American Public Works Association
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Winter Meeting
February 10 & 11, 2011
Kansas City, MO
MEETING NOTES
Day 1:
Welcome & Introductions (Michael)
The chair called the meeting to order and welcomed committee members to Kansas City and the Center’s meeting. Center Leadership Group members in attendance were Michael Mucha, Carl Quiram, Vicki Quiram, Colin doyle, Howard LaFever, Mary Anderson, Mary Pat Baldauf, Keith Reester, Shelly Read, Jennifer Adams, Carlton Dufrechou and Kristel Riddervold. APWA Board of Directors Member Ed Gottko was also present at the meeting. Director of Sustainability, Julia Anastasio was also present. The chair reviewed the meeting agenda and provided an overview of the meeting’s goals. The chair also asked that Board liaison Ed Gottko provided the Center Leadership Group with an overview of the February winter meeting of the APWA Board of Directors.
Approval of January Conference call minutes (Group)A motion was made, seconded and carried to approve the January conference call minutes without changes.
Overview of Center Leadership Group Activities to date (Michael/ Julia)
Julia Anastasio provided an update on Center Leadership Group activities over the past few months. Center Leadership Group members have presented at several conferences including ICLEI’s Local Action Summit, an NLC Transportation Summit and at the Association of Environmental Authorities. Several APWA chapters have established sustainability committees and approximately 15 APWA chapters have named Center for Sustainability Liaisons. The Center produced a brochure on sustainability in public works and the APWA Center for Sustainability that is available on the website or by contacting Julia directly. The Center Leadership Group planned and sponsored two Click, Listen and Learn webinars that were offered by APWA and helped to determine the education program for the 2011 Sustainability in Public Works conference. Julia is also working on putting together a short newsletter that will be distributed to selected groups on a quarterly basis.
GAT Updates (Keith, Mary Pat, Carl, Michael, Howard) SEE APPENDIX FOR REPORTS
• Content Development for Webpage -- Keith
• Develop Plan to promote Framework out to Chapters, technical committees, other partner organizations, etc. -- Mary Pat
• Coordinate with Select Technical Committees -- Michael
• Develop Attributes for Sustainable Leadership –Carl
• Develop model for creating sustainability committees at the Chapter level and communicate with Chapter Leaders, consider revising PACE award criteria to include sustainability principles -- Howard
• Establish partnership with ICMA --Mary/Julia
Discussion of Attributes of Sustainable Leadership – (Michael/ Carl/Julia)
Carl Quiram provided the group with an overview of the “Attributes of Sustainable Leadership” that the GAT he leads has been working on. The first draft of the attributes was pulled from previous Center Leadership Group meetings and from discussions the GAT had. The goal of the GAT project is to further define what sustainability in public works means and to provide guidance to other APWA committees and departments as they work to incorporate sustainability principles into their activities. The Center Leadership Group discussed the draft and agreed that it needed further refinement and detail. A suggestion was made to link the draft “Attributes of Sustainable Leadership” to the seven sustainable leadership skills document that the Center Leadership Group produced during its first face to face meeting. The GAT will work to align the two documents and share the new draft with the rest of the Center Leadership Group for further input and discussion.
Review of Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System (Michael/Julia)
Julia Anastasio provided the Center Leadership Group with a status update on the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure and walked the group through Levels 1 and 2 of the rating system. Center Leadership Group members then discussed the roll of the APWA Center for Sustainability in relation to ISI and the rating system and how they can work to promote the new rating system. The Center Leadership Group determined that they should be a resource to ISI and offer technical support and guidance to the new organization as it begins to promote the new rating system in the public works community. The Center Leadership Group also decided that they would provide a presentation on ISI and the rating system at each of the nine regional delegates meetings this spring. Julia will find volunteers to give these presentations and work with the Director of Chapter Relations to schedule time on the meetings’ agendas. Julia and Vicki Quiram will put together a PowerPoint presentation for the Center Leadership Group volunteers to use at each of these presentation. In most instances, the presentations will be given via conference call.
Day 1 concluded at 4 PM CT.
Day 2:
Overview of Agenda for Day 2 (Michael)
The Chair reviewed the agenda for the day and outlined the goals for the days.
Discussion of Goals for Remainder of the year and Ideas for FY12 (Michael/Julia/Group)
Barriers to Sustainability: The Center Leadership Group spent some time identifying the barriers that keep public works practitioners and professionals for embracing sustainability principles. The Center Leadership Group members identified issues such as seeing sustainability as just another add on to their current duties, focus is on dealing with the problem of the day rather than long term strategizing, and “doing what is right is not always what it easy”. In sum, the Center Leadership Group members determined that public works practitioners and professionals are “busy professionals, who find it hard to let go, do things in a new way, are pressured for immediate results by stakeholders and who do not see how sustainability makes their jobs easier.” After some discussion, the Center Leadership Group concluded that sustainability is not the goal but rather is a tool to meeting community goals and reducing conflict among stakeholders.
The group then focuses on identifying ways to overcome these barriers and to continue to drive the message about sustainability and leadership down to APWA members. The group focuses on marketing and training as two means of engaging APWA members and public works professionals in sustainability and showing them how it benefits their daily lives professionally.
Marketing: In terms of how to market the sustainability message, the Center Leadership Group determined that the Center has several audiences – those that are the innovators and those that are technical practitioners and non-public works professionals such as APA, ICMA, ICLEI, etc. The innovators are those who have self-identified as sustainability leaders by attending the Sustainability in Public Works Conference or those who nominated themselves to the first group of Center for Sustainability Leaders. After some discussion, the Center Leadership Group determined that the Center needs to develop a consistent message on the definition of sustainability in public works, the Center’s mission and vision, and the Framework for Sustainable Communities. The Center Leadership Group decided that moderators at the 2011 Sustainability in Public Works Conference should be utilized to deliver this message. Julia Anastasio will coordinate the moderator schedule. The Center Leadership Group also determined that the Center should host quarterly conference calls with chapter sustainability liaisons. The GAT focused on coordinating with APWA chapters will take the lead on hosting these quarterly calls. The group also decided to add a feature to the Reporter magazine entitled “Sustainability Snapshot”. The snapshot would be a permanent message box, similar to Diversity Corner, which highlights sustainability and includes inspirational quotes or tidbits of information that can inspire public works professionals. The Snapshot will appear in the May issue of the Reporter. Julia Anastasio will coordinate with the editor of the Reporter to see that this feature is added to the magazine. Julia Anastasio will also coordinate the collection of sustainability quotes and tidbits from the Center Leadership Group members.
Training: The Center Leadership Group also discussed ways to get the Center’s message out to APWA chapters. The group proposed developing a presentation that can be independently used by APWA chapters or can be used by Center Leadership Group members invited to give presentations on the Center at the chapter level. In addition, to the Power Point presentation, the group discussed producing a short video or DVD presentation that introduces the basic concepts of sustainability in public works. The video would be posted on the Center’s webpage and also sent to out to chapters. The training GAT will take the lead on continuing to flesh this concept out and perform research on alternative funding mechanisms to pay for the production of the video.
Hot Topics: The Center Leadership Group also developed a list of hot topics or big issues confronting public works departments. The list includes: resiliency/ natural disasters; storm water and water quality; funding/unfunded mandates; water supply; energy; mobility; natural resources; aging baby boomers; waste; trust in government (or lack thereof); and the customer/citizen paradigm. Julia Anastasio informed the group that many of the APWA technical committees are already addressing these issues. The Center Leadership Group discussed how sustainability and the Center’s message can assist the APWA technical committees as they confront these issues. The Center Leadership Group spent some time discussing how to engage the APWA Technical Committees in terms of incorporating sustainability principles into the work of the committees. The group discussed using the Attributes of Sustainable Leadership as a guiding framework for technical committees as they plan their activities for the year. In addition, it was decided that the Center would ask each technical committee to provide the Center Leadership Group with an annual report on how they are addressing sustainability and sustainable leadership in their technical committees’ annual activities. The Technical Committee GAT, lead by Michael Mucha, will further flesh out these ideas and develop a communication from the Center Leadership Group to the technical committee chairs.
Discussion of Establishing an APWA Sustainability Award (Michael/Julia)
Julia Anastasio raised the issue of the APWA and the Center creating a sustainability award to recognize those public works professionals or agencies that are incorporating the principles of sustainability in public works into their programs and projects. After a discussion, the Center Leadership Group determined that, at this time, it was better to provide recommendations on sustainability criteria for APWA’s existing awards rather than creating a standalone award. The Coordination with Chapters GAT is finalizing recommendations for criteria to be included in the APWA Pace Award for 2012.
Adjourn
The meeting concluded at 3pm CT.
APPENDIX: GAT Updates
Communications/ Outreach/ Partnerships
Leader: Howard LaFever
Members: Mary Anderson
Mary Pat Baldauf
Jennifer Adams
Matt Collins, Jacobs Engineering Group (non-SCL member)
Cathy Trexler, Allegheny County Department of Public Works (non-SCL member)
Summary of Activities:
Met via teleconference four times since Congress in Boston:
1. September 16, 2010
2. October 14, 2010
3. December 9, 2010
4. January 13, 2011.
At our first meeting we narrowed down our focus to two major areas:
1. How to roll out sustainability in the Chapters; and
2. Recommendations to incorporate sustainability into the PACE award and other APWA awards.
We have developed a description and process for a Chapter Liaison to our Center for Sustainability (see attached). We also developed a roll out for Chapter sustainability (attached). We still do not have any written text on recommendation for revisions to awards
The Committee is now on hold until further direction from the Center for Sustainability.
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2011 Chapter Liaison Position Description
|APWA Committee Name: |Center for Sustainability |
| | |
|Committee Description: |Serves to recommend integration of social, economic, and environmentally |
| |sustainable practices into local public works management and to support a new |
| |generation of leaders who embrace the principals and culture of sustainability|
| |within the profession. |
| | |
|APWA Staff Liaison to the Committee: |Julia Anastasio |
| | |
|Role and Expectation of Chapter Liaison: |Participate in quarterly teleconference for up to 1 hour. |
| |Check APWA’s web site monthly for new or updated material generated by the |
| |CENTER. |
| |Incorporate material generated by the Center into Chapter newsletters or |
| |announcements. Copy the CENTER. |
| |Encourage including “sustainability” in all technical workshops, seminars, and|
| |annual meetings. |
| |Provide and submit to the CENTER good examples of sustainable projects or |
| |concepts that are being used by Chapter members. |
| |Suggest, but not required – attend the CENTER’s annual “Sustainability |
| |Conference.” 2011 conference will be in Portland, Oregon, June 27-29, 2011. |
| | |
|Skills/Qualifications Needed: |Passion to raise the bar on sustainable practices in public works. |
| | |
|How often and in what communication vehicle (email, mailing, |Quarterly teleconferences. |
|etc.) will the APWA Committee communicate with Liaison: |Periodic emails. |
| | |
|Additional Information for the Liaison: |There are no financial reimbursements. |
Recommendations for PACE Award Criteria
Purpose: To incorporate principles of sustainability into the PACE chapter award from APWA
In order to be considered eligible for the PACE award, Chapters must achieve two or more of the following:
1. Have an established Sustainability Subcommittee within the chapter structure
2. Identify and accomplish at least one annual Sustainability seminar as part of the Chapter's education program
3. Incorporate clearly identified Sustainability criteria in the selection of projects for Chapter awards
4. Establish a special Sustainable Project Award at the Chapter level
5. Develops and implements a program to work with Chapter members to implement sustainability in Public Works at the member level (i.e., serves as a technical resource for sustainability practices)
Attributes of Sustainable Leadership
Leader: Carl Quiram
Members: Mary Anderson
Jeanne Hoffman, Facilities and Sustainability Manager (non-SCL member)
Summary of Activities:
The GAT for Developing Attributes for Sustainable Leadership has held a couple of conference calls. The main objective has been to flush out the skills that we think are important for our public works leaders of tomorrow as they relate to sustainability. The idea behind this GAT is to develop a list that can be shared with the various committees and staff that are developing our training programs to help them fill the voids in our future training needs. Once this product is completed at our February Face to Face Meeting we will disseminate it throughout APWA.
Attributes for Sustainable Leadership
The Center has been asked to provide a detailed definition of the skills needed by the public works leader of the future. This list will be used by the other APWA Technical Committees to design future training topics and curriculum to prepare future generations of public works leaders to develop sustainable public works operations.
The following is a list of attributes and details as to how each of the attributes applies to public works; that future public works leaders will need:
• The Framework
o Use well rounded decision making skills
o Use multi-disciplined teams to evaluate programs, services and projects
• Asset Management
o All assets need to be managed in sustainable ways
o Energy efficiency
o Cost effective
o Detailed priority and decision making process
• Public Policy
o All viewpoints need to be considered
o Public Works needs to take a lead role
• Leadership
o Need to provide well-rounded leadership
o Involve all aspects of government
o Consider all stakeholders
• Communication/Civic Engagement
o We need to educate constituents about what we do
o Be involved in the community
o Let community get to know you as a person
• Ethics
o PW leaders need to above all reproach
o Make decisions based on the long-term benefits to the community
• Economics of Sustainability
o Need to consider cradle to grave economics
o Decisions need to be based on overall effectiveness
• Natural Environment/Resource Management
o We need to take only what we can replenish
o We need to improve the overall environment with every decision we make.
• Business Management
o Our operations must be efficient and justifiable.
o We need to operate like it is our own money and make sound business decisions.
• Systems (Holistic) Thinking
o For every action there is a reaction
o We need to consider all aspects of our decisions
o Leverage each other’s skills to make overall gains
o Cradle to Grave
o What social/environmental impacts are we having
o Use framework
• Social Science/Public Health
o Are we protecting people?
o Are we improving our communities?
• International/Global Partnerships
o The world fabric is interconnected, we need to consider other inhabitants
o We need to learn from global partners and teach others
o We need to open to compromise for the overall health of the earth
• Sustainable Engineering
o Cradle to grave design
o Long-term cost effectiveness
o Natural/durable materials
o Soft design – does if fit the context of the community
• Workforce Management
o Skills need to be exploited
o Manage various generations to maximize their strengths
• The Built Environment
o Can we improve on existing infrastructure as it is upgraded and maintained
• Computer Aided Techniques
o Maximize the advantages afforded by technology
• Technical Depth Area
• Transportation Planning
o We need to manage traffic smarter
o Traffic will not be less
o Maximize use of existing corridors – alternate transportation modes
• Sustainable Systems Management
o We need to understand the complex environmental systems and how they are connected
• Carbon Audits/Credits
o We need to make it beneficial for business to improve
o Leverage skills to provide cost effective overall gains
• Green Buildings
o Cost effective upgrades to minimize building impacts
• Water Resource Planning
o Protect the precious resource
o Conservation
• Energy Grid/Energy Consumption
o Conservation
o Efficiency Improvement
o Utilize new technology
• Green Product Procurement
o Complete the use cycle
o Encourage green manufacturing
• Risk Taking
o With proper evaluation be willing to try new approaches
o Admit mistakes and move on
Promote Framework within APWA Membership
Leader: Mary Pat Baldauf
Members: Dimitre Assenov, Pavement Management Engineer (non-SCL member)
Francine Shaw Whitson, Federal Highway Administration (non-SCL member)
Lisa Sullivan Hair, US EPA Office of Water (non-SCL member)
Phillip Jones, Sustainability Planner (non-SCL member)
Summary of Activities:
The group plans to host a conference call prior to the winter meeting in Kansas City. A more detailed summary will be provided then.
Utilize Technology to Better Engage and Serve Members Where They Live and Work
Leader: Keith Reester
Members: Colin Doyle,
Kristel Riddervold
Kent E. Holm, Douglas County Environmental Services (non- SCL member volunteer)
Summary of Activities:
Concept Areas
In thinking about the tools we would be providing members on the web site we need to focus on a few areas
1. “Beginner” level materials
a. Introductory materials
i. Why develop a plan
ii. Encouragement for development of any level of plan
2. There are a large number of materials and resources out there; we don’t need to recreate these. Members would be coming to us to get educated and then move forward with basic tools
3. Core elements of a plan
a. We need to be able to define and have tools/resources that lay out
b. Core elements of a plan
c. Define what you need to have in a plan to create clarity, success and purpose
d. After the base level of a plan we need to provide resources on taking your plan and program to the “next level”
e. Tools also on defining what “unique’ features are necessary for your plan
4. Fundamental process steps
a. Tools to assist public works departments and communities define a path and process to develop and implement a plan
i. Features such as size, scope, public involvement
b. How to develop a plan
Resources for the Project
⎫ Community based plans
a. It is not our job to “value” the plan – if it is a community based plan working in some community then the value has been established and some other community may find that as a workable resource
Tools that would be helpful to potential users of the web site
1. Searchable by keyword
a. Suggested concepts and phrases
2. Internal versus external focused plans
a. Sub-sets
i. Institution specific
ii. Level of community involvement
3. Community size
4. Best practices
a. By size of project
b. By size of community
5. Example tools and resources
a. Searchable
6. Contacts
a. What is the capacity to keep this current?
7. One challenge, and why we need to develop a glossary and cross-referencing search, is what things are called may vary – i.e. climate plan, sustainability plan, stewardship plan
Coordinate with Select Technical Committees
Leader: Michael Mucha
Members: Vicki Quiram
Craig Olsen, Public Works Director (non-SCL member)
Roger Flint, Vice President CH2M Hill (non-SCL member)
Debbie Hale, Transportation Agency of Monterrey County (non-SCL member)
Douglas Dycus, P.E., Causseaux, Hewett, & Walpole, Inc. (non-SCL member)
The GAT met to discuss ways for Technical Committee’s to work together toward balanced/sustainable solutions. How does one Technical Committee inform another about specific interests and unintended consequences?
Michael shared an experience in his Public Works Department where the Waste Resources line of business achieved major gains in diverting organic waste from the landfill to reusable compost. Yet in another part of Public Works, the Transportation Line of Business was building roads that sent more construction and demolition debris to the landfill, wiping out all the gains in the other line of business. This type of silo thinking within our own departments does not help us achieve balanced solutions. Michael indicated that the APWA Technical Committee does likely have the same competing and overlapping issues.
After some good discussion, the GAT came up with the following action plan that will help assist achieving balanced solutions across APWA Technical Committee’s and ultimately provide a success model that can be used in our communities. This approach will also strengthen linkages and coordination between the Center for Sustainability and Technical Committee’s.
1. Have each Technical Committee identify a liaison to the Center for Sustainability
Michael to work with Julia Anastasio to determine the best way to seek Technical Committee Liaisons.
2. Create a checklist that all the Technical Committee’s can use.
The checklist will be based on Exhibit A in the Framework for Sustainable Communities Facilitator’s Guide. Each Technical Committee will be asked to provide 1-3 questions that relate to their specific technical discipline. The Center will work through the Technical Committee Liaisons for this feedback.
3. GAT to Review Technical Committee Questions
GAT to review all the input from Technical Committee’s and step back and assure there is a collection of questions that are comprehensive enough, universal enough, and brief enough. Good luck with that!!! Then submit recommendations for changing Exhibit A to the Center Leadership Group for endorsement.
4. Interdisciplinary Testing of Exhibit A
Gather the Technical Liaisons to problem solve a project or problem using the Framework for Sustainable Communities with Exhibit A as a guide. The group suggested evaluating APWA National Congress.
5. Next Meeting
Next tentative meeting will be in February to review Exhibit A questions.
Michael to send out meeting summary and facilitator’s guide to GAT members ASAP, and members may start discussing this plan with their groups.
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