Sterling & Associates Public Works Management Solutions - Services

With limited resources, municipalities are finding that it may not be possible to maintain full-time staff to provide the services or studies that citizens are demanding, and, in some cases, required by law. In addition, special one-time projects or specialized training may be required. As individuals with well balanced experience in the public sector and in the consulting field, we can offer the following advantages:

1. Commitment to assist in improving public works management and administration.
2. Operate as an arm of existing staff to assist in providing services on an "as-needed" basis; no long term assignments.
3. Provide for a "shared services" staff member; thereby, possibly eliminating the duplication of staff or services.
4. Provide an information base concerning what other municipalities have accomplished (benchmarking).
5. Provide a well balanced approach to a municipality's needs based on previous experience in both the public and private sectors.
6. Provide for a fast and personal response to a municipality¹s needs (get in and get out).
7. Previous direct experience as public works employees.
8. No actual or perceived conflict of interest in providing services (i.e. a study leading to "hard" design or other follow-up services).
9. Direct experience with the American Public Works Association's Self Assessment and Accreditation Process for Public Works Agencies.

• Customer Service/Accountability
• Team Building
• Goal Setting
• Leadership Development
• Employee Empowerment
• Supervisory Skills
• Personnel Evaluation
• Strategic Planning
• Time Management

• 1½ Day On-Site Seminars
Self Assessment Phase Assistance/Consultation
• Improvement Phase Assistance/Consultation and Review of Policies/Procedures
• Accreditation Phase Assistance/Consultation and Site Visits
• Review of Public Works Operations/Mock Evaluation Site Visits
• Peer review of operations

Accreditation Experience: The Associates have participated in over 20 accreditation site visits, helped ten municipalities achieve accreditation, participated in many off-site and/or on-site Accreditation Seminars and served on the Editorial Board for the revisions to the 3rd and 4th editions of the Management Practices Manual.

Public Works Management/Operations Reviews
The Associates are able to perform an audit of your public works activities. Working with your staff, we can review your operations in a non-threatening way to re-organize or confirm your ability to provide services in a cost effective and responsive manner.

• Performance Indicators
• Alternative Methods of Service Delivery (Contracted Services)
• Stormwater Utility Development
• 5-Year Operational and Capital Improvement Plans
• Department Year-End Reports
• Organizational Reviews
• Grant Writing
• Public Hearings/Meetings
• Equipment Maintenance Replacement Policies
• Maintenance Schedules
• Street Cleaning/Snow Removal Policy Development
• Staff Replacement/Interviews/ Selection/Evaluations
• Liaison with County/State/Federal Agencies
• Temporarily Fulfill Any Vacant Management Position on a Contract Basis
• Strategic Plans

• Special Improvement Districts
• Scope of Services Development
• Request for Proposal Development
• Consultant Selection Process
• Review of Proposals
• Contract Negotiations
• Contract Administration/Consultant Management
• Agency Coordination
• Fulfill the Position of City Engineer or Project Manager on a contracted temporarily, as-needed basis

Peer Reviews
Our team can conduct a Peer Review of your operations, similar to the Peer Review conducted by the American Society of Civil Engineers. This Peer Review can be offered as an alternative to the Self-Assement Process and is designed to give you an insight into your operations, whether in one specific area, or all parts of your organization. The Peer Review can provide an inspection of your facilities, equipment, personnel, as well as your operating policies.

Other Services

Grant Writing
Experience in grant writing include: $1.6M Federal Bridge Replacement, $300,000 Energy Impact (Colorado) Grant for Bridge Replacement, $300,000 Energy Impact (Colorado) Grant for Downtown Improvements plus many others. The total grants received in 2002-2004 exceeded $5 M.

Contract Service
Delivery
Our team has had first hand experience in the evaluation of providing services through contracted services. The experience includes the area of Transit Services, Equipment maintenance, Custodial Services, Street Sweeping, Street Patching and Crack Sealing and Engineering Design Services.

Customer Service Programs
This two-hour presentation, utilizing the FISH concept, provides an agency with the public tools to initiate a change in the culture of the organization to be more customer orieted. This program has been presented to the City of Greeley and the APWA Western Snow/Ice Conference.

Other On-Site Consulting
Jackson, MS
State of Hawaii
Covington, GA