CONNECT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY BY ADVOCATING

PUBLIC WORKS

City of Palm BayElia Twigg, P.E., Public Works Director Heidi Lapin, Parks and Recreation DirectorApril 24, 2013

Introduction• Why should you connect with your community?

• To bring awareness to our profession• To be recognized for the services you provide• To get funding for your Department

• Examples• Police Department• Fire Department

IntroductionWhat does Public Works Mean to a Citizen? • Education

• How do you educate your community?• How will they know who you are?• How do you get citizens to advocate for you?

Introduction

What does Public Works Mean to a Citizen? • Outreach

• How do we start spreading the word of what we do?

• Community Support• How do we gain community support? • How can the community support help Public Works?• How do you gain Council/Commissioner support?• How do you get funding for your Department?

Education• Starts with telling people what you do

• Your kids• Family• Neighbors• Friends• Strangers

EducationPrepare a 30 Second Elevator Speech• Use a Slogan or Phrase:

• Examples• Because of Public Works…..• Public Works is the backbone to the City/County……• Police and Fire cannot be successful without us……• First ones in and the last to leave (actually, we never leave)….24/7• Public Works Professionals make the quality of life better…..

EducationPrepare a 30 Second Elevator Speech (Con’t)• Use an Acronym and share with your staff

CUSTOMERC – ConstructionU – Underground Utilities/

PermittingS – Stormwater ManagementT – TrafficO – OperationsM – MaintenanceE – EngineeringR - Roads

FIRSTF – Fleet ServicesI – Inspections and EngineeringR – RoadsS – StormwaterT – Traffic Operations

Education• Use statistics or real life examples people can relate to:

• Examples• Stormwater Utility for City of Palm Bay - $55 per year

• Equivalent to 1 Starbucks specialty coffee a month • 8 fast food meals a year• $1.05 per week

• Maintaining roads • Analogous to changing the oil in your car

Education• Train your community through Customer Service

• ALL Public Works Professionals are Customer Service Representatives

• All Staff needs to be trained in Customer Service• Train people to go to YOU

• Website• Phone calls to City Manager’s Office or Legislative’s Office – train

people to call you!• Social Media

Education• Promote Your Department Every Chance you get!

• Document Successes• Press Releases• Median signs/Project signs• Website, Social Media• Public Meetings

• Staff Promotions• Special Recognitions

• Videos • Examples

• City of Rowlett – Why they were increasing utility bill• Palm Bay Public Works – It’s our Job!

Education• Public Works has a daily impact to everyone• Have them realize Public Works is important to them daily• Ask Citizens questions

• Examples• How many times have you called 911?• How many times have you had an emergency that required Police or

Fire?

Education• Ask Citizens questions (Con’t)

• Examples• How many times have you stopped at a stop sign?• How many times have you flushed your toilet?• How many times has stormwater gone down the storm drain and not in

your house?• How often do you drive on a road?• How often do you walk on a sidewalk?

Education• Public Works Professionals are Emergency Responders

• Examples• Stop sign was down and a Police Officer got into an accident on their

way to an emergency• Wind storm knocked a tree on a collector roadway• Pipe failed under a road and created a large hole• Waterline was hit during construction• Fire truck broke down on a way to a fire• Mothers Day Fires in 2008 - Brush fire in woods and PW staff cut brush

down for fire truck through

Outreach• Council Meetings

• Regularly attend Council Meetings• Council will recognize you• You will meet Community Leaders

• Provide an Annual update of your Department• Highlight Promotions• Highlight Successes

• Pat yourself on the back, Police and Fire do it well

Outreach• Find Community Leaders and make personal

relationships with them• The advocacy begins here• Examples

• Frequent Council Meeting attendees• Homeowner’s Association Presidents• Frequent callers for service requests

• Meet with them personally (coffee shop, at their homes, in their neighborhoods, etc.)

Outreach• Schools

• Kids talk to their parents!• Example – Odyssey Charter School Students

• Big Truck Day• PW has big trucks – Kids play with construction equipment toys

• Career Day

Outreach• Celebrate Public Works Week

• Do a Proclamation

• Public Works Day• Show off what you do• Activities for kids

• Examples• Use survey metal detectors to find treasure• Allow kids to climb in heavy equipment• Display a real life traffic signal

Outreach• Neighborhood/HOA Meetings

• Reach out to communities• Do a presentation highlighting what you do• Discuss a project in their area

• Be prepared for hecklers even for good projects• Discuss your budget and how it affects them

• Chamber of Commerce• Reach out to Businesses

Community Support• It starts with:

• Educating People • People need to know who you are• People need to know what you do

• Doing the Public Outreach• Host events• Speak at neighborhood meetings

Community Support• It starts with (con’t):

• Changing the mindset of the people• Public Works IS an essential service, like Police and Fire• Public Works is the backbone to a community• What would happen without Public Works?

Community Support• Build Trust

• DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU ARE GOING TO DO• Follow-up with citizens• Provide good Customer Service

• Use community leaders to your advantage• Examples

• NEON Group in Palm Bay

Closing Questions• How is funding dispersed in your Agency?• Is funding allocated to road maintenance?• How do you get Council Members or Commissioners to

support you?

QUESTIONS??