There’s been a lot of talk lately about open and transparent government, public data collection and distribution, and freedom of information. People are excited about online tools that allow for sharing of data. And politicians are eagerly answering the cries for open government by passing new FOIA laws and demanding data sets be released online….
A GPS Twist on Overweight/Oversize Permits
Each city seems to have set up some form or policy for issuing overweight/oversize permits. But other than filling out the form and securing necessary certificates of insurance, what else should be done to perform a proper review? And how can GPS eventually help improve this process? My thoughts on the overweight loads are that…
APWA Goes Social
Many established professional organizations and associations are still trying to figure out social media or worse, have not yet even heard about it. Which can be frustrating for members because social media provides a great way for members to network. And networking is one of the main reasons people join associations. However, members of APWA…
Trench Backfill: Is it best to compact, jet, fill, or dump?
A discussion of construction methods for installing trench backfill.
Boots on the Ground: Building a GIS, Part 1
The beginning in a series of blog posts focusing on building and implementing a GIS in local government.
Selling off Assets: A Road to Failure?
Today I read an article on Reuters indicating voters are increasingly supportive of government leasing infrastructure assets. I cannot imagine how anyone who truly understands infrastructure and government can come away with a blanket statement supporting privatization of government assets. From reading the story, I can only think that these voters are making this decision…
Getting Ready for Census 2010
As a genealogist I have found the census to be invaluable to my research; but even more important has been its impact on the economic development of my community. And here is the reason why, taken directly from the Census Bureau’s Website: “Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions…
Getting Calls about Rats?
I think most of us working in public works have at one time or another gotten the “rat call.” In our city, we had one person who called annually about “rats coming out of the sewer.” We would call the exterminator, and the problem would appear to be solved for that year. Of course, we…
A Failure in the Making
Today I read a story about a massive hole in the road in a community in New York that has not been repaired for a month. Even though at first glance this might seem an excessive amount of time to neglect repairing a hole in the road, I can certainly understand the delay after reading…
Celebrate Public Works Week
This week, we celebrate public works week – a time to stop and think about the people who take care of all those things we don’t normally even think about. Like making sure roads are safe and in good repair, making sure the water comes out when we turn on the faucet, and making sure…