Amethyst G. Cirmo, City Secretary/Communications Coordinator
At the Municipal League Annual Conference and Exhibition, the City of Kennedale was presented with the 2012 Municipal Excellence Award in Management Innovations for cities of less than 25,000 population. The award recognizes the city for its project titled “Collaborating with a University to Expand Staff Capacity.”The city identified a strategic business objective of utilizing students and university classes to achieve city goals. During the past four years, {{more}}190 students from four universities have worked with the city. Both the students and the city staff benefit – the students are mentored by city staff and gain professional experience, while the city staff receives help with research and staff support. The students give presentations to the city council, staff, and appropriate advisory board members. Similarly, city representatives give in-class presentations and universities when invited. In addition to the student-city relationship, the city staff annually reads five books, which are intended to reinforce the desired culture and public administration focus essential to organizational development. These books are read together, with the city manager leading a staff discussion of the material on a weekly basis.Mayor John Clark, Mayor Pro-Tem Brian Johnson and City Manager Bob Hart accepted the award. The Texas Municipal League is a voluntary association of more than 1,200 Texas cities. Its primary objective is to serve the needs and advocate the interests of Texas cities, and it is the largest organization of its kind in the United States. The City of Kennedale is a member.
