The City of Bloomington, Minnesota, is implementing a “Winter Intendance and Salt Elimination” (WISE) plan that connects operations with planning, design, regulation, and community behavior/expectations. The city has developed the plan in partnership with experts from the engineering firm Bolton and Menk. Presenters will explain how strategic long-term planning for winter intendance can position an agency to utilize coalitions across departments, outside organizations, and staff to systematically provide a winter cityscape that is functional, maintainable, efficient, cost-effective, and more environmentally responsible. WISE recognizes that deicers are a catalyst that maximizes the efficacy of snow and ice management. In many cases, salt is a necessary aspect of operations. However, due to its tendency to corrode infrastructure and degrade the environment, the WISE plan contends that chemical deicer use is not itself a winter best management practice (BMP). Viewed through this lens, winter BMPs extend beyond operations into planning, design, and outreach—anything that reduces the amount of salt used while maintaining community and economic needs. The presentation includes a case study of the city’s WISE plan, implementation of the Winter Intendance strategy, and examples of how apparently opposed/disconnected initiatives create co-benefits within winter intendance. The presentation will end with a framework/road map for replicating the WISE plan. Proficiency Level: Introductory Session Evaluation: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X89M9Z8
By attending this session, participants will be better able to:
• Initiate “winter intendance,” the fully integrated view on snow and ice management, within their own agency and closely related organizations.
• Recognize opportunities for improving operational efficiency, like improving policy or infrastructure design.
• Adjust their perspective on the role of salt in winter maintenance activities.
Contributor/Source
Jack Distel-Water Resources Specialist, Douglas Klimbal-Winter Maintenance Research Specialist
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