Private Efforts Light Up Public Works

PLEASANT RIDGE —In July, this Oakland County city celebrated the completion of a full year of a privatized public works department. According to City Manager Joe Merucci, there’s much to celebrate.

The productivity of the city’s public works department has been turned around in a positive direction, with a 15% cost reduction to show for it in the first year that City Municipal Services has been in charge. Speaking of the six-man crew the old city-managed DPW maintained before privatization, Merucci said, "They weren’t getting the job done. They were doing more leave time than work days."