August-September 2014 | BusinessWorld | 147
about leveraging what we have, and it's
making a big difference.
“We're putting up some big projects really
fast.”
Among those projects have been a
completed recycle lagoon at the water
treatment plant, a completed high-rate
anaerobic system to treat high-strength
fruit waste, the aforementioned 92 miles of
road reconstruction, a BNSF Railway grade
separation and a wastewater outfall
relocation that will enable improvements in
water quality, aquifer regeneration and
salmonhabitat.
Going forward, Cook anticipates “lots of
flat and black infrastructure” projects that
begin with a revitalization to the city's
northern gateway on North First Street,
whose existing condition she labeled as “a
little Third Worldish.” Other work could
include a downtown plaza, a series of
bicycle/pedestrian connectivity initiatives
and rehabi l i tation for appropriate
wastewater collection lines.
Just as important as the work, though, will
be the proper departmental approach going
forward as she seeks to eliminate silos and
treat the operation with a more holistic
approach.
“In five years, I'm hoping that my
engineering group and the associated
engineers that arematrixed out towater and
wastewater will be avery high-performing
projectmanagement group,” she said.
“We rea l l y don't go into ver ti ca l
construction at all, and there's no reason
why we shouldn't. We certainly have the
talent and we just need to reorganize or to
somehow evolve to a project management
focus as opposed to an engineering focus,
which they have been in the past.”
