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The UPROW committee will present lessons learned in implementing electronic permitting systems. This is an opportunity to showcase the challenges and benefits experienced by various agencies that implemented a new…
Read MoreCommunities big and small, rural and urban, are exploring smart city applications. Technology can offer wonderful benefits—making communities safer, easier to navigate, more efficient, and more engaged—but only when implemented…
Read MoreThe future of solid waste collection vehicles is exciting. In fact, it’s electric! Truck manufacturers are making big pushes to adopt electric waste collection trucks. Many communities are moving towards…
Read MoreThis session will offer an introduction to the City of Dublin, Ohio’s snow and ice response plan known as SnowGo. The speaker will discuss how to create a positive interaction with all municipal divisions for a 360-degree response to snow and ice events. The session will include information regarding planning, preparation and execution of the SnowGo plan from preseason training events to an end of season celebration. Equipment and material information used by the community will be highlighted, and a remedy to prevent aggregate and debris being transferred from brine makers to holding tanks will be shared.
Read MoreIn November 2021, the U.S. Congress passed, and President Biden signed into law a bipartisan infrastructure bill known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Infrastructure investment has been a ”hot topic” for years on Capitol Hill and now with the IIJA comes $550 billion in new federal funding for infrastructure priorities over five years. Specifically related to APWA’s public policy priorities, the association was successful in advocating for the increased federal investment, continued streamlining and reduction of duplicative permitting process, efforts to strengthen the overall resiliency of our nation’s infrastructure to best stand against both natural disasters and cyberattacks, and a robust investment in upgrading water and wastewater systems while protecting them from dangerous emerging contaminants. What does all this now mean for public works professionals? Join members of APWA’s Government Affairs team for a session focused on providing a current update on implementation of the new law, the APWA policy process, and how to best advocate for public works priorities at every level—local, state, and federal.
Read MoreIn a desire to improve efficiency, Alameda County committed to changing operations. This presentation illustrates improved business processes and simplified operations. Alameda implemented a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), which allows tracking of work to specific assets and comparing productivity against benchmarks/performance goals. Many organizational changes resulted in process improvement both at a macro-level department reorganization and a micro-level by creating new roles, combining redundant ones, and shifting work functions. Other improvements included time accounting changes, CMMS activity reduction, unit simplification, redundant data entry removal, and geographic information system (GIS) utilization.
Read MoreFor 40 Years, Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Centers have provided training and technical assistance to our local public works agencies and have been critical partners in succession planning, onboarding, and employee development plans. Join us at this session where we will have an interactive discussion about innovative ways the LTAP Centers currently support public works agencies and to get your input on ways we can grow our programs to serve your needs in the future. Guaranteed you will take back ideas for ways you can work with the LTAP Center in your state.
Read MoreThe economic downturn between 2000 and 2012 left the City of Hickory with over 45,000 jobs lost and 25% of its residents ages 20-44 moving away. To counteract that, the City passed a $40 million bond program that helped bring the community together and stimulate the local economy. Currently, all projects from that bond program are either in final design or construction. Hickory’s experience offers lessons for other communities on gaining consensus amongst stakeholders over time, recognizing when goals and priorities are shifting, and communicating with different stakeholder groups. Hickory shows how it proved resilient throughout other economic downturns, leveraging more than double its bond funds and developing a booming economy.
Read MoreCreating Resilient Utility Systems in the Face of Climate Change, Security Threats, and Other Crises
Resilient utility systems are an essential part of operations for all modern municipalities. They are not only vital for the health and safety of residents but to prepare for uninterrupted utility service during a crisis. As climate change brings higher intensity storms and complex ransomware attacks become more prevalent, protection against physical and cyber threats must be prioritized. A continuity operations plan (COOP) is a document that ensures an organization’s essential functions can continue to perform during emergencies. COOP’s solidify the chain of command and delegate necessary tasks to maintain operations if staff is incapacitated and systems become unreachable or disrupted. We will dissect case study examples from local public organizations during this session to illustrate the value of a COOP in preparing to navigate crises. We will discuss the essential functions needed to maintain health, safety, basic operations, and structures for successful COOPs.
Read MoreTechnological tools are becoming available that will provide data collection and analytics, and these will enable human operators who control pipe network performance to make better, more timely decisions. A Digital Twin is defined as an ecosystem of connected sensors, geographic information system (GIS) and asset management data, predictive models, engineering talent, secure cloud-based data storage and transmission, and custom-built analytic dashboards representing the function of a City’s underground sewer assets. It answers the “What If?” questions composed by operations and engineering staff. The presentation will focus on implementing ESRI’s suite of tools TREKK has implemented through their software as a service tool, Waterspout, to work towards the delivery of a digital twin that will allow for owners to make data-driven decisions. We will also dive into leveraging machine learning and visual verification to help owners know when problems are headed their way.
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