Excellence in Governance & Economic Development Update

Excellence in Governance Program

Throughout any organization, and especially in municipal government, a universal goal is to provide excellent service in what we do everyday. Here in Foster City delivering good governance is not only a core value characterized by our City team but continues to be ingrained in the work culture & environment.

In September 2016, the City launched the “Excellence in Governance” Program with the purpose of capturing achievements made by our City staff, including those related to City Council policy.  Each department provides a monthly recap structured around five (5) focus areas:

• Sound Financial Management
• Effective Community Planning and Neighborhood Preservation
• Effective and Efficient Municipal Operations and Services
• Positive Community and Governmental Relations
• Effective Professional Development

The reports received from the various departments are then compiled and refined to create one complete snapshot of the City’s accomplishments over the course of a quarter – encompassing anywhere from daily interactions made with our constituents to reaching a milestone in a major project.

It is with great pleasure that I present to you the first quarter summary of Excellence in Governance - FY 2016/2017 2nd Quarter Accomplishment Highlights. We will bring you this report on a quarterly basis as we work to serve our community and keep our citizens informed.

Economic Development Update

There have been several exciting updates in terms of Economic Development efforts in Foster City. The partnership with Scoop Technologies to bring the carpooling app and $2 rides to Foster City has yielded outstanding results. There have been 8,858 fewer trips in and out of Foster City since launching in October of 2016. This is the equivalent of 102,200 pounds of CO2 saved during the same time. Additionally, in 2016 City staff spent 40 hours assisting Foster City businesses solving problems and helping to negotiate resolutions as part of the Office of the Ombudsman out of the City Manager’s Office. City staff also conducted 50 business visitations, directly reaching out to Foster City’s thriving business community.

Coming up this year are more sustainable initiatives to help residents and businesses live, work and play in Foster City including the launch of a Kiva.org – Foster City micro-lending program and two new websites. The first new website is www.connectfostercity.com, a connection portal linking anyone travelling in and out of Foster City with the myriad of transportation alternatives available. Sustainable.fostercity.org will also be launched this year as part of Sustainable Foster City, where anyone interested in Economic, Environmental and Social initiatives can go to learn more. 2017 promises to be an exciting year.

Have a super weekend and enjoy the game on Sunday! I hope the team you are pulling for is excellent and "Plays Like a Champion!"