ACCOUNTABILITY: The BUSINESS of WATER MANAGEMENT Effectively Managing and Investing Taxpayer Dollars
The South Florida Water Management District constantly looks for and aggressively implements ways to improve and streamline operations. We strive to be as efficient and effective as possible and have instituted a number of enhanced business practices over the years. We know that sustaining our region's water resources depends equally on making the best use of our fiscal, technological and human resources and on creating business opportunities for the communities we serve.
To underscore our transparency and public accountability, we routinely:
Streamline permitting, procurement and other economy-driven processes more »
Expanded permit application accessibility: The District continues to successfully implement all provisions as outlined in the 2009 legislative action delegating the authority to approve permit applications related to water resources and the environment to the executive director. An expanded monthly noticing and meeting process provides enhanced opportunities for public comment on pending Water Use and Environmental Resource Permit applications. Meetings are video-conferenced and webcast to promote wider accessibility and special workshops are conducted for permits of heightened public concern.
Multi-year contracts: Negotiating multi-year contracts for science, monitoring, engineering and information technology services provides uninterrupted, ready access to the best of the state's contracting community with pre-negotiated rates and terms.
Vendor payment database available: This online tool provides transparent, regularly updated access to information about payments of District funds to vendors. Visitors can search this database to find out what vendors the District has done business with (from June 2006 to the present), and see totals of disbursements to each vendor.
Timely payments to vendors and contractors: Most Florida business invoices are paid by the District within 9 days. More than 40,000 invoices were processed in FY 2010, with a 56% increase in productivity of staff processing these transactions, thanks to software and procedural improvements.
Simpler, faster access to regulatory permitting resources: Through our enhanced ePermitting portal, a comprehensive online application and permit information database is readily available, with up-to-date permitting data and options to complete and manage applications electronically.
Actively foster business and community partnerships more »
Building the economy: Each month during Fiscal Year 2010, an average of $63.5 million made its way from the District into the state and local economy through deliverables provided by 2,102 individual engineering, environmental, construction and other vendors.
Innovative financing for construction: The District issued $500 million in the first-ever use of Certificates of Participation for environmental restoration. The proceeds from this funding mechanism helped speed up critically important major water resource construction projects. Those projects have begun and will continue to expand private sector jobs and contribute to the local economy.
Complex projects and research are peer-reviewed: Peer-reviewed work ensures constructive, expert scrutiny and stakeholder involvement in the development of large-scale restoration initiatives.
Measure and report on progress toward meeting established budget and strategic goals more »
Fully integrated Strategic Plans, Annual Work Plans and Budget: Agency goals are clearly outlined, prioritized, monitored and measured thoroughly and consistently. The District's annual budget development process emphasizes fixed overhead costs, baseline operations and funding ongoing costs with recurring revenues. Our budget and financial documents routinely earn national recognition.
Performance-based tracking and reporting: Annual Work Plan progress is reported quarterly, providing actual-to-target performance comparisons. Budget expenditure rates and invoice processing are tracked, analyzed and reported weekly.
Holding the line on taxes: Due to a fiscally responsible approach to budgeting, the District's ad valorem tax rate has not increased for more than 10 years – despite new federal and state mandates that have expanded the agency's responsibilities.
Implemented cost-cutting measures: Actions include a freeze on employee salaries, limits on staff travel, in-house training initiatives and decreased operational expenses for facilities. "Green" initiatives have resulted in a multi-year decline in kilowatt and water usage, reducing the headquarters' annual electric bill by more than $200,000 and using 1.5 million fewer gallons of water (30.6% reduction).
Internal auditing of business processes: The Inspector General routinely audits business functions throughout the agency, spotlighting areas for improvement where appropriate.
Independent external financial audits and awards: For 19 consecutive years, the District has received an award for excellence in financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The GFOA reviews financial reports from hundreds of government organizations in the United States and Canada. Also during those years, our external auditors have consistently provided an unqualified, or "clean," audit opinion on our financial statements.
Encourage involvement and open dialogue with the public we serve more »
Enhanced regulatory and stakeholder partnerships: To encourage collaboration, special task forces and stakeholder meetings are routinely held for Environmental Resource and Water Use Permit holders, utilities, local governments, agricultural businesses and other groups. The information shared helps stakeholders understand the reasons why certain things are required from them by our processes, and helps us to understand how we can improve to meet their needs.
Collaborate with other agencies and governments to share resources and reduce costs more »
Broader outreach: At no cost to the District, implemented a water conservation electronic billboard campaign at five of South Florida's major airports (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Palm Beach and Southwest Florida) in coordination with county governments. These airports had combined traffic of more than 106 million domestic and international passengers in 2010.
Data sharing: Acquired LiDAR (a remote sensing system used to collect topographic data) information for the Herbert Hoover Dike, Everglades Agricultural Area and South Florida coastal regions from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, representing millions of dollars in savings to the District.
Embrace technologies that improve our efficiency more »
Comprehensive Project Database: The South Florida Environmental Report's consolidated project report database provides a comprehensive update on District projects and processes referenced in that annual document. The database enables rapid data sorting, searches and retrieval for efficient information and project management.
Vendor payment database available: This online tool provides transparent, regularly updated access to information about payments of District funds to vendors. Visitors can search this database to find out what vendors the District has done business with (from June 2006 to the present), and see totals of disbursements to each vendor.
Simpler, faster access to regulatory permitting resources: Through our enhanced ePermitting portal, a comprehensive online application and permit information database is readily available, with up-to-date permitting data and options to complete and manage applications electronically.
Putting technology to work: The District has adopted and is fully utilizing "state of the art" business- and financial-management software and has implemented detailed project management techniques agency-wide.
The South Florida Water Management District is committed to working with skilled and cost-effective contracting individuals and companies. The District values these business partners to provide goods or services for projects of all sizes.
To fulfill the needs of the District's complex and varied initiatives, we maintain a large pool of pre-qualified scientific, engineering and technology firms. The District also maintains a pool of more than 1,500 goods and services providers certified through our Small Business Enterprise Program.
To protect the integrity of our procurement process, the District adheres to all applicable statutes, rules and regulations, and we require the same level of diligence from our contractors and vendors.
To safeguard regional water resources, we also work with business applicants for environmental resource, surface water, Works of the District, water use and well permits, and then we monitor the work that was permitted. Additionally, we establish partnerships with businesses, local governments and communities to promote alternative water supply development and conservation practices.
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