The Niles Public Works Department was recently selected to receive a national American Public Works Association (APWA) Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Award for the Village’s winter maintenance activities. This award promotes excellence in the management and administration of public works snow and ice operations, and encourages best practices in snow and ice removal while minimizing environmental impacts.
“The Niles Public Works Department prides itself on being at the forefront of snow and ice control, but none of this would be possible without the dedication and hard work of our employees,” said Director of Public Works Fred Braun. He added that a great snow and ice control program does not happen overnight. “Over the years we have added new procedures, equipment, planning and technology. All of our efforts have culminated in this recognition, but we will continue to work to improve our service whenever possible.”
Recently the Public Works Department added two Road Weather Information System (RWIS) units, which use remote sensing equipment to gather and transmit road-related weather information. The information includes atmospheric (temperature, wind, precipitation, etc.), roadway (temperature, pavement conditions, friction level), and sub-surface pavement temperature characteristics. Braun explained, “This weather data allows us to better coordinate the pre-treating of roads via anti-icing, efficiently plan winter maintenance, reduce the amount of deicing chemicals used to clear roads, and reduce the wear and tear on maintenance vehicles. This provides safer roads, improved road maintenance decision-making, and useful data for an after-event review to enhance future transportation planning.”
Winners of this award are selected by the Professional Manager and Snow and Ice Award Committee of the APWA. Open to any public works agency actively involved in snow and ice removal, each nomination must provide detail for their programs and accomplishments in six categories: Materials/Handling, Equipment, Training, Community Outreach, Technical Resources and Environmental. Selected along with two other agencies, the Village of Niles will be
presented with the award at the 2019 North American Snow Conference, May 19-22 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Staff will also speak on a panel about their snow and ice management operations during the Conference.
For more information about the APWA awards program, please contact APWA Awards and Chapter Relations Associate Rhonda Wilhite at rwilhite@apwa.net, or by phone at 816-595-5261.
About APWA: The American Public Works Association (www.apwa.net) is a not-for-profit, international organization of more than 30,000 members involved in the field of public works. APWA serves its members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge. APWA is headquartered in Kansas City, MO, has an office in Washington, DC, and 63 chapters in North America.