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Small cities and rural communities have a unique perspective with regard to expanding their limited resources. Small communities have access to limited expertise and capacity on staff to handle various tasks. Regardless of the frequency, third-party experts may need to be necessary, whether it is a contractor or engineering consultant. Learn how small communities have developed contractual relationships with on-call contractors and engineering consultants to expand their services to their communities.
Read MoreWhat’s the difference between leadership and management? Just like the debate over whether leadership is an art or a science, this question lingers in the minds of many who can’t draw a distinction. Having addressed leadership behaviors in last year’s PWX presentation on Learning Leadership, the APWA Leadership and Management Committee now aims to define what management is and how one does it. Just like leadership, management skills can be learned and practiced to improve. APWA’s management framework defines those behaviors into five functions. This session will dive into what those are and how to implement them into your own experience. The five functions are planning, organizing, scheduling/delegating, controlling/improvising, and staffing.
Read MoreDuring this interactive session, you will learn how to be ready for the future and more resilient by exploring emerging trends and technologies, innovative concepts and approaches, and solutions that provide improvements to the provision of public works services. Futurist Sheila Shockey guides participants in a structured jam about: Internet of Things (IoT); smart cities, smart assets; artificial intelligence (AI) based asset management; cybersecurity; 5G; autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles and gas taxes; 3D printing/construction; sharing economy; impacts of climate change, extreme weather, long-term droughts; preparing the workplace for Gen Z and Alpha; circular economy; drone technologies; changing demographics; income inequality; public health; disruptive technologies; aging infrastructure, and more. Learn hands-on techniques to take home and facilitate tough conversations. Share ideas with colleagues—the future’s so bright, you have to wear shades. Jam!
Read MorePresented by the APWA Government Affairs Committee (GAC) to ‘jam’ about what is happening in your chapters and communities.
Read MoreThis content is an exclusive benefit for Association members. If you’re a member, log in and you’ll get immediate access. If you’re not yet a member, you’ll be interested to…
Read MoreFatalities continue to rise on our streets and in our rights-of-way. Vision Zero is a comprehensive policy that does not accept injuries or deaths as inevitable. The policy should be…
Read MoreThe City of Waconia, Minnesota, is an expanding west metro community within the seven-county region of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Waconia has used stormwater for irrigation of multiple green spaces in order to reduce and meet stormwater requirements. Stormwater reuse has grown exponentially with new and programmed system expansions. Staff have been monitoring phosphorus, total solid reductions and chloride levels specifically to understand their impacts, which may ultimately impact turf and landscape plantings by use of the stormwater for irrigation.
The State of Minnesota recently adopted a Statewide Chloride Management Plan and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has implemented several minimum control measures into their Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) requirements for winter maintenance.
Accurate equipment calibration is a cornerstone best management practice for winter maintenance operations. Yet, many agencies do not recognize or understand its value. Attend the first session in this two-part series for a first-hand account to understanding the “What” and the “Why” of calibration. Part 2 in the series will discuss the “How.”
Read MoreAll municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) conduct various activities to inspect and maintain their system, but how many have those activities organized as procedures in written form? Over the years, Charlotte Storm Water Services developed various documents for individual MS4 inspection and maintenance activities, but they weren’t all compiled in one organized manual, and the relationships between activities and various groups conducting them were not formally documented. Recognizing that, Charlotte worked with a consultant to write such a manual. The manual organizes activities in sections based on the nature of the activity. It explores program driver policies, methods and practices, inspection and maintenance schedules/frequency, documentation methods, data metrics, and staff responsibilities. This presentation will explore the resulting manual and the process, experiences, and lessons learned in developing it.
Read MoreGreen stormwater infrastructures (GSIs) are typically built for multi-purposes: stormwater treatment and green space. Established vegetation is used to achieve the designed functions. However, plants often fail before they are established as they undergo constant stresses: either too wet or too dry. By design, GSIs flood during storms. Also by design, the growth media drain and dries out quickly between rain events to make room for the next storm. For that to happen, very porous growth media are used. The extreme variations in soil moisture make it very hard for any plant to survive. Other stresses such as road salt also make it hard to keep plants alive. This presentation will review novel technologies that can address the problems by using some of the abundant stormwater in GSIs. Capturing the stormwater also enhances the stormwater reduction and retention feature of GSIs. This stored stormwater can be used to irrigate the plants to ensure their survival.
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