News from the Ninth Floor for Jan. 30
Fort Wayne's proposed Boundless Playground at Kreager Park received $185,000 over the past few months in foundation grants. The project will allow children of all ability levels including those with physical and developmental disabilities to have playground space. The recent grants were:
'¢ $150,000 from English, Bonter, Mitchell Foundation
'¢ $25,000 from M.E. Raker Foundation
'¢ $10,000 from Wilson Foundation
Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department has earned $485,000 for the $1.3 million project and needs funds to endow its upkeep. To find out more about the project, visit www.fortwayneparks.org and click on Facilities & Boundless Playground link.
FEMA awards flood mitigation grant to purchase commercial property
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has given the City of Fort Wayne a hazard mitigation grant to voluntarily purchase the Mungovan Chiropractic property at 131 E. Tillman Rd. This location along the St. Mary's River has repeatedly experienced damage from flooding. The purchase and future removal of the structures will eliminate the need and cost for flood protection at this property. The grant of $180,000 covers 75 percent of the cost of purchasing the property. The remaining portion will come from local funds.
Police, fire teams to play after Mad Ants game Feb. 20
The City of Fort Wayne will host a Local Heroes night at the Mad Ants game Feb. 20. A portion of the City employees' ticket cost that night will be donated to the Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters Memorial. Following the Mad Ants and the Dakota Wizards, teams from the Police and Fire departments will face off for a basketball game at the War Memorial Coliseum.
City, County employees participating in joint United Way, Arts United campaign
City of Fort Wayne and Allen County employees will be participating in a joint United Way and Arts United fundraising campaign Feb. 6 through Feb. 20. It will kick off Feb. 6 with a bake sale in the lobby on Feb. 10 to raise money for the two organizations. In 2008, City employees donated $23,466 for the United Way of Allen County.
City GIS technician earns professional certification
Peggy Corey, geographic information systems technician and Intergraph GeoMedia webmap programmer, earned the Geographic Information Systems Professional certification from the GIS Certification Institute. Corey is the second person in Allen County with this designation, which is achieved through education and training, GIS experience and contributions to the profession such as training others, making presentations at conferences and receiving awards for GIS projects.
Utilities employee named to statewide clean water coalition
Justin Brugger, City Utilities long term control plan administration program manager, has been selected to serve as a member of the Indiana Water Coalition steering committee. The statewide coalition is a collaboration of the Indiana Water Environment Association, American Water Works Association, American Council of Engineering Consultants, National Utility Contractor Association and Construction Financial Management Association. The joint effort is working to find additional funding sources for drinking water, stormwater and sanitary sewer infrastructure.
Arborist Association honors City arborist with lifetime achievement award
The Indiana Arborist Association honored City Arborist Bill Diedrichs with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its convention this month in Indianapolis. Diedrichs implemented a tree-pruning schedule for the City street trees to help minimize damage from routine storms. He is a 20-year employee at Parks and Recreation and will retire in August.
Four employees elected as officers to state chapter of APWA
Four City employees of the City of Fort Wayne were elected as officers of the Indiana chapter of the American Public Works Association. Rick Orr, director of transportation administration, is treasurer. Dawn Ritchie, greenways manager, is chapter secretary. Justin Brugger, program manager for long term control plan administration, as delegate. Larry Campbell, fleet director, is the director for the northeast region.
Fleet director president of alternative fuel alliance
City Fleet Director Larry Campbell has been elected president of the Central Indiana Clean Cities Alliance for 2009. Clean Cities is a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored program promoting alternative fuel vehicles and alternative fuels at the grassroots level to improve the nation's air quality and lessen the dependence on foreign oil.
City Utilities makes magazine cover story
City Utilities Engineering Program Manager Mike Hicks and Water Pollution Control Maintenance Program Manager Karen Morris presented information about Fort Wayne's efforts to maintain and manage the sewer and water infrastructure at the annual Underground Infrastructure Management Conference in Indianapolis. The organization's magazine picked up the story and made it the cover for December. The story is available at http://www.uimonline.com/index/cover.
Water Pollution Control Plant wins state awards
Fort Wayne's Water Pollution Control plant received two awards at the 72nd annual Indiana Water Environment Association awards banquet in Indianapolis in November.
The WPC lab won an award for excellence. The award is given to IWEA member laboratories that score higher than 90 percent in all categories evaluated. Committee members evaluated the lab in areas of quality control, technique, precision, and documentation. Pat Kohn and Andy Riley accepted the award for WPC's Lab.
WPC staffers also brought home a safety award for safety from the IWEA. Committee members choose to honor the plant after an inspection earlier last year. WPC's Ericka Wallace accepted the award.
City promotes employee to assistant traffic engineer
The City of Fort Wayne's Division of Public Works promoted 33-year employee Dennis Bruce to assistant traffic engineer. Bruce will assist in directing, managing, conducting and supervising the Traffic and Street Light Engineering functions.
City Utilities honored for clarifier construction
The recently completed $32 million primary clarifiers project at City Utilities' Water Pollution Control Plant received recognition from the Indiana Ready Mix Concrete Association. City Utilities staff member Bill Maxwell accepted the award recognizing excellence in concrete use at the Jan. 13 awards luncheon in Indianapolis.