Public Utilities Hosts Wateropolis Simulation
By: Jennifer Pena-Cruz
A lot more goes on in the decision-making process of Public Utilities than meets the eye. The Public Utilities department hosted an interactive exercise called “Wateropolis” for all internal employees to attend and gain further insight. In this three-hour simulation, employees under the department were able to enjoy a hands-on experience with the complexities of utility budgeting, managing competing priorities, and adapting to shifting consumption and revenue trends.
In attendance were Public Utilities Assistant Director Michael Flanigan and City Clerk’s Office Grants Coordinator Sarah DeLorenzo.
The presentation began with a brief history on the relationship between the public and public utilities, addressing concerns about the water quality and the delivery of clean water to homes. To strengthen the relationship between consumers and public utilities departments in the United States, the Clean Water Act of 1972 was enacted as a set of rules and regulations that remain in force today.
For the exercise, participants were split into “Wateropolis” teams, each acting as a public utilities department. Each team faced a series of budgeting scenarios and had to weigh priorities, including customer satisfaction, reliability performance, stakeholder understanding, community sustainability and employee development.
As the scenarios grew more complex, each team made tough decisions, bringing into perspective the challenges our city and utilities department leadership face.
Toward the end of the simulation, as teams compared results on decisions made, participants gained a deeper understanding of the “behind-the-curtain” processes and how our Clearwater team navigates these challenges and makes decisions. Overall, this simulation highlighted how hard our team works every day to ensure the best service for the community.
Employee Spotlight: Rob Simpson
By: Jennifer Pena-Cruz
After two decades of navigating some of the most intense crisis communication missions working for the Coast Guard, Rob Simpson now serves the public in a different way as a public information coordinator for the city of Clearwater.
Simpson began his career working for the Coast Guard in 2005 and spent 20 years in a demanding and often unpredictable role. From 3 a.m. phone calls about earthquakes in Haiti to hurricane deployments and wildfires, he became a trusted voice during challenging times. His expertise in writing, journalism, photography, videography, and emergency communications allowed him to gain leadership roles, which eventually led him to be the public information team leader for New York, New Jersey, and New England.
In June of 2023, Simpson became involved with the Titan submersible search and rescue operation. As the lead public affairs officer, he was at the forefront of a story that captivated the world. For the first four days, he served as the Coast Guard’s public information officer and transitioning to manage the Joint Information Center afterwards. Every press release, social media update, and talking point that reached the public passed through his team. He even made a special appearance in the Netflix Documentary, “Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster” for his involvement in the operation.
“I’ve handled many disaster situations over the years, but the Titan submersible operation was easily the most intense and complex. The global attention, emotional weight, and rapid flow of information made it unlike anything I’d encountered before,” said Simpson.
The challenging part of the operation was the increase of misinformation online, which his team worked to address. Coordinating information from the Coast Guard base, the implosion site, OceanGate headquarters, the U.S. Navy, and emotional families across continents was also challenging. Despite the pressure, Simpson maintained his commitment to relay such sensitive information in a clear and empathetic manner.
After retiring from the Coast Guard, he wished to continue serving the public in positive ways. He transitioned into civilian public service, taking on the role of public information coordinator for the city in February of 2025.
“I still feel that same drive to serve,” he said. “This job comes with the benefit of being home for dinner every night and watching my kids leave for school in the morning. After years of being on call around the clock, I’m grateful for the chance to be a more present husband and father.”
Despite retiring from the Coast Guard, his mission hasn't changed, which is to enhance public trust and foster transparency. From global crises to city meetings, Rob Simpson continues to be dedicated to his role as a public servant.
De-Stress Doggie Meet & Greet
By: Jennifer Pena-Cruz
Everyone had a great time at the De-stress Doggie Meet & Greet event in
June. The event coordinator, Juli Norberg, collaborated with the Suncoast
Animal League to host more than a dozen dogs and guests at the Hampton
Inn hotel on Clearwater Beach. The event featured pets from the shelter
as well as Hugo and Beans, two rescue dogs suffering from spinal injuries,
dwarfism, and mobility issues. They are both certified therapy dogs who are
very friendly.
Lieutenant Meg Hasty from the police department made an appearance
and was immediately greeted by various dogs at the event. The event
also included a doggy treat table and "Deno's Famous Pizza Crust" where
attendees could feed the dogs snacks. Norberg hosted the event to help
employees at the Hampton Inn de-stress during these busy times and as a
fun event for all the children and families staying at the hotel