Video
The fleet industry has seen massive change over the last 10 years and continues to evolve. We are flooded with new technology, regulations, fuel types and sustainability efforts that have all become mainstream in repair shops. These changes, along with the retirement of baby boomers and an overall lack of new talent entering the hiring pool, are creating challenges when trying to staff a fleet department with technicians, supervisors and managers. This discussion offers strategies that are working for other agencies in attracting, compensating and retaining fleet technicians, supervisors and managers. Use this information to compare your team to other government agencies and the private sector.
Learning Objectives:
– Present strategies for development of fleet staff job descriptions that accurately represent current responsibilities in today’s job market.
– Attract and retain fleet staff.
– Communicate the value of professional fleet management in an organization and the need for ongoing training to remain competitive in today’s job market.
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Throughout North America, agencies are under pressure to maintain or increase winter maintenance performance with reduced or stagnant funding. In the face of declining maintenance budgets, it's imperative to ensure that capital works projects created to preserve and modernize infrastructure are designed for the unique needs of winter maintenance professionals. Design requirements such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and initiatives such as Complete Streets and Green Infrastructure, have the potential to introduce features that can make winter maintenance efforts inefficient, but capital funding can also provide a tremendous opportunity to benefit winter maintenance activities in the long term.This presentation provides some tools for building trust and credibility with planners and engineers working on capital projects to increase the likelihood of positive impacts to snow and ice control.
Learning Objectives:
– Identify opportunities for capital projects to benefit winter maintenance activities.
– Recognize common elements of capital projects that can present challenges for snow and ice plans and possible ways to mitigate the impacts.
– Advocate for winter maintenance considerations on capital projects.
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How do Public Works organizations in the southeast prepare for the worst when we are given the minimal amount of equipment and resources?Our locale puts us in an environment where we may battle snow, snow and ice, or just ice during the same event, which can have a detrimental effect on our economy and our infrastructure. Forecasting for the area is troublesome, a change in the temperature by 1 to 2 degrees can have you struggling to clear the streets (looking incapable), or left with crews looking at each other (inept). This session will showcase the challenges of fighting snow/ice in the southeastern regions of the US and discuss how we deal with the ongoing struggle to maintain a positive impression with the general public.
Learning Objectives:
– Examine how to make confident decisions when planning questionable weather events.
– Discuss how to develop training and scheduling procedures for short term events.
– Collect forecasts from several sources to make informed decisions.
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Many public works agencies in North America have achieved APWA Accreditation. Representatives from several of these agencies will share not only the efforts it took to be successful but also the benefits they have reaped since completing the process. It's all about what you are doing well and what you can do better.
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Abandoned utilities take up a great deal of the limited supply of the right-of-way. At a time when agencies are trying to fit more utilities in less space, can we afford to have that space used by unnecessary installations? Learn how other agencies are handling abandoned utilities and how they are keeping track of what’s hidden underfoot.
This session will look at a two-way protected bike lane installed on a busy arterial street near the University of Minnesota. It will follow the project from feasibility and design, with community engagement, through construction by city forces, and into the first winter as maintenance crews work to provide high levels of service.
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This presentation provides an overview of the City of Dubuque's, snow and ice control operation. The presenter will cover the approach taken by the city for winter operations including planning, operations, equipment and how new technologies, including blending and AVL, has been incorporated into their operation.
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With no pay increases in over four years, and talented newer technicians feeling trapped at the bottom of the pay scale, Milwaukee implemented a new pay plan for technicians and shop personnel that allows movement to higher pay rates based on training and certifications earned by technicians. The success of the program has raised shop morale, pride, productivity, and retention of talent.
Learning Objectives:
- Create new pay incentives to develop and retain talent, encourage continuous improvement, and recruit above average personnel.
- Develop and implement job standards to hold personnel accountable and improve overall efficiency.
- Expand similar programs to support personnel such as welders, fluid power techs, auto electricians, field service techs, and service writers.
SPEAKERS:
Jeffrey A. Tews, CPFP
Fleet Operations Manager, City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
Opinions differ between agencies if it is more prudent to do planned asphalt pavement preservation or to react to crisis situations resulting from poorly constructed or poorly maintained roadways. This program presents information about the importance and value of developing preservation maintenance strategies for asphalt.
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Identify proven asphalt treatment strategies.
- Prepare a strategy to convince elected officials and the public of the long-term financial gain to using preservation strategies.
- Recognize different strategy applications from case study examples.
The Cities of LaVista and Omaha, Nebraska, are bordering Midwestern cities of vastly different scale. Both face significant challenges when dealing with winter snow and ice events. The speakers will…
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