Mayor's Community Update - 08/03/19

Greetings!  The final area of focus that I would like to discuss for our 2020 budget plan relates to high performance government.  Last year, our department heads began working on an effort to define what high performance means for city operations.  While we continue to evolve as a team, in 2019 we started work on initiatives that deliver on high performance goals with a strong focus on process improvement.  For those in the business community, you might think of this as applying lean thinking to government operations.  Our overall goals for this work include cost reduction, increased transparency, improved communication, and enhanced service delivery.  In 2019, projects that were worked on that resulted in streamlined operations, yielded cost savings and/or improved service delivery, include the addition of a municipal court; the addition of credit card and online payment processing for services at city hall; and installation of a fiber network between city hall and other public facilities.  Additionally, the work that is underway with our surrounding townships to consolidate fire services is yet another example of how staff is working to accomplish the objective of high performance.

For 2020, our teams will maintain a strong focus on high performance.  Some of the projects we hope to be working on include deployment of a total compensation and performance management system.  All employers are concerned about workforce and the city is no different as it relates to the need to attract and retain skilled people who can help our community realize our long-term goals.  The total compensation and performance management plan will help ensure that we are positioned competitively within the marketplace to attract and retain needed talent, that we have a system of accountability in place that is focused on achieving outcomes, and that we are continually looking for the next best way to achieve desired outcomes.  Additionally, technology will continue to play a significant role in helping us achieve high performance by supporting process improvements and enhancing the flow of information.  Finally, we are beginning work on intergovernmental agreements with our surrounding townships and communities to explore cost share models and identify other opportunities for organizational efficiency.

Moving forward, we will post information related to budget creation on the city’s website as it becomes available.  If you have questions or ideas to share, we invite you to contact your alderperson who will work with city staff to incorporate any pertinent feedback throughout this process.

Around town, mark your calendar for August 9 and 10, when the 30th annual Waupun Truck N Show returns to Waupun.  Our community will also be hosting the National American Legion Baseball Tournament that weekend at the Gus.  Please extend a warm Waupun welcome to the visitors that both events will draw to our community.  I hope to see you around town!