SURVEY TARGETS STREET DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS AND EFFICIENCY

As cities attempt to hold the line on escalating costs, managers are constantly looking for ways to "Do More For Less". Budgets are lean and the demand for services is increasing. Many cities, especially small, rural governments, are struggling with a revenue-squeeze that is impacting on operations.

With today's emphasis on infrastructure, a survey is being developed to aid cities improve street department operations. Typically, the street department is the city's second largest budget item, following law enforcement and it has the greatest concentration of equipment and capital assets, as well as the largest inventories of consumable materials and repair parts.

Tracking costs in street departments has an immediate impact on operations, but studies have shown that most small cities lack the specialized tools to effectively manage costs, equipment, inventories and projects. Small street departments typically manage millions of dollars using outdated manual systems.

The objective of the survey is to identify the specific needs of the street department and develop comprehensive guidelines to meet those needs, streamline operations and provide valuable resource management information to city planners and officials.

The survey will focus on five areas: operations (what services does the department provide?), safety (how does the department manage highway safety devices?), equipment management (how does the department track equipment costs and maintenance?), inventory control (how does the department track inventory and usage?), and cost accounting (does the department track what it costs to do a job or project, or repair a piece of equipment?).

The survey is being targeted to communities with populations under 50,000, especially those that want to manage street department operations more cost-effectively.

Cities interested in participating in the survey should contact CitiTech Systems (P.O. Box 7626, Rapid City, SD 57709,605-348-5069 or FAX 605-348-6224). All participants will receive a free copy of the final report to be published this fall. •

Page 26 / Illinois Municipal Review / May 1993