APWA AZ Newsletter 2015 July
NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 In this issue Follow Us 2015 Newsletter Sponsors
UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR July 14, 2015 July 15, 2015 APWA Arizona Awards Luncheon July 23, 2015 August 29, 2015 September 1, 2015 September 1, 2015 |
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Here we are about two months away from the Congress. The anticipation is growing. Many have already either registered or volunteered to work on the Congress. Please keep this in your thoughts. If you are thinking of playing in the golf tournament, donating funds, or registering - - Now is the time to do it! Thanks for your help in making this a wonderful event here in Arizona! The APWA National is gearing up for our Congress. So should you. On another note, do not miss the luncheon on the 15th of July at the Phoenix Country club. This is when we award our winning project awards for this year! It will be from 11:30 AM to 1:00 or a little after. (Allow a little extra time for this luncheon in case it runs over just a bit.) This will be a big meeting for our Arizona Chapter and the Northern and Southern branch members are invited as well. We have a lot to accomplish and are working on getting this done efficiently and effectively. Thanks to the entire team that is working to get the awards program and the Congress organized and ready to occur. That is about all for this time and be sure to be at the July 15th Meeting!! Sincerely, FEATURE ARTICLE Interstate 11 Project Update
With construction underway on a key link of future Interstate 11, the Boulder City bypass in Southern Nevada, momentum is building for what may someday be the Intermountain West Corridor from Mexico to Canada. Since the early 1990’s, discussions have been on-going about creating a more robust transportation corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas. The thought is that providing a limited access interstate would open up the area to increased economic development opportunities in commerce and international trade while providing a safer driving experience and improved travel times. The idea originally stemmed from the CANAMEX corridor discussions that called for a north-south route from Mexico-to-Canada through Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Montana. This new interstate would help to improve travel on 1-5 and 1-15 which are the only other north-south Mexico-to-Canada routes west of Texas. Another component of the project is to develop the corridor with not only highway infrastructure, but also incorporate rail and utilities in order to maximize the corridors effectiveness for economic opportunity while minimizing environmental impacts. With the completion of the Arizona and Nevada Department of Transportation’s two year I-11 & Intermountain West Corridor Study in November 2014, possible corridors for the Phoenix / Las Vegas link are coming more into focus. Listed below are some of the 2015 project updates: Image Courtesy of ADOT
56th Street Improvements CMAR Project – Transforming a Residential Street into an “Iconic Visually Significant Corridor” Article and Photos by Achen-Gardner Construction, LLC Project Background: Utilizing the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) project delivery method, the Town of Paradise Valley brought together the CK Group and Achen-Gardner Construction to complete the design and construction of the Town’s first “Iconic Visually Significant Corridor”. 56th Street between McDonald Drive and Lincoln Drive offers pedestrians and motorists amazing views as it is positioned between two landmark mountains, Camelback Mountain to the south and Mummy Mountain to the north. This stretch of road is also flanked by exciting growth and change, the redevelopment of Mountain Shadows Resort and Golf Course on the west side and Cullum Homes’ new residential community to the east side. 56th Street also provides access and connectivity to the Sanctuary Resort and El Chorro restaurant. All of these elements contribute to 56th Street’s importance and they are central to defining this corridor as a distinctive and memorable experience for occasional resort goers and local residents alike.
Design Character of the Project: This project served as the inspiration for the development of the Town’s “Iconic Visually Significant Corridor ” guidelines for similar future projects. The Town provided the forum for extensive public input to many features from roadway alignment to landscaping to custom character elements while balancing constructability and best value of initial and life-cycle costs. The following criteria were crucial to the design and creation of a unique sense of place:
Working with Stakeholders
Preparation and Phasing Determining the most effective construction phasing of the project was a result of several factors considered together:
Project Phasing and Scope of Work Phase 1 included the north 400 LF of 56th Street and driveways consisting of decorative pavers and concrete flatwork. This segment of roadway was completed quickly and provided access in and out of the Mountain Shadows Resort properties and Cullum Homes development. Improvements also included the traffic signal equipment at the intersection of 56th Street and Lincoln Drive, Phase 2 consisted of constructing the east 2/3 of 56th Street beginning at the Phase 1 completion boundary south to McDonald Drive and included a single asphalt lane, raised landscaped and paver medians, curb and gutter, private residential driveways to match existing materials, landscaping, sidewalk and matching existing pavement on McDonald Drive. Additionally, the frontage to El Chorro Restaurant on Lincoln Drive was transformed from overgrown oleanders to a southwest style stucco wall with new landscaping. Phase 3 constructed the west 1/3 of 56th Street beginning at the Phase 1 completion boundary south to McDonald Drive and included iconic hardscape elements as well as accessibility improvements to the nearby Sanctuary Resort. This phase included the single asphalt southbound lane, curb and gutter, meandering sidewalk, drainage contouring and rip rap, a multi-use pathway with curbing, a unique shade node with laser cut metal panels, pavers, and stacked stone seat walls and support columns, landscaping, rusted frame wayfinding signage, creative metal screens and gates that camouflage the APS equipment cabinets while providing approved access requirements and feature laser cut silhouettes of Camelback Mountain and rusted gabion retaining walls. Additionally, surface paving, adjustments, and striping were completed during this phase. Teamwork and Project Success The process allowed for the commencement of construction while final design was being completed. The Project Team worked in a very fluid and cohesive manner to address issues as they arose, keeping the project on budget, and making the necessary adjustments to schedule, sequence, and traffic control to maintain the project flow while accommodating those directly affected by the construction. Custom design elements required ongoing design and constructability evaluation and field adjustments throughout the construction of the features. The CMAR process provided the opportunity to contribute valuable constructability input during the design phase and supported the important continuous involvement of the design staff during construction. Proactively staying out in front of potential issues is the key to project success. Weekly or biweekly team site walks were made to evaluate construction in progress. Town project staff was intimately involved at every level and made decisions quickly. This allowed the team to identify issues quickly, make necessary adjustments, and continue moving forward without delays.
Project Owner: Town of Paradise Valley CMAR/General Contractor: Achen-Gardner Construction, LLC Designer: the CK Group, Inc. Major Subconsultants: Service Engineering Design Consultants (El Chorro Wall), National Sign Plazas, Inc. (Wayfinding Signage) Major Subcontractors: MakPro Services (Public Outreach), B&F Contracting, Inc. (Electrical), ISS Grounds Control, Inc. (Landscaping), RGG United Contractors, Inc. (El Chorro Wall), Magnum Companies (Custom Metal Elements), Integrated Masonry (Stone Features), Creative Metals (Gates), European Pavers (Pavers), SmithCraft Custom Signs & Graphics (Wayfinding Signage) For more project information and photos, visit http://achen.com/project-archive/317-job-3363100-56th-street-improvements 2015 CONGRESS
Sonoran Desert Sponsor: Dibble Engineering ~ Kiewit ~ Stantec White Mountain Sponsors: Amec Foster Wheeler ~ APWA Southern Arizona Branch ~ Cardno ~ HDR ~ H&E Equipment Services ~ Jacobs ~Stanley Consultants
Painted Desert Sponsors: Achen-Gardner Construction ~ Civil & Environmental Consultants ~ Engineering and Environment Consultants, Inc. ~ EPS Group ~ Infra-Tech ~ Michael Baker International ~ Speedie and Associates ~ SRP ~ Terracon ~ Wood Patel Please help the Arizona chapter reach its sponsorship goal of $500k. For information on Congress 2015 Sponsorships click here or contact Kent Dibble, kent.dibble@dibblecorp.com. VOLUNTEERS CONGRESS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Volunteer Sign-up for the APWA International Public Works Congress & Expo to be held at the Phoenix Convention Center from August 30 to September 2 is open on National’s website! The 2015 Congress Volunteers sub-committee is preparing for the big push to fill over 700 volunteer slots needed to make Congress a big success! Based on past Congress experience, we anticipate these slots will be filled by over 550 individual volunteers, most of whom will come from your organizations. These volunteers will be needed for such assignments as “Congress Concierge” at the event hotels, checking attendees in and out of educational sessions, way finding around the Convention Center, and assisting vendors and visitors on the exposition floor, among other similar assignments. At times there will be as many as 100 volunteers working. So, why would you volunteer, and how do you sign up? The main benefits of volunteering are easy: 1. You get a chance to give back to the profession and your peers by serving them at the premier public works event! 2. When you sign up for a half-day volunteer slot you will get free admission to Congress for the other half-day. If your agency can’t afford to register multiple employees, look at this as a way to get them into the event free by volunteering to work for a half-day. 4. This is an opportunity for you to show the pride we have for our great state of Arizona to public works professionals from all over the world! 3. And best of all, think about the stylish volunteer shirt you get to wear on your day of service – and it’s yours to keep. WOW! How do you volunteer: APWA National Volunteers sign up, click here to register: http://www.apwa.net/Meetings/Congress/volunteer/Create Note: If you plan to have multiple staff volunteer to get them a chance to experience the event, now would be a good time to start scheduling the timing. so everyone isn’t trying to volunteer for the same day. The main days for Congress are Sunday August 30th through Wednesday September 2nd, but we will need some volunteers on Saturday August 29th and Thursday September 3rd as well. Thank you for supporting APWA!!! Rebecca Timmer Jeff Kramer PUBLICITY The 2015 Congress Publicity/Exhibit Committee has promoted Congress at various regional conferences since late last year. Members of the committee and/or members of the local/regional associations manned booths, handed out fliers, and answered general questions to build interest and a better understanding of what Congress is all about. Most recently our 2015 Congress promo booth was at the 2015 AZ Water Annual Conference & Exhibition at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa. As the start of Congress approaches and there are less conferences to attend, we are focusing our efforts on encouraging local chapter members to attend and/or volunteer. Please read and feel free to distribute the following promotional materials. They are an excellent resource. Since January, members Arizona Chapter APWA and other industry professionals have written articles that promote Arizona. These articles have been featured in APWA email blasts and the APWA Reporter magazine in an effort to build interest in the 2015 Congress. Click the images below to see the July promotional articles that were featured in the APWA Reporter. Congress Events    INDUSTRY NEWS
Phoenix, Arizona and Bountiful, Utah – Entellus, Inc. (Entellus) and Hill and Argyle, Engineering and Surveying (H&A), are excited to announce that they have joined forces. This transaction provides immediate benefits to both offices. It provides Entellus with a second office nationally - a first step in Entellus' geographic diversification objective. For H&A it allows them to offer their clients a wider array of services. It also provides the foundation for targeted growth through expanded offerings to public sector clients. "Our goal is to provide a seamless transition to clients traditionally served by H&A as well as our Utah based staff throughout this integration" said Tim Crall, PE, Entellus President. "Much of H&A's success is built on respected professional relationships which we will continue to build on." Von Hill, PLS, and Scott Argyle, PE, Principals of H&A, will continue with the newly merged company. Von added "We are pleased to be able to offer expanded services to our clients and join with a highly respected firm. We look forward to a bright future together." H&A originated in 1978, providing civil engineering and surveying services to Utah and Idaho. Rosa Olivas can be reached at (602) 244-2566 or via email: rolivas@entellus.com Contributed by: Erin Walsh, Public Information Officer, City of Scottsdale Scottsdale voters will go to the polls Nov. 3 to consider a variety of bond-funded civic improvements totaling nearly $100 million. The City Council voted Wednesday, June 3, to set the election. Members also finalized a project list and the bond ballot language. In announcing their intention to move forward with a bond proposal, Council members cited the need to replace aging equipment and facilities, improve roads and bolster public safety by among other things, constructing new fire stations and improving training sites. “This is a focused, vetted and needed set of projects,” said Mayor Jim Lane. “These improvements are necessary to maintain our quality of life and to keep Scottsdale a world-class community. “That’s why our City Council is moving forward to refer these projects to voters. It is time.” The list of proposed projects was put together from input gathered during 2013 hearings conducted by a Citizens Bond Task Force and from recent staff recommendations. The financial impact of the bond election will vary from resident to resident based on property values. The average value of a home in Scottsdale is $371,000 and the tax impact of a successful 2015 bond election would be $38.24 annually or $3.20 per month. Below is the list of proposed projects and ballot questions along with estimated costs: Proposed 2015 Bond Program
Question 1: Parks and Community Facilities $ 31,900,000
Question 2: Transportation $16,540,000
Question 3: Citywide Technology $6,870,000
Question 4: Street Pavement Replacement $12,500,000 Replace 140 miles of deteriorated pavement on city streets, $12,500,00 Question 5: Public Safety – Fire $16,350,000
Question 6: Public Safety – Police $11,800,000
Bond Program Total -- $95,960,000 For a full description of each of the bond projects please visit www.scottsdaleaz.gov/2015-bond. MEMBER NEWS New Member Spotlight
Name, agency and title: Edward L Cunningham, Pinal County, Assistant Highway Supervisor and Safety Coordinator With APWA since: July 2015 Job responsibilities: I assign daily work for 11 maintenance employees and fill in during storm events as an operator repairing roadways. I also head up a new safety program being developed to train new employees on safe machine operation. I have been developing operating procedures for all Pinal County maintenance equipment within maintenance. I train new hires during a 6-month probation period and conduct testing for research. I am also responsible for keeping maintenance yards in compliance with OSHA standards and fill in wherever needed including as a superintendent. What was your favorite project to work on in the last 10 years?: Pinal County Job Hazard Analysis Where have your travels taken you?: I don’t travel much, but when I do I tend to favor the California coast and the coastal highway views. What is one thing not many people know about you?: The one thing most people don’t know about me is that if they do know me there is not much they don’t know. I tend to be very transparent about my entire life in a nutshell. APWA NEW MEMBERS
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Entellus - Hill & Argyle Join Forces 
Combined engineer resources are over 37 years of technical experience in Bountiful, Utah. Entellus originated in 1985, today is a 45 member firm, specializing in transportation engineering, water/wastewater engineering, hydrology/surface water engineering, geographic information systems, development services, field services, and construction administration services projects. Entellus has been engaged in planning, analysis, and design of municipal and public infrastructure resource projects throughout Arizona. 
