Pub. 2 2019-2020 Issue 4

13 potentially putting them at greater risk. If the virus were to spread among employ- ees, this could necessitate the use of quar- antine and threaten operations. Although President Kennedy was wrong when he said the Chinese word for “crisis” also meant “opportunity,” sometimes a crisis does present a chance to improve. Have you seen any opportunities as a result of the coronavirus pandemic? Derek: Thepandemic has presenteduswith the opportunity to seek a different business that we previously didn’t look for. For some customers, spending was frozen, and work that was to be scheduled was put on hold. We found that as heavily as some industries were impacted, manywere thriving.We had the opportunity to seek and capture some of those “thriving companies.” Jeremy: This pandemic has forcedus todig- itizemany components of our operation to protect our employees and better serve our customers. In turn, these systemic changes in our organization have streamlinedmany processes, resulting in increased efficiency across our organization. What have your experiences during the pandemic taught you? Derek: The pandemic has taught us to be more creative. We needed to be creative in our approach to capturing new business and ensuring the health of our employees and customers. Jeremy : One is the importanceofmutual aid agreements. Not only is it a lifeline to have a network and relationships among other municipalities in the region, but it is also a great opportunity for our employees to see and experience how other agencies work. Another is that information sharing is the key to success in emergency responses. It is difficult to plan correctly for what seemed to be a very uncertain situation. During this pandemic, we have developed several mechanisms for information sharing, learn- ing fromother organizations, and diffusing best practices. How will your organization’s plans for 2021 be affected? Derek: We plan to continue helping our customers find the best solutions for their pavementmaintenanceneeds.Wemust use what we have learned since the pandemic began and continue tomake sound adjust- ments as new challenges arise. Jeremy: The increased occurrence of remote work and the transition to the use of digital services is here to stay. We will continue to refine and update our prac- tices and procedures to fully embrace this new“normal.” As long as system demand and revenue streams remain unpredicta- ble, we must remain prepared to deal with issues of organizational capacity. We will likely limit the expansion of our workforce for the foreseeable future while relying on the use of contractors and mutual aid agreements to deal with periods of high demand. What long-term consequences do you expect within the industry? Derek: I expect overall spending to be lower and production to weaken. Many companies are faced with restrictions, consumers are spending less, there have been budget cuts and layoffs, and in some cases, a shutdown of operations. I expect this to affect our industry long term but think we will prevail and improve due to this pandemic. Jeremy: I think the strategies devised during this pandemic to strengthen the resilience, effectiveness, and responsive- ness of our public services will become part of the industry’s best practices. We will remain better prepared to deal with this type of issue in the future. I have also seen that the determination of our public employees to continue provid- ing services to our residents, despite the dangers the COVID-19 pandemic has posed to their own lives, has contributed greatly to the local government being seen as criti- cal in and caring for the lives of the people. The ongoing work of first responders has, inmany places, elevated a sense of trust in local government. 3 I have also seen that the determination of our public employees to continue providing services to our residents, despite the dangers the COVID-19 pandemic has posed to their own lives, has contributed greatly to the local government being seen as critical in and caring for the lives of the people.