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<br /> FINANCIER: Case Study -
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<br /> very high level of quality in their , which is positive, not judgmental.
<br /> ' - - work. • ' - - . It is also a commitment of time; in
<br /> Throughout the research and plan- our case,-12- to 15-hundred hours per , •
<br /> -_ •ning process, perceptions among team team, per.city. Obviously, such a pro-
<br /> members from both sides changed. For gram is not a mere public relations
<br /> • • example, in addition to appreciation of gesture. • • ' ' • -
<br /> i • the quality of work performed in pri-
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<br /> I vate sector offices, it became apparent Some Immediate Results -
<br /> that cliches such as "wheel spinning While the program's main,focus was ,
<br /> bureaucrats" are becoming .a thing of on long-term financial planning, there
<br /> the past. Many small cities are today have been some immediate and poten-
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<br /> run by -professional managers thor-, tially significant results.
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<br /> oughly trained in public administra- In'Saratoga, public officials were pro-
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<br /> • - tion. vided a planning mechanism permit-
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<br /> Similarly,,many public sector work- ting them to examine the impact of , , ,
<br /> ers who formerly held anti-business additional residential or commercial
<br /> bias welcomed our obvious concern , development or both. ' .
<br /> over the future of the neighborhoods In Montebello, a new budgeting con- .
<br /> ' -rwe share. The image of business, as cept enabled city officials to be better
<br /> . purely profit-oriented, ivory-toWer peo- informed about the impact Of •any
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<br /> pie who did not understand-conditions changes they might be contemplating-
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<br /> at the local level, .was to a large extent, on the level of services to the citizens
<br /> dispelled: "I didn't think a bank did (trash -collection, street lighting), and
<br /> • this sort ofthing," said one city- • how that level of service would be
<br /> - worker. • • affected by the availability of dollars.
<br /> - - . 'In Union City, teani members ad-,
<br /> Commitment Is Enormous
<br /> dressed two significant planning issues• -
<br /> , _. I must, however, warn any private over a five- to ten-year timespan: The
<br /> sector group that is considering under- seriousness of the impact of environ-
<br /> • , -taking a program such as this that the mental or transportation pro-blems •
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<br /> commitment is enormous_ _ upon the limited remaining land, and
<br /> i - It means, "first of all, going public •the •complex question of generating
<br /> with your intentions: Putting your more revenue when the retail sales tax •
<br /> plans on the 'line before a meeting of ,,base was unlikely to grow any larger.
<br /> the city's elected "officials — usually In Montclair, the team helpe-d design ,
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<br /> attended by the press and the pUblic: a planning process, which wo-uld give
<br /> We took this approach because we the city a three- to five-year planning -
<br /> wanted to work with the whole city ,capability, which had previously, been • '
<br /> rather than factions within a city Gov- , - limited,to only a one year time hori-
<br /> eminent. We wanted the city council, zon. - ,• _
<br /> the chief financial officer and the city , The most tangible and immediate-
<br /> manager to-work with us as,a team. results occurred in work productivity,
<br /> We made it clear that we were,going a topic familiar to-bottom-line-oriented
<br /> to assist them in dealing with their corporate planners but one not utilized '
<br /> problems
<br /> problems and that it was not our objec- with great frequency in the public sec-
<br /> • - tive to accuse, 'to judge or to make tor. Work productivity seminars con-
<br /> anyone look bad .—• in an attitude ducted with 49 employees in the four
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<br /> 40 February 1979 FINANCIER ,
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