Overall Excellence Honored By National Government Organization Annapolis (June 21, 2004) - The National Association of Counties' Achievement Award Program has recognized Anne Arundel County with six awards for improving the management of and services provided by county government. "I am extremely proud that our hard work was recognized on the national level," said County Executive Janet S. Owens. "These awards show that Anne Arundel County is leading the way in improving services for our citizens. They also signify the hard work of our employees and our continued dedication to improving the quality of life in our communities." The County's received Achievement Awards for the programs titled: Bacontown Community Revitalization
Asphalt Shingle Recycling
Community Resource Center
America Recycles Day-Deconstruction Demonstration
Snow Media Campaign
Excellence in Cost Effective Leadership. Begun in 1970, the annual Achievement Award Program is a non-competitive awards program which seeks to recognize innovative county government programs called County Model Programs. Created as a part of NACo's New County, USA campaign, the Achievement Award Program continues to embody the grassroots and local government energy the program was designed to promote. The main emphasis of the New County, USA campaign was to modernize and streamline county government and to increase its services to its citizens; goals that are still the main emphasis of the Achievement Award Program today. Anne Arundel County's NaCo Achievement Award Winning Programs Bacontown Community Revitalization A community-wide clean up occurred, followed by construction of water and sewer lines. Next, to assure long-term stability of the existing housing stock, the County, through the nonprofit Arundel Community Development Services, Inc. (ACDS), offered financial assistance to the existing homeowners by rehabilitating their homes and connecting them to the water and sewer service. Working with long-term residents, church and local civic leaders, ACDS began purchasing lots and constructing new homes for qualified residents. To date, seven new homes have been built and one reconstructed in the area. Prospective Bacontown homebuyers were asked to participate in an ACDS homeownership-counseling program, making them eligible for mortgage and new homebuyer assistance. In addition, a handful of residents were recruited for neighborhood leadership training offered through Leadership Anne Arundel, a County-based organization. Snow Media Campaign An analysis of the feedback received from our customers during the 2003 snow season revealed that keeping our customers informed and providing easy access to our services were the two top priorities. Therefore, the public education campaign consisted of the following types of outreach: - A full-page newspaper ad in the local newspapers for the county.
- A "Snow Info" booklet.
- A "Snow Info" video.
- An enhanced web site (www.aacounty.org/dpw/snowinformation
Our Storm Center, which opens in storms with snow accumulations of 4" or more, received over 19,000 calls during the blizzard of 2003. This number does not include citizens who got a busy signal during our peak calling times. In addition, we received approximately 500 emails regarding our snow removal operations during the blizzard. The vast majority of these callers wanted to know when and what type of snow removal they could expect from the county. It was clear that the public needed more information on how variables such as weather conditions, road categories, and obstacles such as parked cars on the street impact our operations. America Recycles Day-Deconstruction Demonstration Anne Arundel County Government is leading by example in its efforts to reduce solid waste disposal and promote recycling and reuse. The County's Waste Management Services organization worked cooperatively with other County agencies and a private company to deconstruct a building that had once been their administration building. Deconstruction carefully dismantles a building and preserves the value of existing materials and resources allowing them to be recycled or reused. By deconstructing the vacant building at the Millersville facility, the County was able to recycle or reuse over 93% of the structure. If not recycled or reused, that material would have ended up in the landfill. This project demonstrates Anne Arundel County's commitment to recycling more and reducing the amount of solid waste being landfilled. Asphalt Shingle Recycling In an effort to increase recycling and avoid landfill disposal, the County's Waste Management Services initiated an asphalt shingle recycling program last spring. The pilot phase lasted 3 months and resulted in recycling 362 tons of shingles and saving 281 cubic yards of airspace. Every day of landfill airspace saved today adds a day of airspace tomorrow. The organization's solid waste management strategy is focused on reducing solid waste and increasing recycling. By recycling more and wasting less the Millersville landfill can last beyond the projected closure of the existing disposal area. Excellence in Cost Effective Leadership (EXCEL) The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works Bureau of Utility Operations EXcellence in Cost Effective Leadership Program is a joint labor and management program created to help the agency become competitive through cost effectiveness, reorganization, and improved work practices.
Key strategies included implementing a flexible, multi-skilled workforce, providing intensive training to employees, and moving to a team-based organizational structure. Work teams focused on reengineering the way they perform tasks, improving maintenance programs to maximize the life cycle of the Bureau's equipment, and using new technology to improve performance and efficiency while reducing the need for manpower.
Since fiscal year 1999, the EXCEL Program has saved over $7.5 million by reducing staff through attrition and energy savings. The Bureau is currently saving an additional $1.235 million annually. By moving to a team-based organizational structure, the supervisory ratio went from 1 supervisor for 9 employees to 1 supervisor for 14 employees without resorting to layoffs or a reduction in the quality of service. Prior to the EXCEL Program, Anne Arundel County had been running their Utility Operations much like a monopoly, without concern for competition. In order to compete with private industry, a change in business culture, labor/management relationships, and specific work practices was required. Community Resource Center Dozens of human service services are offered to County residents, but because these organizations are located in geographically diverse areas, it was difficult for citizens to access all the resources available to them. The establishment of the Community Resource Center provides a venue for residents to access a wide range of services from a single location: including services which are routinely not available under the tradition menu offered by governmental human service agencies. The following areas of need have been identified and are the driving force behind the development of the Community Resource Center: - Transportation
- Service locations on limited bus routes
- Services and programs for the entire family
- Accessible education and training sites
- Access to health services
- Assistance with gaining employment
- Services for bilingual customers
- Childcare during customer visits to apply for benefits, access partnering organizations and/or attend State and Federal required trainings
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