american public works association -...

Stormwater

• Rain or snow that runs off pavement, rooftops & lawns

• Water enters streams, rivers & oceans with pollutants

Steven W. Hicks, Director Transit, Utilities, and Public Works

Mid-Atlantic Chapter Conference May 8-10, 2013

Meeting Citizen’s Expectations

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http://vadcmd.apwa.net/

Overview

• Starting as New Director • Petersburg Profile • Public Works Profile • Organizational Structure • Challenges • Core functions of Public Works • First year initiatives • Adjusting Leadership Styles • Safety, Collaboration, and Customer Service • How are we meeting customer’s expectations

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Starting as New Director

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“Being a Director has also this great drawback, that if we pursue it we must direct our lives in such a way as to please the fancy of men, avoiding what they dislike and seeking what is pleasing to them”.


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“The reality is, if you can not resolve or be responsive to City Council’s or City Manager’s concerns in a decisive and timely fashion, the perception is that your not taking care of everybody else’s concerns.”

Perception is reality. And in some cases the hidden truth.

Bottom line – When we talk about our Customers, they are the ones who decides if we are meeting “Citizen’s Expectations”


• Started March 5, 2012

• Prior Experience – VDOT and James City County

• First Director since July 2001

• City Engineer was acting for 11 years

• Had three acting division heads

• Eleven key vacant positions

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Petersburg Profile

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• Budget FY14 - $95M

• 29,000 square miles

• 32,420 in population (+2.35%)

• 7 Council Members

• 750 employees

City’s Mission and Goals

MISSION A city rich in history, dedicated to providing superior services and promoting community pride.

GOALS To create and maintain… 1) a clean city 2) a safe city 3) a customer service centered city. 4) a results driven city

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Public Works Profile

• Budget FY14 - $27M • 205 employees • 365 lane miles • 5 MGD • 19 sewer pump stations • 2 water pump stations • 5 water tanks • 3,900 acres to maintain • 685,000 transit passengers

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Director

City Engineer

Stormwater Management

Land Development

Traffic Engineering

Transit Street

Operations

Solid Waste

Grounds

Cemetery

Fleet Services

Facilities Utilities

Water

Sewer

Billing

Challenges

• Key positions not filled

• Personnel issues

• 40 temp agency employees full-time

• Aging infrastructure (Street, Facilities, Utilities)

• Identify what we need to do great

• Old vehicles and equipment (no replacement program)

• No Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

• No technology (Emails, GIS, Phones)

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Challenges

• Many initiatives (how to narrow them down)

• Elected officials

• Other departments

• The community

• Restore credibility

• Media

• Environmental regulations

• Policy, Programs, and Projects

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Core Functions – we must do great!

1) Potholes 2) Trash and Bulky Pick-up (Litter) 3) Drainage 4) Mowing 5) Traffic Signals

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Kitchen Conversations


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• Core functions – we must do great! Not good

• If you can’t take care of this, how can Citizens trust you to support, CIP, SWM fees, and increase water and sewer rates

• It is not the Alligators that will kill you, but the mosquitos


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• Citizens are forgiving when we have a water line break and need to close the road for repairs. They get it. They know we cannot predict this. It’s like a flat tire

• They are not forgiving when there has been a pothole on Washington Street for 5-days, or their trash has not been picked-up

First Year Initiatives

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• City-wide trash, recycling and bulk service (11,200 customers) • Stormwater Utility Fees • Right of Way Permit Fees and Policy • 5-year CIP • Pavement Schedule • Utility Fee increase (14.3%) • Cemetery Fee increase • Increase reliability and frequency of transit services

Adjusting Leadership Styles

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What leadership style works best for me and my organization? There are many leadership styles from which to choose

• Autocratic • Bureaucratic • Laissez-faire • Democratic

Adjusting Leadership Styles

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Not everything old was bad and not everything new is good Different styles are needed for different situations and each leader needs to know when to exhibit a particular approach I used all of the four leadership styles to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives.

Autocratic Leadership Style

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• The classical approach

• Manager retains as much power and decision-making authority

• Does not consult staff, nor allowed to give any input

• Staff expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations

• Structured set of rewards and punishments


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• Greatly criticized during the past 40 years

• Generation X and Y (Bee hive generation) staff highly resistant

Autocratic leaders:

• Rely on threats and punishment to influence staff

• Do not trust staff

• Do not allow employee input


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Not all bad:

• Sometimes the most effective style to use

When:

• New, untrained staff don’t know which tasks to perform or which procedures to follow

• Limited time in which to make a decision

• Work needs to be coordinated with another department

or organization

• A manager’s power is challenged by staff


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Should not be used, when:

• Staff become tense, fearful, or resentful

• Staff expects their opinions heard

• Low staff morale and high turnover

Bureaucratic Leadership Style

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• Manages “by the book”

• Everything done according to procedure or policy

• If not covered by the book, referred to the next level above (delegate up)

• Enforces the rules – police officer, accountants, inspectors


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Most effective, when:

• Staff performing routine tasks over and over

• Staff needs to understand certain standards or procedures

• Safety or security training conducted

• Staff performing tasks that require handling cash


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Ineffective, when:

• Work habits form that are hard to break, especially if they are no longer useful

• Staff lose their interest in their jobs and in their co-workers

• Staff do only what is expected of them and no more

Democratic Leadership Style

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• Also known as participative style

• Encourages staff to be a part of the decision making

• Gathers information from staff before making a decision

• Keeps staff informed about everything that affects their work and shares decision making and problem solving responsibilities

• Staff like the trust they receive and respond with cooperation, team spirit, and high morale

• Allows staff to establish goals and deadlines

• Promotes within the organization


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• Highly skilled or experienced staff

• Implementing operational changes that affect staff

• A large or complex problem that requires lots of input to solve

• Want to encourage team building and participation

• Want to provide opportunities for staff to develop a high sense of personal growth and job satisfaction


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Ineffective, when:

• Not enough time to get everyone’s input

• Easier and more cost-effective for the manager to make the decision

• Can’t afford mistakes

• Manager feels vulnerable or threatened by this type of leadership

• Staff safety is critical concern

Laissez-Faire Leadership Style

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• Also know as the “hands-off” style

• The manager provides little or no direction and gives staff as much freedom as possible

• All authority and power given to the staff and they determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own


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• Staff highly skilled, experienced, and educated

• Staff has pride in their work and the drive to do it successfully on their own

• Outside experts, such as staff specialists or consultants used

• Staff trustworthy and experienced


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Ineffective, when:

• Staff feel insecure at the unavailability of a manager (Gen X & Y)

• The manager cannot provide regular feedback to staff on how well they are doing

• Managers unable to thank staff for their good work

• The manager doesn’t understand his or her responsibilities and hoping the staff cover for him or her

Petersburg Public Works Leadership Style

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• Creates and sustains a context that maximizes resource’s capabilities (staff and dollars)

• Facilitate multiple levels of transformation; and

• Align them with core values and a unified purpose (visibility)

Make change happen in:

• Self,

• Others,

• Groups, and

• Community


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• Emphasizes and expects accountability and credibility

• Generate shared and innovative responses and solutions

• Facilitate collaboration and synergism – working with and through other people instead of bowing to authoritarianism

• Rethinking systems to introduce change on parts of the whole and their relationship to one another

• Endorses alteration “change”


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• Must have mutual respect

• Put staff needs first

• Fostering synergy and reinforcing behavioral change

• Communicate clear expectations

• Create a climate of trust and confidence – very important

Guiding Principles

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Safety Collaboration

Customer Service

Engineering

Transit

Street Operations

Utilities

Facilities

Guiding Principles

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• Safety – Zero Tolerance (Employees and Citizens) • We are in the business of providing safe and clean drinking water • We are in the business of each mile traveled, the journey is safe

• Collaboration – Resolve issues by using everyone’s talent • That includes your customers, engage them – let them know the

problem and they will assist in the solution

• Customer Service – Be responsive and accessible • Listen, Listen, Listen… • Know your customer

How are we meeting Customers’ Expectations?

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• Embraced the City’s mission, vision, and strategic plan

• Walk the walk and talk the talk – Leadership Matters!

• We have to be authentic – you have to tell people the truth

• Reorganization - Consolidated Grounds with Street Operations and moved individuals in the right positions – this is on-going

• Increasing professionalism – must be respectful to all customers

• Project Management – On time and On budget (include your customers)


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• CIP – City Manager’s initiative, which tells the story, but manages expectations

• Business Tools – IT, GIS, Asset Management, and the right equipment

• Core functions – we must do great. Not good

• Take care of the low hanging fruits

• Transparent – engage the community in our decision process

• We will return your call in 24-hours

• We will respond to your letter and emails


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Established Workforce Goals :

• Value diversity – Continue to strive to provide opportunities and value diversity in the City’s workforce.

• Recognition – Establish a recognition program that recognizes an Employee of the Month, Employee of the Fiscal Year, and Safety Awards for those who did not have an accident for the Fiscal Year

• Communication – Management team are to meet with employees regularly to listen and determine what is working well

and what is not


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Established Workforce Goals :

• Annual Safety Rodeo – Allow employees to demonstrate their skills and knowledge while being safe

• Career Ladders – Work with Human Resources to identify employee growth potential, future needs and trends

• Training and Development – Encourage individual growth and career development plans. Provide opportunities for

cross-training and on-the-job training.

Stormwater

• Rain or snow that runs off pavement, rooftops & lawns

• Water enters streams, rivers & oceans with pollutants

Steven W. Hicks, Director Transit, Utilities, and Public Works

Mid-Atlantic Chapter Conference May 8-10, 2013

Questions???

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http://vadcmd.apwa.net/

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