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Mecklenburg County (home to Charlotte) is the most populated county in North Carolina. The County has had significant exposure to urban flooding exacerbated by explosive growth over the last two decades. The County, which is recognized as having one of the most progressive flood mitigation programs in the country, has invested in various data, technology, policy, and administrative initiatives to continue to reduce flood risk. As part of a recent partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the County has implemented a network of low-cost flood sensors and coupled it with powerful geographic information system (GIS) based tools to provide near real-time flood inundation and impact assessments during storm events. This information is invaluable for emergency response and recovery and long-term program planning and guidance.
Read MoreStormwater utilities started emerging as a popular mechanism to fund community stormwater needs in the 1980s and 1990s. Regulatory drivers, particularly municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) requirements, led to creating the first stormwater utilities in larger cities. Since then, more jurisdictions of all sizes have been implementing stormwater utilities to fund ever-increasing stormwater program needs. Over the last 30 years, industry-standard practices have evolved, technology has changed rapidly, and financial practices and resources have expanded. In working with utilities of all ages, we see patterns in the way utilities mature. Depending on where a utility is in its stormwater utility development, patterns emerge in rate increases, rate structure modifications, data maintenance and management, and financing strategies. We will highlight indicators and drivers for updating your utility and include actionable steps to consider.
Read MoreThe Town Creek Culvert Project addresses a variety of water quantity and quality issues associated with a failing stormwater conveyance system draining 308.6 acres. This conveyance system, composed of brick and concrete installed before the 1930s, only passed the two-year storm event without flooding significant businesses within Uptown Greenville, N.C. To bring this system up to a 25-year level of service (LOS), the City of Greenville invested over $32 million to construct approximately 306 linear feet (LF) of 84-inch reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) and 1,943 LF of 10’X8’ reinforced concrete box culvert (RCBC) in a highly urbanized core. In addition to upsizing the existing storm drainage system, this project also offers significant water quality benefits by installing several stormwater control measures (SCMs), including a wetland, the largest regenerative stormwater conveyance system in the state, permeable pavement, and a bioretention area. Cumulatively, these SCMs are expected to remove up to 250 pounds Nitrogen /year in a highly impervious watershed.
Read MoreTraffic incidents caused by wrecks, breakdowns, hazards in the road and weather events happen every day. These incidents result in injuries, fatalities, billions of dollars of damages, and delays in travel. They also create great risk to responders from all disciplines. The lack of standard protocols, coordination, and communication among responders from police, fire, EMS, towing and public transportation agencies has caused major hindrances to safe, quick clearance. FHWA created this multi-disciplinary TIM Responder course to address these problems. If your agency deals with traffic incidents, this workshop is for you.
Read MoreCommunities are facing unprecedented impacts from climate change, which effects how municipalities deliver services and increases risk to municipal assets. Integrating climate change considerations into asset management (for natural and engineered assets)…
Read MoreDenmark is proud of its image as one of the greenest countries in the world. It has long been a front runner in the Organization on Economic Cooperation and Development…
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.
Read MoreMobile sensors have evolved dramatically in the past few years. In this session the speaker will look at that evolution and how current sensors are being utilized by agencies. The newest sensors are giving operators and their agencies new data that has never been available before on snowplows. The new data will be discussed and how operators can use it, including how the presenters worked together to come up with a matrix to suggest treatments based on friction and pavement temperature trends.
Read MoreWe all deal with conflict in our lives and work, and most of us struggle with dysfunctional conflict. Would it surprise you to learn that many successful negotiators find conflict functional and a tool for creating collaboration? Having a better understanding of conflict management styles and tips to managing conflict can have a profound effect on your interpersonal relationships. Public land acquisition agents deal with landowners regularly who only wish to be left alone and begin almost every negotiation in a state of conflict. Learn from their experience during this session, adapted from the International Right of Way Association’s (IRWA) highly popular Conflict Management course, to help you deal with conflict in a productive manner and improve interactions with others.
Read MoreOur urban areas are growing, and our tree assets are competing for enough space and attention to thrive. This presentation will share information related to the intersection of trees, people, and technology. The speaker will share cutting-edge applications for technologies on machine learning, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), ground-penetrating radar, drones, and more related to the inventorying, maintenance, and planning for trees. He’ll also share ways to communicate and engage your community about your plans. As our cities deal with urban heat islands, flash floods, flash droughts, increased modernization, and other innovations, the urban forest becomes even more critical to the health and livelihood of residents. By embracing, understanding, and using technology, tree assets can be more efficiently managed and appreciated to provide increased benefits and services to the community.
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