While these elements cannot entirely prevent hiccups along the way, they help mitigate their effects and can allow cities to weather genuine crises since a well-oiled municipality builds trust with its residents and employees. It also continually seeks to maintain that trust.
approach: an employee recognition program to celebrate those who go above and beyond the call of duty.
Such steps cannot only lessen employee turnover, but also make such a workplace more desirable to attract talented candidates.
Awell-oiled wheel doesn’t squeak. Likewise, a well-oiled municipal government quietly serves its residents, who often remain unaware of its inner workings and simply continue their lives uninterrupted. Why crack open a machine and look inside when it does its job without noise? This, of course, ignores engineers-intraining who delight in opening things up and seeing how they work, but I digress.
Many components go into a well-run city government, from transparency, solid planning and a well-maintained budget to employee development and good com munity relations. Also, taking Thumper’s advice “If you have nothing nice to say,
Writer Denise Fedorow reached out to several cities that are plotting their futures with new or refreshed comprehensive plans and looking to build trust and buy-in from residents. Of the ones she contacted, two Hamilton, Mont., and Laurie, Mo./ Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Gov ernments responded and shared their approaches, which heavily focused on gath ering a wide swath of perspectives. Who knows a community better than the varied individuals who live in it?
In a series of public meetings, organizers uncovered community needs and desires. These all combined to develop plans that appeal to a majority of residents.
Trust must also be cultivated with city employees, too. A part of that is creating opportunities for development, a great envi
Also, within this municipal management issue, we’ll be looking at different ways municipal officials are supporting their communities. This includes Providence, R.I.’s, program to ease residents’ immigra tion struggles. Finally, we share Round Rock, Texas’s, own program that gives residents access to yard tools, which help them stay within code compliance.
Becoming a well-oiled machine is not always a simple task. It requires levels of self-reflection and flexibility to move beyond the way things have always been. It will also look different from locality to locality. But as Theodore Roosevelt once opined: “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” And best serving one’s community is work worth doing.
Go green! That’s the wide-reaching mandate handed down by your city council. But when it comes to reducing carbon emissions, there’s an area that maintenance, utilities, parks and street departments are probably not even looking at — the up to three hours a day many municipal work trucks sit idling at jobsites or between tasks.
In 10 years or so, your city might have the funds to buy more electric or hybrid cars and put in charging stations. Eventually, technology will catch up even further and manufactur ers will make electric work trucks that meet many of the demands of the municipal work place. But while it’s easy to get electric cars for your fire inspector or your building inspectors, especially in a city where the driving range is limited, what won’t change is the need for work trucks to support municipal operations.
Satisfied customers across the country already know Auto Crane, a subsidiary of the Tulsa-based engineering and manufacturing company Ramsey Industries, for its quality
service cranes and work truck bodies. In its 60 years of service to the municipal market, it has come to be a trusted partner with sev eral public and private agencies. Now, Auto Crane wants to help you retain the power you need from your work truck and still meet low carbon emissions thresholds.
The latest innovation from Auto Crane is the new, patent-pending, Titan Connect with Power on Demand™ system, now available for Class 5 through 7 mechanics’ trucks. Power on Demand™ technology saves operators and fleet managers money through fuel savings
ABOVE: Innovation through history Auto Crane has been innovating solutions since its founding in 1958. (Photo provided)
and CO2 emissions mitigation, ensuring the uptime of your fleet assets, extending the asset lifecycle and depreciation cycle, and reducing acquisition costs.
“This technology fills an immense need in the work truck industry, especially with chas sis in short supply. Reducing unnecessary engine idling saves thousands of dollars in fuel costs and extends the life of the chassis for years,” said Sales and Marketing Director of Auto Crane Scott Hausman. “An even bigger potential win for fleets adopting this tech nology is the Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions reductions and the ability for maintenance technicians to contribute to sustainability goals on a daily basis.”
Several states are following California’s lead and adopting or considering adoption of a noidle mandate although without a deeper
Patent-pending technology saves big on fuel costs while reducing carbon emissionsunderstanding of the power needs of mainte nance crews. These regulations could severely limit the type of equipment city workers can deploy to solve problems, forcing agencies to buy very expensive auxiliary power units to mount on work trucks.
Titan Connect is Auto Crane’s advanced digital wiring system for service trucks that allows the vehicle chassis to communicate with the Power Distribution Module — pro viding a platform for telematics, advanced controls, and engine idling controls. This system, paired with Power on Demand™, enables operators to remote-start the engine, power truck mounted equipment such as cranes and compressors, and save on fuel and maintenance costs by reducing engine idle time.
“What we’ve done is taken the standard work truck and put in a digital platform with a smart PDM that allow all the components on the truck the crane, the compressor, the truck engine, to communicate with each other regarding the immediate power demand,” said Hausman. “We’ve automated the process of starting and stopping the internal combus tion engine on jobsites so the operator doesn’t have to try to balance power needs with fuel costs and sustainability goals.”
By using Power on Demand™ to eliminate as few as three hours per day in unnecessary engine idling, you can save over 780 gallons of fuel per year. At $4.50 per gallon for diesel fuel, the savings in fuel costs alone is over $3,500 per truck per year, making any fleet more sus tainable than the previous generation. Power on Demand™ allows fleets to begin working towards this goal immediately.
“Auto Crane’s skilled and dedicated engi neering staff continuously explores ways to improve our product to be the best in the industry,” said Engineering Manager Mike Lawson with Auto Crane. “This has allowed Auto Crane to leverage the latest technol ogy to create the backbone necessary for full system communication and automation, meeting future customer expectations today.”
In a full year of using Power on Demand™, a technician could save three hours per day in engine idling, eliminating 22 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per hour. This translates to a reduction of 8.50 tons of carbon emissions per unit. Now that 14 states have either adopted or are considering adopt ing California’s zero-emission work truck mandate, this technology is a great first step
toward meeting that goal while still deploying vehicles with internal combustion engines.
Customer service and departmental effi ciency also surge with Power On Demand™ technology. Longer service intervals and less maintenance and downtime trans late into more service calls and time in the field. By reducing idling miles, needed maintenance intervals are lengthened sig nificantly saving up to $1,500 per truck per year. For a fleet of 100, that could be a savings of $150,000 per year on maintenance alone. And linking to your fleet’s advanced telemat ics platform will supply immediate data to allow for more coaching opportunities, offer ing more safety for your fleet and allowing you to make better purchasing decisions.
“Titan Connect with Power on Demand™ is game-changing technology that’s bridging the gap between the level of power needed on jobsites today and where the industry will be with electrification in 10 years,” said Haus man.
Contact information, 1-800-777-2760, https://autocrane.us/, acsales@autocrane.com
Power on Demand™ can be used on any Auto Crane vehicle built on the Titan Connect™ wiring harness. (Photo provided)The Hugh J. Gray Monument towers 16 feet above the pavement on Cairn Highway between Kewadin and Creswell on the 45th parallel. Gray was honored in 1938 for his work in bringing tourism to Michigan. The cairn is constructed with stones from 82 of Michigan’s 83 counties. Wexford County donated a 2-foot-square slab of rubber to the cairn to commemorate a rubber manufac turer in the county seat. (https://commons. wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hugh_J._Gray_Cairn,_ Antrim_County.jpg)
By RAY BALOGH | The Municipal
Several municipalities along the northern half of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula are linked by a fortuity lying along or near a global landmark no one has ever seen in person.
The 45th parallel, which marks the latitudinal line halfway between the Equator and North Pole, is, of course, prominently visible on maps. But its only tangible presence is indicated by the signs and markers erected by the towns situated along it.
The 45th parallel bisects the United States through Oregon, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin in the West and New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine in the East. Abroad, it passes through France, Italy, China and Russia.
The idea of feting the chain of towns by their geographical umbilical cord was largely the work of Hugh J. Gray, hailed as “The Dean of Michigan’s Tourist Activity.”
Gray, who lived 1868-1943, noted that the state of Colorado had formed a govern ing body to enhance tourism. Concerned those efforts would divert Midwest tourists and visitors from Michigan, Gray determined to counter with a similar effort.
On May 17, 1917, 75 likeminded businessmen and civic leaders joined him to form the Michigan Tourist and Resort Association. Its mission was “to make known to travelers everywhere the attractions of Michigan; to furnish them with complete and accurate information; to promote tourist travel; and to develop among our own people an appreciation of the importance of the tourist business as a factor in our commercial success and social development.”
Elected as manager and secretary of the new organization, Gray spent his first year traveling 8,000 miles around Michigan in his car and raising $4,000 for advertising and promotions. A few years later, the annual “West Michigan Vacation Directory” was published. Maps were added to the guide in 1927.
Demand for Gray’s expertise burgeoned, and by 1929 he had secured the first state funding for tourist advertisement to the tune of $100,000 per year. In 1934, the Michigan legislature appointed him in charge of its new Michigan Tourist and Resort Commission. Largely because of his efforts, tourism became the state’s No. 2 industry, generating $315 million in 1937.
To honor his achievements, Michigan dedicated a 16-foot monument to Gray. The square cairn, which measures 12 feet on each side, is constructed of rocks and boulders submitted by 82 of Michigan’s 83 counties. Wexford County donated a 2-foot-square piece of rubber to commemorate a major rubber manufacture in its county seat of Cadillac.
Inside the monument, a sealed crypt contains resort booklets and brochures from every section of the state and various Michigan newspapers carrying sto ries of the dedication and articles of Gray’s promotional efforts. The monument is located between the towns of Kewadin and Creswell, near the 45th parallel on Cairn Highway.
Tourists willing to take the latitudinal excursion in Michigan will run across some charming little burgs like the following, whose residents are always willing to wel come visitors.
Leland is situated on a thin strip of land between Lake Michigan and its interior Lake Leelanau. Additionally, the Leland River flows through the historic portion of downtown, so the marine milieu is inescapable. Historic Fishtown, one of the few commercial fishing villages in the state, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The population clocks in at only 416, so the village is a popular location for a relaxing vacation.
A year-round coastal village, Suttons Bay offers specialty shops, galler ies, antiques, B&Bs, historic inns and a variety of unique dining choices. Activities include sailing, hiking, biking, golfing and sampling wine from its surrounding vineyards.
With a population of 636, there is bound to be plenty of time and room to enjoy all the festivities, including the annual eponymous jazz and arts festivals and a wine-and-walk event.
With 1,042 residents, Bellaire is slightly larger than its neighbors to the east. It opened its post office in 1879 and a year later became the county seat of Antrim County. The following year the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad built a depot in Bellaire, and the town prospered as a transportation hub. A second railroad was added in 1901.
A host of family friendly activities fit the seasons, from swimming, boating fishing and beachcombing to autumn driving tours to winter snowmobiling, sledding and skiing.
The largest city on the route with a population of 10,155, Alpena is the only city in Alpena County. It is also the county seat.
Though tourism is prominent throughout the regional economy, Alpena also maintains a solid industrial base. Included as its significant employers are a cement plant, a manufacturer of concrete block-making machinery and a drywall board manufacturing facility.
An unincorporated municipality, Atlanta was established in 1881. Now proclaimed the Elk Capital of Michigan, the community is a popular des tination for hunting and fishing. Deer and the occasional bear are also available for hunting.
Yearly events include the Elk Festival, juried Maker and Artisan Show, Christmas at Wings and Art on the River. Atlanta has 698 residents.
Gaylord, population 4,314, celebrates its centennial as a city this year. The self-dubbed “Alpine City” shares twin city status with Pontresina, Switzerland.
Town leaders are currently spearheading a collection effort for a city centennial time capsule, to be opened in 2072. Selected submissions will be put on display in the capsule, with its final location being City Hall for the next 50 years. The capsule will not be buried, though letters inside the capsule “will remain a mystery until that time.”
While updating its comprehensive plan, Hamilton, Mont., sought public input, which brought 410 workshop/meeting/interview attendees and 624 online questionnaire responses.
See how cities are updating their comprehensive plans on page 18.
Providence, R.I., used $500,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to launch a new immigration-focused legal ser vice, meant to help foreign-born residents seeking U.S. citizen ship, or wanting to renew their lawful immigration status.
Learn more about this program on page 22.
Latrobe, Mass., was able to demolish five blighted properties last year with $197,000 in funding. Blight remedia tion and property code enforce ment have become a priority across Westmoreland County since the country received American Rescue Act funds to address those situations.
Source: https://triblive.com/local/regional/ plan-needed-to-tackle-blight-in-towns-code-enforcement-key-officials-say/.
Nearly nine out of 10 municipal finance officers in the U.S. recently expressed optimism in their abil ity to meet their cities’ fiscal needs in the current fiscal year, showing resiliency as munici palities begin to turn their backs on the COVID-19 induced fiscal downturn.
Source: https://www.nlc.org/post/2022/10/12/nlcs-2022-city-fiscal-conditions-reportexamines-cities-financial-health-post-covid-recovery/.
Round Rock, Texas’s, Code Enforcement Resource program has reduced calls complaining about code enforcement being nitpicky about grass and branches by 25%. Mean while, the reinspection rate has been lowered by 37%, showing a positive impact in both efficiency and attitude.
2040
The year by which Lancaster County, Pa., should achieve critical water quality due to a partnership of the Lancaster Revolving Water Fund and East Lam peter Township, a priority conservation area in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. East Lampeter was the first municipality in Lancaster County to team with the fund to bring this model to life in a way that is beneficial to municipali ties in Pennsylvania.
Source: https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/lancaster-revolving-water-fund-partnerswith-east-lampeter-township-to-improve-water-quality-and-soil-carbon-seques tration#ixzz7iYuYyX8u.
Number of U.S. mayors who in October renewed a 2017 pledge to combat hate, extremism and bigotry in their cities. The mayors com mitted to 10 key components that will “promote the fundamental principles of justice and equality for which America strives.”
Source: https://www.usmayors.org/2022/09/15/ nearly-150-mayors-commit-to-combating-hate-and-extremism/
Read more about this program that allows residents to check out tools on page 26.Whether you call it a growth plan, master plan, opportunity plan or comprehensive plan, most cities and towns see the need to have such a plan and to update it regularly.
And as Matt Kostelnik, with the Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments, noted, many grant opportunities require such a plan to be in place when applying for financial aid.
The Municipal checked in with a couple of towns working on comprehensive plans.
Matthew Rohrbach, city planner for the city of Hamilton, Mont., said the city’s updated comprehensive plan was adopted Aug. 16, 2022.
“This was an update to the 2015 plan,” he explained.
Hamilton aims to update the plan every five years, but with the pandemic in 2020, officials really couldn’t get public input so they just reviewed it. They kicked off the public outreach in June 2021. Rohrbach said they worked on it for over a year and used a variety of methods to gather public input, including direct mail, social media posts, the city’s website and in-person meetings.
According to the comprehensive plan document, there were 21 small group work shops/drop-in events, eight table events,
nine steering meetings, nine community organization meetings, which resulted in 410 workshop/meeting/interview attendees and 624 online questionnaire responses. In June 2021, the city spread awareness with direct mail and online posts. In July 2021, it conducted one-on-one interviews with 20 individuals, including individuals from city and county leadership; city and county staff; city board and committee members; employees; developers; real estate profes sionals; community groups and organizers; and Hamilton area residents.
Also that month, the city hosted a series of small group meetings with approximately 60 attendees. Phase II of the outreach took place in October 2021, and the city hosted a series of five small group meetings with 100 people attending. Phase III outreach took place in June 2022 with social media, radio announce ments, open houses and drop-in sessions that were held in mid-June for residents to review the draft plan.
ABOVE: The sun sets over the mountains in Hamilton in this photo that was used as the cover for the city’s comprehensive plan. (Photo provided by the city of Hamilton, Mont.)
In the early stages of outreach, residents were asked these key questions: what do you love about Hamilton and what can we improve? In later phases, residents were asked about location, type and character of future developments.
Rohrbach said the biggest challenges that Hamilton is facing are growth and housing needs. Like many places across the country, the need for affordable housing is a challenge as well as maintaining infrastructure.
“Housing is a big issue in the West,” Rohr bach said. “Lack of housing in general and affordable housing. We’re seeing more young families in town although we still have a sizeable senior population. We’re seeing population growth in the 0- to 5-year-olds and 30- to 44-year-olds and an increase in those 65-plus.”
He said Hamilton has always been attrac tive to retirees, even though they get winter weather in Montana; it’s milder in Hamilton than in other places in Montana. Hamilton is the county seat for Ravalli County and is in
the Bitterroot Valley between Bitterroot Mountains to the west and the Sapphire Mountains to the east.
What makes Hamilton unique is for a small town is that it has a “bio-tech cluster” with GlaxoSmithKline and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Rocky Mountain Lab, which are the town’s largest employers. Rohrbach said the city has a population of about 5,000, with the surrounding areas having a population of between 15,000 to 20,000.
“We also have a lot of recreation amenities with the national forest and mountains so that attracts a lot of people here,” he said.
Aside from that, Rohrbach said Hamilton is “not unlike any other Montana town or any other small town with our issues.”
Aside from housing, those issues include transportation. “We have a highway and a railroad running through town with neighborhoods on either side making safe connections for bikes and pedestrians a concern,” Rohrbach said, “as well as an aging infrastructure and ensuring the infrastructure can handle the growth and sustain the cost of longtime maintenance of water, sewer and streets.”
The city did work with a consultant to assist with the comprehen sive plan update. According to the document, they worked with three guiding themes based on the responses to surveys. Those themes were growing in a smart, thoughtful way; maintaining small-town character; and strengthening self-sufficiency. When asked to elabo rate on what “small-town character” meant, respondents said things like running into people they knew, conversing with local business owners, park space, etc. Self-sufficiency, according to respondents, was “I don’t have to leave town to get what I need everything’s here.”
Later, community members were asked their opinions on location, type and character of future development. They had several goals, but housing was definitely on the top of the list, followed by infrastructure, including developing neighborhoods and building and maintaining a safe and functional multi-modal transportation system.
Other goals included coordinating with the county, expanding non profit partnerships, strengthening communication with residents and improving the Highway 93 corridor, among others.
Staff from the city planning department also held workshops at the high school and asked students to share what their ideal house, job, downtown, parks and schools would look like. They then asked the students what they’d need to have for them to live in Hamilton in 2041.
Rohrbach said, “One of the things that was really helpful to us is we started slow (and took time) to understand the community values and how the community is changing and to get a feel where they’re open to change. It’s important to not just gloss over those early stages.”
“Whenever you’re having these conversations, you’ll get a lot of dif ferent perspectives,” he said. “It took us over a year, and it was a lot of challenging conversations but good challenges in the way it made the community think hard.”
Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments and Laurie, Mo.
Matt Kostelnik, economic development specialist for Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments, said the organization is in the process of writing the updated comprehensive plan for the city of Laurie. He said the LOCLG is a “quasi-type government” and helps cities and towns in the counties it covers with grant writing, Missouri Department of Transportation projects and master planning. He said
The former executive director for Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments, Brian Yasen, informs residents of Laurie, Mo., about a comprehensive plan what it is and how it can help their city. Over 20 people attended this and subsequent meetings. (Photo provided by Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments)
if cities and towns have to hire a design firm, it could cost between $50,000 to $80,000, and LOCLG can do it for much less.
He said what pushed the city to update the master plan was the population increase during COVID-19.
“Everyone else shut down except for the lake. People (with lake homes) were staying longer, and we wondered was our infrastruc ture ready for that abuse? Do we need more jobs? What can we do to make things better?”
He said the last time Laurie’s comprehensive plan was updated was 2003. “If you’re document is sitting on a shelf, the city is probably not moving forward.”
He added he is applying for a grant for the city for updating its soccer park and a question on the application is “Do you have a com prehensive plan?” Community block grant applications also ask the same question.
Kostelnik said Laurie’s challenges are the same as other cities in the Lake of the Ozarks area housing. He said a housing study was done in Morgan County, which includes Laurie, and it projected a shortage of 500 homes by 2025. Kostelnik saw 100 to 200 vacant lots that could be used for housing. Affordability of housing is also an issue because of the lake.
Laurie is not on the lake, so housing prices are not as high as those on the lake. The city also needs steady businesses coming in so resi dents don’t have to drive so far for work, “especially with inflation,” Kostelnik said. Some retail jobs in the area are paying more than pro fessional jobs.
“To bring jobs, you need homes and vice versa,” he said.
The Lake of the Ozarks area has more blue-collar jobs with a lot of seasonal resorts and hotels versus full-time jobs. Kostelnik said people work hard all summer so they can provide for themselves through the winter.
They held three meetings in Laurie, and the last one occurred in mid-October. Kostelnik said usually by the third meeting no one shows up because they think they have a grasp on what’s happening, but in Laurie, that wasn’t the case. Kostelnik sets up the meetings to grab people’s attention from the beginning.
He said the first meeting was about the cur rent state of the city, quality of life and parks and recreation, the second meeting was what he called the “meat and potatoes” of the plan and the third meeting was future land use envisioning what the future might look like. He explained the last one can sometimes be a touchy subject because planners might think an area is great for manufacturing, but residents may think otherwise.
At the first meeting in Laurie, a lot of soccer parents showed up because they heard about the grant opportunity for the soccer park, according to Kostelnik. He said there were 20 plus in attendance.
“Parks and recreation is a big hit. They have a ‘Hillbilly Fairground,’ and at Christ mas, they have an Enchanted Forest all lit up that people can drive through. They have car shows there, food truck events, the Hillbilly Fair plus the soccer program is growing,” he said.
“That was a good turnout kids are the next generation so we want to hear the things that are missing for them,” he said.
At the second meeting, officials had a local pickleball team show up because they heard there might be a future grant for a pickleball court, meaning another 20-plus attendees. That group was older, so it was good to get their input. At the third meeting, officials had a whole neighborhood show up because they
were concerned about new zoning and future land use.
Kostelnik said, “There was some pushback; they don’t want growth because they want to keep the characteristics of the city. I think the word ‘development’ scares people.”
Laurie has two grocery stores the next one is 20 miles away banks and two fastfood restaurants “but not much more there.” It is not on the waterfront but is less than a mile from Lake of the Ozarks. The population is less than a thousand, but doubles during the summer. It has kept its small-town feel.
Overall, “Laurie was a good town for com munity engagement,” Kostelnik said.
Even though the worst of COVID has passed, he still thinks people are staying at
the lake longer. Some may have made the move permanent, but because this all hap pened after the census, there’d be no data on that.
Kostelnik said, “If you want to grow and have opportunities for more homes and businesses, having a plan will help for aboveground or underground stuff. Have a plan that will address the needs citizens want.”
He said in his nearby hometown of Eldon, officials called it an opportunity plan. “Plans that address the actual needs and wants of the city are very important. No matter what you call it as long as it has the unique iden tity of the city,” he said. “I look at it as a grant opportunity because it’s how you help fund a lot of projects.”
Immigration has been a hot button topic for quite some time, and it doesn’t look like that will end soon. What can be done? To begin with, we need to educate ourselves as to the possibilities for anyone who is trying to be a legal citizen. It’s not as cut and dried as you might think: There are piles of paperwork and a lot of hoops to jump through. Where to begin? Well, Providence, R.I., has launched a new immigrationfocused legal service, meant to help foreign-born residents seeking U.S. citizenship, or wanting to renew their lawful immigration status.
The new program was funded with $500,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act, which had allocated $350 billion in flexible fund ing for state, local, territorial and tribal governments. One use for these funds was for immigrant communities, and it was meant to ensure advocacy for the health and safety of people facing deportation and detention. In August 2022, Mayor Jorge O. Elorza, along with Executive Director of Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island Kathy Cloutier, Latino Policy Institute Executive Director Marcela Betancur and other community members announced the launch of an Immigration Legal Assistance/ COVID-19 Recovery Program. This program would provide immigration-focused legal services while also connecting individuals with community organizations and public
agencies that provide additional services, benefits and meet basic needs.
There is much more to becoming a citi zen than most people know 10 steps, to be precise. The first one is simple: check eligibility for becoming a citizen. Besides the more common-knowledge paths toward citizenship (green card, marriage to a citizen, military service or being the child of a citizen), there are other consid erations residency, good moral character, knowledge of the language and civics. There are official forms to be filled out, like the N-400, and people need two passport-sized color photographs that clearly show their face. Documents must be photocopied and fingerprints must be taken. There are interviews and exams. It is no wonder the process can be overwhelming to so many,
and the cost can be prohibitive. The current naturalization fee for a citizenship applica tion is $725 ($640 for application processing and $85 for biometrics services), and this is nonrefundable, whether approved or not.
Elorza said there are many who qualify but never end up applying. This might be due to the cost or to legal issues. “With this partnership, we are providing legal support for immigrants and providing funds to pay for the application.”
Dorcas International is the largest U.S. Department of Justice-accredited provider of low-cost immigration legal services in Rhode Island. During its two-year contract, it will assist eligible individuals from helping them maintain a lawful presence in Rhode Island to obtaining their U.S. citizen ship. The legal assistance will be free for the federal immigration process, and assistance
Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune is the first Haitian-American to hold an elected office in the state of Rhode Island. At the age of three, she migrated to Providence with her parents. (Photo provided by Dorcas Inter national Institute of Rhode Island)
Clothing collaboration provides free work and professional attire, which is vital when seeking employment or working. Seasonal clothing for men, women and children, as well as other such necessities, is also read ily available. (Photo provided by Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island)
in applying for reduced or waived appli cation fees will be shown to low-income individuals.
According to Dorcas International, almost one in three Providence residents were born in another country, and almost half speak a language other than English. Because of the work they provide, almost 50% of Providence immigrants are naturalized U.S. citizens. According to its website, Dorcas International is active in 14 countries and three regions, working to improve the resil ience and livelihoods of vulnerable people living in poverty, exclusion and crisis.
And the organization is genuine in its work, drawing in clients and making them feel like family. In October, it held a Com munity Give Back Day, with health and
One of Dorcas International’s former long-term board members, Mary Morse, recently used her favorite hobby to give back by creating beautiful quilts to warmly welcome and support newly arrived refugees. (Photo provided by Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island)
wellness screenings and information and services of every kind, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables and a pizza party to enjoy with the family. There were goodie bags for the kids, plus books, arts and crafts for everyone. That same month, there was a celebration called the Centennial Bash, marking 100 years of service to the under served. The fundraiser garnered $173,000 to put back into the regular programming, so that the work could continue. And “put ting back” involves people, too, as many employees were once DI clients; 41% of whom were foreign born.
Dorcas International offers professional training programs and classes, interpreting services and prep courses for citizenship exams. It is the best use of skills these men and women have learned from their ances try and their prior life, which is celebrated annually with Heritage Day, with cloth ing, foods, dancing and music since one’s
history isn’t lost once becoming an Ameri can citizen; it is reshaped and molded into new use here, providing every chance for success and self-sufficiency in a new life while celebrating what went before. The celebrations show clearly how beautiful the community can be, woven together of many threads and colors and textures and tastes.
Most of all, it empowers. Walking alongside, teaching and encouraging goal setting these are skills that could be useful in every community wishing to make a difference for immigration. It calls upon the old expression of “give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” Legal citizenry, made possible by this program and all the staff, volunteers and friends who share the work, is an incredible gift. Dignity is another. And peace of mind no further fear of deport ment is the best gift of all.
One program that has set Round Rock, Texas, apart is the fact that it is home to the first mobile tool renting center in Texas. During neighborhood cleanup activities, volunteers can come and borrow a tool at no charge to assist the city in cleaning up the neighborhood.
Joseph Brehm, director of Community and Neighborhood Services, became Round Rock’s first neighborhood services coordinator in 2012, starting the tool lending center. Since neighborhood services and code enforcement have many of the same goals in mind, the city ultimately combined them under the same department.
“With the addition of code enforcement, the community development block grant program and commercial redevelopment, the new Community and Neighborhood Ser vices department now has the organizational structure to focus on enhancing quality of life in Round Rock by empowering residents and businesses to connect with resources
that keep Round Rock a clean, safe and desir able city to live,” Laurie Hadley, city manager, described.
This new department, along with the tool rental practice, was the catalyst for the begin ning of the Code Enforcement Resource program, which started in spring 2020. The idea grew from a staff meeting, including neighborhood resources and code enforce ment, in which code enforcement mentioned it would soon be “slammed” after the spring rain. Representative noted the sunshine would make the grass come alive, and resi dents would have tall grass and weeds to be dealt with. Knowing that this is a common issue, Brehm asked the question, “So what
ABOVE: The idea for the Code Enforcement Resource program came from the city’s mobile tool lending center, the first of its kind in Texas. With the tool lending center having such success over the last decade being used for neighborhood cleanups, it was decided to expand the lending program to assist with code enforcement compliance. (Photo provided by Round Rock, Texas, Community and Neighbor hood Services department)
are we going to do about it? How do we make it more effective and efficient?”
Since the city already owns and maintains tools, which it lets residents check out and use for free with the mobile tool renting center during neighborhood cleanups, the sugges tion was made to get extra tools that could be stored and checked out from city hall any day of the week to keep up with tall grass or weeds and low-hanging branches. As Brehm
Code Enforcement Resource program, which allows residents to borrow equipment at no cost to assist in bringing tall grass and overhanging branches into compliance. (Photo provided by Round Rock, Texas, Community and Neighborhood Services department)
mentioned, the city “wants to be that quint essential good neighbor and let you borrow something.”
This practice has also proven to be helpful for code enforcement. Since Round Rock does not issue fines or citations until a resident has to be taken to court, code enforcement spends a large amount of time opening cases and then performing reinspections to check if the resi dent now complies. Therefore, residents using the tool rental to get these issues handled also helps code enforcement work more efficiently to get cases closed as quickly as possible.
Code enforcement could then hand out door hangers to residents to let them know of the new program as well as demonstrate visu ally the importance of addressing such issues, such as safety concerns regarding low-hang ing branches damaging vehicles or impeding pedestrians. The goal is also to show residents the city’s sense of goodwill and innovation so that, even if a resident does not need to use the service, its availability is still having a positive impact on the community.
On top of renting out the necessary tools to bring a yard up to code at no charge, code
enforcement will also deliver a tool to a household if they cannot make it to city hall to rent. Since implementing the program, calls complaining about code enforcement being nitpicky about grass and branches have been reduced by 25%, and the reinspection rate has been lowered by 37%, showing a positive impact in both efficiency and attitude.
Brehm and Round Rock put this Code Enforcement Resource program to contin ued good use when it was used to apply for this year’s Municipal Excellence Award in City Spirit for cities over 25,000 in population. The online application, which included a short summary, a write-up and photographs, was filled out against stiff competition with other cities and only three being chosen as finalists.
Brehm is adamant that, “Even if we don’t win, it gives us the opportunity to share with other cities what we’re doing.”
However, during the 2022 Texas Municipal League Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio in October, Round Rock was awarded the highest honor in the state when it won the City Spirit award for its work with the program.
These hangers are handed out to members of the Round Rock community to visually show the importance of safety in keeping with city compliance with low hanging branches and tall grass. It also emphasizes the city’s program to help residents meet those requirements. As a result, the city has seen a 37% drop in reinspection rates with code enforcement. (Photo provided by Round Rock, Texas, Community and Neigh borhood Services department)
The biggest goal for Brehm is spreading awareness of Round Rock’s programs, with the idea of helping other cities. He continues to apply for awards and do presentations at conferences to raise awareness of the city’s various programs. He keeps a Dropbox folder at the ready full of different city programs and ways in which other cities could implement these programs themselves. Since each of their programs has already been looked over and approved by an attorney, the programs are ready to replicate.
“That’s the real victory,” Brehm emphasized. “The impact of the program is now exponential.”
Round Rock was awarded the City Spirit award one other time in 2017 for the city’s neighborhood cleanup project. This project involved one large cleanup day in which 1,200 volunteers showed up to clean approximately 20 different neighborhoods and assist the elderly or others who could not do the work on their own. That day, nearly every tool was checked out from the mobile rental center.
Joseph Brehm, director of Community and Neighborhood Services, and Margie Lopez, code enforcement manager, in Round Rock, Texas, show off the prestigious Municipal Excellence Award in City Spirit awarded in October at the Texas Municipal League Annual Conference and Exhibition. The city received this award for their
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Citizens deserve a government that constantly looks to improve their lives, and when municipal employees have a passion for public service and a commitment to the community, they shouldn’t be taken for granted. That is why the city of Milton, Ga., created an employee recognition program to celebrate those who go above and beyond the call of duty.
Attendees at Milton’s first-ever Core Values Award ceremony applaud as police Sgt. Seth Chaffee receives an “Ownership” award for overseeing planning, coordination and communications related to how the city would respond to a school shooting. (Photo provided by the city of Milton, Ga.)
Located about 30 minutes north of Atlanta, Milton was incorpo rated in 2006 out of the unincorporated northernmost portion of Fulton County. Named for the Revolutionary War Hero John Milton, the city boasts a population that hovers near 40,000. Milton takes pride in its responsibility to protect and improve the quality of life of those it serves, and it strives to be recognized as an exceptional community, meeting its founding’s five core values (Service, Teamwork, Leadership, Ownership, and Rural Heritage). These have been infused into every aspect of the public sector.
“These values are at the heart of everything we do in Milton,” said Communications Director Greg Botelho.
Botelho was part of a small group of people who not only drafted Milton’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan but also outlined the city’s new employee recognition program that seeks to highlight the awe some work being done by any number of men and women on behalf of the community.
“The employee recognition program is designed to generate pride in our workforce, (and) let citizens know that we are doing our best to emulate those cored values and that we have taken them to heart,” he said.
Employee recognition programs are gaining traction in sev eral cities and towns across the U.S. Last November, the city of Brownwood recognized 22 employees at its Core Values Awards, which celebrate those who go beyond their typical job duties to exhibit Integrity, Service, Excellence, Respect, Vision and Empa thy (I.S.E.R.V.E.). Awards include the Sweet Ride Award, for those who take pride and care of Brownwood vehicles and equipment; the Good Samaritan Award for those who help with a significant need; the Coach Award for training; the High Five Award for rais ing coworkers’ spirits; among other acknowledgments.
“These types of awards are important because it shows how they are making a difference and that their work is not taken for granted,” Botelho said. “It fills people with a sense of pride.
Motivated by service Botelho said a sense of service often motivates those who work for the city and its various departments, and these employees bring with them a high caliber of talent to everything they do. This makes choosing which employees to recognize even more difficult. Milton created a multi-tiered approach to ensure that its awards were distributed deliberately and not reduced to a “participation trophy.”
“We have a six-member committee made up of representatives from city hall, the police and fire departments who sift through the nominations and decide who will be honored so it really is a recognition among peers,” he said.
Five awards will be given to represent excellence in one of each of the core values and the winners will be honored and an annual employee picnic in September as well as on Milton’s social media sites and in the press. Botelho said that there will also be challenge points, which managers or chiefs can award on the spot for those who accomplish something special, such as passing a road test. Those are accumulative and will be recognized in various ways.
Milton’s employee recognition program is still a new one, and no doubt it will evolve. However, Botelho believes it is
Honor Motes, the city of Milton’s procurement manager, earned the “Teamwork” award at the first-ever Core Values Award ceremony. Motes was nominated and honored as someone who works efficiently, effectively and patiently with every city depart ment. (Photo provided by the city of Milton, Ga.)important to have a program like this because it attracts the kind of employees who will work to build and cultivate the dynamic community that Milton wants to be.
“We are a very young suburb, and we have always done things a little differently,” he said. “Since incorporation, we have worked to maintain our culture and reputation, so why would we celebrate those who embody it in everything that they do?”
LEFT: Blake Pinto and Brooke Nolan received city of Milton challenge coins after being nominated for their profes sional, caring efforts as lead counselors at Milton’s Camp Joyful Soles, a summer day camp for special needs indi viduals ages 13 to 22. (Photo provided by the city of Milton, Ga.)
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Santa Claus poses with Pikeville, Ky., first responders and their guests at the Pikeville Christmas with a First Responder holiday party. (Photo provided by city of Pikeville)
When the Pikeville, Ky., police department began its Shop with a Cop program 16 years ago, the goal was to provide a little Christmas cheer for a handful of kids in need.
“When we started, we held a car wash to raise the money to provide gifts for about eight to 10 children, but it’s grown a lot since then,” said Pikeville Police Chief Mike Riddle.
Now known as Christmas with a First Responder, the program has been expanded to include 911 dispatchers as well as the Pikev ille Fire Department and goes far beyond the holiday season. In addition to providing clothes and toys at Christmastime, Pikeville first responders also donate food for a family feast and sponsor school supply giveaways to help get students off on the right foot academically.
“We put in countless hours throughout the year to make it happen,” Riddle said. “As soon as the holidays are over, we start
working on the next year and we don’t stop until the following December.”
One ‘fore’ all
According to Pikeville City Manager Philip Elswick, the Christ mas with a First Responder program is just one way public safety officials strive to make a positive connection with the children in the community. Too often, a child’s first experience with a first responder is a negative one that comes on the heels of a difficult situation, and it is important for them to see the police and fire department as mentors and friends in good times as well as in bad. “What they do goes far beyond the holidays,” Elswick said.
Naturally, it takes a lot of time, talent and treasure to provide for nearly 50 children during the holidays. There is not a week end that goes by in which Pikeville first responders aren’t doing something to raise money for the cause. Throughout the year they hold a 5K run, a dunking booth, a car wash and more to generate capital, not to mention finding businesses to help sponsor events and create more awareness for the program.
“We used to do a haunted trail at the sports park, but we lost our spot there so we’ve had to look for other ways to make money. That’s when someone came up with the idea of a golf scramble,” Elswick said.
Organized by officer Josh Lawson and Detective Bruce Collins, the inaugural Christmas with a First Responder Golf Scramble took place Aug. 15 at the Stonecrest Golf Club in Prestonsburg, Ky. Thanks to the sponsors of individual holes as well as the 18 teams of four that participated, the event raised approximately $25,000 for the program.
Lawson is a golfer who has played in similar events in the past and knew it was the kind of event that had the potential to raise a lot of cash with little effort on the part of the police and fire departments.
“The golf course puts out the signs for the sponsored holes because they don’t want anyone to damage the course and we had a restaurant that donated food for the day. So, it was a really nice event, and we didn’t have to work our butts off for it,” he said with a laugh. “There is definitely talk that we will be doing it again.”
Kenny Sampson of the Pikeville Fire Department played in the golf scramble along with his son and a few friends who put together a team. He said he took the day off to be part of the event and said he thinks it was a great way to give back and be part of the Christmas program.
“It’s really a great program and I’ll do anything to help out with it,” he said.
Lawson said he’s been with the department for 15 years. During that time, he has been impressed at how much the Christmas with a First Responder program has grown. He said he thinks they will raise enough to be able to spend $300 on each child this year, and he is looking forward to their morning with the kids when they finally get to give them their gifts.
“It’s a great day,” he said. “Our local McDonalds hosts a breakfast, and Santa and Mrs. Claus stop in to visit with the kids, then we get to give them their presents and their food baskets. For some, this might be the only Christmas they receive, so we want to be sure and make it special for them.”
Riddle said the Pikeville Christmas with a First Responder Pro gram has developed a reputation and over the years has become a family event. His own children take part in the various fundrais ing efforts and attend the final party in which they get to see the fruits of their labor.
“Being part of this effort is really heartwarming and something that we enjoy doing,” he said. “It takes a lot of people, a lot of week ends and a lot of events, but it’s worth it; and when you have 12-13 people available to help at any given time, you know something is going to happen. We never stop!”
Pikeville, Ky., police officers play games with area children at the Pikeville Christmas with a First Responder Christmas party. (Photo provided by city of Pikeville)
Pikeville police officers distribute gifts to area children at the Pikeville Christmas with a First Responder Christmas party. (Photo provided by city of Pikeville)
In Kingman, Ariz., there are 14 parks, two aquatic facilities, a splash pad and an 18-hole golf course. There are multiple ramadas, or public shade structures, and picnic areas with mountain views.
Centennial Park has a 0.9-mile natural surface walking path along with a softball complex with seven fields. There is a seven-field baseball complex at Southside Park. Two separate hiking and mountain biking trails wind throughout the city the Beale Loop Trail system with four loop trails that are a total of 9.8 miles in length and the White Cliffs Wagon Wheels Trail system, which is close to the downtown area and currently totals 2.93 miles. This White Cliffs Wagon Wheels Trail was just recently constructed during phase one of the project by the American Conservation Experience as part of a $68,000 Arizona State Parks and Trails grant.
Even with all of these already-existing amenities, a new piece of play ware was recently installed at Metcalfe Park in Kingman rock climbing equipment. Mike Meersman, director of parks, recreation, aquatics and golf, described the inspiration for the idea.
“We have many large rock formations and cliffs in the mountains in our area, we thought it would be a great fit. Metcalfe Park is next to a high school, so we’ve been looking at play equipment that is durable enough to handle that size of kid and still can be enjoyed by younger kids.”
A Kingman council member had seen rock climbing play equipment in another city and recommended that his parks department look into it as a possibility. Coincidentally, when this suggestion was made, Meersman said, “I had recently gone to the Grand Teton National Park. In a park in downtown Jackson Hole, Wyo., they had the same boulder apparatus that we ended up getting and they had several more even larger than ours. My family enjoyed climbing on them, and there were many other people climbing on them and having a lot of fun.” He decided to broach the topic of rockclimbing equipment in a local park.
In order to install new equipment, the list of parks identified for upgrades and improvements are reviewed as well as the apparatuses suggested for those improvements. The parks and playgrounds are visited to see if the suggested improvements are a viable option. The city council then discusses the needs of the parks and the city and votes whether to approve the purchase of the apparatuses.
When preparing to install the rock-climbing equipment in Metcalfe Park, Meersman said the park department followed the appropriate safety specifications recommended by the manufacturer of the boulder apparatus. As an added safety precaution, the city extended
the fall zone beyond the recommended amount.
Besides providing children with a new and different way to play, the boulder apparatus also assisted with water conservation by eliminating some areas of turf and, therefore, needed irrigation. Where the boulder apparatuses were installed, there had previously been 3,000 square feet of turf that required daily irrigation.
As Meersman explained, “Water is a precious commodity in our area, as it is everywhere. We work hard to conserve water in everything we do.”
Kingman employs water conservation efforts throughout its park system. Moisture meters are in place to identify when irrigation is needed, daily irrigation runtime audits are done, and irrigation system performance audits are completed. The city is incorporating drought tolerant seed in its parks, turning turf areas back to desert landscape and implementing cultural practices improving water use.
The city is also constructing storm water retention areas in play areas. Large pools have been constructed to contain the water for a long period so as to replenish the aquifer, and the remainder is released slowly downstream. Dry wells are in place in storm water retention areas to help minimize flooding to neighbors downstream and provide less cleanup after monsoon storms. These measures mean that the playground is able to be played on soon after a rainfall and the turf condition is healthier.
In response to the new addition to Metcalfe Park, Meersman said the department has received lots of positive feedback. On trips past the park, he has personally seen kids climbing and playing on the new boulder apparatus.
The addition of rock climbing equipment on two boulders in Kingman, Ariz.’s, Metcalfe Park has added not only additional family fun but also aided in water conservation efforts. The department has been working on replacing turf with desert landscape and these boul der apparatuses completed that mission. (Photo provided by the Kingman, Ariz., Parks and Recreation Department)
In addition to the new installations in Metcalfe Park, Kingman has upgraded playground apparatuses at several other parks and installed shade structures over the playgrounds in five additional parks, with two more playgrounds slated to have one built. Because of the Arizona heat, playground equipment can become dangerously hot without any shade structures; they not only make it safer for the children who are playing but also extend the life of the equipment.
The new rock climbing apparatus installed in Metcalfe Park came about as the result of a council member and the director of parks and recreation both seeing similar play equip ment in other cities. A ribbon cutting was done in August to debut the new rock climbing equipment. (Photo provided by Kingman Parks and Recreation)
Parks and Trails grant. The new trails will connect the downtown area to uptown.
On the newly constructed White Cliffs Wagon Wheels Trail system, the American Conservation Experience is spending the fall and winter months constructing eight more loop trails totaling 6.3 miles, which is part of Phase Two of the $260,000 project with the Arizona State
According to Meersman, the goal of the parks department is “to have a safe, clean environment in our parks for our patrons and staff, promoting health and wellness activities.” With the updates to Kingman parks as well as the new play equipment, they have become a popular and well-used asset for the community.
“Start thinking about using reclaimed water, because it will be the way of the future,” said Pearson, utilities director for the city of Cape Coral, Fla., a fast-growing community in the southwest part of the Sunshine State.
Cape Coral dedicated its most recent reclaimed water project Aug. 5: the Southwest Pine Island Road Irrigation Tanks and High-Service Pump Station. The $11.4 million project included constructing two 5-million-gallon storage tanks to hold reclaimed water. The tanks also collect rain that lands on their roofs and funnel it into storage. The pumping equipment can fill the storage tanks for temporary holding of treated reclaimed water and also pump out that water for irrigation use at city homes and businesses.
The site, which was designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, passed its first test when it successfully survived Hurricane Ian. Ian caused massive damage Sept. 28 in the Cape Coral area.
Pearson said the city began planning ahead for water supply management in the 1990s. The city now pumps reclaimed water to more than 70,000 residential and commercial properties for irrigat ing lawns and landscaping, making it one of the largest residential reclaimed water systems in the country based on number of users, according to Pearson and Melissa Mickey, city communications manager.
Irrigation consumes about 50% of all water used nationally, Pear son noted, so reclaiming and reusing water lessens the demand on
the water source from which a community draws to produce drink ing water.
Reclaimed water usually consists of sanitary sewer water that has gone through a wastewater treatment process to remove nutrients, contaminants and pathogens. Most reclaimed water gets recycled for use irrigating residential, commercial and agricultural land or for industrial cooling processes, said Barbara Martin, director of engineering and technical services for the American Water Works Association. Reclaimed water also can be pumped into the ground to recharge a community’s water supply.
Water reclamation has been growing nationally, with facilities treating and reclaiming water in 43 of the 50 U.S. states, said Martin, who is based in Denver. The recently passed federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also provides $1 billion over five years for water reclamation programs in Western states.
Despite the progress, the United States can do more to reclaim water and to make existing water supplies more sustainable, Martin said. Currently, wastewater treatment plants around the country pro cess about 33 billion gallons of wastewater per day. Estimates say about 2 billion to 3 billion gallons per day of that treated wastewater gets reused as reclaimed water.
Cape Coral began planning the Southwest Pine Island Road Irri gation Tanks project about 2014 because it needed more reclaimed water to serve residents and businesses included in large city water, sewer and irrigation system expansion projects, Pearson said.
Jeff Pearson has advice for municipalities in the many areas of the United States facing water supply concerns because of drought or other issues:Residential and business customers had used an average of 30 million to 32 million gallons of water per day for irrigation before Hurricane Ian.
Cape Coral meets that need by recycling the treated water flowing out of its two water reclamation facilities and supplementing it, as needed, with freshwater from the 300 miles of canals around the community. To conserve water, residents using sprinkling systems also must limit watering of lawns and landscaping to four hours twice a week during the night.
While some wastewater treatment plants release treated water into a nearby stream or lake, “we haven’t discharged any treated wastewater to the Caloosahatchee River since October of 2008,” Pearson noted. Cape Coral’s water reclamation efforts also help protect the adjacent Charlotte Harbor National Estuary by preventing too much freshwater from flowing into it, he added.
Using reclaimed water also saves money for the city and residents. Cape Coral hasn’t raised customers’ water rates since 2013, though they likely will see a 3% increase in the 2023 fiscal year. Nationally, customers’ water rates increase an average of 5.5% per year.
Using reclaimed water also means Cape Coral hasn’t needed to build larger water treatment plants to produce drinking water, Pearson said.
With construction permits for new resi dential and commercial buildings averaging 5,000 to 6,000 per year in the past, Cape Coral takes a proactive approach to the communi ty’s water needs, Pearson said. For example, planned projects include constructing a con nector pipeline that will allow Cape Coral to purchase and receive up to 6 million gallons of reclaimed water per day from nearby Fort Myers, Fla.
of Cape
Fla.,
help with storage and distribution of reclaimed water, which residential and business customers use
and landscaping. Cape Coral has one of the nation’s largest residen-tial reclaimed water distribution sys tems, based on the number of users. (Photo provided by city of Cape Coral)
irrigate
at the new Southwest Pine Island Road Irrigation Tanks and High-Service Pump Station in Cape Coral, Fla., can move reclaimed water into storage or send it through a distribution system of purple-colored pipes to residential and business users for use watering their lawns and landscaping. (Photo provided by city of Cape Coral)
“We’re diversifying our sources to keep up with the explosive growth we’re experiencing right now,” Pearson said. “Especially with climate change, you want to be more resilient. And at the end of the day, that’s pretty much what this project (Southwest Pine Island Road) does for
us. Anytime you can store water, that helps you to be more resilient because storage is the key to reliability. You don’t know when it’s going to rain again.”
Pumps
In part one of this series, we learn about the village of Arlington Heights, Ill.’s, adoption of biodiesel. Now we’ll explore the benefits the village has witnessed.
Ray Salisbury, fleet services foreman for the village of Arlington Heights, Ill., said although he doesn’t get a lot of driver feedback about biodiesel, this might be because it took them a long time to realize they were even using it. And when switching to an “alterna tive fuel,” no reaction from those using it is often the best reaction.
“Some techs on the floor noticed the cleaner air,” Salisbury said. “But what we’ve really noticed is not having the diesel particulate filter (DPF) issues others have.”
DPFs trap the sooty particulate matter from the diesel exhaust and then, on occasion, “regenerate” the unit by burning off the collected soot.
“Out of six ambulances close to 10 years old, we’ve only replaced two DPFs,” he said. “Others replace them on a regular basis.” He attributes this to fewer “regens” due to biodiesel’s significantly lower soot output and, as a result, a longer and better life from those components.
ABOVE: Ray Salisbury, fleet services fore man for the village of Arlington Heights, Ill., is a major supporter of biodiesel and is happy to share his fleet’s story with other municipalities and public entities. (Photo provided)
The state of Illinois has long had a biodiesel law on the books that incentivizes blends of biodiesel above 10%, making B11, a blend of 11% biodiesel and 89% conventional diesel fuel, a common blend offered in the state. Recently, however, the Illinois Soybean Growers, with support from industry stakeholders and partners, put forth legisla tion that passed both chambers and was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to extend the current B11 sales tax exemption until 2023 and provide a gradual increase in the blend exemption to biodiesel blends over B13 in 2024, B16 in 2025 and B19 in 2026. The updated law is expected to add an additional 125 million gallons of demand for biodiesel, bring ing the state’s annual consumption north of 300 million gallons.
Through his association with the B20 Club, Salisbury helped educate legislators and promote B20 usage by giving multiple pre sentations to state and local elected officials.
“I am excited by it,” Salisbury said. “It’s great to know that the village and I were able to play a part in the passage of that bill. It’s important not only for the village of Arlington Heights, but also for the entire state and country. We have to move to cleaner-burning fuels and technologies. Electrification of large, heavy-duty trucks is going to take a long while this is something we can do during the transition to immediately improve the quality of life for everyone.”
The relationship between Salisbury, the village of Arlington Heights and the B20 Club goes beyond speaking engagements, promotions and networking, though. They have also partnered on Arbor Day tree plantings, grant and educational opportunities and employeeappreciation events, to name just a few collaborations. “Those things all mean a lot to the employees here,” Salisbury said.
The help is a two-way street. “I cannot thank Ray enough for all the work he does for biodiesel and B20, especially during meetings and events with the American Public Works Association, Municipal Fleet Managers Association and Chicago Area Clean Cities,” Bailey Arnold, director of Clean Air Initiatives for the American Lung Asso ciation and lead of the B20 Club of Illinois, said. “Ray is always one of the first to speak to the benefits of B20 and defend it when some one shares dated information. In that way, and many others, the B20 Club’s partnership with the village has been an invaluable one, all thanks to his leadership.”
Salisbury’s response is simply, “It’s easy to do when you enjoy doing it.”
Using biodiesel is not the only way Salisbury and the public works department are helping the municipality go green. The village is participating in a program through MC Squared Energy Services to procure the village’s electricity supply from renewable sources like wind and solar. The village also purchased several hybrids, includ ing an aerial truck, floor scrubber and several police interceptors. It has also transitioned street lighting and traffic signals to LED light ing, as well as the public works facility. Police squad cars and other municipal vehicles are also using soy-based Goodyear tires. The use of soy-based hydraulic fluids and other lower-carbon products are also being considered by Salisbury. But the village’s embrace of B20 biodiesel is perhaps the most impactful and widely publicized greenenergy effort, thanks to its partnership with the B20 Club of Illinois.
All told, the village’s two new dispensers at the public works department distribute about 76,000 gallons of B20 a year. According to figures quantified by the American Lung Association, the village’s year-round use of B20 reduces annual CO2 emissions by more than 144 tons, which is equivalent to 143,054 fewer pounds of coal being burned or the planting of 2,164 new trees.
When asked what he would say to a municipality or fleet that was unsure about using B20 to assure them it was the right thing to do, Salisbury said, “I would tell them just try it one time fill your tank with B20 and run it one time. It’s an easy, drop-in solution and you don’t have to make any changes to your vehicles or operations. It’s one of the easiest environmental benefits you can provide. There is no difference in cost, but it’ll make a big impact. Once you do it, you’re going to keep doing it.”
Pictured is one of Arlington Heights’ biodiesel pumps. Several outside agencies including the school and park districts can also use the pumps. (Photo provided)
Santa confirmed that Kendal, Bluefield Fire Department arson dog, has been a good girl this year. (Photo provided by city of Bluefield)
How often does a person see Santa Claus and the Grinch side by side? In Bluefield, W.Va., it happens annually. (Photo provided by city of Bluefield)
By BETH ANNE BRINK-COX| The Municipal
It was once believed that Bluefield, W.Va., was named for the wild chicory flowers that colored the landscape purplish blue during the summer. The coal fields of the Bluestone River were most likely the actual source of the city’s name, however.
According to city ambassador Marie Blackwell, “The city of Bluefield, nicknamed ‘Little New York’ during the coal boom, became one of the first cities in the nation with a distinct skyline, complete with striking architecture from the 1920s. It is located at the base of the East River Mountain Range and offers history, outdoor recreation, a variety of cui sine, music, and is home to West Virginia’s ‘Christmas City.’”
Bluefield is officially the Christmas City of West Virginia. It has state and federal trademarks to prove it, and the Holiday of Lights, held in Lotito City Park, has delighted countless attendees. One of the more unique components of the show is that it spans two states: The state border between West Virginia and Virginia cuts right through the park. “Complete with a 30-foot animated Christmas tree, including drum syn chronized music, Santa Claus, trolley rides, lights, music, Ferris wheel, ice skating rink, holiday market, food and excitement, Bluefield is the perfect city to experience the Magic of Christmas,” Blackwell said.
“This year will be the second for the festival since receiving the des ignation of West Virginia’s Christmas City. The city attorney applied to the state of West Virginia for this designation, and we were so thrilled to be awarded it in 2021.”
The story of the Christmas City began with the Holiday of Lights, a perennial favorite attraction that has endured 26 years and welcomed over 54,000 visitors in 2021. Each year, beginning Thanksgiving night and running through the beginning of January, the 40-plus acre park is trans formed into a showcase of holiday themes that take up just about every inch of the park. It’s quite an accomplishment considering that the first year’s displays consisted of a few scattered snowflakes. These days, visi tors will see 1.2 million lights and themed displays including a 16-foot-tall ice princess fabricated by locals William Bennett and Andrew Willis.
Local businesses and the city of Bluefield chose to piggyback off the Holiday of Lights, adding a Hometown Christmas Week downtown
It used to be that people loathed the ugly Christmas Sweater. Now it’s celebrated and there are competitions for just who can find the ugliest. It’s one of the festivities during the season in Bluefield W.Va., the “Christmas City.” (Photo provided by city of Bluefield)
with a schedule jam-packed with activities. There’s brunch at the Blue Spoon Cafe and Coffee with homemade doughnuts, waffles, biscuits and gravy: During last year’s festivities, patrons could come to breakfast one Saturday morning in their favorite Christmas pajamas, and show their receipt at the Granada for a buy-one-get-one-free ticket to the showing of “The Polar Express,” or “Happy Feet.” Locals and visitors can flex their muscles and participate in the Holiday of Lights 5K challenge, running through all the displays: And they can keep that burn going all the way through Jan. 8 if they like to ice skate, because the former Big Whiskey parking lot is turned into an ice rink beginning Nov. 2. It has synthetic ice, made of a polymer material, and 100 pairs of ice skates ready and waiting.
And no one wants to miss the Christmas Tree Lighting with Santa Claus. Imagine a 22-foot tree, beautifully lit, that comes to life: playing music every half hour from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. The music can be heard all through the streets downtown. And what about a Christmas City parade? The Bluefield Professional Firefighters Local 347 and the city host it, complete with marching bands, floats, antique cars and more. Santa Claus makes his appearance in a shiny red fire truck.
Local vendors display their wares as well. Want some gnomes, tie-dye shirts or sweatshirts? How about fruit and nuts, candy and other good ies to help Santa fill those Christmas stockings? Warm up with some hot cider or German Gluhwein, which literally translates to ‘glow wine,’ because that’s how a person feels after partaking.
Customers can buy garlands, wreaths and, of course, Christmas trees. There are several Christmas tree farms in the area. Among those to choose from are Canaan fir, which is native to West Virginia and has soft needles, although prickly needled Norway Spruces are available too.
Christmas, and what it means to people, changes through the years. As children, it’s all about the magic of Santa and toys: As one grows older, it’s about family gatherings and beginning to be aware that memo ries are being made with loved ones and friends. As parents, it’s about creating that childhood magic for their own little ones, and eventually becoming grandparents. The circle never ends, and Christmas comes each year bringing care and beauty like what is created in Bluefield the epitome of a Christmas City.
The ice princess stands 16 feet tall in all her beauty. She was fab ricated by Bluefield, W.Va., resident William Bennett, and Andrew Willis custom crafted her lights. She is one of the stars of an exten sive, drive-through light show in Bluefield, W.Va., which is known as “Christmas City.” (Photo provided by city of Bluefield, W.Va.)
It’s not the Golden Arches but crossed candy canes become the magic gates for the city of Bluefield’s Festival of Lights. No admission is charged, but donations are accepted upon departure. (Photo provided by city of Bluefield)
Medford Square builds on its legacy and centrality as a historic center and energizes the community as a vibrant concentration of activity, restaurants and other businesses. (Photo provided by city of Medford)
In recent years there has been a push to make communities more pedestrian friendly and accessible. Medford, Mass., is among the towns that have made this a priority and it has a tangible project to show for it.
The city of about 60,000 people recently launched a pilot of Find Medford, a new pedestrian wayfinding program aimed at promoting walkability, reducing traffic congestion and limiting emissions by encouraging the public to access points of interest by foot.
“Medford is undergoing a comprehensive planning process right now,” said City Planner Amanda Centrella. “As such, we’ve been doing a lot of community outreach on a bunch of different themes. Some of the themes that have been emerging from that is the need to better highlight connections between the squares.”
She added that historically there’s been some attention around Medford Square, which is near Haines Square, West Medford Square and South Medford Square. Certain stakeholders like community advocacy group WalkMedford are advancing the conversation around making these and other places more pedestrian friendly and accessible. Centrella said the organization has been championing FindMedford and other initiatives related to walkability for some time, and they’ve informed the project quite a bit.
The program is also made possible by funding through the Massa chusetts Department of Transportation’s Shared Streets and Spaces grant program. Centrella said once they secured funding, early con versations within city departments and Walk Medford helped to establish the scope of the program.
“The talks helped determine our focus on Medford Square as our starting place, particularly because the square is fairly central to other squares nearby,” she said. “Highlighting those connections makes more sense in that way. One of the goals for the program was to high light city services and the city spaces located within our area of focus.”
It just so happens that there are a lot of city services operated near, adjacent to and within Medford Square, so that helped further their cause. Centrella said WalkMedford was an essential partner in help ing determine key factors like the quantity, location and placement of signs, and the city worked with them extensively over several months to map out the installation sites. The project went online in August.
Sign design, walking routes and destinations were developed in collaboration with WalkBoston, an advocacy organization dedicated to improving walkability across Massachusetts. Centrella said they also had help from students at nearby Tufts University.
Now that a few months have passed since the installation, the con versation has shifted to what’s next. It is still considered a pilot project and therefore temporary, and Centrella noted that those involved want to engage community members so they can make adjustments as necessary. For instance, maybe there’s a chance to partner with local artists on designs, or they might need to evaluate whether they’re highlighting the places that people are interested in learn ing more about. The city recently released a survey on the program to gauge community interest, solicit feedback and answer questions.
The Mystic River is a source of poetry, commerce and convenience in Medford, Mass., with a long history of brickmaking, shipbuild ing and rum manufacturing. A local 1.7-mile walking route is marked by signs with the Over the Mystic River route logo. (Photo provided by city of Medford)
“We want to take that information and inform a more comprehen sive program that doesn’t include just Medford Square, but includes all of the squares,” she said. “At this time, we don’t know if that will be a piecemeal approach or if it’ll happen more all at once. But this is a way to test the field. And I think what will feel successful to us is if we reach people and get a lot of feedback.”
Her colleague and Economic Development Planner Niwa Yvette agreed, adding that the temporary nature of the project allows for some creative flexibility.
“Before we put actual metal poles in the ground with expensive signs on them, we want to know how the community feels about wayfinding,” she said. “We want to know what’s important to them to be pointed to and what the design should look like, in their opinion. So, I would hope that other communities would see this as a success in terms of community engagement.
This project is a “conversation starter” in Centrella’s words and just the beginning of their commitment to making Medford more pedestrian friendly. The effort also fits into the city’s larger goals related to sustainability, which Mayor Lungo-Koehn highlighted by signing a pledge to cut the city’s carbon emissions in half by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Dec. 5-7 Safety & Health 2022 Conference
Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South, Kissimmee, Fla. https://www.ffca.org/
Dec. 6-8 Groundwater Week
Las Vegas, Nev. https://groundwaterweek.com/
Dec. 6-8 Mississippi Fire Chiefs Mid-Winter Conference
Lake Terrace Convention Center, Hattiesburg, Miss. http://www.msfirechiefs.org/
Dec. 6-9 Florida Parking & Transportation Association Annual Conference
PGA National Resort, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. https://www.flapta.org/annualconference
Jan 11-13 ELTS Conference Executive Leadership Training Seminar
Seaside Civic & Convention Center, Seaside, Ore. https://oracp.memberclicks.net
Jan. 16-19 World of Concrete
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev. https://www.worldofconcrete. com/en/attendee.html
Jan. 17-20 Fire-Rescue East 2023
Daytona Beach, Fla. https://www.ffca.org/
Jan. 18-20 U.S. Conference of Mayors 91st Winter Meeting Washington, D.C. https://www.usmayors.org/ meetings
Feb. 6-8 95th Annual Meeting Technical Conference & Exhibition
New York City Marriott Marquis, New York, N.Y. https://www.nywea.org/
March 16-17 FLAGFA Spring 2023
Shores Resort& Day Spa, Daytona Beach, Fla. https://www.flagfa.org/future_ dates.php.
Jan. 25-27
Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock, Sedona, Ariz. https://azmanagement.org/ events
Jan. 29-31 NAPO’s 34th Annual Police, Fire, EMS & Municipal Pension & Benefits Seminar
Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, Nev. https://www.napo.org/events/ upcoming-events/
Jan. 29-Feb. 1 Ohio Parks Recreation Association Conference & Trade Show
Kalahari Convention Center, Sandusky, Ohio https://opraonline.org/ 2022/02/14/2023-opraconference-trade-show/
Jan. 30-Feb. 2 CADCA 33rd Annual National Leadership Forum & SAMHSA’s 19th Annual Prevention Day Gaylord National, National Harbor, Md. https://www.cadca.org/ forum2023
Jan. 31-Feb. 2 TFCA Winter Conference
Double Tree Hotel, Jackson, Tenn. https://www.tnfirechiefs.com/ conferences
Feb. 14-16 Energy Storage North America
Long Beach, Calif. https://www.xpressreg.net/
Feb. 15-16 City Action Days Olympia, Wash. https://wacities.org/
Feb. 21-23 Illinois Rural Water Association Annual Conference
Keller Convention Center, Effingham, Ill. https://www.ilrwa.org/Training/ Conference.html
Feb. 21-23 PowerGen International Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla. https://www.powergen.com/
March 1-3 Operations & Maintenance & Safety Conference 2023 Orlando, Fla. https://cleanpower.org/events/
March 8-10 Idaho Rural Water Association Spring Conference Boise, Idaho https://www.idahoruralwater. com/
March 13-15 Utah Recreation & Parks Association Annual Conference St. George, Utah https://urpa.org/annualconference.html
March 19-22
Greenville, S.C. https://www.fieroonline.org/ upcoming-events
March 22-24 MRWS 43rd Technical Conference & Exhibition
Heritage Inn, Great Falls, Mont. https://mrws.org/conferences/
March 26-29 MWEA & MO-AWWA Joint Annual Conference
Margaritaville, Osage Beach, Mo. https://awwa-mo.org/eventstraining/joint-conference.html
March 27-30 IWCE 2023
Las Vegas Convention Center (North Hill), Las Vegas, Nev. https://iwceexpo.com/
March 27-30 Iowa Parks Recreation Association Conference
Davenport, Iowa
https://iapra.org/education/ iowa-conference/
March 27-30 Pennsylvania Rural Water Association Annual Conference
Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, Pa. https://www.prwa.com/annualconference
“All
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Above: This satellite communication facility in Hawaii needed a more durable replacement for its worn-out concrete trench covers. The UTILICOVER® panel system was an ideal solution for this 285’ long utility tunnel. Strong, durable, yet lightweight, UTILICOVER® panels weigh as little as 25% of its concrete counterpart, greatly simplifying installation and reducing the possibility of injury. Once installed, UTILICOVER® allowed quick access to the tunnel without the wait of concrete curing or the use of heavy equipment or nonessential personnel to finish the job.
STAPLES, MINN. Seven suppliers have been awarded con tracts in Sourcewell’s Wellness Engagement Program Solutions category, making their products and services available through cooperative purchasing.
These contracts offer access to wellness engagement programs and platforms, biometric screening services and coordination, wellness incentive management, health coaching and related services for analytics, planning and on-site wellness center management.
“Wellness is the state of being in good health physically, mentally, spiritually, financially and socially,” said Sourcewell Manager of Insurance Solutions Ryan Donovan. “Many public employers are seeking ways to help their employees achieve states of wellness. In response, Sourcewell competitively solicited and awarded contracts that not only help provide a wellness pro gram for our clients, but also seek to engage usage by employees.”
Following a competitive solicitation process, Sourcewell awarded cooperative purchasing contracts offering access to these suppliers:
Advanta | 051922-ADV
Digital well-being platform; health and well-being content; integration, reporting, and surveys; ACH payment processing; gym reimbursement services; customizable solutions; virtual fitness; onboarding and engagement; client support services; software development kit; as well as analytics and reporting.
HealthSource Solutions | 051922-HSS
Wellness program consulting and implementation; customized wellness portal for web and mobile; on-site wellness program manager; fitness center management and staffing; mental wellbeing organizational strategy; biometric screening; cooperative wellness solution; wellness newsletter, communications and challenges; hands-on program administration and support; stra tegic program design and goals with metrics; incentive program design and fulfillment; as well as health coaching.
Lifemark | 051922-LFM
Flu immunization clinics, biometric and on-site health screen ing, health education and on-site immunizations.
Propel Inc. | 051922-PRL
Employee well-being platform with customized wellness portal, unlimited custom challenge, incentive automation, branded mar keting, employee recognition tools, champion programs, total well-being content, on-demand reporting, third-party integration, strategic account support, and assessments.
Telligen | 051922-TGN
Health and well-being content; employee wellness programs; digital wellness platform; biometric screening and health coach ing; health risk assessments; health utilization, care and disease management; social and wellness challenges; wellness incentive programs; and health call center.
Virgin Pulse | 051922-VRG
Web and mobile digital well-being platform; full-service biometric screening and flu shots; health and well-being con tent; health coaching by phone or online; social and wellness
challenges; incentive program design and fulfillment; digital health assessment; on-site services, including coaching and programming; automated enrollment and communications; inte gration, reporting, and survey tools; global capabilities, including over 18 languages; and client support services.
WellSpark Health | 051922-WSH
Diabetes prevention and chronic disease management, on-site programming and health coaching, wellness challenges, health risk assessments, incentive program management, digital plat form and on-demand content, customized client support, and robust reporting data.
FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. Attendees will have more time to check out the latest commercial vehicles, equipment and tech nology from 500 companies at Work Truck Week 2023 thanks to extended Work Truck Show exhibit hours. The popular New Exhibitor Pavilion also returns with an earlier start. Registration for North America’s largest work truck event is now open at work truckweek.com.
Work Truck Week takes place March 7-10, 2023, at Indiana Con vention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. It encompasses The Work Truck Show, Green Truck Summit, Ride & Drive, educational con ference and more. Green Truck Summit is March 7. Educational sessions run March 7-9, and the exhibit hall is open March 8-10. NTEA The Association for the Work Truck Industry produces Work Truck Week.
Work Truck Show exhibits cover all commercial vehicle indus try segments. The exhibit hall is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8, and Thursday, March 9. That’s 30 minutes earlier than prior years. Friday’s hours remain 9 a.m. to noon.
“As Work Truck Week has grown over the last two decades, attendees have asked for more time in the exhibit hall,” said Steve Carey, NTEA president and CEO. “They use this time not just to see the latest products, but also to talk with engineering and technical experts in exhibitor booths, watch equipment demos and experience some of the latest technology in Ride & Drive. Opening earlier on Wednesday and Thursday helps them accom plish their goals.”
New Exhibitor Pavilion features 25 first-time exhibitors in a dedicated display space beyond the main exhibit hall from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 8-9.
Get all the event details, register and book hotel rooms at worktruckweek.com or contact NTEA info@ntea.com or (800) 441-6832 for more information.
News releases regarding personnel changes, other non-product-related company changes, association news and awards are printed as space allows. Priority will be given to advertisers and affiliates. Releases not printed in the magazine can be found online at www.themunicipal.com. Call (800) 733–4111, ext. 2307, or email swright@the-papers.com.
ST. LOUIS, MO. Concrete contractors with exemplary safety records for 2021 were recognized by the Safety & Risk Management Council of the American Society of Concrete Con tractors at the association’s annual conference on Sept. 29 in Cleveland, Ohio.
W. Burr Bennett Awards for Safety Excellence were given to spe cialty contractor Keystone Structural Concrete of Houston, Texas, and general contractor Shiel Sexton of Indianapolis, Ind. These awards are presented to contractors that place the highest priority on safety. Entries are judged on three years of safety performance indicators; values and trends; a self-assessment checklist of company safety prac tices; and detailed descriptions of safety plans and culture.
Additional awards, based on the incident rate for 2021, were presented to general and specialty contractors in four categories. Twenty-two contractors received awards for zero lost time due to accidents, and 25 contractors were recognized for having lowered their incident rate from the previous year. Fifty-seven contractors received certificates for achieving an incident rate below the national average.
General contractors receiving the Outstanding Safety Achievement Award for the lowest incident rate were Shiel Sexton Co., Indianapo lis, Ind. (over 650,000 work hours); Gregory Construction Services, Columbus, Miss. (160,000-650,000 work hours); and Wm. Aupperle & Sons, Morton, Ill. (under 160,000 work hours).
Specialty contractors receiving the Outstanding Safety Achieve ment Award were Keystone Structural Concrete, Houston, Texas (over 300,000 work hours); Vicon Construction, St. Louis, Mo. (90,000299,999 work hours); and Anderson Commercial Concrete, Moline, Ill. (under 89,999 work hours).
Three companies were recognized for outstanding fleet safety records: J. J. Barney Construction, Rochester Hills, Mich., 480,000 miles with zero accidents; Schiralli Construction Wilson, Okla., 1,000,000 miles with zero accidents; and Solid Surface Care, Charlotte, N.C., 4,680,000 miles with zero accidents.
The ASCC Safety & Risk Management Council educates contractors on all aspects of safety relating to concrete contracting and insurance matters. The Council also provides oversight on safety publications and events.
The ASCC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the capabilities of those who build with concrete, and to providing them with a unified voice in the construction industry. Members include concrete contracting firms, manufacturers, suppliers and others interested in the concrete industry, such as architects, specifiers and distributors. There are approximately 715 member companies in the United States and 12 foreign countries.
For more information, visit www.ascconline.org or call the ASCC office at (866) 788-2722.
With an inventory of 1,220 municipalities (966 cities, 232 towns and 22 villages), all uniquely named and many deriving from foreign words and phrases, it is no wonder Texas is a treasure trove of the often odd and befuddling.
Bexar: The pronunciation of the city and county of Bexar, Texas, cannot be easily guessed: “BEAR.” Just be sure to pronounce it cor rectly; the county’s 2.1 million residents will be listening.
First, for those “hungry” for a little trivia, the Texas towns of Bacon, Noodle, Oatmeal, Orange, Rice, Trout and Turkey should sound downright appealing.
One doesn’t have to leave the Lone Star State to tour the country. Available within its borders: Albany, Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Klondike, Memphis, Miami, Nevada, Newark, Pasadena, Pittsburgh, Reno and Santa Fe.
Those who prefer to travel further might find Athens, China, Dublin, Egypt, Holland, Ireland, Italy, London, Naples, Nazareth, Paris and Palestine to their liking. Or they can cut all geographical ties and visit Earth or even Venus or Mars.
Children would probably enjoy spending time with Elmo, Kermit, Nemo, Sylvester, Tarzan and Winnie, but probably not so much with Bigfoot.
The Old West comes alive with town names like Cut and Shoot, Gun Barrel City, Muleshoe and West.
You can visit these ladies and gentlemen: Alice, Allen, Anna, Anthony, Aubrey, Avery, Barry, Benjamin, Bryan, Celeste, Chester, Christine, Clyde, Dean, Donna, Edna, Joshua, Kyle, Leonard, Leroy, Lindsay, Loraine, Lucas, Melissa, Melvin, Morgan, Natalie, Penel ope, Ross, Sherman, Troy, Wilson and couple dozen others.
Waxahachie: You think you know how to pronounce Waxahachie, but the trip-up is on the first syllable, which is pronounced “WAWKS.”
perhaps
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The larger the city, the more complex it becomes to manage. A well-run city isn’t just the product of efficient budgeting, safe streets or even abundant resources; it’s also about representing the residents and balancing their diverse interests. Not everyone’s needs can be met, and municipal leaders must carefully consider which services are most essential, which agencies’ budgets to cut or boost and whether and how much to raise taxes, among other decisions.
Air Technical Industries.................................. 32
All Access Equipment
Alumitank............................................. 16
American Shoring
Applied Concepts, Incorporated 38 B
BendPak Incorporated
Bodine Business Products
Bonnell Industries BACK Buyers Products Company 63 C
Ebac Industrial Products Incorporated
This index is provided courtesy of the publisher, who assumes no liability for errors or omissions.
