Public Works Department Achieves American Public Works Association Accreditation

The City of Belmont Public Works Department has recently received accreditation from the American Public Works Association (APWA). This accreditation formally verifies and recognizes that the agency is in full compliance with the recommended management practices set forth in APWA’s Public Works Management Practices Manual.  

Open to all governmental agencies with responsibilities for public works functions, initial accreditation from APWA is for a four-year period, during which time semi-annual updates will be required to demonstrate continuing compliance. After that time, there is a re-accreditation process that builds on the original accreditation, encouraging continuous improvement and compliance with newly identified practices. 

The purpose of accreditation is to promote excellence in the operation and management of a public works agency, its programs, and its employees. Accreditation is designed to assist the agency in the continuous improvement of operations and management, and in providing a valid and objective evaluation of agency programs as a service to the public and the profession. 

"The APWA Accreditation signifies not only the City's adherence to the highest standards of public works management but also its continuous pursuit of innovation and improvement. This prestigious recognition highlights the outstanding contributions each member of the department has made toward enhancing the quality of life for our residents," said City Manager Afshin Oskoui.

APWA’s accreditation process includes five major steps: 

• Self-Assessment: Using the Public Works Management Practices Manual, an internal review of an agency’s practices combined with a comparison of the recommended practices contained in the manual; 
• Application: Once the decision has been made to commit to the Accreditation Program, the agency submits a formal application; 
• Improvement: After the agency has completed the self-assessment and identified areas needing improvement, the agency will work to bring all practices into an acceptable level of compliance with the recommended practices; 
• Evaluation: Following the completion of the improvement phase, the agency will request a site visit. The site visit will consist of a review and evaluation of the agency to determine the level of compliance with all applicable practices. 
• Accreditation: The Accreditation Council will review the site visit results and recommendations from the team, voting to award or deny accreditation.  

Mayor Julia Mates on behalf of the City Council thanked the staff for their tireless efforts and exceptional service. "Their dedication to maintaining and improving our community's infrastructure does not go unnoticed, and this accreditation is a well-deserved acknowledgment of their excellence," said Mayor Mates.

Formally awarded the prestigious accreditation by APWA’s Accreditation Council, Belmont Public Works is the eighteenth agency in the State of California. In addition to Belmont, the accredited agencies in California include the cities of Bakersfield, Burlingame, Encinitas, Menlo Park, Oakland, Palmdale, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Thousand Oaks, Vallejo and Ventura, the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Orange, San Luis Obispo County, the City and County of San Francisco, and lastly the San Diego Unified Port District. 

For more information about APWA Accreditation, please contact APWA Accreditation Manager, Nicole Shoemaker at nshoemaker@apwa.org or (816) 595-5294. 

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