City News

Representatives from Kasai, Japan visit Johns Creek

Mayor Chozo Nakagawa of Kasai, Japan and Mayor Mike Bodker

Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker (right) greets his counterpart
from the Japanese city of Kasai, Chozo Nakagawa.

A group of more than 20 Japanese university students and officials, city representatives, reporters and other guests spent the day in Johns Creek August 14 to learn more about how the City operates under a public-private partnership with CH2M HILL OMI.

Under this model, Johns Creek contracts with the Englewood, CO-based company for management of the City's general government services including public works, community development and administrative services.

The students are part of Toyo University's graduate program in public-private partnerships and the trip was led by professor Yuji Nemoto, visiting professor Sam Tabuchi and Tokusuke Furusawa, the university's managing director. Joining them were Mayor Chozo Nakagawa from the City of Kasai and Ryuji Amakawa, a representative from the City of Uki.

Visiting Professor Sam Tabuchi and Oliver Porter discuss the PPP model.

The group also visited Sandy Springs and took in the Braves' game against the Chicago Cubs before coming to Johns Creek. They spent the morning with Oliver Porter, who helped lead the Sandy Springs incorporation movement and has since gone on to consult with the new cities of Johns Creek, Milton, Chattahoochee Hill Country and now Dunwoody. It was Porter who helped select the public-private partnership model for these cities.

In a PPP, the private company works for the client - the city, in this instance - as a service provider while the client retains all control and decision making and sets performance standards that the private company has to meet. Also under PPP, the public partner owns the assets such as roads, parks, buildings, and so forth and controls the management of those assets.

Tokusuke Furusawa presents goodwill gift to City manager, John Kachmar

Tokusuke Furusawa presents a goodwill gift to
Johns Creek City Manager John Kachmar.

While the term public-private partnership is sometimes used interchangeably with "privatization," they are different. Privatization involves the sale or transfer of ownership to the private sector.

Following the presentation and question-and-answer period with Porter, the group met with CH2M HILL OMI department heads serving Johns Creek, who explained how the model worked in the City. They then toured City Hall before sitting down to lunch with Mayor Mike Bodker and City Manager John Kachmar.

"It was an honor and a privilege to welcome the Japanese delegation to Johns Creek," Mayor Mike Bodker said. "We have been pleased so far with the public-private partnership and it was exciting to share how instrumental CH2M HILL OMI has been in our early success as a city."