Key West, Fla., residents may have wondered if Big Brother was watching recently if they spotted a van with roof-mounted cameras along with an array of other odd-looking equipment and extensive computer set-up inside, slowly cruising the streets. In reality, the state-of-the-art vehicle and its crew were in the process of surveying all 100 miles of public roadways in the city, logging uneven surfaces, sinking manholes and other hazards. Key West contracted with CH2M HILL for the pavement assessment and will use the results to prioritize maintenance investments. CH2M HILL also has operated and maintained the city’s 10-million-gallon-per-day wastewater treatment plant since 1998, after performing the original design and construction management for the facility.

CH2M HILL recently secured 10-year contract extensions with Dodge City, Kan. (shown), and the Western Township Utilities Authority in Michigan, for operations and maintenance services at their respective wastewater utilities.

Dodge City Commissioners unanimously approved that extension along with an expansion in the scope of work. Since 1988, CH2M HILL has been providing full contract operations and maintenance of Dodge City's wastewater treatment facilities. The scope of services includes an effluent reuse program, computerized maintenance management, training and safety programs, farm soil analysis and limited capital improvement financing. The new scope includes O&M services to the city's new water reclamation facility.

The Board of Commissioners for the Western Township Utilities Authority, which includes the Michigan townships of Canton, Plymouth and Northville, gave unanimous early approval to that contract extension. CH2M HILL's services for the authority include operations and maintenance for 30 miles of collection system, interceptors, 17 miles of force mains, a 60-mgd wastewater pumping station, a 120-mgd wastewater pumping station and two smaller pumping stations, and 12 equalization basins with a storage capacity of 19.8 million gallons. CH2M HILL and the WTUA have been partners since 1994.

 

The Center for Digital Government and Digital Communities program has placed Fayetteville inside the Top 10 digital cities with populations between 30,000 and 75,000 people. The center honors cities each year that "show great strides in enabling shared services, communications and government transparency." Fayetteville was ranked seventh, and was the only Arkansas city ranked in any category.

 

CH2M HILL employees at the MillerCoors brewery in Fort Worth, Texas were “pretty in pink” in October, donning T-shirts in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The entire project team, joined by client manager Robin Wright, participated. Project Manager Russell Rodgers summed up the effort succinctly: “Pink shirts, $11; time for picture, 15 minutes; supporting our client and loved ones, priceless.”

Three CH2M HILL employees recently took a stroll in support of the “Walk to Overcome Ovarian Cancer,” hosted by DeKalb County, Ga., Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton. Jon Mantay, Maia Watkins and Christina Herr, along with Mantay’s daughter and Herr’s fiancé, joined in the 3K walk around the campus of DeKalb Technical College. Commissioner Sutton hosted the walk in partnership with the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance and DTC.

 

Alan Ridgeway, CH2M HILL director of technical estimating, recently found himself in a rather unfamiliar position – in front of a classroom full of public administration graduate students.

Ridgeway was sharing private-sector insights on performance management and metrics for contracted services as a guest lecturer at the University of Kansas’ School of Public Affairs & Administration, part of a KU-CH2M HILL partnership aimed at transforming the education of government leaders. A particular emphasis in the collaboration is the concept of effective outsourcing of local government services or securing outside expertise to provide cost-effective solutions through public-private partnerships.

“Alan did a terrific job of explaining private sector considerations in contracting for services,” says Charles Jones, director of KU’s Public Management Center. “It’s safe to say that he really started them thinking about contracting and more, about alternative means of delivering and measuring the public good.”

CH2M HILL and KU also are hosting a free pre-conference session on public-private collaboration as part of the annual Transforming Local Government conference April 17-20 in Kansas City, Mo.

American City & County magazine recently completed a three-part podcast series on collaboration based in part on the KU-CH2M HILL partnership. The first looks at how one local government fostered a collaborative spirit within its operations, the second examines collaboration at the regional level, while the third looks at how a Colorado city collaborates with other public agencies as well as the private sector to achieve its objectives while keeping its own operations as lean as possible.

 

CH2M HILL Regional Health and Safety Manager Sean Kriloff was recently awarded the National Safety Council’s Rising Star of Safety Award, one of 40 leaders under age 40 recognized for their commitment to safety, influence on safety culture and creation of safety initiatives producing measureable outcomes.

“We are very proud of Sean,” says Elisa M. Speranza, president of CH2M HILL’s Operations & Maintenance Business Group. “His commitment to helping our people stay safe on the job has been an inspiration to the whole team.”

Kriloff, who received the award at the NSC Awards Ceremony in Philadelphia, was selected from a field of almost 150 nominees. Candidates underwent a rigorous review based on criteria that include leadership attributes, examples of safety initiatives producing measureable outcomes, engagement of peers in transforming safety culture both on and off the job, and strong personal beliefs in the value of safety to business operations.

Kriloff helps ensure that his peers are fully engaged in CH2M HILL’s health and safety initiative, establishing site-specific health and safety programs directly targeting the hazardous tasks performed at each project. He has implemented safe behavior observation programs and job hazard analysis pre-task plans along with accompanying behavior-based and integrated safety management leading indicators to track, trend and communicate the value of these programs.

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I had the opportunity to attend our Project Safety Team Leader conference, where the keynote speaker was Jacy Good, who lost her parents (and came close to losing her own life) in a car crash caused by someone talking on a cell phone while driving.

Jacy shared her tragic story of loss and survival and drove home the point that when you're behind the wheel, no phone call is as important as a human life.

It got me thinking about our own cell phone policy and our behaviors at work. I was surprised to find that while our policy restricts drivers from making outgoing calls while a vehicle is in motion, it allows a driver to answer incoming calls as long as the driver is operating with a hands-free device and “limits” the amount of time spent talking while driving. After listening to Jacy speak about the dangers of distracted driving and reviewing the extensive research on the topic, I realized we needed to make our policy more stringent for the safety of our employees as well as everyone around us.

So, effective immediately, CH2M HILL drivers may no longer answer incoming calls or place outgoing calls while a vehicle is in motion. If a driver needs to answer or make a call, he or she must drive the vehicle to a safe location, park the vehicle, and ensure the vehicle is stopped completely before answering any incoming calls or placing outgoing calls. Please keep this policy change in mind if you are trying to reach our associates and they don’t immediate respond to your call

I know I struggled to break the cell phone habit, but it can be done. We all think we have important reasons to pick up that ringing phone or make just a quick call when we’re running late. But you know what? It can wait. It’s just not that important. I urge you to please think about your driving behavior both on and off the job, and talk about the issue with your family and friends (especially if you have young drivers in the family).

While we’re on this important topic, I want to share a tip Jacy mentioned during her talk. You might consider changing the message callers receive when they get your voice mail to something such as this: I can’t take your call right now, and one reason may be because I am driving. I don’t pick up my phone when I am behind the wheel. Please leave a message, and I will return your call as soon as possible. I changed mine recently, and I have gotten positive comments from our clients about it.

If you have the opportunity to hear Jacy speak, I hope you will take advantage. She is like anyone of us – she could be your daughter, sister, co-worker, aunt, or friend. Hearing her story will change your mind about the importance of that phone call.

AT&T also put together a powerful video on the dangers of texting and driving. Take a look at it when you have some time. It’s about 10 minutes long. And you can find out even more at www.focusdriven.org.

As we wind down 2011, I extend our best wishes to you all for a joyous and safe holiday season and look forward to a prosperous 2012 together.

Respectfully,

Elisa M. Speranza
President

Jan. 11-13
Georgia Association of Code Enforcement Annual Conference
Savannah

Jan. 18-20
U.S. Conference of Mayors
Winter Meeting
Washington, D.C.

Jan. 21-23
Georgia Municipal Association Mayors’ Day Conference
Atlanta

Jan. 30-Feb. 2
WEF/AWWA Utility Management Conference
Miami

Jan. 31-Feb. 1
Governing Outlook in the States and Localities 2012
Washington, D.C.