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The 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 2020 is a significant reminder to public works professionals of the importance of ensuring compliance with this important law. Embracing accessibility will prevent public entities from losing federal funding and protect them from potential access related complaints or litigation. Most importantly, it will provide an opportunity to better serve the community. In order to continue eligibility for federal funding, all public entities subject to ADA Title II must complete a Self-Evaluation. Public entities with 50+ employees are required to have a Transition Plan in place that addresses structural changes necessary for achieving program accessibility. In this presentation, attendees will gain an in-depth knowledge of both state and federal access requirements and how these overlapping laws work together. After attending this instructive session, participants will be well equipped to create an ADA compliant Transition Plan that will ensure that individuals with disabilities are not excluded from their community’s programs, services and activities.
Read MoreThis session addresses the practical applications, critical issues, emerging trends, innovative approaches, and best practices for creating/delivering presentations for public works leaders. Examples of successful presentations will be supplied and analyzed as tangible illustrations of best presentation practices. These exemplary presentations achieved their end goal and were effective at convincing leaders.
Read MoreIndiana’s Local Technical Assistance Program has been tasked with developing training and resources to aid municipalities in managing their assets. The concepts that make up Transportation Asset Management are the building blocks for a well-run public works agency. Every public works manager is tasked with preserving and improving their fixed assets as long and at as low a cost as possible. No matter what the asset is, you have to repair it, preserve it, and document it. This session will cover the general concepts of Transportation Asset Management and provide case studies on how this has been successfully implemented in Indiana.
Read MoreWhether they’re adding capacity to wastewater treatment plants or building a new fire station, cities and towns across the country have typically made infrastructure decisions by asking themselves one question: What’s the best value? But looking primarily at tangible needs and results in the procurement decision-making process largely excludes important conversations about current and future trends, innovative solutions and more. As climate change and severe weather increasingly impacts day-to-day operations–and as residents and businesses show a growing interest in environmental stewardship–public works agencies are quickly realizing that seemingly intangible needs such as sustainability and resiliency are playing a much more critical role in the success of their services, operations and future. And that realization is changing the way they need to approach procurement decisions, projects, and day-to-day operations. Even so, making a business case for resiliency and sustainability isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. There’s rarely a one-size-fits-all solution. It requires a true understanding of not only the life cycle and cost of energy assets but also the consequences of not implementing these reliable, sustainable infrastructure projects. It requires educating leaders about current and future trends, new technologies, and innovative solutions while also getting buy-in from community members. And, ultimately, it requires a complete shift from a long-standing decision-making process to one that helps improve the quality, reliability and sustainability of public works services.
Read MoreThe Niles case study will present the Niles Stormwater Master Planning and Capital Improvements. The Village of Niles is a suburb located on the Northwest side of the Chicago that was developed during the baby boom (1950’s-60’s). Historically development did not allow for overland flood routes and did not conceive of the amount of impervious cover that would be built. As a result, Niles suffers from urban flooding. Urban flooding is frequent flooding associated with undersized sewers and poor drainage located outside the FEMA flood plain. After massive flooding in 2008, the Village formed a stormwater commission to address flooding in town. This program included recommendations in four areas: capital improvements, regulatory program, maintenance and monitoring and flood control assistance. In 2017 after the successful completion of Tier I improvements, the Village initiated a stormwater master plan update that was completed in 2018. The update was needed to include the results of past projects, add analyses of potential projects, and revisit the project prioritization for the future. The presentation will provide an overview of the process used to prepare the 2018 Master Plan update. An overview of the successful aspects and lessons learned from programs and projects implemented during the first five years of program implementation will be shared. The presentation will also discuss how funding was secured for the projects using grants, sales tax, and low interest loans. Finally Village staff will also discuss how green infrastructure has been incorporated in various locations throughout the town. Director Braun will relate how the stormwater plan incorporated operation and maintenance considerations. A brief discussion will be included on how maintenance management software was used to calibrate and verify the results of the modeling. Finally the results of a trend analysis related to stormwater complaints in the database will be presented
Read MoreUptown Westerville was built in the late 1800s, but it took more than 150 years before the historic district was a bustling commercial district of eateries, specialty shops, and host to special events. Having survived the Great Recession of the mid 2000s, Uptown emerged revitalized and prepared to embody its tradition as the heart of suburban Westerville, Ohio. As the Recession cleared, city leadership turned again to maintenance, design, and infrastructure improvements required to keep the district vibrant and aesthetically warm and welcoming. In the early 2010s, the Uptown Improvement Project (UIP) was launched to evaluate streetscape enhancements, sidewalk expansion for ADA compliance, bump-outs, and parklets, as well as resurfacing for this well-traveled State Route corridor. Challenges were anticipated early based on aged infrastructure and closures required for construction. Residents, merchants, and visitors were not eager to welcome the inconvenience of construction. A series of plans were diluted in favor of time, putting some of the plan’s most exciting features on the editing-room floor. Indeed, challenges were met. A major utility relocation and upgrade issue, Democratic Party Presidential Debate, and global pandemic impacted UIP, requiring several scalable actions in design, construction, and communication management. The Project adopted a strong communication campaign, with branded assets for merchants and other stakeholders to manage expectations and offer frequent updates on progression. UIP is the rare project that is highly visible amid a variety of unknown factors, including underground infrastructure that is outdated and potentially mismarked. This project was also performed where the seat of local government is located, with Westerville City Hall in the middle of a lengthy construction zone. This presentation will detail how design, partnerships, and strategy worked together in a challenging environment to achieve success.
Read MoreAsset management has never been more important for public works departments. Available tools to assist an asset management plan are numerous, but not equal.  This panel discusses must haves when beginning asset…
Read MoreLiquids 101 told us why we might use liquids, Liquids 201 showed us how we could use them. In Liquids 301 we will help you to develop a detailed case expounding the benefits of using liquids in your winter maintenance operations. There are three main areas of benefits that agencies have found when they have made the use of liquids a central approach in their winter operations. First, they have found that their total use of materials, and in particular their use of salt, has been significantly reduced. This can be particularly beneficial when environmental concerns are high in a community. Second, using liquids provides significant cost savings, and we will detail those savings and show how they are achieved. In most cases the payback time (how long it takes for the savings to total more than the costs of implementing the new liquid usage) is less than two winter seasons. Third, experience has shown that use of liquids provides better safety and improved levels of service than more traditional approaches, of significant benefit to the communities that we serve.
Read MoreGPS/AVL is no longer considered “nice to have.” Whether government agencies are looking to mitigate liability, reduce costs, or increase accountability and transparency; GPS/AVL systems are slowly becoming a staple in Public Works This presentation will take real world lessons from agencies who have successfully implemented a telematics solution, describe challenges and obstacles they faced, and how they reached their goals. The presentation will focus around three key business practices: aligning your solution with your agency’s key service level indicators, ensuring you obtain buy-in from all affected groups, and preparing your agency and resources to manage the changes that come with implementing new technology. Ensure the solution your stakeholders select is adopted and provides a good return on investment.
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