DEPARTMENT: Development Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Roderick Sanchez
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Mayor's Utility Taskforce
SUMMARY:
Mayor Ivy R. Taylor created the Utility Task Force with a mission to ensure close alignment with the SA Tomorrow plan and examine the processes and staffing related to land development, construction and service delivery for municipal utilities. The Task Force evaluated the current development processes, with a goal to improve the development community's customer experience with CPS Energy and SAWS and to provide a cost-effective product for wholesale, retail and residential customers.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Task Force is comprised of 15 members, including representatives from the development community such as engineers, developers, utility contractors, and commercial/residential builders and is supported by several staff from SAWS, CPS Energy, and COSA. The Task Force is led by Co-Chairs Norman Dugas and Leo Gomez. An initial meeting was held on May 10, 2016 with members of the development community and staff from CPS Energy, SAWS and COSA.
The Task Force began meeting consistently from October 2016 to April 2017, during which time members identified key areas of opportunity and improvement within the utilities' processes. Members provided feedback, proposed recommendations, and identified five focus areas to help address issues with the current policies and procedures. For each focus area, subcommittees were established with working groups to review current initiatives, identify priorities, and recommended action items for each utility.
ISSUE:
Using the Development Services Department as a model for SAWS and CPS Energy to initiate new processes, the Task Force identified many opportunities for improvement. Task force members created subcommittees to address five main areas of concern which include:
1. Technology Improvements
2. Quality Customer Service
3. Explore Outsourcing Opportuniti...
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