The Public Works Nerds

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Deb Heiser and I nerd out about the City Engineers Association of Minnesota, a unique organization of municipal engineers. We talk about CEAM's mission, committees and purpose. We also dive into what role CEAM plays in the distribution of Minnesota's gas tax.  We would love to hear from others about how your state's gas tax is distributed to various...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Ross Bittner, Engineering Services Manager from Edina, Minnesota, who has an extraordinary passion for water resources and a knack for innovation.  Ross and I nerd out in this episode about a new Adaptive Level Control System that the City of Edina is using to create additional storage in a stormwater pond in advance of rain events. Listen in as we discuss the details of this...

Send us Fan Mail This week we are joined by Nick Egger, Public Works Director for the City of Rosemount, MN. Nick steps back to his time with the City of Hastings, MN and the management of a water contamination event in 2018. Nick talks about how they discovered the contamination, lessons learned about communication, and working with the state Department of Health. We also talk about how the water...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Marc and guest co-host Deb Heiser talk to Paul Pasko from Electro Scan, Inc. Paul talks about using new technologies to assess the condition of water and sewer pipes. We also talk about using trenchless techniques to rehabilitate pipes and how the future of pipe replacement will be finding small segments to replace/rehabilitate versus replacing the entire length of...

Send us Fan Mail Marc and Mike go solo in this episode focusing on Traffic Engineering for Cities. Leveraging Mike's years of compiling data and producing reports and guides for various traffic related issues at the City level, the Public Works Nerds tackle a couple of frequent complaints such as speeding, request for stop signs and crosswalks. We also touch briefly on Complete Streets Polici...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you merge the world of public works with drone technology? Our guest for today's episode, Brian Simmons, a Principal Engineer with Bolton & Menk, and tech enthusiast, shares his insights. A seasoned expert in the field, Brian provides us with an engaging primer on drones and UAVs, distinguishing between the two, and underscores the growing popularity of...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kevin Wright, Communications Manager for the City of Chaska, MN, talks to us about how to use Social Media for public works events and projects. We talk about how Chaska is using Social Media, what platforms they are on and where the public is engaging with the City on social media. We also talk about the recently released "20 Tips to Up Your Agency's So...

Send us Fan Mail On Friday, July 21st, 2023 Mark Maloney will end his public works career after almost 29 years at the City of Shoreview, MN, and over 32 total years in the engineering and public works field. We are dropping this bonus episode one day before that official retirement to celebrate his remarkable career.  Mark has been a role model for many of us in Minnesota, and beyond, dedicating...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk with Scott Grayson, CEO of the American Public Works Association (APWA). Scott talks about the new strategic directions for APWA, value to public works professionals, and some challenges to the industry such as workforce and DEI initiatives. We also talk about the value of Accreditation, which is offered by APWA for public works organizations of all types. ...

Send us Fan Mail Pat Shea, General Manager of the St Paul Regional Water Service spends time with us nerds to talk about their mammoth Water Treatment Plant project including the use of Progressive Design Build to deliver the project. Pat also touches on the issue of lead service line replacement and how SPRWS's surface water source is unique in the nation. FURTHER RESOURCES Project Presentat...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we talk about transportation systems with Deb Heiser, Engineering Director of St. Louis Park, MN.  We discuss handling citizen requests,neighborhood meetings, how the city uses pilot projects to test traffic control changes in advance of street reconstruction projects, and her use of big data.  Further Resources https://www.streetlightdata.com/   http://www.mikeon...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how cities manage their assets and infrastructure? Join us as we sit down with John Gorder and Russ Matthys from the City of Egan, two award-winning engineers, who have played an instrumental role in the city's growth and management. Throughout our discussion, we'll learn about the fascinating journey of Eagan's pavement management program, which start...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we share our insights from the Smart Cities Connect conference in Denver, discussing the importance of data management for public agencies and how IoT sensors and video are revolutionizing the way we collect, analyze, and store data. We dive into the role of LiDAR in detecting pedestrians, bikes, and other objects in all light levels, and how augmented reality cou...

Send us Fan Mail What if you could reduce your reliance on salt and design better, more environmentally friendly winter maintenance strategies? Join us as we chat with Connie Fortin, the Low Salt Strategist at Bolton Mank, who shares her innovative approach to this challenge by collaborating with civil engineers, landscape architects, and planners. Discover the advancements in winter maintenance t...

Send us Fan Mail Michael Thompson, PE has been on quite a journey at Plymouth, MN, since taking over as the public works director in 2017.  Listen to learn how he has reshaped the department and the lessons he has learned.    Further Resources:   Plymouth Public Works Weekly Update Newsletter April 26, 2023            https://drive.google.com/file/d/10zwSatA9IQ1kZDpcXVmcpKMWkaqOz9kQ/view?usp=drive...

Send us Fan Mail When we think of Emergency Response, we think of ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars showing up on the scene.  Mark Ray, PE (Public Works Director for Crystal, MN) has added a fourth to that list – public works trucks.    Listen to learn how Mark:  Built key relationships across jurisdictions and city departments to help Public Works become a vital component of the emergency...

Send us Fan Mail Listen to Marc Culver, PE and Mike Spack, PE dig into their backgrounds and what they plan to do with The Public Works Nerds podcast.