Our company
Central, La., chooses CH2M HILL OMI for city operations
The City of Central, La., has selected our company as the community’s partner for delivering a full range of municipal services. CH2M HILL OMI will be responsible for operating nearly all city services for Central, including public works, planning and zoning, code enforcement and general administrative functions. During its meeting Jan. 17, Central’s City Council voted unanimously to begin contract negotiations with CH2M HILL OMI. A three-year contract is expected to be signed soon, and work is slated to begin March 1.
Commitment to safety secures 8 more awards
 Our talented people are our most important resource, and ensuring that everyone goes home safe every day is our top priority. This safety commitment was recognized, in part, by earning eight more safety awards in the second half of 2007. We earned at water and wastewater facilities we operate and maintain around the country, including DeFuniak Springs and Quincy, Fla.; Hoboken, N.J.; Roseburg, Ore.; Augusta and Lowndes County, Ga.; and Greenwood, Va. In addition, the CH2M HILL OMI-operated wastewater system in Coos Bay, Ore., recently celebrated a 10-year record of no lost-time accidents.
Miami-Dade calls on our consulting expertise
CH2M HILL has been selected by Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department to provide engineering and operations and maintenance consulting at Miami-Dade’s South District wastewater treatment plant. CH2M HILL worked collaboratively with CH2M HILL OMI to earn the contract. The company is providing O&M services, process optimization and performance enhancement, engineering and construction, as well as implementing improvements. Miami-Dade WASD has three wastewater treatment plants but only one plant could be awarded per consultant, so CH2M HILL will be working over a 6-year period to achieve optimum performance at the plant. While our company is best known for award-winning, long-term contract O&M services, we have a growing O&M consulting practice as well.
Our communities
Helping Walla Walla keep water streams clean
Storm drains around Walla Walla, Wash., are being marked this year with permanent signage to warn citizens not to dump waste inside, thanks to some creative thinking by our employees who help operate and maintain the city’s wastewater system. Employees like project manager Willy Breshears, right, previously used paint to stencil no-dumping warnings on curbs next to the storm drains. But the team researched and designed a nicer, more informative curb marker, shown at left by laboratory director Bill Slovensky, that includes a hotline that people can call to report illegal dumping. Installation of the “Only Rain Down The Drain” markers began this winter, aiming to help the community’s waterways clean and safe.
Our partners
Colorado's newest city holds first elections
Congratulations to Castle Pines North, Colorado’s newest city that just held it first municipal elections earlier this month. Along with six city council members, a treasurer and a clerk, Maureen Shul was elected as the city’s first Mayor. A citizen committee retained CH2M HILL OMI last year to assess the financial viability of the proposed incorporation of Castle Pines North, and under the agreement we developed a financial model and budget for the prospective city, including identifying potential revenue streams and forecasting expenses for services. Last fall, residents voted nearly 4 to 1 to incorporate.
Innovation earns media attention
It’s great to see when our partners get attention in the press for their innovation and great work! Congrats to two of our partners in Roseburg, Ore., and Fayetteville, Ark., which were featured recently in good articles.
- The News-Review newspaper published an in-depth story about how the Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority’s new water treatment technology is saving energy and money. By investing in the new system – the first of its kind in an Oregon municipal facility – RUSA projects saving $19,000 a year.
- The Winter 2008 newsletter published by the Mayors Water Council of The United States Conference of Mayors features an article about a new technology used at Fayetteville’s Paul R. Noland wastewater treatment plant. The city and CH2M HILL OMI worked with a local startup company to test their system to inject supersaturated dissolved oxygen into water, which is then injected into the effluent. The tests worked, the system was purchased, and it's expected to lead to lower costs and more efficiency for the facility.
Our industry
American approach to partnership featured at Japanese forum
Japan’s extensive interests in public-private partnerships led Toyo University to hold a multinational symposium this week on successful partnering. The 47,000-student university – the only one in Japan to offer graduate coursework in PPPs – invited experts from CH2M HILL OMI and other U.S. organizations to share successes before an audience of more than 450 people. CH2M HILL OMI senior vice president Gary Miller and vice president Rick Hirsekorn discussed the company’s landmark partnership with the city of Sandy Springs, Ga., through which the company has provided nearly all services except public safety since 2005. Also speaking were former chair of the Governor’s Commission for the City of Sandy Springs, Oliver Porter, who championed the private-sector approach to government in the new city, and Art Smith, chairman of the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships. Toyo University’s president, chairman and trustees are pictured here with Porter, front right, and starting at back center, Miller, Hirsekorn and Smith.
New AWWA executive director named
 Gary J. Zimmerman has been selected as the executive director of the American Water Works Association, based in Denver. Zimmerman replaces Jack W. Hoffbuhr, who is retiring after leading AWWA for 12 years. Zimmerman joins AWWA after serving as executive vice president of the Arabian Horse Association and a career in business management and development.
Our people
Safety champion in Maine earns top honors
 Robert (Bob) Knight wears two hats when he works at the Biddeford, Maine, wastewater treatment plant. Not only is he a mechanic but he’s a safety champion as well. Knight, who has volunteered as the site’s Project Safety Team Leader for the past three years, last month won the New England Water Environment Association’s 2007 Operator Safety Award. In addition to his overall “outstanding achievement,” the plant received a Safety Award in 2006 for no lost-time accidents. CH2M HILL OMI has provided operations and maintenance services at the Biddeford facility since 1991. Besides working to serve the Biddeford community, Knight earlier served as the mayor of Nenana, Alaska. |
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President’s perspective
As someone who has worked both for and with public entities over the past 25 years, I'm keenly interested in any news relating to government and public service. So, like most of you who work in public service roles, I was deeply affected this month by the news of the shooting tragedy at a city council meeting in Kirkwood, Mo. Our entire company extends our sympathies to the community of Kirkwood and to the families so heartbreakingly affected.
Hearing this story also reminds us once again of the tremendous sacrifices that often come with public service – and our gratitude to those who offer their talents to care for our communities. It's not easy being a public works director, responsible for keeping roads, pipes, bridges and parks in working order 24/7 year-round with tough budget conditions to boot. It's not easy serving as a city council member, giving up nights and weekends to make the best decisions possible for the well-being of a community while balancing so many citizen demands. It's not easy being a mayor, or utilities manager, or county commission member, or police officer, or any one of the dozens of paid and unpaid civic roles people play that are vital to keeping our civic life, well, civil. This important work too often goes by unnoticed, invisible, unthanked.
It's always challenging to find light in dark stories like Kirkwood's. But maybe we can best honor the memories of these public servants who fell by taking a moment to thank the public servants around us today. Thank you for your efforts to keep our communities healthy, safe and proud places to live and work. Thank you for your service.
Respectfully,
Elisa M. Speranza
President
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Conferences give us a great way to continue connecting with clients, sharing our technical expertise and supporting our industry. Plus, they’re fun! Here are some of the upcoming hot spots where you can meet CH2M HILL OMI: |
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Feb. 24-27
Utility Management Conference
Tampa, Fla.
CH2M HILL OMI employees, along with clients from Albany, Ore., and Pinellas County, Fla., will present strategic and tactical approaches and case studies at a full-day workshop about the Spectrum of Asset Management. Workshop A at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 24.
Feb. 24-27
April 19-23
April 26-30
April 28-May 2
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Clients in government and industry rely on the people of CH2M HILL OMI to provide a range of custom-tailored operations and maintenance solutions. The company’s services include water and wastewater system optimization; contract O&M of water, wastewater and other utilities; and complete municipal operations, including administration, public works and community development – all backed by a commitment to safety, quality, innovation and customer service. Founded by CH2M HILL in 1980, the Denver-based company serves clients in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
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