APWA Central FL Branch Spring/April 2013 Newsletter

HHHH appy daylight savings to our APWA family. As the days get longer, it provides opportunity to en-joy the outdoors, hopefully recreation-al and hobby related. We recently held our Awards and Scholarship Meeting at the Great Out-doors Resort. This was an excellent event where we raised over $3,000 to donate to the Chapter for scholar-ships. We all appreciate the sponsors who generously contributed to this cause. We also recognized the Mem-ber of the Year, Project of the Year, Consultant of the Year and Vendor/Contractor of the Year. In addition, members of the Executive Board re-ceived recognition for their work vol-unteering their time to the Branch to make it the best. Don't forget May 19-25, 2013 is AP-WA National Public Works Week

with a theme of "Because of Public Works.” Amy is accepting all proclamations to show at the annual Chapter Meeting and Trade Show being held in Jack-sonville, FL from April 22-26, 2013. Hope to see you there. I want to keep this short so you'll read the remainder of the newsletter. I don't want to give away all the good things in my message. We look for-ward to a great year with additional volunteering, membership, and net-working to keep the Public Works community informed and innovated by providing the service expecta-tions sought by those we work for.

Chairman’s Message

Special points of

interest:

• Upcoming Events

Page 2

• Give Kids the World

Page 6

• Trade Show

Page 14

• Project Corner

Page 16

• Awards and Schol-arship Meeting

Page 21

Inside this issue:

2013-2014 CFB Officers

2

ASHE Transporta-tion Summit

3

Elia Twigg—Fellowship Prg

4

E-Week Awards 8

Meet Gregory Kern 9

Helsinki Trip— Bill Burns

10

New Members 1st

Quarter 2013 24

National Public

Words Week 25

Announcements 25

Spring Edition April 2013

The Central Florida Branch includes the counties of Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia.

CONTACT Christiane Nelson

(Universal Engineering)

Newsletter Editor CMNelson

@universalengineering.com

Mike McCabe, PE, Central Florida

Branch Chairman Public Works Division Mgr. City of Palm Bay

.

Page 2 APWA Central Florida Branch

SAVE THE DATE 2013!!

Chair

Mike McCabe, PE Public Works Division Mgr.

City of Palm Bay

District Representative

Amy Blaida, MPA Project Coordinator RS&H Orlando

Treasurer

Althea Parrish Utility Coordinator City of Sanford

Secretary

Angela Lawrence Operations Coordinator

Atkins

Chair-Elect

Matt LaChance Project Manager VHB Orlando

Vice Chair

Amanda Millirons Public Works Division Mgr.

City of Palm Bay

April 25 Florida Chapter Young Professionals Networking Event—Jacksonville, FL

Page 15 Fionn MacCool’s at Jacksonville Landing

Introducing Your 2013/2014 Central Florida Branch Officers

May 19-25 “Because of Public Works” Page 25 National Public Works Week

May 11 Give Kids the World Landscaping Day

June 20 Stormwater Rule Update- Panel Presentation (Part 2) / Joint with ASCE Water Resources Sheraton Orlando Downtown, 400 W. Livingston Street, Orlando FL / 12-1:30pm

April 22-26 Florida Chapter Annual Meeting and Trade Show—Jacksonville, FL

Page 14-15 Conference hotel: The Hyatt Regency Riverfront/ Trade Show: Osborn Convention Center

May 15: FES Joint Legislative Meeting, Orlando, FL—exact time and loca-

tion to be announced soon

Page 3 Spring 2013

ASHE Central Florida Presents—On the Road to Regionalism

In Partnership with MetroPlan Orlando and TeamFL

ASHE Central Florida held the Inaugural Annual E-Week Transportation Summit Meeting-

On the Road to Regionalism. The Meeting featured an excellent team of Speakers and Panel-

ists including Moderator Shelly Lauten, Former President of My Region.org. The speakers Dr.

Catherine Ross, GA Tech/Director-Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development and

Joe Milazzo, Executive Director Raleigh Durham Regional Transportation Alliance covered

topics on regionalism including the concept, method and geography of a Mega Region and uti-

lizing regionalism to enhance transportation. The Panelists included Harry Barley, Executive

Director—MetroPlan Orlando; Wayne Rich, Team Florida; Leigh Matustik, Central Florida

MPO Chair; and Bob Dallari, Seminole County Commissioner. Key questions were directed

to the audience using live polling via texting such as “At What Level should Transportation be

funded?” There was a social media contest for Tweeting and posting on Facebook during the

meeting as well. At the end of the session a Kindle Fire was awarded to ne of the social me-

dia users, and Greg Kern of APWA was the winner!!!

Greg Kern and

his Kindle Fire!

Page 4 Spring 2013

Elia Twigg is an APWA Jennings Randolph International

Fellowship Program Recipient Funded through Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College

Congratulations

Elia!!!!


.


The CFB gathered together again in February to volunteer at the Give Kids the World Village landscape day. Give Kids the World Village is a 70-acre nonprofit resort in Kissimmee, Osceola County, Florida. The organization treats children with life threatening illnesses to a weeklong, cost free fantasy vacation.

The CFB has adopted three villas and the Gingerbread House to landscape on a quarterly basis during the GKTW Landscape Days. Arrive between 7:30 and 8:00 am for sign–in and morning refreshments. After the cleanup is done, stick around for a free lunch and a chance to share your experience with oth-er volunteers. http://www.gktw.org/ This will change your life – please sign up today – it just takes a few hours of your time to make a HUGE difference.

Upcoming Dates:

♦ Saturday, May 11, 2013

♦ Saturday, August 10, 2013

♦ Saturday, November 9, 2013

Give Kids the World Quarterly Landscape Day Saturday February 23, 2013

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS!!!

Page 7 Spring 2013


New24/7onlinelibrarynowavailableAPWAmembersareabletoparticipateinliveClick,Listen&Learnpresentationswith-

outaregistrationfee,accesspreviouslyrecordedClick,Listen&Learnprogramsatno

charge,accesscontentfrompastInternationalPublicWorksCongressandExposition

sessionsatnoextracharge,readdownloadableversionsofselectbooksfromtheAP-

WAStoreatnocharge,viewselectpodcastsandtrackContinuingEducationUnitsand

Professional Development Hour credits without an administrative recording fee.

Memberswillbeabletoaccessthiscontentatanytime,makingschedulingandtheap-

provalprocessnolongernecessary.

TheAPWAboardapproved adues increaseof $15permember (excluding re-tiredandstudentmembers)tofundthisnewbene'it.Forexample,anindividu-almembershipwillbe$164(upfrom$149ayear)ago,beginningwiththeJuly1,2012membershiprenewalcycle.However,thecostforjustONEClick,Listen&Learn program is $175 for members and $300 for non-members. Taking ad-vantageof justoneof theresources in the24/7online librarymorethanpaysfortheincreaseinyourindividualmembership.Therenewalcyclewillremainthesame.Asanexample,amemberwhosemembership

doesnotexpireuntil January,willbeable to takeadvantageof thenew24/7online

resourcelibraryforsixmonthswithoutincurringanyadditionalcost.

Formoreinformation,contactyourChapterleadersorcallAPWAat1-800-848-APWA

(2792).

E Week Awards Ceremony Attended by Angela Lawrence, CFB Secretary

Page 9 Spring 2013

Gregory Kern, M.B.A., AICP, Florida Planning Manager STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates Greg has 25 years of experience in multi-modal transportation planning in Florida, with expertise in local and regional planning for bicycle/pedestrian facili-ties, transit services, and roadway improvements. His clients include FDOT, several MPOs/TPOs, counties, municipalities, and LYNX. Greg has been married for over 32 years to his high school sweetheart, has a 29 year old son who is a minister in Tampa, and a 25 year-old daughter who is a 4th grade teacher in Seminole County. Raised in Miami, Greg is an avid fisher-man, typically found kayaking in the north Indian River and the St. Johns Riv-er. Greg is now serving as the Membership Chair for the Central FL

Branch. So if you are a new member, you will certainly receive a warm welcome from Greg!

APWA Central Florida Branch Membership Chair

SAVE THE DATE!SAVE THE DATE! APWA 2013 Congress will be held in Chicago, IL, August 25-28, 2013

The Best Show in Public Works

August 25–28, 2013

McCormick Place, Chicago, IL

For more than 100 years, the APWA Interna�onal Public Works Congress & Exposi�on has drawn thou-

sands of public works professionals from all over the world. If you're like many, you have limited re-

sources for professional development, so you've chosen APWA's Congress as your preferred venue for:

• Outstanding educa�on sessions that address current public works issues—as well as ongoing chal-

lenges. Choose from more than 125 technical and professional development sessions that will be pre-

sented by your colleagues—who will impart their vital knowledge and experience to you. APWA's educa-

�on sessions are based on the very latest learning models—classroom, interac�ve and "live" learning

labs.

• The chance to see an extensive gathering of exhibitors and The Expo Experience that will showcase

the latest products, services and technologies specific to public works. APWA's exhibit floor encompasses

nearly 90,000 square feet! Special "non-compete" hours allow you to visit the floor—uninterrupted.

Opportuni�es to network with your peers, hone your leadership abili�es and learn new job skills. APWA

offers Congress a7endees MANY opportuni�es to meet and mingle with your peers—the Get Acquainted

Party, Awards Ceremony and more! Build las�ng professional rela�onships and make a few lifelong

friends at the same �me.

Congress Overview

APWA's Congress features more than 125 technical and professional development sessions presented by

your colleagues and industry vendors. There's no be7er way to learn than from those who are "in the

know." You can earn CEUs and PDHs that will add value to the informa�on you learn onsite. The Expo

Experience—keeping in line with the impressive size of our host site—will be the BEST ever!


I stumbled into some dumb luck or perhaps it was serendipity. I was perusing the APWA Central Florida Branch Chapter newslet-ter last year and a particular page caught my attention. It en-couraged APWA members to apply for a $1000 APWA scholarship to attend the International Federation of Municipal Engineers (IFME) 17th World Congress on Mu-nicipal Engineering conference in Helsinki, Finland (June 4 -11). The opportunity to receive a par-tially paid trip to a city I never thought of visiting, was enough for me to check out Helsinki on Google Earth. I then researched IFME and read how this organization integrates Municipal profes-sionals from around the world to learn from one another. As I thought about Finland, I remem-bered watching the 1972 Olympics on ABC’s Wide World of Sports as a kid - seeing a lanky beard-ed Finn, whose name was Lasse Viren, glide by all of the other runners in the field, including the American favorite Steve Prefontaine, to snatch the gold medal in the 5000 meter race. I remem-bered seeing a sea of beautifully simple Finland flags – a stark blue Nordic cross positioned left of center upon a white background, waving exuberantly throughout Olympic Stadium. I submitted my application and to my delight, Ms. Gail Clark of APWA National informed me via email, that I had been selected to attend the IFME conference. Awesome! And the APWA Central Florida Branch Chapter said they would match National’s scholarship. I was on my way! My flight on Lufthansa whisked me from Orlando to Frankfurt flight (8.5 hrs) where I connected to Helsinki (2.5 hrs). If you have a fondness for German beer, Lufthansa is for you, as Warsteiner beer (brewed in accordance with Reinheitsgebot - the German Beer Purity law of 1516 – using only wa-ter, barley, and hops) is served free throughout the entire flight! After arriving at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and advancing the time on my watch by seven hours, I hopped on Bus No. 615 (4 Euros) to Central Railway Station, in the heart of downtown Helsinki (Finnair also runs a bus be-tween the airport and the railway station). From the railway station I walked 10 minutes to the Hostel Academica (62 Euros per night) where I had a single room with a private bath and kitchen. This place was absolutely perfect – very clean, affordable, great staff and yes, older people are allowed to stay there too! In fact, I wasn’t the only conference attendee staying there. The hostel also had a sauna and one small indoor pool, but don’t think you’ll be swimming laps in it – the water was freezing – it’s there to provide a quick cool off after a hot sauna! When entering the sauna, avoid sitting on the bench too close to the hot coals. Unbeknownst to me on my Hel-sinki travels, there is an unofficial etiquette of the Finnish sauna which typically calls for the most senior experienced sauna participant to dip the ladle in the bucket full of cold water (positioned by the coal bed) and quickly flick it upon the hot coals at regular intervals (about 7 minutes) neces-sary to maintain consistent heat and vapor. Two full ladles applied in a rhythmic procession was the norm that I observed previously and each splash of water from the ladle onto the coals emit-ted a sound like thinly diced beef fajitas dancing on a hot skillet. You know the sound if you like Mexican food. I decided to use the sauna facilities at the Olympic Swimming Complex (Helsinki hosted the 1952 Summer Olympics). After swimming laps in this historic pool, I showered and en-tered one of the several saunas housed in the locker room underneath the stadium. I tried to look like a Finnish Sauna veteran, but the swim suit (not a slinky Speedo) that I had swam with and my awkwardness in seeking to understand the sauna routine, surely revealed me as a foreigner!

Let the collaboration begin:

APWA lands in Helsinki By: Bill Burns, Ph.D., P.E., AICP

Spring 2013 Page 11 Spring 2013

As I took a seat towards the back on the top bench besides the coals, I realized I was somewhat stuck as others entered after me and took seats on the bench below. It was steamy hot, especially on the top. Finns rarely make eye contact with people they don’t know. The senior sauna man pro-ceeded to apply two ladles, and then a third and a fourth! I looked at him shouting (in my mind) “ok that’s enough – you’re killing me, I thought two ladles was the max in Finland!!” After he gently placed the empty ladle back in the water bucket, he slowly tilted his head in my direction, but would not look - I knew it; me, the sauna rookie had received his initiation. The theme of the Congress was stated as: “Sustainable Communities – Plan, Design, Construct and

Maintain….for a better future”. The conference delegates were a mix of engineers, planners, urban designers, developers and politicians from 26 countries. The IFME is a consortium of fourteen mem-ber organizations, which includes APWA. Other member organizations that had a strong presence at the conference were from Finland, Estonia, United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Australia, Sweden, The Netherlands, South Africa and New Zealand. One of the main objectives of IFME is to spread best practices through the dissemination of information and knowledge outside traditional national boundaries, and in today’s global world, the triennial World Congresses afford ideal opportunities for achieving this. The objectives of IFME mesh well with APWA’s desire to develop and support the people, agencies, and organizations that plan, build, maintain, and improve our communities and contribute to a higher and sustainable quality of life. The Congress could not have been held in a better city as Helsinki was recently named the World Design Capital of 2012 - a biennial designation by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design. The City of Helsinki’s submittal for this designation was entitled “Open Helsinki – Embed-ding Design into Life”. The conference venue was Finlandia Hall, designed by the world-renown ar-chitect Alvar Aalto and ideally located in the heart of downtown. The conference addressed six ma-jor themes through tracts of discourse: Municipal Design and Engineering, Traffic Solutions, Con-struction and Renovation, Energy Solutions, Urban Planning and Asset Management. The conference kicked off with very candid remarks from the distinguished Keynote Speaker, Mr. Carl Haglund, one of Finland’s thirteen members of the European Parliament. His talk was entitled “The impact of the economic crises on municipalities in Europe - which way forward?” Mr. Haglund said that twelve years ago the EU forecasted Europe to have the best economy in the world by 2010. However, when economic crises hit Europe in 2008, Europe was not ready and things have obviously changed. Although he said he was optimistic, he said that demographics don’t favor a Eu-ropean comeback due to a burgeoning aging population combined with low birth rates, which will translate into fewer tax dollars and greater demands on government. He said that debt burden is a real problem in Europe and the western world as a whole, as 5-10% of many nations’ yearly budget goes to meet debt obligations, therefore constraining the ability to deliver needed infra-structure improvements. Mr. Haglund said that rational decision making by politicians is neces-sary versus political decisions. He said that the level of the “gray” economy (corruption) is sub-stantial in several EU countries and puts a huge drain on the EU’s open economy efficiency.


After the first day sessions, the Mayor of Helsinki held a reception for the attendees at beautiful Hel-sinki City Hall. The second day sessions concluded with a wine party sponsored by SITO held at the Helsinki Music Center. SITO department directors Tommi and Jenni were wonderful hosts and invited me to join them and several of their colleagues afterwards for a drink. After a short walk, I settled in a comfortable chair at the idyllic outdoor Storyville Café and tasted my first Karhu beer, which is a Finland brewed pilsner. Compared to most basic lagers, I understand Karhu employs more raw ingre-dients and refrains from using adjunct filler grains of corn and rice which quickly ferment to create alcohol, but don’t contribute to the beer flavor the way malted barley does. The beer has a strong hop hearty flavor, but beware, the alcohol content (5.8%) is a higher than most beers. After Wednes-day’s sessions, a Gala Dinner with a marvelous three course dinner was hosted by the conference chairperson, Mr. Jorma Vaskelainen, complete with entertainment by a magician. On Thursday, we hopped on the Tallink Shuttle Star cruise liner (35 Euros round trip) for a two hour trip straight across the Baltic Sea to Tallinn, Estonia. In Tallinn, we visited the famous Song Festival Grounds where we were treated to authentic Estonia meal of freshly seasoned fish, buttery potato cakes and a delicious sweet kraut. Afterwards we visited the Medieval Old Town which has several churches that are over nine hundred years old. One of the churches contains flat grave stones in the center aisle. One of the stones noted the date of “1492” as the passing date of the individual. I wondered if Christopher Co-lumbus was touching foot in the Americas simultaneously with the lowering of the casket into this grave. The most prominent members not only received the best seats inside the church – glass en-closed balcony seats (there wasn’t any heating in the churches then) directly up from the front podi-um - but they also got to be buried in the church building! It was fortuitous timing that the IFME Helsinki Sustainability conference was held just prior to APWA’s 2012 Conference on Sustainability in Public Works, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Having grown up in Pittsburgh, I know firsthand how Pittsburgh has reinvented itself from a smoky industrial town into a world class high tech city, complete with beautiful riverfront parks, market places and bicycle trails. Helsinki, like Pittsburgh and many cities around the world, has embarked on transforming their for-mer industrial and harbor areas into traditional urban communities. The Helsinki region is home to over a million people, which represents almost one-fifth of the total population of Finland. Helsinki is on the cusp of undergoing the largest change to its built environment in its history. Mr. Kyösti Oasmaa, City of Helsinki Urban Projects Director, who I had the opportunity to converse with, is at the helm of this transformation. Mr. Oasmaa presently supervises ten major urban projects within three major harbor areas, which will provide housing for about one hundred thousand people and jobs for tens of thousands at full build out. The project is called “Helsinki Horizon 2030” (Google this for the report). As of the late 1980’s, much of Helsinki’s shoreline was occupied by cargo port indus-trial operations and warehouses that was old and needed to be rebuilt. But instead of doing so in these valuable shoreline areas, the City worked with the private entities to relocate these industrial operations to a newly constructed harbor in Vuosaari. The City of Helsinki will invest 100 million Eu-ros, most of it borrowed money, in roadway, bicycle, pedestrian and park infrastructure within the new waterfront districts. Finland has a lot of good things going for it as it was recently selected as the world’s top country by Newsweek magazine and has the world’s leading educational system. Helsinki sees itself as knowledge based hub and they are working to further their ability to deliver knowledge services to the rest of the world. king Event with ASCE’s (American Society of Civil Engi-neers) Younger Member Forum in Orlando. West Coast Branch host-ed a networking event last month in Tampa. All events were well attended by a diverse group including: consult-

Page 13 Spring 2013

I walked most of urban Helsinki and I noticed that most Finns appeared to be physically fit. There were a plethora of utilitarian bicyclists (use of the bicycle for purposeful travel) and pe-destrians. As destination travel by walking or biking appears integral to the lives of many Finns, this may partially explain their apparent fitness. The urban landscape of Helsinki and the compli-mentary well designed walkways and bikeways which thoughtfully connect a mixed use built en-vironment, enable Finns to reach their destinations using human powered means (walking or biking). Unlike in North America, which has developed a roadway network which provides sepa-ration between pedestrians and automobiles, but typically does not provide separation for bikeways, Helsinki provides a three tier system of roadways which also provides separation for bicyclists. In North America, most people are too afraid to ride in a bicycle lane three feet from automobiles if the traffic speeds and volumes are high. In June 2012, the City Helsinki complet-ed a major bicycle thoroughfare from the proposed redeveloped port areas into the heart of the City. This exclusive bicycle “freeway”, constructed within a former railroad viaduct, was con-structed prior to the building de-velopment phase. This bicycle free-way provides the most efficient means of travel from the pro-posed redeveloped port areas into the city core. It is a straight shot – no stop signs, no traffic lights, and no au- tomobile acci-dents or backups and it enables healthy utilitarian exercise and per-haps also serves to foster social capital.

Some of the must see places in Hel-sinki are the Rail- way Station, the Senate Square, the Market Place, the Uspenski Ca- thedral and The Esplanade. The church in the rock or 'Temppeliaukio church' is the top tourist attraction. I would also recommend visiting Cafe Ursula which enjoys a serene setting, nestled between Kaivopuisto Park and the Gulf of Finland, providing a great view of the water and Harakka Island. This is one of the classic coffee houses in Helsinki. All of these places are within walking distance of one another.

If you travel to Helsinki in June, bring your coat and carry a rain poncho in your pack and dress in layers as temperatures may swing sharply without much notice from the low 70’s into the low 50’s. July is Finland’s warmest month and from what I understand practically everyone is on va-cation then. Bring something to cover your eyes for sleeping in the summer months as it doesn’t get semi dark until about midnight and the sun rises around 3:15 AM! The electric current in Finland is 220 V / 50 Hz via the two-pin plug system, standard throughout Europe. Before leav-ing, buy an adapter on line and leave your electric razor at home as certain electrical motors made for 120 V will burn up. Finns are generally reserved, however they’re very courteous and helpful when engaged. My ex-perience was that pretty much everyone younger than about forty years of age spoke excellent English. Helsinki is a wonderful city and perhaps serendipity will strike for you too - if so, don’t delay, go visit the Finns and sip their culture! Kiitos! (“Thank you” – Finnish)

Page 14 APWA Central Florida

Conference Agenda Monday, April 22 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm APWA Northeast Branch Golf Tournament - Deer Creek Golf Course 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm Jacksonville Port Tour (Transportation provided from the Hyatt) Tuesday, April 23 7:30 am - 5:00 pm Registration Open - Convention Center 8:00 am - 8:45 am 1st Timers Session - Convention Center 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Rodeo Set-Up - Convention Center 9:00 am - 12:15 pm Technical Sessions - Convention Center 12:30 pm - 2:15 pm Opening Session Luncheon (Keynote Speaker, Richard Hadden) - Convention Center 2:30 pm - 4:45 pm Technical Sessions - Convention Center 2:45 pm - 4:45 pm Executive Committee Meeting - Hyatt Regency 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm President's Reception (Food, Drinks & Entertainment) - Hyatt Regency Wednesday, April 24 7:30 am - 5:00 pm Registration Open - Convention Center 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Exhibitor Move-In (Bulk Space Only) - Convention Center 9:00 am - 10:00 am General Session (Guest Speaker, Casey Jones) - Convention Center 9:00 am - 3:30 pm Rodeo (Lunch & Awards) - Convention Center 9:30 am - 4:30 pm St. Augustine Tour (Guests & Spouses Only - Minimum of 20 People Required) 10:15 am - 11:15 am Technical Sessions - Convention Center 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Lunch @ Rodeo ($12.00 per lunch ticket) - Convention Center 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm Exhibitor Move-In (10' x 10' Booth Space) - Convention Center 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm Technical Sessions - Convention Center 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Celebrity Night @ Florida Theatre (Food, Drinks & Entertainment) - Florida Theatre

Thursday, April 25 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Registration Open - Convention Center 8:00 am - 10:00 am Client Connection Roundtables (Vendors with PW Directors) - Convention Center 8:30 am - 9:00 am Exhibitor Pre-Con Meeting - Convention Center

SAVE THE DATE!!!SAVE THE DATE!!! APWA FL Chapter Annual APWA FL Chapter Annual

Meeting & Trade ShowMeeting & Trade Show

Page 15 Spring 2013

Thursday, April 25 Continued 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Exhibit Show Open - Convention Center 10:30 am - 12:00 pm Exhibitor Showcase Demonstrations - Convention Center 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Lunch with Exhibitors - Convention Center 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Exhibitor Showcase Demonstrations - Convention Center 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Young Professionals Expo - Convention Center 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm Public Works Director Roundtable - Convention Center 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm Exhibitor Move-Out - Convention Center 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Young Professionals Networking Reception (35 & Under) - Fionn MacCool's Friday, April 26 8:30 am - 12:00 pm Registration Open - Hyatt Regency 9:00 am - 11:00 am Branch Training - Hyatt Regency 10:00 am - 11:00 am Technical Sessions - Hyatt Regency 10:30 am - 11:15 am Scholarship Recipient Networking - Hyatt Regency 11:30 am - 2:00 pm Awards / Scholarship Luncheon - Hyatt Regency

Page 16 Spring 2013

Project Corner

The Troutman-Clermont Utility Relocation and Road Realignment Project, within the City of Palm Bay, started on March 1st 2013. A $5.3 mil-lion bid submittal was awarded to Don Luchetti Construction, Inc. Roadway design was with In-frastructure Engineers, Inc., and utility relocation design was with BRPH Architects-Engineers, Inc.

Palm Bay Public Works is managing the project. This project is funded through the Federal Economic Development Agency, State Department of Eco-nomic Opportunity Division of Strategic Business Development, and Harris Corporation, a private company. Construction of the project is in conjunction with the Harris Corporation’s new High Technology Cen-ter, a 450,000 square foot building, which when completed will modernize and consolidate the Harris

Corporation campus. The City of Palm Bay’s portion of the project involves vacating Troutman Boulevard and extending Clearmont Street to align with the remaining portion of Troutman Boulevard. The vacated portion of

roadway requires a vast majority of utility relocation. Clearmont Street, a multilane divided roadway with open drainage system, is being upgraded to an ur-ban multilane divided roadway with closed drainage system. The new roadway includes sidewalks, land-scaping, and irrigation. The new Stormwater management system will provide treatment and attenua-

Troutman-Clermont Utility Relocation and Road Realignment Project

By: Mike McCabe, Public Works Division Manager City of Palm Bay


Page 18 Spring 2013

Project Corner

Regional Trail Linked to 500th Anniversary of de Soto’s Landing in Florida

By: Gregory Kern, Florida Planning Manager STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates

Let’s slow down a little for a moment. Recall how the early settlers of Central Florida lived and trav-eled; how communities interacted via rail lines and pathways. The State of Florida is reconnecting these historic linkages through the designation and development of a regional multi-use trail system. Florida has identified a 260-mile trail system known as the St. Johns River to the Sea Loop, traversing across five counties along the eastern coast. Trail partners hope to complete the loop by 2013, to tie their celebration with the 500th Anniversary commemoration of the landing of Hernando de Soto in Florida. Consisting of off-roadway paved multi-use paths, on-road bicycle facilities, and designated roadway paths, the trail will link St. Augustine, America’s oldest city, with Titusville, home to NASA’s

launch facilities. In 2010, the East Central Regional Rail Trail preliminary design and NEPA-compliant alternatives eval-uation study was completed for a 46-mile section of former FEC railway in south Volusia and north Brevard Counties. Abandoned in the 1960’s, this railway constructed in the 1890’s was a key corri-dor for the shipment of logs, turpentine, and supplies. It also served as the only link between numer-ous rural communities. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection purchased the right-of-way in 2006, representing the largest corridor purchase in the State’s history. The NEPA study and preliminary engineering effort was managed by Gregory Kern, now with STV / Ralph Whitehead As-

sociates and based in Orlando. In 2011, Brevard County and the City of Titusville proposed an extension of this trail from downtown Titusville eastward across the Indian River to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, located di-rectly adjacent to Kennedy Space Center’s Spaceport. The proposed trail corridor would proceed northward, linking to the City of Edgewater, and the northern terminus of the original East Central Regional Rail Trail. In Spring of 2012, The Florida Department of Transportation in coordination with the Voluisa TPO and the Space Coast TPO (Brevard County) contracted with a consultant team to conduct the NEPA environmental analysis, development and evaluation of alternatives, and the de-

velopment of preliminary plans. The length of this corridor is approximately 32 miles.

This 35-mile long PD&E Study is a component of the 260-mile St. Johns River to the Sea Loop Trail,

which traverses through five counties. The Titusville to Edgewater Trail will connect to the 53-mile

long East Central Regional Rail Trail (ECRRT) in Titusville (Brevard County) and in Edgewater

(Volusia County). The Titusville to Edgewater Trail will connect historic downtown Titusville with

the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, traverse through Kennedy Space Center property, and

terminate in the City of Edgewater’s Community Redevelopment Area.



Following city staff meetings, focus group meetings and public workshops, a Downtown Tavares Redevelopment Master Plan for our CRA District was adopted by City Council in 2007. One objective contained in this comprehensive plan was for alleyway improvement. Our city alleyways were in very poor condition consisting of narrow rutted dirt travel lanes with considerable encroachments, making vehicle travel challenging in many areas. The Public Works Department gained Council approval to move forward with one section of alley im-provement as a test project. A design using a pervious brick paving system was decided up-on. This design would be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. This system is also per-meable, making approval for storm water permitting very easy to secure. Presently, Tavares has improved 9 blocks of dirt alleyways using the pervious brick paver design. 7 ½ additional blocks are being designed and will be constructed as funding becomes available. This alley-way improvement project has been well received by the residents and functions very well for garbage and recycling collection.

Central Florida Branch Project of the Year City of Tavares Alleyway Improvement Project accepted by Chris Thompson, Public Works Director

Project Corner—Project of the Year

Page 21 Spring 2013

APWA Central Florida Branch Scholarship and Awards Meeting

Member of the Year Dave Derrick

Public Works Director City of Kissimmee

Consultant of the Year Universal Engineering Sciences, Inc. accepted by Christiane Nelson, Assistant Construction Services

Mike McCabe Chair-Elect 2012/2013

Amanda Millirons Secretary 2012/2013

Amy Blaida as Branch

Chair 2012/2013

City of Palm Bay

Awards, Certificates of Appreciation, and 2012-2013 Officers

Althea Parrish Treasurer 2012/2013

RS&H Angela Lawrence

Secretary Dec 2012—March 2013

Awards Not Pictured; Vendor of the Year—Cutler Repaving Matt LaChance—Vice Chair 2012/2013



March 20, 2013

Golf Outing and Dinner

Scholarship Donations Raised $3,200 in funding!!!!!

Page 23 Spring 2013


Anniversaries Congratulations APWA Members!

Becky Ares, Retired, City of Orlando, receiving her 25-year Anniversary Pin

(anniversary fell in 2012). Ron Ribaric, Retired, Orange County, receiving his 15-year Anniversary Pin (anniversary fell

in 2012).

Jim Arsenault, City Engineer, City of Kissimmee, receiving his 5-year An-niversary Pin (anniversary fell in

2012).

Steven Jones, BRPH, receiving

his 5-year Anniversary Pin.


Member Employer City Join Date

Mr. Louis Cianfrogana Sign Recovery Services Orlando 1/28/2013

Ms. Kathy A. Gantz Palm Bay Public Works Department Palm Bay 1/23/2013

Mr. Brian R. Garvey, PE Southeastern Surveying & Mapping Corporation Orlando 1/22/2013

Mr. Barry W. Greeno Sign Recovery Services Orlando 1/28/2013

Mr. Ricky Johnson City of Sanford Sanford 1/31/2013

Mr. Gary B. Krick, PSM Southeastern Surveying & Mapping Corporation Orlando 1/22/2013

Mr. David Patrick Rich, CPII City of Palm Bay Public Works Palm Bay 1/29/2013

Mr. Steve Shenutt City of Orlando Orlando 1/7/2013

Mrs. Abby Still HSA Engineers & Scientists Altamonte Springs 1/28/2013

Mr. Edward Alan Ambler City of Casselberry Casselberry 2/28/2013

Ms. Mary J. Anderson City of Port Orange Port Orange 2/12/2013

Mr. Billy C. Barnes City of Port Orange Port Orange 2/12/2013

Ms. Kynah Cockroft City of Port Orange Port Orange 2/12/2013

Mr. Chip Davin IMAGINiT Technologies Maitland 2/12/2013

Mr. Travis Dixon City of Port Orange Port Orange 2/12/2013

Ms. Elizabeth A. Dwyer City of Sanford Sanford 2/19/2013

Mr. James E. Franklin City of Port Orange Port Orange 2/12/2013

Mr. Tim Gunther, MBA PowerDMS Orlando 2/11/2013

Mr. Chris G. Kucera City of Port Orange Port Orange 2/12/2013

Mr. Paul E. Riley City of Port Orange Port Orange 2/12/2013

Mr. Michael L. Silvey City of Port Orange Port Orange 2/12/2013

Mr. Mitchell A. Thomas City of Port Orange Port Orange 2/12/2013

Mr. Rob Wilson Dominica Recreation Products Longwood 2/28/2013

Mr. Ken R. Wolf City of Port Orange Port Orange 2/12/2013

Welcome to all of our NEW Central Florida Branch Members who

joined APWA in Jan/Feb 2013!!

Spring 2013 Page 25

2013 National Public Works Week theme "Because of Public Works..."

May 19-25, 2013

Since 1960, APWA has sponsored National Public Works Week. Across North America, our more than

28,000 members in the US and Canada use this week to energize and educate the public on the im-

portance of the contribution of public works to their daily lives: planning, building, managing and operat-

ing the heart of our local communities and building the quality of life.

APWA has selected “Because of Public Works...” as its theme for 2013’s National Public Works Week,

which will be celebrated May 19-25. The theme is about the quality of life brought to communities

around the world. We are able to have clean water, safe streets and neighborhoods, efficient traffic and

safe clean communities "Because of Public Works..."

Announcements—Watch out for Upcoming Information!

Dave Derrick with the City of Kissimmee is organizing the Central Florida

Branch’s first ever Equipment Rodeo!!

Christiane Nelson with Universal Engineering is setting up an Awards Commit-tee to revamp the CFB’s awards and take applications for next year! Contact

Christiane if you are interested in being on the Committee at [email protected]

Chairman: Mike McCabe [email protected]

District Representative:

Amy Blaida [email protected]

Chair-Elect: Matt LaChance [email protected]

Vice Chair: Amanda Millirons [email protected]

Secretary: Angela Lawrence [email protected]

Treasurer: Althea Parrish [email protected]

Volunteer Chair: Chris Thompson [email protected]

Membership Chair: Greg Kern [email protected]

Awards and Newsletter Chair:

Christiane Nelson [email protected]

Scholarship Chair: Paul Moore [email protected]

Rodeo Chair: Dave Derrick [email protected]

EC Member: Scott Martin [email protected]

EC Member: Rick Howard [email protected]

EC Member: Herb Raybourn [email protected]

EC Member: Mark Juliano [email protected]

$85 Membership JOIN APWA FOR $85 (regularly $169)!

FIRST-TIME MEMBER SPECIAL OFFER!

The American Public Works Association is offering a $85 one-year Individual Member-ship to industry professionals who have never been an APWA national association

member. The American Public Works Association is an international educational and professional asso-ciation of public agencies, private sector companies, and individuals dedicated to providing high quality public works goods and services. APWA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization,

incorporated in the state of Illinois. GO here for the offer.

APWA 2013-2014 Central FL Branch Officers & Executive Committee

APWA Central FL Branch Spring/April 2013 Newsletter

Business

year anniversary pin

anniversary fell

public works

gregory kern

north america

johns river

railway station

listen