The Municipal - February 2023

22

17 Focus on Streets, Highways & Bridges

18 Focus on Streets, Highways & Bridges: Maintaining covered bridges for generations to come

22 Focus on Streets, Highways & Bridges: Bridge rebuilt in days within the Cherokee Nation

26 Focus on Streets, Highways & Bridges: Boulder uses Safe Routes to create safer paths for elementary school students

30 Focus on Streets, Highways & Bridges: Tampa turns to solar to keep intersections live after power outages

34 Focus on Streets, Highways & Bridges: Hoboken pushes EV infrastructure forward

ON THE COVER

Aebi

40 Public Safety: Arkansas City prioritizes vulnerable community members with Safe Return program

42 Municipal Management: Attracting top talent: Janesville holds nationwide search for city manager

46 Parks & Environmental Services: Urban forest management: Promote, preserve and plant

50 Waste & Recycling: Santa Maria implements commercial recycling program

52 Crisis Management: TNVR: A feral cat solution with community buy-in

Streets, Highways & Bridges

Schmidt North America is connecting municipalities with the 100% electric eSwingo 200+. Its battery allows for a full day’s work on a single charge while providing operators with unparalleled comfort. It is designed to clean in a variety of situations, and its compact size enables it to also clean sidewalks and bike paths. Learn more on page 10.

WITH GLOBAL LEADING THE WAY

GLOBAL

GLOBAL

Global Environmental Products is one of the World’s leading producers of specialized Street Cleaning Equipment. We build Purpose-Built, Heavy-Duty, and simply Tough Street Sweepers. Headquartered in San Bernardino, CA, we believe in Reliable, Affordable and Innovative products. We are proud to say that our sweepers are made in the USA

Departments

publisher RON BAUMGARTNER rbaumgartner@the-papers.com

editor-in-chief DEB PATTERSON dpatterson@the-papers.com

editor

SARAH WRIGHT swright@the-papers.com

publication manager CHRIS SMITH chris@themunicipal.com

senior account executive REES WOODCOCK rees@themunicipal.com

graphic designer MARY LESTER mlester@the-papers.com

business manager ANNETTE WEAVER aweaver@the-papers.com

director of marketing STEVE MEADOWS smeadows@the-papers.com

mail manager KHOEUN KHOEUTH kkhoeuth@the-papers.com

Meet our writers

Staci Reafsnyder is a 2011 graduate of the University of Indianapolis. Her passion is writing and educating readers. During her four years at UIndy, Reafsnyder was recognized by the Indiana Collegiate Press Association (ICPA) and Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) with respect to her work with The Reflector and Etchings Literary Magazine. She began writing for The Municipal in the spring of 2022. She is also a photojournalistic portrait photographer and full-time mom.

products. No reproduction of The Municipal is allowed without express written permission. Copyright © 2023.

Staci Reafsnyder

Funds needed to satisfy American’s love of the road

Sarah Wright | Editor

requires a lot of funds to maintain, and for a good many years, available funds have been lacking. The 2021 report found, “The number of vehicle miles traveled on roads in ‘poor’ condition has risen from 15% to more than 17% over the last decade.” It also determined 43% of the U.S.’s public roadways are in poor or mediocre condition.

In the U.S., roads and bridges often serve as a continuation of our quest for freedom and adventure. They draw in tourists. Just look at the Tail of the Dragon (designated U.S. 129), which challenges drivers to navigate its 318 curves, all within 11 miles. Its website states it is the No. 1 motorcycle and sports car road. I’ve never been, but both my brother and my dad have navigated its curves — one by car, one by motorcycle — and both managed to not be added to the “Tree of Shame.” Hundreds of other Americans, meanwhile, chose to travel along the 2,400-mile-long Route 66, soaking up its varied scenery and stopping at its kitschy attractions.

Myths and legends sprout from our roadways. Epic songs also spring from them, celebrating the act of driving, our American roadways and, of course, our iconic cars. For my own trips, I have two bookends. To kick it off, “On the Road Again” with Willie Nelson. Then within the homestretch, it has to be “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver. I may not be approaching West Virginia, but I’ve known my share of country roads along the way home.

Despite Americans’ love of the road, it is surprising that they should be rated a “D” on the Report Card for America’s Infrastructure; however, given the sheer size of our road infrastructure, it really isn’t. The scope

Bridges ranked marginally better with a “C.” The report states, “A recent estimate for the nation’s backlog of bridge repair needs is $125 billion. We need to increase spending on bridge rehabilitation from $14.4 billion annually to $22.7 billion annually, or by 58%, if we are to improve the condition.” It estimates that nearly 231,000 bridges in all 50 states need repair and preservation work. It’s a figure that really makes a person think as they drive over a bridge, especially considering the February 2022 collapse of a Pittsburgh, Pa., bridge.

In this issue, we’re traveling down a variety of roads and bridges. We are pleased to highlight the Cherokee Nation’s Fast Cast Bridge project that saw an entire bridge replaced in days versus months. We are spotlighting bridges from America’s past: the covered bridge. While not ideal for the mass transport, they have held a special place in our hearts, lasting for decades, and now drive tourism in several communities. We’re also looking at Boulder, Colo.’s, efforts to not only improve one of its corridors but make it safer for students with the help of a local school district. On a more techie side, Tampa, Fla., has unrolled a new solar pilot project to keep intersections supplied with power following storms, and Hoboken, N.J., is bringing electric vehicle charging infrastructures to drivers.

May your drives be clear of potholes as we slide further into 2023!

Clean streets are getting electrified

European municipalities have long embraced compact street sweepers to clean their streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and runways. Despite their compact size, these sweepers pack a punch, with European companies refining their designs with performance and operator comfort in mind. German company Schmidt, which has been making sweepers since the ’60s, tapped into its design and engineering expertise to provide clients with the best sweeper technology available. Now Aebi Schmidt Group brings this innovative, tested technology to the U.S., with a new green addition: the eSwingo 200+, a fully electric compact sweeper.

“The eSwingo successfully launched in Europe in 2019. Europe was ready to adopt electrification a little sooner than we have here in the U.S.,” said Sean Brunger, who handles sales for Aebi Schmidt’s European products in North America. “The units are manufactured at the Schmidt plant in Germany and shipped here,” he added.

With Europe’s move to electrification, Aebi Schmidt saw a need for an all-electric

sweeper. It based the design for the eSwingo 200+ on a diesel model, the Swingo.

“(The Swingo) is the No. 1 compact sweeper in Europe. The diesel version was on the market for over 20 years, with over 7,000 units sold,” Brunger said. “It was just a matter of taking proven technology and simply electrifying it for not only today’s use but for future use.”

The eSwingo 200+ is perfect for daily sweeping duties, whether in neighborhoods, city streets, parking lots or industrial locations. With the growing popularity of guarded bike lanes, the eSwingo’s compact size makes it ideal for maintaining and cleaning these tight spaces. Its all-electric system runs quietly, protecting the hearing of operators and residents alike.

Because it is a vacuum sweeper, the eSwingo helps prevent dust being stirred up as it applies a constant stream of water as it sweeps. This prevents exposing residents or pedestrians to a cloud of dust. A two- or three-broom system is available with a pulled suction shaft. Thanks to modular equipment and a wide range of optional expansion

eSwingo 200+. Charging them only requires eight hours with an on-board charger. (Photo provided by Aebi Schmidt North America )

options, the sweeper can be adapted to customer-specific requirements.

As far as performance, the eSwingo is designed to do a full shift without recharging. Brunger noted it can work up to 10 hours without factoring in different variables, such as going up hills while sweeping versus sweeping flat pavement. Operators can recharge it in just eight hours with an onboard charger.

Brunger shared, “The ability to carry out a full shift of work with this electric sweeper has been a top-selling feature for municipalities. It’s also extremely quiet with low noise emission, making it possible to run the sweeper anytime without bothersome noise.”

With its compact size, many operators look at the eSwingo and assume they won’t fit in the cab. Brunger noted he enjoys bantering back and forth with the operators. “They say there’s no way I’m fitting in that thing,” Brunger said. “I tell them, ‘Get in and you’ll see.’ Each time, I get the same surprised reaction.

Many of them say there’s more room in this cab than they have in their full-size sweepers.”

Aebi Schmidt factored operator comfort into the cab’s design. Not only is the cab spacious, it offers excellent visibility, ergonomic controls, an adjustable steering wheel column and a sprung driver’s seat with individual adjustment options.

To top things off, the eSwingo 200+ pays for itself over its lifespan. With the eSwingo, expect up to 85% of energy costs and up to 70% of maintenance costs to be saved compared to sweepers with a diesel engine.

“A lot of European companies have a product proven over in Europe, and they are trying to infiltrate the U.S. market. Aebi Schmidt has a very strong footprint here in the United States across all of our brands,” Brunger said.

The Aebi Schmidt Group parent company is based in Zurich, Switzerland. Through acquisition, the Group has grown to include six brands that are manufactured and sold through Aebi Schmidt North America. These include MB Companies, Swenson Products, Meyer Products, Monroe Truck Equipment, Towmaster Trailers and Truck Equipment, along with ELP, located in Quebec. The Aebi and Schmidt brands are sold in North America through the sales teams of the other brands.

He noted, “Aebi Schmidt North America has more than 1,400 employees in the U.S. and Canada, and that number will continue to grow in 2023.”

With this U.S. footprint, Aebi Schmidt has created an unparalleled network of service and support compared to other European manufacturers entering the North America market. There is a strong service team

available to come up with solutions to any problem experienced by customers.

“Having established relationships with our U.S.-based municipalities and dealers has definitely opened doors for us to get this exciting product in front of customers,” Brunger said.

And the company isn’t stopping with the eSwingo. Brunger shared, “Aebi Schmidt is dedicated to continuing the electrification of our equipment. In 2023, we will be launching a new 100% electric street sweeper. It’s called the eCleango, and is also based off of a proven diesel-powered unit. That will be, as of this moment, the largest 100% electric street sweeper on the market when it launches with a 7.2-cubic-yard hopper. We can’t wait to introduce it.”

To set up a demo, visit www.m-bco.com/ contact or contact Brunger at sean.brunger@aebi-schmidt.com or (216) 339-9272. Also, visit https://www.m-bco.com/ schmidtsweepers/eswingo-200-sweeper/ for more details about the eSwingo 200+.

Securing the biggest bang for your buck

Electric vehicles cost more upfront than traditional diesel or petroleum units; however, avenues exist to take the edge off that initial purchase. Cooperative purchasing is one major way to increase your purchasing power by joining with others across the country seeking the same product. Aebi Schmidt North America has a contract available through Sourcewell: #093021-AEB. Sourcewell also has contracts with financing companies that enable municipalities to lease to own, connecting them to equipment now rather than having to wait for funding to become available.

Sean Brunger also recommends cities view the following electrification resources to find grants and other cost savings:

• https://www.electrificationcoalition.org/

• https://driveevfleets.org/

• https://cleancities.energy.gov

The eSwingo 200+ offers a spacious cab that often takes operators by surprise.

(Photo provided by Aebi Schmidt North America)

Thanks to its compact size, the eSwingo 200+ is perfect for cleaning sidewalks, bike trails and other narrow paths. (Photo provided by Aebi Schmidt North America)

An operator attaches an optional suction hose to the eSwingo 200+. (Photo provided by Aebi Schmidt North America)

Red Wing Museum Red Wing, Minn.

By RAY BALOGH | The Municipal

With apologies to Ed Sullivan and every comedian who tried to imitate him, “We have a really big shoe...”

Well, boot, actually. But it is really big.

The size 638 1/2 D model 877 work boot was crafted in 2005 to celebrate the centennial of the Red Wing Shoe Company in Red Wing, Minn. It was constructed exactly, and from the same materials, as the more than 1 million pairs of boots Red Wing produces every year.

The boot, which towers in the lobby of the original Red Wing production facility at 315 Main St., Red Wing, Minn., now also a museum, required a staggering inventory of materials, time and labor:

• The boot stands 16 feet tall, 20 feet long and 7 feet wide. It tips the scale at 2,300 pounds.

• A person fitting the boot would stand 120 feet tall. Red Wing’s boast is “Too big for the Statue of Liberty to wear.”

• The lace is 2 1/4 inches thick and 104 feet long.

• The sole, bendable just like a real sole, is 20 inches thick at the heel and 11 inches at the toe.

• The boot is made from 80 leather hides, 245 cubic feet of urethane foam, 80 pounds of brass for the eyelets, 300 pounds of adhesive, 140 gallons of urethane and 1,200 feet of nylon rope for stitching.

• Design, engineering and fabrication took 4,000 hours over a 13-month period, the equivalent of 70-plus-hour workweeks.

• More than 60 individuals, mostly employees and retirees, volunteered their time to construct the boot. They were joined in their efforts by 15 outside companies.

• To complete the stitching, a worker was lowered into the boot by pulley.

• The gusset label was sewn in Italy. The boot is taken from the lobby from time to time to make appearances at parades and special events. Otherwise, it serves to greet

ABOVE: The Guinness record-setting world’s largest boot is housed in the original production facility of Red Wing Shoes in Red Wing, Minn. (By Axiom71, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index. php?curid=12837353)

visitors ascending the adjacent staircase to the Red Wing Shoe Museum on the second floor, which showcases the history of the brand, how the shoes and boots are manufactured and a Wall of Honor displaying pairs of footwear and the names and locations of the real working people who wore them.

The museum also houses an original gallery of Norman Rockwell’s art, including Red Wing ads from the 1960s. Patrons can test their balance and mettle walking on a steel skyscraper beam.

Red Wing’s founder, Charles Beckman, believed in “America’s great promise: If one worked hard enough, one could achieve anything.”

Like many success stories, Beckman merely saw a need and worked hard to fulfill it. When he was a shoe merchant in Red Wing, he

became frustrated he couldn’t find high-quality boots that met his standards. So he decided to make his own.

He and some partners pooled their resources and talents and founded the Red Wing Shoe Company in 1905, producing 110 pairs of work boots a day. Their reputation for quality quickly spread and the business developed a solid foundation for the expansion which was to come over the following decades.

From that beginning, the trajectory of the company has been a result of Red Wing’s commitment to quality, unwavering work ethic and a consistent business acumen to detect trends in industry and consumer needs in countries throughout the world.

Through World War II, the company focused almost exclusively on manufacturing and distribution to retail outlets. In 1949, Bill Sweasy took over Red Wing Shoes from his father, J.R., and immediately recognized the business had to adapt to the changing postwar economy.

As he expressed in a 1985 interview, “Here’s the whole population of the country moving out of rural areas, which was our traditional market, and into metro areas. There weren’t any independent shoe stores to speak of in metro areas, and very few of them ever wanted to invest in the widths we thought were appropriate to our price range and the fitting expertise.”

In August 1953, Sweasy traveled to Salt Lake City, where the company had just opened a warehouse to accommodate sales in the West. He met employee Harold Packwood, who pitched a revolutionary new retail idea: developing a retail chain that would sell only Red Wing shoes. At that time, shoe stores carried up to 12 brands of footwear.

Later that year, the company opened its first shoe store in Salt Lake City, featuring all sizes and widths of footwear and offering custom fitting.

Sweasy had also acknowledged the importance of the oil and gas industry and produced the popular “Oil King” and “Driller” boot styles. He heard oil was discovered in North Africa and traveled to Libya to scout the market and started shipping directly to that nation in 1961.

Next came his foray into the Middle East oil worker market, beginning by establishing a commercial presence in Beirut. Eventually, Red Wing became a single purchasing source for oil and gas workers throughout the world.

Sweasy, an avid outdoorsman, also developed a mountaineering footwear brand after traveling to the Tyrol region of Austria to consult with experts.

In 1986, Red Wing acquired a tanning company to consolidate their operations and now serves as a major supplier of leather to the U.S. military.

The company now offers shoes and boots in more than 200 styles, in sizes 4 to 20, and widths A to H. The store chain consists of more than 440 retail outlets in the United States and Canada and has expanded manufacturing facilities in Red Wing and Potosi, Mo.

For more information, visit redwingshoes.com, redwingshoeco.com or red-wing.org.

has always been known for its hard-working employees. The company started with a handful of technicians working 10-hour shifts and producing 110 pairs of shoes and boots a day. Now the company produces more than 1 million pairs of footwear every year. (Photos on this page provided by Red Wing Shoe Company)

Red

ABOVE PHOTOS:

Wing Shoe Company

Bill Sweasy, who took over the company in 1949 from his father, propelled Red Wing Shoes into a global supplier of footwear and leather.

The Red Wing Shoe Museum posts a Wall of Honor to individuals who wore the company’s work boots during their careers.

4,300

Since providing its first EV charging stations in 2021, the city of Hoboken, N.J., has seen more than 3,300 people charge their EVs over 4,300 times.

STREETS, HIGHWAYS & BRIDGES FOCUS ON:

300

$900,000 and $1,000,000

rather than months.

4,956 kilowatts

Tampa, Fla.’s, solar sidewalk spans almost 90 feet, consists of 84 panels and generates approximately 4,956 kilowatts of power yearly. The city installed the solar sidewalk to pilot a method of keeping power on at intersections following hurricanes and other storms.

18 miles

Length of a path in the southern portion of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, between Alexandria and Mount Vernon, which is under consideration for improvements by the National Park Service. Reducing lane size, new crosswalks and intersection changes are being discussed.

Source: https://patch.com/virginia/greateralexandria/gw-parkway-mount-vernon-trailimprovement-plan-be-presented.

The number of students who bike to school in Boulder Valley School District. The school district and the city of Boulder, Colo., recently worked together to improve Lehigh Street to make it safer for those students.

50 degrees

Temperature at which the many waterfalls along the Niobrara National Scenic River run year-round. Three — Fort Falls, Tyler Falls and Berry Falls — are located in the city of Valentine, Neb., making for a romantic Valentine’s Day destination.

Source: https://www.1011now.com/2022/08/19/nebraska-waterfalls/.

.05%

A special sales tax in Dodge City, Kan., was passed during last year’s election. The .05% tax will be used for property tax relief and paying the cost of street improvements and associated utilities. The cost to reconstruct asphalt streets in the city has quadrupled since 1993, and concrete reconstruction has increased almost as much.

Source: https://www.dodgeglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/City-of-DodgeCity-Street-Sales-Tax-Presentation.pdf and https://www.dodgeglobe.com/2022/11/09/ unofficial-election-results-2/.

Read about this solid partnership and the Lehigh Street improvements on page 26.

Read more about Tampa’s pilot program on page 30.

Find out how Hoboken is unrolling electric charging infrastructure on page 34.

The estimate cost of the Cherokee Nation’s Fast Cast Bridge project. This form of bridge building took days

Learn more about this project on page 22.

Maintaining covered bridges for generations to come

By BETH ANNE BRINK-COX | The Municipal

Covered bridges are part of our early history as a country, though their actual history goes back many hundreds of years.

A 13th century sketchbook of the French architect Villard de Honnecourt depicted a truss bridge, and an Italian treatise on architecture showed a series of four designs in 1570. Looking at cover bridges today, especially the more remotely placed ones, reminds us of a time before multilane highways and electric cars. They also garnered the name of “kissing bridges” because courting couples would steal a kiss or two while passing through the privacy of the covered bridge, according to folklore.

Of course, they were and are built for function rather than romance, the novel and film about the bridges of Madison County notwithstanding.

The most basic differences between a covered bridge and other commonly constructed wooden models are all about protecting the trusses the triangular frames that support the structure. Covering

them protects the trusses from the elements, meaning they are stronger and much longer lasting. Uncovered wooden bridges typically last about 20 years, due to rain, sun and other elements. Meanwhile, a covered bridge could last over 100 years. A commonly known truss for these bridges is the Howe truss, invented by William Howe in 1840 and widely used in the mid- to

ABOVE: Jackson Bridge, the work of builder J.J. Daniels, reveled in the first snow in November. (Photo provided by the Parke County Convention and Visitor’s Commission)

late-1800s; these consist of cords, verticals and diagonals. The verticals are in tension, and the diagonals provide compression.

The Burr Arch style, which combined an arch and a multiple kingpost truss design, was invented in 1804 by Theodore Burr and patented in 1817. The Burr Arch design bears the entire load on the bridge, while the truss keeps the bridge rigid. This was done because it is impossible to evenly balance a dynamic load crossing the bridge between two parts. Computer models show the opposite view, with the truss providing the load bearing and the arch providing stability. Either way, this created a more stable bridge that could support greater weight than either arch or truss alone.

There are 98 historic wooden covered bridges in the state of Indiana, 14 of which were built before 1870 and incorporated the Burr Arch. Parke County, Ind., is called the Covered Bridge Capital of the World, as 51 of the 98 bridges are located in this area. Fiftyfour in the state were built with Burr Arch truss designs, and 23 were built with Howe trusses. More than 2 million people come through the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival every year. It’s the largest in the state, with 10 different communities encompassing the county.

Valerie Barnett at Parke County Covered Bridges knows plenty about the Indiana bridges. When asked what goes into keeping these bridges around for decades, she said it begins at the beginning.

“Bridges were built with local wood, such as the tulip poplar, which is naturally resistant to termites, and oak, because it’s so strong. There was so much of it in the area, and the builders very wisely used it. And there is a prevalence of bridges not just because we have a lot of creeks, but the terrain, the layout, the topography, everything combines to protect the bridges from sun and so on.”

Barrett further explained, “The Portland Mills Covered Bridge is the second oldest covered bridge in Parke County, but there’s some debate about which actually came first, because The Crooks Covered Bridge was built the same year, which was 1856.”

Community pride is evident when it comes to these treasures in Parke County. The Bridgeton covered bridge was built in the late 1800s, and for 137 years stood as the centerpiece of the Covered Bridge Festival, until arson destroyed it. There were almost immediate calls to rebuild the bridge, but that would cost nearly a quarter million dollars. As Barnett said, poplar would be needed, and that meant trees would have to be cut down from a state forest and processed for proper use. With the work of hundreds and countless hours of labor, the newly rebuilt bridge was dedicated 17 months later.

Barrett said, “Covered bridges are inspected just like any other bridge would be, making sure they’re structurally sound and all that. And we have a bridge committee or society, whatever you

The State Sanitarium Bridge, which cautions crossing at a walk, is a prime example of J. A. Britton’s work. It was built to haul coal to the sanatorium for patients with tuberculosis. Being on private property after the state of Indiana sold the sanatorium, the bridge fell into disrepair. On July 30, 2008, the process began to move the bridge to the former site of the Adams Bridge, which had been destroyed by a flood in 1969. By December 29, 2008, the bridge was open to traffic. (Photo provided by the Parke County Convention and Visitor’s Commission)

want to call it, that helps maintain them as needed. We’ve been blessed to have an abundance of skilled builders in the area.”

The page for the Indiana Covered Bridge Society shows an amazing history of two such early builders, J.J. (Joseph J.) Daniels, who began by assisting his father in the 1840s, then started his own bridge business, completing his first Indiana bridge at 24. There are some conflicts as to the number of bridges he built; some say 60 but others say only 53 could be substantiated. Nevertheless, 17 of the bridges he built in the 1800s are still standing in the state. J.A. (Joseph Albert) Britton was involved in bridge building for 40 years, mostly erecting short, one span bridges, and, like Daniels, 17 of the bridges he is believed to have built are still standing.

One of those bridges is in Mecca, and because it had electricity installed, it was decorated for Christmas in years past.

“Mecca is one of the few covered bridges that is situated right in town, next to the one-room schoolhouse,” explained Barnett. “A few down at Billy Creek Village have done reenactments in their

Marshall Bridge is one to discover as you wander through the woods. (Photo provided by the Parke County Convention and Visitor’s Commission)

While covered bridges are a part of Parke County’s and the country’s history, they have kept pace with today’s generations, creating a unique enjoyment for tourists, visitors and residents along the waters, as seen by these tubers.

historical business. They used to be open year-round, with actors and tours, (doing) living history. They are working on opening up again, because there are still bridges there. Mansfield is also an in-town bridge, but mostly they are all hard to decorate; it’s pretty much the entrance and exit only, if at all.”

Because many of the bridges are in more remote parts of the state, Barrett said they have had trouble with graffiti at times. “It mostly happens where no one will be seen doing it, and it could be there for a while before it’s found. We try not to draw attention to it when that happens, so it won’t recur quickly. And we don’t want to reward bad behavior with attention. The committee will paint over it as quickly as possible.”

But Barrett said that the beauty and history have increased tourism because of the bridges. “It has really helped the county. It’s as valuable as agriculture, which is also what we’re known for. The festival becomes part of you, and many people return year after year. I grew up in Illinois, and we used to come here. Everyone has a favorite bridge, and it’s so picturesque just driving along the roads. In the fall, when the leaves change and the bridges are in the middle of that … well, they’re just so beautiful and romantic. Some are white, some red, a few are not painted.”

Barrett doesn’t believe the bridges will all fade away; however, there are less than there once were. Pennsylvania has 219 remaining, the most of any state. On the other end of that spectrum, Delaware has three and Florida has one, as does South Dakota. These structures have survived hundreds of years, and it remains to be seen if history-loving communities decide to build new covered bridges not to replace old ones, but to continue the tradition.

SHAPE YOUR SUCCESS

(Photo provided by the Parke County Convention and Visitor’s Commission)

Curb Roller Manufacturing

BEFORE: STEEL

AFTER: STRONGWELL FRP

Above: Carlisle Bridge in Lancaster, UK has been in service since 1847 and currently carries the West Coast Main Line over three 36.6m spans. Within its years of service, the metal fencing and handrails have received countless refurbishments and complete overhauls which were deemed too costly and time intensive for Network Rail and its consumers. Pipex px® presented a structure with parapet fencing and handrails constructed of EXTREN® Series 525 to address the previous corrosion and aesthetic woes associated with metal fencing and handrail.

Bridge rebuilt in days within the Cherokee Nation

By DENISE FEDOROW | The Municipal

When major flooding washed out the bridge and culverts in the Cherokee Nation near Tahlequah, Okla., in May, the executive director of transportation and infrastructure for the Cherokee Nation, Michael Lynn, knew the department had to do something fast.

Lynn said the bridge and half of Bald Hill Road were affected, and it covered a wide region including a job corps training center, the ceremonial pow wow grounds and a housing addition.

“Our Cherokee national holiday is Labor Day weekend,” Lynn said. “It’s a huge event. Thousands and thousands of Cherokee citizens come in, and part of the celebration includes the pow wow grounds. We knew

we needed to get that road open before Labor Day.”

Lynn had heard about Fast Cast Bridges and thought it may be a good fit. “I knew we needed to do something fast because of the sensitivity of the road and the timeline,” he said.

The manufacturer is based in Oklahoma, about an hour and a half east of Tahlequah. “The project was a three-part partnership

ABOVE: Pictured is the completed Bald Hill Road project in the Cherokee Nation near Tahlequah. The Fast Cast Bridge installation was an emergency fix for this much-traveled stretch of road. (Photo provided by Cherokee Nation Department of Transportation and Infrastructure)

between Cherokee Nation, Cherokee County and the Fast Cast manufacturer.”

After the project was designed and engineered, it was determined the partners needed to replace what was there with a 26-foot-by-40-foot-by-12-foot high bridge structure. Previously, the bridge consisted of three 8-foot metal culverts.

“So we sized the bridge considerably higher and larger than before,” Lynn said.

Days versus months

Lynn explained the installation process for the new bridge. He said they began setting the steel hollow frames on Aug. 19 and then pumped it full of concrete on Aug. 22. The contractor placed backfill on Aug. 25 before placing the rock for a temporary driving surface on Aug. 28. The road opened on Aug. 31.

Lynn said the holiday celebration began Thursday of that week, which was Sept. 1, so officials opened the bridge and road in time.

“We were able to meet the deadline and utilized the bridge with literally thousands of vehicles traveling on it over the weekend,” Lynn said.

So it took literally days versus the months a standard span bridge takes to build.

“We recently completed a standard span bridge in a different area and that took about nine months,” he said.

Lynn reported he’d visited a couple of other projects before the Bald Hill Road project to get an idea of how the process would go and the Cherokee Nation’s project was one of the larger structures Fast Cast had built at the time. Lynn said smaller structures like the ones he’d visited could literally be completed in a day.

“Due to the size, we couldn’t do that. They started setting the structure Friday and pumped concrete Monday. These small structures were literally built and pumped concrete in a single day.”

The manufacturing process started weeks before with all the manufacturing done offsite at the Glenpool, Okla., location. Trucks

then brought it to the site, where cranes offloaded it. Everything was bolted together.

“This could be done by non-skilled bridge builders. A lot of county employees are putting these together in other areas,” Lynn said. “Once it’s put together, they pump in the concrete.”

County’s assistance

Lynn said after the holiday, project partners went back and paved the road. That’s the aspect that the county helped with, according to Lynn.

“Cherokee Nation paid for the asphalt, and the county brought their crew in to pave and

stripe the road. We worked closely with the county commissioner,” he said.

County Commissioner for District Three Cliff Hall credited the Cherokee Nation. He said when the major flooding happened they didn’t receive any help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the cost was high.

“It was too big for the county to fund,” Hill said. “The Cherokee Nation wanted the Fast Cast Bridge, so that’s what we did.”

Hill said the county helped block the road so workers could finish setting the bridge in place before county workers paved the road afterward.

These aerial shots show some of the damage to the Bald Hill Road and bridge from the massive flooding situation in May. The Cherokee Nation, which provided the funding for the project, decided to replace the bridge using a Fast Cast Bridge instead of a standard span bridge. (Photos provided by Cherokee Nation Department of Transportation and Infrastructure)

A crane lowers a piece of prefabricated bridge section on the Bald Hill Road Bridge project in Tahlequah, Okla. (Photo provided by Cherokee Nation Department of Transportation and Infrastructure)

“We had minimal man-hours and any costs we incurred the Cherokee Nation paid back,” he said. “We partner with them all the time. We work hand-in-hand with their roads department on projects within 14 counties. They actually help us out more than the state.”

Cost and concerns

Lynn was asked if he had any concerns about thousands traveling across the bridge and temporary road.

He said he didn’t have any qualms. “They used high early strength concrete that sets quicker. We tested all the concrete, and we were extremely comfortable with all aspects.”

The cost for a Fast Cast Bridge is more expensive than a standard bridge, according to Lynn, but the time you’re saving by building a Fast Cast should be considered.

“It can be more cost-effective if you factor in the time,” he said.

The Cherokee Nation didn’t have a final cost yet, but the estimate is between $900,000 and $1,000,000.

Lynn said the Bald Hill Road project was “100% an emergency. There is an alternate route to the training center and the housing addition, but it was several miles out of the way, so the time-cost factor applies there too with having to drive it twice a day.”

“It was urgent and critical to get it fixed as quickly as we could,” Lynn said.

Another Fast Cast Bridge project is in the works for the Cherokee Nation in the western part of Cherokee County that officials hope will begin in late winter or early spring.

“We were that impressed with the first project we’ve already planned to do another,” he said.

Lynn cautioned though that it’s not a solution for every case. “It’s not going to be perfect for every situation; there are definitely situations it won’t work for, but it was an extremely good candidate for these projects.”

However, he said Fast Cast is definitely something other municipalities should consider. The manufacturer is in Oklahoma, but it has shipped the structures all over.

“Folks should definitely contact (Premier Steel Services) and at least talk about it and check out the video,” Lynn said.

An aerial view of the Bald Hill Road Bridge project in mid-construction in Tahlequah, Okla. (Photo provided by Cherokee Nation Department of Transportation and Infrastructure)

Boulder uses Safe Routes to create safer paths for elementary school students

By NICHOLETTE CARLSON | The Municipal

Lehigh Street in Boulder, Colo., is an important roadway for vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles as it connects to two elementary schools as well as residential areas. Therefore, when Lehigh Street became due for repaving the city and Boulder Valley School District teamed up to see what other improvements could be made to help students, parents and the community as a whole using the Safe Routes to School grant, which focuses on giving schools options to get students safely to school.

Teaming up with the school district was integral to the project. The city had monthly meetings with the school district to identify transportation needs. Landon Hilliard, Boulder Valley School District Safe Routes program coordinator, commented, “Staff of the Boulder Valley School District and city of Boulder maintain two-way communications for exchanging ideas and generating joint initiatives for student transportation. As part of ongoing discussions, together we

identified the need for path and crossing improvements on Lehigh Street related to students of Mesa Elementary School.”

According to Melanie Sloan, Boulder, Colo., transportation and mobility principal project manager, the Boulder Valley School District is “innovative with transportation measures.” The schools count how many bikes are at the rack each month and give students surveys asking how they get to school. It discovered that over 300 students

ABOVE: One aspect of Boulder’s most recently completed Safe Routes to School grant project was a multiuse path in Bear Creek Park. It is not only a commonly used route for students walking to school but also used by the Boulder community. Before its upgrade, it was a dirt path not suitable for walking in all seasons. (Photo provided by Landon Hilliard, Boulder Valley School District)

bike and approximately 26% walk, take a scooter, etc.

“We think that so-called active transportation is important,” Hilliard emphasized. “Because of its positive effects to build community, curb emissions and promote health.”

Following the completion of the city’s transportation master plan, a low-stress bike network plan was made. The level of stress while biking or walking city roadways was surveyed and suggestions made. Lehigh Street was confirmed as needing attention.

While Lehigh Street was due for repaving, the grant allowed the city to complete some further safety updates. These included restriping for a safer bicycle lane and pedestrian islands when crossing the street. A celebration of the project’s completion was combined with the annual Walk and Roll to School Day. (Photo provided by Landon Hilliard, Boulder Valley School District)

As the city began plans for repaving Lehigh Street, the traffic operation group also looked at speeds, travel times and lines on the road. Good improvement ideas were discussed and a tally of issues taken to prepare for application for funding from the Safe Routes to School grant. One idea was for a multiuse path through the park, which was previously a dirt path and unsuitable for walking in all seasons. It received various letters of support for grant funding.

The Safe Routes to School grant, titled Mesa Elementary Walking and Biking Safety Improvements, was applied for in November 2018. However, the grant got put on hold for a couple years due to COVID-19, stated Sloan. The city asked for $500,000 for the grant and received slightly less than requested a year later. However, they could use city funds for the restriping and paving changes. Engineering plans were completed and construction began in 2021 and finished in spring 2022.

The goal of this Safe Routes to School project was to make the route to school and along Lehigh Street “more comfortable, more accessible and safer to give people space, protection and lower speeds,” stated Sloan.

“We all agree that the safety and wellbeing of children is paramount,” Hilliard observed. “With this understanding, city and

school district staff were motivated to go to work together with a simple goal of improving conditions for walking and bicycling to school.”

Thankfully, the road was not considered dangerous, and there was no history of crashes; it was primarily about increasing comfort and accessibility.

Hilliard commented, “This effort dovetails with the Vision Zero initiative taken up by the city in 2014 to outfit streets for the safety of all, particularly ‘vulnerable users’ such as youth.” Along the street, there are trails, trailheads, parks, schools and more, which made the project’s improvements better for the community as a whole.

The roadway was repaved and restriped, and a center turn lane was removed, allowing more distance and protection between vehicles and the bicycles in the bicycle lane. The speed limit on the road was also reduced. Pedestrian crossing improvements were put in at four intersections, including medians acting as pedestrian refuge islands. A multiuse path was constructed in Bear Creek Park to connect Lehigh Street and elementary schools.

Hilliard stressed, “From start to finish, the city of Boulder transportation and communications staff provided clear forecasts

Boulder Valley School District is innovative in discovering transportation needs of students, which include monthly bike rack counts and surveying students and parents regarding how students get to school.

and timelines with follow-up messages to the school community that kept parents informed and ready for the typical disruptions that occur during a street construction and repaving project.”

After the completion of the project, the city and school district combined a celebration of the Safe Routes to School project completion with bicycle education and the school district’s Walk and Roll to School Day in October 2022. Sloan mentioned how encouraging it was to see the school superintendent, principals, city administration and families come together to support the partnership and project. While Safe Routes to School grants are typically smaller budget project, Sloan described them as “small but mighty.”

Since 2006, Boulder has been awarded over $2.3 million from the Safe Routes to School program toward pedestrian and bike infrastructure improvement projects involving approximately 18 of the 25 schools in the city.

“In addition to addressing transportation safety,” Hilliard stated, “the ‘town and gown’ partnership continues to be a catalyst for projects, for example, in environmental sustainability, diversity and equity, and workforce development.”

(Photo provided by Landon Hilliard, Boulder Valley School District)

Tampa turns to solar to keep intersections live after power outages

By STACI REAFSNYDER | The Municipal

Hurricanes in the southern states located along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean are known to wreak havoc among cities, leaving devastation in their wake. Hurricanes will leave municipalities without power for days while they recover from the damage.

In 2017, the city of Tampa initiated a pilot program for solar sidewalks to power intersections following Hurricane Irma. This plan was originally suggested by Vik Bhide, Tampa’s current mobility director.

Hurricane Irma had hit the area as a category four storm, knocking out power to nearly 4.5 million homes and businesses across the state of Florida. The storm was strong enough to knock down three construction cranes in the cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The aftermath of a hurricane can leave many dangerous situations on the roadways.

“In the aftermath of Irma, we (Tampa) had a significant number of traffic signals that went several days without grid power,” Tampa Smart Mobility Manager Brandon Campbell stated. “Our staff has the capacity to deploy generators to help bridge the gap

between the outage and restoration of power, but that approach has limitations.”

Campbell said the year-round storage, set-up time, as well as monitoring and refueling of the generators takes resources that are sometimes scarce, especially in the aftermath of a storm.

“The timeframe when a signal is dark presents risks to roadway safety,” Campbell said.

The pilot program was conceived as a way to potentially maintain power through a longer-term outage without the drawbacks associated with generator deployment, Campbell stated.

From installation, to configuration and connection, the project took approximately five years to complete and is located at the intersection of North Jefferson Street and East Cass Street in Tampa.

The idea for the solar sidewalk project initially began in 2017 in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. (Photo provided by the city of Tampa)

“This included asking the industry for initial information through a request for information, procurement through a request for proposals, COVID-related supply chain challenges and installation by city forces with technical support from the vendor,” Campbell said.

The solar installation currently generates about 75% of the power needed for the traffic signal at North Jefferson Street and East Cass Street. The city worked with Solar Earth, a Canadianbased company that provided the materials and installation support.

The solar sidewalk spans almost 90 feet, consists of 84 panels and generates approximately 4,956 kilowatts of power yearly. These solar panels installed on the sidewalk, sitting on the surface to absorb as much sunlight as possible. They then feed solar energy into a white transformer. The solar sidewalk can generate three to five days’ worth of power to the intersection. The entire project cost was roughly $45,000.

“The Signal Stays On” is proclaimed on the transformer, and passersby can read about the solar project below this header. The project is also known as a net zero solution and is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3.1 metric tons per year, the transformer states.

“The intent of the system is to mitigate risk to the intersection,” Campbell said. “Between the panels and the included battery bank, we would expect the signal to continue running for several days amid a power outage.”

The solar sidewalk completed installation around the time of 2022’s Hurricane Ian. With the installation being a permanent one, the city of Tampa was able to monitor the results of the project during Hurricane Ian. They will continue monitoring any results

and explore the potential for expansion if and when needed. Campbell reported they will evaluate the need on a case-by-case basis.

“We (Tampa) currently use solar panels on most of our warnings beacons,” Campbell said in regards to expanding the project to other parts of Tampa. “We also looked into potential solarpowered street lighting in locations where grid connections are difficult. We don’t have any explicit plans for these, but would consider the option if needed.”

The project completed in the late summer of 2022. The city could see the effectiveness of the project when Hurricane Ian crossed Florida. (Photo provided by the city of Tampa)

The intent of the solar project is to mitigate risk at the intersection should the city of Tampa lose power because of a hurricane or tropical storm. (Photo provided by the city of Tampa)

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Hoboken pushes EV infrastructure forward

Hoboken, N.J., may be small, but its efforts to address climate change are not modest by any means. For instance, in the last few years, the city has focused on accommodating and facilitating the transition to electric vehicles for residents and visitors alike.

These efforts are part of a larger plan and commitment to lowering its carbon footprint. In April 2019, the city adopted a climate action plan to achieve greenhouse gas reductions. Then in 2021, the municipality unveiled its first phase of city-owned, publicly accessible level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at Garage B, Garage D and on First Street between Washington Street and Court Street. In July 2022, the city expanded the number of level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at Garages B and D and added electric vehicle charging stations to the Midtown Garage and the municipal parking lot at 1301 Jefferson St. Deputy Director of Transportation and Parking Diana Aviles said the phrased approach has allowed the city to test the waters and find incremental success. In general, investing in the future of more sustainable transportation was also essential.

number

public

charging

“I can tell you that on-street charging is still very new,” she said. “We’re probably going to be the first probably in this entire region to go with 25 stations and the first to try EV charging in private garages. We didn’t model (the effort) after someone else. We just wanted to meet our own demands and the needs of Hoboken.”

With the initial success under its belt, Aviles said it’s time for her department to look to what’s next in terms of expanding its offerings.

“Now, with our most recent partnership with Volta, the goal is to provide charging stations to all Hoboken residents within a 5-mile walking distance,” she said. “So, we wanted to make sure that they were accessible all over the city. That’s what’s going to be the focus of our next phase of the launch. There will be 25 EV charging stations, including eight DC fast chargers.”

Deputy Director of Transportation and Parking Diana Aviles said the city is a regional leader in climate change initiatives. (Photo provided by the city of Hoboken, N.J.)

The addition of the new Volta charging stalls will more than double the

of

EV

ports available in Hoboken. (Photo provided by the city of Hoboken, N.J.)

But having charging stations is only one piece of the puzzle. The Green Pass program, launched in July 2022, is free to residents. It provides a 50% discount to on-street permit holders to park their electric vehicles, or plug-in electric vehicles, at a reduced rate in one of the municipal garages.

“We wanted to make sure that since we knew that the number of EVs was growing in Hoboken and more residents were transitioning from a gas vehicle to an electric vehicle they had a place to park,” she said.

Before this incentive, some residents had to find creative ways to park. Driveways and garages are limited in Hoboken, for example. Also, Aviles said it was important that the city provide them with a safe location for charging. The 50% discount means that permit holders would pay $6 for up to eight hours to charge in a garage. Per Aviles, they would also have to pay for the electric part. However, that compares to $28 for the same period for non-permit holders.

And the program resonates with users.

“Since we launched that program, we’ve gotten great feedback from residents, specifically the ones who were using it,” she said. “They wanted to see more of it not so much in a garage, but they wanted to see EV charging stations on the streets. So that’s how we knew that we were headed in the right direction with the next phase.”

Also, Aviles’ observations indicate the program meets the community’s needs. In her words, “Every single time I happen to walk by one of our municipal garages, all of the EV sta tions are taken.”

The statistics speak volumes, too.

“Since providing the first EV charging stations in 2021, we know through our data analytics that more than 3,300 people have charged their EVs over 4,300 times,” she said.

In retrospect, Aviles attributes the city’s success to ensuring the residents’ concerns are heard and acting on them. There’s also the importance of considering how quality of life and economic development factors intersect and enter the mix in any city.

“Hoboken, for example, is in a transit hub,” she said. “We have commuters where our proximity to the city to Jersey City and all the other nearby towns we have a lot of transit going through here. We want also to meet those demands so that if someone is coming through Hoboken to shop and dine, they can charge before they hit the road.”

RIGHT: Hoboken will use data from the six-month pilot program to develop a database of electric vehicle ownership across the city to help understand constraints and opportunities for expanding access to electric vehicle charging. (Photo provided by the city of Hoboken, N.J.)

Members of the Green Pass program are eligible for a discounted parking rate of $6 for up to eight hours while charging at Garage B, Garage D and Midtown Garage. (Photo provided by the city of Hoboken, N.J.)

BMP: Optimizing efficiency for stormwater pollutant control

By PATRICK FITZGERALD | The ODB Company

Numerous studies have demonstrated that collecting leaves and debris before they enter the stormwater system is the lowest cost, fastest and simplest means to keep contaminants out of area water systems.

Pressure from EPA, state agencies, local governments and environmental groups, continues to increase the requirements for limiting the release of phosphorous, nitrogen and sediment loads to area water systems.

In January 2017, the EPA implemented the Final MS4 Permit Remand Rule (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems) to help ensure compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act. The NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Stormwater Program further supports the goal of minimizing polluted stormwater run-off. Nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment are particularly problematic to watershed and waterway health.

Too much nitrogen and phosphorus cause algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle. Algae blooms significantly harm water quality, food resources and habitats, and decrease the oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need to survive. (Below are 2 data points from a USGS study.)

• Nearly 60% of the annual phosphorus yield comes from leaf litter in the fall.

• Timely removal of leaf litter can reduce phosphorus concentrations by 80%.

ABOVE: Leaf and debris vacuum collections systems have become an important part of many community’s street cleaning programs. With MS4 and NPDES, they have also become a critical part of, and budgeted from, their stormwater programs.

Pictured is ODB’s patent-pending singleengine DCL1000SE, 25 cubic yard leaf and debris vacuum truck. The DCL1000SE is the most powerful and efficient vacuum truck available. With 150 horsepower to the 32” suction impeller, it has twice the suction horsepower of any other truck-mounted system. The single-engine configuration has 61% fewer collection system maintenance points and reduced fuel consumption making the DCL1000SE easier to maintain and less costly to operate. The end result is more curb miles cleaned in less time, at a lower cost/mile.

(All photos provided)

COST-EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES

The Chesapeake Bay Program and others have conducted numerous studies to identify the Best Management Practices (BMP’s) to prevent pollutants from reaching area waterways to help stormwater managers meet the EPA’s Final MS4 Rule. It was clearly demonstrated that the fastest, simplest and most cost-effective strategy for MS4 compliance was to capture leaves and debris from streets prior to entering the stormwater system.

FASTER CLEAN-UP

It is well understood that high-capacity leaf and debris vacuum collection systems, in combination with regenerative or pure vac sweepers, can clean more curb miles in less time, more thoroughly, and at a lower cost per mile.

The leaf and debris vacuum system picks up high volumes of leaves rapidly, while a street sweeper cleans up any residual debris in one pass.

Normally a leaf vacuum truck might travel a little slower and pick up most of the leaves, but with the sweeper following right behind, the leaf vacuum can move faster, and any remaining debris is thoroughly cleaned up by the sweeper. The units continue on to the next street, and the one after that, without delay.

PICKING UP LEAVES BEFORE THEY END UP IN THE GUTTER

Leaf vacuum trucks help keep leaves off the streets by the ability to pick up leaves 3-5 feet beyond the curb, without damaging the grounds. Leaves that would probably end in the street in the next day or two.

INCREASED CAPACITY = INCREASED PRODUCTION

Working in tandem, a leaf vacuum and sweeper significantly increases the number of streets cleaned per day. This combination can effectively clean approximately 4-5 times more curb miles without interruption before needing to go to the dump.

A typical leaf vac collection capacity is about 20-25 cubic yards, combined with the typical sweeper hopper capacity of 7-9 cubic yards, yields 27-34 cubic yards of street debris collected per run.

Regenerative and pure vacuum sweepers are very capable of picking up leaves, however, during leaf season the large piles of leaves can be overwhelming for a sweeper alone. Multiple passes are often required to whittle down the piles, substantially limiting the curb miles that can be cleaned per day.

During leaf season, many communities send out leaf vacuums in advance to collect large volumes of leaves quickly as they end up in the

Working in tandem, a leaf vacuum and sweeper significantly increases the number of streets cleaned per day, at a lower total cost. This combination can effectively clean approximately 4-5 times more curb miles without interruption before needing to dump. In the above photos, both trucks are single-operator systems. This configuration requires only 2 workers to get the job done. The vacuum unit is ODB’s patented CDL-exempt, 16 cubic yard capacity DCL500SM which gives a municipality greater labor flexibility. The sweeper is Schwarze’s A7 Tornado™ high capacity 8.4 cubic yard hopper regenerative air sweeper.

street. The sweepers can be sent on different routes, and on different days, depending on needs and conditions, allowing the municipality to optimize resources and schedules.

LEAF AND DEBRIS VACUUM SYSTEMS

Leaf and debris collection systems have had a long history of helping protect and preserve the environment, however, it’s only in the last 20 years that we’ve realized it!

These systems come in a variety of types to suit a municipality’s needs and resources; truck-mounted, self-contained trailers and tow-behind leaf loaders.

Since 1910, The ODB Company (Old Dominion Brush) has been manufacturing the tools and equipment to help keep communities clean. From street sweeper brushes and brooms to leaf and debris collection equipment that is recognized as the highest performing, safest and most efficient systems available.

If you would like more information on stormwater management strategies, copies of research papers and findings from the Chesapeake Bay Program, University of Florida, USGS WI Water Science Center and others, and/or would like more information on leaf and debris collection systems, please contact Patrick Fitzgerald at pfitzgerald@odbco.com.

Leaf vacuum trucks can easily clean the street and pick up leaves 3-5 feet beyond the curb, without damaging the turf.

Baird finds passion helping make life better for her neighbors

By DANI MESSICK | The Municipal

“Life is short,” believes Leirion Gaylor Baird of Lincoln, Neb.

Baird was elected mayor of the city of Lincoln in 2019. She is the third female mayor of the city.

“During college, a number of my good friends passed away in different ways cancer, homicide, accidents and it brought home to me how little time we have and with no guarantees. I wanted to feel like whatever time I get on this earth, I’m doing something that matters and that makes life better for more people besides me and my immediate family. Now, I get to try to harness the strengths all across our community to advance our quality of life, hopefully in ways that are enduring and that inspire other people to get involved and to continue to work.”

Baird admitted that working in local government wasn’t on her bucket list. But she wanted to serve her community, and in 2007 she was appointed to Lincoln and Lancaster County’s planning commission.

“What I found out is that I really loved getting to be a part of thinking about how we want our city to look and feel for everybody.”

ABOVE: Leirion Gaylor Baird has served the city of Lincoln, Neb., as mayor since 2019. During her tenure, she has priortized affordable housing and resiliency. (Photo provided by the city of Lincoln, Neb.)

Later on, a position opened on the Lincoln City Council. After mulling it over and with encouragement she decided to run. She was elected in 2013.

“What I love about this work is that you’re focused on making life better for your neighbors, your family and the families of other people. I talk to people in the grocery store, and they want to talk to me about city issues, like maybe getting something through an approval process at the city, and next thing you know, we’re out with shovels breaking ground. It feels like a productive and meaningful place to be when you’re trying to make a city grow in ways that make a person want to continue to live there.”

When she first became mayor in May 2019, Baird already had plans. “One of the things I felt committed to was working to grow housing in Lincoln, and also addressing and growing the availability and quality of affordable housing in our community.”

An affordable housing action plan was launched. The city worked with public entities and the private sector to create a financing entity

for the project and innovated a tax increment financing policy to support affordable housing.

The city also passed a local climate action plan, the first of its kind in Nebraska. A signature piece of that, Baird said, is resiliency. Right now, the city is working on developing a second source of water to ensure residents have an adequate water supply: It’s anticipated that the alternative source will be needed by 2050.

Some of Baird’s favorite things about Lincoln are the over 135 miles of trails for walking and biking; that it is a university town; and that it is a refugee resettlement community.

“There are dozens and dozens of languages spoken,” she said. “We were recently cited as the 12th largest resettlement site per capita in the country. We have the largest number of Yazidis outside of Iraq, and we have around 30,000 immigrants from outside the country who call Lincoln home. We are a microcosm of the global community here.”

The daughter of teachers, Baird recalled that her family placed a high value on education. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in history degree from Yale College.

“I was really drawn in, particularly, to stories of 20th-century American politics and public policy. I was really interested in the Civil Rights Movement and how government played a role in trying to right the wrongs, level the playing field or trying to create equity in society.”

She went on to earn a Master of Science degree in comparative social research from the University of Oxford.

“In college, you get exposed to realities that maybe you didn’t learn in your previous classes growing up. I was really inspired to learn more about the history of our country and other countries, because it’s really about how do you take what you know about the past to make life in the present better?”

Baird said her history degree was an early step to a career she never expected to have. Out of college, she began working for a management consulting firm to help pay back student loans.

“I knew that I wanted to have a career like my parents that involved giving back, that involved making a difference for future generations.”

She has also been a fiscal and policy analyst and a Boys and Girls Club director.

“When I worked for the Boys and Girls Club as a director, I was working with kids who were the first generation to be on a path to college. They didn’t have the resources to take part in clubs or afterschool activities or the kinds of things that help you get a really great experience and a great education growing up.”

At the club she worked at, which was founded by Condoleezza Rice in East Palo Alto, Calif., performing arts was a major component of the program.

“It gave kids the chance to be part of a marching band or to take dance classes or theater and to have the opportunity to find their gifts and talents. We tried to get them on a path to college while they were young, because education is one of the ways you level the playing field. It’s one of the ways that you try to achieve equity on the front end. It’s laying the groundwork for a better life and that work in youth development was really where my heart was,” Baird explained.

Baird grew up in Portland, Ore., but after living on the east and the west coasts, she found herself in Lincoln for love. Her husband is a Lincoln native.

“He was born about seven blocks from where we live,” Baird said. “We wanted to raise our kids in a place with great public schools and

with a lower cost of living than most places, where we could work to buy a home and have time with our family. One of the luxuries of Lincoln is having time for other people. You drive along the street at 5 p.m. and you’ll see parents playing catch with their kids in their front lawns and going to their kids’ activities. The commute times aren’t that long compared to most cities, and neighbors look after each other.”

She described it as a big small town, despite being the capital of the state. The population approaches 300,000.

Baird currently serves on the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Advisory Board and as chairman of the USCM Mayors and Metro Universities Task Force. She is also chairman of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Local Government Advisory Council, the Lincoln Community Foundation Board, the University of Nebraska President’s Advisory Council and the Board of Trustees for Mourning Hope.

When she came into office, Baird developed a core values mission statement that includes:

• “Lumos Maxima” Our work proudly stands in the sunshine of public observation and accountability.

• Loving kindness We serve with compassion toward ourselves and others, recognizing that we are interconnected.

• Triathlete of the Mind Vision, Data Analysis, Viability” We pursue excellence, leading with vision and developing evidencebased strategies.

• Start the Conversation We proactively communicate with others, especially when it is hard. We value diverse perspectives and seek to be inclusive.

• Free the Fun We bring enthusiasm and optimism to our work every day. Our workplace and community should involve plenty of joyful delight.

• What’s Next? We celebrate progress, with an eye on the next opportunity. We appreciate the value of emergence.

“My core values are not your typical ‘honestly, integrity’ the things that we, of course, expect,” Baird admitted.

Leirion Gaylor Baird, mayor of Lincoln, Neb., works to harness the strengths of the members of her community to help it grow in ways that make it viable, vibrant and affordable.

Arkansas City prioritizes vulnerable community members with Safe Return program

By NICHOLETTE CARLSON | The Municipal Shutterstock.com

Arkansas City, Kan., recently created a Safe Return program to help police officers protect vulnerable citizens such as children and adults who suffer from Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, Down Syndrome and any other developmental or health disorder.

“Our main focus,” stated Cori Tuxhorn, Arkansas City master police officer and crisis intervention team coordinator, “is helping missing people with mental health or developmental disparities get home before they are injured or worse.”

Former Police Chief Dan Ward worked hard to get the co-response team put together and funded. Tuxhorn commented, “Mental health has been on the back burner historically in police work, and we’d like to change that. Providing people with appropriate services so they avoid the criminal justice system altogether is the goal. We’d much rather get someone therapy, medication services or other assistance programs than to have to take them to jail. This helps the community member suffering from mental health problems live a happier and more independent life.”

The program aims to help community members get the assistance they need before it’s an emergency. “This frees up emergency rooms, law enforcement, dispatchers and other community resources,” she said. When the idea for the program was proposed, the city and department loved it.

Tuxhorn did a ride along with a Texas police officer for three days to see their program firsthand in April. Describing that experience, Tuxhorn mentioned, “We responded to calls such as an overdose at a motel, checked on homeless people and visited a mental health hospital. We spoke constantly about methods and policies as we drove to

calls and follow-ups. I was able to learn a lot about handling mental health calls, providing good service to my community and how to build a similar program in my department. It was continually stressed to me to maintain open communication with my mental health coresponder and to get our goals communicated regularly.”

It took approximately three weeks to then get the program up and running in Arkansas City, according to Tuxhorn. Everything was prepared and the county attorney approved the program within a couple days. The distribution of information packets then began.

Forms are filled out by parents or caregivers to enroll participating community members in the program. The form, a current photo and a physician’s letter showing a developmental or health diagnosis has to be turned in or emailed to the police department. After review, the department will contact the family to confirm they are part of the program. Information on the form includes name, address, phone number, age, height, weight, hair and eye color and vehicle information. Physician information and a primary contact, such as parent or caregiver, is also required.

Aside from various diagnoses or disabilities, the form also asks for the individual’s primary communication method and special considerations, such as whether they are touch sensitive, have a tendency to run or if they become combative when restrained. Officers also request information regarding routines, locations the individual

Citizens of Arkansas City, Kan., particularly more vulnerable community members with mental or developmental disabilities, can now enroll in a new program to ensure they get home safely if they go missing or get lost. The police department and city teamed up with mental health professionals to create the Safe Return program, training police officers in how to engage those members of the community when they go missing and the emergency alert system is engaged. (Sabrina Janelle Gordon/Shutterstock.com)

may go and other relevant information that may assist a police officer when the individual is found.

Police officers in the Arkansas City Police Department receive special training in order to assist them in dealing with members in the Safe Return program. According to Tuxhorn, “Everyone at our department receives mental health first aid and crisis intervention training. We are all well-versed in de-escalation and lean on those skills for all community contacts, but most importantly when we encounter those who are suffering from mental health or developmental crisis situations.”

She mentioned the communication method section of the form, adding, “This gives us advance notice on how to best communicate with these particular community members and things to avoid, such as physical touch, that the community member might find triggering. It also gives us locations that the person might frequent so we can find them faster.”

In the program, Tuxhorn is paired up with a mental health professional as her co-responder. While they have been working together for less than a year, they “have fostered a relationship that is goaloriented, friendly and we have very open communication with one another,” she said.

If an individual goes missing, the emergency alert system will be quickly activated including a Silver Alert and the Kansas Missing and Endangered Person Entry through the National Crime Information System. Officers are provided in advance with the necessary information to get members of the community who are enrolled in the Safe Return program entered as a missing person, which saves time and allows them to get out into the community searching for the individual since every second counts.

Being in the Safe Return program can help even if the individual is not missing.

The Arkansas City Police Department received special training for the Safe Return program specializing in assisting vulnerable citizens such as those with Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, Down syndrome and others. Forms are filled out by those wishing to join the program so their names are put on the special Safe Return list, which also gives officers special information regarding potential triggers to deescalate the situation. (Bencemor/Shutterstock photo)

“When someone is enrolled, they are flagged in our records system. If an elderly dementia patient calls to report a theft that didn’t actually occur or gets into a car accident, we will be able to get in contact with their family to help them. If we locate a nonverbal child, we can do the same.”

“With any new program, we are always learning and fine tuning the way we do things to best serve,” Tuxhorn stressed.

Attracting top talent:

search for city manager

By JULIE YOUNG | The Municipal

When it is time to look for new leadership, communities across the United States cast a wide net to attract top talent.

In 2013, the city of Janesville, Wis., conducted a nationwide search to find a city manager. Mark Freitag beat out six finalists to fill that role. Now that he is leaving for a new position in Westminster, Colo., Janesville officials are doing it again.

“The city believes conducting a comprehensive search for the organization’s top leadership is critical,” said communications specialist Nick Faust. “Such a thorough recruitment should draw on candidates from various backgrounds and locations.”

An expanding community

Located in South Central Wisconsin, Janesville is a full-service municipality that provides a range of services and a high quality of life for the 65,942 people who live there.

Although it was not incorporated until 1853, Janesville had enjoyed steady growth and development since its establishment as the Rock County seat in 1836. Known as Wisconsin’s Park Place, Janesville maintains a 2,600-acre park system with 64 parks and a segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Its proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee

and Madison offers a growing and diversifying economic base that draws new firms looking for a logistical edge as well as a ready-towork labor force.

To find the perfect person for the city manager role, the Janesville City Council worked with the municipality’s recruitment consultant, Government Professional Solutions, to develop an ideal-candidate profile. To ensure that candidates with the skills and qualities necessary to serve the populace are found, council members incorporated stakeholder feedback as a significant component of the process.

“Through a communitywide survey and multiple stakeholder feedback sessions, the city is working to integrate the community’s desires for the next local government leader into the recruitment process,” Faust said. “With these community-established qualities and national recruitment, we believe the city council will be able to select the city manager who is best suited for Janesville.”

The position demands highly responsible executive work in directing and coordinating the administration of the municipal government in accordance with policies established by the city council

To ensure the best leadership, the city of Janesville, Wis., broadened its search for city manager and took it nationwide. (Photo provided by the city of Janesville, Wis.)

Janesville produced a recruitment brochure to help entice candidates for its city manager position. Featured images showcased the city’s landscape and leisure activities to give candidates a sense of the lifestyle. Pictured are bikes at Lions Beach. (Photo provided by the city of Janesville, Wis.)

and all applicable laws. According to the brochure crafted by GPS, the ideal candidate will possess outstanding leadership skills as well as a management style that will lend itself well to collaboration. The person must have strong communication skills and the ability to guide the council effectively without playing politics. And among other attributes, the postings say, he or she should be a servant leader who is always looking out for what is best for the community.

A popular approach

Janesville’s process is similar to one that was employed by Vancouver, Wash., in March to find its new police chief. Vancouver’s police department was in a period of change, so when James McElvain announced his retirement, city manager Eric Holmes committed to a full, open and transparent national search for the city’s next law enforcement leader.

To understand the community’s needs and expectations, Vancouver developed a survey regarding the attributes and leadership qualities the community valued. City officials used that feedback to identify a pool of candidates who reflected the needs of the community. They worked with Bob Murray Associates to help manage the recruitment process in hopes of appointing a new chief in the summer.

On June 30, 2022, Jeff Mori the former assistant chief for the Vancouver Police Department was installed in the top job.

“Assistant Chief Mori’s experience and background, teamed with his proven ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships in the community, has prepared him well for this role,” Holmes said in a May 18 press release. “His clear vision for the future of community safety in Vancouver helped him emerge as the top candidate in a very competitive pool. I am confident in his ability to lead our police department in its next chapter.”

Janesville expected the search for its new city manager to take approximately six months. Officials hope to have someone in place by the spring of 2023. In the meantime, the city council voted unanimously to have Janesville Police Chief David Moore to serve as the interim city manager while still leading the community’s police force.

Moore told reporters at the announcement that the dual responsibility would be a big one, but he did not see the roles as a conflict of interest. Council President Paul Benson said Moore’s high character and long track record made him the perfect interim choice, although it is not expected that he will fill the role permanently.

“This national search by no means the city eschews regional or internal candidates,” Faust said. “However, it guarantees the city considers the best candidates for our community.”

Quick Facts: Janesville, Wis.

Location: Rock County

Incorporated: 1853

Total area: 34.76 square miles

Population: 64,942

Largest Employers: Mercy Health System, Janesville School District, Blackhawk Technical College, Seneca Foods. Fun facts: Janesville’s Rotary Gardens is an internationally themed botanical garden that was created from an abandoned sand pit, and the 1857 Lincoln-Tallman House is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cyclists take part in the city’s Town Square Gran Prix. (Photo provided by the city of Janesville, Wis.)

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Urban forest management: Promote, preserve and plant

By KEVIN KILBANE | The Municipal

They clean and cool the air. They soak up stormwater and prevent erosion. They add beauty and become wildlife habitats. Gazing on them or strolling among them just makes people feel better.

Cities and towns increasingly are recognizing the value of their urban forests. Some municipalities have found trees can sprout other benefits as well, such as community engagement, building residents’ job skills and improving economically depressed areas.

“It is really exciting to see people want to get involved,” said Josh Petter, urban forest planner for the city of Burien, a community of 50,000 people along Puget Sound south of Seattle in Washington state.

Many communities strive for a tree canopy covering 40% of their municipal boundaries. The canopy is the upper level of foliage growing from larger trees. Burien has a current canopy of between 30% and 40%, and nearby Lakewood, Wash., is at 29%.

Other municipalities may put greater emphasis on other forestry measures, Petter noted, such as an inventory of trees along streets and in public spaces or the number of organizations and residents involved in tree projects.

Get people involved

Successful urban forest management often involves a branched approach to getting residents involved and invested in caring for the community’s urban forest.

Fort Worth, Texas, created a survey to seek residents’ ideas as officials develop a master plan for managing city forest resources to enhance the local quality of life.

ABOVE: Trees create a canopy over the entrance to the paved path around Waughop Lake in the 360-acre Fort Steilacoom Park, which is considered the crown jewel of the city of Lakewood, Wash. The park draws more than 1 million visitors a year, many of whom enjoy strolling along the tree-lined paths. (Photo provided by the city of Lakewood, Wash.)

Burien asks residents about what types of trees and vegetation they want to plant, said Petter, an arborist who began work March 1 as the city’s first urban forest planner. The city’s Green Burien Partnership also involves residents in projects such as removing ivy and invasive blackberries that can smother trees, planting new trees and restoring natural areas, he said.

“Yes, we are certainly cultivating volunteers,” said Emily InlowHood, Burien’s communications officer. “But we also recognize from an equity perspective, not everybody has the time and resources to volunteer their time. Burien is a very diverse community, both economically, culturally and racially. So our programs, the way they are designed is we offer a lot of stipended opportunities.”

Through partnerships with nonprofits, young people receive pay while learning to work in the field of environmental restoration, Inlow-Hood said. The city also has an internship program with a local alternative high school. “Because it’s not just about restoring the trees. It’s also about building community.”

The connections can make a huge difference, Petter said.

“I think any time you can get people involved with the planting and decision-making, that is really helpful because trees are a very longlived thing,” he explained. “We really need to build a long-lasting community partnership on that front because, (at) the city, we don’t have the resources to take care of every single tree alone.”

Care for existing trees

Many communities rely on public works, street or parks department staff to prune and care for trees along streets and on city property.

Some communities also enact tree ordinances to control how private landowners manage trees on their property. Tree ordinances function much like ordinances used by building departments or planning and zoning departments to regulate land-use activities.

Lakewood, Wash., a city of 63,000 in the suburbs of Tacoma, has had a tree code since the city incorporated in 1996, according to Dave Bugher, assistant city manager and the city’s community and economic development director. However, the city council passed a stricter, revised tree code in November. The council delayed code implementation until March 1 so city staff could educate residents about the new regulations and potential penalties.

The updated tree code grew out of residents’ concern about a proposed industrial development that would destroy a number of native Garry oak trees, Bugher said. The revised tree ordinance reduced to 10,000 square feet from 17,000 square feet the lot size for which private landowners need to get a permit to remove a tree. The new ordinance also protects “significant trees,” particularly the Garry oaks that are native to a narrow range around Puget Sound and the British Columbia islands.

“It’s not endangered, but its range is being impacted,” Bugher said. “These trees take hundreds of years to grow. So if you take one down, it’s kind of a significant historical event.”

Burien also passed a revised tree ordinance in October but delayed enforcement of fines until March 1 to prepare residents for the changes. The new regulations, which seek to preserve large, healthy trees, generally require private property owners to obtain a city permit before removing a tree considered large for its species. Property owners also must seek a permit to remove more than the allowed number of trees per year based on their lot size. In addition, they typically need a permit to top a tree or to prune more than 25% of its canopy.

Plant trees

Planting trees also expands a community’s urban forest and can help address tree equity situations where wealthier areas of cities have more trees than economically disadvantaged areas. Many municipalities now also require or encourage planting native tree species, which may grow better and provide more habitat benefits than non-native trees.

Fort Worth’s Neighborhood Tree Planting Program, for example, allows residents of neighborhoods to act as a group to order free trees in 5-gallon containers for planting in parkways and near roads, it said on the city’s website, www.fortworthtexas.gov. The city’s Tree Grant Program provides free trees for planting in public places, such as schools, libraries, parks and street medians.

Lakewood relies heavily on requirements placed on new industrial growth, Bugher said, to protect its canopy.

“Industrial development, for example, is required to plant an incredible amount of trees for an industrial use,” he said. “I guess we take down some trees but, over time, the trees we require in new development will actually exceed the current canopy. It just takes 20 to 30 years to get there.”

Burien wants to plant more trees along streets, which will improve all residents’ access to green spaces, Petter said.

The shore of Waughop Lake, located inside the 360-acre Fort Steilacoom Park in the city of Lakewood, Wash., is lined with trees, making it a destination in the fall as the leaves start to change. The lakeside also serves as a fun place for children to throw rocks in the water. (Photo provided by the city of Lakewood, Wash.)

Visitors to 360-acre Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, Wash., enjoy a stroll along the newly paved path that circles Waughop Lake inside the park. Cities and towns increasingly are recognizing the value of their urban forests. (Photo provided by the city of Lakewood, Wash.)

A city program also provided a funding match to assist neighborhoods with tree planting or tree protection projects. Proposals submitted in 2022 will result in the planting of about 100 trees in 2023. Collaboration with residents has the added long-term benefit of teaching them about trees and caring for them. “We really want to bring as many different organizations and people into this as possible.”

Natural resource

The U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program offers technical, financial and educational information at www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/urban-forests/ucf.

Santa Maria implements commercial recycling program

By JULIE YOUNG | The Municipal

In an effort to help businesses and multifamily complexes comply with state recycling mandates and improve the community’s environmental footprint, the city of Santa Maria, Calif., has implemented programs to educate the public and give them the tools they need to work toward a more sustainable future.

Meeting the mandates

Since 2011, has developed and employed a number of recycling mandates including Assembly Bill 341, which sets forth the statewide commercial recycling requirements for businesses and multifamily dwellings that generate more than four cubic yards of waste each week. In 2014, AB 1826 required businesses and multifamily dwellings to recycle organic waste, with jurisdictions implementing organic waste recycling programs to process the material. The statute was phased in over a four-year period beginning in 2016 and included food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste and soiled paper.

According to Herb Cantu, deputy director and solid waste manager for Santa Maria’s utilities department, the city encourages businesses to increase the amount of waste that they recycle not only to comply with the mandates, but also to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve landfill capacity.

“The city offers a three-container-bin solid waste management program trash, single-stream recycling and organics collection to its customers and also deploys various marketing campaigns to help educate the public about what can go into the appropriate containers,” he said.

In addition, it hosts various events at which it distributes indoor recycling containers in varying sizes to commercial businesses and conducts audits to ensure customers are using the containers to store appropriate materials. The audits allow the city to educate a customer if a practical adjustment can be made.

“When it comes to organics recycling, the city has a commercial organics recycling outreach program. We have recycling specialists visiting all of the commercial businesses on our organics program and providing them with indoor organics containers,” Cantu said.

“We also have specific marketing campaigns on organics recycling to educate the community, including commercial businesses.”

By the numbers

Based on the third quarter 2022 reporting period, commercial recycling made up about 54% of the total amount of recyclables col lected by Santa Maria collection vehicles. Organic waste recycling made up 7% of the total amount of organic waste collected by the city from commercial businesses. Since the indoor recycle container program began in 2019, the city has distributed 94 indoor organics containers 45 of which are used by businesses recycling containers, 100 of which are being used by businesses. Businesses are eligible to receive up to three containers of either size or combination,

Indoor

recycling containers have been made available through a grant from CalRecycle and the city’s solid waste collection fund. (Photo provided by city of Santa Maria)

In compliance with California state mandates, the city of Santa Maria has implemented and deployed recycling programs aimed at businesses and multifamily complexes. (Photo provided by city of Santa Maria)

and the containers are paid for by a grant from CalRecycle as well as the solid waste collection fund.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, Cantu said a study is being conducted at Santa Maria Regional Landfill to determine how many recyclable materials remain within a trash or refuse container through a waste characterization study. Staff will tailor the city’s outreach and education programs as information is received.

“The biggest challenge for most businesses is contamination,” Cantu said. “The city is working closely with restaurants to develop their training and educational programs for their staff and customers.”

Consistent training and education are vital due to employee turnover. The city has also developed training and signage resources that can be used by the businesses, although they will continue to work closely with those businesses to maximize the diversion of recyclable materials including organic waste from the landfill.

Future goals

Cantu said the city’s goal for the future is to increase the amount of recyclable materials collected from businesses and to reduce overall contamination from businesses. It is also moving toward reducing the number of recyclable materials coming from businesses self-hauling their waste directly to the Santa Maria Regional Landfill.

In the future, the city plans to reduce the amount of edible food that a business may dispose of or divert for compost. In September 2016, Gov. Edmund Brown Jr. set methane emissions reduction targets for the state in an effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, which authorized CalRecycle to establish statewide goals

Approximately 175 indoor recycle bins have been distributed through Santa Maria’s recycling initiative designed to encourage businesses and multifamily complexes to improve their environment footprint. (Photo

The city of Santa Maria holds a number of educational and outreach events to distribute bins and let people know what materials are appropriate for containers.

of increasing edible food recovery by 20 percent and reducing organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025.

Cantu added that other cities are looking to reduce their carbon footprint in the business sector and deploy programs similar to what Santa Maria has implemented, so communication has been key.

“Do as much education and outreach as you can, and model it after direct input that you receive from the customer and waste characterization studies,” he advised.

provided by city of Santa Maria)

(Photo provided by city of Santa Maria)

Santa Maria’s business recycling programs encourage commercial enterprises to improve the city’s carbon footprint. (Photo provided by city of Santa Maria)

TNVR: A feral cat solution with community buy-in

By BETH ANNE BRINK-COX | The Municipal

Feral cat populations are often worrisome for municipalities, and animal shelters have seen a larger-than-usual number of animals surrendered or even dumped since the pandemic began. That seems especially cruel in the coldest months of the year. Cedar City, Utah, has decided to try its hand at handling the problem.

The Utah legislature passed the Community Cat Act in 2013. That year, 52% of all cats that entered shelters died. By 2021, 87% were leaving the shelters alive. The Best Friends Animal Society in Cedar City suggested a pilot program to the local police department and the Animal Adoption Center wherein they would cooperate to improve that percentage by providing 100% of the funds required to run the program for roughly three years: Up to 200 cats annually would be spayed, neutered and vaccinated. The program, known as trap-neuter-return, has yielded impressive results.

Richard Angelo Jr., Esq. serves as legislative attorney for cat initiatives for the Best Friends Animal Society. He defined community cats as “unowned, free-roaming cats who live and thrive outdoors, rather than indoors as pets. Best Friends Animal Society uses the term ‘community cat’ because these animals are part of the community in which they live

and are valued and often cared for by community residents.”

He agreed that community cat populations more than likely increased due to the pandemic, “which created a lack of veterinary access for spaying and neutering. This year, cat intake for shelters has returned to being relatively stable, we’re seeing a decrease in killing for cats.”

While it’s true that pets are sometimes abandoned because of the cost of feeding and care, Angelo stressed that abandoning domestic pets is illegal in most areas, and always cruel.

“There are many ways to save on pet food, but in a true financial crisis, there are often resources in the community that can help. Sometimes a bag of pet food makes all the difference between keeping a dog or cat at home, or someone having to make the agonizing decision to relinquish their pet to a shelter.”

That sentiment goes hand-in-hand with the principles of TNVR, treating as many

ABOVE: These two beautiful cats have been treated to the full package: spayed/ neutered, vaccinated and ear-tipped, so any future volunteers working to reduce community cat population will know at a glance that this has been done. They have been returned to what they know of as home. (Photo provided by Alley Cat Allies)

animals as possible in every way that can improve their quality of life, whether they are indoor pets or feral, and reduce the numbers of community cats. It means the shelters won’t be as likely to overfill with kittens as well as their parents.

Angelo said trap-neuter-vaccinate-return is a management technique in which community cats are humanely trapped, evaluated, spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian, ear-tipped to show at a glance they’ve been sterilized and vaccinated, and then returned to their original location. He noted that not all programs include a vaccination component, but it is considered a best practice.

He cited how statistics explain the importance of recognizing that each of the examples is a success in its own way.

“Some focus on decreased intake and deaths in shelters, rather than reduced community cat populations, a more difficult metric to quantify. From an animal welfare perspective, such examples are compelling,

but might mean little to stakeholders whose most important, perhaps only, measure of success is population reduction.”

Some examples of success include San Francisco, Calif., which saw an initial population of 175 cats reduced by 99.4% over 16 years of targeted TNVR effort. Of the 258 total cats enrolled between 2004 and 2020, only one remained on-site at the end of the program period. From 2011 to 2019, a study examined the results of targeted TNVR efforts in Jefferson County, Ky., where over eight years, feline admissions at Louisville Metro Animal Services declined by 42.8%; 94.1% fewer cats were killed over that same period.

Meanwhile, from 2006 to 2007, researchers in Alachua County, Fla., documented a 66% decrease in shelter intake of cats from a target ZIP code of focused TNVR efforts, compared with a 12% decrease from the rest of the county. Shelter deaths for cats coming from the target area decreased by 95% over the same period, compared with a 30% decrease observed in the rest of the county.

Another organization working toward the same goal is Alley Cat Allies, located in Bethesda, Md.

Alley Cat Allies is the leader of a global movement to protect and improve the lives of cats and kittens. It has received top ratings from Charity Navigator and Guidestar for

transparency and accountability. Coryn Julien, communications director of Alley Cat Allies, shared background about TNVR.

“During TNVR, community cats are humanely trapped, brought to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and in many cases microchipped. They’re also eartipped while under anesthesia so people can identify even from very far away that they’ve been part of a TNVR program.”

Julien continued, “Alley Cat Allies was founded 33 years ago, and we popularized TNVR in the U.S., including setting best practices of care for community cats. Today TNVR is practiced by compassionate individuals, local animal welfare organizations and municipalities all across the country. It is the only humane, nonlethal approach and has become mainstream.”

“There are so many benefits for doing TNVR, for both the cats and the communities where they live,” he added. “Community cats live full, contented lives in their outdoor homes, and TNVR helps them stay healthy, removes the stresses of mating and pregnancy and ensures that no new kittens are born outdoors. It helps the community by stabilizing the community cat population and reducing unwanted behaviors related to mating.”

Not only do municipalities with their own TNVR programs experience positive results

Cats of all ages become community cats for all sorts of reasons. This sweet boy, Taco, was ready to be someone’s boy after all his treatments were finished. (Photo provided by Best Friends)

in their communities, Julien noted, “They also experience better, stronger relationships with their residents. The public vastly prefers humane approaches to community cats, and every community has advocates practicing TNVR with their own time and money. All of this saves taxpayer dollars.”

As Best Friends discovered, Alley Cat Allies has similar statistics to its own.

“Scientific studies show TNVR’s success in all kinds of communities and environments. A 2009 study in Newburyport, Mass., found that TNVR stabilized a colony of cats, with the last remaining cat in that colony eventually passing away at age 16. Another study from a Chicago neighborhood in 2014 found a 55% reduction in outdoor cats in the seven years after implementing the program.”

“Since 2000, the Alley Cat Allies’ Atlantic City Boardwalk Cats Project has cared for and defended the famous Boardwalk cats who live there. Each cat has been humanely trapped, spayed or neutered and vaccinated. In the first two years of the project, more than onethird of the cats who had been kittens, and the socialized adult cats, were adopted.”

Because TNVR programs include rabies vaccinations, they are often a contributor to public health.

“Thousands of communities conduct grassroots, volunteer-led TNVR programs and hundreds have adopted official TNVR ordinances and policies. That number continues to grow because of the success of these programs. Before TNVR, municipalities rounded up and killed cats, which is now broadly recognized as a failed policy approach,” Julien said.

“Animal control agencies killed millions of cats in a never-ending cycle for decades,

While some community cats could become housepets, others may never be comfortable around human contact. This dilute tortie has her own natural camouflage to keep her a little safer outside. (Photo provided by Best Friends)

with no lasting effects. Other cats are attracted to resources such as food and shelter and move in to fill the space, quickly bringing population levels back up. You will also never find volunteers to help with trap and kill programs, but you will always find citizens who want to help TNVR succeed on many levels. Killing cats is also extremely unpopular with the public, and they will not stand for such policies in the communities in which they live. A national poll by Harris Interactive found that 84% of Americans prefer that their community use tax dollars to adopt sterilization as its cat control policy instead of bringing cats found outdoors into shelters to be killed.”

Julien said Alley Cat Allies is continuing to monitor the developments in a Wetumpka, Ala., case. Staff members provided expert testimony for the defense in the trials of Beverly Roberts and Mary Alston, who were both convicted on charges related to their care and feeding of cats in the city of Wetumpka.

“Compassion should not be treated as a crime, and justice has not been served for these women who were just trying to help the cats in their community. These good Samaritans are helping Wetumpka by giving their own time and money to spay, neuter and vaccinate cats who live outside in the community. Beverly and Mary deserve medals, not handcuffs.”

Donations whether in money or supplies are critical for the survival of TNVR programs, and regular fundraisers are held, too.

Ear-tipping is done while the cats are under anesthesia and is subtle but recognizable. In TNR programs, it is a sign they have been spayed or neutered. (Photo provided by Alley Cat Allies)

“Best Friends does an annual fundraising event called Strut Your Mutt to raise money for Best Friends and our participating network partners,” said Angelo. “Best Friends has nearly 4,000 Network Partners across the country working together to help end the killing of pets in shelters by 2025.”

Any community can engage with the mission by finding a network partner nearby and reaching out to see which shelters and rescues in its area are aiding community cats. Alley Cat Allies is joined by more than 800,000 supporters worldwide and relies on the generosity of individual donors to support the work.

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Conference Calendar

To list your upcoming conference or seminar in The Municipal at no charge, call (800) 733-4111, ext. 2307, or email the information to swright@the-papers.com.

FEBRUARY MARCH

Feb. 6-8 95th Annual Meeting Technical Conference & Exhibition

New York City Marriott Marquis, New York, N.Y.

https://www.nywea.org/

Feb. 8-10 Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police Winter Professional Development Conference

Amway Grand Hotel, Grand Rapids, Mich.

https://www. michiganpolicechiefs.org/

Feb. 11-14 National Association of Counties Legislative Conference Washington, D.C. https://www.naco.org/ events/2023-legislativeconference

Feb. 14-16 Energy Storage North America Long Beach, Calif. https://www.intersolar.us/

Feb. 14-17 2023 MPRA Conference & Expo

Tan-Tar-Q Conference Center, Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. https://www.mopark.org/ conference

Feb. 15-16 City Action Days Olympia, Wash. https://wacities.org/

Feb. 17-21 Atssa’s Convention & Traffic Expo Phoenix, Ariz. https://expo.atssa.com/

Feb. 20-23 WWETT 23 Conference & Expo Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Ind. https://www.wwettshow.com

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/

Feb. 22-24 Wisconsin Integrated Resource Management Conference Hyatt Regency, Green Bay, Wis. https://www.wirmc.org/

Feb. 22 -23 Delaware Rural Water Association 33rd Annual Technical Conference Delaware State Fairgrounds, Harrington, Del.

https://drwa.org/ events/#conference

Feb. 26-March 1 ARFF Training Alliance Leadership Symposium

Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, Daytona Beach, Fla.

https://arffwg.org/conferences

Feb. 27-March 3 Texas

Recreation & Park Society Institute & Expo

Hilton Dallas Frisco Hotel & Conference Center, Frisco, Texas https://traps.org/institute-andexpo/

March 1-3 Operations & Maintenance & Safety Conference 2023

Orlando. Fla.

https://cleanpower.org/events/

March 7-10 Michigan Parks Conference & Trade Show

Lansing Center, Lansing, Mich. https://www.mparks.org/page/ Conference

March 7-10 North America’s Largest Work Truck Event Indianapolis, Ind.

https://www.worktruckweek. com/register

March 8-10 Idaho Rural Water Association Spring Conference

The Riverside Hotel, Boise, Idaho

https://www.idahoruralwater. com/

March 9-11 Wisconsin Firefighters Association

Annual Convention

La Crosse Center, La Crosse, Wis.

https://www.wi-statefirefighters.org/convention-info. html

March 14-18 NUCA Con Expo Con/AGG

Las Vegas, Nev.

https://www.nuca.com/

March 12-15 NJRPA Conference & Expo 2023

Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center, Atlantic City, N.J. https://www.njrpa.org/

March 13-15 Utah Recreation & Parks Association Annual Conference

St. George, Utah

https://urpa.org/annualconference.html

March 13-17 Michigan Chiefs of Police 2023 Spring Police Exec. & New Chiefs School Okemos Conference Center, Okemos, Mich.

https://www. michiganpolicechiefs.org/

March 15-17 FLAGFA Spring 2023

Shores Resort & Spa, Daytona Beach Shores, Fla.

https://www.flagfa.org/future_ dates.php.

March 19-22 PPE Symposium & Pre-Seminar HOTs Program 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 23 Rhode Island League of Cities & Towns Annual Convention

Crowne Plaza at the Crossings, Warwick, R.I.

https://www.rileague.org/100/ Annual-Convention

March 26-29 MWEA & MO-AWWA Joint Annual Conference

Margaritaville at the Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Mo.

https://awwa-mo.org/eventstraining/joint-conference.html

Efficiency Through Automation

GVM’s Direct Application Systems (DAS) are designed to spray anti-icing liquids directly onto road surfaces. They are available in a wide range of sizes, to fit any fleet or budget. In a pinch, DAS units can also be used for dust control on unpaved surfaces.

Learn

will take your descriptions and pictures and sell your items in front of our 136,500+ registered bidders world-wide. We have been an online auction service for over 19+ years specializing in Municipal Equipment. Currently we sell items for businesses in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Find out what these other businesses have already found out, that using Wisconsin Surplus is the easiest way to dispose of your unused and surplus items and make money doing it.

Leading commercial EV manufacturers to provide exclusive updates at Work Truck Week 2023

FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. NTEA has added exclusive update sessions from five electric vehicle manufacturers to the Work Truck Week 2023 educational conference. These EV sessions join the dozen OEM updates previously announced. During the sessions, manufacturer representatives will cover important technical information about their vehicle chassis, design and powertrains. The Association also has released more information about the Special Session: Leadership Journeys Highlighting Diverse Experiences.

Work Truck Week, North America’s largest work truck event, is held at Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis March 7-10, 2023. It encompasses Green Truck Summit, The Work Truck Show, Ride & Drive and more. Green Truck Summit takes place at JW Marriott Indianapolis, adjacent to Indiana Convention Center, on March 7. Work Truck Week educational sessions run March 7-9 and Work Truck Show exhibits are open March 8–10. Ride & Drive, which lets attendees experience commercial vehicles featuring the latest advanced fuels and technologies, is available March 8–9. Register at worktruckweek.com.

For more than 20 years, leading work truck chassis manufacturers have shared their latest chassis specifications and designs, reviewed body and equipment installation options and provided insight into future commercial vehicle plans during Work Truck Week OEM update sessions. This information is invaluable to upfitters and body builders looking to

optimize their body and equipment designs and installation plans. As new EV chassis manufacturers have come online, fleet and commercial customers are looking for upfitters who can provide solutions using the new platforms.

“Our update sessions offer truck and body equipment manufacturers, installers and upfitters the opportunity to get the facts they need to support their end-user customers and manage their businesses,” explained Kevin Koester, NTEA managing director. “There are a lot of questions and concerns about how to upfit electric vehicles, and as North America’s premier commercial vehicle event, Work Truck Week is an ideal venue to facilitate these conversations.”

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

Naming the picturesque: Woodstock and Stowe, Vt.

By RAY BALOGH | The Municipal

When contemplating towns and villages in Vermont, a series of comforting adjectives usually nudge their way front and center. Words like “picturesque,” “charming” and “quaint.”

Municipalities in the Green Mountain State invariably capture the attention of travelers seeking a bucolic and relaxing experience in a small-town atmosphere surrounded by stunning natural beauty.

Two such getaways are Woodstock and Stowe, each of which has earned recognition as being among the most livable towns in America.

People in Woodstock often get their information the old-fashioned way, through the community chalkboard, where residents can jot down their news items.

STOWE

Stowe, Vt., offers a peaceful respite from the frenetic life of the big city, while offering plenty of indoor and outdoor diversions, such as shopping, dining, arts and crafts, hiking, kayaking, skiing and year-round seasonal festivals.

Stowe, Vt., population 5,156, has certainly earned its multiple designations as one of the best small towns in America, partly through its efforts to provide an attractive tourist destination and partly as a result of fortuitously existing amid one of Mother Nature’s regional masterpieces.

Stowe is home to Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, which accommodates top-notch snow skiing and an elegant resort and ski village. During the warmer weather, nature buffs can hike and bike the accompanying woods, trails, glades and parks.

WOODSTOCK

A quintessential New England town, downtown Woodstock quietly boasts an array of quaint family businesses, charming streets, craft stores, artisan shops and homey restaurants and cafes.

With only 930 residents, a sparse 20 persons per square mile of Woodstock’s land area, there is plenty of room to do everything ... or to do nothing.

Just outside of town lies a National Historic Landmark, the 200-plusacre Billings Farm and Museum, complete with a mansion, a restored 1890 farmhouse, an operating dairy farm and a country store. The estate, established in 1871, has operated as a nonprofit since 1983 and hosts daily educational tours. Visitors can learn about Vermont rural life through interactive exhibits and displays.

The visitor center houses a 96-seat theater that offers a documentary film series throughout the year. On the program for February 2023 are “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song,” “The Automat” and “Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story.”

The town also sponsors celebrations year-round, including a winter festival, maple syrup fest, wassail weekend, art festival, comedy festival and craft show.

Surrounding Woodstock is a treasure trove of natural wonders and opportunities for outdoor activities, including mountain trails, a waterfall, ski runs, covered bridge and rolling landscapes to delight the most ardent nature photographer.

Though its current economy is driven largely by tourism, Woodstock was historically notable for its variety of down-to-earth manufacturing industries, which included makers of scythes, axes, carding machines, furniture, window sashes, blinds, wood products, carriages, horse harnesses, luggage trunks and leather goods.

For more information, visit woodstockvt.com or townofwoodstock.org.

Also available for summertime reveling are waterfalls and swimming holes, particularly the popular Bingham Falls.

One enigmatic item of interest is the infamous Gold Brook Covered Bridge, also known as Emily’s Bridge. Legend has it that illfated damsel Emily waited on the bridge for her lover, with whom she was to elope. When he failed to show, she hung herself from the rafters. Locals and visitors have reported sightings, sounds and lights on or near the supposedly haunted bridge.

That exception aside, the village of Stowe offers only charm, beauty and welcome, as indicated by its 36 hotels, 52 restaurants and smattering of shops and other attractions.

One of the accommodations is world renowned, having become famous by the real-life family depicted in the film, “The Sound of Music.” In 1938, the Von Trapps escaped the Nazis in Austria, launching a European, then American, concert tour as the Trapp Family Singers.

They eventually settled in Stowe, having purchased an old farm near town in 1942. Three years later the Von Trapps renovated the lodge to accommodate guests, and today the family still owns and operates the 96-room alpine Trapp Family Lodge situated on 2,500 acres among the mountains.

Stowe also boasts the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, a performing arts center and the 5.3-mile paved Stowe Recreation Path for bicycling.

The town is nicknamed “The Ski Capital of the East,” but also hosts seasonal activities year-round, including ice carving contests, hot air balloon festivals, farmers markets, sleigh rides and an Easter sunrise service atop Mount Mansfield.

For more information, visit gostowe.com or trappfamily.com.

Best cities for (chocolate) lovers

Romance fills the air during February. Sweethearts everywhere will exchange tokens of their affection on Feb. 14, and chocolate is one of the most popular ways to profess one’s love.

The website LawnLove.com set out last year to determine what cities in the U.S. had the most to offer those who savor the smooth, deep taste of chocolate. A total of 190 cities were surveyed: The surveyors looked for abundant chocolate factories and high-quality shops selling chocolate, including chocolatiers, dessert shops and patisseries. Also considered were chocolate-themed forms of entertainment like museums, tours, theme parks and events.

Bigger cities seemed to have the advantage, and the state of California registered three of the sweetest sites. But traditionalists will also note the inclusion of a Pennsylvania city that began making a name for itself in chocolate clear back in 1894. Below is the complete Top Ten List of 2022’s Best Cities for Chocolate Lovers.

If you purchased Atripla®, Biktarvy®, Complera®, Descovy®, Evotaz®, Genvoya®, Odefsey®, Prezcobix®, Stribild®, Symtuza®, Truvada®, or Viread®, a class action lawsuit may a ect your rights. If you are a member of one or both classes, your legal rights will be a ected whether you act or don’t act, so please read this notice carefully.

If the

You must decide whether to remain a member of the class(es) or to exclude yourself from the class(es).

A class action lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (the “Court”) involving the antiretroviral products Atripla, Biktarvy, Complera, Descovy, Evotaz, Genvoya, Odefsey, Prezcobix, Stribild, Symtuza, Truvada, and Viread (“Products”). The lawsuit claims that Gilead Sciences, Inc., Gilead Holdings, LLC, Gilead Sciences, LLC, and Gilead Sciences Ireland UC (“Gilead”), and Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Products LP, and Janssen R&D Ireland (“Janssen”) (collectively, “Defendants”) engaged in allegedly anticompetitive conduct that caused certain consumers and third-party payors to pay too much for certain of the Products. Defendants deny any wrongdoing. PLEASE NOTE: No one is claiming that any of these products is unsafe or ineffective.

WHO IS INCLUDED IN THE CLASSES?

The Court has certified three Damages Classes and three Injunctive Classes in this lawsuit (the “Classes”). The Damages Classes are made up of third-party payors (“TPPs”) only (i.e., not individual consumers); the Injunctive Classes are made up of both TPPs and consumers.

Damages Classes:

The Truvada Class: All entities in the United States that indirectly purchased, paid, and/or provided reimbursement for some or all of the purchase price of Truvada, and/or its AB-rated generic equivalent sold by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. or its affiliates, in the Specified States1 for consumption by their members, employees, insureds, participants, or beneficiaries, other than for resale, during the period February 1, 2018 through May 31, 2021;

The Atripla Class: All entities in the United States that indirectly purchased, paid, and/or provided reimbursement for some or all of the purchase price of Atripla, and/or its AB-rated generic equivalent sold by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. or its affiliates, in the Specified States for consumption by their members, employees, insureds, participants, or beneficiaries, other than for resale, during the period February 1, 2018 through July 31, 2021; and

The Complera Class: All entities in the United States that indirectly purchased, paid, and/or provided reimbursement for some or all of the purchase price of Complera in the Specified States for consumption by their members, employees, insureds, participants, or beneficiaries, other than for resale, during the period February 1, 2018 through September 27, 2022.

Excluded from the Truvada, Atripla, and Complera Classes are: (a) Defendants and their officers, directors, management, employees, subsidiaries, or affiliates;

(b) All federal and state government entities, except for cities, towns, municipalities, or counties with self-funded prescription drug plans; (c) Fully insured health plans, i.e., plans for which the insurer bears 100% of the risk for the reimbursement obligations to members; and (d) Pharmacy Benefit Managers.

Injunctive Classes:

The Evotaz Injunctive Class: All persons or entities in the United States who indirectly purchased, paid, and/or provided reimbursement for some or all of the purchase price of Evotaz for consumption by themselves, their families, or their members, employees, insureds, participants, or beneficiaries, other than for resale, during the period May 14, 2015 through September 27, 2022;

The Prezcobix Injunctive Class: All persons or entities in the United States who indirectly purchased, paid, and/or provided reimbursement for some or all of the purchase price of Prezcobix for consumption by themselves, their families, or their members, employees, insureds, participants, or beneficiaries, other than for resale, during the period May 14, 2015 through September 27, 2022; and

The cART Foundation Drug Injunctive Class: All persons or entities in the United States who indirectly purchased, paid, and/or provided reimbursement for some or all of the purchase price of a cART Foundation Drug2 for consumption by themselves, their families, or their members, employees, insureds, participants, or beneficiaries, other than for resale, during the period May 14, 2015 through September 27, 2022.

Excluded from each of the Injunctive Classes are: (a) Defendants and their officers, directors, management, employees, subsidiaries, or affiliates; (b) All federal and state government entities, except for cities, towns, municipalities, or counties with self-funded prescription drug plans; (c) Fully insured health plans, i.e., plans for which the insurer bears 100% of the risk for the reimbursement obligations to members; (d) Pharmacy Benefit Managers; and (e) The Judges in this case and any members of their immediate families.

Additionally, excluded from the cART Foundation Drug Injunctive Class are natural persons who have filed a claim for personal injury against any of the Defendants or Bristol-Myers Squibb Company or E. R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C., alleged to be caused by the consumption of a tenofovir-containing product.

YOUR RIGHTS AND OPTIONS

Your options depend on whether you are a member of one of the Damages Classes or a member of one of the Injunctive Classes. If you are a member of one of the Damages Classes, you have the right to exclude yourself from (to opt out of) the Damages Classes no later than March 15, 2023. Details on how to request exclusion can be found at www.HIVDrugLitigation.com. If you do nothing, you will remain a member of the class(es) and be bound by the outcome of this lawsuit, whether by a settlement or by a judgment rendered for or against the Defendants. If you are a member of one of the Injunctive Classes, you cannot exclude yourself from the Class. The deadlines contained in this notice may be amended by Court Order, so check the website for any updates. A trial is scheduled for March 27, 2023 and any updates will be provided on the website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A CLAIM FORM

Visit www.HIVDrugLitigation.com Call 1-877-388-1751

1 The “Specified States” for each of the Damages Classes are: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

2 For the purposes of this class definition a cART Foundation Drug is any of one or more of: Atripla, Biktarvy, Complera, Descovy, Genvoya, Odefsey, Stribild, Symtuza, Truvada, and Viread.