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How we live, work, and play is rapidly transforming. For cities both large and small, there is an opportunity to reimagine the built environment for better outcomes. Discover how VHB and the City of Orlando are helping cities prepare for the future via a Smart Community Roadmap. By integrating robust public engagement, applying diverse perspectives, and harnessing the power of data and technology, they are helping emerging cities implement smart community initiatives that are future-focused and elevate equity, sustainability, and resiliency. Discover how cities identified the critical issues facing their local governments, residents, visitors, and business owners and how VHB turned ideas into action via a prioritization process. Participants will learn about the smart communities visioning process, as well as the 10 Foundational Elements of smart communities and the key Pillar Focus areas that cities must identify before implementing smart community initiatives.
Read MoreAs communities recover from the pandemic, the common conception of “infrastructure” as “roads and bridges” has evolved to include a vast range of digital technologies. And local governments recognize the vital role of the cloud and the internet of things (IoT) in helping their cities become more sustainable, more fiscally responsible, and less wasteful going forward. The best smart city technologies will assist cities in transitioning to remote and agile work environments as part of a renewed or reimagined push towards resilience in the age of public health crises. Moving from responding to citizen complaints to anticipating citizen needs is the mantra of a smart city at all times, but especially during challenging times. This panel will demonstrate how city leaders are now leveraging new technologies within public works operations to reshape how municipalities serve their customers and to map a more circular economy for the future.
Read MoreNatural grass surfaces are not uniform but are typically managed as if they are. This presentation will outline the basics of using drones for precision grounds management. It will explain the basics of obtaining a remote pilot’s license, guidelines for flying legally, equipment available, and the types of cameras used. The speakers will also discuss how drones can be used for drought management and to monitor and map out pest outbreaks across facilities. Most pests are distributed in clusters within localized areas, yet entire surfaces are treated equally with pesticides. This presentation will provide tools to target applications to apply the right product to the right place at the right time. Finally, images and videos of their application on turfgrass surfaces will be showcased to demonstrate the diverse applications of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS).
Read MoreThe Incident Command System (ICS) was created to manage wildfires in California during the 1970s. It is now the principal means of managing incidents in the United States. When the City of Austin Public Works Department implemented the ICS system during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization found that the traditional ICS system did not address operational needs. The City of Austin Public Works department had to adapt the systems in ways not previously described in traditional ICS training.
Read MoreThe Emergency Management Technical Committee members will facilitate discussions about pertinent emergency management topics with each of the technical committee members. Each facilitated discussion will be shared with all attendees to share knowledge and ideas on how multiple agencies handle emergency management tasks.
Read MoreA local agency’s most challenging obstacle to creating an asset management program often is convincing its administrators and elected officials of its importance. However, agencies that have implemented an asset management program and overcame this obstacle and those with mature programs have a lot to share. In addition, they can provide insight into their programs’ success for their community. This session will assist communities struggling with their asset management program development by providing effective and economic programs to engage their community successfully.Dan Kaup, Dave Lawry, Kyle Johnson, and Dan Randolph, all from the Chicago Metro Chapter’s Asset Management Committee, will present examples from various communities regarding implementing their local asset management programs. The committee received survey responses from 54 member communities indicating the need to share best practices, software examples, and how to engage elected officials. This session directly addresses those member suggestions.The speakers will show how they use their programs to benefit their communities through efficient operations and well-coordinated capital programs, all developed from data generated through their asset management efforts. They will feature two different software applications, not as endorsements, but as examples of the effectiveness of asset management software to the success of a local agency’s program.
Read MoreThis session will guide the manager through the different aspects of knowing their cost and how to apply those to promote their ability to provide cost-effective services.
Read MoreAI/Machine Learning and Cloud Platforms for Water and Sewer Pipe Condition Assessments. Understanding the condition of underground water and sewer infrastructure is critical in determining maintenance strategies, repair and replacement costs…
Read MoreJulia started her motivational speaking career with a TEDx talk and she is now a sought-after speaker for corporations, universities, and conferences. Previous speaking engagements include AIG, BCBSNC, SAE International,…
Read MoreThe COVID pandemic accelerated retirement rates and caused an increase in the number of experienced snowfighters resigning, being furloughed or laid off. Some vacated positions have been eliminated or indefinitely frozen as the economy sharply declined and agencies had to cut budgets. Though the economy has rebounded, the outlook for the next year or so is still cautious. Prior to the pandemic, agencies were struggling to recruit and retain qualified and quality employees, especially roadway maintenance workers. That has been exacerbated by many job-seekers becoming more selective; road maintenance, and winter operations in particular, are regarded as low-skill, low-pay, dead-end positions. Much needs to be done to attract and hold good employees to build the ”pipeline” of future candidates. This presentation will discuss what agencies can do to recruit and retain critically needed snowplow operators.
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