Pierce County Public Works and Utilities Department is the first among its county counterparts in Washington State to be accredited by the American Public Works Association. The department’s accreditation will be recognized by County Executive John W. Ladenburg and the County Council at the council’s Sept. 4 meeting.

“The citizens of Pierce County get a Public Works and Utilities Department that is more effective and efficient because of this accreditation,” Ladenburg said. “Director Brian Ziegler, Deputy Director Toby Rickman and their team set high standards and deserve credit for their achievements to date and those to come.”

The APWA accreditation program recognizes public works agencies that go beyond the requirements of the management practices established nationally in the public works industry. The voluntary program is a self-motivated approach to objectively evaluate, verify and recognize compliance with recommended management practices. On a daily basis, accredited agencies meet or exceed standards of performance in areas such as water, solid waste management, street/sewer repair and maintenance, engineering, building maintenance and vehicle maintenance.

Pierce County began the self assessment process in January 2006 and applied for accreditation in February 2007. A team of public works professionals from Colorado, California, Oregon and Florida completed a thorough evaluation of operations during a site visit in June.

“It’s exciting to complete such a detailed review of an agency’s policies and procedures and then recommend them for accreditation,” said Ann Daniels, APWA accreditation director. “The Pierce County Public Works and Utilities Department is to be commended for improving operations to enhance their internal performance and assuring their community they meet or exceed national standards.”

Director Ziegler said the exercise helped the department to make positive changes in facilities management, information technology and communications. “It provided direction for future reorganization with the department.”

The results responded to the County Council’s interest in reviewing the department’s core functions. “It helped us identify and refine our core functions,” Ziegler said.

The self-assessment and accreditation process provided a nationally recognized method for the department to identify improvement opportunities, according to Deputy Director Rickman. Other reasons for seeking APWA accreditation included:

– To increase employee involvment in improvement activities;

– To benchmark the department and allow it to achieve excellence among its peers;

– To provide a venue for recognizing employees and the agency and to build morale and increase pride;

– To improve communication and accountability with the citizenry;

– To standardize and organize policies and procedures.