Four Public Works Agencies Honored with 2025 Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Awards

Pictured from left to right: John Lawlor, Jr., City of Meriden, Connecticut; Tim Talento, City of Meriden, Connecticut; Duane Poole, Charter Township of Bloomfield, Michigan; Noah Mehalski, Charter Township of Bloomfield, Michigan; Mike Wilson, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Andrew Thickpenny, Village of Barrington, Illinois; Fred Braun, Village of Barrington, Illinois; and APWA President Dominick A. Longobardi.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KANSAS CITY, MO–Four public works agencies have been selected to receive the American Public Works Association (APWA) 2025 Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Awards. APWA established this award to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works snow and ice operations and to promote the best practices in snow and ice removal while minimizing environmental impacts. This year’s winners were honored on April 7 during the Opening General Session at the North American Snow Conference (NASC) in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“Recognizing the 2025 Excellence in Snow and Ice Control award winners is something we are proud to do each year,” said APWA President Dominick A. Longobardi. “Managing snow and ice events is not just about keeping roads and sidewalks clear on any given day. The work that our winners do throughout the winter months requires careful planning and preparation to keep people safely moving through their daily lives. We’ve seen these public works professionals repeatedly rise to each occasion whether they are dealing with a few inches or several feet of snow.”

The four recipients selected for the 2025 APWA Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Awards include:

Bloomfield Township, Michigan
The Charter Township of Bloomfield, Michigan, is home to 41,000 people and spans 26 square miles. To prepare for ice/snow events, the Department of Public Works has a 3,500-ton covered salt storage building and storage facilities that allow equipment to be loaded before a storm and parked inside. All trucks are calibrated in the fall and when repairs are made to the spreader systems. Training for operators includes written plans, plow books with instructions, documented manuals, and a winter preparation presentation each fall. Employees also attend training by the APWA-MN Chapter, Michigan LTAP, and the APWA North American Snow Conference to stay current in winter maintenance. There is a coordinated effort to inform the community through various media of winter operations, and each operation includes a briefing and debriefing.

City of Meriden, Connecticut
The City of Meriden, Connecticut, has nearly 60,000 residents, spans 24 square miles, and features more than 3,000 acres of municipally owned park space, and 74 distinct recreational areas. Meriden averages approximately 48 inches of snow annually, varying from 13 to 64 inches. During these events, the Meriden Public Works Department is responsible for snow and ice removal from approximately 190 centerline miles of roadway, 376 lane miles, and 19 miles of municipally owned sidewalks. The snow plan is reviewed each spring and fall to identify operational improvements. Route rehearsals and skill-based pairing are used as well as customized programs that provide practical, hands-on training for drivers and crews. The City of Meriden’s Public Works Department keeps the community updated on essential information through public notices, social media, a website, and targeted programs like school outreach and mailings.

Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) owns and operates one of the nation’s largest airport systems, which includes Minneapolis-St. Paul International and six general aviation airports. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence in snow removal. The airfield snow removal training program begins in October each year and is built on a foundation of planning, hands-on experience, and continuous improvement. Onsite employee training is offered, focusing on equipment familiarization and operational techniques. Dry runs on the airfield are conducted, which allow teams to practice snow removal procedures and the complex radio and situational awareness needed to operate on the runways. During a snow event, community outreach efforts focus on clear communication and engagement with both internal and external stakeholders.

Village of Barrington, Illinois
The Village of Barrington is located 30 miles from Chicago. It consists of 4.79 square miles and 10,722 residents. Barrington owns a commuter rail station, and residents from surrounding communities travel to Barrington daily to ride the train. Therefore, snow and ice control operations impact a greater population than Barrington alone. Snowfall in the area has ranged from 10 to 90 inches. The annually updated Snow and Ice Operations Manual provides guidance for typical snowfall events, a prolonged winter storm, a blizzard of great intensity, or a rapid succession of smaller storms that strain employee resources and/or limit the effectiveness of certain pieces of snow removal equipment. Training and operational improvements are a year-round priority. Ongoing training culminates in supervisory staff leading a day-long session covering the snow and ice control plan. Barrington informs residents about snow removal and storm events by communicating through the website, social media, a quarterly newsletter, and e-newsletters.

To learn more about this year’s Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Award recipients, read an article in the April issue of APWA Reporter, available at www.apwa.org/reporter.

For more information about the APWA awards program, please contact APWA Services Manager Cameron Harmeyer at charmeyer@apwa.org or by phone at (816) 595-5259. To learn more about NASC, visit the conference webpage.