Montage Enterprises: Surpassing the expectation in mower parts
If there is a constant during the spring and summer, it’s the wave of never-ending mowing. Highways, ditches, right-of-ways, parks and other municipal and DOT properties all require routine trimming to improve motorists’ visibility and the quality of public property. … More from our cover sponsor →
Calculating the curve
How many times have we heard of a fire apparatus crash that occurred while a vehicle was rounding a curve? There are many reasons for this, most of which revolve around speed. Every curve in the roadway has a critical … Continue reading →
There’s no business like snow business
The mission of Central Parts Warehouse is to supply quality parts at affordable prices for its resellers, municipalities and end users. Additionally, the company operates a free technical service call line and regularly publishes industry-relevant information on a company blog. … Continue reading →
Coming up: 2014
The federal shutdown has been over for a couple of months, but we only have one more month before that particular tractor-trailer barrels down on us again. The October showdown yielded no clear winner, and yet we’re posed to do … Continue reading →
Snow and ice removal awareness
In most cases snow and ice service providers operate as an invisible industry. Winter storms occur at any and all times, with the public’s main concern being that their local streets, highways or work parking lots have been serviced to … Continue reading →
Which way to Santa Claus?
This month, more than a few parents will tell their children that one of the holiday’s most famous personalities is at the North Pole making toys and checking a list to see who was naughty and who was nice. But … Continue reading →
Collaborative and under-budget: QBS projects
Qualifications based selection is a method for procuring professional services based on demonstrated competence and qualifications at a negotiated fair and reasonable price. Projects administered by a federal, state or local agency that uses federal funds typically follow the Brooks … Continue reading →
News & Notes:
Lake Wales, Fla. — Petersen Industries Inc. was awarded National Joint Powers Association national contract No. 070313-PII for procurement of “Grounds Maintenance with Related Equipment, Accessories and Supplies.” This is Petersen Industries’ second awarded contract with njpa. The njpa serves … Continue reading →
Like a rock – An innovative alternative in concrete
Imagine being able to use concrete on slopes, in water and on other hard-to-reach places without molds, heavy equipment or the need for additional manpower. Concrete fabric products make it possible, and they’re changing the way municipalities approach concrete application. … Continue reading →
What to expect from the Affordable Care Act
Despite attempts to repeal it and legal challenges questioning its constitutionality, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is about to have one of its major components come into effect during 2014: a mandate requiring everyone to purchase health insurance … Continue reading →
Economic development top priority in 2014
The new year brings dreams of hopes, challenges and priorities. Many cities are working on major projects, and all are trying to make due with the budgets that they have to work with. In Staunton, Va., City Manager Stephen Owen … Continue reading →
Coming up: 2014
The federal shutdown has been over for a couple of months, but we only have one more month before that particular tractor-trailer barrels down on us again. The October showdown yielded no clear winner, and yet we’re posed to do … Continue reading →
How cure-in-place pipe preserves the historic
During 1993 Mankato, Minn., experienced a flood. A big one. It was discovered during the event that that River Front Drive’s storm sewer lines, which run under the street, were compromised. Among the sites threatened by this instability was a … Continue reading →
The retroreflectivity, GPS and GIS tripod
Fox Point, Wis., is sometimes referred to simply as the north shore of Milwaukee. But association with the big city really doesn’t do the small town justice, because its cross section of largely professional people and cultured history creates a … Continue reading →
More trucks, less money
Missouri fire departments construct group purchase agreement By CHRIS HALL | Springfield Fire Department As departments are tasked with an ever-widening scope of service demands, the apparatus required to meet those demands get larger and more technical. This translates into … Continue reading →
Fracking and rural roads
Which way would a blind Lady Justice’s scale tilt when weighing the benefits of shale energy development, with its high-volume hydraulic fracking, against rural road deterioration? That’s the major balancing act that confronts state and local powers that be. It’s … Continue reading →
Managing grant funds
The recession, along with recent trends in finance and economics, has changed the extent to which the local level of the public sector can expect single-source funding for projects. The level and reliability of funding streams, local demographics and the … Continue reading →
Stopping Distances Part 2
In our last article we discussed the steps involved in bringing a speeding vehicle to a stop. This complex process includes the time and distance necessary to perceive and react to a hazard, followed by the time and distance necessary … Continue reading →