Eugene Public Works Earns Accreditation from American Public Works Association

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October 25, 2004 CONTACT: Kurt Corey, Eugene Public Works Director, 541-682-5241 From Publi Information Section, 682-5523 or 954-2938 FOR IMME IATE RELEASE Eugene ublic Works Earns Accreditation from American Public Works Association The ugene Public Works Department will be formally recognized as the first agency in Oregon and the 19th agency in the nation to be accredited under the rigorous standards of the American P blic Works Association (APWA). Eug ne Mayor Jim Torrey and APWA National Board Member Jack Pittis will be on hand this Wedne day, October 27, at 1:30 p.m. in the Eugene City Council Chamber, 777 Pearl Street, to c ngratulate and present a plaque to Public Works Director Kurt Corey and the more than 400 a ployees in his department. Eug ne went through atwo-year accreditation process that included phases for self- . assessmen ,improvement, and, ultimately, an on-site evaluation last June by a panel of public ~rr works offici Is from around the country. That panel found that Eugene Public Works was in full or substanti I compliance with almost 400 practices in 30 areas, ranging from the operation of the Eugene irport to the collection and treatment of wastewater. "You have set the bar for cities in Oregon," said Ann Daniels, who coordinates APWA's national acc editation program. "We trust you have found great benefits from working through the manage ent practices and that each member of your department will feel a sense of pride at having co pleted a job well done." Accr ditation offers a number of benefits to public works agencies. Practices and processes a e documented, which helps ensure that valuable knowledge is retained in the organizatio when people retire or get new jobs. It also requires the agencies to take a critical look at their perations, identify duplication and wasted effort, and develop plans to fulfill unmet operational eeds. In Eugene, for example, performance measures were developed for the department' fleet section that are anticipated to result in significant long-term cost savings. Plans were Iso created for maintaining playgrounds and inventorying the City's street trees. "AP A accreditation is a voluntary process that has the potential to pay big dividends," said Corey, ugene's Public Works director. "I highly recommend it to any public works agency looking tom ke the best possible use of the public's resources." Public Works • Administration • City of Eugene • 858 Pearl Street • Eugene, OR 97401 Phone: (541)682-5262 • FAX: (541) 682-6826 • www.ci.eugene.or.us