Stormwater Meeting Citizen’s Expectations Steven W. Hicks, Director Transit, Utilities, and Public Works • Rain or snow that runs off Mid-Atlantic Chapter Conference pavement, rooftops & lawns May 8-10, 2013 • Water enters streams, rivers & oceans with pollutants 1
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 2
Starting as New Director “ 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”. 3
Starting as New Director “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” 4
Starting as New Director • 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 5
Petersburg Profile • Budget FY14 - $95M • 29,000 square miles • 32,420 in population (+2.35%) • 7 Council Members • 750 employees 6
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 7
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 8
Director Street City Engineer Transit Facilities Utilities Operations Stormwater Solid Waste Water Management Land Grounds Sewer Development Traffic Cemetery Billing Engineering Fleet Services 9
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) 10
Challenges • Many initiatives (how to narrow them down) • Elected officials • Other departments • The community • Restore credibility • Media • Environmental regulations • Policy, Programs, and Projects 11
Core Functions – we must do great! Kitchen Conversations 1) Potholes 2) Trash and Bulky Pick-up (Litter) 3) Drainage 4) Mowing 5) Traffic Signals 12
Core Functions – we must do great! • 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 13
Core Functions – we must do great! • 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 14
First Year Initiatives • 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 15
Adjusting Leadership Styles What leadership style works best for me and my organization? There are many leadership styles from which to choose • Autocratic • Bureaucratic • Laissez-faire • Democratic 16
Adjusting Leadership Styles 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. 17
Autocratic Leadership Style • 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 18
Autocratic Leadership Style • 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 19
Autocratic Leadership Style 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 20
Autocratic Leadership Style Should not be used, when: • Staff become tense, fearful, or resentful • Staff expects their opinions heard • Low staff morale and high turnover 21
Bureaucratic Leadership Style • 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 22
Bureaucratic Leadership Style 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 23
Bureaucratic Leadership Style 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 24
Democratic Leadership Style • 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 25
Democratic Leadership Style Most effective, when: • 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 26
Democratic Leadership Style 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 27
Laissez-Faire Leadership Style • 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 28
Laissez-Faire Leadership Style Most effective, when: • 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 29
Laissez-Faire Leadership Style 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 30
Petersburg Public Works Leadership Style • 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 31
Petersburg Public Works Leadership Style • 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” 32
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