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Many facility operations are employing control programs to operate their heating and cooling systems. These systems are very helpful and produce a significant amount of data. However, to ensure these systems are running at optimal levels, it's important to have a system in place that seeks out anomalies. Using data analytics technology can be used to find hidden issues and guide decisions. This presentation will provide some strategies on how to implement and use data analytic technology to optimize your building automation system. Prince William County just recently developed a buildings & facilities capital program. This program invests in existing capital assets to extend the life of the facilities. The program utilizes facility condition assessments, component replacement schedules and an in-house defined criterion to assign project prioritization. Throughout this process there have been successes and failures.
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Don’t miss this introduction to the use of liquids in winter maintenance. From the southern states to the northern-most provinces, liquids are part of the public works arsenal for fighting snow and ice. This presentation will provide the basics: what are winter maintenance liquids? When and where should liquids be used? How are liquids made?
Read MoreA pilot program with the City of Overland Park, KS. This presentation will share the pro’s and con’s to a brand new pilot program between the State DOT and the City using AASHTOware Safety Analyst software to identify and prioritize safety projects for funding.
Read MoreThe City of Redmond, Washington, uses the informed consent methodology to build support for potentially controversial projects and policies. They used this method for both a stormwater capital improvement project and a low impact development business case analysis. The results for both projects were drastically different: the capital improvement project was placed on hold because of strong continued opposition from one stakeholder group while the business case analysis project was completed successfully. This presentation will provide insight into why the first effort failed and the second was successful.
Read MoreIt’s time for an honest conversation about today’s workplace. Men in the workforce are expressing fear that their actions may be misunderstood or that they might be falsely accused of harassment. While research supports the fact that the percentage of false accusations is extremely small compared to actual harassment incidents, this fear is reinforced by the many news reports of politicians, entertainers, and athletes accused of such behavior. Women worry that their outreach to male colleagues and supervisors may be construed as flirting or soliciting favoritism. Women are also concerned about losing access to mentoring, networking, and career growth opportunities. When career growth paths are restricted by gender, the percentage of staff that can contribute to the overall success of the organization is limited. This Dare to Ask session, hosted by APWA’s Diversity and Young Professional Committees, will encourage you to think about your organization’s traditions, practices, and policies and how they affect the workplace environment, career growth opportunities, and achievement of organizational mission and goals.
Read MoreAttend this session about the standardized infrastructure asset management system in Finland. The presentation will concentrate on the largest cities (Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa) and describe the ISO5500 framework in which the system was developed. You will learn about these components: strategic direction and policies, service levels, scenarios and demand forecasting, asset information, asset performance, life-cycle planning, and asset management enablers and tools.
Read MoreAcross Tennessee, various agencies and cities are focusing on institutionalizing resilience. They recognize that for any community to be truly resilient, it needs to be able to address the social, economic, and physical challenges that exist today. Tennessee expects connected and automated vehicles to be a force for such change. Tennessee is one of only 21 states that have enacted self-driving vehicle legislation. The Tennessee DOT, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Tennessee Tech University have partnered to create TENNSmart, which is responsible for building a proving ground for connected and automated vehicles (CAV) throughout the state. They are also addressing other aspects of the mobility revolution, including transit solutions involving paratransit and first mile/last mile issues.
Read MoreTo switch from dry material (sand or salt) usage to pre-wet salt and liquid anti-icing applications, several factors need to be considered: the type of equipment needed for pre-wetting and liquids application; approaches for staff training regarding the benefits of liquids and overcoming the “we’ve always done it this way” attitude; and the environmental impacts and benefits of using liquids.
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Public works departments in small cities and rural communities are usually short on time and staff. Maybe your public works department would like to achieve APWA Accreditation as a hallmark of agency professionalism, but you don’t think you have the depth of staff or expertise to make it happen. In that case, don’t miss this presentation featuring small communities that have successfully navigated the accreditation process.
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The City of Des Moines internal Winter Maintenance Committee includes representatives from the snowplow operator team, giving them a platform to impact decision-making about the total winter operations program. Operators have taken the lead in developing driver training, scheduling and performing equipment calibration and maintenance, and recommending operational changes. Operators have also established on Operator Coffee Hour where they discuss new equipment and products, troubleshoot issues, and go over policies and procedures.
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