The presentations on Day One of the Public Works Stormwater Summit provide an important overview of how public works agencies can prepare for potential flood risk and build resiliency into infrastructure planning.

Water Resources Management Committee Introduction

Is That 100-Year Storm Really a 1% Chance? Discovering the Limitations of Depth Duration Frequency (DDF) Tables

DDF curves for rainfall are used to determine designs for stormwater and flood control projects. The curves are derived from statistical analysis of historical rainfall data that typically covers several decades. But these analyses have limitations that stormwater professionals need to understand to better assess flood risk. Based on extreme events observed in some regions and changes in climate patterns, the application of historical statistics is coming into question. This presentation features examples from recent storms in the Houston Metro Area.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to:

1. Discuss the limitations of DDF curves derived before modern radar technology was used to monitor storm events.

2. Identify how aerial distribution of storms affects single gauge statistics.

3. Use probability distributions to calculate frequency of extreme events beyond the 100- and 500-year models.

Using Asset Management to Drive Stormwater Improvements

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, is using an asset management approach to reimagine their stormwater management program. The master planning process began with an in-depth visioning and prioritization summit. Stormwater assets were inventoried using GIS and a condition assessment program was developed for both engineered assets and the natural system. The risk-based prioritization system weighed both consequence and likelihood of failure before a comprehensive capital improvement program (CIP) was developed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to:

1. Identify best practices for building resiliency into your stormwater management practice.

2. Develop communication strategies to promote the value of stormwater planning and management to various stakeholders including the public, business interests, and elected officials.

3. Incorporate asset management principles into stormwater management practice.

Smokey HIll River Renewal: A Holistic Renewal of a Water Resource and the Community

The community of Salina, Kansas, has embarked on an exciting and ambitious plan to revitalize 6.8 miles of the Smokey Hill River corridor. In the 1960s the main channel was diverted away from downtown as a flood control measure. Today, however, a grassroots effort to reinvigorate the community and restore river flow is being planned using engineering methods to lower long-term maintenance costs and improve water quality.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to:

1. Be inspired to reinvigorate forgotten and neglected areas near local water resources.

2. Use various public engagement tools to align projects with goals for flood control, passive recreation, and ecosystem restoration.

3. Explore engineering methods to lower long-term maintenance costs and build resiliency.

Panel Discussion: Resiliency in the Wake of Water-Driven Disasters

Recent history demonstrates the challenges public works professionals face when nature throws a curve ball. This panel discussion will focus on the opportunities created for development of sustainable and resilient water system infrastructure, through recovery measures and ultimate rehabilitation/repair of water systems. The panel will include representatives from Emergency Management and Water Resources Technical Committees along with FEMA staff. Climate impacts require sustainable strategies to protect our communities and to recover from potential impacts of water-driven emergencies.

Put this session on your schedule! Join us for a completely interactive, compelling, and relevant exploration of the challenges and solutions public works directors encounter every day. Who will pick the topics to be discussed? YOU! Who will be the speakers? YOU! Be inspired to share your story and learn from the mastery achieved by of some of North America’s best and brightest public works leaders. You are going to be so enthused about what you are learning - you'll be tweeting out your insights to your colleagues who can't join us!

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be better able to: 

• Advocate for the public works profession and public infrastructure and services.
• Collaborate with fellow public works directors from across North America in pursuit of solutions to public works challenges.
• Realize the huge impact your leadership and creativity can have on your departments and communities.

Unpaved roads account for approximately 35 percent of the nations’ roadways. For some states, unpaved roads make up the majority of their roadway networks and incur a large percentage of total fatalities. This presentation will review available information for unpaved road safety.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to: 

• Identify the safety issues that unpaved roads present to the driving public.
• Research existing unpaved road practices.
• Develop safety practices for unpaved roads in your jurisdiction.

APWA Chapter leaders and administrators – this session is for you! Only 10 of the 63 APWA Chapters currently have a Utilities and Rights-of-Way (UPROW) Committee. The National UPROW committee is promoting the establishment of UPROW committees in all chapters to improve APWA member access to resources that will facilitate the management of rights-of-way. The National UPROW committee recently developed a white paper to inform communities of the lessons-learned by those that have experienced rapid fiber installations. APWA Chapter UPROW committees can assist in this information dissemination by hosting forums to share information and brainstorm solutions.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to: 

• Discuss the fundamental value of creating an UPROW Committee in your chapter.
• Identify the steps to establishing and chapter UPROW Committee.
• Advocate for APWA membership on topics related to utilities and public rights-of-way.

The panel will focus on the process of developing maintenance strategies using CMMS and GIS spatial analysis tools and applying criticality scoring to asset decision-making.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to: 

• Describe the importance of maintenance strategies as part of a total asset management program.
• Apply GIS spatial analysis to asset management and risk mitigation efforts.
• Discuss how to develop an enterprise-wide facilities asset management program.

Over the past two-years, the City of Upper Arlington, Ohio, has sent staff from all levels to the Lean Six-Sigma Bootcamp. A committee has been formed to apply the continuous improvement process to various departmental activities. The lean approach involves making a workplace efficient and effective as possible, reducing waste and using value stream maps. These processes can be used for a range of activities from a simple spring cleaning of your workspace to a full departmental process change. Discover how the City of Upper Arlington is integrating these principles into their operations.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to: 

• Identify potential areas for improvement for both serving both internal and external customers.
• Collaborate as a team to identity and examine inefficiencies in processes.
• Modify workplace procedures to reduce delays and improve customer service.

The American Public Works Association (APWA), in association with the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College (EI), is pleased to introduce the 2018 Jennings Randolph International Fellow, Jason Waldron, who participated in this unique international study and professional exchange opportunity to promote collaboration and the sharing of public works best practices.

Public works departments across the nation are developing strategies to manage the increased transportation demands placed upon the public right-of-way and to use data to better city services and improve the citizen experience. Two cities that have similar experiences dealing with these issues are Kansas City, Missouri and Sydney, South Wales. Learn how both cities have implemented modern streetcar systems within the public right-of-way and developed smart city policies. Hear how their shared experiences helped identify best practices and lessons learned on emerging and re-emerging technologies that are influencing public works policy.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to: 

• Identify key characteristics and policies that make a good streetcar corridor.
• Define and describe what it is to be a “smart city.”
• Identify funding and organizational strategies for smart city and streetcar systems.

Many agencies under pressure to reduce the use of chlorides in winter maintenance are switching to liquids-based solutions including salt brine, other chloride brines, and a blend of these brines with a variety of carbohydrate-based additives. This session will explore best practices for using liquids and provide you the tools to weigh the associated labor, equipment, and materials costs.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to: 

• Quantify the expected reductions in total salt use from implementing a liquids program.
• Identify the costs, potential reductions, and benefits of switching to liquid-assisted snow and ice management solutions.
• Describe how a fully implemented liquids program will provide improved levels of service and safety.

When disasters and emergencies occur, public works personnel are among the first to respond. Public works provides traffic control and debris management; assists with rescue, evacuation, damage assessment, infrastructure repair, and service restoration. Attend this session to examine what agencies should do to have the resources, training, policies and procedures to be ready and responsive for all-hazards incidents. We will discuss responsibilities and unique capabilities of public works in emergencies and planned special events. Public works must have a seat at the table with police, fire, and public health when it comes to planning, training, exercising, and actually managing incidents.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to: 

• Recognize the evolving role of public works in local and national emergency management.
• Assess your agency’s current capabilities to deal with all-hazards incidents.
• Determine what training, equipping, and planning is needed to improve your agency’s readiness to respond to and recover from all types and levels of emergency situations.

Learn how to leverage partnerships with public and private organizations that will help expand operational and financial resources. This panel discussion will highlight strategies implemented by small communities to benefit the bottom line. 

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to:

• Analyze opportunities for partnerships available in your small/rural community.
• Identify creative ways to negotiate public/private partnership agreements to provide mutual benefit to all stake holders.
• Develop a strategy for implementing policies for structuring public/private partnership arrangements.