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W07 advocating public works-twigg
This document provides tips for public works professionals to connect with and educate their community in order to gain support and funding. It recommends developing an elevator pitch about what public works means to citizens, using statistics to show impact, and training staff in customer service. Outreach strategies include attending council meetings, meeting with community leaders, hosting events at schools and during Public Works Week. Building trust by delivering good customer service and following through on commitments is key to gaining community support, which can then help with gaining council and commissioner support and ultimately more funding for the department.
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W07 advocating public works-twigg
- 1. CONNECT WITH YOUR COMMUNITYBY ADVOCATING PUBLIC WORKS City of Palm Bay Elia Twigg, P.E., Public Works Director Heidi Lapin, Parks and Recreation Director April 24, 2013
- 2. Introduction • Why shouldyou 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
- 3. Introduction What does PublicWorks 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?
- 4. Introduction What does PublicWorks 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?
- 5. Education • Starts withtelling people what you do • Your kids • Family • Neighbors • Friends • Strangers
- 6. Education Prepare a 30Second 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…..
- 7. Education Prepare a 30Second Elevator Speech (Con’t) • Use an Acronym and share with your staff CUSTOMER C – Construction U – Underground Utilities/ Permitting S – Stormwater Management T – Traffic O – Operations M – Maintenance E – Engineering R - Roads FIRST F – Fleet Services I – Inspections and Engineering R – Roads S – Stormwater T – Traffic Operations
- 8. Education • Use statisticsor 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
- 9. Education • Train yourcommunity 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
- 10. Education • Promote YourDepartment 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!
- 11. Education • Public Workshas 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?
- 12. Education • Ask Citizensquestions (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?
- 13. Education • Public WorksProfessionals 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
- 14. 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
- 15. Outreach • Find CommunityLeaders 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.)
- 16. Outreach • Schools • Kidstalk to their parents! • Example – Odyssey Charter School Students • Big Truck Day • PW has big trucks – Kids play with construction equipment toys • Career Day
- 17. Outreach • Celebrate PublicWorks 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
- 18. 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
- 19. Community Support • Itstarts 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
- 20. Community Support • Itstarts 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?
- 21. Community Support • BuildTrust • 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
- 22. Closing Questions • Howis funding dispersed in your Agency? • Is funding allocated to road maintenance? • How do you get Council Members or Commissioners to support you?
- 23.