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Full Schedule
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FULL SCHEDULE
- Saturday, September 08, 2007
- Sunday, September 09, 2007
- Monday, September 10, 2007
- Tuesday, September 11, 2007
- Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Click the  icon to add an item to your Personal Schedule. Please check back often as we continue to add items. Saturday, September 08, 2007 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. | Self Assessment Using the Public Works Management Practices Manual - A Tool for Improving Operations and Management | (Fee: Members-$250, Nonmembers-$300. See registration form.)
Are your performance and productivity levels of operations as high as you want them to be? Have you really reviewed them with your staff to see what improvement might be made? This workshop is designed to help you examine and evaluate your agency’s current management policies and procedures. You’ll learn how to target the problem areas, identify opportunities, and improve the overall effectiveness of any public works operations. If you are already using the Management Practices Manual to prepare for accreditation, the new format will give you hands-on training. This workshop is designed for public works directors, managers, supervisors, and accreditation managers, as well as municipal administrators performing public works functions. |
Sunday, September 09, 2007 Return to Top 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. | Driving Design - Making Roundabouts Work | | Examine lessons learned for designing roundabouts, including how to verify need and select locations, plus technical considerations for pavement cracking, joint spacing, and drainable bases. |
| Fleet Washing and Stormwater Regulations | | Learn what it takes to bring your equipment washing facilities into compliance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stormwater regulations and evaluate technologies available to reclaim and recycle wastewater. |
| GIS-Based Management Solutions: Your "Easy Button" | | Create service requests, work orders, parts inventories and manage phone calls and other office tasks using GIS-based management solutions that will streamline workflow processes and increase staff productivity. |
Return to Top 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | SUNDAY GENERAL SESSION: Dave Barry | Get ready for a good time! Dave Barry will kick-off the 2007 Congress with his wacky point of view on relationships, work, kids, technology, and life in general.
Born in 1947, Dave has since steadily grown older without actually reaching maturity. He holds a totally useless English degree from Haverford College, where he wrote lengthy, scholarly papers filled with sentences he did not understand.
Well-known for his former internationally-syndicated column, Dave Barry won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1988 and immediately demanded a recount.
Dave plays lead guitar in a literary rock band called the Rock Bottom Remainders whose members also include best selling writers Stephen King, Amy Tan, Matt Groening, and Mitch Albom.
In his spare time, Dave is a candidate for President of the United States. If elected, his highest priority will be to seek the death penalty for whoever is responsible for making Americans install low-flow toilets.
He’s written more than 25 books, including Dave Barry’s Money Secrets and Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States. Critics have lauded his literary efforts as containing a tremendous amount of white space. Two of his books were used as the basis of the CBS TV sitcom Dave’s World in which Harry Anderson played a much taller version of Dave. He’s also successfully ventured into both the mystery and children’s book genres.
Dave lives in Miami, Florida with his wife and two children; none of whom think he’s funny. |
Return to Top 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
| Mentoring for the Future | | APWA's Leadership and Management Committee has developed a Mentoring Program available to all APWA members. Check-out how to be a mentor or how to strengthen your skills and confidence by having a mentor. |
| Proven Concepts in Project Management | | Take advantage of these proven concepts for changing the project management culture of your organization and for creating a system for ensuring knowledge retention in the face of an aging workforce. |
| Tap into LTAP! | | Explore how to create a mutually beneficial educational partnership between your APWA Chapter and your Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP)/T2 Center. |
| The Missing Pieces of the Asset Management Puzzle | | Is your asset management system functioning to your highest expectations? Learn how to implement some easy basic "repairs" and how to determine which components should be implemented or outsourced. |
| THOUGHT LEADER PRESENTATION: The Future, How Will Public Works and APWA Help To Shape It? (Selected as The Myron Calkins "Excellence in Leadership" Session for 2007) | Our future will be dramatically different than today; it will also probably be different than we think it will be. How should the public works profession and the American Public Works Association step up to the challenges we face today and in the future?
A member of the public works profession for nearly 40 years and APWA for 20-plus years, Larry Frevert will take office as the President of APWA on September 9, 2007. Please join him in this special conversation that will help shape public works’ future agenda on such issues as our aging infrastructure, funding challenges, global warming, technological advances, a changing and diminishing workforce, increasing public pressure, and the continuing need for environmental stewardship. The world is at a crossroads and the public works profession and APWA are uniquely positioned to have enormous influence and impact on our communities’ well-being. Larry will share his vision and ask for your input to this essential conversation. |
Return to Top 3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
| Interviewing for the "Right" Skills | | The job candidates all have the necessary degrees, licenses, and technical skills. But who will be the best leader and communicator? Discover how to recognize and evaluate "soft" skills while interviewing. |
| Pavement Preservation Techniques | | Learn about pavement preservation techniques that can be used for Portland Cement Concrete (PCC), asphalt concrete, surface treated (seal coated) pavement, interlocking concrete block, and gravel surfaced roadways. |
| Public Works Around the World! | | Enjoy these reports on the adventures and learnings of APWA members' study tours of public works operations in New Zealand, Mexico, and Eastern Europe. |
| Tracking for Success: Learning to be Better | | Are you overloaded with meaningless performance data that doesn't relate to agency priorities? Learn how to create a "performance culture" through simple, clear, and meaningful performance measures. |
| You Get What You Pay For: Dealing with Utility Conflicts | | Learn how to avoid common project pitfalls, allocate risk appropriately, and deliver projects on time and on budget. This session, sponsored by the APWA-AGC Joint Committee, examines the perspectives of the facility owner, public works official, engineer, and contractor. |
Monday, September 10, 2007 Return to Top 7:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.
| Progressive Women in Public Works Breakfast | (Fee $20. See Registration Form.)
Join us for breakfast and examine the developing role of women in the field of public works. This is a not-to-be-missed networking opportunity for both established and up-and-coming professionals. |
Return to Top 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. | MONDAY GENERAL SESSION: The Adventure of Change – Timeless Certainties for Uncertain Times | Jeff Salz holds a unique perspective on adventure – not just the adventure that occurs in rarefied air, but the adventure that is ours everywhere, all the time. Jeff will show you how adventure can bring new meaning to our workplace and our lives – everyday!
Jeff will share the lessons learned in over 35 years of exploration and expedition leadership. He’ll deliver stirring tales drawn from the legends, myths, and personal lives of the people he has encountered in remote regions around the world. Using award-winning photography and music, Jeff will help you understand how to redesign both your attitude and environment so that you can face life’s challenges with a sense of adventure.
Jeff Salz is a frequent host for the Discovery Network and has appeared as the guest adventure expert on the CBS Morning Show. Two of his most recent adventures are currently airing on the Travel Channel. Jeff’s best selling book, The Way of Adventure, is a manual which assists organizations to keep the flame of adventure alive every day. |
Return to Top 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Building Infrastructure for a Better Future | | Build citizen support for better infrastructure funding by developing and communicating a vision for your community that includes well functioning public works facilities and services. |
| Clean Roads to Clean Air Program | | The City of Toronto is successfully implementing a street sweeping program that significantly contributes to meeting clean air and stormwater standards. Discover how to evaluate sweeper efficiency and operational best practices. |
| Creating Livable Communities and Smart Growth | | Learn about state-of-the-art traffic engineering techniques and smart growth concepts that are aimed at improving a sense of community, enhancing neighborhood safety, and reducing traffic volumes and speeds. |
| Lower Operating Costs AND Healthier Buildings! | | Examine this revolutionary whole-building-design and construction process that will result in healthier buildings that use less energy and operate at a fraction of the cost of older facilities. |
| On the Road Again: Asphalt Recycling | | Turn old, debilitated, oxidized asphalt into "black gold." Evaluate whether the hot-in-place asphalt recycling system will work for your area's conditions and applications. |
Return to Top 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Canadian Public Works Association (CPWA) Luncheon | (Fee $28. See Registration Form.)
Infrastructure Canada has developed an impressive Infrastructure Plan to support the Government’s unprecedented investment of $33 billion in infrastructure. Ms. Beal will discuss the Infrastructure Plan and respond to any questions about the program. |
| Public Works Historical Society (PWHS) Luncheon: Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and the Highland Lakes Dams | (Fee $28. See Registration Form.)
The Lower Colorado River Authority's construction of six dams on the Colorado River of Texas in the 1930s, '40s and early '50s created a chain of lakes that transformed the region through flood management, reliable public power, and a firm water supply that meets a variety of needs.
John Williams is a senior communications specialist at the Lower Colorado River Authority in Austin, Texas. His more than three decades of experience with LCRA include writing, editing, media relations, communications planning and unofficial historian for LCRA, which serves more than 1 million Texans with energy, water and community services. |
Return to Top 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
| Experience the Roundabout | | The City of Dublin, Ohio, will share its real world experience on what works and what doesn't in roundabout design and construction. |
| Is Performance Measurement Stifling Your Performance? | | Is your performance measurement program an administrative black hole - consuming resources that could better be used "performing" instead of "measuring performance"? Zero in on what to measure and what not to overanalyze. |
| Modernizing Fleet Operations | | Join this conversation about creating a state-of-the art public fleet operation and establishing a business enterprise that uses best management practices to compete successfully with private sector entities. |
Return to Top 2:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. | THOUGHT LEADER PRESENTATION: Leadership Skills for Developing Workforce Resiliency | The pressure is on to get more work done, of higher quality, in less time, with fewer people, with less budget, while managing constant, disruptive change. Public works professionals know this scenario all too well. Dr. Al Siebert, founder of The Resiliency Center and author of The Resiliency Advantage, will provide practical guidelines for increasing resiliency in yourself, your work teams, and your organization.
Learning Objectives
By attending this session, participants will be better able to:
Hold up under pressure and be resilient during times of change,
Identify why some employees are more resilient than others,
Evaluate techniques for handling “negativity specialists” in positive ways,
Encourage your workforce to work with inner attitudes of service and professionalism
Bounce back from unexpected difficulties and gain strength from distressing experiences
Describe how resiliency is related to long-life and good health.
(This session will be repeated on Tuesday, September 11, 2007, 1:30-3:30 p.m. |
| THOUGHT LEADER PRESENTATION: The Perfect Storm: Recruitment, Retention, and Engagement | One of the most urgent issues facing public works leaders in this decade is workforce development. A convergence of prevailing winds is creating a “perfect storm” of concerns that need to be addressed now.
•A shrinking leadership pool due to an aging workforce that is nearing retirement,
•Competition from the private sector offering higher wages to engineers and other professionals,
•A less skilled population of workers entering jobs that require increasing technological and communications abilities,
•A highly diverse workforce bringing different values about job satisfaction.
Greg P. Smith, well-known management consultant, will offer ideas for how to recruit star-performers into the public works profession and for creating a high-retention culture offering employees a sense of purpose and job satisfaction.
(This session will be repeated on Tuesday, September 11, 2007, 1:30-3:30 p.m.) |
Return to Top 3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. | A Core Strategy for Utility Cut Repairs | | Keyhole technology enables maintenance and repair of underground pipe and other buried plant without long-term traffic disruption, jack hammer noise, or extensive damage to surrounding pavement. Net result? - Budget savings! |
| Cost-Loaded Project Schedules | | Learn how resource and cost loading the Critical Path Method (CPM) project schedule adds information capabilities for managers to use in budgeting and quantifying the value of work performed. |
| Landfills as an Economic Resource | | Evaluate the potential of using landfill gas (LFG) as a renewable energy resource, which will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public welfare and safety. |
Return to Top 4:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m.
| Building Depth into Your Leadership Team | | Learn how to deploy training principles and practices that will help you drill down essential knowledge to crew/staff levels and teach staff to turn mistakes into priceless learning opportunities. |
| Finding Your Future Employees | | Listen to these tips and ideas for recruiting new talent into your public works workforce. Share your own creative ideas and get your questions answered. |
| Fleets Roll as First Responders | | Join in this discussion about the need for Fleet employees to be National Incident Management System (NIMS) certified and for Fleet Departments to be part of the First Responder plans for emergencies. |
| Keeping Your Pipes Clean | | Learn about integrating Geographical Information System (GIS) technology with your sanitation district management system to develop cleaning schedules for pipe/drainage cleaning using both historical data and current trends. |
| Protecting Your Landscape Investment | | Find out what type of vegetation will thrive in your climate and geography and learn the basics for proper mowing, fertilizing, aerating, and irrigating. Sponsored by the Professional Grounds Maintenance Society. |
| The Art of Saying "NO" | | Reviewing land development proposals can be a dicey business. Learn to master the skills and attitudes for getting to the root of the issue, building consensus, and disagreeing without being disagreeable. |
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 Return to Top 7:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. | COMPUTER WORKSHOP: Microsoft Excel for the Public Works Professional | | Learn to better use Microsoft Excel to its full potential as an advanced business intelligence manager! Topics to be covered include creating and using formulas, managing multiple worksheets, and building and formatting charts. (Workshop is a repeat of Monday's presentation.) |
Return to Top 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. | TUESDAY GENERAL SESSION: Making an Impact! | Many people live each day trying to “create an impression,” be it through social or economic status, the type of car they drive, or size of house they live in. There’s nothing wrong with any of that; but Rick Rigsby has learned that creating an impression does not measure up to “making an impact.” In his own life, Rick has moved from just going through the motions, to living each day with the goal of “impacting the world by empowering its people.”
Rick Rigsby is recognized as one of the most dynamic speakers in America. He speaks to audiences as diverse as congregations in the remote jungles of Africa to executives for America’s top corporations. An award-winning professor, he held a faculty appointment in the Department of Speech and Communication at Texas A&M University, before moving into full-time speaking. He also held appointments with the Center for Executive Development in the College of Business, and the Program in Presidential Rhetoric, affiliated with the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M. In addition, he currently serves as an assistant to Coach Dennis Franchione in the role of Chaplin for the Texas A&M football team. |
Return to Top 10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. | Administration of Federal-Aid Projects by Local Agencies | | A primary focus of the Federal Highway Adminstration (FHWA) is the administration and oversight of federally-funded local road projects. Learn more about the federal requirements for the Local Public Agency (LPA) program and its possible impact for your jurisdiction. |
| An Asset Management Success Story in Washington, DC! | | Examine the successes and lessons learned from this unique public/private partnership between Washington, DC, FHWA, and a private asset management firm to maintain and preserve National Highway System roadway assets. |
| Discover a Public Works Leadership Journey | | The Region of Peel, Ontario, wanted to take the Public Works Department from "Good to Great." Investing in a comprehensive leadership program was seen as the key to meeting this goal. |
| Emerging Issues with Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) and Biodiesel Fuel | | Representatives from agencies who have experienced issues with ultra low sulfur diesel fuels, mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), will focus on fuel specifications, bid requirements, and the cause and effect scenario. The panel will also address trends in biodiesel fuel. |
| Fiber to the Premises (FTTP): Force Them to Pave? | | Learn from one city's experience dealing with telecommunications companies on the issue of resurfacing utility cuts. Other mitigation measures when implementing a city-wide FTTP system will also be discussed. |
| Public Works Mutual Aid – Making It Work | | Examine this example of a county-wide public works mutual aid program that gives disaster-affected communities access to the resources of over 40 agencies within the county. |
| Urban Forestry for Public Works | | APWA, the U.S. Forest Service, the Society of Municipal Arborists, and Davey Resource Group have partnered to determine best management practices for municipal urban forestry management. |
Return to Top 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Diversity Brunch | (Separate fee required. See Registration Form.)
APWA’s Diversity Committee is pleased to welcome Jelynne LeBlanc Burley as the speaker for the 2007 Diversity Brunch. As Deputy City Manager for the City of San Antonio, Texas, Ms. Burley directs the City’s planning and development efforts. Over the past 23 years, she has delivered more the $550 million in capital projects, including the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, the Alamodome, and numerous street and drainage projects for the City of San Antonio. Under her guidance, the City of San Antonio has been recognized for several excellence in performance awards including the 2002 Construction Management Association of America “Excellence in Project Management” Award.
The San Antonio Business Journal has honored Ms. Burley twice. First in 1999, as a “40 und 40 Rising Star” and again in 2002, giving her the Women’s Leadership Award for Public Services. In 2003, she was recognized as an outstanding Texan by the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and she was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame.
Ms. Burley will describe the challenges and opportunities she has encountered on her illustrious career path. |
Return to Top 1:30 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.
Return to Top 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | THOUGHT LEADER PRESENTATION: Leadership Skills for Developing Workforce Resiliency | The pressure is on to get more work done, of higher quality, in less time, with fewer people, with less budget, while managing constant, disruptive change. Public works professionals know this scenario all too well. Dr. Al Siebert, founder of The Resiliency Center and author of The Resiliency Advantage, will provide practical guidelines for increasing resiliency in yourself, your work teams, and your organization.
Learning Objectives
By attending this session, participants will be better able to:
Hold up under pressure and be resilient during times of change,
Identify why some employees are more resilient than others,
Evaluate techniques for handling “negativity specialists” in positive ways,
Encourage your workforce to work with inner attitudes of service and professionalism
Bounce back from unexpected difficulties and gain strength from distressing experiences
Describe how resiliency is related to long-life and good health.
(Repeat of Monday, September 10, 2007, 2:00-3:50 p.m. presentation.) |
| THOUGHT LEADER PRESENTATION: The Perfect Storm: Recruitment, Retention, and Engagement | One of the most urgent issues facing public works leaders in this decade is workforce development. A convergence of prevailing winds is creating a “perfect storm” of concerns that need to be addressed now.
•A shrinking leadership pool due to an aging workforce that is nearing retirement,
•Competition from the private sector offering higher wages to engineers and other professionals,
•A less skilled population of workers entering jobs that require increasing technological and communications abilities,
•A highly diverse workforce bringing different values about job satisfaction.
Greg P. Smith, well-known management consultant, will offer ideas for how to recruit star-performers into the public works profession and for creating a high-retention culture offering employees a sense of purpose and job satisfaction.
(Repeat of Monday, 2:00-3:50 p.m. presentation.) |
Return to Top 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
| Desalinization in Mexico | | Learn about the status of desalinization projects along the U.S. – Mexico border for river water and on the Gulf and Pacific Coasts for sea water to meet Mexico’s current and projected future fresh water challenges. |
| Effective Utility Management for Water and Wastewater Utilities - Government Affairs Committee Presentation | | In May 2007, APWA joined with EPA, AWWA, WEF, AMWA, NACWA and NAWC to formalize a collaborative effort among utilities to establish a framework for advancing an understanding of the principles and practices of effective utility management throughout the sector. Join us at this session to learn about what lead to this groundbreaking collaboration among the sector; what is included in the Final Report and Recommendations of the Effective Utility Management Steering Committee; and hear a perspective from one of your peers who participated in this effort. |
| Getting the Respect You Want and Deserve | | 2007 is the 10th Anniversary of APWA's Self Assessment and Accreditation program. Representatives from accredited agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada will describe the benefits their agencies accrued by going through the process, including greater operational effectiveness and a sense of professionalism and pride among staff and the local community. |
| The Red Hill Valley Project: "More Than a Road" | | The City of Hamilton, Ontario's Red Hill Valley Project has been a lightening rod for controversy for 50 years. Learn from this example of how to balance infrastructure goals and environmental protection. |
Return to Top 3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Assessing Public Trees after Katrina | | In the wake of Katrina, municipal arborists from around the country volunteered to assess tree condition and risk to public safety. The lessons learned will help in the development of future storm recovery plans. |
| Progressive Women in Public Works | | Enjoy this panel of women who have "made it" in the public works profession. Learn how to sidestep any pitfalls and missteps that may be lurking along the career path and be inspired to reach your professional goals |
| Putting Sustainability into Action | | Become aware of the key role that public works plays in community sustainability and learn about a one page decision tool used to guide decisions and policy choices |
| What is Your IQ on Smart Growth? | | Explore how to integrate smart growth principles, that support less automobile-oriented and more people-friendly neighborhoods, into public works projects and land use proposal evaluations. |
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 Return to Top 7:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Training the Public Works Trainer (Wednesday Workshop) | Standing in front of the room and clicking through your PowerPoint presentation is NOT training!
Are you a public works content expert who has been tapped to train your co-workers or share your expertise at chapter-sponsored or APWA National workshops? Maybe you’ve recognized that you have a wealth of technical knowledge and skill but have not volunteered to share it because you lack the presentation skills to get your point across.
Take advantage of this special opportunity to be a better trainer. Learn how to adjust your instructional style and techniques to the needs of your audience; organize and plan your presentation; and present more dynamically so that your point is made and the audience is better able to retain and apply what they’ve learned.
APWA Chapters that host conferences and workshops and/or are participating in APWA’s Public Works Institute program should encourage your speakers and trainers to sign up for this opportunity to improve their presentation skills.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
Return to Top 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Opening Session – NPDES Program Update (Summit) | Speaker: Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
Even though the NPDES program has been in place for fourteen (14) years for Phase I communities and four (4) years for Phase II communities, there are still issues related to permitting and enforcement that are not consistent across the United States. This presentation will highlight these issues and provide insight on what to expect in the future for the NPDES program. |
Return to Top 8:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Back to Basics - World Class Hiring, Orientation, Training, and Evaluation to Create and Meet Performance Standards (Morning Workshop) | Many public agencies spend countless hours and dollars trying to counterbalance for poor hiring decisions and an inability to properly train and hold employees accountable for performance. Learn to improve your skills and systems for interviewing, hiring, orienting, and training new employees.
Arm yourself with the knowledge to better: identify the skills needed for specific job responsibilities; ask behavioral interview questions that identify which candidates possess the right skills and attitudes; conduct orientation programs that have meaning; establish ongoing training programs that ensure that new and existing employees are meeting performance standards, and provide performance feedback and coaching for all employees.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
| Equipment Replacement Strategies and Fleet Charge-Back Systems: What Do I Need to Know? (Wednesday Workshop) | Fleet Managers --- how do you determine equipment replacement life cycles? Where do you acquire the funds to replace aging equipment? Learn to identify the factors that influence equipment replacement. Discover how to determine whether the costs of a vehicle repair exceeds its remaining useful life.
This workshop will also cover fleet charge-back systems. Do you know what your full-burden rate is? Are the fees that you pay for accounting, purchasing, IT, legal, HR, janitorial services and building rental competitively priced to you? How do you credit back to your customers any warranty reimbursement that you receive? You’ll get the answers to these questions and more, by attending this workshop.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
| Managing the Urban Forest 101 (Wednesday Workshop) | Urban forests have impact on the health and quality of life issues facing all urban, suburban, or small city residents including: air and water quality, shade and climate control, animal habitat, recreational opportunities, and overall aesthetics and streetscape.
Urban foresters from the City of Durham, North Carolina, will share the challenges they encountered in establishing their program. Examine how they balanced the wants and desires of municipal officials, staff, citizens, and other stakeholders against the challenges presented by an aging infrastructure and the pressures of new development.
Learn to identify and implement the components of a successful urban forestry management plan including choosing the right trees and vegetation for the right place, minimizing sidewalk and curb damage, and preparing for storm damage.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
| Pre-Planning Traffic Incident Response at High-Accident Intersections (Wednesday Workshop) | Intersections are ranked high on most communities’ lists of “top ten” accident locations. “Quick clearance” programs are one of the most effective tools that can be used to minimize the negative impacts of traffic incidents.
“Quick clearance” can be enhanced through pre-incident planning involving a coordinated effort between all responders - including police, fire, EMS, private towing companies, and of course, public works.
Gain a working knowledge of: relevant industry standards related to traffic incident management; methods to implement incident command procedures; roadway space management techniques including lane closures and the use of response apparatus to protect the scene and facilitate traffic flow; and tools for pre-planning traffic incident management.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
| Telling Your Story! Gaining Community Respect through Effective Public Outreach and Media Relations (Wednesday Workshop) | What’s your public works story? Who do you tell it to? How often and in how many ways do you tell it? Most in the general public don’t think about public works until they perceive a gap in service, i.e., the storm drain down the block clogs, the snowplow hasn’t made it to their block yet, or storm debris is not cleaned up immediately.
Have fun learning from two public information pros as they guide you through: the components of a community outreach plan, how to select the public works stories you want to tell, presentation tips for those times you have to appear before the city council or a neighborhood group, and how to build relationships with the media that will make both you and the reporters happy.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
Return to Top 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | A Demo! Innovative Street Reconstruction Technologies (Wednesday Workshop/Onsite Demonstration) | Here’s your chance to not only hear about innovative street construction materials and processes but to SEE an actual project first-hand! This workshop will begin in the classroom with an overview of the various phases of a street reconstruction project from the sub-grade layer up through the pavement base and surface layers. Then we’ll transport you to the city streets of San Antonio for an on-site demonstration of a project with poor sub-grade soils that have been lime stabilized. For the overlying base layers, a reclaimed asphalt emulsion-stabilized base layer will be placed upon the lime stabilized sub-base. The pavement surface will be an innovative type of asphalt pavement known as “warm-mix asphalt.”
At the conclusion of this workshop, you’ll be able to: analyze how these processes perform during the various phases of a project and evaluate whether these materials and technologies will work for the streets and roads in your jurisdiction.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
| San Antonio River Improvements Project (Wednesday Workshop/Onsite Demonstration) | Most people have heard of San Antonio’s River Walk along the historic San Antonio River. Yet miles of untapped potential lie beyond downtown and the Paseo del Rio. The San Antonio River improvements project is a $140 million city, county, and federal investment in flood control, amenities, ecosystem restoration, and recreational improvements.
The classroom portion of this workshop will highlight the concerted community effort involved in this river revitalization project. We’ll discuss the planning, design, project management, and construction phases and describe how funding was obtained for these efforts.
Then – you’ll take to the river to visit the various sites impacted by this project. This is a not-to-be missed opportunity to see this tremendous project first-hand.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
Return to Top 9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | NPDES Phase I and Phase II Panel (Summit) | | Join us in the examination of three successful stormwater programs – a Phase I community, a Phase II community, and a mature regional program. You’ll learn about the challenges and solutions that each program has achieved throughout the years. The panel will share real-life and practical examples of how to improve water quality through the NPDES program. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and share your insights. |
Return to Top 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. | WEDNESDAY GENERAL SESSON: Fostering Sustainable Behavior: Community-Based Social Marketing | Think about it. As public works professionals, we are often in the position of trying to promote behavior change among our communities’ residents, be it encouraging people to recycle; dispose of hazardous household products appropriately; or build their own rain gardens.
Environmental psychologist, Doug McKenzie-Mohr will explore the array of public works functions and responsibilities that require an element resident behavior change to operate more efficiently and effectively. What are the barriers to behavior change? What type of behavior change tools and initiatives are effective? How should we be delivering our messages?
Dr. McKenzie-Mohr is a pioneer and leader in the rapidly growing field of community-based social marketing. For over fifteen years he has been working to incorporate scientific knowledge of behavior change into the design and delivery of community programs. He has assisted with projects focusing on waste reduction and recycling, water and energy efficiency, pollution prevention and watershed protection, transportation, climate change, and related sustainability challenges.
A professor at St. Thomas University in Canada, Dr. McKenzie-Mohr has assisted in Canada’s public education efforts on climate change. He has also served on Canada’s National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. His book, “Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing,” has become requisite reading for those who deliver programs to promote sustainable behavior.
To learn more, don’t miss Dr. McKenzie-Mohr’s afternoon workshop called: Beyond Brochures – Community-Based Social Marketing. |
Return to Top 1:30 p.m. - 2:20 p.m. | Impact of Increased Stormwater Runoff on Urban Drainage Systems (Summit) | | Current stormwater regulations focus on peak rate runoff controls. Unfortunately, there are unintended consequences for the urban environment from this approach including deepening and widening channels, bank erosion impacting adjacent properties and infrastructure, and unwanted impacts on riparian wetlands. These problems are the result of improperly managing increased runoff volume generated when the amount of pervious area is increased and inefficient drainage systems are installed. Examine alternatives for mitigating these issues for urban drainage systems. |
| NPDES Permit Compliance: Checking the Boxes or Improving Water Quality?(Summit) | | Greenville County, South Carolina has an interesting NPDES history. Designated as a Phase I municipality by EPA, the county complied with the Part 1 and Part 2 application requirements. However, due to issues with the state water quality agency, there was a seven year delay between the submittal of the Part 2 application and issuance of the permit. In that time, many requirements and expectations had changed significantly. The county and state decided to focus their actions on improving water quality instead of simply developing a written program. A recent EPA regional audit of the program has validated the success of their approach. |
Return to Top 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Back to Basics - World Class Hiring, Orientation, Training, and Evaluation to Create and Meet Performance Standards (Afternoon Workshop) | Many public agencies spend countless hours and dollars trying to counterbalance for poor hiring decisions and an inability to properly train and hold employees accountable for performance. Learn to improve your skills and systems for interviewing, hiring, orienting, and training new employees.
Arm yourself with the knowledge to better: identify the skills needed for specific job responsibilities; ask behavioral interview questions that identify which candidates possess the right skills and attitudes; conduct orientation programs that have meaning; establish ongoing training programs that ensure that new and existing employees are meeting performance standards, and provide performance feedback and coaching for all employees.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
| Beyond Brochures – Community-Based Social Marketing (Wednesday Workshop) | Most people know that to protect the environment, they should recycle more, water their lawns less, get out of the car and take a multitude of other steps to reduce their ecological footprint. But, as often as not, the actions people take are not consistent with what they know to be true. In fact, research demonstrates that simply providing information usually has little or no effect on what people do. So if you have bombarded the neighborhood with brochures, developed a really good-looking and functional website -and- residents still continue with their old behaviors, what’s your next step?
Learn how to identify the barriers to a desired behavior; how to use behavior change tools to design more effective programs, and how to evaluate the impact of a program once it is implemented.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
| Public Works: Planning for and Responding to a Terrorism/WMD Incident (Wednesday Workshop) | Public infrastructure is an obvious target of terrorism. How can you ensure that your public works employees are prepared for their crucial role in protecting, restoring and maintaining critical infrastructure and public services during a catastrophic disaster? This workshop will provide an overview of the steps to developing a multi-disciplined incident management team capable of responding to a terrorism incident. Learn what kind of training is necessary and where to find it.
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
Return to Top 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Intelligent Transportation System Related Projects - TransGuide/ Signal Pre-emption/Reversible Lanes(Wednesday Workshop/Onsite Demonstration) | With the increasing cost of construction and the dwindling availability of construction dollars, local governments are looking at ways of managing their existing infrastructure in the most efficient manner. The deployment of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) has helped San Antonio in this effort. Get a first-hand view of ITS at work by participating in this workshop/tour. Participants will be able to view various ITS techniques at work, along with a tour of the TransGuide Operations Center, a state-of-the-art facility that serves as the hub for a system that provides information to motorists about traffic conditions, such as accidents, congestion and construction in efforts to reduce congestion and improve safety by promptly notifying emergency personnel and by providing efficient incident management
*Full Congress registrants may attend any of the workshops at no additional charge, but you must indicate on the Registration Form which one(s) you plan to attend. If you are not attending the full Congress, you may register for workshops individually and pay the appropriate registration fee. |
Return to Top 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Innovative Public Education Programs (Summit) | | Public education can be one of your most effective weapons in the effort to improve water quality. National and regional surveys indicate that the average citizen has no idea about the connections between their personal actions and the impact on water quality. Benefit from these case studies about successful approaches to water quality education. |
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