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Participants will be able to make informed decisions on what type of equipment will fill their agency’s needs, then each person will be able to understand different levels of specification writing, plus build a sample spec sheet that can either be used for bidding or comparison to open contract listings for fulfillment of the vehicle and equipment needs.
Read MoreFORE! Authentic Community Engagement will always engage, educate and inform the community. Transparency is key when relying on the community’s support to ensure success. This workshop will help you put in practice your ACE! Whether you are just beginning your community engagement…on the “FAIRWAY” or if you have started engagement but are stuck in the “ROUGH” or if you need a “MULLIGAN” for a new approach to authentic community engagement…this one is for you! Workshop includes 3 breakout sessions to meet you where you are with your authentic community engagement. PUTT: This session will cover the “Basic” plan for authentic community engagement. DRIVE: This session will cover the “Advanced” plan for authentic community engagement. APPROACH: This session will cover the “Extreme” plan for authentic community engagement.
Read MoreThe Missouri Structural Assessment and Visual Evaluation (SAVE) Coalition is a group of volunteer engineers, architects, building inspectors, and other trained professionals that assists the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) with post-disaster building safety evaluations. After a disaster, SAVE volunteers are trained to move quickly to determine which buildings are safe to use and which should be evacuated. As a member of the Coalition since 1995 and a member of SAVE Board of Directors since 2001, Ben Ross has had the opportunity to deploy on a number of missions to assist communities hit by a natural disaster. He is an enthusiastic booster of SAVE’s mission and has participated in training programs and preparation of training materials and guidance documents at the state and national level. Ben led the SAVE deployment of over sixty volunteers in response to the EF-5 Joplin tornado and helped facilitate the deployment after the EF-3 tornado that struck Missouri’s capital, Jefferson City. The differences between those experiences, such as coordination with local, state, and federal agencies, collaboration with law enforcement, NIMS resource typing, interstate mutual aid, and the role of improved technology (GIS, real-time data collection software, etc.) over that time span, will be discussed. The initial volunteer training provided and continuing education requirements to participate with SAVE will be described, as well as the expectations of volunteers when called for a deployment. Since many involved in the public works industry are also first responders in their communities and have training and work experience that fits well with the mission of organization’s like SAVE, perhaps this can serve as an incentive for attendees to look for ways that they might get involved with similar activities in their state.
Read MoreToday, technology is rapidly changing, and keeping pace can be difficult. Public works departments are always one of the first disciplines to embrace new technology trends. This session will provide insight and training into the areas geographic information systems (GIS) is improving mission-critical and day-to-day operations. You will walk away with practical knowledge in: • Shifting to real-time operations • Leveraging drones • Integrating artificial intelligence and machine-learning • Embracing the new field mobility tools • Evolving your civic engagement • Leading through advanced data and analytics
Read MoreLeaders often become leaders simply because of their title of boss, supervisor, CEO, President, Director, Manager, etc. They can influence others simply because of that leadership role they play, but that is temporary. As soon as that title changes, or as soon as leaders goes somewhere else, that person is no longer a person of influence to that group of individuals they served. That is when Moral Authority comes into play. A person with Moral Authority is a person of influence for an indefinite period of time, but this influence can be taken away immediately with just one incident that doesn’t go in alignment with the characteristics that define Moral Authority. This type of leadership aligns with characteristics such as credibility, trust, respect, accountability, and actions. Actions speak louder than words, trust and respect are held at the highest regard, and personal accountability defines this type of leadership.
Read MoreAccording to Terry Tempest Williams, “Storytelling is the oldest form of education” and at the City of Des Moines, Iowa, we pride ourselves on humanizing government by telling our story to help educate those we serve on who we are, what we do, and how they can assist us in accomplishing our mission. The Department of Public Works as well as the Des Moines Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation Authority (WRA) have recently put extra attention and effort into sharing their stories through the use of different platforms. The avenues used include both internal and external. The internal resources are ones “owned” by the city and include online (websites, social media, e-newsletters) and print (quarterly publication; utility bill inserts). The external resources include our partners in radio, television, and print outlets. As one of the most public facing departments in the city, this mentality has proven to be well received by the public and the residents we serve. It gives us the opportunity to reach everyone in ways beyond mailed letters, door hangers and other more traditional means.
Read MorePresented by the APWA Government Affairs Committee The 117th Congress was sworn into office in early January 2021, and is well underway. Infrastructure has been a ‘hot topic’ for Congress and APWA’s public policy priorities for this session of Congress are all infrastructure related. Come and receive a current update from the APWA Government Affairs team about happenings in Congress related to APWA’s public policy priorities of Surface Transportation Reauthorization, Water Resiliency, and Emergency Management. On September 30, 2021 the current surface transportation law will expire, and so will the National Flood Insurance Program. Further, this year multiple water infrastructure bills have been introduced, and regulatory matters such as the Lead and Copper Rule and Waters of the US are under review, and the potential health impacts of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of concern. Additionally, APWA members and staff have been diligent about increasing the awareness and recognition by lawmakers of public works professionals as first responders and key players in planning, mitigating, and recovering from disaster situations. APWA’s Government Affairs efforts are strong–come hear the latest legislative updates!
Read MoreTransportation infrastructure asset management has mostly focused on pavement, bridges, and tunnels. However, traffic signals, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), traffic signs and markings, roadway lighting, guardrails, and barriers are all essential to the safety, mobility, accessibility, and efficiency of the surface transportation network. Furthermore, they will be critical to the reliable functioning of the rapidly evolving Connected/Autonomous Vehicle (C/AV) systems. Many newer vehicles already have limited capabilities for C/AV. Maintenance of these various elements will be even more important as the devices will need to be kept in very good functional condition. Additionally, as the technology rapidly advances, new installations, more frequent maintenance, and upgrades will be necessary to ensure optimum performance. The costs associated with these functions will rise significantly. As funding for maintenance of existing devices and systems has never been sufficient, state and local agencies must be able to demonstrate and justify the need for increased maintenance and replacement. A comprehensive asset management program that links databases of attributes, condition, and expected life-cycle with a work management system detailing maintenance and repairs is crucial. The data provides accurate information as to the scope and overall condition of the various installations, summary of costs over time, projection of scheduled replacements/upgrades, and estimations of future expenditures based on these needs. This presentation examines the challenges and solutions to establishing and sustaining a practical, feasible asset management program for signals, ITS, signs, markings, lights, and guardrails. It is based on the presenter’s article in the July, 2020 APWA Reporter. The presenter has 35 years experience in asset management as a Traffic Operations Manager and Public Works Superintendent.
Read MoreMissouri American Water Company is a major water supplier in the St. Louis metro area and at the center of the distribution system is one of the most critical pump stations not only in Missouri, but in the entire American Water network—the Stratmann Pump Station. The Stratmann Pump Station was originally constructed in 1926 with an expansion in 1954. Because of the critical nature of the station, its age and condition, and an inability to get replacement parts for much of the equipment, Missouri American Water Company elected to replace the pump station in its entirety as quickly as possible. The design and construction of the new pump station was developed with a focus on reliability, operations, redundancy, and flexibility with significant input from Missouri American staff. After utilizing the combined expertise of both an engineer and contractor for the planning phase and to develop a conceptual design, the Design-Build project delivery system was used to design, permit, and construct the new 70 MGD pump station. This approach allowed for design and construction to be conducted quickly, developing many separate construction packages in a sequence that facilitated keeping the existing pump station and two 11 million gallon storage tanks operational, and to also to acquire 18 permits and construct the pump station in a critical path. Continuous communications between the Design-Build team and the Owner allowed for modifications to the original concepts and valuable Owner input throughout the entire project, allowing Missouri American to prioritize and optimize the improvements while maintaining the project budget.
Read MoreWith today’s ever-shrinking budgets, available resources, and increasing expectations, it is essential for Public Works managers and Supervisors to orchestrate a plan and schedule to make best use of their limited resources and to efficiently and effectively manage resources. The key is to not let the work control you but rather, to control the work through proactive planning and scheduling. Two agencies utilize technology and systems as well as age old methods to plan and schedule their maintenance work. This allows them to properly maintain their assets, prioritize work and obtain necessary resources.
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