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The city of Phoenix continues its pursuitof excellence throughout the organization.Delivering quality, efficient, and cost-effective services to Phoenix residents isthe cornerstone of the organization’scommitment to public service. Because ofthe lengthy economic recession, cityemployees have worked hard as individualsand on teams to deliver quality customerservice with fewer resources. Nothingillustrates this point better than theinnovative partnerships we have formedwith community members to ensure thatthe city uses its resources wisely. As aresult, we've received positive feedbackfrom the 2010 Community Attitude Survey.

Because the economic recession hascontinued to negatively impact cityrevenue growth, the organization has beenchallenged with spending less and creatinga smaller, more efficient government.Assistance and feedback from thecommunity was encouraged, and as aresult, two committees were established.The city manager created the Innovationand Efficiency Task Force, which consistsof city of Phoenix executive managementand volunteer community leaders. Also,the Mayor created the City CouncilFinance, Efficiency and InnovationSubcommittee. Together thesecommittees helped develop strategies thathave saved the city more than $25 millionin 2010-11, and will save more than $125million over the next five years.

According to the 2010 CommunityAttitude Survey, more than 95 percent ofPhoenix residents indicated they weretreated professionally and courteously bycity employees, the highest ever for thismeasure. This occurred despite having thesmallest workforce in nearly 40 years dueto budget reductions and efficiencies. Cityemployees are proud to be among the verybest and they serve the community withpride.

In addition to the community’srecognition of a job well done, the city andits employees are continually recognizedby a variety of professional organizationsfor its longstanding commitment toexcellence. The following is a list of just afew of the awards and recognitionsreceived by the city during the course ofthis fiscal year:

n The Finance Department received adistinguished Certificate ofAchievement for its 2009Comprehensive Annual FinancialReport (CAFR) from the GovernmentFinance Officers Association of theUnited States and Canada (GFOA). Thecity has earned the award continuouslysince 1976.

n The city of Phoenix received theInternational City/County ManagementAssociation (ICMA) Certificate ofExcellence for PerformanceMeasurement for its commitment tocontinuous learning and improvementbased on a criterion of effective,results-oriented management practices.Phoenix was one of 21 jurisdictionsreceiving such an honor this year. TheICMA is an organization that advancesprofessional local government andsupports nearly 9,000 city, town andcounty organizations and individualsworldwide.

n The Nina Mason Pulliam Rio SaladoAudubon Center, a Parks andRecreation Department facility,received top honors – the President’sAward – in the Annual Valley ForwardEnvironmental Excellence AwardProgram. Other city projects receivedCrescordia awards, including the TresRios Constructed Wetlands, PhoenixSonoran Preserve, Papago RegionalMaster Plan, the Zanjero's Line art

project, Paradise Village SolarDemonstration Project, McCarty onMonroe, Little Canyon Trail, PhoenixTree and the Shade Master Plan. TheValley Forward Excellence Awards areArizona’s oldest and most prestigiousawards competition focusing onenvironmental initiatives.

n The Parks and RecreationDepartment's Bret Tarver LearningCenter received the 2010 OutstandingFacility Award from the Arizona Parksand Recreation Association (APRA).The facility was recognized forexcellence in the field of parks,recreation, cultural and communityservices. The center is named afterPhoenix firefighter Bret Tarver, wholost his life in March 2001 whilefighting a fire at the SouthwestSupermarket that was formerly on thesite.

n The European Centre for ArchitectureArt Design and Urban Studies namedthe Arizona State University WalterCronkite School of Journalism andMass Communication in downtownPhoenix as one of the recipients of the2010 International ArchitectureAwards. The award recognizes themost significant new architecturedesigned and built worldwide. TheCronkite School was built as a jointpartnership with the city of Phoenix.

n The Sunshine Review, a non-profitorganization dedicated to promotingstate and local governmenttransparency, presented the city withthe 2011 Sunny Award. The city wasrecognized for its commitment toexceed transparency standards and forthe information provided to residentson the phoenix.gov website. This is thesecond year in a row the city hasreceived this award.

Our Commitment To Excellence

The Community Contributes to OurSuccess

Volunteers also “make Phoenix better” andin 2011, a volunteer coordinator was hiredin the city manager’s office to oversee theimportant roles that many residents serveas volunteers with city programs, boards,commissions, task forces and committees.The volunteer coordinator will expandvolunteer opportunities, increase volunteernumbers, track citywide volunteer effortsand volunteer recognition, as volunteersare an integral component to the operationof city services and assist city employees,especially during these economic times.

Over the next year, the city manager’smajor focus will be working with theMayor, City Council and the community tocarryout the updated strategic plan for thecity and to implement Phase II of theInnovation and Efficiency Task Force. Thestrategic plan is discussed in greater detailin the strategic plan section of thisdocument. Phase II of the Innovation andEfficiency Task Force will focus on sevenkey areas including communications;compensation and benefits; customerservice; fines and fees; processimprovement and technology; regulatoryreview; and right sourcing.

We are committed to Making PhoenixBetter

The city’s Vision and Values statementscontinue to serve as a common source ofmotivation for city of Phoenix employees todo all that they can to make Phoenixbetter.

n We are dedicated to serving ourcustomers

• We value and respect diversity

• We work as a team

• We each do all we can

• We learn, change and improve

• We focus on results

• We work with integrity

• We make Phoenix better!

Not only do city of Phoenix employeesfollow these guiding principles in theirwork, they show they care about thecommunity they serve by contributingfinancially to the Valley of the Sun UnitedWay through the City of PhoenixCommunity Service Fund Drive. This year,employees exceeded their goal bycontributing more than $1.2 million toUnited Way agencies during the “Buildingour Community with Unity” campaign.

City of Phoenix employee organizationsand departments coordinate various otherfund raising events to assist communitiesin need both locally and globally. Inaddition, city employees volunteercountless hours in the community withmany organizations serving a wide range ofcauses.

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Resident volunteers working with the Neighborhood Services Department’s code

enforcement program are some of the volunteers that work to “make Phoenix

better.”

Following are a few additionalexamples of how city employees havedemonstrated their commitment to thecity’s Vision and Values by going above andbeyond to improve the quality of life forPhoenix residents.

n The National Association of Housingand Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)selected the Housing Department asthe recipient of the 2010 Award ofExcellence. The award was presentedfor the McCarty on Monroe seniorhousing development. The departmentis one of 23 programs nationwide toreceive the 2010 award, whichrecognizes outstanding innovation andachievement in housing andcommunity development programsthroughout the country.

n The National League of Citiespresented the Library Department withthe 2010 Award for MunicipalExcellence. The award was presentedfor College Depot, a college accesscenter that has served more than 5,000youth and their families, providingworkshops and one-on-one assistancewith college planning, financial aid,career exploration, college applicationsand more.

n The Phoenix Sky Harbor InternationalAirport's Navigator Volunteer Programreceived the State of Arizona Spirit ofService Award at the 30th AnnualGovernor's Conference on Tourism. Theaward is presented to the non-management tourism employee orvolunteer (individual or group) whobest exemplifies the Arizona tourismindustry's commitment to exceptionalcustomer service.

n The Arizona Supreme Court JudicialStaff Education Committee (JSEC)presented Phoenix Municipal CourtJudge Louis Frank Dominguez with aTrainer Excellence Award. JudgeDominguez was recognized by JSEC forhis volunteer work and fordemonstrating dedication andcommitment to excellence inpromoting and continuing judicialeducation in Arizona.

n Lifeguards James Campbell, RachelRodia, Alicia King, Elisa King andCharles Woodruff of the ParksDepartment's Aquatic Division tookhonors at the American Red Cross 30thAnnual Lifeguard Challenge. Staff wonhonors in the Top Overall Team, CoedSubmerged Object Recovery, CoedActive Victim Rescue and Coed RescueTube Relay categories. The eventshowcases the commitment, dedicationand pride staff takes in representingthe city.

.

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Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s Navigator Volunteer Program was

recognized with a “Spirit of Service” award for their commitment to exceptional

customer service.

City of Phoenix Excellence Awards

Each year, the city honors its employeesand teams for excellence. Their effortshelp to make Phoenix a more livable city.

n Donnie Herold, a park ranger II in theParks and Recreation DepartmentNatural Resources Division,demonstrated his dedication to theDesert Awareness Program and hiscommitment to excellence wasrecognized for innovative and usefulnew ideas related to trails andeducational programs for the public.Herold designed a unique trail markerfor Phoenix Mountain Parks andPreserves, revegetated and revitalizedan area near the Dreamy Draw parkinglot to create an accessible birdsanctuary that attracts native speciesof the Sonoran Desert and created aneducational display of Phoenix Parksand Preserves flora and fauna toencourage respect for nature fromparticipants by heeding the PhoenixParks and Mountain Preserve “Stay onthe Trail” motto. Herold is a mentorand great resource to other parkrangers, as the division reinvents andsculpts the Park Ranger Program.

n Phoenix Police Department Sgt. TroyHillman, under the supervision of Lt.Joe Knott, and the Cold Case HomicideProject team of seven detectives (M.Armistead, B. Giesemann, T. Kamp, M.Ramirez, J.Rosenthal, W. Schira and W.Stuebe) worked to solve 11 openhomicide cases. Hillman guided theteam through the many tryingexperiences related to investigatingcold case murders and his team ofinvestigators had positive attitudes andproven skills to investigate complexcases. Utilizing an innovative andstrategic approach to evaluatingmurders for solvability, and thenutilizing skilled follow-up to resolveeach unique case, Cold Case Teammembers brought closure to murdersthat remained unsolved for as long as29 years. Hillman's leadership,organizational skills and compellingdrive led this team to greater successthan imagined possible. In fact, workdone here also helped drive thehomicide clearance rate in Phoenix toheights not seen in decades.

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Donnie Herold earned an Employee Excellence Award for his dedication to the

Desert Awareness Program and for his innovative trail and educational ideas.

Employee Suggestion Awards

The Employee Suggestion Program (ESP),which began in the mid-1950s, has savedmillions of dollars through direct costsavings and other productivity and cost-avoidance improvements. Employees canmake improvement suggestions for any cityoperation, not just for their owndepartment. Some examples of employeesuggestions implemented in the 2010-11fiscal year:

n Many of the city of Phoenix’s parkfacilities have barbecue grills forpatrons to enjoy. Over time, these grillsdeteriorate from rust damage due toexposure to outdoor elements. JosephMendez, a building maintenanceworker with the Parks Department,discovered that in most cases, it wasonly the bottom of the grills that wererusting out. Mendez developed amethod to fabricate steel meshreinforcement and refurbish the grillsat a lower cost than replacing them.Mr. Mendez’s suggestion to refurbishthe grills has been implemented so faron 21 grills, for a cost savings of $6,365,and is expected to be utilized citywidefor even greater savings.

n Kerr Henley, a solid waste equipmentoperator in the Public WorksDepartment, suggested enhancing aheavy-duty semi-truck/trailercombination with a system that liftsrecyclable material barrels, depositsthe contents and packs the materialsinto the trailer. The enhancementenabled additional recyclable materialto be packed into the trailer making itmore cost effective and reduced theamount of material that often fell tothe street. This change also reducedthe likelihood of injury to equipmentoperators who often needed to climbonto the trailer body to unclog thepacking system or remove loose orspilled material.

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Cristina Wilfong, an environmental quality specialist in the Public Works

Department, suggested recycling propane gas cylinders, saving the city nearly

$2,500 each year.

n The city's 91st Avenue Waste WaterTreatment Plant must analyze threeseparate water samples with differentparameters for quality control. RogerVail, a senior water quality inspector inthe Water Services Department,suggested combining the three samplesinto one sample, with groupparameters, which would yield thesame results. After obtaining thenecessary approvals, this suggestionwas implemented and saved the citynearly $100,000 in the first year ofimplementation.

n The city offers free householdhazardous waste disposal events eachmonth. Residents may drop off itemssuch as antifreeze, car batteries, poolchemicals, and propane gas cylinders.Cristina Wilfong, an environmentalquality specialist in the Public WorksSolid Waste Division, suggestedrecycling propane gas cylindersthrough a local vendor that providestank recycling services at no charge.Her idea will save the city nearly $2,500each year.

As you can see, we work very hard toearn our reputation as a well-run city. Westrive to be leaders in our professions.Each day the core values of ourorganization – what we call our “Visionand Values” – are at the root of everythingwe do.

Joseph Mendez, a building maintenance worker with the Parks Department,

developed a method to reinforce and refurbish damaged barbecue grills at a

lower cost than replacing them.

n Kelly Bucey in the Public WorksDepartment realized that an energysavings could be achieved by turningoff the lighting that illuminatesvending machines in city facilities.Most of the vending machines areilluminated with fluorescent lighting,but many are in plenty of light andcould be disconnected. The estimatedsavings by implementing this idea was$5,200 per year.

n Robert Martinez, a solid waste foremanin the Public Works Departmentrealized that several city landfills werein need of “house-cleaning.” Martinezbegan collecting all the scrap metalmaterial from the various yards andcompiled a “bid” process for the sale ofthe recyclable materials collected to alocal metal recycler. Through hisingenuity, Martinez was able to obtainthe highest cost per ton for thematerials, generating one-time revenueto the city of more than $25,000.

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