Alameda County received seven awards from the National Association of Counties, or NACo, last Wednesday for its work in programs ranging from environmental sustainability to increasing school attendance.
The county’s Information Technology Department, the County General Services Agency and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office were all honored by NACo — an advocacy group that aims to share successful programs with counties across the United States. Entries were chosen based on several factors including innovation and program results.
“I am very proud of our County and the various work our Departments conduct on a daily basis,” said Scott Haggerty, president and first district representative of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, in an email. “ It never ceases to amaze me just how creative, diverse and talented our workforce is.”
The Alameda County Permit Portal, Innovate AC, New Collaboration Tools and the Technology Reuse Program, all projects created by the Information Technology Department, were nationally recognized for the technological services they provide to citizens.
According to Tim Dupuis, the chief information officer for the Information Technology Department, the permit portal creates a streamlined way to view county and city requirements for permits.
“It is about the service being delivered to (people) in something that is easy to understand,” Dupuis said. “It brings the government services to them through technology.”
The County General Services agency’s Green and Healthy Events program, which works to put on healthy, sustainable and low waste events, was deemed “replication ready” by NACo, meaning the program could easily be duplicated by counties across the country.
Additionally, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office received two achievement awards. The Health Excellence Academic Leadership program was awarded in the criminal justice and public safety category for addressing the link between school absences and health struggles in young children.
The district attorney’s office was also given the “best of” in the category of children and youth out of 47 entries across the U.S. for its Safety Net program.
According to Assistant District Attorney Teresa Drenick, the Safety Net program works to go beyond prosecuting sex offenders by providing a team of professionals to support youth exploited for sex trade. She added that the awards help county agencies be innovative and think of new ways to tackle problems
“These awards not only are a validation of the innovative work being done across our County organization,’’ said Susan Muranishi, Alameda County administrator in a press release. “They also reflect the significant progress we have made in protecting the environment, supporting our community’s most vulnerable residents and finding efficient, cost-effective new ways to do business.’’
Alameda County will be recognized along with other county winners during a NACo luncheon July 24 in Los Angeles. The abstracts for the projects will be available on the NACo website in August.
