Jukka Mäkelä, M. Sc. (Tech.), begins his term as Mayor of Espoo on January 1, 2011. Mäkelä was born in Espoo and was previously an MP for the National Coalition Party.
City’s own service provider established in Espoo
The city organisation will transform at the turn of the year as the Environment and Technical Services is divided into two separate sections. The city will then comprise four sections: Public Utility Services, Education and Cultural Services, Social and Health Services as well as Environment and Technical Services.
The new Public Utility Services includes Section Management and five public utilities: Espoo Catering, Premises Maintenance, Länsi-Uusimaa Department for Rescue Services and the Vehicle Service Unit Varikko, as well as a new public utility, Street and Green Area Production, which will begin work at the turn of the year. The Public Utility Services provides services to the various departments in the city’s corporate group.
Public Utility Services responsible for repairing city’s buildings and streets
The Public Utility Services is the City of Espoo’s own service provider. Its day-to-day work is carried out by roughly 2 000 professionals.
The professional personnel contribute to improving citizens’ safety and the condition of the living environment. Their task is to manage and maintain the city’s buildings, streets and parks, construct streets and parks, as well as keep the city clean. The Section is also responsible for fire and rescue operations, cleaning, as well as catering for schools, day care centres and assisted-living facilities for the elderly.
The Section is headed by Section Manager Mauri Suuperko, M. Sc. (Tech.). He will be moving to Espoo in late spring from his post as Managing Director of Stara in Helsinki. Financial Director Krister Portman will be Section Management Director, and will also deputise for the Section Manager.
New section clarifies roles of orderers and providers
All the city’s public utilities have been gathered under the Public Utility Services, with the exception of the Premises Department. The Public Utility Services is responsible for providing services, while the Environment and Technical Services focuses mainly on ordering services.
The solution is related to the clarification of the city’s roles as an orderer and provider of services, which is part of the development of service organisation. The change focuses on clearly defining and approving of the roles, tasks and responsibilities of service orderers and providers.