Public works agencies have often taken the role as the silent servant. The evolving field of social media and electronic media provide an excellent tool that public works agencies can deploy to demonstrate their value to the community. This presentation will outline how a public works agency from a small northeastern city of 44,000 has improved their presence in the community through this powerful tool of engagement.

Learning Objectives:

• Improve their agency's stature within their community leading to enhanced resources for winter operations
• Engage their community leading to a better appreciation of public works services and how they define the very basic quality of life we enjoy
• Build a better foundation for their department through directed communications and education

When your Winter Maintenance Budget is starving and your appetite for innovation is ravaging what are the alternatives. This session give some alternatives utilized by the City of Olathe in minimizing the budgetary effects while taking advantage of established best practices in snow and ice control. Learn how road maintenance and Fleet Maintenance worked together to minimize costs while moving toward more effective Winter maintenance.

Learning Objectives:

• Apply best practices in Winter maintenance without breaking the bank.
• Recognize opportunities to minimize resource requirements in moving to the next level of ice control.
• Justify the use of innovation through reduced resource requirements.

This panel session is comprised of the winners of the 2016 APWA Excellence in Snow & Ice Control award.
This year's winners are:
The City of Longmont, Longmont, CO
The Town of Orangetown Hwy Dept, Orangeburg, NY
The Village of Buffalo Grove ,Buffalo Grove, IL

Learning Objectives:

• Comprehend what it takes to win the award
• Compare the agency’s policies with their own
• Investigate what it would take for their agency to pursue the award