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Fox Report: Sandy Springs, Ga.
Sandy Springs Background
In June 2005, after struggling for more than three decades to become a city, 94 percent of the voters in the unincorporated area of Sandy Springs approved a referendum in favor of cityhood. On December 1, 2005, this community of nearly 90,000 residents north of and adjacent to Atlanta became Georgia’s seventh largest city.
Striving to create the most efficient, responsive and cost-effective city possible, the Governor’s Commission for the City of Sandy Springs opted to outsource all city services except police, fire and 911. The Commission issued requests for proposals for two distinct areas: an administrative side to handle duties such as customer service, human resources, accounting and information technology; and a hands-on side to provide public services such as public works, transportation, parks and recreation, and planning and zoning. Through an intensive proposal and interview process, CH2M HILL OMI was selected unanimously for both in September 2005.
When the new city of Sandy Springs opened its doors December 1, one of its first orders of business was to approve the contract with CH2M HILL OMI.
The landmark contract between the new city of Sandy Springs and CH2M HILL OMI is the nation’s most comprehensive and innovative public-private partnership for the delivery of municipal services.
CH2M HILL OMI’s scope of services includes all functions of a major city:
• Administration
• Finance, tax and revenue collection
• Personnel and human resources, including benefits and payroll
• Community development, including planning, zoning and permitting
• Municipal court support services
• Computer systems, information technology and telecommunications
• Public information and community relations, including newsletter and Web site
• Business licensing and permitting
• Purchasing
• Parks and recreation
• Civil engineering
• Traffic engineering; streets, roads and right-of-way maintenance
• Customer service, including citizen call center management
• Contract management for water supply, sewage collection and disposal, and
• garbage collection
CH2M HILL OMI’s strategy to deliver services is based upon combining the extensive resources and experience within the enterprise, complemented with the experience and capabilities of industry-leading companies delivering services as subcontractors.
The services provided by CH2M HILL OMI have resulted in a total savings of $20 million per year as compared to traditional municipal management. As a result, citizens of Sandy Springs have been rewarded with dramatically lower operating costs, a significantly higher level of customer service, and a focus on quality and responsiveness to their needs.
For more information about the city of Sandy Springs, visit the city’s Web site. |
