NEWSLETTER

In this issue

President's Message
2014 Annual Conference
Feature Article
Member News
Project Spotlight
New Members

Follow Us

            

July 24, 2014
The Decade Ahead
Phoenix Country Club
More Info:  arizona.apwa.net
 

July 27th, Sunday
AzApWA Conference Golf Tournament
Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Resort
More Info: arizona.apwa.net 

*Note: Event dates/times/locations should be verified with appropriate committee chair –See Committee Directory

View the 2014 APWA Arizona
Board of Directors

View the 2014 APWA Arizona
Committe Chairs

 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

State Conference
Public Leadership for Public Trust 

Fellow members:

As you know the date for the annual Conference is fast approaching. This year, the conference will be held at the Hilton El Conquistador in Tucson, Arizona from July 27 through July 29, 2014. The conference theme is “Public Leadership for Public Trust”.

The events begin Sunday morning July 27, 2014 with the Conference Golf Tournament.  Robin Bain, Environmental Resource Manager for Peoria has been working hard to make this golf event a success.  Please participate and enjoy.

The “Get Acquainted Reception” starts at 5:00 and is sponsored by Stantec Consulting.

On Monday morning Satish Hiremath, Mayor of Oro Valley, will be on hand to welcome attendees at the Opening General Session. Timothy Phillips, Brigadier General (Retired) ARNG will be our keynote speaker.  I have had the pleasure of listening to Tim in the past and he is a wonderful and entertaining speaker.

Our Monday luncheon speaker is Dan McNichol who is the author of The Roads That Built America.  Dan’s message is a call to action to reinvest and restore the infrastructure that has made this a great nation.

A fun and magical evening awaits at the Monday Fun Night event to cap off the first day of conference sessions. Michael Finney, a noted comedian and magician based in Arizona, will headline the Magic Mixer, which will also include light appetizers, drinks, raffles and networking opportunities for attendees.

On Tuesday we have the Annual APWA Awards Luncheon.  This is a great opportunity to celebrate our successes and recognize our peers. 

Of course, there will be numerous informative presentations throughout the conference and there will be multiple opportunities to visit the exhibit hall and talk with those who support Public Works.

See you in Tucson

Sincerely, 
 
William (Bill) Mattingly, P.E., R.L.S
ARIZONA CHAPTER PRESIDENT 

FEATURE ARTICLE

On Wednesday, April 30, 2014 I sat down with Jeffrey Kramer, PE, PWLF, CPM, CCM, MCDOT Roadway Operations Division Manager with Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) to discuss their internal asset management system and a new project they are about to embark upon. The following article outlines our discussion.

The Problem
MCDOT, like the majority of public transportation agencies in the United States, struggles to stay on top of their assets for the purposes of maintenance and operations. Currently, MCDOT has several divisions that utilize different systems such as Cartegraph, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, “in-house” SQL based applications that have their “own” databases and their “own” users, and paper files. As one can imagine, getting all of these different systems to talk to each other is impossible. Another problem with having so many systems is getting different answers to a question such as getting three different numbers for “how many centerline miles of roadway does MCDOT own?”

Maintenance Management
The MCDOT Operations Division is responsible for maintaining everything the agency owns except for traffic signals. Currently most maintenance that is performed is “reactive.” In other words, 

maintenance crews are responding to reported problems throughout their network of facilities. Jeff would like to flip that so that crews are performing preventative maintenance before problems occur. He is looking to establish Predictive Maintenance Plans that bases the maintenance plan on the lifecycle of an asset itself as well as where it is placed in the system. For example, a stop sign should last a certain number of years, but stop signs that face south and west have a shorter life span than signs that don’t get as much direct sunlight, or drainage culverts may be on a predictive clean out schedule, but the schedule will need to be modified during active monsoon years, etc. MCDOT needs a system that can adjust for these types of situations and produce a plan for field personnel to follow based upon unique criteria.

The Solution
In order for MCDOT to get a good handle on their assets, they are looking to move to an integrated system with a single database for all asset information. To find a solution, MCDOT issued a Request for Proposal to hire a consultant and purchase an application that could provide this. The parameters for the software application were that it be a robust platform that is “off the shelf.” A customized system is not wanted by MCDOT, although configuration is acceptable. There needs to be a device that can be used by field staff such as smartphones or tablets so that “real time” field observations and updates can be uploaded automatically to the database. Other system parameters include: the database needs to be hosted at MCDOT due to security concerns, it needs to be compatible with Microsoft SQL (not Oracle), all modules need to be available now, GASB 34 financial reporting is needed, existing data must be migrated onto the new system, inventory control is needed with a possible electronic bar coding system for scanning equipment and/or RFID system for inventory management (optional), and future data collection may be needed (optional). In addition to providing this software system, the consultant is also responsible for project implementation which includes creating best practice business processes that the County can use to achieve their goal of a Fully Integrated, Preventative, Predictive Maintenance Plan. A robust training program for varying levels of staff (field, management, executive, train-the-trainer) is also required. The schedule for completing the database transition and implementation of the new program is 15 months.

After receipt and review of proposals, MCDOT invited the short-listed firms in for a half-day “live demo” presentation by each. The presentation included 6 scenarios that MCDOT typically deals with regarding their database. Firms were allowed access to MCDOT’s GIS dataset to prepare their presentations.

Internally, MCDOT has also been taking steps to prepare for the implementation of this new program. The agency has recently hired an asset program supervisor and re-assigned and relocated five other full-time employees who will be responsible for the program. This Asset Management Workgroup’s function will be to support the program and all MCDOT personnel who will be using it.

In order to make a selection in the best interest of all MCDOT departments that will be utilizing this new system, MCDOT created a cross-functional selection panel that represented the needs of each internal stakeholder including those responsible for assets such as pavement, drainage, bridges, signage, pavement markings, guardrails, tree trimming, etc., as well as those who would be integral in implementation and maintenance of the program including IT and GIS.

MCDOT also did a great deal of research on their own before issuing the RFP to try to find out what other agencies throughout the nation were doing. They talked to numerous vendors at the APWA Congress in Chicago; had their IT department do research on a variety of asset management software programs through Gartner; talked to local and national agencies such as ADOT, Pima County, City of Mesa, Clark County (Las Vegas), Wickenburg, Marana, Cook County (Chicago), Bernalillo County (Albuquerque), Riverside County (California); and found that most of the agencies were in the same boat. As a result of this research, MCDOT believes that once they implement and begin using this new system that they will be a leader in asset/maintenance management practices. They hope to share their success and be resource to other agencies in the future who want to implement a similar system.

ANNOUNCING APWA AZ COMMITTEE FOR SUSTAINABILITY!

Mission:
The APWA AZ Committee for Sustainability integrates sustainability in all aspects of APWA AZ as an organization and public works planning, management and services. The Committee shall educate, engage, lead, and facilitate APWA AZ members in identifying and advancing sustainability initiatives and support and intensify members’ capacity to integrate current and long term, safety, health, social, economic, and environmental outcomes into local public works management.

Open Meeting Days/Times:
Fourth Tuesdays of the month from 9:30-11:00am
Monthly location changes to accommodate committee members

Committee Members:
Jennifer Adams, City of Tempe
Ricardo Aguirre, Coo & Van Loo Consultants, Inc.
Craig Bolze, Bowman Consulting
Mara DeFilippis, ASU Walton Sustainable Solutions
Mike Gent, City of Surprise
John Hauskins, Maricopa County DOT
Mike Gent, City of Surprise
Edmund Williams, Maricopa County DOT

For more information contact:
Mara DeFilippis
mara.defilippis@asu.edu
(602) 690-8105

MEMBER NEWS

Applications are now open for APWA’s national Emerging Leaders Academy! If you’re looking to boost your leadership skills, learn more about the public works field and get an insider’s look at APWA, check the website for selection criteria at http://www.apwa.net/learn/Emerging-Leaders-Academy

A pre-application conference call will be held July 31st for all interested members. Deadline to apply is August 8, 2014. Contact Becky Stein for more information.

Dale E. Miller, PE, has recently joined our Company as a Project Manager leading our Public Works division in Phoenix. Dale has 38 years of transportation and civil engineering experience. During this time, he has managed hundreds of projects for both public and private clients. Mr. Miller’s key strengths are his ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams and work with diverse project stakeholders. His transportation experience includes planning, design and construction engineering for freeways, expressways, rural highways, urban arterials, collector roads, and local streets. He is knowledgeable and experienced in the related disciplines of traffic engineering; bridges, culverts and structures; lighting; ITS; funding applications; roadway facility maintenance; utility coordination; right-of-way acquisition; transportation enhancements; drainage; water resources; environmental clearance and compliance (NEPA); and public involvement and hearings.

Mr. Miller’s civil engineering experience includes planning, design and construction engineering for drainage facilities, sanitary sewers, water mains, airports, parks, recreational trails and facilities, site work, site grading, and a variety of other civil engineering projects that include the design, construction and maintenance of asphalt and PC concrete pavements. His land development experience includes the planning, design and construction administration of residential subdivisions, office campuses, commercial sites, and industrial parks. He has been responsible for the platting, zoning and entitlements of subdivisions and for the design of on-site and off-site public improvements for residential, commercial and industrial developments.

With Dale as part of our team, we look forward to continuing to serve our clients with the best services possible!

Contact Dale:
6150 North 16th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
email: dmiller@rickengineering.com / t: 602.957.3350 / c: 480.522.0330

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

City of Tempe Capital Improvement Project:  Hardy Drive Street Improvements - Broadway Road to University Drive

Jointly Submitted by Donna J.S. Hancock, City of Tempe Public Works, Engineering Division and Dick Yano and Janet Sharkey, AMEC

 
This City of Tempe project was designed by AMEC and Otak. The collector street within a primarily single-family residential area was experiencing congestion and high traffic speeds due to north-south continuity and adjacent congested arterials. CMAQ funding was obtained to mitigate these issues by implementing pedestrian, bicycle and transit facility enhancements. Project improvements included traffic calming by adding speed tables and narrowing the street to accommodate a raised bike lane outside of traffic area. Also included were sidewalk widening, raised medians with pedestrian refuge, ADA curb ramp and driveway upgrades, landscape and art sculpture and custom bus shelter design. The project development was completed within 16 months including all clearances to meet Federal fiscal year funding obligation. Design wrapped up in September 2013 and construction is currently underway.

Arizona APWA Members – Cou

 

---

---

Join Us for 2014 Congress Chapter Dinner, August 19 

Join the APWA Arizona Chapter, in partnership with the APWA Minnesota Chapter, for the 2014 Congress Chapter Dinner at the Amsterdam Brewhouse on August 19. The Amsterdam Brewhouse is a 14,000 square-foot brewery, restaurant, and retail space located at 245 Queens Quay West, with killer views of Lake Ontario from four giant patios and an encyclopedic selection of beers.

The Amsterdam Brewhouse is within walking distance of the Congress hotels and is nestled on the shores of Lake Ontario adjacent to the Harbour Centre’s 10-acre site, which provides visitors an opportunity to shop, dine, enjoy a show or other performances, or even take a leisurely stroll along the water’s edge.

The food for the evening will be a buffet-style offering of cold, simple and Caesar salads, Charcuterie display, salsa, and guacamole with fresh corn tortilla chips. Also being served will be hot sliders and mini fish and chips in a cone along with an assortment of gourmet desserts and squares. Two beverage tickets are included with the dinner.

Please join us for a memorable evening on the lake for great food, good friends, and a lot of fun!  

Cost is $50 per person.  Registration deadline is July 31, 2014.  (After July 31^st price increases to $90 per person).

More Info: arizona.apwa.net

 

---

View the 2014 APWA Arizona Board of Directors

View the 2014 APWA Arizona Committe Chairs