1. Explain any budget changes between the Fiscal 2024 CLS Budget and Fiscal 2024 Proposed Budget.

• Turnover Savings reflects a new 8% rate based on historical trends
• Various phone-related line items were adjusted based on historical spending trends.
• Water 2071
  • 110 - $800K for CSSD Positions
    • For new position plan

 2. Explain any staffing changes between the Fiscal 2024 CLS Budget and Fiscal 2024 Proposed Budget.

• Water 2071
  • increase of 13 positions
    • 2 from 670-2071
    • 1 from 676-1001
    • 9 from 676-2070
    • 1 previously unfunded

 3. Describe how these changes impact service delivery.

• New positions will be utilized to relax DPW’s heavy workload on already existing staff and promote greater efficiencies which will allow DPW to analyze complicated issues and provide greater customer care.
• Positions that are moved across different services and funds will achieve more accurate budgeting by transparently charging positions in the correct service and fund for which they perform their essential work

 4. What goal(s) from the Mayor's Action Plan does this service connect to? 

• • Pillar: Prioritizing Youth
    • Goal 2: “Increase quality employment, mentorship, and entrepreneurship opportunities for disconnected youth.”
    • Goal 5: “Increase engagement with Baltimore youth to make local government more accessible to and reflective of them.”
  • Pillar: Clean & Healthy Communities
    • Goal 3: “Improve the cleanliness of Baltimore neighborhoods, streets, parks, and public spaces - while expanding green space across neighborhoods.”
    • Goal 5: “Provide an affordable, world class water service while maintaining safe and high-quality water standards.”
    • Goal 6: “Move the City and Baltimore residents towards a more sustainable future and zero waste, through improved recycling, composting, waste management, and improved energy practices.”
  • Pillar: Responsible Stewardship of City Resources
    • Goal 2: “Deliver quality, efficient customer service to all residents through a lens of equity, accessibility, and accountability.”
    • Goal 3: “Recruit, retain, and develop a diverse and high-achieving workforce.”
    • Goal 4: “Improve government performance, accountability, and cross-agency collaboration.”

 5. What action(s) from the Mayor's Action Plan does this service connect to?

• Pillar: Prioritizing Youth
  • Goal 2: “Increase quality employment, mentorship, and entrepreneurship opportunities for disconnected youth.”
    • Actions: 2.2-5
  • Goal 5: “Increase engagement with Baltimore youth to make local government more accessible to and reflective of them.”
    • Actions: 5.5
• Pillar: Clean & Healthy Communities
  • Goal 3: “Improve the cleanliness of Baltimore neighborhoods, streets, parks, and public spaces - while expanding green space across neighborhoods.”
    • Actions: 3.1-3, 5, 7-8, 10
  • Goal 5: “Provide an affordable, world-class water service while maintaining safe and high-quality water standards.”
    • Actions: 5.1-6
  • Goal 6: “Move the City and Baltimore residents towards a more sustainable future and zero waste, through improved recycling, composting, waste management, and improved energy practices.”
    • Actions: 6.2-4
• Pillar: Responsible Stewardship of City Resources
  • Goal 2: “Deliver quality, efficient customer service to all residents through a lens of equity, accessibility, and accountability.”
    • Actions: 2.1-2, 5-6, 8
  • Goal 3: “Recruit, retain, and develop a diverse and high-achieving workforce.”
    • Actions: 3.1, 3-5
  • Goal 4: “Improve government performance, accountability, and cross-agency collaboration.”
    • Actions: 4.2

 6. Describe how this service's activities help achieve the goal(s) and action(s) identified. List specific actions planned for FY2024 that are tied to these goals and actions.

The Office of Utility Billing oversees The Customer Support and Services (CSSD) & Meter Operation Divisions The Customer Support and Services division is responsible for sending out accurate water bills each month as well as providing best-in-class customer service to our customers through the Call Center, Customer Support Center and Correspondence units.  We implemented customer satisfaction surveys this fiscal year and will be building out metrics to improve the customer experience. Meter Operations is responsible for collecting monthly reads which allows CSSD to bill each customer every month.  We have overhauled our Training/Leadership Development Team and Internal Improvements team as well have added a Data team to help us achieve our goals.  These three units are critical for CSSD and Meter Operations in ensuring a sustainable workforce for CSSD; while providing employment opportunities to underserved communities. We are in the process of updating our billing system which will bring better amalgamation and more options in paying their water bills. We will launch Promise Pay in Jan 2023 as one of the programs launching from our comprehensive revenue management process.  Finally, by streamlining operations and maximizing revenue, DPW is committed to reducing rate increases in future years.

7. What specific disparities does this service seek to address? How does this service address these disparities?

CSSD and Meter Operations are now under the Office of Utility Billing to assure alignment with the meter installation to cash (customer’s payments) process.  The newly formed office will strive to reduce disparity in our internal processes. In addition, both units have to collaborate to ensure meter reads and billing and have minimal exceptions.  We are monitoring the large meter work orders to ensure they receive the same service levels as our residential meter investigations, repairs, and replacements.  CSSD and Meter Operations have formed a task force to track and correct accounts that haven’t been billed for more than 45 days.  Monitoring unbilled accounts will greatly reduce the disparity in the types of accounts billed.

8. What data is used to assess the service's impact on reducing these disparities?

CSSD uses performance measures/data from our performance dashboards to understand when to act and/or mitigate service delivery disparities.

9. Explain how this service adapts and adjusts in response to the changing needs of your end users. If possible, provide examples of how this service is doing this currently or has done this in the past.

CSSD and Meter Operations have implemented tracking mechanisms through newly created performance dashboards, the implementation of a customer ticketing system as well as customer satisfaction surveys.   CSSD is also expanding its staffing in FY24 to include liaisons and commercial account reps that we will leverage for additional data that will inform changes to meet the needs of our end users.