(Lawrenceville, Ga., March 7, 2011) - In these challenging financial times, Gwinnett County staffers are finding creative ways to encourage community partnerships and increase internal efficiencies.

Six soggy ballfields at Bay Creek Park have caused the Grayson Athletic Association to cancel games for their 760 baseball players and 370 softball players. GAA Baseball Director Mike Sadlock said, "In the past few years we spent countless hours after a rain to pump water off the infields to get them ready for the next day's games. In some instances we would lose up to three days' worth of games." With help from sponsors and in partnership with the County, they are now making the necessary repairs in time for the spring and summer seasons.

The group raised and donated $9,000 to help renovate all six infields. The work involves 18 truckloads of a special sand/clay mix for the infields and grading guided by lasers to assure proper drainage. The money came from player registrations, family donations and sponsors including Mr. Transmission of Snellville, Johnny's New York Style Pizza of Grayson and Lawrenceville, Chelsea Gardens Landscape Management and the Chevy Youth Baseball Program through Nash Chevrolet.

Bay Creek Park also features a wheelchair-friendly playground and handicapped-accessible ballfield funded by the Grayson Athletic Association and local Rotary Clubs. The 153-acre park at 175 Ozora Road was funded by the 2001 SPLOST program.

Gwinnett IT Director John Matelski pointed to another example - an automated software testing tool that will let the County's information technology staff test new software programs and upgrades without hiring more staff or consultants to do the work. Gwinnett is automating many manual processes as it seeks to cut costs and operate more efficiently. Matelski said the new $267,480 tool from Worksoft, Inc., will increase the productivity in his department, as well as other departments that need to be involved in testing, and help meet schedule commitments for deploying new software.

Commissioners accepted the athletic association donation and approved the software purchase at their regular meeting on March 1.