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Lessons from the mouse
If the culture of an organization is not by design, it is by default. Think about that. Every organization, of any size, has a culture. That is, a prevailing group psyche that directs attitudes and actions. However, when considering any given organization, the hypothesis above asks if that group's culture has evolved on purpose, by design, or if it just "is" - by default.  Remember that and we'll come back to it. Among the reasons to love Farmers Branch, aside from our scenic neighborhoods, lush parks and greenbelts, visionary leadership and excellent quality of life, is the exceptional nature of the services delivered by our top notch City staff. Much of the service you receive from any member of our staff may be spontaneous. After all, our departments have taken great care over the years to be certain that only people with a calling to public service are hired to work at the City of Farmers Branch. As such, it could be argued that the service-minded culture of this organization has been organic in nature - that it has been "by default." Our people act that way because that's the way they are. Not that "default" is a bad thing. Still, how much stronger could the organization grow if there was some "design" put to the already strong service culture. That's when we started looking for high-performing customer service organizations with best practices available to share, preferably in an organization that, like a city, is responsible for everything from road repair to trash collection to transportation and public safety. Most of all, the target organization had to model a service mentality that was second to none. We found what we were looking for in an institution that has had its practices mirrored by businesses and agencies such as Humana healthcare, Nationwide insurance, Volvo, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and NASA, to name a few. We found what we were looking for at a place called ... Disney. What?!
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And, who's better at marketing and brand reinforcement - even on something as perfunctory and boring as a survey marker?
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Think about it. Ask anyone, who has just returned from a visit to Walt Disney World, what they remember most, nine out of 10 will say things like "how clean it was," "how organized and efficient things were" and, yes, "how great was the customer service." And, that's kinda the point. Throughout the Fall months, every few weeks, I will use this space to elaborate on some of those best practices that we have found universally translatable to almost any business, organization or agency. Plus, I'll explain what I mean by "BranchOne." So, stay tuned.
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FeaturedSTORIES
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 MANSKE LIBRARY ~ Extending the celebration of a half century of service, the Farmers Branch Manske Library invites everyone to come to their 50th Anniversary Carnival on Saturday, September 22 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the Library grounds at 13613 Webb Chapel.  Admission is free to the event that will include carnival games, bounce houses, a balloon artist, Fog Nozzle the Clown, magician/juggler David Slick, Cathy's Critters Petting Zoo and more. In a nod to the 1962 era of the Library's founding, there will also be performances by the Mod Squad dancers along with performances by the Dazzlers. Concessions will be available for purchase. Upon completion of the carnival at 2 p.m., there will be a special 50th anniversary ceremony in the Library's meeting room, that will include the sealing of a time capsule to be opened by the staff of the Manske Library when they celebrate the 75th anniversary in 2037. Finally, the day of celebration will finish with a movie under the stars screening of the 1962 classic, "To Kill a Mockingbird" in the Library's outdoor amphitheater. Blankets and lawn chairs are encouraged. Popcorn will be free but movie-goers should feel free to bring picnic baskets and coolers, but no alcohol. For more information, call the Library at 972.247.2511. |
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Council approves upcoming budget
CITY HALL ~ The Farmers Branch City Council on Tuesday approved a $73.6 million budget for the coming 2012-2013 fiscal year.  The balanced budget does not include a property tax increase but puts forward a 3 percent increase in water and sewer rates, to cover increased costs for purchased water and wastewater treatment from the City's water provider, Dallas Water Utilities. The new fiscal year budget begins October 1.
One meeting scheduled for November
CITY HALL ~ With the third Tuesday in November falling two days before an early Thanksgiving, the Farmers Branch City Council earlier this week decided to hold just one regular meeting that month, Tuesday, November 6.
  
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 One month til Bluegrass starts "bloomin'"
HISTORICAL PARK ~ Music and food will combine for an amazing confluence of happy things as the annual Bloomin' Bluegrass music festival in Farmers Branch this year adds a Chili Cookoff to its menu, opening one month from today on October 19. The top bluegrass names from around the country will be on stage while some of the (self-proclaimed) best chili cooks in the area will be whipping up tasty concoctions in search of prizes and public accolades. More information on this year's Bloomin' Bluegrass Festival and Chili Cookoff can be found on its website at www.bloominbluegrass.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bloominbluegrass.
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Employee: Katy Evans  Title: Environmental Health & Safety Specialist
Length of Employment: 4 months
Department: Community Services
Background: I graduated with both my undergraduate and my Masters of Public Health from the University of Florida and have been a die-hard Gator ever since! When I'm not watching Gator games, you can find me running on a local trail, reading a good book, or testing a new recipe with my fiance.
What I like most about working for the City: The best thing about working for the City is the sense of community! It's great to find such a small town atmosphere here in the metroplex.
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SnapPOLLResults
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Volume 2.38 | Number 82 
is published weekly by the Communications Office of the City of Farmers Branch, TX.
Two-time TAMI Award Winner for Best eNewsletter in Texas
Given by the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers
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Police capture "battle" while 400 turn out for expo
REC CENTER ~ Farmers Branch Police Chief Sid Fuller and his department have secured bragging rights for another year as they edged the Fire Department in the annual "Battle of the Badges" seeking blood donations for Carter Blood Care.
In the midst of the estimated crowd of 400 that turned out for the 2012 edition of the Farmers Branch Health & Wellness Expo, some 60 units of blood were donated as part of the annual drive.
"The real winners are the good folks that took the time to donate," Chief Fuller said. "Along with those that will benefit from their generosity."
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National Night Out set Oct. 9
JUSTICE CENTER ~ Continuing the Texas tradition of seeking cooler weather, National Night Out will be observed in Farmers Branch on Tuesday, October 9.
"America's Night Out" against crime invites neighbors to get together outdoors in yards, blocks or parks to present a united front against residential crime.
In Farmers Branch, registered NNO parties will receive visits from members of the City Council, along with Police and Fire Departments.
To register a National Night Out party, call 972.919.9304.
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Animal Adoption Center finds
friends in FW
FORT WORTH ~ Participating in the National Petsmart Adoption Weekend event in Fort Worth Saturday and Sunday, the Farmers Branch Animal Adoption Center featured 21 dogs at one of two locations in Cowtown.
Animal Adoption Center officials said 17 of those 21 were adopted over the weekend. Farmers Branch was among many municipalities invited by the City of Fort Worth to participate in the annual event.
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Annual Report nets national nod
 PORTLAND ~ Competing against the best in the USA, the Farmers Branch Year End Report 2011 was recently recognized with the Award of Excellence by the City-County Communications and Marketing Association, at their annual conference in Portland, Oregon.
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 In the Banner
The symmetrical rows of the Manske Library's outdoor amphitheater create a striking architectural feature on the banks of Rawhide Creek, adjacent to the building. Saturday night will see the space spring to life again as the 1962 classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" is screened in a free outdoor movie event.
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Coming Up
SEP 29
OCT 2 & 16
OCT 9
OCT 20
OCT 19-20
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LBJUpdate
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FARMERS BRANCH ~ The weekly update on the Interstate 635 expansion project has been made available by LBJ Express, the construction team  responsible for the five-year project that will completely renovate the freeway from the Dallas North Tollway to Interstate 35E. This update is for September 19, 2012.
Denton Drive: The Denton closure between LBJ and Villa Creek has been extended to October 12. Traffic is detoured via Harry Hines and Ford.
Josey Lane: The drainage project on Josey from Maybrook to LBJ continues with one lane closed in each direction. Following the completion of drainage work, construction of the permanent paving of Josey and the east end of Villa Creek will begin. Various lanes will be closed on Josey until December.
Webb Chapel: The northbound right lane will be closed from LBJ to Medical Parkway September 25-28 for drainage work.
Marsh Lane: The pavement and bridge work on the west side of Marsh south of Ridgeoak has been extended to April.
Midway Road: The eastbound to westbound U-turn lane has been reopened. Project managers are working to also reopen the other U-turn lane in the near future. Dallas Water Utilities relocation on the south side of the Midway/LBJ intersection has one lane closed in each direction until late September. In addition, bridge construction will require off-peak lane closures northbound and southbound between the frontage roads through October.
Welch Road: The Welch Road bridge is partially reopened. There will be intermittent right lane closures on Welch through the remainder of this week. The entire bridge, including both U-turn lanes, is expected to be reopened by October.
Dallas North Tollway: LBJ is narrowed to 3 main lanes in each direction at DNT.
Other Locations:
Various main lanes of LBJ will be closed frequently during night-time hours. There will also be intermittent night-time closures of various LBJ entrance and exit ramps.
Full updates and additional information can be found at
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About the City of Farmers Branch
 An historic community in the geographic center of the DFW Metroplex, Farmers Branch boasts a residential population of 28,800 and a daytime employment population of 66,000. Located on the northwest border of the City of Dallas, the City's 27 parks and lush greeenbelts feature nationally-acclaimed, award-winning soccer fields, football facilities as well as baseball and softball complexes. The city's location in the center of the Metroplex and only 15 minutes away from both DFW Airport and Love Field, along with the 2,200 hotel rooms within the city, make Farmers Branch an ideal location for residents and for business. For more information on the City of Farmers Branch, visit farmersbranch.info, visitfarmersbranch.com, lovethebranch.com
or call 972.247.3131. |
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