After years of decaying streetscapes, unsafe parking options and failed small-scale rehabilitation attempts, the city of Fenton, Mich., decided to fully invest in their downtown area. “The sidewalks downtown were many years old,” Daniel Czarnecki, public works director of Fenton, … Continue reading →
When the rains began to pummel much of the Central U.S. in late April and early May, community leaders in Missouri knew it was no ordinary spring shower. Within days, over 12 inches of precipitation fell and tornadoes twisted across … Continue reading →
Preparedness both within the fleet shop and workers’ homes comes a long way when disasters — natural or manmade — occur, throwing all into disorder. During his presentation at the NAFA Expo and Institute in Tampa, Fla., in April, James … Continue reading →
Malls bring a vibrant center to many towns — new restaurants, specialty shops and something for people to do on weekends or to swing by for convenience. But when a mall goes south and becomes abandoned, it’s not only an … Continue reading →
“Stop, drop and roll.” We’ve drilled that into our children so that in the event of a fire — rather than panic — they’d automatically know what to do. A similar mindset needs to be implemented when it comes to … Continue reading →
If Route 66 is America’s Mother Road, the transcontinental Abraham Lincoln Memorial Highway, 13 years older and nearly 1,000 miles longer than its parallel counterpart to the south, is certainly the father. Constructed in 1913, the 3,389-mile asphalt ribbon of … Continue reading →
Switch-N-Go Interchangeable Body Systems allow for easy four-season use of your municipal vehicles, whether you need to switch out a sprayer for a dump body, stake bed, chipper box, dumpster, service bed, salt spreader or just about any other body you can imagine. Switch-N-Go also improves safety by allowing workers to load or work out of a body on the ground.
Continue reading →Remember the successful TV program “Undercover Boss”? Jonathan Gano, public works director of Des Moines, Iowa, invokes an unusual twist to that idea. Gano, who moved to Des Moines two years ago to take his current job, had been working … Continue reading →
Page 10 Editor’s Note: Raising the grade Page 12 From the Cover: Ready to roll: C18 genset kept treatment plant online for five days Page 14 ‘World Capitals’: ‘Houseboat Capital of the World’ Lake Cumberland area, Ky. Page 16 Know … Continue reading →
When Erik Tungate, city manager, began brainstorming placemaking ideas for the city of Oak Park, Mich., he wanted to prove that one could still make a big impact on a small budget. Growing up in the city of Plainwell, located … Continue reading →
Rochester, Ind., population 6,218, is a capital within a capital within a capital, the holy of holies of a triplet of concentric territories all known as “The Round Barn Capital of the World.” Indiana boasts more round barns than any … Continue reading →
