APWA’S GEORGIA CHAPTER HOLDS ANNUAL EQUIPMENT SHOW

APWA Georgia Chapter held its Annual Mid-Winter Equipment Show at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, GA, on February 7, 2023. This marked the show’s 38th year after its early beginnings in a small barn at Macon’s Central City Park in the mid 1980’s.

Recognized by the industry as the ‘Best Equipment Show in GA,’ trucks, equipment, products and services from Georgia and national manufacturers, dealers, and consultants were on full display. Five companies have exhibited in all 38 shows – Wastebuilt (formerly Consolidated Disposal), Adams Equipment Company, Peach State Trucks, Reynolds Warren Equipment; and Tractor & Equipment Company. As in recent years, Environmental Products

Group had the largest exhibit with a 4,730 square-foot space.

Based on past success, this annual GA Chapter event is well known as a model for other APWA Chapters to consider.

In fact, APWA Region 4 Director Robert Garland (representing FL, GA, AL, AR, and LA Chapters) and Alabama Chapter Delegate Larry Ingram attended this year’s event in person to experience the Show. They were both impressed with how the event provided a great opportunity for attendees to gain information and see products that are available to make their city and county public works operations more productive and efficient. Garland and Ingram plan to encourage similar events with other APWA Chapters.

If success of a show is measured by numbers alone, this year’s Show was, without a doubt, the best ever! With 100 vendors, nearly 1100 participants (including attendees, vendor representatives and Chapter volunteers), and a net revenue increase of over 10%, 2023 was a record setting year and a clear indicator that we have finally emerged from the pandemic. In addition to the participation and revenue records, this year’s show also included a welcome from Al Wiggins, City of Atlanta Public Works Director, and an excellent ‘free lunch’ provided by a new food vendor – The Butcher Shop. Participants were pleased and provided positive feedback about these two enhancements.

The Georgia Chapter would like to thank all the vendors, attendees, volunteers, event coordinators and fairgrounds staff who ‘made it all happen’ for this year’s Show. Building on our 2023 success, please plan to be a part of our 2024 Show by saving the date – Tuesday, February 7, 2024, same location – for an even greater event next year!

For any questions or more information about the GA Chapter Equipment Show, please reach out to Stan Brown at stanbrownapwa@gmail.com

You might wonder, why an article on snakes? I was having some work done in my back yard last fall when we had an exceptional amount of rain and in the almost 20 years that I have lived in that house, I have never seen so many snakes. Not king snakes or rat snakes but cotton mouths and water moccasins. My cable repairman told me a tale of a 17 rattle rattler that he encountered in our area just recently. It kept him cornered under a house for two hours until animal control arrived. So, with the expectation of a wet spring, as a former Public Works Director, I thought it would be a good idea to refresh public works staff on a few of the creepy crawlers to look out for as we get ready for hurricane season.

According to the Reptile.Guide, there are approximately 43 types of snakes in Georgia, and five of the six most venomous belong to the group known as pit vipers, while the other is the coral snake.

How do you recognize a pit viper? Well look for the following characteristics:

• Elliptical, slit-shaped pupils

• A broad, shield-shaped head

• L arge, heat-sensing pits between the eyes and nostrils

• A stocky body shape – the snakes may be long or short, but they’ll be squat. Most of these snakes have excellent camouflage and tend to hide rather than flee.

The eastern coral snake will tend to be bright red with black and yellow stripes, be around 10 to 30 inches in length and have a black, bulletshaped head. These snakes would rather flee than fight.

The average adult Florida cottonmouth is 30-48 inches (76-122 cm) in total length. This snake is heavy bodied with a pattern of light brown and dark brown crossbands containing many dark spots and speckles. The pattern darkens with age so adults may become uniformly black. The eye is camouflaged by a broad, dark, facial stripe. The color pattern of juvenile cottonmouths is much lighter than in adults, and newborns have a sulfur-yellow tail tip.

EASTERN COPPERHEAD –AGKI STRODON CONTORTRIX

The eastern copperhead is a mediumsized, stout-bodied snake with a sensory pit (heat-sensing pit) between each nostril and eye. It is gray, copper, tan, or pinkish tan with hourglass-shaped bands of dark brown. The markings are often edged in white. The average adult Eastern Copperhead is 22-36 inches long (5691 cm) in total length. Even just-hatched copperheads have fully functional fangs capable of injecting venom that is just as toxic as an adult's venom. Copperheads live in a range of habitats, from terrestrial to semiaquatic, including rocky, forested hillsides and wetlands. They are also known to occupy abandoned and rotting wood or sawdust piles, construction sites and sometimes suburban areas. They climb into low bushes or trees to hunt prey and will also bask in the sun and swim in the water.

or black. A black stripe may be present from the snout through the eye and onto the neck. Most individuals have a white upper lip. There is a large sensory pit (heat-sensing pit) located between the nostril and eye on either side of the head. The eyes have a vertical pupil, but the dark coloration of the eyes may make the pupils difficult to see. The belly is cream colored and heavily mottled with dark brown or black blotches and smudges.

EASTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE –CROTALUS ADAMANTEUS

NORTHERN COTTONMOUTH –AGKISTRODON PISCIVORUS

Mainly occurs only in the southeastern corner of the state. northern cottonmouth is a heavy-bodied, darkcolored, semiaquatic snake that is dark olive brown to nearly black. In adults, dark crossbands are normally indistinct. The head is noticeably wider than the neck. The top of the head is dark brown

TIMBER RATTLESNAKE –CROTALUS HORRIDUS

Timber rattlesnakes are skilled climbers and have been discovered in trees at heights of more than 80 feet. hese large, heavy pit vipers vary in coloration. They are gray, sometimes with a pinkish hue and have a stripe down their back. This stripe is orange, yellow or pinkish in some timber rattlesnakes, while others have a brown or black stripe. Like other vipers, the timber rattlesnake is venomous with venom potent enough to kill a human. Like other members of the pit viper family, the timber rattlesnake has a large, heavy-bodied appearance. Adults typically reach lengths of 2.5-5 feet (.76-1.5 meters), but there are reports of timber rattlesnakes growing up to 7 feet (2 meters) long.

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake can be blackish-gray, olive green or muddy gray. Light reflected off of this snake's keeled scales makes its skin appear dull, rather than shiny. Its tail is typically a different shade than its body, ranging from brown to gray and banded with dark rings. This species is easily identified by the diamond-shaped pattern along its back (the source of its common name), as well as the distinctive black band that covers its eyes, outlined by two pale lines. It has vertical, cat-like pupils, and there is a large pit between the nostril and the eye on each side of its face. Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are well known for their rattle and painful, venomous bite, which can be fatal to humans. The toxin in their venom, called hemotoxin, kills red blood cells and causes tissue damage. The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is North America's longest and heaviest venomous snake. Their average length is 0.8 to 1.8 meters (3 to 6 feet), but some adults can be as long as 2.4 meters (8 feet). Diamondbacks are bulky snakes with large heads that average 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds).

Most adult Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnakes are about 12-24 inches (30-61 cm) in total length. This is a very small snake, but it is thick for its size. The body color varies from light to dark gray, and a lengthwise row of black or charcoal blotches disrupts a reddish-brown stripe running down the middle of the back. The tail is slender and ends in a tiny rattle. The head is distinct from the neck and has a black diagonal line just behind the eye.

MORE ON THE CORAL SNAKE –MICRURUS FULVIUS

Eastern coral snakes are only found in the southeastern part of the United States. It prefers habitats that provide hammocks and flatwoods that feature slash pine and saw palmettos or somewhat arid, open, sandy locations that don’t have too much vegetation. They are graceful, slender snakes whose length ranges between 2 and 3 feet when they’re mature, though some have grown to over 4 feet. The eastern coral snake has a black snout followed by a band of yellow, then black, then yellow or white, then red, then yellow then black all the way down to the tail. It has 15 rows of smooth scales on its body

Females are longer than males. Eastern coral snakes tend to be secretive, and many people are surprised when they find one living rather close to their home or even in their home. Unlike many other snakes, it doesn’t seem to prefer small mammals such as rats or mice but is more likely to take frogs, fish, insects, birds, lizards, and even other snakes. The coral snake is not aggressive toward humans. It’s not eager to bite to defend itself but will try to get away first. Since the tail and the head of a coral snake are about the same size, it wiggles its tail to make a predator think it’s the snake’s head. The snake also, it must be said, passes gas with a pop to startle a predator. It spends much of its time hiding under logs, leaf litter, or rotting stumps.

OH, that’s not all. We didn’t talk about Dekay’s Brown snake, the Eastern Garter Snake, or the North American Racer. That was just a highlight of some of the heavy hitters in Georgia. I’m not sure about you, but I typically don’t stick around long enough to distinguish one type of snake from the other. For me, what ever they occupy or where ever are, they own. I just hope I see them before they see me.

Information for this article was found on various scientific websites including livescience.com, virginiaherpetholgicalsociety.com, floridiamuseum.ufl.edu, animalia.bio, and reptile.guide

For a summary guide on Georgia snakes go to: https://reptile.guide/ georgia-snakes.

Directional Guidance Indicators

2023 Npww Theme

APWA is proud to announce the theme ‘Connecting the World Through Public Works’ for the 2023 National Public Works Week poster. Public works is the thread that connects us all, no matter where we live in the world. Every public works professional strives to improve the quality of life for the community they serve, leading to healthier, happier communities.

The theme highlights the way public works professionals connect us physically, through infrastructure, and inspirationally, through service to their communities, whether as first responders, or daily workers carrying out their duties with pride.

Public works connectors help keep communities strong by providing an infrastructure of services in transportation, water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment, public buildings and spaces, parks and grounds, emergency management and first response, solid waste, and right-of-way management. They are what make our communities great places to live and work. Join us in celebrating the quiet work these professionals do that makes life better for all of us.

VIRTUAL NPWW HOW-TO GUIDE

National Public Works Week (NPWW) is almost here! Let’s take this week to celebrate the amazing work of public works personnel throughout North America. Now more than ever, it is critical to energize and educate the public about the importance of public works – planning, building, managing, and operating at the heart of local communities to improve quality of life each day.

We know there will be many in-person events (finally!) this year, and we encourage you to seek NPWW proclamations from your elected officials that you can share on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Be sure to add the #NPWWProclamation hashtag to be added to the APWA NPWW website.

We are excited to share our “Virtual NPWW How-To Guide,” full of ideas that you can use to celebrate remotely with your communities. Don’t forget to join in the fun on social media using the hashtag #NPWW and this year’s theme, #ConnectingTheWorldThroughPW!

#NPWW (official) – Make sure to use this on all your National Public Works Week social media posts. By doing so, you will join in on all the NPWW discussions being held across all the major social media platforms, and it will make your posts easier for others to find. Plus, your post will be included in the Social Media Gallery below!

#ConnectingTheWorldThroughPW (supplementary) –If you are looking to add a little something extra to your post, consider using this secondary hashtag, which is also this year’s poster theme.

#NPWW Social Media Spirit Week (Monday-Friday)

Get yourselves and your community in the spirit of National Public Works Week by celebrating on social media the following:

Monday – Ready and Resilient. Post a picture of your department doing what they do best. Public workers are always ready and always resilient! This is the time to show off! #NPWW #readyandresilient

Tuesday – Made Ya Look! Park a snowplow at the park, put up a sign outside your workplace celebrating public works, decorate the side of a garbage truck, the sky’s the limit! Do something a bit out of the ordinary to make us look and tell us about it! #NPWW #madeyalook

Community Social Media Contests

Wednesday – Whatcha Wearing? EMS uniform, check! Safety vest, check! Hard hat? Check! Show us what you wear to work on a regular basis, brag about it on social media. #NPWW #whatchawearing

Thursday – Throwback

Thursday. Got a cool picture of the first building built for your agency? How about an old picture showing workers doing road work? Or a picture from any previous year’s #NPWW? Post them and tell us about it! #NPWW #TBT

Friday – Future Friday. What’s the future look like for your agency? Are you figuring out a way to regulate traffic from flying cars? Are you putting up a new building, or renovating an old one? Tell us what’s coming up, or what you envision. Be sure to tag all posts #NPWW and #ReadyAndResilient

Looking for a fun way to engage with your community? Try a social media contest! We have provided a few ideas below, but feel free to use these as a starting point to come up with your own contests. Just put your ideas out on social media and ask your community to respond and include the #NPWW hashtag.

• Coloring/Drawing Contests – Post your NPWW coloring page (coming soon!) to your social media accounts, and ask everyone (including children) to print the page out and have fun coloring. When they’re finished, they can post their works of art using the #NPWW hashtag.

• V ideo Contests – Ask people to film themselves answering a question (e.g., What do you love about your city/community?) or thanking public works employees for everything they do to keep communities safe. When they’re finished, they can post the video online using the #NPWW hashtag.

• DIY Contest – Come up with your own idea to have a little fun. Examples: City Trivia; Dress Like a Public Works Employee Photo Contest; Share your favorite Public Works First Responder gear, etc.

FIRST RESPONDER “THANK YOU’S”

The community often doesn’t think about how public workers are first responders. This past winter was brutal in many parts of the country and public workers rose to the occasion by clearing streets of heavy snow, restoring electricity promptly when it was affected by storms, clearing up storm debris, or just continuing their regular duties taking care of things that people take for granted.

• Post your “thank you” message to your favorite social media platform with the #NPWW hashtag.

• Record a video of you and your family thanking your fellow public works professionals and/or essential workers. Post the video to social media using #NPWW hashtag.

2023 Top Ten Public Works Leaders Of The Year Award

Each year during National Public Works Week, the public works community celebrates APWA’s Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year. Traditionally, APWA Regional Directors attend a City Council ceremony in each of the recipients’ home cities to present their award. Check out some of the ways we’ll be honoring them (and how you can honor them!):

• Individual Interviews/Social Media Spotlights o Each recipient will get their share of the spotlight during National Public Works Week. Throughout the week, we’ll be posting photos and bios of each award recipient on social media. o G et to know the recipients, and make sure to like, comment, and share on your favorite social media platform! #NPWW

• Social Media Shoutouts o Post a message to one or all of the 2023 Top Ten Leaders to social media using the official #NPWW hashtag. o Record your own video thanking/acknowledging one or all the 2023 recipients. Make sure to use the official #NPWW hashtag in your video description and/or post.

• APWA Chapter Social Media Posts/Videos o We’re encouraging each APWA Chapter to film a video or post to social media recognizing its Top Ten award recipient. o Chapter Leaders and Chapter Members can use what you have available – smartphones, kids, pets –it’s all fair game! Let them know how proud you are of their accomplishment. Once you’re done, post it to social media with the #NPWW hashtag.

Community Outreach

Run a contest during Spirit Week by involving your community. Have them make posts matching each day’s theme, and pick out the post with the most likes, comments and shares as the winner. Or get the community involved by creating other social media contests during the week. Follow APWA’s social media accounts, and look out for pictures and videos to share with your community.

ABOUT THE POSTER ARTIST: ROBERT BALL

Rob has been a practicing graphic designer since 2000 and has illustrated throughout his career. His work carries the clean lines of graphic design with a human and humorous side influenced by living in London for fifteen years and capturing the characters he sees around him. Rob’s brain is a dumping ground for popular culture and his work carries the dynamism of comic-book art mixed with an eye for the absurd, influenced by a misspent youth pouring over the pages of Marvel comics and 2000AD. He grew a loyal fanbase through his project for HBO’s Game of Thrones in which he illustrated a poster for each episode.

PWX provides a first-class multi-modal learning experience designed for professionals at all levels and across the entire spectrum of public works. Come prepared to see, hear, touch, and discuss in a variety of traditional and interactive sessions, seminars, workshops, and networking opportunities. Attendees can also spend time on North America’s largest exhibit floor for public works equipment and services – we’ve carved out generous portions of non-compete time so you don’t miss any sessions. Kick tires, talk about technology, or get the scoop on new products. To take advantage of everything PWX has to offer with more than 5,000 public works colleagues from North America and beyond, meet us in San Diego!

About Pwx

PWX draws thousands of public works professionals from all over the world. If you are like many, you have limited resources for professional development, so you’ve chosen APWA’s PWX 2023 in San Diego as your preferred venue for:

• O utstanding education sessions that address current public works issues – as well as ongoing challenges. Choose from more than 125 technical and professional development sessions presented by your colleagues, who will impart their vital knowledge and experience. APWA’s education sessions are based on the very latest learning models: classroom, interactive, and “live” learning labs.

• T he chance to see an extensive gathering of exhibitors that will showcase the latest products, services, and technologies specific to public works. Special “non-compete” hours allow you to visit the floor uninterrupted.

• O pportunities to network with your peers, hone your leadership abilities, and learn new job skills.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Public Works Directors

• Superintendents and Managers

• Directors and Managers of Operations and Operations Personnel

• City and County Engineers

• Consulting Engineers

• Construction Directors and Managers

• Solid Waste Managers and Coordinators

• Public Fleet Directors and Managers

• Public Facilities and Grounds Directors and Managers

• Water Services Directors and Managers

• Streets/Roads/Bridges Directors and Managers

• Transportation Directors and Managers

• Stormwater and Flood Control Directors and Managers

• Emergency Management Directors and Coordinators

• City Planners

For Exhibitors

Connecting the World Through Public Works

PWX is the premier gathering place for the public works industry, connecting industry thought-leaders and decision-makers with invaluable resources and opportunities. PWX is where transformative innovations are introduced to the marketplace, new connections are formed, existing relationships are deepened, and business deals are signed. Discover the strength of connections in public works at PWX 2023, taking place August 27-30 (exhibit dates are August 27-29) in sunny San Diego, California.

Interested in Exhibiting?

Showcase Your Company at the Largest Public Works Marketplace

There has never been a better time to exhibit at APWA’s PWX. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the commitment of $550 billion in new infrastructure spending means business with be booming on the PWX 2023 show floor. Showcase your products and services to thousands of public works industry buyers who now have the necessary funds to make purchases that will improve their municipalities.

Reserve Your Booth Now

According to the PWX 2022 post-show exhibitor survey, an impressive 97% of exhibitors rated PWX as satisfactory or better. Be part of the action and achieve your sales goals by exhibiting at PWX 2023. View the PWX 2023 exhibit floor plan to find your perfect location, then contact Tony Hayes at 571-313-5793 or thayes@taffyevents.com to reserve your booth. Or complete this short form to request a booth, and a sales representative will be in touch with you shortly.

• City Council Members

• County Supervisors

• Sustainability Specialists

• Anyone else whose responsibilities are public works-related

Areas Covered

• C areer & Personal Development

• Construction Management

• Emergency Management

• Engineering & Technology

• Environment/Sustainablility

• Facilities

• Fleet Services

• Management

• Parks & Grounds

• Snow & Ice

• Solid Waste

• Stormwater/Flood Control

• Streets/Roads/Bridges

• Traffic Engineering

• Utilities/Right-of-Way

• Water & Wastewater

Who Should Exhibit?

If your company is involved with providing solutions and services for any of the below areas, exhibiting at PWX 2023 is for you:

• A sset Management

• Cybersecurity

• Emergency Management

• Engineering/Construction

• Facilities

• Fleet Services

• G eographic Information Systems and Mapping

• Operations/Maintenance

• Parks and Grounds

• Snow/Ice Control

• Solid Waste

• Stormwater/Flood Control

• Streets/Road/Bridges

• Sustainability

• Traffic/Transportation

• Utilities and Public Rights-of-Way

• Water/Wastewater

Ready to Exhibit?

If you want to network, launch, compete, impact, and sell, you need to exhibit at PWX. View the PWX 2023 exhibit floor plan to find your perfect location, then contact Tony Hayes at 571-313-5793 or thayes@taffyevents.com to reserve your booth.

Current Exhibitors

Thank you for exhibiting at the largest public works marketplace –PWX 2023 – taking place August 27-29 at the San Diego Convention Center. Check back to this page often as additional space will be added as it becomes available.

Key Hours

Exhibitor Move-In

• Friday, August 25 | 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Targets Only*)

• S aturday, August 26 | 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (All Exhibitors**)

Exhibit Hall Open

• Sunday, August 27 | noon–4:00 p.m.

• Monday, August 28 | 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

• Tuesday, August 29 | 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Exhibitor Move-Out

• Tuesday, August 29 | 1:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

• Wednesday, August 30 | 8:00 a.m.–noon

* Target booths must have flooring down before mobile spots/ machinery will be placed.

**All machinery and vehicles need to be delivered no later than Saturday, August 26. All displays must be in place and display material, cartons and refuse removed from the aisles by Saturday, August 26 at 4:30 p.m. to facilitate the placement of final structures and cleaning. Exhibitors will be permitted to work within their exhibit space until 10:00 p.m. on Saturday with prior approval from the Show Management Office. Otherwise, they must exit the hall at posted times during set-up and tear-down.

Warning: PWX Exhibitor Scams

PWX exhibitors are frequently targeted by companies unaffiliated with APWA or PWX, offering a variety of services such as attendee lists, housing, show decorating needs and more. Please use caution when dealing with solicitations from companies that are not using the official PWX vendor logo. For any questions or clarification, please contact PWX Show Management at pwxinfo@taffyevents.com or 571-313-5159.

Need Assistance?

If you have any questions regarding your experience, please contact PWX Show Management at pwxinfo@taffyevents.com or 571-313-5159. You can also access the live show floor map or log in to your exhibitor dashboard at any time.

Ijoined DeKalb County Fleet Management in December 2019 and became the first data analyst for the department. When Robert Gordon, Deputy Director of Fleet Management, saw the effect the new data analyst was having on Fire Rescue Services, he knew Fleet Management was ready to move forward with implementing data-driven decision-making. No one could have foreseen the impact this staff expansion would have on delivering services over the next 24 months.

I came to the role of Management Analyst II with years of analytics and programming experience, but no knowledge of fleet services. I relied heavily on the institutional knowledge of the staff while also diving into the data. When budget season came around, it became clear that the process of developing a replacement list needed to be overhauled. It was labor-intensive and time-consuming for both Fleet staff and User Departments.

Previously, Fleet administrators and superintendents met in person with leaders of each large department to select units for replacement. This process took months to complete the entire series of