Archive for the ‘Buildings & Grounds’ Category

OPWA – National Public Works Week (NPWW)

National Public Works Week (May 16-22, 2010) is a celebration of the tens of thousands of men and women in North America who provide and maintain the infrastructure and services collectively known as public works.  The OPWA Kick-off Event and Pioneers Luncheon (Thursday, May 13th) featured 7 excellent speakers discussing public works infrastructure/asset management current status, issues and several important future challenges.       

Kathleen Llewellyn-Thomas, Allan Magi, Andrew Pollock and Mike Price discuss “Challenges for the Next Decade”.

 Wally Wells, P.Eng., Wells Infrastructure Group Inc. (“Asset Management BC”) outlined the status of the Local Government Asset Management Working Group (LGAMWG).  The group has finalized their terms of reference, vision, mission and objectives.  The ‘way forward’ for the group will be:       

• PSAB 3150 follow-up (i.e. condition assessment guidelines)
• Integration – focus on core strengths and deliverables
• Communication – get the message out and solicit input from stakeholders; educate public and politicians
• BC Knowledge Product – follow up actions
• Pilot projects – find practical asset management (AM) solutions
• Tools – create a ‘tool chest’ for sustainable AM
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Michael Mortimer, P.Eng., Program Manager, CSA Standards provided an update on CSA training and publications for buildings and municipal public works.  The Municipal Infrastructure Solutions Program (MSIP) focuses on delivering practical, pragmatic and proven tools and services in the form of new standards, best-practice guides, technologies and training offerings.
Currently there are 14 technical committees/working groups established to guide the development of additional courses and publications.  CSA would welcome additional knowledgeable participants on these advisory committees.
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An excellent round table discussion –“Challenges for the Next Decade”- featured Kathleen Llewellyn-Thomas, P.Eng., York Region (transportation), Allan Magi, P.Eng., City of Birlington (facilities), Andrew Pollock, Niagara Region (solid waste) and Mike Price, P.Eng., Mike Price& Associates Inc. (water/wastewater).
Some of the issues/challenges outlined included:    

Transportation
• Fiscal sustainability
• Accommodating urban growth
• Succession planning     

Facilities
• Performance measurement similar to linear assets needed
• Consistent condition assessment approach (i.e. facility condition index)
• Energy management
• Funding/inflation
• Multiple use facilities to address aging population and recent immigration patterns/interests   

The new MTO maintenance facility at Hwy 401/Hurontario was built with the latest green technologies. It will require consistent condition monitoring and assessment to ensure full service life.

  Waste Management
• Recycling – move to full producer responsibility (Waste Diversion Act/June 2010)
• Composting – 2nd generation plants, different/conflicting methods; biofuel
• Disposal – landfill capacity; district heating potential/projects (Durham); fuel production from waste    

Water/Wastewater
• Source Protection – world-wide and in Canada
• Future design/capacities of infrastructure – considering reductions in usage (i.e. condos)
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The keynote speaker Reg Andres, P.Eng., Vice President, R.V. Anderson Associates Limited presented ‘Sustainable Infrastructure Management – Where We Are & Where We Are Going”. 
His main message for OPWA members….asset management has come a long way; OPWA members need to lead the way into the future; continue to get the message out regarding infrastructure management, funding and sustainability.
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RoadMap:
• National (Canada) Asset Management
• Asset Management International – Dr. Penny Burns (Australia) 
CentreLine:   “An asset without a user is an asset without a value” 

By Graham Zeisner in Association, Buildings & Grounds, Fleet, Roads & Bridges, Sewer & Wastewater, Solid Waste Disposal/Recycling, Transportation, Water on May 19th, 2010 - No Comments »
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National Public Works Week 2010

When I joined APWA in 2004, I received a very comprehensive package of promotional material in the mail which included a letter of thanks, information about their services, the Info Now network, the historical society, benefits of membership and a publications/resources catalogue. Needless to say, I was impressed and as we all know…you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression”.

Harry Campbell's graphic interpretation of the theme "Public Works: Above, Below & All Around You".

Over the years their publications and promotional materials have been consistently relevant, essential and timely. The National Public Works Week (NPWW) flyer that I received this week is no exception. The flyer cover – a copy of the 2010 NPWW poster by illustrator Harry Campbell – is an amazing interpretation of the theme “Public Works: Above, Below, & All Around You” .

Harry’s distinctive graphic line illustration work can be found in most major publications including The New York Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, and many others. A graduate of The Maryland Institute College of Art where he also has taught. Campbell has received numerous awards from The Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, and American Illustration.

National Public Works Week (NPWW) 2010 is celebrated on May 16-22. Instituted as a public education campaign by the American Public Works Association (APWA) in 1960, NPWW calls attention to the importance of public works in community life. The Week seeks to enhance the prestige of the often–unsung heroes of our society–the professionals who serve the public good every day with quiet dedication.

The Association of Ontario Road Supervisors (AORS) has formally partnered with the Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) – A Chapter of APWA/CPWA. One of the goals of this agreement is to cross promote the partner’s significant events and awards including NPWW. OPWA has two awards available for NPWW in Ontario including:

  • Municipalities with more than 150,000 (The Bruce Brunton Trophy)
  • Municipalities with populations of 150,000 or less (The Roger Brown Trophy).

Township of Scugog staff and elected officials - winners of the Roger Brown Trophy.

The 2009 winner in the first category was the City of Brampton and the second category was the Township of Scugog. Congratulations to both Municipalities and their staff or organizing such great programs that met the strategic objectives of the program.

In my opinion, NPWW activities are like APWA publications. They’re opportunity to make a great impression…a lasting impression of your Municipal public works department and its important role in providing essential quality of life services in our communities. From my conversations with representatives of the winning teams, it doesn’t take a great deal of time or resources to make any NPWW celebratory event memorable. On the other hand, the benefits – award and trophies notwithstanding – including increased morale, teamwork and pride amongst participating Municipal staff are enormous.

So….don’t forget those dates…..May 16-22. If you and your Municipality are interested in supporting NPWW in Ontario please contact anyone at OPWA or AORS or better yet, talk to the Municipalities who have participated in the past. There is no sense in reinventing the wheel.
These folks have lots of experience and good ideas so tap into it.

CentreLine: NPWW is an opportunity to shout from the rooftops “We are public works”.

By Graham Zeisner in AORS, Association, Buildings & Grounds, Certification & Training, Fleet, Municipal Elected Officials, Parks & Recreation, Roads & Bridges, Sewer & Wastewater, Snow & Ice Control, Solid Waste Disposal/Recycling, Stormwater, Transportation, Water, Winter on February 17th, 2010 - No Comments »
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Landscape Ontario Congress (Face2Face) – A Participants Perspective

First impressions and lasting impressions really count

I don’t know what the final attendance was at the Landscape Ontario Congress 2010 but I’m sure they exceeded – so I heard – last year by a significant amount.  I hope so because the Face2Face Congress really raised the bar for this type of event.  For anyone interested in horticultural, lawn or garden equipment, services and supplies there was ample opportunity to network, learn and participate throughout the massive venue.

We had several hands on deck at the AORS booth (Education Section) so I had plenty of time to walk around, network, take pictures and just generally observe the features that make this event so successful and so consistent throughout the 4 days.

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Face2Face registration staff were efficient and professional.

Monday, January 11th - Congress Symposiums

Although I didn’t attend the Congress on Monday there was a full slate of a full slate of all-day, specialty programs and conferences including:

I like the idea of offering educational/accreditation opportunities on a separate opening day.  As well, Landscape Ontario’s partners in education have an opportunity to promote their related programs and services.  This really enhances the overall experience for attendees because there is something on the agenda for everyone.  The message is clear from opening day. If you want to learn and be successful in the landscape business then this is the event to attend and participate.

Tuesday, January 12th – Congress Conference (Day 1for those of us at the AORS booth)

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Creighton Rock Drill booth featuring 'Greenplus'

Hassel free parking…check.  Hassel free registration….check.  If you are going to attend an event of this size you want to be able to get inside the venue as quickly as possible.  Landscape Ontario staff, volunteers and contractors showed us how it’s done.  Despite thousands of cars descending on the show traffic and parking control persons did a great job and there were many professionally staffed registration tables at the entrance.  In no more than 5 minutes I had my badge, brochure bag and was at the AORS booth ready to work.  Despite our location – perhaps a bit too close to the entrance – we had lots of interest in our educational programs (particularly the equipment operator safety and skills series), annual Trade Show and Spotlight directory.  For attendees and suppliers to get the most out of this event – and all similar shows – you really have to be pro-active, participative and patient.  You only get out of it what you put in so everyone in our booth took turns circulating throughout the venue, talking with some AORS current and potential supplier members.

For the other attendees there was a full slate of Prosperity Partner educational sessions centred around the six pillars of business success…. Sales, Financial Health, Developing Customers for Life, Professional Operations, Leadership Excellence and Technical Expertise.

Highlight Tuesday: If you want a dose of infectious enthusiasm for a ‘green product’ and AORS just have a talk with Peter Creighton (Creighton Rock Drill/CRD).  So that’s what I did.  As usual CRD’s award winning booth (CRD won the ‘Best Inside Booth Award at the 2009 AORS Trade Show) was busy and filled with lots of information and displays about their drilling, breaking, demolition and compaction tools/attachments.  Also featured was Greenplus Hydraulic Fluid ES an environmentally safe high performance biodegradable/non-toxic lubricant made from vegetable oils.

Wednesday, January 13th

On Wednesday Mick Scott, AORS Support Services Coordinator and Lyle Morris, AORS (Past President, 1998) joined us in the booth.  We a fairly good flow of traffic and the professional, proactive approach of the booth volunteers ensured that we made the most of our time at the show. Educational sessions focused on technical expertise, financial health and leadership excellence required for success in the landscape business. The Equipment Dealers Forum was new for 2010 and is an great idea to implement at the AORS Trade Show.

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The 'Certificatied Wall of Fame' was my personal favourite idea from Face2Face.

Highlight Wednesday: “I can sell you a booth, but I’d rather sell you an opportunity”.  These enthusiastic words were spoken by Lorraine Ivanoff, Trade Show Sales representative, Landscape Ontario.  I encountered Lorraine at the Congress office while renewing the AORS booth for 2010.  I mentioned the issues with our booth location near the main entrance and Lorraine took the opportunity to explain to me why and how we ended up there.  Needless to say, I now understand why the ‘education’ booths are located where they are (i.e. we are not-for –profit so we don’t pay full fee).  However Lorraine also explained that if AORS wanted to improve its profile (e.g. promote 50th anniversary in 2011) at this show there are many other options (e.g. forum, mini conference/symposium) available that we could consider for next year.  I think some of her ideas have merit and I’ll be meeting with her soon to discuss them in more detail.

Thursday, January 14th

The final day of the Congress is perhaps a bit quieter than the previous two but surprisingly there is always a pretty steady flow of attendees – particularly students – throughout the morning. I decided to stay over for the final day and I’m glad I did.

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The Welcome Centre was a well designed area to relax and get some Landscape Ontario information from enthusiastic volunteers.

Highlight Thursday: The 8 educational sessions on Day 3 included a technical expertise session – The Marketing Power of Good Photography.  Being an avid amateur photographer I thought this session might be helpful.  The session leader, Nik Milner (Nik Milner Photography) provided some composition techniques to maximize the visual potential photographs particularly for use in various media and on the web.  Nik was very animated and enthusiastic and I’m sure that everyone at this well attended seminar got some useful tidbit to use to improve their work.

The Welcome Centre completely lived up to its name.  This beautifully designed and professionally staffed area was the perfect place to relax, enjoy a cup of coffee, look for a job, get information on training/accreditation or just put your feet up and take a load off.  The Certification Wall of Fame was the focal point for sure. This is a great idea for AORS 2011 Trade Show.

RoadMap: Garden and Floral Expo – October 20-21/2009

CentreLine: Face2Face Congress set a high standard for similar events. Organizations that partner with Landscape Ontario during this and future events stand to gain significant credibility and positive exposure.

By Graham Zeisner in AORS, Association, Buildings & Grounds, Certification & Training, Fleet, Parks & Recreation, Winter on January 18th, 2010 - No Comments »
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New MTO Hurontario Maintenance Depot Progressing Well

The Navan (Colonial Road) Depot is still well maintained.

The City of Ottawa Navan (Colonial Road) depot is still well maintained.

I have always been fascinated by road maintenance/operations buildings.  I guess it goes back to my early years (1972 -1979) when I reported for work at the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton depot in Navan Ontario.  I just loved that place.  It was a very typical facility – 3 administrative/supervisor offices, attached 3 double bay garage, lunch room and washroom.  Everyone took turns helping ‘Big Daddy’ – the designated cleaner – keep all parts of the building spic and span.  Even the salt dome was meticulously groomed….long before anyone heard of salt management plans.  We had our own garden and many memorable Christmas parties were celebrated in the lunchroom.  The men were proud of the building and grounds and it showed.  We appreciated the clean, safe work environment and I’m sure that it was reflected in our work ethic and productivity.

As I travel around the Province I pay special attention to similar Municipal buildings and their physical state.  I am always very surprised and disheartened when I see some poorly maintained works depot. In my opinion many maintenance managers, administrators and elected officials fail to recognize that a shabby work environment has a significant negative effect on staff morale, health and performance.

The new MTO maintenance depot at Hurontario Road and Hwy 410 is particularly interesting to me.  When completed this modern facility will replace a dilapidated, decades old building that is the current ‘shop’ for TWD Area Maintenance/ Contract staff.  This construction has been accelerated because of the complete realignment of the 401 and Hurontario intersection/ramp configuration.

I dropped in recently (twice) to take some pictures and speak with the TWD staff who are very anxious to move into their new digs. Looks like they will have to wait a few more months. I’ll continue to monitor the construction of this depot and post more pictures and update information.

RoadMap: Joe Stea, MTO Operations Officer, presentation – MTO Patrol Yard Facilities; Damage and Maintenance.

Is Your Salt Storage Facility Ready for Winter?

CentreLine: A clean, safe works ‘shop’ is key to creating a positive, productive and successful public works environment.

By Graham Zeisner in Buildings & Grounds, Fleet, Health & Safety, Municipal Elected Officials on October 14th, 2009 - No Comments »

Is Your Salt Storage Facility Ready For Winter?

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Salt storage and loading can be done inside this dome to avoid negative environmental impacts.

Last night the local weatherman apologized for using the word ‘snow’ for the first time this year.  Now, we aren’t going to get the white stuff in Ottawa for a while hopefully but he was pointing at Timmins on his weather map.  They are used to that up on there on the 480  latitude. 

However, that begs the question.  Is everyone ready for some snowfall and are your salt/sand/abrasive storage facilities ready for winter?

This topic was on the agenda of an MTO (Maintenance Session) Fall Meeting I attended recently.  Joe Stea, MTO Operations Officer, presented – MTO Patrol Yard Facilities; Damage and Maintenance. 

The graphics in his presentation reminded me that I had taken numerous photos of maintenance facilities that are not well maintained and/or have not been upgraded to meet the basic requirements outlined by Environment Canada’s Code of Practice for Salt Management.

In particular I think that many municipalities can achieve some relatively quick fixes and wins in 1) drainage and storm water management and 2) salt storage/handling.

The Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) has some excellent resources on their website to address these issues including:

Synthesis of Best Practices Road Salt Management

I encourage Municipal and private sector employees to review these documents and compare the suggested best management practices to their own operation.  Any discrepancies should also become obvious in your salt management plans.  

The Association of Ontario Road Supervisors has a comprehensive program of winter training seminars and the Ontario Good Roads Association organizes international winter maintenance experts each year at their Snow and Ice Colloquium in Mississauga. 

Learn More:  Joe Stea’s presentation (.pdf)

CentreLine:  Winter maintenance personnel have many resources available to ensure their operations stay within Environment Canada’s Code of Practice for Salt Managment.

These are some pictures I took of the new MTO/TWD maintenance facility at Hwy 401 and Hurontario in Mississauga.  I’ll continue to visit there over the next few weeks to check on the progress and update pictures.

By Graham Zeisner in AORS, Association, Buildings & Grounds, Fleet, Sewer & Wastewater, Snow & Ice Control, Water, Winter on September 15th, 2009 - No Comments »
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How Not To Mow A Steep Ditch or Service Request 101

Part 1 – The Problem

I knew this was going to happen.  Last fall the City of Ottawa undertook some storm water drainage improvements inregraded ditch my area of Ottawa (old Nepean/Saint Claire Gardens).  New culverts were installed and several ditches were regraded/lowered and hydroseeded.  

This spring the grass really germinated and grew well with the record rainfall (e.g.  234 millimetres, passing the previous record set in June 2002 by about 10 millimetres).  Unfortunately for one of my neighbours, Derek Barnes, the slope and depth of the new ditch adjoining his property prevented him from mowing the grass….and it was getting long and unsightly.

A frustrated Mr. Barnes contacted the City and was told that if he doesn’t maintain the easement, then the city could do it for him and add the cost of the work to his property-tax bill. The City of Ottawa Bylaw 2003-498 states that homeowners are responsible for maintaining ditches that are part of the easement abutting their properties. 

The rest of the story in the Ottawa Citizen.

Part 2 – The Response

The City of Ottawa operations staff responded quickly to the situation after the story hit the Ottawa Citizen. 

Part 3 – You Did What Without a Work Order?

 Turns out the City of Ottawa employee – Paul Martin – who did the mowing used his common sense but forgot to get a work order first.  As a result, he was summoned to a disciplinary meeting where his unauthorized use of city equipment (i.e. the remote controlled mower) was examined. 

The Ottawa Citizen heard about this ridiculous dilemma for the employee and contacted Mr. Barnes’ local councillor (Rick Chiarelli; my Councillor as well) who promptly had a discussion with operations senior staff.  Turns out Paul Martin won’t be disciplined after all for using common sense.

The rest and final chapter of this story (perhaps) in the Ottawa Citizen

CentreLine: Don’t let a work order stand in the way of common sense.

By Graham Zeisner in Buildings & Grounds, Municipal Elected Officials, Roads & Bridges, Stormwater, Water on August 5th, 2009 - No Comments »
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Public review of the Initial Proposed Accessible Built Environment Standard

On July 14, 2009, the Ontario government released the initial proposed Accessible Built Environment Standard for a public review period.

The initial proposed standard sets out specific requirements for making the built environment in Ontario accessible, including all new construction and extensive renovations.

Until October 16, 2009, everyone in Ontario can review the proposed standard and submit comments.

Learn More:  Development of the Accessible Built Environmental Standard: Where are we now.

By Graham Zeisner in Buildings & Grounds on July 27th, 2009 - No Comments »
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Public Works Update

I subscribe to Public Works Update which is an online e-newsletter published twice monthly  by publishing company Hanley Wood.

 
In each edition of the PUBLIC WORKS Update you can expect to find the latest industry news, trends and information from across the country (USA), as well as selections from the latest PUBLIC WORKS Magazine. Many of the articles relate to American public works issues but obviously there are a lot of common issues, challenges, equipment etc. that should be of interest.  I will continue to provide this link on a monthly basis for your information.

Learn More: 3rd June Public Works Update & 17 June PW Update

By Graham Zeisner in Buildings & Grounds, Fleet, Health & Safety, Parks & Recreation, Roads & Bridges, Sewer & Wastewater, Transportation, Water on June 18th, 2009 - No Comments »