Pittsford's Tree of Success
Published: 12/4/2002
Since becoming Town Supervisor, it has been my vision and goal to build a Town organization that operates on good business principles. Accordingly, town operations are based on 1) efficiency, 2) quality of service, and 3) the needs of residents and employees.
Our 2003 Strategic Plan outlines Guiding Principles to help us plan and implement a system for delivery of public services. The Plan also clearly guides us to apply the same principles to the processes of hiring, training, and supporting our staff. We recognize that you, our "customers," are our central focus and that our employees are our most important resources in achieving satisfaction with town services.
The Guiding Principles are the foundation upon which we build and support our Town work force. Our standard daily operating procedure includes the following practices:
- Hire the most qualified personnel
- develop training programs and opportunities for personal and professional growth
- create a work environment of loyalty and trust
- dedicate ourselves to excellence; build quality into everything we do
- promote teamwork within and across departments
- empower employees to make decisions and suggestions in the pursuit of continuous improvement
These principles have become our beliefs. We know from experience that these are the dominant factors in the success of our organization.
Each year the entire Town staff gathers for a Townwide Meeting to share information and to celebrate our successes of the past 12 months. While planning for the 2002 meeting, we focused on the flexibility and cooperation exhibited on a daily basis within and across departmental areas. We discovered that there were many shining examples of collaboration that ultimately benefited (or will benefit) the township and its residents.
The development of King's Bend Park, a new town park to open in the fall of 2003, is a large-scale undertaking for the joint forces of the Highway, Sewer, and Recreation departments. Preliminary work on the site was successfully completed in October. The final work will begin next spring with an anticipated opening of the park by September.
The work of our Safety Committee has resulted in the acquisition of 8 Automatic External Defibrillators designated for town use. Each Town facility will be equipped with an onsite defibrillator unit by January 2003 and town staff will be trained to use them in case of an emergency.
Cooperative efforts across the board resulted in remarkably increased reports of customer satisfaction. For example, consistent and effective communication with property owners minimized property assessment grievances to only 5 in 2002; there were no small claims hearings during the year. The Leaf Collection Program received a boost from the Highway, Communications, and Information Services departments that worked together to increase customer awareness and understanding of the service.
These are but a few of the many wonderful successes we have enjoyed this year. The Town of Pittsford Information Services Department has devised a "Tree of Success" which provides a unique visual display of the over 35 successes that were achieved by our organization in 2002. The Tree is made up of jigsaw puzzle pieces representing Town successes which when assembled showcases the overall achievements of our town government. The 8-ft. tall tree has been displayed in our town departments having already made stops at the Community Library and the Spiegel Community Center last month. You can view the tree in December at the following locations: Town Hall (12/2 to 12/6), Sewer Dept. (12/9 to 12/13), and Highway Dept. (12/16 to 12/20). We encourage you to visit the Tree of Success and take a close look at the wonderful work your Town has accomplished in 2002.
The Town's mission statement states that "The Pittsford town government is dedicated to serving in an open and business-like manner by providing leadership that sets the community agenda and aligns resources, enhancing the vitality of the community." We take this mission seriously and will continue to strive to provide you with the best services possible.
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