7/30/2013

1

Benefits of a Geographic

Approach to Infrastructure

American Public Works AssociationInternational Public Works Congress & Exposition

Chicago, Illinois

August 26, 2013

Patricia C. Passariello, P.E.Technical Leader

Weston & Sampson

Peabody, Massachusetts

Geographic Approach to Infrastructure

Today’s Discussion

• Quick asset management review

• What is a geographic approach?

• Key components of a geographic approach

• Benefits of a geographic approach

• Tips for making a geographic approach work

Asset ManagementSome Common Municipal Assets:

7/30/2013

2

Why Asset Management?

Prevention: Protection:

Why Asset Management?To Move from Reactive to Preventive:

PreventiveReactive

Why Asset Management?To Minimize Emergencies:

• More expensive (costs usually >$1000 per event)

• Often requires 24-hour outside contractors

• Inconvenient to your staff, users, and the public

• Can increase number/severity of insurance claims

• Frequent claims result in increased insurance

premiums/deductibles

AM minimizes emergencies!

7/30/2013

3

Why Asset Management?

Liability Facts & Figures:

• Municipal General Liability claims:

(example from one insurer)

₋ Sewer backups: up to 10% of annual claims

₋ Water main breaks: over 3% of annual claims

₋ Stormwater/flooding: aprx. 2 % of annual claims

Why Asset Management?

Legal Considerations:

• Legal authority (bylaw/ordinance)

- Connection & use

- Entry, inspection, & enforcement

• Liability

- Injury / illness

- Damage

- Cleanup

- Use & enjoyment of property (private nuisance)

- Duty of reasonable care

• Avoiding litigation

• Failure to act

Why Asset Management?

Bottom Line:

Avoidance Can Cost More!

7/30/2013

4

Asset Management

Asset Management is (among other things):

• Effectively operating, maintaining, and upgrading

• Providing expected level of service

• Collecting data to make educated decisions

• Combining engineering principles with sound

business practice and economic rationale

• A systematic process to sustain on a perpetual basis

Asset Management is a process, not a project

Asset vs. Infrastructure Management

Today’s Infrastructure Management Focus:

• Surface:– Streets

– Sidewalks

– Intersections/signaling

– Lighting

– Municipal electric (overhead)

• Subsurface:– Water

– Sewer

– Drain

– Municipal electric/gas (buried)

• Buildings & Grounds

– Municipal offices

– Fire & police facilities

– Public works facilities

– Libraries, senior/youth

centers, etc.

– Parks & recreational

facilities

• Equipment & Supplies

Traditional Approach:

• “Utility-based”

• Focuses on one type of

infrastructure

• Little (or no) regard for

adjacent infrastructure

• May retain multiple

engineers (by utility) to

design, bid & construct

Infrastructure Management

7/30/2013

5

Some Drawbacks of the Traditional Approach:

• Lacks coordination across:– Departments

– Infrastructure

– Capital budgets

– Engineering

• Not as cost-effective– Pay multiple times for design/bid/construction services

– Less economy of scale / higher unit prices

• May get less experienced / capable / equipped contractors

• Often return to (and dig up) same location multiple times

• More disruption / complaints over the long term

Infrastructure Management

Geographic Approach:

• Needs of all infrastructure

in area addressed together

• Coordinated design/bid/

construction

• Surface restoration done

only once

• Fewer complaints

• More opportunities for

cost efficiencies

Infrastructure Management

Basic Program Elements:

• Plan – develop goals & objectives for the program

• Map – locate, inventory and map infrastructure

• Assess – inspect/evaluate infrastructure condition/needs

• Prioritize – based on infrastructure needs

• Superimpose – compare & merge competing priorities

• Fund – set & justify needed Operating & Capital budgets

• Improve – design & construct needed improvements

• Document – every element of the program

Geographic Approach

7/30/2013

6

Identify & Assemble:

• Representatives from appropriate departments

• Available / existing data

• Known problem areas

• Anticipated future growth / development / needs

Geographic Approach - Plan

Discuss & Establish Community-Wide:

• Goals

• Objectives

• Priorities

Geographic Approach - Plan

Planning for Future Growth & Viability is Essential:

• Consider- New development

- Redevelopment

- Change of use

• Adequate authority & regulation- Ordinances / bylaws

- Rules & regulations

- Environmental & historic resource protection

• Coordinate with desired community development

• Develop a community-wide Master Plan

Map Municipal Infrastructure(include private where available)

Some Important Tools

• Geographic Information System (GIS)

• Global Positioning System (GPS)

• Databases

Geographic Approach - Map

7/30/2013

7

Geographic Approach - Assess

Resources Are Scarce – You Have to Prioritize:

• Criticality analysis

• System age / configuration

• Regulatory priorities

• Development / redevelopment

• Grant / loan potential

• Political pressure

• Public / environmental health issues

• “Biggest bang for the buck” or “low-hanging fruit”

Geographic Approach - Prioritize

Geographic Approach - Superimpose

Overlay & Combine All Infrastructure Needs:

• Use community-wide goals, objectives, and

priorities established in planning stage

• Target areas with the widest impact

• Avoid over-commitment

• Be prepared to negotiate but willing to compromise

• Priorities won’t coincide; accept it and move on!

• Consider an outside facilitator

New England Water Environment Association

7/30/2013

8

Major Advantages of Geographic Approach in Funding:

• Design, bid, and construction time & cost efficiencies

• Can be linked to and portions funded by development

• Surface restoration is done once

Geographic Approach - Fund

New England Water Environment Association

Funding Tips:

• Understand your costs – track & project

• Educate & engage people

• Establish (stick to) a long-term Capital Plan

• Be realistic – both in your requests

and your expectations

Geographic Approach - Document

All Program Elements:

• Plan: have a written document

• Map: revise maps as work progresses

• Assess: tabulate and compare results

• Prioritize: record comparative criteria

• Superimpose: write down rationale

• Fund: track expenditures

• Improve: require “as-built” drawings

Go digital!

New England Water Environment Association

Case Study

• Settled in 1624

• Just north of Boston

• Population = 35,080

• Per capita income = $14,628

• Land area = 2.5 square miles

• Density = 16,036.8/sq mi (one of highest in US)

Chelsea, Massachusetts

7/30/2013

9

Case Study

• April 1908 fire destroys 1500 buildings, 350 acres, 1.1 sq mi

• October 1973 fire destroys 18 city blocks, 45 acres, 0.5 sq mi

Factors Influencing Chelsea’s Infrastructure Management:

Case Study

• 1991 state places Chelsea in Receivership – Failed financial intervention by the state

– Political stalemate over the city's budget

– Deepening economic decline

– Spiraling fiscal crisis

• 1995 council-manager government established– New financial policies

– Focus on improving quality of service city provides to

residents/businesses

– Increased emphasis on economic development and capital improvement

Factors Influencing Chelsea’s Infrastructure Management:

Case Study

• Infrastructure Improvement Begins– City enters 10-year contract for O&M of water, sewer, & drain

– City lets annual contracts for emergency repair of sewers

– City embarks on Capital Plan for replacement of water mains

The Traditional Approach:

The Problem– Adjacent utilities damaged during construction

– Other infrastructure added at last minute

– Amendments & change orders increase

– Overall design/construction costs sky-rocket

7/30/2013

10

Case Study

The Geographic Approach:

• Early 2000s Chelsea begins to think more holistically– Water, sewer, drain, street, & sidewalk included in most projects

• 2010 Chelsea fully embraces Geographic Approach– Improvements coordinated with economic redevelopment

– Projects coordinated with improvement of private utilities

– Projects address all municipal infrastructure needs in the project area

Case StudyChelsea’s Most Current Project Now Includes:

• Improvement of all municipal infrastructure

• Sewer separation (reduce CSOs & flow-based fees for wastewater treatment)

• Green infrastructure & BMPs (capture, treat & infiltrate stormwater)

• Intersection redesign & signal optimization

• Ornamental lighting (enhances pedestrian environment)

• Bicycle lanes

• Street-scaping (aesthetics, air/water pollution, urban heat-island effect)

• Imprinting of crosswalks & sidewalks (pedestrian safety/highlight businesses)

• Relocation/enhancement of public bus stops

• Public education/participation

• Collaboration with watershed/environmental/minority/youth organizations

• Environmental permitting

• Long-term capital improvement planning

• Supplemental funding through available grants, loans, and City’s I/I Fund

Geographic Approach

Benefits:

• Addresses infrastructure needs collaboratively

• Allows identification of mutual benefits

(e.g., stormwater BMPs & street trees)

• Coordinates/plans for future growth

• Increases potential to combine/fund infrastructure

needs with new development & re-development

• Gains support for operating/capital budgets

7/30/2013

11

Geographic Approach

Benefits (continued):

• Minimizes repetitive surface restoration

• Decreases frequency of construction disruptions

• Reduces calls/complaints

• Maximizes design, bid, and construction efficiencies

• Lowers overall cost to address infrastructure needs

on a community-wide basis

Modified Geographic Approach

If You Don’t Succeed On A Community-Wide Plan:

• Consider a Modified Geographic Approach with similar benefits

– Plan, map, assess, prioritize for infrastructure under your responsibility

– Invite those responsible for adjacent infrastructure to provide their needs in your priority areas

– Determine costs/benefits for “shared” projects

– Get buy-in from budget makers

– Protect your department’s investment in infrastructure

Geographic Approach

• Don’t forget to account for private utilities

• Rehabilitation may not appear as cost

effective (e.g., sewer lining)

• Superimposing may oppose best plan for a

single utility (e.g., sewer separation)

• Up-front investment can be substantial if – No prior mapping or assessment data exists

– New or more detailed assessment is desired

• Construction disruption is significant but short-

term (i.e., public education is crucial)

A Few Cautionary Notes:

7/30/2013

12

Ways to Help Make it Happen:

• Understand the benefits & potential stumbling blocks

• Initiate discussion with your municipal counterparts

• Set SMART goals:Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

• Establish clear community-wide priorities up front

Geographic Approach

Ways to Help Make it Happen (continued):

• Estimate reasonably achievable long range funding

• Educate & get buy-in from stakeholders

• Try a “pilot project”

– Area anticipated to see new development or

redevelopment

– Area known to need improvements for multiple

infrastructure types

Geographic Approach

Ways to Help Make it Happen (continued):

• Develop & implement a schedule for your programExample:Year 1 = Area 1 assessment

Year 2 = Area 1 design; Area 2 assessment

Year 3 = Area 1 construction; Area 2 design; Area 3 assessment

• Continuously compare funding vs. schedule & re-adjust

Geographic Approach

7/30/2013

13

Conclusion:

Regardless of the approach you choose…

Geographic

Traditional

Other

…just make sure you develop and implement

a program to properly manage your assets!

Geographic Approach

Questions?

Thank you!