The City Engineers Association of Minnesota held the 2022 Annual Conference, January 26-28, 2022, at the Earle Brown Heritage Center. The conference offered a terrific opportunity for you to stay informed on current topics of interest and to maintain continuing education. 

Download the list of conference sessions 2022 CEAM Annual Conference schedule (pdf).

If available, presentations from the CEAM 2021 Annual Conference are posted below.

1. Asset Management - Let's Innovate!
Justin Hansen, WSB; Trisha Stefanski, Minnesota Department of Transportation; Chris Kufner, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Session summary: For many cities, asset management has become an everyday activity with the core goal to maximize value from infrastructure and resources. We will be discussing the emerging technologies and approaches in asset management that are changing the way cities manage not only their assets but also projects, project lifecycle, and data. Our presentation will highlight these new technologies and approaches which include reality capture, 3D design, Building Information Modelling (BIM), location intelligence, digital delivery, and visualization. We will highlight each through examples from recent projects at MnDOT and other communities. You will learn how these technologies and approaches can be incorporated into your city’s future projects. Also, you will gain more insight into how they enhance design, collaboration, data delivery, and asset management.

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2. Local Speed Limits - Update
Chad Millner, City of Edina; Mark Maloney, City of Shoreview; Kate Miner, Stonebrooke Engineering; Gary Davis, University of Minnesota
Session summary: In 2019, the Minnesota State Legislature enacted legislation to allow cities the authority to determine speed limits on local City streets. Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Rochester were early adopters of reducing speed limits on their local roads.  This session will provide two different city perspectives on reducing speed limits on local roads.  In addition, an overview of two Local Road Research Board (LRRB) studies of speed limits will be presented.  Guidelines for Determining Speed Limits on Municipal Roadways is wrapping up and Impact of Speed Limit Changes on Urban Streets is just getting underway.

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3. Advancing Equity in Public Contracts and Procurement
Mary Schmidt, MnDOT; Ted Schoenecker, Ramsey County; Edna McKenzie, Midwest Select Contracting, LLC
Session summary: MnDOT has been finding ways to provide contract opportunities to small businesses for the past several years and recently some local governments have used similar techniques to open more doors for small businesses to bid and respond to Requests for Proposals.  In this session, MnDOT staff will provide information on ways cities can engage with small businesses and Ramsey County will present a sample project that was completed using different contracting techniques to attract small businesses.  To better understand barriers faced by small businesses, the founder and CEO of Midwest Select Contracting, LLC will discuss her experiences.

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4. Walking & Biking in Rural Communities: How Planning, Partnerships, and Equity Play a Role
Cody Christianson, Bolton & Menk; Jasper Kruggel, City of LeSueur; Sonja Piper, MnDOT
Session summary: This session is a panel presentation that will discuss best practices and lessons for implementing bike and pedestrian facilities in rural cities. Attendees will get an overview of how GIS tools can be used to equitably plan and construct these facilities with state highway projects.

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5. Federal Process 101 – There is no such thing as a free lunch
Sulmaan Khan, MnDOT; Elisa Bottos, MnDOT; Colleen Brown, MnDOT; Jack Corkle, WSB
Session summary: Federal funding – what do I need to know?  We all love free money, but money from the federal government has strings attached. Navigating the federal process is not hard if you know what you are getting into, but has some challenges and potential pitfalls if you don’t. This session highlights the before and after for federally funded projects by answering the most important questions:

• What to know before you apply for federal funding
• You received the funding, NOW WHAT?

The presenters will explain the process while interweaving stories and experiences from previous federally-funded projects to help you leave the session with confidence to manage your next federal project.

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6. Full Depth Reclamation for City Streets
Susan Miller, SRF Consulting Group; Tom Wesolowski, City of Shoreview; Joseph Stadheim, City of New Ulm; Dan Wegman, Braun Intertec
Session summary: The Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) recently completed a study on the ability to use Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) in urban areas. It can be difficult to know if FDR is a feasible option for typical asphalt pavement rehabilitation projects. This session will describe the FDR process and urban setting considerations (curb-and-gutter, utilities, manholes, etc.) and provide helpful information to help determine if FDR is appropriate for your next pavement rehabilitation project.

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7. Traffic-Transportation 101: Being a City Traffic Engineer
Bryant Ficek, Minnesota Department of Transportation - Metro District
Session summary: What does it mean to be the traffic expert for your City? This session will explore that question in three ways:
• Traffic Knowledge. Traffic is a very visible element that impacts everything within your City. This section will review the important City documents to understand, basic traffic engineering numbers to memorize, and key connections to make and maintain. Items reviewed could include the transportation section of the comp plan; parks and recreation plan; Capital Improvement Plan; key trip generation numbers; and daily volume thresholds for roads, warrants, etc.
• Working with your Council and Commissions. Elected officials and appointed commission members will look to you to answer their traffic questions. Providing education on basic traffic issues can help them understand our complex system before specific concerns are discussed. We will explore potential topics to provide a foundation of traffic knowledge for your Council and Commissions.
• Talking with Residents. It is important to be responsive to complaints, plainly discuss new development impacts, and provide important construction information to property owners. We will discuss working with the public and provide some tips and tricks to help communicate and track your communications.

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8. Utilities 101
Paul Hornby, WSB; Michael Picha, T2 Utility Engineers; Greg Anderson, SEH Inc.
Session summary: This session continues the successful 101 Education Series, and will provide valuable information on the rights/responsibilities of local agencies for private utility coordination, the latest technologies in subsurface utility exploration, and utility inspections and testing.

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9. Transforming into the Digital Age for Paper Plans for the TH 169 Project
Justin Femrite, City of Elk River; Jason Block, Ames Construction, Inc.; Darren Nelson, MnDOT; Peter Muehlbach, WSB
Session summary: Utilizing technology for paperless plans and the power of a new delivery method and digital transformation have provided the State and the City of Elk River incredible freedom to make flexibility designs for the better of the project.  Learn about how the agencies, WSB, and Ames used the technology to see significant cost savings and to construct a more efficient project.

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10. Programs to Address Funding Shortfalls due to COVID
Anne Finn, League of Minnesota Cities; Daniel Lightfoot, League of Minnesota Cities
Session summary: This session will give an overview of the funding programs that were initiated due to COVID and the resulting economic impacts; CARES, CRRSAA, ARP, infrastructure bill, return of federal legislator designated projects (earmarks) and increased funding for existing programs.  Attendees will get an overview of available programs, the types of qualifying activities and any critical dates.

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11. Going Solar: a Municipal Perspective
Tracy Hodel, City of St. Cloud; Carlos Ballinas, Barr Engineering Co.; Rick Tisdale, Cedar Creek Energy
Session summary: Interest in solar energy is gaining momentum with more and more municipalities considering solar energy projects. This session will focus on municipal solar energy projects from the perspectives of the owner, developer and project engineer. Discussion will include an overview of the project process, including siting and feasibility considerations that are unique to solar energy projects. The session will also include insights and lessons learned regarding implementation of municipal solar projects and discussion on the role(s) of the solar energy developer in municipal solar projects.

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12. Public Art - It Takes Work to Look This Good!
Jen Krava, Forecast Public Art; Joe Rhein, Bolton & Menk; Josh Johnsen, City of Rochester; Sean Walther, City of St. Louis Park
Session summary: This session will provide a general introduction to the process of incorporating art into public projects.  Using several examples of projects across the country, we will discuss what public art can do, what forms it might take, how it can be integrated into larger construction projects, and how it can be unexpected.  Case studies from Two Harbors, Rochester and St. Louis Park will highlight public art in unexpected places, the public art concept development and delivery process, and funding mechanisms.

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13. League of Minnesota Cities Update
Dave Unmacht, League of Minnesota Cities
Session summary: This session will provide an overview of the League's highest priorities and major trends happening in local government.  Dave will highlight the League's significant focus on member engagement and how this investment of board and staff time is helping the League fulfill its mission to serve all cities in Minnesota.

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14. Pavement Management and Maintenance
Amy Grothaus, Braun Intertec; Trudy Elsner, Hennepin County; Mike Payne, City of Plymouth
Session summary: Roadways require a large investment from agencies, with proper maintenance and rehabilitation activities applied in a timely manner the overall cost of ownership can be minimized. In this session, a local geotechnical consultant will explore practical applications of different best management practices of pavement maintenance and management. Representatives from a metro city and county will also discuss their agency’s pavement management program and their approach to pavement maintenance.

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15. Practical Ethics for Tough Times
Chad Weinstein, Ethical Leaders in Action
Session summary: Today’s public sector engineers face great challenges, upholding their duties to make sound decisions and provide unbiased guidance during a time of marked conflict and divisiveness in society.  This session will offer ethics-based techniques and approaches for upholding professional standards in service to the public while respecting the complex needs and conflicting perspectives of multiple stakeholders.    These approaches include:
• Moral courage as a critical feature of strong professionalism.
• Mutual respect as a necessary condition for constructive discourse. 
• Conflict mitigation and ethical persuasion as key skills for public sector engineers.
Engineers will also learn to identify and address some of the predictable challenges that arise at the intersection of technical factors, economic factors, public policy, and politics.

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16. Holistic Autonomous Vehicle Safety and Update on MnDOT’s Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) Program
Andrew Smart, Andrew Smart Consulting, LLC, MnDot CAV Representative
Session summary: Current vehicle safety standards, best practices, and approaches are not adequate to ensure the safety of an automated vehicle (AV), the motoring public, and vulnerable road users. The application of these technologies continually prompts the question: How safe is safe enough? A holistic approach to safety that considers all aspects of a safe AV deployment is crucial. The most effective way to cover all aspects of safety is an assessment and verification process, especially as an AV deployment requires many different elements, including the environment, management practices, and the vehicles.  MnDOT will also provide an update on their Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) Program.

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17. MS4 Permit – current status and lessons learned
Randy Neprash, Stantec
Session summary: By January 2022, the MS4 permittees will be well into developing the revisions and new elements of their MS4 SWPPPs to comply with the new Minnesota MS4 General Permit. Most of the permittees received their permit coverage letters from the MPCA during the summer of 2021. After the receipt of that letter, each permittee has 12 months to revise their SWPPP or create new SWPPP elements to comply with the new Permit requirements. This session will review where most of the challenges are and what ideas and materials seem to work best for permittees.

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18. Augmented Reality Technology for Design and Construction
Josh McDonald, Stantec; Dylan Jones, Frontier Precision Inc., Matt Schwartz, Frontier Precision Inc.
Session summary: Augmented reality (AR) is an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved through the use of digital visual elements, sound, or other sensory stimuli delivered via technology. It is a growing trend among companies involved in mobile computing and business applications.  This presentation will review various AR products and uses.

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19. McCarrons Water Treatment Plant–  Case Study in Overhaul of Aging Infrastructure
Will Menkhaus, St. Paul Regional Water Services; Roger Scharf, Jacobs
Session summary: St. Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) is currently undertaking the largest drinking water project in Minnesota history.  Since the mid-1910s, the McCarrons Water Treatment Plant has been providing drinking water to the residents of St. Paul and neighboring communities. At an estimated cost of about $180M, the improvements to the aging water treatment plant will be extensive.  SPRWS has opted to deliver this project via Progressive Design Build (PDB), a delivery methodology in which one firm both designs and constructs the facility. This session will include discussion on the scope of the McCarron’s Water Treatment Plant improvements, including incorporation of more modern technologies, and how to successfully begin a Progressive Design Build project.

20. Bioretention Basins: Design, Construction and Maintenance, Oh My!
Gregg Thompson, City of Eagan; Matt Metzger, Barr Engineering Co., Stephen Thomforde, Stantec
Session summary: Bioretention basins can be effective stormwater best management practices (BMPs) to reduce stormwater runoff volume and filter pollutants. Bioretention basins have become fairly common in recent decades as communities respond to water quality improvement goals and regulatory requirements. However, while relatively simple in concept, bioretention basins can pose some unique challenges in design, installation, and maintenance. This session will focus on sharing tips and lessons learned to promote successful installation and operation of bioretention basins, with a focus on design, construction, and long-term maintenance.

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21. Workforce Trend Changes - Impact to Development
John Breitinger, Cushman & Wakefield; Bill Neuendorf, City of Edina; Stacie Kvilvang, Ehlers, Inc.
Session summary: Workforce trends have continued to evolve with a large percentage of companies moving to work from home options, with a need for less office space.  As these changes occur, it is shaping the way development and redevelopment is being considered.

22. Working with Elected Officials
Ann Johnson Stewart, Member of the Minnesota State Senate; Don Theisen, Washington County
Session summary: Here is you opportunity to receive information and tips to improve your relationships and communications with elected officials.  This session will offer different perspectives and ideas for you to consider to improve your effectiveness working with elected officials at various levels.

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23. Pedestrian Safety on City Streets
Brian Sorenson, MnDOT; Ethan Fawley, City of Minneapolis Public Works; John Gorder, City of Eagan
Session summary: This session will include practical examples of pedestrian safety improvements in Urban and Suburban cities.  MnDOT will share new initiatives to engage local agencies in Towards Zero Death efforts and to improve pedestrian safety and collaboration across agencies.

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24. New Resources to Help Grow the Local Agency Transportation Workforce
Stephanie Malinoff, Center for Transportation Studies; Katherine Stanley, Center for Transportation Studies
Session summary: Are you struggling to hire qualified staff for open positions within your agency or department? This session will explore several new resources developed by Minnesota LTAP to introduce youth to careers in local agency transportation departments and help provide training for current staff who show interest and aptitude for advancement.