Image Building

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• Image Building
• North Miami Beach Public Services Model
• Florida Water Environment Association
• January 12, 2006

Kelvin L. Baker Assistant City Manager
City of North Miami Beach Public Services
Department
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An Introduction To The Utility

• S Operates 2nd largest water utility in
  Miami-Dade County
• S Water service area spans Northern Miami-Dade
  County
• S Maintains approximately 500 miles of water main
  lines
• S Currently undergoing Water Plant Expansion
• S First utility in County that will access the
  Floridan Aquifer
• S Utility Customers approximately 180,000
• S Utility Service Area 25.5 Sq. Miles

City of North Miami Beach Public Services
Department
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Key Questions on Image Building

• S For What are We Accountable?
• S To Whom are We Accountable?
• S What are the Methods of Deliveries?

City of North Miami Beach Public Services
Department
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For What Are We Accountable ?

• As Caretakers of the Utility
• S Its Customers
• S Its Image

City of North Miami Beach Public Services
Department
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To Whom Are We Accountable?

• Our Residents and Customers
• Our Employees
• Our Bosses
• and ..
• Ourselves

City of North Miami Beach Public Services
Department
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Methods of Deliveries

S Written Communication S Community Outreach,
Involvement and Education S Employee
Empowerment and Retention
City of North Miami Beach Public Services
Department
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FACT Todays Utility Customer is Educated

• We Are Dealing With a Public that is
• S More Environmentally Conscious
• S Holding Government to a Higher Order
• S More Involved in the Municipal Process
• Exercising its Right To Know
• Dealing with employees in whom we have invested
• Recognizing and proactively addressing the
  challenges

City of North Miami Beach Public Services
Department
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The Needs

S We needed to sharpen our image S We needed the
right deliveries
City of North Miami Beach Public Services
Department
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Methods of Deliveries to Build The Image

• Public Education Team
• Consumer Confidence Report

City of North Miami Beach Public Services
Department
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Introducing New Programs

• S Showerhead Exchange Program S Hardware
  Retrofits
• S Water Use Surveys S In-House Water Audits
• S Landscape Irrigation Technology S Teacher
  Workshops
• S School and Community Outreach Activities
• S Providing Benchmarking and Mentoring other
  Utilities
• S Community Events
• S Other Demand Management BMPs
• S Water loss Reduction Program
• Toilet Retrofit Program
• Newsletters

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Utility Neighborhood Outreach

• Building productive relationships with water
• customers through community outreach
• S Representation at community meetings
• S Surveying the quality of services
• S Customer Liaison on water related issues
• S Measuring the pulse of the community on
  current issues
• S Addressing technical concerns
• S Opening the tap to address utility issues

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Impact of Utility Neighborhood Outreach

• S Approximately 200 people per month at
  homeowner associations, civic and church
  group meetings
• S Distribution of approximately 4,000 customer
  care surveys
• S Collecting and responding to data from Utility
  Neighborhoods Surveys
• S Community open house event to inform
  approximately 200 neighbors of impending plans
• S Educating customers on water quality issues
• S Periodic water Education workshops

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Public Information Office

• Ongoing public information programs to address
  the needs of our diverse communities
• S Speakers Bureau
• Special Events
• NMB Bottled Water Program
• NMB Publications
• Media Relations
• Pre/Post Construction Notices

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Impact of Public Information Office

• Increased community awareness
• Bottle water donations in excess of 15,000
  gallons annually
• Readership of newsletter in excess of 180,000
  quarterly
• Approximately 800 children and adults on guided
  tours
• Approximately 50 visits per year to area schools
• Multiple articles in local and national
  publications
• Special events reach thousands each year
• Provides an opportunity to toot your own horn

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Team Results

• Water Quality Report teaching/reference tool
  Regional Awards
• Over 200 teachers/educators trained
• Over 6,000 student contacts annually
• Unaccounted for Water Loss of approximately 5
• Bottled water program is developing consumer
  confidence while supporting community events
• Consumer awareness through surveys and workshops
  pre/post testing

• WLRN NMB Environmentally Speaking television
  series available to all Miami-Dade County
  cable subscribers

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Utility Tools

• Measuring Effectiveness and Satisfaction
• Direct Calls
• Letters
• Surveys

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Ask a Neighbor Their Opinion (Possible Ways
Customers View Their CCR)

• Junk mail
• As a maze of tables and numbers
• Another mailer from their utility
• S As Mandated very unappealing
• S Something that does not address their
  
• immediate needs and concerns

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How Should They View Their CCR?

• This is a Report Card of their drinking Water
  
• and Utility
• This is an excellent medium to address their
  concern
• This is another medium to inform them about
  tap water
• This is their Utility reaching out to them

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Going Beyond the CCR

• S Timely information about the Utility
• Addressing Topical Issues
• Information about their Water source to tap
• How does their drinking water measure up
• Utility Programs
• Water Conservation and other tips
• Important Numbers
• A Calendar/Date Book
• Kids Activities
• Inclusion of Water Conservation Poster Contest
  
• Winners

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Making the CCR User-Friendly and Accessible

• Available in Three languages
• Available to non-metered customers
• Available in Schools
• Available in Library
• Available in Public Lobbies
• As mandated, posted on Website

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Feedback Weve Received

• S Best CCR in Florida 2001 2002
• S EPA Region 4 Winner 2002
• Used in schools as teaching tool
• Generated tremendous Feedback
• Positive
• Ultimate Public Relations Tool

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Where are We Headed?

• S We are Evolving
• S Continue Being Proactive and Fresh
• S Providing Services by Being Creative
• S Constantly Examining The Wheel
• S Exploring Other Means of Image Building

City of North Miami Beach Public Services
Department
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Thank You
Presenter Kelvin L. Baker, Assistant City
Manager Phone [phone] Website
www.nmbworks.com

• Raymond F. Marin, Mayor
• Councilman Jay R. Chernoff Councilman Kenneth A.
  DeFillipo
• Councilman Philippe Derose Councilman John
  Patrick Julien
• Councilman Myron Rosner Councilwoman David L.
  Templer
• Gary Brown, City Manager