Chapter Works
An electronic publication of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the American Public Works Association

November 2024 Newsletter

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President's Corner

Gaynelle L. Hart, Director of Public Works, City of Lynchburg, VA

Dear APWA Mid- Atlantic Chapter members and colleagues:


Hope you were able to get some time away from the office this summer to spend time with your family and friends. 

 

The most exciting news of this quarter is that our chapter is in the running to host the National APWA Conference in Baltimore in 2029. The other site under consideration is Orlando, Florida. Several of our board and technical committee members met with a team from National to hear more about what is required of the chapter. Our chapter leaders in attendance reported that the national team spoke positively about Baltimore and our chapter being considered for this opportunity. We should hear soon if our Chapter was selected to host the conference. 


The Mid- Atlantic Board of Directors held a half day strategic planning meeting on November 13 in Lynchburg, VA. It was a time for us to reflect on what we are doing well as a chapter, what we should stop doing and what more we should do to provide value to our members. As always, if you have ideas how we can do a better job please contact me or any board/technical committee member with your idea.


First Responders Day was October 28th this year.  Police, Fire and Emergency Services are the three most recognized first responder employee groups. Public Works professionals are silently responding along with police and fire to emergencies and restoring critical services and infrastructure after an emergency. As public works professionals we need to do a better job communicating to the public and our elected officials our role in emergency response. 


Finally, my heart goes out to those affected by Hurricane Helene in Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina.  I am thinking of the countless hours Public Works professionals are spending helping their communities recover from this horrible disaster, often with their own families also suffering great losses. Let’s keep these first responders in our thoughts and prayers.   


I wish you a safe and peaceful holiday season with your family and friends. 

Gaynelle L. Hart

President, APWA Mid-Atlantic Chapter

Director of Public Works, City of Lynchburg, VA

gaynelle.hart@lynchburgva.gov

Henrico County Tackles Pedestrian Safety

Beth Sanmartin, Henrico County Department of Public Works

In Henrico County, pedestrian safety is a hot-button issue. The county has suffered 11 pedestrian fatalities in crashes with vehicles through October, and it has the potential to get worse.


Historically, the roadways in Henrico weren’t built for pedestrians. Rather, they were designed and developed with only motor traffic in mind, as many American counties and smaller cities were. This leaves current engineers and planners with a specific challenge of playing catch-up with the times and the needs of the current population. While there is a robust, fare-free bus system in place that traverses much of the metro Richmond area that includes Henrico, once these transit users arrive, they’re faced with difficult infrastructure that’s not made for those on foot.


Henrico’s Department of Public Works is up for the challenge.


Henrico maintains 1,400 miles of road and is one of only two county jurisdictions in Virginia that is responsible for maintenance of its own roads (the Virginia Department of Transportation maintains 149 miles of road in Henrico). The county is making progress in expanding its 276 miles of sidewalk, 45 miles of paved shared-use paths and 33 miles of bike lanes.


Since 2019, Public Works has installed 16 miles of new sidewalk, upgraded or installed 28 pedestrian crossings and outfitted 168 neighborhood roads with speed bumps to calm traffic. There are currently 57 active pedestrian-improvement projects totaling $170 million. These projects, which are already planned and funded, include 13 miles of additional sidewalk, 10 miles of shared-use paths and 50 new bus shelters.


In September, the Henrico Board of Supervisors recognized a need for improved lighting on major roads in Henrico, a common issue in suburban areas statewide. The Board approved a budget amendment for $1.5 million dedicated to adding new solar lighting along high-priority pedestrian corridors countywide. The roads are in the process of being identified by a committee, and installation is expected to begin early in 2025. This funding will be included in the Public Works budget for the foreseeable future.


In addition to the infrastructure aspect, Henrico Public Works has also taken the lead on the education and outreach components of pedestrian safety. In January, the department hired its own dedicated public relations specialist, to be shared with the county’s Department of Public Utilities. This role focuses largely on resident education of issues related to infrastructure as well as emergency notifications of projects, road closures and other related issues. The addition of this position has allowed Public Works to amplify this issue beyond their previous capabilities.


Under the Watch Out Ahead Henrico (WOAH!) campaign, a multi-agency, collaborative effort throughout the county, Public Works has taken charge of handing out reflective safety vests to increase the visibility of pedestrians. As of November, the department has coordinated the distribution of more than 20,000 vests, with no intentions of slowing down. These vests are available for free to Henrico residents at county government centers, police stations, libraries and recreation centers. They are also distributed by employees at county-sponsored events, and staff is always looking for new ways to get the vests out of boxes and into the community. For example, county elected officials and employees took vests home and handed them out along with candy for Halloween this year!

In November, the department will do its first school visits on the subject. Public Works subject matter experts will educate preschool- through elementary-age children on how to correctly use crosswalks, to always watch for cars and make sure to wear bright and/or reflective clothing. Online, they use their website, social media pages and newsletter to remind all users of the road to make safe choices. This includes reminding drivers to put their phones down and keep their eyes on the road, especially at intersections, as well as reminding pedestrians that it’s important to be as visible as possible and to watch their surroundings.


October was National Pedestrian Safety Month, and Public Works collaborated with other public safety agencies to amplify the message as much as possible. With a television and streaming commercial, social media ads and a press conference that included the mother of a teenager recently killed in a crash with a vehicle while walking home from work, the department brought awareness to the issue and assured residents of the infrastructure plans in place.


“Our vision is clear: a safer, more walkable and bike-friendly Henrico County,” said Director Terrell Hughes at the press conference on Oct. 22. “Together, we will create a county where every resident, whether walking, biking or driving, feels safe and secure.”

Sustaining a Seabird Colony:

Conservation Action During VDOT’s Largest Construction Project to Date

Anna Weaver, Environmental Scientist and Certified Ecologist, VHB, Williamsburg, Virginia.   

Historically, the South Island of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT) supported the single largest seabird colony in Virginia. At peak breeding season, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) estimated that 15,000 adult birds and 10,000 chicks were present on South Island each year. This manmade island is the location of the south tunnel portal of the busy HRBT, which crosses the James River in the City of Hampton, Virginia.


Given its ecological significance, it’s no wonder that when the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) kicked off the expansion of the HRBT— the largest construction project in its history—that seabird populations were an area of priority. What would happen to the birds with construction disruptions? Where would they go once work began on South Island and nearby?


In its fifth year of construction, Anna Weaver, VHB’s Avian Scientist, has led a team of scientists to perform bird monitoring and bird rescuing.


Bird Watching

Beginning in 2020, every morning and evening throughout the breeding season, Anna Weaver spends her time with the birds on the HRBT. Throughout each spring and summer, she documents all the birds she sees, where they are, and what they are doing. While on South Island, she is in the company of Virginia’s royal terns, sandwich terns, common terns, black skimmers, state-threatened gull-billed terns, and laughing gulls, all of which are on the state’s list of species in “greatest conservation need.”


Before her team began the first year of seasonal bird monitoring on South Island in March 2020, the Hampton Roads Connector Partners (HRCP) coordinated with VDOT and DWR to develop the Nesting Bird Management and Control Plan (Bird Management Plan) to outline measurers that would reduce the chances of birds nesting or roosting in construction areas. This included the installation of passive deterrents to keep birds from landing on the island. In early 2020, Governor Ralph Northam also released plans to protect migratory birds in Virginia. This led DWR to create an alternative nesting habitat for birds on the nearby Fort Wool.



When the birds began to arrive during the first year of seasonal bird monitoring there were a lot of questions. Would the deterrence measures work? Would it be enough to safely relocate the birds? Initially the team observed some noticeable confusion and behavior from the birds. This was not unexpected; their home for more than 40 years suddenly looked very different. However, it didn’t take long before the colonial nesting species became comfortable using the new habitat instead of South Island and began to flock to the new areas. These combined efforts encouraged the return of colonial nesting birds to use the new habitat!


Observation throughout Construction

Over the last few years, this paved island has become a busy site with a lot of moving parts. Each day, Anna and her team monitor birds on the HRBT with the objective to observe and record their patterns and behavior and assess the effectiveness of the passive deterrent measures installed.


Each week, these observations are reported to VDOT and DWR and includes a record of the species, abundance, and behavior of birds on or near these construction sites. To continue to collect this critical data, Anna also worked with VDOT and DWR to develop a standardized data collection and monitoring protocol, leading the coordination and scheduling of daily survey efforts.

 

Bird Incident Hotline

Anna and her team are on-call 24/7, which means they are a bird incident hotline. They have received calls about injured birds blown in from storms, sick birds that land on the island to recover, or birds tangled in fishing lines. They are also on-call to safely move fledglings away from active construction so that they can rest on the rocks near the water, where they are safely out of harm’s way, before regaining their strength to fly.  

Since the end of 2020, there has been a strong partnership with Tidewater Rehabilitation and Environmental Education Center, who have taken in all the injured and sick birds transported to them. Many can eventually be released back into the wild, into safer spaces than the project area.

 

A Future for the Birds

Since the project began, the monitoring has expanded to also cover North Island, another manmade island on HRBT, and Willoughby Spit, a peninsula on the Norfolk side of the bridge-tunnel. Both locations are part of the HRBT project footprint.


The HRBT Expansion Project will continue over the next few years, and the ongoing bird monitoring continues to be a priority for VDOT, DWR, and VHB. There are a lot of people behind the scenes working to make certain that this important infrastructure project is not only beneficial to the commuters and community that use the HRBT, but also to the birds that flock to that area.

Photos provided by Anna Weaver

Photo 1, top left: Anna Weaver performing bird monitoring duties during an evening site visit on South Island.

Photo 2, bottom left: A group of Royal Terns gather in their new nesting habitat.

Photo 3, bottom right: A Common Tern divebombing at Anna’s camera.

Frog Hollow Memorial Garden

Jeff Wilkerson, City of Martinsburg, WV

On October 8, 2024, the City of Martinsburg, WV dedicated a new pocket park along the Frog Hollow Trail. This area is called the Frog Hollow Memorial Garden. It sits peacefully along the trail in a partially wooded area around the midpoint of the trail. This Memorial Garden can be used as an area for reflection and celebration. The Garden is designed to honor City of Martinsburg elected officials who passed away while still in office. At the time of the dedication, there were four officials that were honored in the Memorial Garden:


Harriet Johnson, City Council member - July 1, 2016 to August 5, 2020; Mayor - August 5, 2020 to July 8, 2021

Roger Lewis, City Council member - July 1, 2000 to July 16, 2014

Mark Baker, City Council member - July 1, 1984 to June 30, 1992; July 1, 2016 to May 27, 2019

Max Parkinson, City Council member - July 1, 1984 to June 30, 1990; July 1, 1994 to November 10, 2014


All of these City officials are greatly missed as they served the city with dignity and respect. They worked hard to make Martinsburg a better community so the residents and business owners could have a better quality of life and improve economic development. This memorial garden will be a place to remember their dedication and commitment to the City of Martinsburg, WV.

Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund Program Deadline Extended

Denise Nelson, P.E., CFM, ENV SP, LEED AP

The Round 5 deadline was extended from November 9, 2024, to January 24, 2025. There is still time to prepare your grant or loan application for capacity building and planning, studies, and/or design and construction projects to advance community flood preparedness.

 

Round 5 has $50M available for grants (limited to $7.5M per applicant) and $25M for long-term loans and $10M for short-term loans (for projects only). A minimum of 25% of funds must benefit low-income areas. Grants require matching funds with discounts give for work in low-income areas or for projects that utilize nature-based solutions. New in this round is the ability to submit one application for grant funding and loan funding to meet the match requirement. In addition, Flood Resilience Plans are now valid for five years.

 

All communities are invited to submit applications for capacity building and planning and studies. Communities with Flood Resilience Plans approved by the Department of Conservation and Recreation are invited to submit applications for projects. Applications must include the application form, a scope of work narrative (need, goals and objectives, work plan, evaluation, and supporting documents) and a budget narrative. The grant manual is available at HERE

Let the Gourd Times Roll 

Sharon North and Carlos Leiva, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services 

Fairfax County, VA – Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew… or compost them! Are you wondering what to do with your pumpkin after the fall holidays?


It’s time for the annual Pumpkin Palooza, when the Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program will turn your post-Halloween pumpkins into compost gold. This is a way to reduce food waste and promote a more sustainable option to tossing pumpkins in the trash. 2024 Pumpkin Palooza allows Fairfax County residents about two weeks to get rid of their pumpkins and gourds by dropping them off at the I-95 Landfill Complex or I-66 Transfer Station on the following dates and times.


October 28 – November 15

Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.


The pumpkins have to be free of all decorations, including glitter, paint and candle wax, or they can’t be composted.

For ambitious residents who choose to compost at home, simply place carved or uncarved pumpkin in a garden area over the winter and let bacteria and fungi naturally break it down. As it decomposes, the rotting fruit will provide nutrients for the soil. Who knows…you might see a surprise pumpkin vine sprouting in the spring.


For those who don’t want to compost or throw pumpkins away, consider baking them to create a sweet or savory treat. Not only will you enjoy the seasonal flavors, but some recipes use the entire pumpkin to further reduce food waste!


For more information on food composting, Click HERE

Governor Glenn Youngkin Signs Executive Order to Promote Transparency and Efficiency in Permitting and Licensing   

Christian Martinez, Office of the Governor

RICHMOND, VA - Governor Glenn Youngkin today issued Executive Order 39 Promoting Transparency and Efficiency in Permitting and Licensing to reduce wait times, reduce costs and improve the permit, license, certification, and registration, application processes for Virginians.


“Since day one, we have made it a top priority to improve government efficiency for Virginians. We’ve reduced red tape, streamlined 50,000 regulatory requirements and saved Virginia citizens over $1.2 billion. Now, with our first in the nation approval tracking system, we are making it clearer, easier, and more efficient to apply for these critical approvals and taking a big step towards making Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin.


“Virginia is the only state that has built a government-wide platform that includes permit applications,” said Office of Regulatory Management Director Reeve Bull. “Executive Order 39 takes this pioneering work to the next level, tasking agencies with bringing the few remaining permit types online and with speeding up processing times across the board.”


“Governor Youngkin has been clear since day one – streamlining the regulatory and permitting processeswhile reducing regulatory burdens are not at odds with environmental protection. We can, and will, do both – create an increasingly prosperous and unencumbered economy, and an increasingly clean environment. Not only is this possible, it is essential, because our economy and natural resources are integrally linked. A strong economy provides the resources to protect our environment,” said Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles.


“We are thrilled to have started the work of revolutionizing the permitting process in this Administration through the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform,” said DEQ Director Mike Rolband. “We have used process improvements and our public scheduling and tracking system to improve our permit processing times by 70%, while allowing the public to see the proposed schedule for every permit and track how its review is proceeding.”


“Our responsibility is to ensure licensing minimum standards protect the health, safety and welfare of our Commonwealth without unnecessarily restricting approval and critical vocational growth,” said Secretary of Labor Brian Slater. “We need to make sure that we get people to work quickly, so they can start serving the public and providing for their families as soon as possible, as long as they meet the basic qualifications to enter their field.”


“Increasing transparency, process efficiencies, and digitization of the permit and license application process is a critical component to supporting business growth and economic development,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick. “Whether it is shortening critical infrastructure timelines through permit reforms or increasing the timeliness of professional licensing, these actions help make Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”


The Office of Regulatory Management (ORM) was created in June of 2022 and has since made significant progress in modernizing regulation to alleviate burdens on Virginia citizens and promote transparency throughout the regulatory process. The Office of Transformation collaborated in these efforts, and the initiative is one of many successful transformations the office has driven across agencies in the Commonwealth.


Reforms implemented by ORM have already yielded impressive results, with agencies shaving over 50,000 regulatory requirements (17.5% of the total number). Enhanced transparency has been at the core of these initiatives. ORM has worked with agencies to ensure that 100% of regulatory actions and guidance document amendments appear online. And it worked closely with the Department of Environmental Quality in connection with a pilot program that ultimately went state-wide as the Virginia Permit Transparency (VPT) permitting dashboard. VPT covers over 100,000 applications issued per year across six agencies. Now that these permits are available online, the participating agencies can turn to tracking and improving processing times. 


The Executive Order builds upon these efforts by directing agencies to eliminate obsolete approvals; include approvals involving multiple steps on VPT; reduce the number and complexity of approvals through streamlining; and digitize and enhance the user experience for the approval application process. 


Licensing and permitting reform will bring about a dramatic improvement in the Virginian’s experience, enforcing Governor Youngkin’s promise to ensure Virginia is the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

VA-DEQ Celebrates Removal of Ashland Mill Dam 

Ryn Kennedy, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality 

After 30+ years of project planning, the now-obsolete Ashland Mill Dam across the South Anna River has been removed. The removal of the dam opened 38 miles of upstream spawning habitat for the American shad, 440 miles of upstream river network for the American eel, and more than 108 miles for alewife, blueback herring, and hickory shad.


Formerly used for hydromechanical power to operate a mill, this 13-foot-tall dam spanned 210 feet across the South Anna River near Route 1. Dam removal was determined to be the best approach to providing passage for fish species to reach native spawning and rearing habitat. Removal of this dam is also a Tier 1 priority in the Chesapeake Bay Fish Passage Prioritization Tool and a top priority of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Fish Passage Program.


This project was able to be accomplished through the combined efforts of DEQ, DWR, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Randolph-Macon College, and American Rivers. The project is the first compensatory mitigation bank involving large-scale dam removal in Virginia. Watch a time lapse of the dam removal HERE                            

        

Annual Reports on PFAS, Water Resources, and Air Quality Now Available

Ryn Kennedy, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Three annual reports are now available online for public viewing. The PFAS Assessment and Source Reduction Activities 2024 Annual Report details activities related to PFAS assessments, self-reporting, and discharge monitoring. The Air Quality and Air Pollution Control Policies of the Commonwealth of Virginia detail the status of Virginia’s air quality, provides an overview of the air programs, and briefly summarizes federal and state air quality programs. Finally, the Virginia Annual Water Resources Report focuses on water quantity and supply, summarizes reported water withdrawals for the 2023 calendar year, identifies water withdrawal trends, and provides an update on the Commonwealth’s water resources management activities.


View the publicly available Department of Environmental Quality reports anytime on our website. 

Progressive Women in Public Works - Introducing Beverley Bowers

Ricky Bourne, Alleghany County, VA

Beverley is a lifelong resident of the Alleghany Highlands. She is an avid hiker and kayaker, which has led to her love of landscape photography. She began taking pictures with a simple Samsung cell phone over 10 years ago and it quickly became one of her passions. You can find Beverley on the trails or sightseeing every weekend. Luckily, the Alleghany Highlands offer beautiful views all year long. Beverley is currently the Assistant Director of Public Works for Alleghany County, where she enjoys helping her team of co-workers and serving the local community. She resides in Covington with her husband Tony, they have two daughters and enjoy spending family time whenever possible.

 

Beverley recently completed the Virginia Women’s Municipal Leadership Institute, a partnership between Virginia Women Leading Government and the Virginia Tech Roanoke Center to provide connections, content, tools, and opportunities for women aspiring to become local government leaders.



(Pictured at right, Beverley Downes Bowers completes Virginia Women’s Municipal Leadership Institute at the Virginia Tech Roanoke Center)


Through this program, Bowers and 24 other high-potential women from across the commonwealth attended sessions designed to develop their skills and confidence to pursue positions as community leaders.

 

In Virginia, 16% of top local government appointed chief administrative officials are held by women, according to Civic Pulse. According to Bonnie Svrcek, the institute’s executive director and the first female city manager of Lynchburg and former president of the International City/County Management Association, Virginia can do better.


“There is no doubt that inclusive leadership that reflects the demographic of towns, cities, and counties makes for better decision-making and therefore stronger communities,” Svrcek said. “The Virginia Women’s Municipal Leadership Institute is one way to strengthen the pipeline for women in local government leadership.”


She added that, “if younger women in their career can see women in local government leadership, they, too, can build the qualitative and quantitative skills to be those future leaders in our communities.”


Participants met for eight monthly gatherings, including two virtual and six in-person sessions around the state. Virginia Tech faculty members and other experts presented workshops on topics incorporating both technical duties such as budgeting and strategic planning to “soft skills” such as public speaking and life as an executive woman in local government.

 

The institute represents one of the ways the Virginia Tech Roanoke Center and the university’s other Commonwealth Campus Centers located in Richmond, Abingdon, and Newport News connect their communities with university resources, said Scott Weimer, executive director of Roanoke Regional Initiatives.

 

“The Virginia Women’s Municipal Leadership Institute is developing a new generation of leaders who are poised to enhance local government across the commonwealth with a wealth of diverse perspectives and skills,” Weimer said. “Through this important program, we’re helping these leaders and the communities they serve achieve their full potential.”

 

Applications for the institute’s 2025 cohort will be accepted soon, with sessions running from March to October. For more information, contact Bonnie Svrcek.

(Pictured left are the 2024 program graduates)


Progressive in Public Works

Beverley began her career in public works in 2020. While Covid was the talk of the world, Beverley was blazing her trail as if she had been a public works professional her entire career. She elevated the ranks very quickly from being recruited as secretary with administrative responsibilities to public works coordinator to administrative manager to assistant director of public works! Did we mention she was hired during Covid….


In her tenure in public works, Beverley has been instrumental in the utility billing improvements, multiple software implementations, compensation plan implementation, enterprise fund financial assessments, revenue recovery and many others.


Wait, there’s more

Beverley is also an avid learner and focuses on continuous improvement. Here are a few of her noteworthy accomplishments:

  • Obtained the Virginia Contracting Associate Officer (VCA) certification - Virginia Institute of Procurement (2023)
  • Obtained Microsoft Office Specialist: Access Certification - Mountain Gateway Community College (2024)
  • LEAD Program - UVA Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service (2023)
  • Grant Writing for Non-Profits Badge - University of Richmond (2024)
  • Leadership Principles - Harvard Business School (2023)


Beverley is also enrolled in the Certified Public Works Management program through the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government. She graduates in January 2025!


All these accomplishments only compliment her passion for leadership and belief through her actions that our employees are always the most valuable asset! We are Public Works!

 

In closing, we share a quote from Beverley, “I truly believe that continuous learning leads to continuous improvement”

Behind Bars: Snowed in at the Track

Chad Oxton, Operations Manager, City of Suffolk – Public Works


Snowed in in Virginia? Well, stranger things have happened. In fact, it has happened before. With a great amount of preparation and a little bit of luck, we can keep from being stuck in the snow again. The APWA came together with the Mid-Atlantic APWA Chapter behind the herculean efforts of the staff at Henrico County Public Works, humbly led by Terrell Hughes, P.E. (Director of Public Works). I say humbly because you’ll never get Terrell to say anything other than his staff planned, coordinated, arranged, negotiated, promoted, and navigated the ins and outs from start to finish. Terrell gave them the lead to do something awesome, so they did!


They who? Well, let me tell you in no particular order save the first one because she is a current APWA Emerging Leader Academy participant and someone I have had the pleasure to get to know this last year, Deana Williams, Assistant Division Director of Environmental Services. Partnered closely with Deana through the whole process were Environmental Program Specialist Catie McCarthy and Traffic Engineer Bryant Cuffey. Erica Trout provided her usual unbounded, unmatched skills related to logistics of registering and preparing for the workshops. She is an unsung hero in so many Chapter operations and I’m better for knowing her.


Let me finish this bit of work-related information before I get to the cool stuff (rides in the Pace Car at Richmond International Speedway!)


The APWA National hosts an annual Snow Conference (check the website, it is scheduled to be hosted in Beer City, USA, aka Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2025). Our friends in Henrico managed to get two of the most popular classes to travel to Richmond to train 77 Operators and 68 Supervisors in two Winter Maintenance Workshops. These workshops are led by nationally renowned snow fighters including another Emerging Leader, Brian Hommer, Street Maintenance Section Chief in Des Moines, Iowa and member of the APWA’s Winter Maintenance Sub-Committee.


My own organization well represented and early reports say this was time and money well spent. I hear every presentation was worth the cost of admission but this ONE time, Public Works professionals are celebrating a Meteorologist! I don’t know what lies Jon Tarleton was telling during his weather presentation, but I hear he’s extraordinarily charismatic about it. I’ve seen Jon’s presentation. He’s so well received because of his candor and ability to present in terms that even I can understand. Mid-coastal Virginia seems to exist along the squall line and hearing from Jon how many considerations go into a local forecast almost makes me regret the language and vitriol I’ve used to express my level of satisfaction with the local forecasters.


Supervisors and Operators got an earful of Policy, Weather, Equipment, Snow and Ice, Materials, Equipment and Operations before they were turned loose into the City of Richmond with an open invitation to Richmond Raceway for dinner, demos, and a ride around the ¾ mile “D” shaped in an Official Pace Car.


Opened in 1946, Richmond Raceway has seen it's share of changed. The track was originally paved in 1968, then in 1988, it underwent a major renovation into it’s present D-shaped configuration. The track is banked at 140 in the turns, 80 on the frontstretch, and 20 on the backstretch. 


Rebuilt by then owner Paul Sawyer, over the course of 7 months, this track, like all automotive race tracks are the pinnacle of road and material design. With 199 days from start to finish, Paul Sawyer and his team (including King Richard Petty) peeled up the old ½ mile track and built back what is now the ¾ mile D Shaped track.


In a true sense of the optimism of Public Works professionals, civil builders, and racers, Paul had this to say about the undertaking, “We had planned it so carefully and had everything in line so we knew we could do it. There was a surprise or two along way, but nothing big enough to throw us off schedule. We got a lot of help from a lot of people who knew how important it was to us. As a family, we were—and still am—proud of what we did.”


Never one to miss a chance to ride in a go-fast car in safe and controlled conditions, I left Suffolk around 4:30 headed west into the sun for a 90-ish mile ride to meet up. After poking along, I made my way to the track and saw the sign welcoming us.


I followed the signage around the outside of the track, through the tunnel UNDER the track in first gear at whatever rpm’s was the loudest, parked sideways in front of SOMEONE’s truck, then headed in to the social where crews were already eating and meeting and riding around the track.


My APWA experiences just keep getting better and better. Every event is becoming a reunion. I see people I don’t expect, I see people I do expect, I meet spouses, and Dad’s and kids, and coworkers… and boy do I talk too damn much! So much so that of course I missed my shot at riding in the Pace Car. That’s okay, though, I saw some videos and heard from coworkers and friends that it was a great time. I’ll settle for living vicariously through them. It’s kind of like being a manager and doing work vicariously through others, isn’t it?


As the sun was setting behind the stands, I made my way back through the tunnel and over to a favorite stop in the Richmond area, Country Style Donuts for a couple days' worth of breakfast treats because I can’t be that close to those apple fritters without stopping.


I wheeled into the paddock at home just barely past bedtime with bug splatters all over my face shield and a huge grin on my face. That’s what the life behind bars does to a man.


Thank you to everyone who made these Winter Maintenance Workshops happen. Things like these make us all better. Training is key to success, and this is some of the best training available. If ever you have a chance to host this training or attend a Snow Conference, do it! You won’t be disappointed.

APWA 2029 National Conference

APWA Mid Atlantic Chapter Meeting with the APWA National Conference Committee

Jeff Wilkerson, City of Martinsburg, WV


On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, several members of the APWA Mid Atlantic Chapter met with representatives from APWA National Conference Committee in Baltimore, MD. This meeting was to discuss the possibility of APWA holding the National Conference in 2029 in Baltimore. 


In attendance for the meeting from the Mid Atlantic Chapter included:

Jeff Wilkerson, Bryant Cuffey, Yosef Kebede, Monica Barnette, Deana Williams, Caity McCarthy


Attending for the APWA Nation Conference Committee included:

Diana Forbes, Brenda Shaver, Lysa Byous, Maddie Male, Deanne Cross

Rachel Ellis from The Public Works Experience was also able to attend this meeting. 

 

This was a very informative meeting where we discussed the process of hosting a National Conference from start to finish. We reviewed the Guide to Host Chapters and APWA Memorandum of Understanding between APWA National and the Chapter. 


During this two-hour meeting, some of the points of discussion were:

  • The entire process of hosting a conference
  • Fundraising
  • Marketing Volunteers
  • Continuing Education Units
  • Program Review Committee
  • National search for Speakers
  • Roadeo
  • Vendors
  • Futures Program

 

The Host city for the 2029 Conference is between Baltimore, MD and Orlando, FL. The Committee was scheduled to visit Orlando the following week, but that trip was postponed due to Hurricane Milton. This trip has been rescheduled to November 19-21, 2024. Once this visit is completed, the Conference Committee will send their recommendation to the APWA National Board of Directors. No timeline right now for an official announcement but I would imagine a decision could be made by the first of the year. I know this Conference sounds far into the future, but if we are chosen as the Host Chapter for this event, we will need 300 plus volunteers for this event starting in 2026.

City of Hampton Unveils Lake Hampton Loop, A New Community Asset for Resilience and Recreation

Scott A. Smith, PE, LS, CPWP, Coastal Resilience Engineer, City of Hampton-Resilient Hampton

The City of Hampton is proud to announce the opening of the Lake Hampton Loop, a multi-functional green space designed to enhance community resilience, improve stormwater management, and provide residents with a scenic recreational area. Situated along North Armistead Avenue, Lake Hampton has been transformed from a man-made pond into a larger lake with expanded stormwater storage capacity and improved water quality.


This innovative project is part of Hampton’s commitment to building a more resilient community by mitigating flooding risks in areas susceptible to heavy storms. By increasing the lake's storage volume, Lake Hampton now holds additional runoff from North Armistead Avenue and surrounding commercial developments and neighborhoods, significantly reducing the likelihood of flooding during extreme weather events.


In addition to its functional benefits, Lake Hampton has been revitalized as a habitat for local wildlife and a natural retreat for visitors. A walking trail around the lake allows residents to enjoy the beauty of the area, encouraging both physical activity and a deeper connection to the local environment.

Howard County’s Big Shred Event

Yosef Kebede, P.E., DPW Director, Howard County, Maryland

On Saturday, November 9, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball hosted the County’s second annual Big Shred event. For many years, Howard County's Department of Public Works provided residents with secure document shredding services, allowing a safe way to dispose of confidential documents. For the past two years, this fall event has expanded to four locations, covering all corners of the county, and taking place simultaneously from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.


Public Works staff coordinated the event by securing shredding vendors, promoting the event, and staffing each location. The turnout was outstanding, surpassing the previous year and setting a new benchmark for future events. Over 1,100 residents participated, shredding more than 52,000 pounds of documents.


The event was exclusively for Howard County residents, with a limit of three boxes or bags of material per participant. Residents were encouraged to carefully review documents before shredding, only bringing items with personal information, such as account numbers, passwords, PINs, signatures, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth. Examples of common documents shredded included federal and state tax documents, credit card and household bills, medical records, pay stubs, mortgage documents, and insurance bills.


County Executive Ball is already planning for the 2025 Big Shred, aiming to build on this year’s success and continue providing convenient and secure shredding options for Howard County residents. 

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2024 - 2025

OFFICERS/DIRECTORS


 Officers


President

Gaynelle L. Hart

Director of Public Works 

City of Lynchburg, VA


President Elect

Jeff Wilkerson

Director of Public Works

City of Martinsburg, WV


Immediate Past-President

Denise Nelson, PE, CFM, ENV SP, LEED AP

Founder and CEO

Denise Nelson Advising

Richmond, VA


Vice-President

Amy Linderman, P.E.

Department of Public Works

Fairfax, VA



Secretary

Catherine Sydnor

Engineer

Kimley-Horn

Richmond, VA


Treasurer

David Bradshaw, PE

Associate – Vice President

Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP

Virginia Beach, VA



Chapter Delegate

James W. Long, III, PE, DBIA

Project Manager

Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP

Virginia Beach, VA


Chapter Delegate (Alternate)

Jason Calbert

Administrator Street Maintenance 

Department of Public Works

Newport News, VA


Historian

Dawn V. Odom

Senior Program Financial Specialist

HDR

Glen Allen, VA

Directors


Julian Brooks

Precision Safe Sidewalks

NC | VA | WV | DC | NY | W-PA


Travis Davis

Arcadis

Virginia Beach, VA


Shwan Fatah, P.E.

Wastewater Collection Division

Fairfax County, VA


Yosef Kebede

Department of Public Works

Howard County, MD


Ryn Kennedy

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Richmond, VA


Renee LaFollette

Department of Public Works Capital Projects Leesburg, VA


Kyle Logue, P.E.

Gannett-Fleming

Richmond, VA


Anthony Russell

Department of Public Works and Transportation

Baltimore County, MD


Ian Shaw

Department of Public Works

Roanoke, VA


Matt Stolte, P.E., ENV SP

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

APWA Mid-Atlantic Chapter | 5007 C Victory Blvd, #280 | Yorktown, VA 23693
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