Local government offices house critical services for towns and cities. From police and fire departments to vital social services to the Department of Motor Vehicles, they are places people come to for important needs in their lives, and their functionality and appearance represent the heart of any city or small town.
No one should walk into a local government building and smell anything but clean-smelling air, as the perception of cleanliness immediately gives the impression that this is a professional environment that provides critical services to citizens. A foul odor can not only disturb important functions of a city, but give the impression to constituents that the building and offices inside are not capable or efficient.
For example, recently in Minneapolis, Minn., a foul odor shutdown an entire county building downtown. While the smell was traced to the sewer system, emergency services had to be transferred to another part of town. In addition, in Sacramento, Calif., a mystery odor may have contributed to making state workers sick. These types of situations can cause significant downtime for government departments, and can reinforce negative stereotypes about the effectiveness of local governments.
In an era when a government’s efficiency is often questioned, one area that is often overlooked – and can enhance overall governmental effectiveness through the perception of its constituents – is odor management.
State and local governments can implement the right strategies for keeping buildings and offices completely odor-free. In addition, eco-friendly odor mitigating solutions can help in overall sustainability efforts, and minimize any allergic reactions that workers and citizens can have when confronted with perfume- and chemical-based deodorizing solutions.
As the role of government is to serve and protect citizens, one of the best ways to meet this mission is to ensure that all facilities are healthy and odor-free.
