CITY HALL HONORED FOR CLEAN GOVERNMENT.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

Call them neat freaks, but the city's maintenance staff members run such an efficient operation that the Building Owners and Managers Association gave them an award for their tidiness and efficiency.

And judges for the organization didn't leave many doors unopened. As one of the 17 finalists for Southern California buildings of 100,000 square feet or less, Santa Clarita City Hall was scrutinized for such things as organized storage closets and a clean roof.

That meant peeking into the janitorial closet to look at the rows of toilet paper and paper towels, or the supply of light bulbs and tools in the facilities maintenance closet. It also meant checking out the recycling bin storage area in the parking lot.

``They look at everything from top to bottom,'' said William Wittkopf, city building maintenance crew leader. ``They go as far as to look in cabinets.''

The judges didn't find much they didn't like, and the city was honored for the second time with the organization's Toby Award, which includes government and private-sector buildings.

Though the honor is based partially on neatness, judges particularly look for effective building management, said Terri Maus, director of public works.

``They look at the building from a safety and security standpoint. They look at the heating and ventilation. They look at the air-conditioning system. They make sure everything is appropriately labeled and cleaned,'' Maus said. ``It's not just, Is it clean and sparkling? but, Does it run well?''

The judges, for example, looked at safety systems and checked fire extinguishers, Wittkopf said.

``They want to see that things are organized, labeled, accessible and safe,'' Wittkopf said.

For the staff members, the competition is a challenge that spurs them to make improvements around the building, Wittkopf said.

This year, a trellis was installed around an outside power box near one of the entrances to City Hall, with a climbing vine planted around it, a month before the judges' visit. And the floors and carpets were cleaned.

``We just want to be in tip-top shape,'' Wittkopf said. ``I think it really reflects best on the city as a whole. It's just an organizational philosophy. We've gotten a lot of accolades from employees and tenants in the building. They all tried to make their desks look neat when the judges came through.''

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PHOTO (color) William Wittkopf, left, Renee Callaway and Bill Hurst display their Toby.

Tom Mendoza/Daily News