The Public Works Nerds
Your Guides to the Latest and Greatest in Public Works
Episodes
44 episodes
A Conversation with the MN Chapter of APWA: Events, Committees, Strategic Plans, and Professional Development
Join us and we talk with the Officers of the Minnesota Chapter of APWA. We talk about the history of the chapter, the committees, conferences, and their strategic plan. This is a lively and fun discussion with some very dedicated and devoted pu...
GIS and GeoAI in the world of Public Works with Adam Carnow and John Shain
In our 17th episode we talk to two GIS Nerds, Adam Carnow from ESRI and John Shain from Bolton & Menk. In the spirit of the AI movement, which we talk about in this episode, specifically GeoAI, I'm going to let the AI generated episode desc...
The City Engineers Association of Minnesota and how it helps distribute MN's gas tax with Deb Heiser
In this episode Deb Heiser and I nerd out about the City Engineers Association of Minnesota, a unique organization of municipal engineers. We talk about CEAM's mission, committees and purpose. We also dive into what role CEAM plays in the distr...
Implementing Adaptive Level Control Systems for Stormwater Ponds with Ross Bintner
Meet Ross Bittner, Engineering Services Manager from Edina, Minnesota, who has an extraordinary passion for water resources and a knack for innovation. Ross and I nerd out in this episode about a new Adaptive Level Control System that the...
How To Handle A Public Works Crisis With Nick Egger
This week we are joined by Nick Egger, Public Works Director for the City of Rosemount, MN. Nick steps back to his time with the City of Hastings, MN and the management of a water contamination event in 2018. Nick talks about how they discovere...
Exploring Pipe Condition Assessment and Trenchless Technologies with Paul Pasko
In this episode Marc and guest co-host Deb Heiser talk to Paul Pasko from Electro Scan, Inc. Paul talks about using new technologies to assess the condition of water and sewer pipes. We also talk about using trenchless techniques to rehabilitat...
Traffic Engineering for Cities with Marc and Mike
Marc and Mike go solo in this episode focusing on Traffic Engineering for Cities. Leveraging Mike's years of compiling data and producing reports and guides for various traffic related issues at the City level, the Public Works Nerds tackle a c...
Exploring the Intersection of Drone Technology and Public Works with Brian Simmons
What happens when you merge the world of public works with drone technology? Our guest for today's episode, Brian Simmons, a Principal Engineer with Bolton & Menk, and tech enthusiast, shares his insights. A seasoned expert in the field, Br...
Upping your Social Media Game with Kevin Wright from the City of Chaska, MN
In this episode, Kevin Wright, Communications Manager for the City of Chaska, MN, talks to us about how to use Social Media for public works events and projects. We talk about how Chaska is using Social Media, what platforms they are on and whe...
Mark Maloney: A Career Spanning Three Decades in Public Works
On Friday, July 21st, 2023 Mark Maloney will end his public works career after almost 29 years at the City of Shoreview, MN, and over 32 total years in the engineering and public works field. We are dropping this bonus episode one day before th...
American Public Works Association Update with CEO Scott Grayson
In this episode we talk with Scott Grayson, CEO of the American Public Works Association (APWA). Scott talks about the new strategic directions for APWA, value to public works professionals, and some challenges to the industry such as workforce...
St Paul Regional Water Service's Water Treatment Plant Overhaul Project Using Progressive Design Build - A Conversation with Pat Shea
Pat Shea, General Manager of the St Paul Regional Water Service spends time with us nerds to talk about their mammoth Water Treatment Plant project including the use of Progressive Design Build to deliver the project. Pat also touches on the is...
Experiments in Neighborhood Traffic Control and Using Big Data with Deb Heiser, PE
In this episode, we talk about transportation systems with Deb Heiser, Engineering Director of St. Louis Park, MN. We discuss handling citizen requests,neighborhood meetings, how the city uses pilot projects to test traffic control change...
Evolving Asset Management Systems with Russ Matthys, PE and John Gorder, PE
Ever wondered how cities manage their assets and infrastructure? Join us as we sit down with John Gorder and Russ Matthys from the City of Egan, two award-winning engineers, who have played an instrumental role in the city's growth and manageme...
Recap of Smart Cities Connect Conference - Spring 2023
In this episode, we share our insights from the Smart Cities Connect conference in Denver, discussing the importance of data management for public agencies and how IoT sensors and video are revolutionizing the way we collect, analyze, and store...
Innovating Winter Maintenance: Reducing Salt Use and Protecting the Environment with Connie Fortin
What if you could reduce your reliance on salt and design better, more environmentally friendly winter maintenance strategies? Join us as we chat with Connie Fortin, the Low Salt Strategist at Bolton Mank, who shares her innovative approach to ...
Reorganizing and Establishing the Right Culture in a Public Works Department with Michael Thompson, PE
Michael Thompson, PE has been on quite a journey at Plymouth, MN, since taking over as the public works director in 2017. Listen to learn how he has reshaped the department and the lessons he has learned. Furth...
Emergency Response in Public Works with Mark Ray, PE
When we think of Emergency Response, we think of ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars showing up on the scene. Mark Ray, PE (Public Works Director for Crystal, MN) has added a fourth to that list – public works trucks.