Thumbnail for APWA 2023 North American Snow Conference

APWA 2023 North American Snow Conference

$179
Standard Price

The 2023 Snow Conference has it all, from expert-led snow and ice education sessions to an exhibit floor full of vendors excited to show you the latest winter maintenance solutions for your community. Make plans now to join your peers and take advantage of everything the Snow Conference has to offer.

  • Thumbnail for Automation of Level of Service Measurement for Snow Operations
    Date
    April 16, 2023

    Public works and winter maintenance organizations require a published plan to direct operations and provide metrics to measure performance to provide world-class service to stakeholders. The plan should provide the key performance indicators (KPI) that can be measured and tracked to determine the level of service by the winter maintenance team. The session will outline the three key processes of the winter maintenance plan that is designed to present KPIs to monitor performance: 

    1. A detailed winter maintenance plan, including KPIs to score effectiveness based on storm intensity. 

    2. Snow asset telematics to automate data collection that forms the backbone of the KPI determination. Plow status includes lane miles plowed, location of deicing material application, volume of material applied, timing of material application based on road/air temp/grip, performance per defined snow route, and storm intensity. 

    3. Provide reporting and analytics to get the level of service calculation based on goals provided in the winter maintenance plan. Attendees will take away proven methods to provide near real-time measurement of the level of service, enabling management to lead organizations with a culture of continuous improvement. Real case studies of organizations committed to this process will be presented. The implementation of an automated level of service process will reap the benefits of: 

    • Increased safety for your staff and the stakeholders that use your transportation network 

    • Improved efficiency of labor and materials as you work 

    • Real data to provide accountability to your plan 

    • Sustainability as you work with the least possible environmental strain with deicing materials and reduced carbon emissions.

    Objectives

    • Accurately measure snow event material and labor costs through snow operation telematics automation.
    • Identify optimized and prioritized route planning.
    • Calculate material usage for future snow events based on accurate event data.

    Speakers

    Speaker Image for Paul Brown
    President, Innovative Maintenance Solutions
  • Thumbnail for Hiring Maintenance Employees? Find a Qualified Candidate Pool in Your Own Backyard
    Date
    April 16, 2023

    Front Range Community College is partnering with state and local maintenance agencies to offer a high school internship program that develops qualified public works candidates. Until now, your candidate pool probably had little or no knowledge about the work they will do or how it will get done. Our high school internship program starts with two weeks of OSHA-10 training and certification in construction or general industry. This is followed by 13 weeks of Highway 101—Introduction to Maintenance Operations, which is the revised version of our degree program course. Then students participate in a paid internship at a state or local facility for six–eight weeks, which could lead to full-time employment upon successful completion of the program. The students earn six college credits towards their associate’s degree if they continue. Classes are currently held in real-time-remote (Zoom) format, and the model is flexible to accommodate other delivery methods. This program is for non-college track seniors in their graduating semester. It allows them to gain full-time employment immediately upon graduation, and allows agencies to hire local, youthful, and knowledgeable employees.

    Objectives

    • Recognize the benefit of collaborating with their local high schools to provide career opportunities in public works/maintenance for graduates.
    • Fill their vacancies with employees knowledgeable in preservation and preventive measures, asset management, traffic control, safety, etc.
    • Support the members of their community by: - Developing a knowledgeable workforce better able to serve them - Providing long-term, full-time employment for their youth - Engaging students in a career path they never knew existed

    Speaker

    Speaker Image for Susan Baillargeon
    Program Director, Front Range Community College
  • Thumbnail for In the Know for Sidewalk Snow
    Date
    April 16, 2023

    Maintaining sidewalks during and after snow in your community may seem like a cumbersome task. Therefore many communities don't plow their sidewalks, leaving them to take a back seat to street snowplowing operations. Do we really have to plow the sidewalks? In short, yes, and, by the way, it's the right thing to do. In this presentation, attendees will learn considerations for a sidewalk snowplowing program, the responsibilities of the municipality, and tips for sidewalk operations.

    Objectives

    • Prioritize the considerations for which sidewalks to plow.
    • Navigate the challenges of ADA compliance during winter months.
    • Develop strategies for implementing a sidewalk snow-clearing program.

    Speaker

    Speaker Image for Shane Mark
    Assistant Director of Public Works, Town of Needham Public Works Department
  • Thumbnail for Using Winter Maintenance Programs to Power Smart City Initiatives
    Date
    April 16, 2023

    The concept of Smart Cities continues to be applicable to all divisions of state and local government, with some agencies investigating what this means for them, while others are active with Smart City programs. Regardless of the stage of your agency, how does it apply to public works and, specifically, winter maintenance? This session will review examples from agencies successfully connecting their winter maintenance programs to Smart City initiatives, describe their challenges and obstacles, and explain how they reached their goals.

    Objectives

    • Simplify Smart City definitions and how they relate to them and their public works team.
    • Review what Smart City solutions can look like and how implementations are impacting government agencies.
    • Identify how Smart City solutions are directly connected to their winter maintenance program and how they can have a positive impact.

    Speakers

    Speaker Image for Chris Jackson
    Associate VP, Public Sector Solutions, Geotab Inc.
    Speaker Image for Daniel Lai
    City of Bellevue
    Speaker Image for Marsilino Bilatos
    Business Development Manager, Public Works, Geotab Inc.
  • Thumbnail for Liquids in a Small Community
    Date
    April 16, 2023

    The presenters will focus on implementing a successful liquid program in a community with a population of less than 20,000. Different products and equipment will be discussed for the practical application of liquid deicers during winter events. Community partnerships are great tools for implementing a successful program.

    Objectives

    • Identify equipment needed for a liquids program.
    • Identify possible partnerships with surrounding communities.
    • Develop a successful liquid program.

    Speaker

    Speaker Image for Kevin Hensley
    Director of Public Works, City of Grimes
  • Thumbnail for How to Make Better Decisions Using Weather Radar
    Date
    April 16, 2023

    By far, radar is the most used weather tool by nearly any professional making decisions about weather. Radar seems like a simple concept—the colored pixels represent precipitation, and if you loop it, it tells you which way the precipitation is moving. In reality, radar is one of the most complex weather tools a meteorologist has and requires significant training. Poor understanding of a weather radar causes supervisors to interpret the radar incorrectly and thus make bad decisions. In this session, attendees will take a fresh look at the weather radar, the best digital places to view radar images, and how to best incorporate it in the decision process using other complementary tools. The presenters will produce clear steps and actions the audience can take to ensure next winter, they are using weather radar to its full potential and making better decisions.

    Objectives

    • Identify the best time to use weather radar and when to use another tool.
    • Interpret a weather radar and understand what it is telling them.
    • Formulate better decisions using all available weather information.

    Speaker

    Speaker Image for Jon Tarleton
    Vice President and Meteorologist, Baron Weather Inc.
  • Thumbnail for City of Lincoln Builds Trust with Public Through Operational Independence and Technology Enhancements
    Date
    April 16, 2023
    In a city with a population of nearly 300,000, active daily media coverage of City winter operations and high public expectations puts Lincoln Transportation and Utilities' Winter Operations program in the spotlight. Find out what the Transportation division has done to create operational independence and enhance technology that ultimately pays off through a variety of public engagement efforts and has earned the City an APWA award.

    Objectives

    • Identify steps to work towards operational independence
    • Understand why and how the City developed certain tools that increase efficiency and transparency
    • Watch a variety of public engagement efforts being developed to build trust and education with the public and media.

    Speakers

    Speaker Image for Erika Hill
    Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities
    Speaker Image for Liz Elliott
    Director, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities
    Speaker Image for Tim Byrne
    City of Lincoln
  • Thumbnail for The Science and Experiences of Helping You Select The Right Liquid Deicer Products for Your Agency
    Date
    April 16, 2023

    This session will highlight some of the challenges and confusion prevalent in the public works profession when selecting liquid deicer products. The speakers will address the science and also share personal experiences with liquid deicers.

    Objectives

    • Recognize testing and the benefits of using the Clear Roads Qualified Product List.
    • Determine how to select and test the best liquid deicer products for their operations.
    • Implement best practices regarding liquid deicer product selection.

    Speakers

    Speaker Image for Laura Fay
    Research Scientist, Western Transportation Institute - Montana State University
    Speaker Image for Bret Hodne
    Public Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado
  • Thumbnail for The Decider Guide: How and When to Use Cooperative Purchasing Contracts to Add to Your Public Dollar
    Date
    April 16, 2023

    You put a lot of time and energy into your operations to make them run smoothly. Purchasing puts a lot of time and energy into solicitations to be compliant and follow legal processes. Your goals may sometimes seem conflicting, but when leveraged effectively, you can get the equipment you need when you need it. Cooperative purchasing can help. Learn the value of cooperative purchasing, including what it is and how to use it to streamline your buying process. This session will share tools to help you maximize your use of cooperative contracts to increase the value of your spend.

    Objectives

    • Describe cooperative purchasing, including what it is and how to use cooperative contracts.
    • Recognize the trends and benefits of cooperative purchasing.
    • Establish an action plan to use cooperative contracts for upcoming purchasing needs.

    Speakers

    Speaker Image for Kelly McAllister
    Contract Administration Supervisor, Sourcewell
    Speaker Image for Rob Amundson
    Sourcewell
  • Thumbnail for “Enviroproofing” Your Winter Maintenance Program
    Date
    April 17, 2023

    An increasing number of agencies have to adapt their winter maintenance operations because of environmental concerns over chlorides in groundwater, rivers, lakes, and streams. In this session, we will examine how chlorides can impact the environment and then focus on the methods identified as being appropriate to mitigate these impacts. Specifically, these methods are taken from various variance documents that agencies must commit to in their winter maintenance operations. As such, they are to some degree "approved," and implementing them (if you are not already doing so) will allow you to “enviroproof” your winter maintenance.

    Objectives

    • Describe how chlorides can negatively impact groundwater, lakes, rivers, and streams.
    • List the methods agencies have been required to implement to mitigate chloride impacts as part of variance agreements.
    • Describe how to implement the methods described above.

    Speaker

    Speaker Image for Wilfrid Nixon
    Wilfrid Nixon, Ph.D., P.E., PWLF
    President, Professional Snowfighters Association
  • Thumbnail for City and County of Denver: Department of Transportation and Infrastructure – Snow Response Strategy Enhancements
    Date
    April 17, 2023

    This presentation is a compilation of the challenges met and addressed during the 2021-22 snow season. In addition, it is a summary of the preparations taken by the City and County of Denver to recently revamp their deployment strategy during snow events. This presentation describes how Denver responds to snow events and how success is defined.

    Objectives

    • Develop a deployment strategy for snow operations in a large city with approximately 700,000 residents.
    • Develop and/or enhance the facilitation, successful coordination, and training for strategy implementation.
    • Engage in dialogue regarding challenges around developing meaningful key performance indicators for snow events.

    Speakers

    Speaker Image for Adrianne Roman
    Administrative Manager, City and County of Denver
    Speaker Image for Brian Roecker
    Engineer Supervisor, City and County of Denver
    Speaker Image for John Essex
    Asphalt Plant Operations Manager, City and County of Denver
    Speaker Image for Terrell Phillips
    Street Maintenance Director, City and County of Denver
  • Thumbnail for Building a Weather Program for Your Agency
    Date
    April 17, 2023

    Many agencies still rely on media sources and no observations for their weather information. While this information has improved, there are many affordable options for agencies to implement to help them. In this session, the presenters will discuss many new and existing technologies that agencies can implement to help make informed winter maintenance decisions. They will also examine how some agencies implemented and built their weather programs.

    Objectives

    • Determine what agencies use for weather information in their decision-making.
    • Discover what new programs and technologies are available to help make informed decisions.
    • Recognize what steps agencies take in building their weather program.

    Speakers

    Speaker Image for Ben Hershey
    Portfolio Product Manager, DTN
    Speaker Image for Bert Murillo
    Head of Roads, North America, Vaisala Inc
    Speaker Image for Mark DeVries
    Business Application Manager, Vaisala Inc
    Speaker Image for Matt Morreim
    Public Works Director, City of Shorewood
  • Thumbnail for Accurate Equipment Calibration for Winter Maintenance—Part I, “The What and the Why”
    Date
    April 17, 2023

    Accurate equipment calibration is a cornerstone best management practice for winter maintenance operations. Yet, many agencies do not recognize or understand its value. Attend the first session in this 2-part series for a first-hand account to understanding the “What” and the “Why” of calibration. Part 2 in the series will discuss the “How”.

    Objectives

    • Build knowledge and understanding of equipment calibration and its role within winter maintenance operations.
    • Discuss how accurate equipment calibration will improve the performance of your winter maintenance program, lower program costs, and minimize the environmental impact of chlorides.
    • Evaluate how accurate equipment calibration can provide the necessary data to support changes and growth for your winter maintenance program.

    Speakers

    Speaker Image for Bryan Pickworth
    Safety & Projects Coordinator, City of Farmington Hills - DPW
    Speaker Image for Diana Clonch
    Owner, D. W. Clonch
    Speaker Image for Diane Watkins
    Consultant, DW Clonch, LLC
  • Thumbnail for Successful Supervision
    Date
    April 17, 2023

    Alongside the age-old debate about the difference between leadership and management, a third category of skills is required of leaders that is distinctly different from leadership or management. Almost every leader, at every level, performs at least some form of direct supervision. Having addressed leadership behaviors in 2021's series on Learning Leadership and management skills in 2022’s series on Mastering Management, the APWA Leadership & Management Committee now aims to define what supervision is and how one does it. Just like leadership and management, supervision skills can be learned and practiced to improve. APWA's supervision framework defines those behaviors into five functions, and this session will dive into what those are and how to implement them into the participant’s experience. The five functions are: Workforce engagement Enforcing standards Documentation Assigning Group dynamics

    Objectives

    • Identify the five essential functions of supervision.
    • Examine their supervision skills for deficiencies to be remedied.
    • Use the five essential supervision functions to improve their workplace supervision abilities.

    Speakers

    Speaker Image for Chris Anderson
    Chris Anderson, AScT, CPWP-M
    Manager of Public Works, City of West Kelowna
    Speaker Image for Jonathan Gano
    Public Works Director, City of Des Moines
    Speaker Image for Ryan Blancke
    Assistant Public Works Director, York County Government
  • Thumbnail for “Icemageddon”—Christmas 2021 Extreme Winter Storms— Fairbanks, Alaska
    Date
    April 17, 2023

    Interior Alaska was hammered with a series of snow and ice storms so epic over the 2021 winter holidays that it was dubbed “Icemageddon.” Snowfighters had to respond to the initial record-precipitation event and inches of ice on roadways that hung around for months. This session will review how snowfighters responded and kept the public informed.

    Objectives

    • Assess operational challenges brought on by extreme winter events.
    • Determine information and data needed to prepare for an event that overwhelms agency capabilities.
    • Locate previously underused resources to assist in operations.

    Speaker

    Speaker Image for Dan Schacher
    Northern Region M&O Manager, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
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