Public Works Awareness and Employee Recognition Day

Public Works Director, Antonio Iadarola, P.E. is very active in his field and two years ago initiated Danbury Public Works Awareness and Employee Recognition Day in conjunction with National Public Works Week. The focus of the event is to energize and educate the public on the importance of the contribution of public works to their daily lives: planning, building, maintaining and operating the heart of our Danbury community of our Danbury community. May 19, 2010 was declared Public Works Awareness Day by the Mayor.

Public Works touches all of our lives everyday. In addition, it is a day we recognize and pay tribute to all the hardworking employees that make up the Hat City Department of Public Works. In addition, the Public Works Department sponsors two 2nd grade classes from the public school system to attend the event. In an effort to plant the seed for future careers in public works by showing them some of the work that is performed by the Public Works Department and the variety of equipment and people that make up their Public Works Department.

All of the various equipment is showcased and the students are allowed to get in. The students and all of the other attendees are treated to a tractor pulled hayride throughout the Public Works Complex so that they can view not only the equipment, but the various building structures.

The Public Works Department also presented the students with informational and fun materials to help them understand how Public Works affects them and their surroundings. The students are also treated to lunch. We like to make this a memorable event for the students, public and our staff.

All divisions of Hat City Public Works, which includes, Construction Services, Highway, Parks Maintenance, Public Buildings, Forestry, Public Utilities, Engineering and the Public Works Administrative Divisions had informational display areas. The fire and police departments were also invited to participate and each had a vehicle on display.

The City of Elgin, IL is holding their annual Public Works Open House on May 22nd which is a success each year. Attendance averages 800 and allows the City to showcase the divisions within Public Works. Children especially love to ride in the snowplow trucks and street sweepers. Donations from engineering firms, consultants and vendors make the event possible without using taxpayer funds; and allow the companies a chance to display a sign board showing their projects taking place within the City.

The City of Encinitas Public Works Department and San Dieguito Water District celebrated National Public Works Week by holding an Open House event for the public on May 21. Attendees were invited to take a Public Works Adventure through the yard. They all received a PW Passport showing the different exhibits they could visit to complete their adventure. Employees from Water Maintenance and Operations, Wastewater, Streets, Fleet, Water Conservation, the Clean Water Program, Environmental Conservation, and West Coast Arborists provided educational demonstrations and exhibits for attendees. Highlights from the event included the plastic bag monster, TV truck demonstration, an exhibit showing the different uniforms the field crews wear, and a large equipment display.

In addition to the Open House event, a group of 41 students from a local after school daycare program stopped by in the afternoon for a special tour. They began with a group photo with the Bobcat loader. After a brief introduction, the students were led through an aisle of photos displaying the field crews in action. They arrived at the hardhat station and decorated their own take-home hardhats while learning about the importance of safety. The students were then handed their PW passports and led through the yard to each exhibit. While particularly intrigued by the plastic bag monster, they seemed to enjoy all of the educational tidbits the exhibitors had to offer.

City of Grants Pass celebrated Public Works Week with local outreach to two local elementary schools with demonstrations of what Public Works men and women do on a daily basis. The grades Kindergarten through 5th grade were able to experience first hand how Public Works impacts their lives. The Rogue River runs through the heart of the community and many of the kids recreate regularly on the river. We were able to show the kids that the water in the Rogue River is the same water they drink and bath in. That same water gets collected from their homes and makes a complete cycle back to the river just one mile downstream from where we take it out of the river.

Our tour started by showing the students how the water is taken from the Rogue River using pumps and is filtered at the Water Filtration Plant. The Water Filtration Plant staff demonstrated how their filters work and demonstrated the difference between what the water looked like before and after filtration. The classes moved on to the Water Distribution Division where we emphasized conservation and explained the many things they could personally do to conserve water. We wanted them to know that every drop they can conserve is an extra drop that gets to stay in the river and doesn't need to be treated either before or after use!

They saw how the treated water moves through pipes to get to their homes and their parent's local businesses. They learned about water meters and fire hydrants and how the water is tracked throughout the system.

The next stage was the Wastewater Collections Division. When asked about wastewater and where it goes, they knew the dirty water went to the "sewer" but many of them did not know what a sewer was. Many of them also thought their toilets flushed straight into the Rogue River. Collections personnel taught them the sewer goes through pipes under the City just like the clean water flows to their homes. They watched the sewer jet vac truck clean the inside of a clear plastic pipe. They were able to see how the jet vac truck uses high pressure water to move a cleaning tool through the pipes and learned that different tools are used to remove different blockages, such as the special one used for clearing roots that have grown into the pipes. The students learned about the many reasons pipes break or need to be repaired and how important it is to keep these pipes in good repair.

At this same location, they also got to see the sewer camera in action. They were able to inside the camera van and see the other kids making faces into the camera on the closed-circuit TV system. The public works staff explained how the camera van and jet vac truck worked closely together; the camera goes down to view the blockage and then the jet vac truck clears the pipe. One of the wastewater maintenance operators reinforced to the kids that they should never drop things down the toilet - except what belongs there by showing examples of some of the things we have actually found coming out of the pipe at the wastewater plant. The Water Restoration Plant operators demonstrated how we clean the wastewater and test it to make sure the treatment processes are working. They explained that the water ends up cleaner than the water we took out of the river thus completing the circle!

The City of Grants Pass converts our wastewater solids into compost at the JO-GROT co-composting facility and the kids learned how this system works . Everybody received a pot, sunflower seed and a small sample of the JO-GROT compost to grow their own sunflower. Each student also received a pencil and coloring book focused on Public Works to take home.

The streets division was the last stop on the tour. We showed the kids the different types of signs we use and how to recognize the different signs by their shapes and colors. They each got to climb up into a backhoe and dump truck. On e smart little boy even figured out how to make the air horn work.

All in all, the Public Works employees were eager to share their knowledge and excitement about what they do with the kids, and the kids were eager to learn about how these necessary public functions improve their lives.

Additionally the City of Grants Pass employees celebrated Public Works Week by enjoying a relaxing picnic cookout at a local park, and by getting the Public Works Week Proclamation read by the Mayor at a City Council meeting.

Each year the City of La Quinta Public Works Department celebrates National Public Works Week (NPWW) by providing informational brochures to visitors that come to our public counter. On the Wednesday during NPWW, the department invites the public, local developers and engineers for cake and punch served at the front counter. On the Thursday during NPWW, the department hosts a student outreach program to local high school students considering a career in engineering/public works. In 2010, seven (7) students attended the outreach program and all were invited to participate in a summer volunteer program with the department to learn even more about what public works is all about. The summer volunteer program starts in June and usually ends in late July with students volunteering an average of 30 hours each. For more information please contact Timothy R. Jonasson, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer at (760) 777-7042 or email tjonasson@la-quinta.org

The City recognized National Public Works Week this year by visiting local schools and providing equipment demonstrations and safety instructions to school kids. We brought two pieces of equipment to Swanson Elementary School and Sherrod Elementary School and showed classes how to operate them and also discussed safety and what to do when you see a big piece of equipment on your street. Teachers and students alike seemed to enjoy the demonstrations, and the operators had a pretty good time too. We were asked all types of questions, ranging from how much operators get paid, to how fast will it go. It was a great time and we look forward to reaching more schools next year.

The operators also visited the Palmer Pioneer and Veteran's home during the week with large equipment. They were able to speak with pioneers and veterans about Public Works functions and duties, as well as let people get up close to equipment.

The 1st annual NPWW Golf Tournament was held Friday, May 21, 2010 at the Palmer Golf Course. The weather was perfect for the 35 players who came out to enjoy an 18 hold scramble style tournament. There were 8 players from the Public Works Department, the city manager also played, as well as one member of the Palmer City Council. The other 25 participants were from businesses located in the Valley and Anchorage. There were prizes for first, second, and third place teams, as well as prizes for closest to pin, and longest drive on a hole.

All the profits from this tournament are going into the City Parks and Recreation capital fund. We were able to raise $2300 for this fund and hope to raise even more money next year.

Next year we are hoping to expand the activities held during NPWW. We hope to have an open house for the public to come and visit with members of each division of Public Works to learn all the functions of Public Works. We thank the Mayor and City Council for proclaiming May 16-22, 2010 as National Public Works Week.

Description: On Monday, May 17, 2010, 37 employees were recognized at the City Council meeting for their 20 years or more of service to the City of Pomona. Combined that made up 976 years of service! Prior to the meeting, the Public Works Director Daryl R. Grigsby spoke about their service and their commitment to Pomona's Public Works Department. Refreshments were served a group picture was taken.

On Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Director Grigsby held two all hands meetings in which he talked about the vision for Pomona's Public Works Department and stressed that what we do is above, below, and all around the residents and businesses of the City. A potluck was also held that day where field staff and City Hall staff had the chance to mingle. At each meeting a DVD was played that highlighted the different divisions within the Deparrtment and illustrated all the services we provide.

On Thursday, May 20, 2010 a Open House was held in the Civic Center Courtyard. Equipment was on display in addition to booths that highlighted the City's stormwater pollution prevention program, recycling program(kids got to make jump ropes from plastic grocery bags), and water conservation efforts. In addition to these City booths, other local agencies participated by staffing booths that helped to educate residents about their services, including; air quality, the Department of Fish and Game, Cal Poly Pomona, the Humane Society, Southern California Edison, the Chamber of Commerce, Vector Control, and Foothill Transit. Approximately 250 people attended this event. The Kiwanis Club also assisted by barbecuing hot dogs for the event.

Attendence: 250
Cost: Under $1,000

City of Richardson Celebrates National Public Works Week with Annual Awards Luncheon

On Thursday, May 21st, the City of Richardson Public Services department held its annual employee awards lunch in recognition of National Public Works Week. 2010 marked 50 years since all public works professionals began one week of formal recognition. Along with fire, police and medical services, public works is named by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as one of four first responders to natural disasters.

The event honored the 22 employees who achieved perfect attendance and the 148 employees who were accident free in 2009. A proclamation was read recognizing the Department's achievements, and lunch provided for all Public Services employees thanking them for all their hard work throughout the year. The awards program included guest speaker, author Fred Kienle, who spoke to the department on the importance of safety on the job and in life. The event wrapped up with the presentation of the 2010 Director's award. The recipient of this year's award was SCADA Water Systems Operator Hunter Stephens

In conjunction with this year's National Public Works Week, the City of South Salt Lake Department of Public Works held two big events.

We decided we would like local elementary school students to participate in a contest to name our excavating machine. We contacted the principals of the elementary schools within the city limits and asked if they would be interested in such a contest. The answer was a resounding "Yes" and they suggested we involve their first grade students.

We put together a brief presentation discussing what Public Works does for the community and we also discussed the excavator and what kind of work the machine does. We arranged for a few crew members to bring the excavator to the school for a demonstration. The students loved this part of the presentation!

The presentation consisted of 3 presentation boards with pictures of different excavators as well as the different boom attachments. We also prepared a fun DVD for the students to watch that showed the machine at work as well as at play. This was a huge success! After the presenation we took the children out to an open area to see the excavator in real life. They loved being able to see and touch the machine. I think our crew had just as much fun, if not more than the students.

We provided each teacher with a Name Submission Form with a picture of the excavator as well as a coloring page of an excavator.

The students had about a week to fill out their forms and return to us. The winning name was selected by vote. First the Director, Deputy Director and the Executive Secretary chose their top ten or so favorite names. This list was refined and then turned over to the employees of the department for their vote.

The winner of the contest received a child hard hat, a child safety vest with the city logo imprinted as well as a small excavator die-cast toy, a $25 dollar gift card to Toys'R'Us from the Mayor as well as a certificate naming the winner as Honorary Public Works Director for the day which was signed by the Mayor.

We surprised the winner of the contest by showing up in her classroom (with the Principals permission) with the Mayor and Director and presented the awards. The pictures were sent to the local paper.

This program was so well recived by the elementary schools that they have invited us back to present on various topics such as water conservation and recycling!

We also put together an Employee Appreciation Day that consisted of an Equipment Rodeo for the employees and any other city employee that wanted to participate as well as a tug of war tournament among Public Works, Police and Fire Departments. We held luncheon where we presented the awards from the rodeo as well as an Employee of the Quarter Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award to an employee who has worked for the City for 25 years. We then gave the employees the rest of the afternoon off (paid).

Our week was a resounding success and I believe the events we organized raised awareness not only in the communtiy but within the city about the importance of Public Works and the dedicated employees who work to make the city's infrastructure better.

Proclamation

1) We watched two of the APWA videos at our all-hands meeting.

2) The City Council adopted a Proclamation recognizing National Public Works Week. In receiving the proclamation, the director wore his orange vest in honor of those out in the field getting the job done.

3) The city's Transportation and Circulation Commission recognized National Public Works Week on its agenda and watched one of the APWA videos.

The City of Sheridan, Wyoming, participated in National Public Works week starting with Mayor Dave Kinskey's proclamation at the May 17th, City Council Meeting. The week's activities were posted on the City Public Works Facebook page which included an Equipment Display at Sheridan High School on May 19th, booths at the Downtown 3rd Thurday street festival on May 20th, and ended with an Equipment Display at Sheridan Jr. High School on May, 21st. Both school's enjoyed participating and viewing the various equipment City Public Works Men and Women use on a daily basis. The big hit of the display on all three days was the Sewer Camera and Camera Truck.

Westminster's Public Works and Utilities (PWU) employees were recognized throughout the week for their dedication and commitment to ensure quality services are provided for the community. A Proclamation was read and presented to PWU employees at the May 10th City Council meeting.

Part of the week activities include PWU employees volunteering at the annual Water Festival held at a local community college. This Festival brings over 1,000 fifth grade students from Westminster and two other surrounding communities together for a half-day of educational and fun programs,(eg)fire hydrant painting contest, to learn about about all aspects of water resources, treatment, and delivery. There were also various displays and public works related equipment onsite for the students to check out.

During PW Week, the public is invited to visit City Hall for a look at various models that display the responsibilities of the Department of Public Works and Utilities. Visitors can also sign up for door prizes, which includes a Westminster street sign personalized with their name.

As part of our outreach efforts to increase the awareness and understanding of public works services and careers, a letter and the APWA pamplet titled "Public Works Careers That Make A Difference" was mailed to the counseling offices of schools located in Westminster.

Town of Southern Pines Celebrates National Public Works Week with Expo Southern Pines, North Carolina

In honor of those who serve the public in public works roles the Town of Southern Pines Public Works Department hosted its 4th Vehicle and Equipment Expo on Thursday, May 20, 2010, from 9:00 - 11:30 AM, at the Public Works Complex located at 140 Memorial Park Court. Approximately 160 second grade students and 13 staff from Southern Pines Primary School attended the event. This event offers school students a chance to have fun while learning about Public Works in their community.

Soon after arriving to work, the staff made final preparations to receive our guest. The complex was decorated with banners and balloons. Twenty (20) exhibits were set-up for the expo and they included the Street Sign Shop, Garage, Street Brime System, Snow Plow, Motor Grader, Street Sweeper, Backhoe, Dump Truck, Safety to include Protective Clothing and Street traffic and Directional Signage, Water Treatment, Sewer TV Camera, Sewer Rodder, Sewer Vac Truck, Fats, Oils, and Grease Program, Solid Waste Garbage Truck, Recycling, Storm Water / ESC - Where does the Water Go, Building & Grounds (Gator Chipper, Tractor, Mower, Walking Tour of Annex Storage, and Custodial Supplies and Face Painting).

We greeted the students and staff upon arriving and David White, Director of Public Services, Assistant Town Manager read the Proclamation signed by the Mayor. The expo was a great success. All of our Public Works and Building and Grounds staff did an excellent job creating their exhibits and talking with the students about their work activity and its impact on our quality of life. The students had fun learning and enjoyed watching the educational demonstrations and the chance to see the heavy construction equipment up close and personal. At the end of the tour the students enjoyed yogurt from TCBY, water provided by Wal-Mart, and goodie bags filled with coloring books provided by Waste Management, comic books, stickers, and pencil pouches provided by the Town of Southern Pines.

Our goal to foster a better understanding of what Public Works is all about was achieved. These young people are our future engineers, managers, secretaries, inspectors, operators and laborers and they may someday chose to work in one of the professional opportunities in the growing field of Public Works.

The Town of Southern Pines Public Service Department consists of Public Works, Building and Grounds, and Parks and Recreation. Our Public Works Division consists of Administration, Engineering, Erosion and Sedimentation Control, Fleet Maintenance, Utilities to include Water Treatment, Water Distribution and Sewer Collection, Fats Oils and Grease Program, and Streets to include Solid Waste and Recycling.

P.W. Paws and Chipper the public works dog helped answer the question “What is Public Works?” at this year’s Public Works Fair the weekend of May 15-16 at Washington Square.

This year’s theme of National Public Works Week – Above, Below & All Around You – highlighted and celebrated the men and women who provide and maintain the infrastructure and services vital to our communities.

The transportation system in Washington County is built and maintained by the state, the county and the cities. ODOT employees Brad Wurfel, Dave Taylor, Justin Brandon, KC Humphrey, Lili Boicourt, Ron Kroop, Ron Larson, and Shelli Romero; and county employees Anne Madden, Bonita Oswald, Dan Vice, Deanna Henkel, Herbert Bridges, Kerry Harn, Kim Knudeson, Ludean Siemon, Mike Dahlstrom, Nancy Schmidt, Paul Shelley, Pedro Orozco, Rick Petrie, and Victoria Saager staffed these displays. Maps of road construction and maintenance projects were on display. A functioning cross walk display complete with full-size traffic and ped signals gave parents a learning moment to demonstrate cross walk safety to their children. Thousands of prizes were awarded to those who spun the “Wheel of Traffic Safety”. A new video demonstrated how to navigate through intersections with flashing yellow arrows here . Hundreds of P.W. Paws coloring books and comic books, Chipper activity books, and “A-B-C’s of Green Engineering” coloring books were given away.

PGE’s street lighting display included a life-sized street light fixture. PGE employees Aroun Xaybanha, Gail Fenton, Jeff Wiese, Lauri Ellis, Lisa Guarnero, and Lori Schwartz explained how pink ribbons are used to identify street light outtages.

No matter where you live, building codes protect your home and your family. The “Think Permit” good wall / bad wall display was staffed by county Building Services eemployees Belinda Arnold, Brian Dorland, Carol Scott, Charles Reynolds, Don DeYoe, Jennifer Fouhy, Mary Stevens, Matt Spradlin, Rose Delplanche, and Terry Kristensen. They answered home remodeling questions, provided expert advice, and gave away a thousand yellow and hot pink toy construction hats.

Washington County’s Cooperative Recycling Program is a partnership of several cities and the county, working together to create a sustainable community. The recycling display was staffed by Michelle Pimentel and Master Recyler volunteers Carol Kate McManus, Kersten Broms, and Bev Ardruser. They provided helpful reduce, reuse and recycle information to grownups and Kids Stuff activity books encouraging care for the environment.

Clean water is essential to modern life. The Joint Water Commission is the primary drinking water supplier in Washington County. A display of different types of water pipes used throughout the years, including a piece of old wooden pipe, caught the attention of grownups, while kids colored their own Tualatin Basin water magnets, reminding them about the source of their drinking water. The water display was staffed by Amy Geerling, Deborah Martisak, Jessica Vogt, Julius Polisbo, Matt Oglesby, Paul Visser, Tacy Steele, and Tonya Bilderbeck.

In the Tualatin River Watershed, Clean Water Services provides wastewater and stormwater services, crucial to the region’s public health, environmental protection, and economic vitality. Ely Teragli and Jeanna Hall relayed the importance of keeping our watershed healthy and handed out tools and information to residents for them to use at home. They encouraged residents to “Freeze the Grease and Save the Drain” with free kits, to pick up after pets by taking the “Canines for Clean Water” pledge, and to “Go Native” with native plants. Kids who aced a short quiz about the Tualatin River watershed earned a “River Ranger” passport.

Washington County’s Public Works Fair is supported by its partners and by the Oregon Chapter of the American Public Works Association.