35 minute read
City Profile: With Old West charm
With Old West charm, Deadwood draws people in
By LAUREN CAGGIANO | The Municipal
Deadwood, S.D., reimagined by the popular HBO series, is more than an Old West town. It’s also known for historic renovation, tourism and natural beauty.
ABOVE: Deadwood, S.D., a city of about 12,000, welcomes approximately 2.5 million visitors annually. The tourism season typically starts in April and goes through the summer months. (Photo by Mary Lester)
Kevin Kuchenbecker serves as the city’s historic preservation officer. He said by its nature the job comes with its share of interesting projects.
“We became a national historic landmark on July 4, 1961,” he said. “Even before the Historic Preservation Act of 1966, we were considered a National Historic Landmark. And then 1966, with the passage of that act, all national landmarks were automatically put on the National Register. So, we have a National Register District and National Historic Landmark District, both with the same boundaries.”
Preservation is at the forefront of the city’s planning today, but that wasn’t always the case. According to Kuchenbecker, it wasn’t until 1988 that officials started to intentionally build a robust preservation commission that reviewed exterior alterations. That work was in preparation for the legalization of gaming there, only behind Atlantic City and the state of Nevada.
Now the city is realizing the fruits of those labors.
“Per the state’s constitutional amendment, net funding from gaming goes to historic preservation,” he said. “So, we’re fortunate that we get gaming revenues to implement our preservation plan.”
To understand the size and scope of the funding, Kuchenbecker said taxation and the gaming device fees generated over $16 million annually.
“The state gets about $9 (million) of that and we get about $7 million,” he said.
According to Kuchenbecker, the revenue mainly comes from tourists, some from around the region and others who hail from countries around the globe. The municipality of about 12,000
Jeramy Russell, the city’s planning and zoning administrator, holds an artifact from Deadwood, S.D.’s, past. The city has a long history that has been preserved for visitors to enjoy. (Photo provided)
welcomes approximately 2.5 million visitors annually. The tourism season typically starts in April and goes through the summer months. That activity helps Kuchenbecker’s department fulfill its mission.
“Within the downtown, we have several historic buildings with upper floors being rehabilitated,” he said. “In any given year, we probably have anywhere between two and 300 projects under the purview of the Historic Preservation Commission.”
With one foot in the past and another in the future, Kuchenbecker said they’re looking to take their efforts to the next level.
In his words, “we have a branding, development and marketing plan that we’ve been working out of that includes wayfinding banners, interpretive panels, etc.”
Deadwood also has living history reenactments on Main Street and a stagecoach that runs seven days a week during the summer. Last year, the city opened up a new public gathering space called Outlaw Square. This summer it’s gearing up for a concert series.
Kuchenbecker said Deadwood also has an impressive lineup of events.
“We have Monday movie nights throughout the summer,” he said. “We have free outdoor movies Tuesday night. Wednesday night is concerts, and those are local and regional bands. Thursday is family fun night, which is sponsored by our museums.”
Speaking of museums, tourists can learn about Deadwood’s rich — and often sordid — history at one of the town’s venues.
“We have four or five facilities that are run by Deadwood History Inc., which is our preservation partner,” he said. “For example, we Deadwood became a national historic landmark on July 4, 1961, but didn’t intentionally build a robust preservation commission until 1988. This focus on preservation has made downtown Deadwood a tourist destination. Pictured is the Fairmont Hotel, the former 1895 Victorian Brothel, Bar & Gaming Hall, which now offers ghost and paranormal tours, integrated with historical perspectives relating to its violent and colorful past. (Photo by Mary Lester)
have the Adams Museum, the Days of ’76 Museum, the Historic Adams House and the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center. And then last year, we opened a brothel museum and tour.”
The town also benefits from events like Wild Bill Days, Cool Deadwood Nights and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally — the largest of its kind in the world. And despite COVID-19, they’ve managed to bring in impressive numbers, according to Jeramy Russell, the city’s planning and zoning administrator.
“We’ve had some record numbers in the last year,” he said. “If you go downtown, today in March, it’s almost like a summer day. There’s so much fun going on. We just came off St. Patrick’s Day weekend, which was the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day. All weeklong, Deadwood was busy.”
That activity is encouraging, especially when many cities nationwide have lost revenue due to the pandemic.
“Gaming revenues are up over last year,” Kuchenbecker said. “So, if you look at the gaming revenues in January of 2019, compared to January 2018, they went up 12%. When you look at January 2020 compared to January 2021, we’re up over 13%. So that’s a 25% increase just in the month of January, which is our slow time over previous years.”
But it’s not just tourists who are driving growth. According to Russell, the area is growing in population, too. He attributes it to the way the governor handled the pandemic. Also, there’s been a move away from cities in general. You also can’t discount the power of a sense of place on a spiritual level.
“If you’ve ever been out here before, there’s just something about the Black Hills,” he said. “Even if you’ve visited once, or you grew up here, but left for a while … there’s something about here that draws you back.”
Cities show pride in local residents through downtown banners
By NICHOLETTE CARLSON | The Municipal
Congratulations Senior Class of 2020 Congratulations Senior Class of 2020
NORTH HIGH SCHOOL NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
Celebrating high school seniors on banners has been a growing trend nationwide, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Shutterstock.com, illustration by Mary Lester)
Congratulations Senior Class of 2020
A rising trend is celebrating a city and its residents through banners. Many of these banners line the streets along main thoroughfares and can include artwork or honor local veterans and students.
Erwin, Tenn.
When traveling to a conference near Pittsburgh, Pa., Jamie Rice drove through a town that had banners honoring veterans on display and she decided to utilize the idea for veterans back home in Erwin. It took several months of advertising, gathering information and triple checking the information, but the city reached its goal of getting the banners up in time for the annual Memorial Day parade. Erwin makes a day out of honoring its local veterans with a breakfast, parade and then lunch on Memorial Day. Local veterans are able to ride on a float in the The veteran banners parade. Last year banners of some of will hang in downtown these veterans lined the streets during Erwin, Tenn., from the parade. Memorial Day to the The banners serve as an extra honor for Fourth of July. They local veterans. In downtown Erwin, there will hang for two years. are 18 poles. Utilizing each side of the Afterward, the banners banner allows for 36 different images to will be given to the be represented. Family members are able family that sponsored to sponsor a side of the banner for $50. them. (Photo provided They then send in the photo they would by the city of Erwin, like included on the banner along with Tenn.) the name of the veteran, military branch and era served. The banners are displayed for six weeks from Memorial Day through the Fourth of July and switched out after two years. After the two years are complete, the banners will be given to the family members who sponsored them. New banners will be displayed in 2022. Rice is currently taking calls to sponsor banners for next year.
Rice did mention some of the poles and, therefore, banners were blocked by trees. This issue is something she and the city will be taking into consideration for this year and the upcoming set of banners next year. While they have not decided on a particular solution, simple tree trimming may be a possibility.
Davis, Okla.
As a way to honor the 2020 graduating class, the city of Davis teamed up with the school corporation to celebrate their high school seniors.
Andy Holland, city manager, stated, “The idea originated with the school administration asking for help to decorate Main Street with some sort of recognition for the graduating class. Discussion led to the idea of hanging banners of senior photos.”
There were 59 graduates in the 2020 senior class, and their photographs were hung on banners from 30 downtown street lights. “Due to the limited school budget, the city of Davis funded the banners To honor their veterans, the city of Erwin, Tenn., created banners with veterans’ names and photos. Pictured is Wayne Clark today staring up at his banner. Each banner was sponsored by a family. (Photo provided by the city of Erwin, Tenn.)
with approximately $3,000 out of the Christmas decoration budget,” Holland explained.
However, the local vendor Pro-Vinyl Solutions, which created the banners, received a number of orders from other towns. These orders reduced the final cost to Davis for its senior class banners. The final cost was cut in half, totaling $1,500.
After putting up the banners, both the city and the school received phone calls of praise for the banner project, not only locally but from as far away as Virginia and New York.
Holland emphasized these banners were a way to help brighten the students’ spirits after such a difficult year and unknown graduation plans, as well as to let each student know the whole city was proud of them.
By DENISE FEDOROW | The Municipal
Some municipalities are finding that showing a little mercy to their residents via amnesty programs is paying off for them.
Cities like Reading, Pa., and Green, Ohio, enacted amnesty programs on real estate taxes, and Richmond, Va., was considering it. Winter Spring, Fla., enacted an amnesty program for code compliance liens this year, which has been quite successful.
Professor Justin Ross, associate professor of public finance in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind., wrote a paper on the topic in 2012, titled “Local Government Property Tax Amnesty Programs — Structures and Themes,” where he found a number of local governments with amnesty programs had grown in the decade prior to 2012.
Ross wrote, “While use of tax amnesty programs have been commonplace for decades among subnational governments in the United States, historically these offers have not been extended to delinquent real property taxes.”
In that decade from 2002-2012, 29 property tax amnesties had been offered in seven states. However, Ross said, “Property tax amnesty is so rare” he could think of only two counties in the state of Indiana where there may have been a local property tax amnesty program.
“At the local government level, most amnesty programs are related to library fines — very small items,” he said.
Professor Justin Ross, associate professor of public finance at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs with Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind., has studied and written papers on local governments’ amnesty programs. (Photo provided) ABOVE & BELOW: The downtown area of Winter Haven, Fla., is shown. Winter Haven is located in central Florida between Tampa and Orlando and has a population of 47,000. (Photos provided)
The reason for that, he surmised, is “a bit of tension” about whether local governments are allowed to offer such programs. He said some can, but they need state approval.
One of the themes he discovered was when a local government offered property tax amnesty, it was generally done on a caseby-case basis and when it was hindering economic development. He mentioned a case in Detroit where a property was being offered for sale for a mere $10, but the amount of delinquent property tax that needed to be paid first made it too expensive. “That would be a good case for amnesty,” Ross said.
He said overall “property taxes have a high rate of compliance so there’s generally only a handful of cases.”
His paper notes most tax amnesty programs usually offer waivers from any criminal charges as well as forgiveness of penalties and interest. He also summarized five points of using real property tax amnesty as a fiscal management tool.
Those points are:
1.) Improving property tax compli-
ance— By offering amnesty, it gives people an option to get the delinquent tax paid. Putting liens on a property and seizing a property can get expensive and complicated.
2.) As a substitute to hosting tax auc-
tions — It’s been said that it’s not worth it unless there’s a million dollars in tax liens.
3.) Advance economic development— A city can’t sell a property while tax is owed on it.
4.) Improving compliance on other rev-
enue instruments — Another strategy of a handful of amnesty programs was bundling the real property tax amnesty with more difficult to collect revenue sources.
5.) Increases revenue collec-
tions — Amnesty generally is faster than having a property go into foreclosure.
Ross said a disadvantage of tax amnesty programs is noncompliance. “If people know there’s a tax amnesty program, some may take advantage of that,” he said, especially at the state level.
He is aware of an advisor telling someone before they paid their taxes to check if there was an amnesty program, and in another paper, Ross wrote some businesses were using tax amnesty “as short-term business loans.”
Ross also cautioned if they let properties go multiple years without collecting, “it’s much more complicated.”
“Some tax lawyer said if it goes multiple years, it’s almost impossible,” he said.
He explained since there are several lien holders on property taxes—schools, county, state, libraries, etc.—it becomes muddled as to who has priority. To avoid that, local government should consider using the threat of seizure in the first year, and depending on the size of the bill, it would make its money back.
Winter Haven Code Compliance Amnesty
Winter Haven, Fla., enacted an amnesty program for code compliance in January and has had great success with it. Winter Haven is located in central Florida between Orlando and Tampa. It has a population of 47,000. Winter Haven also has 55 lakes with 24 of them connected by canals, making it the Chain of Lakes City.
Tanya Ayers, city of Winter Haven code compliance supervisor, said she’s been wanting to enact an amnesty program for a number of years, “but with the pandemic and people struggling financially, we were able to come up with a program that allows people to resolve their code compliance liens at the least amount and without the inconvenience of attending a hearing.”
The city enacted the program from January to June of this year. She said there were 274 cases on that lien list with a total balance owed of $12,381,756, and the goal was to get that reduced by a million dollars. To date in mid-March, 40 of the 274 have paid — 30 through the amnesty program and 10 through other means.
“When people call us because they got the notice of the amnesty program, we work the numbers, and for a few of them, another way works better for them,” she said.
The amnesty program reduces the lien by 5% of the total or $1,000, whichever is less, they pay a $50 application fee and all city costs, including the cost for processing the case, mailing costs and inspections. She said if the amount owed is smaller, the city has a different program that might be best. If the amount is too large, residents can approach the special magistrate to reduce the amount.
“Our goal was to reduce the liens by a million dollars, and by close of business on March 22, the liens were reduced by $1,091,860. It’s definitely been a success, and we have more applications coming in.”
Ayers explained the amnesty program is for code compliance issues that have gone to the special magistrate and have been assessed fines. She mentioned one example of $94,000 in liens owed. The amount depends on how much the person is fined on a daily basis and how much the daily fine for noncompliance is. The $94,000 is a case from 2017.
She pointed out these are not special assessment liens like mowing tall grass where the city can correct it and charge the property owner; these are code violations the city doesn’t have the ability to correct like large amounts of junk on the property or roof repairs, for example.
To be eligible for the amnesty program, the property owner must first come into compliance and then submit an application.
“We’ve had such a positive response to this program from our citizens. They’re so grateful to have the opportunity to reduce their fines and glad they don’t have to come in for hearing. It’s been a great program,” she said. This lake is one of the 55 lakes in Winter Haven. The city is known as the Chain of Lakes City. (Photo provided)
“People get overwhelmed,” she said, adding if the amount owed is $20,000, they think what’s the point? “This way they can see where they can get it down to next to nothing. Plus it gives us the opportunity to talk to our people and give them ideas of how to get into compliance.”
COVID was the driving force to enacting the program as well as trying to resolve liens in the easiest way for residents while encouraging compliance. Ayers has been with the city for 22 years, and she said this is the first time it has ever done anything like this.
She didn’t see any disadvantages to the temporary program. “The hard part was getting the data together to do mass mailings to let the people know about the program. Beyond that, there were no negative administrative side effects. It’s gone very smoothly.”
White Haven will probably reexamine the program in five years to see if there’s a need to do it at that time.
“At the very least sending the letters allowed us to talk to people about their options to maintain compliance. As government officials, we should keep those lines of communication open,” she said.
“It’s been a real positive thing. I hope other municipalities decide to try it and reach out to us,” she said.
Ross said his best advice is to not “be put in a position where you need an amnesty program, but don’t let it go multiple years. The best cases to use it are when it prevents the transfer of property.”
Ayers said she’d definitely recommend cities use an amnesty program where they can but advises, “Try to make the process as easy as possible for the citizens — that’s the key. If it’s cumbersome or the liens are too high for the average resident, you’re not going to get it. Make it as easy as possible.”
Showing a little forgiveness where it’s prudent to do so may be a winning solution for all parties.
City uses splash pads to introduce children to nature
Because Little Rock’s splash pad boulders were harvested from northern Arkansas, there was no design for how they would fit together. (Photo provided)
By DANI MESSICK | The Municipal
Adventurous children work their way up the boulder walls. The hope is children will take their experiences at the splash pads and develop a desire to explore nature. (Photo provided)
For the city of Little Rock, Ark., nature is a high priority when it comes to children’s growth.
A book written by Richard Louv in 2005, called “The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder,” has impacted city officials’ decisions when it comes to children’s play throughout Little Rock.
“If kids are not presented with nature or don’t play with nature or don’t have that experience, when those kids grow up, who is going to be saving our forests or creating that experience for the next generation?” the city’s Park Design Manager Leland Couch asked.
According to Couch, City Director Dean Kumpuris has always placed a big focus on the city’s Riverfront Park. It boasts a custom-design sculpture garden, toddler playground and the city’s first natural splash pad, which was constructed in 2006.
“(Kumpuris) wanted to be able to create an urban experience where children could go and play with water and natural materials, not just your big bright metal playgrounds.”
A natural state, Arkansas is known for its forests, creeks and rivers.
“To bring a little bit of that into the urban environment for kids to play with was something we thought was special,” Couch continued.
The first natural splash pad, Peabody Playground—located in Riverfront Park—features a variety of natural architecture to envelope the playground throughout. Large native boulders were harvested from northern Arkansas to create the majority of the design-build project.
“We’d have say 100 boulders delivered and we’d say, ‘You need to stack them and make a wall.’ (The construction workers would) joke and say that the boulders weren’t numbered. There wasn’t a puzzle or a design for how these boulders went together.”
Ultimately, Couch ended up moving into an office at the park and working there for several months to assist with the design process of the walls.
“This is not your typical playground system,” he said.
The design-build project cost roughly $800,000, according to Couch, due to the use of contracted labor, which is substantially more than a typical playground.
Couch added, “It would be hard to compare this to the cost of a normal playground.”
Still, it was so well received that the city decided to add another at War Memorial Park.
The natural splash pads feature lots of landscaping, open terrain, tunnels, slides and even swings.
“I always feel like there is a need for a big dramatic slide or a swing set or a climber (in) each of these; we’ve incorporated those pieces,” Couch said. “At War Memorial we have slides, but the slides are buried in boulders, so you don’t see them but you still have that experience.”
Unlike Peabody Playground, War Memorial Park’s splash pad was created by staff of the parks department. It cost roughly $400,000.
“You can’t just pick War Memorial playground out of a catalog and say, ‘This is what I want.’ It was custom fitted to the site and the design. We had great staff that helped us develop it. That’s not to say that it can’t be done.”
Being a certified playground inspector, Couch knew there were some risks involved with creating the unique splash pads.
“We put in your typical safety standards, but the guidelines don’t have anything in there saying, ‘If you stack this many boulders, you need this much fall height,’ but we took the idea from the playground components and made it fit to what we were designing.”
Couch said he felt like the rewards of the structure outweighed the risks, though. The city kept a book of public comments that officials used to modify the parks in the early years.
To keep the playground safe, some things just couldn’t be natural, the ground material, for example. They chose to use poured-in-place rubber.
“We realized that using a loose material such as mulch or pea gravel wasn’t going to be the best material in this case and the rubber has done really well,” he explained.
Despite the fact that Little Rock boasts these two unique splash pad environments, Couch admitted he’s excited for the introduction of a traditional splash pad to the community.
“I’m excited to see the comparison. It’ll be like, ‘What kind of splash pad do people want to go to today?’”
The new splash pad was funded 10 years ago after a survey of the community indicated a need for improvements to one community park. They broke ground in February.
The projects haven’t been without their fair share of concerns. One scenario the city did decide to change was the flow rate of the water. As it turns out, the kids don’t notice.
“These are running city water that you could drink. Little Rock is blessed with a very good source of water so we don’t have the concerns some other parts of the country might have in terms of cost of water.”
The water for the splash pads is run through city water and then drained into a nearby wetland to ultimately drain out to a river or creek after sitting.
“Because we did that, we are not paying sewer rates on the water, we are not paying for chemicals, we’re not having to pull the water because it’s all gravity fed, and we don’t have to have a lifeguard go out and test the water to make sure it’s up to clean standards for kids to play in because it’s always fresh and clean.” Couch said. “Kids could actually stick their head in and drink it; I mean, I wouldn’t tell them to but they could.”
Couch hopes the splash pads will offer the opportunity to experience nature to kids who might not normally be able to. Little Rock aimed to connect local children with nature when designing its one-of-a-kind splash pads, which brought in boulders from northern Arkansas. Pictured is the War Memorial Park splash pad. (Photo provided)
Poured-in-place rubber was used for the ground material for safety reasons. As a fun feature, children can also enjoy slides at War Memorial Park. (Photo provided)
“Hopefully, kids will go down and experience this and have fun playing in what we’ve created here and say, ‘I want to experience more of this,’ and they’ll go out and experience it for real in nature.”
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From the highest levels, Anacortes prioritizes alternative energy
By SARAH WRIGHT | The Municipal
From Mayor Laurie Gere and the city council to individual city departments, an emphasis on reducing Anacortes, Wash.’s, carbon footprint has been championed by all. Anacortes Public Works has strived to do its part by pursuing alternative fuel sources and energy-saving measures like switching its water plant to LED lights.
“We’re always looking to reduce our carbon footprint,” Nicole Tesch, Anacortes Public Works administrative manager, said, adding city council members are very proactive and leading the charge in this pursuit.
Leadership is also given by Director of Public Works Fred Buckenmeyer, who selects a theme for his department each year. 2020 was to “get it done,” which encouraged staff members to find solutions to challenges. “This year,” Tesch said, “Fred is challenging staff to make a difference.”
This has included added customer service following a challenging year thanks to the pandemic, which might have limited residents’ interactions. “We’re encouraged to make a difference for our residents and on our overall footprint. We’ve been challenged, and we’ve accepted that challenge.”
The fleet division continually has its eyes open for ways to slash its carbon footprint.
“The fleet division is responsible for 400 pieces of equipment.” Tesch noted these include, fire trucks, cars and more. “Nine and half to 10 years is the average life span of these pieces. We’re taking good care of them and being good stewards of the equipment and our on-site fuel system.”
Included among those 400 pieces of equipment are 20 alternative fuel vehicles, ABOVE: Anacortes, Wash.’s, fleet division has embraced a citywide mission to reduce the carbon footprint by adopting alternative fuel vehicles. Pictured are some of its alternative fuel rigs, which use electricity or propane. (Photo provided)
which have displaced approximately 7,500 gallons of gasoline within a 12-month time span.
Propane is one alternative fuel that has been welcomed into the fleet since around 2015 as it was emerging in popularity. Between gas savings—propane is less costly than gas or diesel — and a small grant, the city has saved about $20,000 by adopting the alternative fuel. It has also reduced its carbon footprint. Because Anacortes uses dual-fuel, a combination of gas and propane, vehicles’ ranges are improved as well.
“Propane was a logical choice based on cost, ease of conversion and availability of fuel,” Wil Ludemann, operations manager for Anacortes Public Works, said, noting it has worked well for the city’s light-duty and
higher turnover vehicles since it is easier to bring in more propane-fueled vehicles at a time. “The infrastructure is a lot smaller than natural gas.”
Anacortes has its own fueling facility with a state contract for propane. Since the local school district has integrated propane buses into its fleet, it has also benefited from the infrastructure being in place.
However, one particular challenge with propane has been the lack of vendors. Ludemann noted the local community college works between the city and one vendor for propane vehicles, and the fleet division does a lot of its own propane conversions. Driving this vendor dearth is the trend of original equipment manufacturers taking more control of the vehicles they manufacture, increasing the difficulty of reprogramming vehicle computers for alternative fuels.
“The industry is turning away from all fuels that are not electric,” Ludemann added. For this reason, using dual-fueled vehicles is often beneficial.
“There are some drivers who love (propane) and some who didn’t,” Ludemann said, noting propane acts a bit different from traditional gasoline. “Most people were on board.”
Another benefit, according to Ludemann, is, “There are a lot of rebates and grants, and we took advantage of that.”
Anacortes has always maintained an eye for opportunities, with Russ Pittis, resource conservation manager, pointing to the city’s efforts to construct the infrastructure required by electric vehicles. “When the DOC (Department of Commerce) offered its grant, that is when we started to pursue it.”
In June 2020, Anacortes applied for the DOC Electrification of Transportation grant, asking for $28,804.55. This figure would enable the installation of three dual ChargePoint EV chargers — two at city hall and one at the library.
“We are redeveloping the city hall parking complex, doing some repairs and low-impact developments like rain gardens and permeable pavement — really upgrading the parking complex,” Buckenmeyer said, adding the EV chargers fit with that improvement project while also fueling the city’s two fully electric vehicles and one plug-in vehicle.
Pittis added, “They are also for public use and for tourists to use.” This infographic shows the participants taking part in Puget Sound Energy’s Green Direct project, including Anacortes in phase one. Through the project, participants will be purchasing 100% renewable electricity. (Graphic provided)
Anacortes’ regional water treatment plant was a driving force for entering into an agreement with Puget Sound Energy in 2016 to purchase green energy from the Skookumchuck Wind Facility for 20 years. The agreement started in November 2020 after the wind facility went online. (Photo provided)
Two other chargers are also available in the downtown corridor. Tesch shared the pandemic had shown how EV chargers could benefit all within that corridor. “With curbside pickup, while being patient, (a driver) can pop in a charger while they wait.” The grant for the new EV chargers was approved in December 2020. Anacortes was one of 37 applicants and one of the 14 selected to receive funds. The grant is a 1:1 ratio, requiring the city to have matching funds. These came from the lodging tax approved by the city council. The library’s matching funds came from the Anacortes Public Library Foundation.
“It’s (the EV charger installation) still a work in progress,” Pittis said. “By early summer if not midsummer, they will all be installed.”
As more emphasis is placed on electric vehicles nationwide, Anacortes is laying the groundwork for greener electricity. The city signed an agreement with Puget Sound Energy in 2016, stating it would purchase green power from the Skookumchuck Wind Facility — about a five-hour drive
from Anacortes — after its construction for the city’s 77 meters over 20 years. The facility came online in November 2020, starting the city’s 20-year commitment to purchase 100% green power.
This move goes beyond fleet. “The reason why the city wanted to use green energy is we have a regional water plant. It stemmed from a desire to cut that carbon footprint,” Buckenmeyer said, noting the facility serves about 60,000 customers not only in Anacortes but in neighboring communities.
Anacortes and its public works department aren’t about to rest on their laurels.
“We will continue to look at new options for powering our fleet,” Ludemann said of its fleet division. “Electric seems to be the ticket.”
Hydrogen is on the radar, too, though Ludemann stated it isn’t feasible yet cost- or availability-wise. Electric has its own downside as its viability for heavier equipment isn’t there yet; however, he noted, “Charging technology will change,” but until then, the industry still needs to “fill the niche for a good work truck.”
While embracing new fuels and technology, Anacortes’ strategy has still applied a healthy amount of caution to avoid stumbling blocks that often go with new technology.
“When you get the big manufacturers adopting it, that is when to buy,” Ludemann said, highlighting the trend of the industry embracing electric. “Ford and Chevy have both committed to being out of the internal combustion engine in 10 years.” Russ Pittis, resource conservation manager, shares information about the city’s solar arrays with two young residents. The solar arrays are located at the public library, public safety building and city hall. (Photo provided)
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Building bright futures in public works
By AMANDA DEMSTER | The Municipal
Finding qualified employees for any job can be difficult, and public works is no exception.
Instruction is hands-on at the Public Works Academy, and many students find a niche in public works that specifically interests them. (Photo provided) With this in mind, Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Mich., has teamed up with municipalities and other entities in the surrounding area to create Public Works Academy, an entry-level training program that prepares future employees for the world of public works employment.
Public Works Academy is not limited to a specific age group, meaning participants do not have to be traditional college age.
“We have people ages 18 to 55 participating,” GRCC Executive Director of Workforce Training Julie Parks said. “So, it’s open to any age: people looking for new careers, leaving jail, looking to start a career.”
The program, which began in 2019, covers entry-level training in areas like roads, green infrastructure, parks and recreation, wastewater, stormwater and anything else falling under the umbrella of public works. Examples of skills include operating equipment like snowplows and lifts, flagger training, tree trimming, safety, maintenance and a list of others. Students learn from professionals, gaining firsthand experience out in the field.
“Along with our faculty members who have done the job before, they’re getting that mentorship,” Parks said. “They see the traffic center, the command control center for when there’s an emergency, things they never knew existed. They get to fill potholes—they get it all.”
Initially, Public Works Academy offered 96 hours of training, but that has since increased to 139 hours, offered two ways. Students can choose to take classes three full days a week or six hours a week in the evenings. This ensures the program is open to all who are interested, including those who work and cannot get away to take a daytime class.
According to Parks, courses are offered twice a year: once in the springtime ahead of the major hiring season and once in the fall as winter snowplowing season approaches.
“We want to make sure there are always opportunities for jobs at the end of the program,” she said. “We don’t want them to finish the program and not do anything.”
Partnerships with surrounding municipalities and other entities ensure trainees have access to real-life, hands-on learning. These include municipal partners like the Grand Rapids and Grand Haven public works departments, the Michigan Department of Transportation and area county road commissions, plus a number of businesses and nonprofit organizations.
“Those partners come in, help with recruitment, get students ready, lend equipment to use—it’s really a true partnership,” Parks said.
In Michigan, Grand Rapids Community College’s Public Works Academy continued in-person instruction throughout the COVID19 pandemic, using social distancing and personal protective equipment. The continuation of in-person classes was important to the college’s partners since public works professionals have to keep city services operational. (Photo provided)
For example, she said the college does not own a snowplow, so they borrow one from Kent County. The road department might send a certified flagger for training in that area.
Training for Public Works Academy is generalized; however, throughout the course of the class, many students find a niche that specifically interests them. Because of this, Grand Rapids Community College is developing Public Works II, a follow-up program that will be more specialized.
Parks described Public Works II as being closer to an apprenticeship than a class.
“Most of the people who go into Public Works Academy have zero experience, no skills,” she said. “And now they know, ‘I want to be in the fleet area, I want to work with the arborist, the wastewater treatment plant.’ The dream is to go on and develop apprenticeships to keep developing the workforce and giving people skills they need in advance.”
It does not stop there, however. A common belief is that, in order to enjoy a successful career, students need to earn a traditional, four-year college degree, then go on to work in an office. However, Parks said, public works provides a well-paying career with many benefits. Retention is high, she added, due to the continuing need for well-trained employees.
In light of this, another goal is to reach out to younger students and their parents, educating them on what a public works career has to offer.
“We’re working now on summer camps for middle schoolers so they can learn about public works,” Parks said. “We have to start younger so they can understand their career options.”
Another goal of Public Works Academy is to ensure there is a welltrained, up-and-coming workforce to take over once employees have retired. Public Works Academy students come from all walks of life and can be any age. Grand Rapids Community College has people from 18 to 55 participating in the academy so far. (Photo provided)
As of March 2021, 53 people had completed Public Works Academy, and 50 had taken jobs in the public works sector. While this mainly includes students in the Grand Rapids area, Parks noted the college is not opposed to making the Public Works Academy curriculum available in other areas.
“If there is a community college in the area, if there are other municipalities that wanted to do this, we will give them our curriculum,” she said.
Currently, similar courses are being taught in parts of Florida and a few other states. Due to the nature of the training, there are no online formats available. During the COVID-19 shutdowns, classes continued in person, with social distancing and personal protective equipment requirements.
“Our partners don’t think we should do it online,” Parks said. “They thought it was important because public works people have to work, no matter what. City services have to happen.”
Parks encourages municipalities and community colleges throughout the country to consider programs like Public Works Academy.
“I think that every municipality, no matter how small, can work together to build their future workforce,” Parks said. “I don’t think people realize how important these jobs are and how needed they are.”
According to Parks, feedback from employers has been positive.
“They really like that they’re able to diversify their workforce,” she said.
Additional information about GRCC’s Public Works Academy is available at www.grcc.edu.
