Public Works Employee Wins Speech Contest

A City of Sanford employee took home top honors at the N.C. Statewide Safety Conference this month.

In March, Alvan Davis, Lead Utility Maintenance Worker in the Public Works Department, competed in the Safety Talk Contest sponsored by the Mid-State Safety Council. Davis won first place and went on to represent the region at the state conference, held in Greensboro.

At the state conference, Davis competed against other regional representatives on a topic of his choosing that addressed a safety and injury prevention message. Davis’ presentation was entitled, “Trenching and Shoring – Keeping It 100,” took third place.

Judges and attendees were surprised and pleased by Davis’ unique topic choice and excellent delivery.

Mayor Chet Mann, the Sanford City Council, and Safety Officer Donna Matthews
congratulated Alvan Davis, Lead Utility Maintenance Worker in the Public Works
Department at the City of Sanford, on his third place finish in the Safety Talk Contest
sponsored by the Mid-State Safety Council at the N.C. Statewide Safety
Conference this month.

For more information about the N.C. Statewide Safety Conference or the Mid-State Safety Council, visit ncsafetyconference.com or call Donna Matthews at 919-777-1208.

Sanford Wins Top Honors for National Night Out

Sanford's National Night Out program has been named second in the nation for our population category and best in the state across categories by the National Association of Town Watch.

This year’s ranking is Sanford’s highest yet and continues Sanford’s streak as the best NNO program in North Carolina. “I am so pleased with this ranking and recognition,” says Mayor Chet Mann. “Our placement acknowledges the job well done by so many of our citizens and staff who work so hard and really enjoy putting on this event.”

Sanford’s program placed third in 2014 and fourth in 2013. The program’s upward trajectory showcases Sanford’s community spirit, says Mann. “Sanford shines during National Night Out because we are a loving, caring community of people who like to live, work, and play together – and who look out for one another,” he notes.

The 2015 campaign included tours of Sanford’s police and fire departments, along with a summer safety day with the Lee County Partnership for Children and a self-defense day with Black Belt Leadership Academy. NNO coordinators also collected nonperishable food items and school supplies for the Christians United Outreach Center.

Planning is already underway for the 2016 campaign. “Our goal is to create more partnerships and explore more opportunities for our first responders, public officials, and community to connect and enjoy each other,” says Kelly Miller, public information officer and National Night Out program manager for the City of Sanford.

The Sanford Police Department hopes that Sanford’s high ranking will lead more neighborhoods to start a Community Watch program. “Officers in the Community Police Unit are available to attend Watch meetings any time, though we need at least two weeks’ notice to prepare our schedule,” says Capt. Tony Hancox, who heads the unit. “We want the community-police partnership to remain strong throughout the year – not just the first Tuesday in August,” he says.

For more information or to get involved in National Night Out, contact Miller at 919-777-1133 or kelly.miller@sanfordnc.net. For more information about Community Watch, contact Hancox at 919-777-1051.

Blell Named Public Works Employee Of The Year

Matthew Blell, Lead Utility Maintenance Worker for the Sewer Construction and Maintenance Division of the City of Sanford Public Works Department has been named 2014 Public Works Employee of the Year, according to Laura Spivey, Public Works Administrator.

This award is presented to the employee who is considered to have best represented the Public Works Department over the last year.

Blell has worked for the City since November 2011, is a native of Sanford, and lives in Sanford. Blell was presented the award on Thursday, May 22 by Public Works Director Victor Czar (pictured right) and Fedd Walker, City Sewer Superintendent.

Blell was nominated and elected to this honor from a pool of approximately 127 Public Works employees at the City. Blell received nominations from his peers, and then was awarded the honor based on the final vote by the Public Works Superintendents.

 Blell is married to wife Annette and they have two boys, Mason 4 and Brody 1.

How does it feel to be the Employee of the Year? “Shocking! I am honored and humbled by it, I feel blessed!” says Blell.

What do you like most about your job? “I like the mobility of the job and working with other City employees. All my coworkers are friendly and easy to work with. I feel blessed to work for the City of Sanford where I am well taken care of,” he says.

Sanford One of NC's Best Places To Retire

Sanford's gorgeous and (somewhat) mild weather and proximity to international airports landed it in a top 10 spot in Movoto Real Estate's roundup of the Best Places To Retire In North Carolina.

Movoto ranked North Carolina's cities and towns with a population of at least 10,000 according to five main criteria:

• Cost of living
• Crime rate
• Weather (average summer temperature and air quality)
• Ease of travel (distance to nearest international airport)
• Retiree amenities per capita (healthcare, senior centers, adult education, dining, shopping, libraries, arts & entertainment)

Based on this criteria, Sanford ranked higher than Davidson (13), Spring Lake (14), Fuquay-Varina (15), Pinehurst (20), Cary (26), Chapel Hill (38), and Asheville (59).

Advantages: Sanford's low cost of living helped it beat out other localities, according to Movoto. Sanford also has a lower crime rate than many others on the list.

Disadvantages: Movoto said Sanford would have ranked higher except that it scored 55 for "amenities." The company factors senior centers, adult education, libraries, and arts/entertainment into that score.

However, Movoto also admitted that it used online review site Yelp.com to determine the amenities score. Cities with a higher number of businesses registered on the site fared better than those that don't. The company stated that this is Sanford's one area that needs improvement.

Takeaway: Residents already know that Sanford is a great place to live, work, and play. Being highlighted in lists such as Movoto's only helps to spread that message to a larger audience.

GFOA Recognizes Sanford With Budget Award

The Government Finance Officers Association has recognized the City of Sanford, NC with a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

This award is reserved for budgets that serve as an entity’s policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications device. Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in each of those four categories, as well as the 14 criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

In addition to the budget award, Financial Services Director Beth Kelly was awarded a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation for being primarily responsible for the budget’s superior rating.

This is the City of Sanford, NC’s 28th consecutive year receiving the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.

You can access the City of Sanford’s budget on our website.

Sanford PIO Earns Statewide Honors

The NC Association of Government Information Officers (NCAGIO) recognized Kelly Quiñones Miller, the City of Sanford’s public information officer, with two awards for Excellence in Communication for 2013 at their annual conference.

The NCAGIO’s awards program recognizes outstanding work by people serving in public information and public relations positions in government-related agencies that participate in the local, state, or federal government retirement system.

Miller won in the Community Engagement category for the city’s e-newsletter, which was created in January 2013 and is sent out each Monday morning. The e-newsletter contains information about City news and developments, upcoming events, personnel changes, employment opportunities, and more.

The newsletter is free and can be accessed from the city’s website. Archived issues are also available.

Miller also won in the Internal Communication/Employee Engagement category for a series of informational flyers created for the city’s Wellness Program. The series encouraged employees to choose healthier breakfast options as a way to prevent illness and increase overall health.

Other winners in these categories for 2013 include the NC Department of Transportation, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department, and City of Havelock.

Miller joined the City of Sanford as its public information officer in November 2012. Her experience includes marketing strategy, public relations, web design and content creation, training, and journalism. She founded the hyperlocal website SocialSanford and teaches social media courses through the Practical Knowledge Seminar Series.

For more information about the Excellence in Communication awards or the City’s weekly e-newsletter, contact Miller at kelly.miller@sanfordnc.net or 919-777-1133.

Housing Task Force Prepares For 2014

The City's Housing Task Force is already planning for next year's Sanford Block Party. The event has been tentatively set for April 26, 2014.

The committee has chosen Hawkins Avenue to receive a day of cleaning up and beautification. Just like in years past, volunteers, municipal staff, City and County officials, and others will work together to make the chosen portion of the street more attractive to passers by.

While task force members work on confirming dates and lead groups for the future block party, the City's Appearance Commission has selected a residence from each of the past Sanford Block Party events to receive a beautification award.

The award was given to the residents who did the best job of maintaining the work done on their residence during their block party. There is an award for a home on Charlotte Avenue, on McIver Street, and on Maple Avenue.

The awards will be in the form of a sign for the residents to post in their yards. You can expect to see the signs later this fall.

For more information about the task force or the Sanford Block Party, contact Karen Kennedy at 919-777-1113 or karen.kennedy@sanfordnc.net.

Sanford's Drinking Water Receives State Recognition

For the third year in a row, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the City of Sanford’s Water Treatment Plant for meeting the state’s performance goals.

The NC Department of Environmental and Natural Resources’ Area-Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) monitors the state’s public water systems. Each year, systems like the Water Treatment Plant strive to improve the turbidity – or water clarity – of their drinking water.

AWOP’s goal is to ensure the safest possible water for customers of public water systems and position public water systems to handle the challenges posed by new regulations and aging infrastructure.

The Water Treatment Plant has met AWOP’s performance goals year-over-year. The plant’s continued dedication to providing Sanford with safe drinking water “signifies a commitment to excellence” that “extends beyond regulatory standards,” wrote Becky Allenbach, chief of the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Branch in an August 5, 2013 letter of recognition.

The recognition “highlights the staff’s commitment to providing the safest possible drinking water,” says Scott Christiansen, Superintendent of the Water Treatment Plant.

“The staff treats the Sanford’s water beyond what is required by the national primary drinking water regulations,” he says. “This means fewer contaminants in the water supply and the highest quality water for everyone.”

For more information or to schedule a tour of the Water Treatment Plant, contact Christiansen at 919-777-1800.

City Earns Gold & Silver For Safety

The City of Sanford brought home several awards from this year's Safety Awards Banquet, sponsored by the Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce and the NC Department of Labor.

Public Works Safety Officer Donna
Matthews with DOL Commissioner
Cherie Berry

About The Awards

The awards program is designed to stimulate interest in accident prevention and to promote workplace safety. Private and public firms from across the state are recognized with Annual Safety and Million-Hour awards.

To qualify for an annual safety award, an entity must have:

• had no fatalities during the calendar year at the site or location for which the award was given; and

• maintained an incidence rate at least 50 percent below the average for its particular industry group.

There are two categories for the annual awards: Gold and Silver. Gold is based on the Department of Labor's DART rate, which includes cases of days away from work, restricted activity or job transfer. The Silver Award is based only on cases with days away from work.

City of Sanford's Awards

Following are the awards won by the City of Sanford:

• Gold Award, Eighteenth Consecutive Year - Beautification & Golf
• Gold Award, Seventeenth Consecutive Year - Water Treatment Plant
• Gold Award, Sixteenth Consecutive Year - Financial Services
• Gold Award, Ninth Consecutive Year - Administration
• Gold Award, Ninth Consecutive Year - Engineering 
• Gold Award, Sixth Consecutive Year - Fire Department
• Gold Award, Fourth Consecutive Year - Community Development
• Gold Award, Third Consecutive Year - Big Buffalo Waster Water Treatment Plant
• Silver Award, Second Consecutive Year - Public Works

Congratulations to these departments and all award winners for their hard work and dedication to safety.

Public Works Department's 2013 Award Winners

The City of Sanford couldn't run without the excellent work of its Public Works Department. To recognize their efforts, Public Works employees are given special awards each May during Public Works Week.

The following are this year's winners (pictured with Victor Czar, Director and Jay Grainger, Superintendent):

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you for all you do!

Sanford Wins Second Traveling Fire Bucket

The Sanford Fire Department is now home to yet another Traveling Fire Bucket award for outstanding support of the NC Jaycee Burn Center at UNC in Chapel Hill.

Fundraising Champs

The award is given to the fire department or group that makes the greatest financial contribution or support to the Burn Center for the year, per capita. The Bucket must be returned each year unless the department wins it for three years in a row.

This year, the Lee County Firefighters’ Burned Children Fund, an organization founded by firefighters with the Sanford Fire Department, capped off a multi-year winning streak by taking top place in fundraising for the third consecutive year.

The organization raised $16,750 for the Burn Center through public donations, t-shirt sales, 911 address signs sales, a golf tournament, and county-wide recycling.

Visit The Bucket

This win marks the Fund’s sixth year as a winner and second time bringing home a Traveling Fire Bucket. The organization made a permanent home for its first Traveling Fire Bucket award in 2007.

The first award resides at Central Fire Station and the most recent award will be on display at Fire Station #3 on Cool Springs Road in Sanford.

Awards Keep Coming

Burn Center staff members Ernest Grant, Anita Fields, and Shirley Massey also awarded the Lee County Firefighters’ Burned Children Fund a special plaque for their support of the center in 2012, which included providing Christmas gifts for patients, financial support of families, and more.

Sanford firefighters present to receive the awards were Captain David Nance, Captain Michael Thomas, Kelvin Kelly, Heather Lineberry, and Tracy Watson. These firefighters are also Fire and Life Safety Educators who support local burn survivors, as well as fire prevention and education efforts in Sanford.

The Lee County chapter of the Firefighters' Burned Children Fund was found in 2000 by firefighters with the Sanford Police Department. It is comprised of firefighters from all fire stations in Lee County.

The awards were given out at the annual Fire and Life Safety Conference, held this February in Asheville.