large and small investor-residents in order to finance the final phase of the Lake Hiawatha Flood Control Project.
Text: As part of an effort to build pride in Parsippany, residents were invited, during the month of September, 1988 to purchase one year tax exempt notes. These general obligation notes were specifically issued to finance the final phase of the Lake Hiawatha Flood Control Project. (Lake Hiawatha is an area within the Township with a long history of drainage problems). The denominations of the notes sold were in amounts as little as $500. in order to give the very small investor an opportunity to participate. A legal opinion was obtained stating that these financial instruments were exempt from Federal and State income tax. The rate was determined on the Monday morning of each of the four weeks during September and was the rate in effect for the duration of the note term. The rate was set to include the normal brokers profit resulting in a higher yield than was available in the market place. The maturity date of the note was set at exactly one year after the day of purchase. During the month of September, 1988, 566 notes were issued totaling $2,320,000. Residents had the benefit of making small investments tax free and purchasing their investment free of any broker or commission fee. The program resulted in financing a much needed project, to control flooding, and in building a deep sense of pride and unity in their community. Ordinarily, an individual who wishes to invest in the Municipal market would normally be required to purchase instruments in denominations of at least $5,000 through a broker. The emphasis in this program was to allow the "very small" Township investor an opportunity to participate in the fund raising activities of their community, an opportunity that they would not otherwise be capable of obtaining. Here the "very small" investor could take advantage of high yield tax exempt notes without paying commission fees to a broker. In total, 475 notes were sold in amounts of less than $5,000 of the total 566 notes issued.
CONTACT: Robert Griffith Comptroller City of Parsippany Department of Finance 1001 Parsippany Boulevard Parsippany NJ 07054 201/263-4295

Operations Improvement and Development Program Hillsborough County, Florida
Summary: The "Operations Improvement and Development Program" in Tampa, Florida enhances pubic service delivery through supporting and developing employee involvement in improvement teams, work simplification teams, InterSolve teams, management training, employee and trade skills training, strategic planning and technology transfer.
Text: The problem confronting Hillsborough County, Florida, which the Operations Improvement and Development Department Programs address, is an increasingly typical one: the public has increasing demands and expectations for services but is unwilling to fund these service demands through increased taxes. Twenty thousand people a year are moving into Hillsborough County and approximately eighty percent of these newcomers are locating in unincorporated parts of the County. The resulting stress on the infrastructure and social and economic services is severe and increasing in pressure. The Operations Improvement and Development Department of Hillsborough County was formed in 1987 to respond to both the top administrator's and the Board of County Commissioners' expressed need to make dramatic changes. The need for change was based on instability reflected in a new County Administrator every two years and a weakened relationship between the Board and County employees. The creation of the Operations Improvement and Development Department was one of several changes which included the restructuring of the organization to flatten the layers of decision-making and the creation of a new professional ladder in which compensation is based on performance. The Operations Improvement and Development Department is part of the Productivity and Service Team which includes Public Information, Cable Services, Information Technology, Legislative Liaison, and Human Resources. As the name suggests, these departments share the common goal of improving the overall productivity of Hillsborough County through the hiring and retaining of competent and committed staff, keeping up with the latest technology, and offering support to help implement the County's mission to "provide quality public service second to none". The Operations Improvement and Development Department is staffed by a team of professionals who are experts in process consulting, organizational development, management development, strategic planning, and operations planning. The mission of the department and its programs is to enhance public service delivery, reduce the cost of public service and improve the quality of services to the residents of Hillsborough County. This mission is accomplished through supporting and developing employee involvement and improvement teams, work simplification teams, InterSolve teams, management training, employee and trade skills training, strategic planning, and technology transfer. Emphasis throughout the development of improvement teams was on measurable results. Annualized documented cost savings and cost avoidances total $3.59 million. One indication of the success of the program is the broad spectrum of departments which have documented savings. The program works not only in those easily measured departments which have documented savings. The program works not only in those easily measured departments such as Solid Waste and Public Utilities but also the "softer" delivery areas such as Social Services and Aging Services. Another indicator of the success of the program was found in the results of the Employee Survey. This survey measured employee satisfaction on a broad range of job components. The results indicated that employees who participate on employee teams or in training and development programs were more satisfied overall than those employees who did not participate in these programs.
CONTACT: Richard O. Mayer Director City of Tampa Operations Improvement Develop 625 Twiggs Street Suite 203 Tampa FL 33602 813/272-5047

Park Place Senior Center, Arlington Heights, Illinois

Summary: The "Park Place Senior Center" of Arlington Heights, Illinois uses formal community partnerships involving eight agencies which provide centralize services to promote independence and quality of life to senior citizens.
Text: After several years of research, the Arlington Heights Senior Citizens Commission determined the need for a multi-purpose senior center. Senior services were available in the community to the growing number of aging residents, but were fragmented, located at different sites, and administered by different agencies. The problem facing the Village was how to meet this challenge of developing a comprehensive network of services at a time when local, state and federal funding was being cut. The key factor for the success of this project has been the development of formal community partnerships. The Village did not have the resources or expertise to provide a holistic service system. Therefore, it has aggressively sought community support. Presently, there are eight agencies permanently housed at the Park Place Senior Center. These agencies represent local government, private for-profit, and not-for- profit organizations. The Village operates the Senior Center, planning, developing and coordinating services. The agencies receive from the Village rent-free space in exchange for the provision of direct client services. The individual agencies retain administrative control, yet work in concert with each other in an integrated service delivery system. Co-location and the development of community partnerships have been the key factors influencing the success of Park Place. Park Place has proven that by working together it is extremely cost effective and that all parties involved can better enhance their programs by pooling resources. For example, in 1982 the Village committed approximately $62,000 to operate the Center. The combined budgets of the other agencies represented $346,000. Therefore, the Village, by offering rent free space, gained provision of senior citizen services valued at five times the cost of its initial investment. This pattern of growth has continued. Although the Village is providing 100 per cent of the costs to heat and maintain the Center, this represents only 14 per cent of the total costs to provide all of the services. Another unique feature of Park Place is that the Senior Center serves a six township area. It is progressive for a municipal sponsored center to offer its services to an area greater than its city boundaries, at no extra charge.
CONTACT: Mary Jo Zeller Senior Center Director City of Arlington Heights Department of Health Park Place Senior Center 306 West Park Street Arlington Heights IL 60005 312/253-2340

Program Measurement System, St. Petersburg, Florida
Summary: The "Program Measurement System" was designed and implemented as a multi- faceted data collection and system of analysis of governmental performance in terms of program outcome measures. The goal of this system is to provide information to policy makers of St. Petersburg, Florida in three areas; management, budgeting and accountability.
Text: The City's Program Measurement System is a systematic approach of objectively obtaining and evaluating information regarding the performance of City programs against established objectives. It requires City management to focus on results rather than activities, and provides information needed by City Council, the City management team and departmental personnel to make informed decisions, as well as informing the public of the degree of accomplishment of City programs. It is a centrally coordinated system which provides analysis and support to department personnel and identifies potential problems and areas of opportunities to the City management team. The system is designed to focus on service outcomes rather than agency output or workload measures. All programs are approached from a perspective of their ultimate impact on the citizen. This program offers three separate components: 1) The Program Measurement System, as explained in the program training manual, gives a step-by-step approach to the development of a mission statement, goals, objectives and measures for each program of government. 2) The mini-surveys allow a government to get direct information from their "clients" on how well they are doing on a regular basis which is essential to assessing the effectiveness of their programs. 3) The FOCUS Group concept, a structured approach involving the use of "internal consultants" to target problem areas or programs which need improvement. The FOCUS Group component of the Program Measurement System has had the most immediate impact on cost savings, revenue increases and improved services. In the Occupational Tax Section, the FOCUS Group analyzed revenue and field hours and recommended the creation of an additional inspector position. This investment was recovered through increased revenue collection in less than three months and now contributes and additional $100,000/year in increased occupational tax revenue. Another FOCUS Group that was formed to study the City's Consolidated Warehouse made recommendations that resulted in improvements which turned an operating deficit of $10,000/ month to an operating profit of $7,000/month and reduced the overhead from 21% to 19% in only one year.
CONTACT: Jerry Gianakis Budget Supervisor City of St. Petersburg Budget & Management PO Box 2842 St. Petersburg FL 33731 813/892-5275

Salt Lake County Business/Government Alliance, Salt Lake County, Utah
Summary: The "Salt Lake County Business/Government Alliance" in a public-private partnership, comprised of business community members and members from Salt Lake County government which plans, studies, and implements solutions to common problems facing the County and business.
Text: In today's complex and highly technical society the business/government combination represents a unique method of solving community problems without costly consultant fees. Private business managers and executives bring valuable private sector expertise and knowledge -- pro bono -- to County government decision-making. The value of private sector volunteers serving as members of a BGA and its task forces during the two years 1987 and 1988 alone is calculated at $172,400 based on a standard hourly rate of $40. The creation of task forces and subcommittees of BGA enlarges the circle of participation for Salt Lake County residents. Many more citizens, professionals and non-professionals, in the private sector are provided an opportunity to play an important role in shaping County government decisions. These task forces and subcommittees effectively help promote and maintain "open door government". During the last seven years of its existence the Business/ Government Alliance has studied and made recommendations to Salt Lake County in a wide variety of areas. These recommendations have greatly aided in policy decisions and improved efficiencies in Salt Lake County government. The BGA has closely examined and made recommendations for Salt Lake County in Facilities Planning, Water Management, Salt Palace (County-owned sports arena), Change in form of County government, Criminal justice system, County tax system, County government roles and revenues and Transportation solutions. CONTACT: Nancy Plant Intergovernmental Relations Manager City of Salt Lake City Administrative Services 2001 South State Street N4100 Salt Lake City UT 84190-3000 801/468-3337

Sanitary Infiltration/Inflow Removal Program, Johnson County, Kansas

Summary: The "Sanitary Infiltration/Inflow Removal Program" was designed in Mission, Kansas, to reduce sanitary sewer backups in homes and buildings and prevent bypasses to streams during rainfall events.
Text: Johnson County residences experienced sanitary sewer backups for over 30 years during moderate and heavy rainfalls. Also, uncontrolled bypasses of sewage to receiving streams occurred during the rainfall events which posed health and environmental hazards and violated EPA regulations. A large portion of the water that causes backups originates from private residences that have connections to the sanitary sewer which allow storm or ground water (I/I) to enter the collection system. In order to eliminate storm water from entering the sanitary sewer, modifications to the plumbing within homes that have I/I connections must be performed. However, the costs of these repairs were fully reimbursed to the homeowners. Homeowners who have an I/I connection are contacted by Johnson County Unified Wastewater Districts and asked to obtain bids for modifications from qualified plumbers. Bids are submitted to the Districts for review of plumbing codes and functionality. A plumber is selected to perform the repairs necessary to reroute the storm water from the sanitary sewer to an appropriate means of discharge. Payment for the repairs to the private residents were previously reimbursed to the homeowner. However, it was realized that a savings was evident by utilizing the County's tax exempt status. Payments were then reimbursed directly to the plumber, saving 5-6% of the costs. By eliminating storm water on private property, larger sewer pipes were not needed. Comparing replacement of sewers versus rehabilitation of I/I sources in the three watersheds in which the program was implemented, there is a cost savings of over $65,000,000. From June, 1986 to present, the program has removed 2,700 sources at a cost of $1,700,000 which removed 8,700,000 gallons per day during a one year storm event. Due to an increase in staff, the program is expected to remove over 15,000 sources by the end of 1992. CONTACT: Jim Bills Infiltration/Inflow Planning Coordinator Johnson County Wastewater-Engineering Division 6000 Lamar Avenue Room 100 Mission KS 66202 913/384-1100

Service Enhancement Program", San Diego, California

Summary: The "Service Enhancement Program", in San Diego, California has developed a system to enhance service delivery to citizens while maintaining the commitment to service of city employees who are requested to increase productivity in the face of cutbacks as a result of Proposition 13.
Text: Since voter approval of Proposition 13, municipalities in California have had to face the challenge of maintaining productivity after serious budge cuts. The attitude of many employees at the City of San Diego continues to reflect the resentment of having to increase their productivity without the personnel, training, equipment and office space they perceive necessary to do their work. The City Manager wanted to change the attitude of employees from the top to the bottom of the organization. He wanted all employees to act as "If our customers had a choice, they'd choose us". This motto and the City Mission Statement became the foundation for 1988 - The Year of Service. In February 1988, the Office of the City Manager requested proposals for service enhancement programs from all department directors. Three departments - Building Inspection, Parks and Recreation, and the Fire Department - were selected to participate in the first phase of a city- wide program aimed at enhancing service to citizens. The key components include: 1) Development of performance measures which will assist each department in monitoring the effectiveness of their service. 2) Development and administration of pre- and post- citizen surveys 3) Development of a quarterly service-oriented employee newsletter 4) City-wide training in customer service philosophy and techniques 5) Inclusion of a customer service function and standards in each employee's performance evaluation 6) Revision of city-wide policies and procedures to streamline them for service to the customer 7) The development of a telecommunications system to improve communication to city customers
CONTACT: Trudy Sopp Program Manager City of San Diego Organization Effectiveness 202 "C" Street San Diego CA 92101-3868 619/236-6025

Shared Savings Program Pittsburg, California
Summary: The "Shared Savings Program (SSP)" of Pittsburg, California, is the culmination of the Public Services Department's ten year effort to build private sector incentives into municipal public works employment as an effort to cut costs, while escalating productivity.
Text: The City of Pittsburg's Shared Savings Program (SSP) has been in operation since May, 1987. The program links employee compensation with efficient utilization of equipment, supplies, and labor resources. The result of this venture is that Pittsburg's employees have grown to appreciate the value of City property and materials while significantly reducing the cost of public works services. Briefly stated, the Shared Savings Program works as follows: 1) Participants in the program are selected by their peers 2) All monies that the park personnel have direct control of is pooled in a single fund. 3) The group has its own accountant to log all costs on a daily basis 4) All materials and supplies, repairs, etc., along with salaries are charged to the account 5) Quality is controlled within the Parks System through a vehicle known as a "Deficiency Notice". The Deficiency Notice places a financial penalty against the group's account. Individual deficiencies do not exceed $200 6) Savings (coming in under budget) are split 60/40 with shares going to the employees and City, respectively The unit cost of maintenance services has been reduced in meter reading from 78 cents to 33 cents per unit. One individual now reads all water meters realizing approximately 120 hours per month, versus 1 1/2 individuals using approximately 240 hours per month. The results in the Street Sweeping program were also significant with costs falling from $15 to $10 per curb mile swept, cutting 40% per month off the time previously required for this work. The Unit Compensation program in janitorial services has reduced costs significantly. (The last "low" private sector bidder came in $32,000 - more expensive than the city's crew!) The SSP in the Park Maintenance was responsible for an estimated $60,000 in its first year of operation. This savings was generated at the same time that there was an appreciable improvement in the quality of services provided by the Division.
CONTACT: Robert Soderbery Director City of Pittsburg Public Services Department PO Box 1518 Pittsburg CA 94565 415/439-3600

Strategic Planning for Unified Decision Support, Fremont, California
Summary: The "Strategic Planning for Unified Decision Support (SPUDS) Program" represents the attempt by the Fremont, California to develop an integrated interdepartmental strategic plan as a response to the need for long-term vision and the development of interdepartmental cooperation to implement that vision.
Text: The "Strategic Planning for Unified Decision Support (SPUDS) Program" has become a critical part of the City of Fremont operations. A new breed of public organizational management, it both values the accumulated wisdom of city staff professionals, and demands a context be set for budget requests. SPUDS offers the rare opportunity for staff to take a step back from everyday affairs and crises in order to evaluate our environment, to anticipate, to plan and ultimately to gain control. Each year every city department enters into strategic planning sessions led by facilitators from the Management Analysis Division. In these sessions, city staff define the department's overall mission, review the past year to identify key issues facing the department, develop strategies and action plans to respond to those issues and finally identify other City departments whose cooperation is critical to the department's strategic plan. The SPUDS process coincides with the preparation of the annual budget document in order to create an interactive relationship between financial decision-making and organizational planning; it provides a strategic context for budget decisions and establishes a financial context for operational planning. SPUDS has produced many concrete results -- The Public Works Department identified the need to standardize their definitions of service levels, and created new service definitions and an action plan to ensure the new standards are met. The Fire Department administration recognized its need to become an integral and professional contributor to the central administration of the city, and restructured its organization to respond more effectively to the community needs (not the least of which is the creation and management of three new fire stations). A cooperative effort between the Human Services Youth and Family Counseling Center and the Police Department produced a unique and multifaceted program to respond to substance abuse problems. The Finance Department, in order to provide more responsive and useful service to departments, implemented a philosophy of decentralization by first developing finance staff teams dedicated to specific departments, and the by placing emphasis on building greater financial expertise capacity within each department. A critical part of SPUDS was a participant survey, which was sent to all those involved after the annual process was completed. While the results are not yet compiled for the 1988-89 SPUDS process, the first years' participant response was overwhelmingly favorable. 88.7% of the respondents felt the process significantly helped them think about their departments' goals.
CONTACT: Neil Grasso Administrative Assistant City of Fremont 39700 Civic Center Drive Fremont CA 94538 415/790-6760

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·
NCPP Home Page || EXSL Home || 1997 EXSL Application Form || EXSL 1995 Winners

NJ EXSL1995 Winners || EXSL 1994 Winners || NJ EXSL 1994 Winners || NJ EXSL 1993 Winners

EXSL 1992 Winners || EXSL 1991 Winners || EXSL 1990 Winners || EXSL 1989 Winners
· · · · · · · · · · · · ·


Last updated March 17, 1997.

 

Last updated:  08/05/2002

Rutgers University-Campus at Newark
Graduate Department of Public Administration