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Upcoming Chapter Events:
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REGISTER TODAY!
Click the links below for more information
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60th Annual Conference and Equipment Show
May 1-4, 2018
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2017 - 2018 OFFICERS/DIRECTORS
President
Ken M. Eyre, P.E., Senior Associate
Greeley and Hansen LLC
Alexandria,
Virginia
President-Elect
Steven J. Yob, P.E., County Engineer/Director of Public Works
Henrico County, Virginia
Immediate Past-President
Dawn V. Odom, Planning and Investment Manager
Virginia Department of Transportation
Suffolk, Virginia
Vice-President
Don Cole, Office Leader
Brown & Caldwell
Richmond, Virginia
Secretary
Amy Linderman, Engineer
Department of Public Works & Environmental Services
Fairfax County, Virginia
Treasurer
Fred Whitley, P.E.
Senior Project Manager,
AECOM
Newport News, Virginia
DIRECTORS
Robert K. Bengston, P.E.
Director of Public Works
City of Roanoke, Virginia
David Bradshaw, P.E., Principal
Clark-Nexsen
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Harold R. Caples, P.E.
Engineering Manager
Virginia Department of Transportation
Richmond, Virginia
Sherry Earley, P.E.
Engineer Manager
City of Suffolk, Virginia
Gaynelle Hart,
Director of Public Works
City of Lynchburg, Virginia
Phillip Koetter, P.E.,
Operations Management Administrator,
Department of Public Works
City of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Scott Smith, P.E.,
Office of Resiliency
City of Norfolk, Virginia
Kelly Mattingly, LEED-AP CRM
Director of Public Works
Town of Blacksburg, VA
James W. Long,
Project Manager
Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP
Ed Crockett, Assistant Director
Department of Public Works
City of Newport News, Virginia
DELEGATE
Judi Hines,
Assistant Director
Department of Public Works
City of Newport News, Virginia
HISTORIAN
Sharyn L. Fox,
Municipal Program Manager
Whitman, Requardt and Associates LLP
Newport News, Virginia
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President's Corner
As Winter Storm Riley wreaked havoc on the East Coast, its nor'easter wind conditions (some wind speeds recorded at 90 mph) left a path of damage throughout the area. We are once again reminded of the old proverb that sometimes March enters like a lion. We also know we can count on public works agencies to be at the forefront of natural disasters as first responders. Working alongside public safety officials, our colleagues ensured safe access for power companies, utilities and contractors to reach damaged infrastructure such as roadways, parks, construction sites, transformers, downed power lines, gas connections and a myriad of other systems that required repair.
Photos courtesy of Richmond Times-Dispatch
I am proud of our colleagues and proud of our Mid-Atlantic Chapter for all we do to help prepare public works professionals to enhance skills. Our Chapter is thriving and there is much activity underway with one of our premier education events - our annual
"WRX" Mid-Atlantic Public Works conference and equipment show. Here's a sneak peek at this year's events:
- This year's conference is led by co-chairs Steve Yob (Chapter President-Elect) and Dave King (Chapter Past-President).
- We expect another banner year for the Mid-Atlantic Road-E-O, to be held May 2nd in the parking lot of the Fredericksburg, VA Expo Center parking lot. Matt Villareale, Chapter Past-President and Prince William County Asst. Public Works Director is once again leading the Road-E-O competition.
- Special thanks to Baltimore County DPW Director Tom Kiefer and the Baltimore County DPW for stepping in to provide critical components and support enabling our leaders to once again host the Mid-Atlantic Road-E-O.
- Kelly Mattingly has done a masterful job of pulling together the technical program.
- Scott Smith will be presenting on the Mid-Atlantic Public Works Institute.
- Travis Davis (Chair), Phil Koetter and Judi Hines have spearheaded the Awards Committee and the recipient notifications are underway.
- Don Cole and Doug Fawcett continue to lead the Scholarship Golf Outing.
- Kudos to the 2018 Fredericksburg WRX Committee for their untiring leadership and getting tasks completed so that all of us can enjoy this experience.
Refer to the enclosed 2018 Fredericksburg "WRX" report on the Mid-Atlantic Public Works conference and equipment show. Registration is open for exhibitors and attendees, so we hope to see you there.
Speaking of awards, I am extremely pleased to report that the Chapter has endorsed Fairfax County's Public Works Director James Patteson as our nominee for this year's APWA Top Ten. James is a very worthy candidate. He has an outstanding record of accomplishments and the merits in his application more than meet the Top Ten requirements. Best wishes to James and Fairfax County as we await word on the Top Ten application.
One of the pleasures I get from being active with APWA all these decades is seeing first-hand the passion and unselfish commitment of our members. I am so appreciative of members who continuously volunteer their time and talents for the good of not only APWA members, but the entire public works profession.
A classic example of this leadership was the excellent program hosted on March 1st. The Chapter's Sustainability Committee facilitated the "Town and Gown" Lunch-n-Learn in collaboration with George Mason University and water resources professors and staff from GMU's recently opened
Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center
(PEREC). The Sustainability Committee is led by Jennifer Privette, chair and several of her committee members including Denise Nelson, Nell Boyle, Diane Linderman and John Parkinson. Members of APWA's national Center for Sustainability (C4S) also participated in the "Town and Gown" Lunch-n-Learn including their chair Matt Rodrigues, who participated as one of the panelists and brought the national sustainability perspective.
The Chapter also hosted the C4S as they held their annual meeting in Alexandria and traveled to GMU's PEREC to continue their business meetings. After the "Town and Gown" Lunch-n-Learn, members of C4S met with the Chapter's Sustainability Committee to share ideas and brainstorm future events.
Special thanks also to the City of Alexandria and member Yon Lambert (Alexandria T&ES Director) for hosting the C4S business meetings Friday at the Alexandria City Hall. Lastly, recognition needs to go to Fairfax County's James Patteson for suggesting the joint Chapter/C4S collaboration, where James was supported by Fairfax County PW staff Juan Reyes (Asst. PW Director) and Judy Finchman (Wastewater Management Outreach Coordinator). For more details refer to the "Town and Gown" Lunch-n-Learn and related C4S meeting feature articles.
The Mid-Atlantic Public Works Institute (M-PWI) MPWI continues to flourish. The Chapter Steering Committee has the full slate of instructors on-board for the next round of classes from April 3rd through April 5th. There are still a very limited number of student openings. For public works agencies not able to get students enrolled due to the cut-off, please touch base with Steering Committee chair Scott Smith. Please refer to his article in this newsletter for contact information and details.
Help us celebrate 2018 National Public Works Week (NPWW) from May 20-26! We want to hear stories about your agency's local Road-E-O competition and other outreach activities. The City of Newport News is planning week-long NPWW events, so we hope your agency's efforts will reflect the scope and enthusiasm underway by the Newport News DPW.
The Hampton Roads and Richmond area Activity Committees continue to be very active. They are offering two events. The first is "GASIFICATION - Waste to Energy?" Lunch-n-learn in Hampton, VA held on March 29. The second is the May 14th "Central Virginia Projects Look Ahead" being held in Henrico County, VA. Check the Chapter's website for registration and sponsorship opportunities.
This year's PWX will be held in Kansas City August 26-29. For details, please check the APWA national website for registration. Information is expected to be available in late May.
The Chapter leadership is asking for your help on two initiatives:
- We are seeking volunteers to serve and be active on committees, refer to the enclosed request in this newsletter.
- We also need help in developing a member survey to assess ways we can engage members at all levels and across the diverse public works disciplines. Our goal is to enhance their membership experience.
Best wishes to an enjoyable end of winter and let's hope March exits as a lamb as promised by the proverb.
Ken Eyre
Chapter President
APWA Mid-Atlantic Chapter
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"Plant Central Rapp Natives" Campaign
Drew Williams, Berkley Group
 Virginia's native plants have adapted to our local environments and have numerous ecological, social and economic benefits. Once established they require little irrigation beyond normal rainfall, and little to no fertilizer and pesticide use. Additionally, many species of Virginia wildlife rely exclusively upon native flora for food and shelter.
The Virginia Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program has been working with partners throughout coastal Virginia to develop regional native plant marketing campaigns to increase the use of native plants. With
 funding through CZM, we've been assisting the George Washington Regional Commission with the development and implementation of a regional native plant campaign. We began this project in fall 2015 when a campaign steering committee of interested partners was pulled together to work with GWRC and Virginia CZM staff to develop a campaign strategy for the region. We worked with the committee and GWRC/CZM staff to conduct research about local awareness of native plants, perceptions, and barriers to use. Using that research and drawing on the other regional Virginia native plant campaigns, we worked with GWRC/CZM staff to develop the region's campaign strategy. With additional funding through CZM, we helped GWRC implement the native plant campaign.
Campaign Partners:
Caroline County
Friends of the Rappahannock
George Washington Regional Commission
Hanover-Caroline Soil & Water Conservation District
Master Gardener Association of the Central Rappahannock Area
Master Naturalists, Central Rappahannock Chapter
Plants Map
Stafford County Department of Public Works
The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club
Tri-County/City Soil & Water Conservation District
University of Mary Washington
USDA- Natural Resource Conservation Service
Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program/Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Virginia Native Plant Society
Virginia Natural Heritage Program/VA Department of Conservation & Recreation
Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association
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Stormwater Ecologists Teach Fluvial Geomorphology to HS Students
Samantha Duthe, ecologist, Stormwater Planning Division, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
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Fairfax High School students perform a pebble count during a lab led by Stormwater ecologists.
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Stormwater Ecologists Teach Fluvial Geomorphology to HS Students
Fairfax County ecologists held an outdoor fluvial geomorphology lab for Fairfax High School students in an AP Environmental Science class. Fluvial geomorphology is the study of the form and function of streams and the interaction of streams with the surrounding landscape.
The hands-on lab took place at Accotink Creek in Ranger Road Park. The students learned about the physical characteristics of streams and how they are monitored. The students then performed their own measurements on the stream bed materials through a monitoring activity called a pebble count.
To wrap up the lab, the ecologists performed an electrofishing demonstration to show students another way that ecologists monitor streams. The students were able to see and learn about different species of fish that live in Accotink Creek.
The lab was designed to complement the students' unit on water monitoring and is another example in which subject matter experts from the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services partner with Fairfax County Public Schools to offer experiential learning opportunities to students.
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Green Clean Institute Certification
The City of Newport News Department of Public Works' Operations Building has  received the Green Clean Institute Gold Certification! This rigorous certification was achieved through initiatives such as using ecofriendly soaps, cleaners and equipment, as well as managing recyclable and waste material.
As a part of the City's plan to implement environmentally sustainable practices, the Building Services Division recently contracted janitorial services and supply contracts that align with Sustainability's mission. The Sustainability Division's mission is to ensure the City operates in a way that is economically, environmentally and socially responsible. Rock Solid Janitorial, Inc. recently was awarded the janitorial services contract. They were selected from a pool of applicants and chosen based on several factors, one of which being their commitment to environmental stewardship demonstrated through a Green Clean Institute Silver Certification. Riverside Paper Supply was awarded the janitorial supplies contract citywide, chosen for their use of green products such as environmentally friendly hand soap and cleaning supplies and 100% recycled paper.
These initiatives will be expanding to other facilities throughout the City in an effort to promote a more sustainable future.
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Fairfax County Implements Innovative Green Infrastructure Practices
Irene Haske, information officer, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
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Elizabeth Krousel, program manager at Baker International, Craig Carinci and Matt Meyers pose with the Engineering Excellence Award.
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"Fairfax County Public Works needed an innovative project to improve the Franklin Park and Chesterbrook neighborhood in McLean. The infrastructure in this older community lacked stormwater controls and was experiencing significant infill development," said Dipmani Kumar, chief, Watershed Planning and Evaluation Branch (WPEB), Stormwater Planning Division. "By using state-of-the-art green infrastructure techniques, the project would provide the foundation for implementing other similar neighborhood stormwater improvement projects throughout the county."
The County turned to Michael Baker International to provide the engineering, design and construction support services for the project that presented multiple challenges with significant utility conflicts, limited staging area and resident expectations. Baker was instrumental in the success of the project by using full-time inspection services during construction which proved invaluable in timely resolutions of field changes.
The area was identified as a potential location for implementing a neighborhood stormwater improvement project (SIP) in the county's watershed planning process to help address drainage problems, reduce stormwater runoff and improve water quality in the local stream.
This project would be the first of its kind for the county and thus, a drainage area of about 34 acres was selected to implement a pilot project utilizing green infrastructure within the right-of-way. Instead of planning a traditional curb and gutter drainage system, a "Green Street" approach was implemented using state-of-the-art green infrastructure and low impact development practices to reduce stormwater runoff while creating aesthetically attractive streetscapes. The Franklin Park and Chesterbrook project lays the foundation for implementing other SIPs throughout the county. These in-neighborhood SIPs provide unique, multiple program benefits to address local drainage problems, protect local streams, support regulatory requirements and repair aging infrastructure.
"The project is about one year old at this time and based on observations in the spring and summer of 2017, is meeting the overall project goals of improving stormwater conveyance in the community and water quality in the stream that receives runoff from the neighborhood," said Matt Meyers, chief, Watershed Projects Implementation Branch - North.
Based on the success of the green infrastructure project, the county will continue to explore opportunities to implement these practices at other sites with similar needs. Confirming the success and innovation of the project, The American Council of Engineering Companies of Metro Washington awarded Michael Baker International with an Engineering Excellence Award.
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Litter Prevention - Creating an IMPACT!
Filters in cigarette butts are made of plastic. They can take a decade to degrade and
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Big Butts on display in public spaces. |
yet thousands of smokers don't think twice about leaving a trail of cigarette litter behind them. It's still the most commonly littered item in the United States and the world. Despite being prolific most people don't think of them as being litter. To raise awareness of this issue in our community the Litter Control Office came up with "Big Butts". Reaching out to local artists, Litter Control challenged them to make some giant cigarette butts which could be taken to events and staged around the city to drive home the point that cigarette butts are litter too. Melting PVC pipes, adding some spray on insulation and a splash of paint the artist produced four very realistic butts. Litter Control has started taking them to events where they are very popular and great ice breaker for conversations with the public. Big Butts are not camera shy either and have featured in dozens of selfies.
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Big Butts on display in public spaces.
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Plastics in cigarette filters might be number one on the litter hit list but plastic pollution from other products are having a huge impact on our environment. In the USA we use 500 million plastic straws a day. In one year we consume water, just water, from 500 billion plastic bottles and we go through 100 billion plastic bags. It's incredible the amount of plastic which is now part of everyday life and more than 8 million tons of it is ending up in our oceans every year.
To raise awareness of plastic pollution and encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle the Litter Control Office began a plastic top collection to conclude with a public art project. The collection was launched on America Recycles Day (November 15th) and after six weeks over 20,000 tops had been collected of all shapes, sizes and colors. The collection took off after the local newspaper and Suffolk Public Schools embraced the idea, encouraging everyone to donate their plastic tops from products ranging from soda bottles to detergent softener. On a Saturday morning in January, high school student volunteers from each high school gathered at the local art gallery to make a mosaic. It took 32 volunteers 5 hours to complete and it turned out beautiful. The tops were glued to 8 canvasses making it easy to move to different locations around the city. Now on display the mosaic is accompanied by plastic pollution facts and recycling information. The feedback from the public and particularly teachers has been very positive. It was a great project and produced the impact we wanted.
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Mid-Atlantic Public Works Institute Update
Scott A. Smith, PE, LS,
Chairman MPWI Steering Committee
The Mid-Atlantic Public Works Institute (MPWI) started its second cohort of training in September 2017. Session 2 is scheduled for April 3-5, 2018 at the Richmond Marriott Short Pump. Registration is open and six slots remain before the session is sold out.
Session 2 focuses on "Leadership and Management". Subject matter experts will provide training in business communication, team development, project management, change management, generational differences and creation of learning organizations.
The program also offers plenty of time for networking and interaction between various agencies. This strengthens the bond between Public Works Professionals across the chapter.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Scott A. Smith, PE, LS
Cell (757) 805-0310
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Mid-Atlantic WRX Conference
Steve Yob, P.E. and Jennifer Caples
Mid-Atlantic WRX Conference:
Building Tomorrow Visioning the Future~We Make it Happen!
We are excited that the Chapter leadership has adopted a new conference brand
Mid-  Atlantic WRX Conference for our annual gathering! I hope you like this change.
And we are about 5 months away from making the 60th Annual APWA Mid Atlantic Conference and Equipment Show take place in Fredericksburg, Virginia from
May 2-3, 2018.
This will be an exciting, information-packed two and a half days that will help you approach problems and challenges in new innovative ways. Hosted at the Fredericksburg Expo Center, the conference will offer a hive of activity for collaboration, education, and networking. The 60th Annual Mid-Atlantic Conference and Equipment Show will assemble many excellent presenters and keynote speakers, giving attendees the opportunity to learn best practices from regional experts. There will also be unique networking and social interactions planned as well as opportunities to explore the Historic City of Fredericksburg.
Would you like to talk to all your friends and colleagues in the industry? Care to watch our expert drivers navigate 65,000-pound trucks through eggs and tennis
 balls? Is golf your thing? How about a little run in the morning before the event to get your blood pumping on the adjoining Rappahannock River Heritage Trail? Perhaps you're a history buff and wish to take in some of the surrounding battlefields
All of these things, and more, await you in Fredericksburg. We are planning an excellent show with many more fun and educational adventures so please sign up today.
If you have some ideas on anything you would like to see this year, please send them to
Steve Yob. Please put
PWX 2018 in the subject header.
If you have any questions about the trade show or being an exhibitor or sponsor, please contact
Jennifer Caples at for more info. Exhibitor and sponsor registration is open.
For general questions about the event or being an exhibitor or sponsor please contact
Jennifer Cook
. The Mid-Atlantic
WRX Conference registration is open.
To see the preliminary conference technical program, follow the link
HERE.
Lodging - We will be using the Hampton Inn and the Homewood Suites Hotels adjoining the convention center. Rates will be $104 and $114 respectively. The live link will be up and running shortly.
Roadeo - As with last year, the convention center has a wonderful expanse of parking lot which will host our roadeo. This is a great event and we will need plenty of volunteers and spectators to help our folks shine on these challenging courses.
You won't want to miss it the
Mid-Atlantic WRX Conference: We make it happen...will you?
Steve Yob is this year's conference chair, Jennifer Caples is assisting with exhibitors and Jennifer Cook is coordinating the event for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter.
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March 1 "Town and Gown Partnerships: Solving Sustainability Issues Together" Panel Was a Success!
Denise Nelson, PE, ENV SP, LEED AP, Berkley Group
 The event, organized with support from Fairfax County and staff at the George Mason University Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC), focused on partnerships between local governments and academia to support sustainability projects.
Supervisor Penny Gross, Vice Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, gave a warm welcome sharing local history, successes, and optimism for future collaborations across municipal departments and with elected officials, academia, and other stakeholders. Dann Sklarew, Associate Director at PEREC, discussed opportunities to collaborate with professors and students at GMU.
 Kristin Baja
, USDN Climate Resilience Officer, shared lessons learned from her previous role with the City of Baltimore as well as described resources and support available from the Urban Sustainability Director's Network (USDN).
Angie De Soto
, the
Virginia Tech Sustainability Institute Director, discussed opportunities at Virginia Tech and shared lessons learned on building relationships with professors and managing work performed by students. Matt Rodrigues, City of Eugene Traffic Engineer and chair of APWA's Center for Sustainability, discussed programs with academia in Oregon that provide students with professional experience and provide necessary support staff to municipalities. Eric Forbes, Fairfax County Complex Manager, described the County's staff employee development strategies and a few local sustainability initiatives.
In academia, students have the opportunity for "experiential learning" and "service  learning" as part of their coursework in addition to more traditional internships and co-op jobs. These are essential for developing workplace skills and transitioning from campus to a career. Local governments can benefit from collaborating with academia by getting supplemental staff and researchers to help complete projects and reporting. Academic partnerships may provide opportunities for additional collaborations with non-profits - this can promote stakeholder involvement and provide avenues for grant funding. The main takeaway: we can look to one another for creative ways to collaborate and maximize knowledge and capital resources.
Thanks to the event sponsors: ClarkNexsen, Greeley and Hansen, Berkley Group, Wetland Solutions, and the GMU Schar School of Policy and Government.
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Ecologist Provides Hands-on Learning at STEAM Event
Matthew Kaiser, information officer, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
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Every kids knows what a butterfly is, but what on earth is a caddisfly? Belle View Elementary School students found out at the school's annual STEAM night on Tuesday, Feb. 20. (STEAM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.)
Danielle Wynne, an ecologist in the Stormwater Planning Division of Fairfax County's Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, hosted a table where students learned all about this important benthic macroinvertebrate (a tiny bug that lives in creeks). Wynne's exhibit explained how scientists use indicator species, such as the caddisfly, to determine the health of our streams and watersheds.
Many caddisflies create houses for themselves out of sticks, leaves, or rocks and carry them around, similar to a hermit crab. With her young audience in mind, Wynne provided craft materials for the students to create their own caddisflies and houses to take home. Her goal is for every kid to understand how their actions affect water quality and impact the overall environment.
Wynne was invited to participate in the STEAM event by fifth-grade teacher Michael Marasti. She and Marasti have worked together previously on the Citizen Scientists Floatable Monitoring Program, a hands-on program in which students learn about data collection in the field by tracking litter and debris in their local streams.
Wynne's outreach team interacted with more than 3,500 students at 40 events last year, and she's on pace to match or exceed that number this year. Participating in the STEAM event exemplifies how subject matter experts from the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services partner with Fairfax County Public Schools to offer experiential learning opportunities. Both entities are committed to promoting a variety of exciting career paths to students.
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National Center for Sustainability is Impressed with Our Chapter Sustainability Committee
APWA's Center for Sustainability (C4S) held its winter meeting in Alexandria Mar. 1-2. While in town, they arranged to meet with our chapter sustainability committee to  coordinate activities. The two committees met at the GMU Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center following the sustainability panel event and center tour.
C4S members described their role and activities including providing support to chapter sustainability committees. There are currently around 60 chapters, but only half have appointed a sustainability liaison and even fewer have a sustainability committee. The C4S hosts quarterly conference calls with chapter sustainability liaisons and sustainability committee chairs to disseminate information and provide a forum for discussion and peer networking.
Five members of our chapter sustainability committee were present: Denise Nelson, Diane
Linderman, John Parkinson, James Patteson, and the chair,
Jennifer Privette. Our members described our committee's activities: monthly conference calls, a technical session at the annual conference, and one or two other unique events throughout the year, such as an Envision workshop, tree planting, labeling recycling bins, and socials.
The C4S was impressed with the commitment and successes of our committee. They encouraged us to share case studies and volunteer as mentors to other chapters. Congratulations to our Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Committee!
Center for Sustainability members: Matt Rodrigues (chair), Kim Lundgren, James Patteson, Steph Larocque, Tom Herbel, Dwayne Kalynchuk, Maie Armstrong, JC Alonzo, John Trujillo, Bill Spearman, Anne Jackson (APWA Staff).
Mid-Atlantic Chapter Sustainability Committee members: Jennifer Privette (chair), Kelly Mattingly, Denise Nelson, Dwayne D'Ardenne, Diane Linderman, John Parkinson, Lynne Lancaster, Nell Boyle, Jeffrey F. DuVal, Ross Brockwell, Chad P. Crawford, James Patteson.
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Roanoke Regional Public Works Academy Continues to Thrive
Bob Bengtson, Director of Public Works, City of Roanoke
Several local government and public agencies from the Roanoke region began meeting in 2008 to discuss the potential benefits of combining resources and public works expertise. Over the course of the following year, the Roanoke Regional Public Works Academy (RRPWA) was formed with eight members from the Roanoke Valley. The academy established formal bylaws, membership requirements and a board of directors. RRPWA has continued to meet every other month since its inception.
As word spread, interest in the academy grew and expanded to include members from across the New River Valley. The RRPWA's current membership now stands at thirteen governments and public agencies. (Member organizations now include: City of Roanoke, City of Salem, Roanoke County, Town of Vinton, Town of Blacksburg, Town of Christiansburg, Town of Clifton Forge, Western Virginia Water Authority, Roanoke Gas Company, Virginia Western Community College, Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport, Bedford Regional Water Authority, Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority).
One of the first goals was to improve the quality and quantity of training programs for employees at a substantially reduced costs to the organizations. By identifying, compiling and prioritizing the entire group's training needs, a number of safety-related courses were identified. The collective group has arranged for several thousand hours of training for its employees from all areas of Public Works. A small sample of training classes offered include trenching and shoring, tractor and mower safety, basic work zone safety, confined space safety and chainsaw safety. By filling a training class, members can share the cost to bring trainers to the Roanoke area. In turn, this saves the expense of travel and lodging costs to send employees out of town.
Another significant benefit is the opportunity for members to build relationships, network and discuss similar problems, concerns and issues at the regular meetings. Members have also joined together to create unique opportunities for their employees including the RRPWA's annual Roanoke Regional Equipment Road-e-o, where nearly 90 employees compete every April in a number of equipment competitions. This event helps identify employees that go on to compete at the APWA Chapter Road-e-o held every May at the Mid-Atlantic Chapter's annual conference.
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Fairfax County's Pool of Certified Construction Managers Deepens
Matthew Kaiser, information officer, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
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Only two public entities have more CCMs than Fairfax County.
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Fairfax County has matured from a rural community to a suburban bedroom community to a highly desirable place to live and work, with its own thriving economy. As the county urbanizes, development projects and transportation improvements have become more complicated. Fortunately, Fairfax County has 21 Certified Construction Managers (CCMs) on staff to navigate through regulations, engage the community, and deliver projects that improve residents' quality of life.
A CCM is the only construction management certification accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). CCMs have attained advanced degrees, are experienced in the field, are experts in the construction industry, and are committed to ethical conduct. They effectively manage the planning, design, and construction of projects from inception to completion.
Fairfax County has more CCMs than any other county. In fact, only two public entities have more - Virginia Dept. of Transportation (48) and the City of Los Angeles, Ca. (28). "Obtaining a CCM is not easy and we are proud of the commitment we've made to this valuable program," said Brad Melton, director, Wastewater Design and Construction Division, Capital Facilities, Fairfax County Dept. of Public Works and Environmental Services. The majority of the county's CCMs work in Capital Facilities managing infrastructure projects.
More than 4,000 professionals are now recognized as CCMs. The program continues to grow, but achieving this distinguished status is an arduous task. "Only the best and most committed construction managers will be CCMs," said Melton. "Fairfax County has consistently supported our people in obtaining and maintaining their credentials for many years."
Potential CCMs must pass a test, administered through the Construction Managers Association of America, which consists of 200 questions. Applicants are given five hours to complete the test. Applicants study for months before attending CMAA's three-day Professional Construction Management Course. Capital Facilities' annual budget includes staff development funds aimed at increasing the ranks of CCMs within the department. The overarching goal is to raise the level of project delivery for the county.
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Join VWEA in Richmond on April 26, 2018
"THE CHANGING WORLD OF STORMWATER: RESILIENCY PLANNING FOR EXTREME STORMS AND SEA LEVEL RISE"
The speakers will provide a national, regional and local perspective on the impacts of more frequent, intense storm events and
sea level rise on resiliency planning efforts across the nation and here at home in Virginia.
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Game Makes Learning the Ins and Outs of Contracting Fun
Irene Haske, information officer, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
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Ron Kirkpatrick makes a point during the contracting training class. |
Contracts? Fun? You're kidding, right?
"I wanted to do something different with the contract training we provide every year," said Ron Kirkpatrick, director, Capital Facilities Division (CAP), Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. "And with the help of Amy Mackintosh, Tammy Michelli, Meredith Wilhelm, Wattana Savanh, Roz Knox and others, I think we succeeded."
Spicing up architect and engineering or professional services contracting training was a task whose time had come but it took the thoughtful consideration, planning and organizing of several people to make it happen. Three classes were held.
"Ron provides contracting training every year, usually in the November time frame," said Amy Mackintosh, contract analyst in CAP. "So for this class we asked Wattana Savanh to help us create some type of game or challenge that would keep participants interested and attentive throughout the class."
The game that graphic designer Savanh created was based on the very popular television program, Jeopardy, a classic game show with a twist.
"We called it Contracting Jeopardy," Ron said. "The first hour of the training was pretty much 'business as usual.' Then we took a break. When the participants returned to the room they drew numbers and were assigned to different tables. We mixed it up."
That's when the fun began.
Just as is done on the television version of Jeopardy, five titles were spaced across the top of the board - in this case, the PowerPoint presentation that Savanh created. The titles were Acronyms, Procedures, Documents, Key Partners, and Terms with the 'dollar' amounts from $100 to $1,000 in a column below each title. The participants picked the title and competed against teams at other tables by choosing a dollar amount and answering the question correctly.
Some of the questions were: This formula is used for determining the contract multiplier; the dollar threshold that typically triggers the need for a NIP; and the number of original contract signatures required. None of those sound easy.
"We received a lot of really good feedback from the people who took the class," Mackintosh said. "I think we proved that contracting doesn't have to be boring. In fact, the feedback was so positive that we may use the Jeopardy game again for the next class," she said.
Contestants on the Jeopardy television game show win money, sometimes it is BIG money. Since that aspect of the show cannot be used in the Contracting Jeopardy game, Amy decided to make some simple gifts and trophies for the winners. "I went to Michael's craft store and bought some small boxes, filled them with candy and wrapped them as prizes for the Contracting Jeopardy winners." The trophy was a small cup, 3 or 4 inches tall and attached to a base.
Photo: Jeopardy 2
Caption: Ron Kirkpatrick makes a point during the contracting training class.
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GIS Finds Stormwater Projects for Residents
Catie Torgersen, senior engineer III, Stormwater Planning Division and Irene Haske, information officer, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
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Brett Martin, GIS Spatial Analyst, Stormwater Planning Division, DPWES.
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There are plenty of ways to use GIS, but for residents and employees of Fairfax County it is an effective, time-saving and convenient way to keep stormwater project information available 24/7/365.
Gone are the days of using cumbersome maps and photos when visiting projects in the field, writing everything down on paper and lugging it back to the office to be filed. If there was a request for that information, someone would dig through multiple files, make copies of the documents requested, and finally, give them to the requester.
"With these new apps, we can send everything electronically," Brett Martin, GIS Spatial Analyst, Stormwater Planning Division, said, "or requesters can find the information for themselves." Sounds like big savings in time, money and effort for the county and residents. "Everything is in one place," Martin said.
GIS, as most people know, is a geographic information system that captures, stores, checks and displays data related to positions on the Earth's surface. By relating seemingly unrelated data, GIS can help individuals and organizations to better understand spatial patterns and relationships. In essence, GIS provides a visual interpretation of data.
Utilizing existing web-based applications, Martin created an easy-to-access and user friendly toolkit to expedite stakeholder outreach and coordination and better inform and educate the public. A Story Map is the perfect venue for displaying project data to the public in a user-friendly, visual format that clearly identifies the scope and extent of a project. A Story Map combines maps, plans and photos in a digital format that is easily available to the public. To develop a Story Map, Martin gathers photos, plans and the narrative descriptions of the photos that make up the project story. He then uses ArcMap, georeferences the plans and creates a tile package that he publishes to ArcGIS Online. He adds the geotagged photos and their descriptions to the Story Map and he may include artistic renderings that show several sections of the proposed work.
Story Maps are presented at public meetings and then made available on the county's stormwater projects web page. They showcase the entire project lifecycle from project scoping to construction completion and have proved to be a valuable resource for increasing transparency and providing detailed project information to the public. Essentially, the Story Map gives residents a better overall perspective of a project in relation to their property and creates a virtual stream walk for them but without getting their feet wet.
Each week, Fairfax County Stormwater Management receives numerous requests for project information, but the department lacked a central database for all active and completed stormwater management projects. To answer each request, staff had to hunt through individual project files and completed project books or track down the project manager. The process was laborious and inefficient and sometimes resulted in conflicting or inaccurate information. To address this issue, Martin collected data on active and finished projects dating back almost ten years and created individual project points in ArcGIS with the following attributes: project name; identification; type; description; status; supervisor's district; watershed; and completion date. He then developed an interactive ArcGIS Online Stormwater Management Projects map which is available to the public and searchable by address. A short video available on the county website explains how the map works. The map serves a number of purposes: it disseminates information on stormwater management projects to the public; allows other county and state agencies (like Fairfax County Park Authority or the Virginia Department of Transportation) to know the location of projects; and provides a visual representation of how the county stormwater service district tax is put to use. The Story Maps and any other media created for the projects are also linked through the app.
"Brett created apps that will now provide residents with easily accessible information about stormwater projects in their neighborhoods," said Craig Carinci, director, Stormwater Planning Division. "Brett also created apps that have greatly increased the efficiency and effectiveness of our stormwater project selection and evaluation process by eliminating the use of paper forms and the many steps that were needed to transfer data to accessible electronic spreadsheets and files. I can't say enough about how Brett has improved the quality of our work," Craig said.
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Call for Chapter Member Survey Development
Our first step in our needs gathering process is to generate and release a survey that seeks to identify how the Chapter can assess members' needs, identify areas needing attention, and to begin pulling priorities for potential solutions and next steps together.
If you are interested in assisting the Chapter leadership with launching this effort, and have suggestions providing insights regarding how we can best enhance APWA membership in the mid-Atlantic region,
please respond no later than May 1, 2018
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Call for Chapter Committee Participation
The Chapter seeks members interested in participating, and in some cases, leading several of the Chapter Committees where openings exist. Chapter Committees, for the most part, mirror National APWA committees. Terms are at the discretion of the Chapter leadership.
Please review the table below. We hope you will consider joining one or more of the Chapter Committees
Kindly respond and express your level of interest
no later than May 1, 2018
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Chapter Committee
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Committee Position
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Duties/Time Commitment
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Metro DC Activities Committee (includes DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland)
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Committee Members
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Assist with identifying and prioritizing educational venues and organizing related programs.
Time Commitment: Scheduled conference calls and on-site assistance with coordinating and implementing educational venues.
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Social Media
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Committee Members
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Assist with identifying and collaborating on releases associated with educational venues. Provide newsletter feature articles.
Time Commitment: As needed, on-going, coordinated with Chapter activities and events
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Diversity Committee
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Chair and Committee Members
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Assist
with recognizing, promoting, and fostering the synergy which is created when the work environment values the differences in individuals and practices inclusiveness and open communication. Assist with identifying and prioritizing educational venues and organizing related programs. Provide newsletter feature articles.
Time Commitment: Scheduled committee conference calls. Identify and develop related educational venues, event budgets, and organizing outreach programs.
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Emergency Management
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Chair and Committee Members
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Provide resources and a forum for exchanging and developing ideas, knowledge, and technologies for mitigating from, preparing for, responding to, and recovery from all hazards (manmade and natural disasters). Foster recognition of public works' important role(s) in emergency management. Assist with identifying and prioritizing educational venues and organizing related programs. Provide newsletter feature articles.
Time Commitment: Scheduled committee conference calls. Identify and develop related educational venues, event budgets, and organizing outreach programs.
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Small Cities/Rural Communities
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Chair and Committee Members
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Assist with
supporting the public works professionals serving communities with populations less than 100,000. These communities sometimes deal with the same issues as their fellow members in larger communities, and may have more limited resources.
Assist with identifying and prioritizing educational venues and organizing related programs. Provide newsletter feature articles.
Time Commitment: Scheduled committee conference calls. Identify and develop related educational venues, event budgets, and organizing outreach programs.
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LIASON TO NATIONAL APWA COMMITTEES
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Chapter Committee
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Committee Position
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Duties/Time Commitment
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Governmental Affairs Committee
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Chair and Committee Members
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Identify and report on potential partnerships with key stakeholders, complete with new lines of communication needed with policy-makers and outreach into the center of public policy discussions. Listen in on National committee scheduled committee conference calls. If attending PWX, sit in and report on Committee business meetings. Provide newsletter feature articles.
Time Commitment: National committee scheduled committee conference calls. If attending PWX, sit in and report on Committee business meetings. Identify and develop related educational venues in concert with other Chapter committee events. Provide summary report to Chapter leadership, based on National APWA communications.
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Emergency Management Committee
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Chair and Committee Members
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Report on the exchange and development of ideas, knowledge, and technologies for mitigating from, preparing for, responding to, and recovery from all hazards (manmade and natural disasters). Foster recognition of public works' important role(s) in emergency management. Assist with identifying and prioritizing educational venues and organizing related programs.
Identify and report on potential partnerships with key stakeholders, complete with new lines of communication needed with policy-makers and outreach into the center of public policy discussions. Listen in on National committee scheduled committee conference calls. If attending PWX, sit in and report on Committee business meetings. Provide newsletter feature articles.
Time Commitment: National committee scheduled committee conference calls. If attending PWX, sit in and report on Committee business meetings. Identify and develop related educational venues in concert with other Chapter committee events. Provide summary report to Chapter leadership, based on National APWA communications.
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The Chapter YP Committee
The Chapter YP Committee met Feb. 15th in Alexandria, VA. Discussion centered around coordinating a group (or groups) to participate in local stream clean up events during the month of April in support of Earth Day. There are a number of organized clean up events happening throughout the Mid-Atlantic region that YPs could join. If folks are interested in joining the City of Alexandria, VA event on April 14th or have an event in their area that they are looking for additional support, contact
Lauren Glose.
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| Be Counted!!
Is your membership information up to date? Please update your
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| Chapter Welcomes New Members!
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