The City of Bothell Public Works Department was recently awarded full accreditation by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Accreditation Council and was formally presented with the honor at the March 2nd City Council meeting. The City of Bothell joins a select group of nine other agencies in Washington to have been awarded the designation and 155 accredited agencies across the United States and Canada.
Bothell’s Public Works Department is responsible for the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the City’s infrastructure and provides a variety of essential services to safeguard quality of life, health, property, and public welfare.
APWA’s accreditation program provides a means to formally verify and recognize agencies’ compliance with nationally recognized recommended management practices developed by members of APWA. The voluntary accreditation process encourages self-improvement through performance, educational programs, and community pride to ensure the highest industry practices are met or exceeded. Reviewers from other Public Works agencies evaluated Bothell’s work in the form of best practices and determined the City met requirements in all 411 applicable areas, with seven deemed as “Model Practices” that will be shared with other agencies.
“The entire City of Bothell organization is proud to receive APWA Accreditation and our peers’ recognition of Bothell Public Works’ excellence," stated Erin Leonhart, Public Works Director and Interim City Manager. "Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for Bothell residents, visitors, business owners and employees. Achieving Accreditation confirms that we are on the right path. The Bothell Public Works Department is committed to the continuous improvement necessary to meet our mission and maintain accreditation. I am so proud of this team and the accomplishment, particularly given the challenges we faced along the way.”
The accreditation process is designed to help agencies continue to improve. Agencies must apply for reaccreditation every four years.