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President’s Message
Finding ways to excel: the winter stormfighter’s responsibility
Elizabeth Treadway, PWLF
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APWA President
ith this month’s Reporter being devoted to winter maintenance it is a great opportunity to start thinking about winter storm event planning and training. Through all of the wonderful advancements in technology that have been brought to the market, a new lifestyle has been born. Many people are multitasking at work, home and in the car producing an environment in which the traveling public’s behavior is more dangerous and they are less patient than ever. The changing attitude requires us to provide a higher level of service at a faster pace and with greater efficiency. The demand for our services in fighting the events from winter weather is similar to our response to a major community disaster.
We have learned over time that emergency disaster response planning can play a crucial role in the underlying factor of whether an agency fails or succeeds during devastating events. With countless areas across the U.S. and Canada experiencing conditions that have had continuous years of wet and stormy weather, many agencies have been faced with making substantial changes to their operational overviews in emergency management planning.
With the exciting news of APWA’s North American Snow Conference taking place in Charlotte, N.C. next year, the opportunity couldn’t be better for expanding the focus above and beyond snow. Charlotte will provide an outstanding canvas to paint the perfect portrait of a region that is very susceptible to a full range of weather environments that center around emergency management response planning. With North Carolina sitting halfway down the Atlantic Coast, between Virginia and South Carolina, it falls directly within a subtropical zone that makes it vulnerable to powerful hurricanes, devastating tornadoes, crippling nor’easters and sweltering drought. Although only known for receiving an average of six inches of snowfall per year, the area can easily see 45 inches of rainfall on a yearly basis. Winter months often provide a hazardous environment for motorists when freezing temperatures accompanied by rain showers turn road surfaces into high-speed sheets of ice. The region is also no stranger to seeing the effects of nor’easters; one in particular known as “The Storm of the Century” was a legendary snow event for the area. This massive storm dumped four feet of snow on the region with hurricane-force winds stacking up drifts measuring as high as 14 feet, crippling communities for days. With the state and local agencies having extensive experience with disaster management on multiple levels, the Charlotte setting for the 2013 Snow Conference will give participants the opportunity to interact with individuals that have acquired a
Official Magazine of the American Public Works Association
PUBLISHER American Public Works Association
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Peter B. King
EDITOR
R. Kevin Clark
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Abbey Russell
ADVERTISING SALES
Kristen Creel R. Kevin Clark Amanda Daniel Kansas City Liaison (800) 800-0341 (816) 595-5230
APWA WASHINGTON OFFICE
1275 K Street NW, Suite 750 Washington, D.C. 20005-4083 (202) 408-9541 FAX (202) 408-9542 Disclaimer: The American Public Works Association assumes no responsibility for statements and/or opinions advanced by either editorial or advertising contributors to this issue. APWA reserves the right to refuse to publish and to edit manuscripts to conform to the APWA Reporter standards. Publisher’s Notice: The APWA Reporter, November 2012, Vol. 79, No. 11 (ISSN 0092-4873; Publications Agreement No. 41450540). The APWA Reporter is published monthly by the American Public Works Association, 2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 700, Kansas City, MO 64108-2625. Subscription rate is $174 for nonmembers and $25 for chaptersponsored students. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, MO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the APWA Reporter, 2345 Grand Boulevard, #700, Kansas City, MO 64108-2625. Canada returns to: P.O. Box 2600, Mississauga, ON L4T 0A8. Reprints and Permissions: Information is available at www.apwa.net/Publications/Reporter/guidelines. asp. © 2012 by American Public Works Association
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wealth of knowledge on how to deal with winter storm emergency disaster planning.
While still faithful to snow, the 2013 conference will remain consistent in offering a great educational platform for the snowfighter. Attendees will also have an excellent opportunity to spend time viewing and discussing snowfighting equipment on the exhibit floor. One key feature for the conference will be to focus on the incorporation of fleet management into the snowfighter thought process. The challenge of shrinking budgets for many agencies across our nations is placing additional strains on snow removal fleets. Budgets are demanding that equipment life cycles be lengthened while incorporating cost-saving measures that allow for fewer replacements. It has now become part of the snow professional’s job duties to get creative with fleet management. Many agencies are focusing on stronger training programs for their operators that center on equipment inspections and life cycle management that aid in getting the operator involved in finding new ways to provide economic relief.
With the news of the successful outcome of the Winter Maintenance Supervisor Certificate Workshop in Milwaukee at the 2012 Snow Conference, it is very exciting to hear that individuals will get another opportunity to participate in this workshop in Charlotte. The workshop provides a well-rounded overview of all aspects of snow and ice control for individuals charged with supervising or performing winter maintenance operations. Participants in the workshop will walk away with a greater understanding of winter maintenance processes and procedures that some of the leading experts in the snow and fleet profession have compiled as tools needed to succeed.
The North American Snow Conferences provides one of the best opportunities for the winter storm professional to learn and grow within the industry. With the public demanding a higher level of service on a daily basis, it has become our responsibility to find new ways to excel and improve our agency’s level of performance. Whether you are a supervisor in charge of performing winter maintenance, a snowfighter aspiring to be a supervisor, or an operator wanting to learn more about the industry, the North American Snow Conference can give you the edge to succeed. Don’t miss out on the opportunity for your organization to grow through your attendance at the 2013 Snow Conference; we hope to see you in Charlotte!
AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION
Mission Statement: The American Public Works Association serves its members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Elizabeth Treadway, PWLF Principal, Water Resources AMEC Environment &
Infrastructure, Inc. Johnson City, TN
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Edward A. (Ed) Gottko, P.E. (ret.),
PWLF Adjunct Professor New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ
PAST PRESIDENT
Diane Linderman, P.E., PWLF Director, Urban Infrastructure &
Development Services Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. Richmond, VA
DIRECTOR, REGION I
Richard F. (Rick) Stinson, PWLF Director of Public Works Town of Wakefield, MA
DIRECTOR, REGION II
Harry L. Weed, II, PWLF Superintendent of Public Works Village of Rockville Centre, NY
DIRECTOR, REGION III
William “Bo” Mills, PWLF Director of Public Services City of Germantown, TN
DIRECTOR, REGION IV
Tommy J. Brown, PWLF Superintendent of Fleet Services City of La Grange, GA
DIRECTOR, REGION V
Linda Petelka, B.Sc., PWLF Manager, Wastewater Program
Planning The Regional Municipality of
Peel, ON
DIRECTOR, REGION VI
Larry Stevens, P.E., PWLF Project Director HR Green, Inc. Johnston, IA
DIRECTOR, REGION VII
Jimmy B. Foster, P.E., PWLF Retired Plano, TX
DIRECTOR, REGION VIII
Ronald J. Calkins, P.E., PWLF Director of Public Works (retired) City of Ventura, CA
DIRECTOR, REGION IX
Jill M. Marilley, P.E., MPA, PWLF Senior Project Manager HDR, Inc. Shoreline, WA
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE, ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
David L. Lawry, P.E. Director of Village Operations Village of Wauconda, IL
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
William E. (Bill) Spearman, III, P.E. Vice President Woolpert, Inc. Columbia, SC
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE, FLEET & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
Brian R. Usher, PWLF Director of Public Works City of Largo, FL
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Cora Jackson-Fossett, PWLF Public Information Director II Department of Public Works City of Los Angeles, CA
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE, TRANSPORTATION
Susan M. (Sue) Hann, P.E., AICP,
ICMA-CM City Manager City of Palm Bay, FL
ADVISORY COUNCIL
(Past APWA Presidents)
Robert Albee Roger K. Brown George Crombie Nick W. Diakiw Robert C. Esterbrooks Jerry M. Fay Bob Freudenthal Larry W. Frevert Herbert A. Goetsch Ken Haag Erwin F. Hensch Ronald W. Jensen Dwayne Kalynchuk Larry T. Koehle Diane Linderman Martin J. Manning James J. McDonough Robert Miller Judith M. Mueller Ronald L. Norris Michael R. Pender Richard L. Ridings John J. Roark Harold E. Smith June Rosentreter Spence Noel C. Thompson Tom Trice William A. Verkest Win Westfall Carl D. Wills
Executive Director
Peter B. King
Executive Director Emeritus
Robert D. Bugher
Editorial Advisory Board
Gordon R. Garner Neil S. Grigg Susan M. Hann Stephen J. O’Neill Kyle E. Schilling
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