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This session will focus on what it takes to be a successful leader in an organization. The speaker will focus on his 32-year career in public works and how he had to evolve and change to become an effective leader. While starting out as more of a micro-manager, as his organization evolved, he discovered the attributes associated with delegating responsibility to the stakeholders who perform the work. The speaker will talk about his experiences with implementing a city-wide Quality Initiative, an IDEAS program, succession planning, and other employee-based opportunities.
Read MoreMentorship can serve as a gateway to exciting new opportunities for the mentee and growth opportunities and career satisfaction to the mentor. A successful mentorship relationship can provide succession planning to create resilient organizations in the workplace and APWA. A mentor and mentee relationship should be a personal choice by all parties as each drastically varies depending on one’s needs. Bringing these two groups together is key to getting started. This is sometimes difficult as the perfect pair can be from different organizations, locations, ages, job backgrounds, and experiences. This program will look at how to create your own mentorship program, different mentorship styles to create successful relationships, and provide the opportunity for attendees to establish connections to find their own mentor or mentee. Be ready to find your mentor/mentee match and use what you’ve learned to create a lasting, successful mentorship relationship.
Read MoreCritical infrastructure owners must consider how their supervisory control and acquisition systems (SCADA) and physical asset systems are resilient by design in the face of cyber incidents. The escalation of control system-based cyber incidents coupled with the natural evolution of engineering practices has inadvertently removed cyber-physical protections from our water and wastewater systems resulting in an increased cyber risk to our assets, people, and operations. Developed by Idaho National Laboratory (INL), consequence-driven, cyber-informed engineering (CCE) is an emerging methodology specifically designed to improve the security and cyber-physical resilience of critical infrastructure control systems. West Yost staff have been working with utilities across the U.S. to conduct CCE-related assessments, emergency preparedness exercises, and improvement engineering practices. This presentation will provide attendees with ideas and knowledge to pursue CCE within their organizations.
Read MoreTo ensure current and future projects benefit the public to their fullest, public works departments need to reevaluate the changed needs of the community and adapt projects to address these new demands. Town of Greenwich Department of Public Works reimagined the Greenwich Avenue and Elm Street Intersection Improvement Project by incorporating innovative concepts into all project phases. The project features the implementation of safe streets design; a strategic communications campaign; an interactive website to educate and solicit public feedback, using drones to improve construction and engineering efforts; and collaborating with the disability advocacy community to improve accessibility and safety. Hear from Greenwich Public Works Deputy Commissioner, Jim Michel, P.E., and Senior Civil Engineer Jason Kaufman, P.E., as they discuss their project, along with leading-edge strategies and methods that can be applied to future projects post-pandemic.
Read MoreStormwater (SW) utilities face competition for limited funds, especially those communities faced with renewing aging sewer and water assets to address overflow problems and sewage basement backups. There continues to be the political stigma with raising SW rates to upgrade aging infrastructure to increase the level of SW service. Utilities are confronting the reality their underground storm sewer assets are deteriorating, and many have reached the end of their useful lives. Utility managers struggle to get their heads around how to efficiently and cost-effectively manage and renew their assets versus staff “fighting fires” from the next emergency collapse or flooding event. Utility managers are also typically facing combined sewer overflow (CSO), sanitary sewer overflow (SSO), municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) regulatory compliance, and surface flooding costs. The audience will hear lessons learned from other utilities and learn how to develop and implement a straightforward stormwater asset management program and increase the level of service to their customers.
Read MorePandemic-related population shifts in many parts of the U.S. have led some analysts to identify this trend as the “Great American Migration” of 2020. Whether fleeing a high cost of living, a volatile climate, or local lockdowns, Americans moved in droves from large urban centers to smaller cities and rural or suburban counties. The result is an increased need for local government and public works agencies to manage their transportation infrastructure for accelerated growth, even as public funding remains modest. This panel discussion provides insight into how the City of Frederick, Maryland, and Polk County, Florida, are successfully modernizing their transportation asset management strategies and practices to save money while delivering reliable, sustainable, and resilient roadways, bridges, and other assets for current and future populations.
Read MoreThe pandemic was difficult for everyone, fleet operations included. This program consists of an in-depth conversation discussing the challenges fleet operations faced from the effects of the pandemic. We’ll share…
Read MoreStormwater management has become more challenging, as we face higher intensity, longer duration rain events at greater frequency. We need to bring different thinking and solutions to the challenges that climate change…
Read MoreFacilities and grounds have unique attributes that require thoughtful consideration as asset management programs are set up. Required information that agencies need to advise capital projects can vary greatly between…
Read MoreDue to climate change, cities are experiencing significant challenges due to unpredictable weather events that may impact lives in the community. A winter emergency situation in Western Canada typically arises when there is a single or multiple snow events with excessive snow, generally over 25 cm with blizzard-like conditions. These conditions cause drifting snow and poor visibility for an extended period of time. Winter events can also cause icy pavement conditions impacting normal driving and walking conditions for extended periods. Such emergency situations generally require the city to utilize their resources to full capacity in order to allow an early recovery to the pre-emergency state with new-normal conditions. The City of Regina, Saskatchewan has created a Winter Emergency Response Plan to help winter crews handle extreme conditions on account of excessive snow and ice.
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